Abyss: Oops, sorry for the wait! Enjoy the double update!
There was no light in the carriage, and it felt dark and cramped.
Through the carved wooden window, only a vague shadow could be seen.
The fierce wind danced wildly, blowing the ink-black hair, covering half of the face.
The horses neighed as they leaped over the threshold and entered the mansion.
At the last moment, light finally fell into the eyes of the person inside.
The amber eyes were like broken gold, and like the pupils of a snake lurking in the dark, cold and dangerous.
They appear inadvertently, and in an instant, they hide in the mountains and forests, disappearing without a trace.
A quick glance, like a sharp knife, cut open Wen Qingci’s calm exterior.
The carriage had disappeared.
But the oppression brought by those amber eyes lingered.
Wen Qingci couldn’t help but take a deep breath, trying to alleviate his tense emotions.
He kept telling himself… it couldn’t be him, Xie Bufeng had ascended the throne.
How could the current emperor come to this small county today?
“Who is it? What a grand ceremony…” Song Junran muttered a little dissatisfied.
The carriage rushed past, not slowing down as it passed the crowd.
If it weren’t for Song Junran’s quick actions, his sleeves would probably have been splashed with mud.
Several carriages had entered the mansion.
Just as the soldiers were about to close the mansion gate, Song Junran suddenly seemed to remember something, walked quickly over, and stood in front of them.
Just now there was no one at the gate of the mansion, he was still wondering how he was going to pass a message to the people inside.
Now it’s good, these soldiers have come out of the mansion themselves.
“Gentlemen, please wait a moment…”
The soldiers looked at each other, all looking at Song Junran, and sized him up and down.
Unlike most people here, Song Junran was not wearing a short coat for easy work.
Instead, he was wearing a dirty and seemingly expensive green shirt.
The people of Lianhe County are not so particular.
Gradually realizing that the disease was not transmitted by “qi”, people no longer covered their faces with white gauze as they did at the beginning.
But Song Junran still carefully covered his mouth and nose with it, revealing only a pair of deep gray eyes.
He even was carrying a medicine box, obviously dressed as a physician.
Realizing that these soldiers were observing him, Song Junran was not annoyed, but smiled and saluted them, saying, “Gentlemen, I am a person from Songxiu Prefecture, making a living by medicine. A few days ago, when I was passing by Yongting Prefecture with my junior brother, I heard about what happened here. So I thought I’d come and have a look…”
His tone was very sincere.
Hearing this, the soldiers’ eyes on Song Junran had changed.
Listening to his accent, he was indeed a person from Songxiu Prefecture.
Songxiu Prefecture is a famous medicine city in the Wei Dynasty, not only with many medical halls, but also the level of physicians is far higher than other places.
Now Lianhe County is short of physicians and medicine.
…The most important thing is that until now, people still don’t know what caused the plague, and what to do to treat the patients.
The appearance of Song Junran can undoubtedly solve their urgent needs.
Seeing this, Song Junran said again: “To be honest, my junior brother and I happen to have some experience in dealing with this matter, and we also have some medicine on hand. But before the treatment, there is a small matter that needs someone to cooperate… If it’s convenient for you gentlemen, can you help me pass a message? Tell the officials in charge here.”
Lianhe is not big, and the soldiers of the government office are all locals.
Many of their family and friends have suffered.
Hearing this, the soldiers no longer hesitated.
Since there is a physician from Songxiu Prefecture who actively extends a helping hand, they will definitely pass the word to the officials in charge.
Sure enough, as soon as Song Junran’s voice fell, the leading soldier also saluted him and said with full respect: “Of course! Please wait a moment, sir, we will pass the word immediately!”
“Don’t worry, don’t worry.” Song Junran smiled and took a half step back, quickly waved his hand, and gave them the way to the door.
The next moment, they all ran in.
*
Inside the Lianhe County .
The news that a patrol officer was coming from Yongdu had already reached here half a day ago.
