After leaving Liancheng, Xie Changgeng did not take the original route back to Hexi immediately, but took another road and headed towards Wuzhou, which was adjacent to Sanmiao. He planned to take a shortcut and return to his hometown of Xie County in Kuizhou as soon as possible to visit his mother whom he had not seen for a long time, and then return to Hexi.
At dusk, the horses had been galloping all day, with only a short rest in between, and their legs were gradually losing strength. Xie Changgeng ordered them to slow down. At this time, the horse of an attendant beside him suddenly neighed uncomfortably, with its front hooves raised high. If the attendant had not been an excellent rider, he would have been thrown off long ago.
The attendant was startled and forcibly controlled the horse. He then raised the whip in his hand and was about to whip the horse when he suddenly felt a slight shake. Turning around, he saw the branches and leaves of the trees on the roadside rustling and the sound of crows and birds in the distance. He suddenly came to his senses.
"Sir! Earthquake!"
Xie Changgeng had already noticed something was wrong, so he dismounted and ordered his followers to get off as well. Several of them stopped by the roadside to steady the frightened horses. After the turmoil had passed and the surroundings were quiet again, they continued on their way. After walking for a while, they came across a land temple by the roadside. It was probably too dilapidated and had been in disrepair for many years, so it could not withstand the earthquake just now and most of it collapsed.
The group rode past on horseback and suddenly heard a faint cry for help from behind.
It seemed as if there was a person beneath the ruins.
"grown ups?"
The attendant looked at Xie Changgeng.
"Get the man out."
Xie Changgeng stopped his horse, turned his head to take a look, and gave an order.
All the followers dismounted and ran back. Several of them worked together to carry away the broken wood, dig through the rubble, and rescued a person from underneath.
The man was a middle-aged man, covered in dirt and dust, with one of his legs trapped by the beam. When he was pulled out, he was lying on the ground, tightly holding a bundle in his arms.
The attendant stopped the bleeding and bandaged the wounded. The man gradually calmed down and said that he was doing a small business outside and had not been home for more than a year. Now he finally saved some money and missed his wife and children at home. This time he went home to visit them. He walked here in the evening, hungry and tired. He saw the dilapidated temple and went in to rest for a while and eat something before continuing on his way. Unexpectedly, there was an earthquake and he had no time to escape. He was crushed under the collapsed roof. Fortunately, he met them, otherwise he would be in great danger and would die here.
Xie Changgeng asked about the man's home and learned that it was a village he and his group had passed by during the day, which was dozens of miles away.
"Please, benefactor, can you help me pass on a message to my family? There is only a woman and children in my family. I don't know how they are doing now." The man kept begging.
Xie Changgeng looked at the darkening sky, hesitated for a moment, and then ordered his men to put the men on horseback and take them back.
When we entered the village, it was already pitch dark.
Most of the houses in the village were intact, except for some cracks on the walls. The impact was not significant, and the villagers' emotions gradually calmed down from panic.
The woman in the injured person's family experienced the earthquake in the evening with her children. Although they were not seriously injured and only a few bowls and plates were broken at home, she was still frightened and dared not fall asleep. She was watching over her two children all night when she suddenly heard her husband's call from outside the house. It was like a dream. She hurried out to open the door and saw that her husband, who had been away for many years, had actually returned, but was covered in blood. After asking about the whole story, she cried and laughed. After helping the man into the house, she was extremely grateful to Xie Changgeng and others who saved her husband. She brought her two children who had just woken up from their sleep, called them benefactors, and knelt down to kowtow to them.
Xie Changgeng asked her to get up and asked if there was an empty house where she could stay for the night.
The woman agreed promptly and quickly cleaned up the empty room. Knowing that they had not eaten yet, she quickly cooked a pot of food and brought it out.
Xie Changgeng asked his followers to eat with him.
Over there, the man asked the woman to untie the bag he brought back. When the woman untie it, she saw that in addition to the toys her husband bought for the children, there was also an exquisite silver hairpin with a flower head. She was very happy to know that he bought it for her, but she blamed him for spending money recklessly. The man said that he would replace her with a gold hairpin when he made a lot of money in the future. He also sighed and said that he had been away from home for many years, and the family relied on the woman to take care of everything. This time when he came back, he saw that she had lost a lot of weight.
The woman said that her husband was tired because he was traveling outside, but she was not tired at all. She missed him day and night, and it was like a dream to see him coming back just now. As she spoke, her voice gradually choked.
Several people were eating around the dim oil lamp on the table. The whispers of the couple next door floated faintly through the thin layer of wall panels.
Several of Xie Changgeng's followers were single, and when they heard the couple's private conversation