The county magistrate was nervously clenching his fists, leading all the people and horses in the mansion to wait in the courtyard with bated breath.
“Patrol officer” existed in the previous dynasty, they originally only did patrol inspections, but they didn’t know when, they also had the power to co-manage the local area.
Before the person came to inform this morning, the county magistrate had never dreamed that Yongdu would send such a big official to Lianhe County.
Even he had never seen such a big official in his life.
…In theory, when he first reported the matter, the plague was not serious.
So the wording in the brief report is also very common.
Even the prefect, after seeing it, will not take it seriously.
The county magistrate didn’t expect that this brief report would be passed to the Taishu Palace level by level, and passed to the emperor’s hands.
What he didn’t expect even more was that the emperor would actually send a patrol officer to help deal with the matter.
It seems that the current emperor is really a wise ruler!
Thinking of this, the county magistrate couldn’t help but feel awe.
As soon as the carriage stopped in the courtyard, Xie Bufeng got off.
Before he could see the person clearly, the county magistrate hurriedly went up to salute him, and then arranged for someone to unload the medicine with fear and trepidation, and also arranged for the tired physician and attendant to rest.
“Sir, the official has prepared a room for you, please go this way and rest for a while.” He bent over to show the way.
Hearing this, the person next to him paused.
The county magistrate didn’t expect that the patrol officer who was sent to Lianhe to deal with the plague would not wait to rest, but wanted to start working.
“No need,” Xie Bufeng paused for a moment and said, “Just talk about the main business.”
“Okay, okay!” The county magistrate hurriedly turned around, “Please go this way…”
Xie Bufeng walked directly into the hall.
The county magistrate of Lianhe County is the parent official of this place, just like the soldiers at the gate, his family and friends are all here.
Therefore, he dared not neglect, and stood directly under the hall, saying all he knew in one breath.
During the speech, he always kept his head down and dared not look directly at this big official from Yongdu.
Only after the voice fell, the county magistrate couldn’t help but sneak a glance at Xie Bufeng.
The next moment he was stunned on the spot, and for a while he even forgot to say the words behind.
The hall suddenly became quiet.
Xie Bufeng was in deep thought, his eyes fell on him: “What?”
There was a chill in this voice.
“No, nothing…” The county magistrate was stunned for a moment, he was so scared by Xie Bufeng’s eyes that his scalp was numb, he had to adjust his breathing while hurriedly saying, “Your Excellency is really a young and promising man!”
He said this from the bottom of his heart.
Just listening to the voice just now, he felt that this patrol officer was not old, but he didn’t expect that when he looked up, he looked like he was only in his early twenties.
Although his clothes were simple, his temperament was noble and unspeakable.
Especially between his eyebrows, there was even a bit of murderous intent…
Every gesture and movement exudes awe without even showing anger.
The county magistrate standing under the hall, his not thick summer clothes, he did’t know when they have been completely soaked in cold sweat.
Seeing that the other party was silent, and frowned and showed a little displeasure, the county magistrate immediately came back to his senses and planned to continue talking about business.
At the same time, his peripheral vision caught sight of… the soldiers who should have been guarding the gate, he didn’t know when they appeared in front of the hall.
They looked tangled and were hesitating whether to come in.
Obviously they wanted to find themselves to say something.
In order to relieve the tension just now, the county magistrate couldn’t help but raise his voice and asked the people outside, “You guys, is there anything you want to say?”
The people who were named hesitated for a while, and finally walked in.
Xie Bufeng finally picked up the tea cup on the table at this time.
The bitter fragrance of inferior tea leaves reached the tip of his nose.
He put the tea cup to his lips, but never took a sip.
Xie Bufang’s heart is not at peace.
Inside and outside Lianhe County, the displaced people are homeless, and corpses are scattered everywhere.
This is nothing but a living hell.
Although he had been on the battlefield before, the death in silence and tears was completely different from the sword light and shadow on the battlefield.
He hadn’t closed his eyes for a whole day.
…Everything he saw and heard along the way made Xie Bufang couldn’t help but think, was the Shan Yu Jian where Wen Qingci lived when he was a child also like this?
Had he also cried non-stop while holding the corpse of his loved one, just like the children Xie Bufang saw along the way, and was powerless to do anything?
On this journey, Xie Bufang seemed to have caught a glimpse of a corner of Wen Qingci’s childhood.
He saw his pain and loneliness with his own eyes.
He now understood why he was so persistent.
Xie Bufang originally thought that after he came here, he would be eager to find Wen Qingci’s trace, but the scenes he saw inside and outside the city urged Xie Bufang to put all his energy on the plague as soon as he arrived here.
Xie Bufang couldn’t help but repeatedly recall what the county magistrate had just said, and the scenes he had just seen with his own eyes.
…
There are soldiers with relatives suffering from the plague, no matter who is sitting in the hall now.
After getting the permission of the county magistrate, several people came forward to salute first, and then hurriedly said: “There is one thing. Just now we met two physicians from Songxiu Prefecture outside the county government office. One of them said that they have experience in dealing with this matter and even brought some medicinal materials. But before treatment, they want to meet the officials in charge here.”
The man’s voice was very fast, like pouring beans, and he said a lot of things, and his words were full of Lianhe accent.
But every word he said clearly reached Xie Bufang’s ears.
Songxiu Prefecture.
These three words, like a thunderbolt, split the dark clouds in Xie Bufang’s heart in an instant.
He suddenly raised his eyes and looked at the few soldiers.
His fingers also trembled heavily, spilling the hot tea.
He lost his composure.
The pain followed the nerves and spread to the limbs.
A large piece of skin on his hand also turned red.
But Xie Bufang didn’t even lower his head.
His heart was beating wildly at this moment, and it was burning hot.
It seemed that what was flowing in his blood vessels at this time was not blood, but magma.
Songxiu Prefecture, physician.
At this moment, in Xie Bufang’s mind, only these two words were echoing.
…Could it be Wen Qingci?
Who else would risk their lives to come here besides him?
These two words are like a pickaxe.
Without any effort, they pierced a gap in the dam in Xie Bufang’s heart.
Without waiting to stop, the tide rushed out of the gap.
In just an instant, with the power of moving mountains, the dam that had been resisting before was completely overturned.
The torrent and tsunami were roaring and screaming in Xie Bufang’s heart.
“Oh, oh, okay, I know…”
The county magistrate was speaking, and Xie Bufang, who was sitting in the hall, suddenly stood up.
The long bench slid across the ground, making a “squeak–” loud noise.
The next moment Xie Bufang stepped forward and walked quickly towards the outside of the government office.
He directly threw the people in this room behind his head.
Does the patrol officer want to see the physician himself?
The county magistrate was stunned for a moment, and hurriedly followed people from a distance.
That’s right, he is the officer personally appointed by the emperor, and his words are much more useful than his own.
Lianhe County is surrounded by mountains on all sides, transportation is inconvenient, and the people are all farming, and even the government office does not have much money.
The vermilion gate has long been mottled and decayed, and there are even cracks, faintly revealing the wind, and it looks a bit sour.
Xie Bufang’s footsteps suddenly stopped here.
He slowly raised his hand and carefully attached it to the vermilion wood.
But he hesitated to push the door out.
Xie Bufang never found out that he was so timid.
He stretched out his right hand, trembling again and again to touch the woolen cord on his left wrist.
Then he touched the deep wound in his palm.
–This is the mark left when praying to the gods and Buddha.
…It must be him, it must be him.
Xie Bufang actually prayed again at this time.
A circle of red appeared in his eyes.
The breeze passed through the gap in the vermilion door and blew on Xie Bufang’s cheek.
Bringing a faint bitter fragrance…
Xie Bufang’s muscles were tense at this moment, and it took almost all his strength to push open the decayed and thin vermilion door in front of him–
After the soldiers returned to the mansion, the patients outside the Lianhe County government office once again surrounded Wen Qingci and Song Junran.
Unconsciously, the two were squeezed by the crowd to the corner of the open space.
“physician, physician, save us, save us!”
“Take my pulse–”
Several men with yellowish faces couldn’t wait to stretch their hands in front of Wen Qingci, eager for him to diagnose and treat them.
Wen Qingci was forced to continue to retreat.
“Don’t squeeze–” Song Junran was a little unhappy, “Aren’t you able to walk and squeeze? If you want to see, you should look at the serious ones first!” After speaking, he blocked Wen Qingci behind him.
Wen Qingci’s body was not good in the first place. Although he had recovered a bit during this period, he still couldn’t be described as “healthy”.
He was not very steady after a long journey.
In theory, he should have a good rest.
Now not only is there no rest, but it is squeezed into the corner.
The few men squeezed in the front, although their faces looked a little bad, but they were all vigorous, stronger than Wen Qingci’s state.
Obviously, they just got sick and only have some sore symptoms.
“…Cough, yes, please make way for a moment, we will start with those who are seriously ill.” Wen Qingci’s voice came out through the curtain hat, and after speaking, he stepped forward to leave.
Although he doesn’t look as hard to provoke as Song Junran, and even his tone can be described as gentle.
But after the sound fell, the surroundings were really quiet for a few seconds.
“Wait, physician!” As he passed by, the man standing in the front turned his head and looked at the ground.
It was full of patients who could no longer get up.
“They have been lying there for several days, not eating or drinking, just waiting for no breath to be pulled out of the city,” the man sighed heavily, was silent for a moment, gritted his teeth and said, “I’m afraid that even if the great immortal comes, there is no cure.”
“Please, both of you, give us a hand first…”
“Saving one is one, you say it’s right?”
After speaking, he “plop” knelt on the ground.
His eyes were full of sadness, and his body was trembling.
What this man said is actually not wrong.
And the desire to survive is the instinct of every person.
But Wen Qingci just said “wait a moment” and slowly bypassed them and went to the wooden bed under the corner not far away.
–There is a seven or eight-year-old girl lying there quietly, looking at the position of Wen Qingci with full eyes.
She seems to be unable to move anymore.
If Wen Qingci didn’t read it wrong, she was the youngest patient lying on this open space.
There was no one around the little girl, she looked lonely.
He doesn’t know whether her family is… already dead, or abandoned her cruelly.
Wen Qingci slowly walked over under the gaze of countless people, then bent down and half-kneeled in front of the thin wooden bed, stretched out his hand to gently touch the little girl’s forehead.
Her forehead was cold, obviously she had passed the fever period, and her body temperature was lower than normal people.
After Wen Qingci approached, he saw that the girl’s face was full of blood stains, and she should have vomited blood not long ago.
There are also many bruises on her skin, and even cyanosis has appeared.
At this time, she could hardly move and could not make a sound.
But seeing Wen Qingci observing her fingers, the little girl seemed to perceive something, exhausted all her strength, and slowly retracted her hand into the quilt.
Children of this age already have a sense of “beauty”.
She knew her hand was unsightly.
“Ter…terrifying…” The little girl’s voice squeezed out a few fragmented words.
“It’s okay,” Wen Qingci gently laughed, pulling her wrist out from under the covers, “It’s not terrifying at all.”
“How can I take your pulse if you hide your hand?” He said softly.
…Was this physician in front of her really going to take her pulse?
Upon hearing Wen Qingci’s words, the little girl incredulously widened her eyes.
The next second, Wen Qingci gently placed his fingers on her wrist.
A bit of warmth spread throughout her body from her wrist.
At the same time, he gently placed a life-saving pill into her mouth.
“Don’t be afraid.” He said.
Through the veil, the little girl couldn’t see Wen Qingci’s face, only feeling that this young physician in front of her was as gentle as the gods in the legend.
The pill seemed to have some effect, the little girl who could only lie there and struggled to move her eyes, finally managed to utter a complete sentence.
“…Dad, mom…grandpa, they, they don’t want me anymore…they said, I, I’m going to die.” The little girl’s voice was thick with a local accent.
After she finished speaking, tears fell from the corners of her eyes, sliding down her dirty cheeks.
Wen Qingci’s pulse-taking fingers paused.
It turned out that her parents and family had not passed away, but had really abandoned her here because of her serious illness.
The little girl’s eyes reddened as she spoke.
Her pulse was extremely weak, almost stopping.
Her heart rate was gradually decreasing, and she was only exhaling, not inhaling.
It was clear that she was at the end of her life.
If it weren’t for the pill that Wen Qingci had just given her, she might have died before she could finish speaking.
At this point, it would be more appropriate to say that she was “reviving”.
Wen Qingci slowly raised his hand, as if he hadn’t seen the dirt on her face, and wiped away the tears on the little girl’s cheeks.
“It’s okay,” Wen Qingci whispered comfortingly, “I’m here with you now, okay?”
As he spoke, he continued his movements.
Wen Qingci turned around and took a silver needle from the medicine box he carried with him, and inserted it into the large acupoint on the little girl’s forehead.
At the same time, he held her wrist tightly with his right hand, and, as written in the medical book of the valley, used his internal strength to relieve her pain.
He did almost everything he could.
The little girl, who had just been lifeless, brightened her eyes, as if she had some hope: “…physician, I, I seem…not in pain…”
Seeing this scene, the men who had just cornered Wen Qingci held their breath and dared not disturb.
…So this physician really would try his best to save a hopeless patient.
Wen Qingci’s calmness, in silence, smoothed the agitation and even fear in everyone’s hearts.
It even gave them hope.
“It’s good if it doesn’t hurt.” Wen Qingci said softly.
This was the most gentle and beautiful voice she had ever heard.
“Mmm…” The little girl gave Wen Qingci a sweet smile, she was struggling with fatigue, her eyes slowly closed, and she seemed to be a little troubled, “I, I…am a little sleepy…”
“If you’re sleepy, go to sleep first. Don’t worry, I’m here with you.”
Wen Qingci’s voice, like a lullaby, gently reached her ears.
“Mmm…”
After getting a reply, the little girl finally reluctantly closed her eyes.
It seemed like she really fell asleep here.
At this moment, the open space was silent.
In everyone’s ears, only their own breathing remained.
She no longer moved, and Wen Qingci finally carefully let go of his hand, took out a brand new handkerchief, and carefully wiped the little girl’s cheeks bit by bit.
Finally, he covered her face and tucked her in properly.
Wen Qingci finally stood up, and only then did the people notice that he had been kneeling on the ground unknowingly.
The mud left after the heavy rain had dirtied his moon-white long gown, leaving a slightly glaring stain.
But Wen Qingci, who always liked cleanliness, didn’t even take a second look.
“I thought just now, you…” Song Junran originally wanted to say that he thought Wen Qingci had gone over to dissect her body.
But seeing his junior’s serious look, he couldn’t say it.
Song Junran hesitated for a moment and said, “You can tell at a glance that she can’t be saved.”
His face was covered with a white gauze, and his voice was somewhat muffled because of it.
Since we know she can’t be saved, why did he go to such great lengths to do something that was destined to be meaningless?
Through the veil, Song Junran couldn’t see Wen Qingci’s eyes.
He only saw his junior slowly shaking his head, and then said faintly, “I just want her to know that she has not been abandoned to the end, and someone has been working hard for her.”
The surroundings were overly quiet, and Wen Qingci’s voice was not loud, but it still clearly reached everyone’s ears.
His words were tinged with a hint of melancholy and sadness.
Wen Qingci never thought that he could save every patient.
But he would try his best to save every one of them.
The surroundings were silent without knowing when.
Just as the silence fell, a series of footsteps suddenly sounded behind Wen Qingci.
The sound was not loud, but each one seemed to step on his heart.
At the same time, the dark carriage, and the pair of amber eyes in the carriage, once again uncontrollably surfaced in Wen Qingci’s mind.
Like a prey being stared at by a poisonous snake, he instinctively felt cold.
Someone was coming towards him.
Wen Qingci instinctively held his breath, and his heart throbbed heavily.
–Instinct told him that danger was approaching.
Before he could react, before he could escape, the footsteps stopped beside Wen Qingci.
“Are you the physician from Songxiu Prefecture?”
–A strange yet familiar voice, just like that, without warning, came from behind Wen Qingci.
His tone was extremely calm, his voice low and cold.
He had completely lost the childishness and immaturity of his youth.
It was Xie Bufang…
He, who should have been sitting high in the temple, actually came to Lianhe.
In an instant, Wen Qingci felt like a cat being suddenly grabbed by the neck, forgetting how to move, struggle, and even make any sound.
The blood in his body also stagnated.
A faint scent of dragon saliva spread from behind him.
The person was tall, just standing there, he covered Wen Qingci’s entire body in shadow.
For a moment, Wen Qingci was completely enveloped by Xie Bufang’s breath, with no retreat.
Under the cover of his wide robe, Wen Qingci’s body was trembling uncontrollably.
He, who was already against the wall, involuntarily took another half step to the side.
But this not only didn’t give him a sense of security, it even made Wen Qingci feel…as if he was trapped by Xie Bufang in this courtyard wall, unable to escape.
“Yes…” Wen Qingci heard that even his voice had become hoarse.
At this moment, half of his body was completely numb.
Wen Qingci stood here, and had the illusion that he had been completely seen through.
That thin veil was his only remaining barrier.
“Good.” Xie Bufang slowly nodded.
Wen Qingci’s heart trembled with his voice.
…How long had Xie Bufang been watching from behind, what had he seen, and had he noticed anything unusual?
But Xie Bufang’s voice was so calm.
Then he should…not have discovered anything yet, right?
Wen Qingci guessed carefully, but he didn’t know that Xie Bufang’s heart had already set off waves of shock.
Hard to rest, hard to stop.
Just now, everything fell into his eyes.
Xie Bufang saw the veil swaying gently in the breeze.
He saw the young physician in a moon-white long gown, standing alone in a pile of mud and ruin.
Even his knees, there were traces of long kneeling.
But it was him, in Xie Bufang’s eyes, like a god descending from the heavens…
Xie Bufang once wished he could hold Wen Qingci in his arms, tear off his disguise in one fell swoop, and imprison him forever by his side.
Let him tremble and gasp because of himself.
Then let those beautiful dark eyes become misty and tinged with different emotions.
But the moment he saw Wen Qingci.
Xie Bufang just wanted to…gently wipe the mud off his hem.
Is Wen Qingci’s body okay?
Is Tianci still causing seizures? Is he still coughing lightly every day like before?
Xie Bufang was careful and cautious, like a beast hiding its claws.
Dare not disturb, dare not ask.
Even restrained, suppressed, dare not be overly intimate.
“I am the person in charge of Lianhe County,” Xie Bufang’s cold, emotionless voice passed through the veil and entered Wen Qingci’s ears, “I am fully responsible for this matter. If you need anything, just tell me directly.”
IM BACK OH MY GOD HUSBANDS REUNITING AT LAST YAHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
This is why I fell for this novel. This is yandere theme done right😩 Xbf even after all those pain and madness, even after breaking countless taboos still stops when it’s him. In front of Qingci he doesn’t run and unmask or act compulsively. I don’t think I should be calling it “love”, what he feels is way too above that, he worships Qingci😭
There is a quiet authority in your prose. It persuades not through insistence, but by the calm consistency of observation and insight, creating trust naturally.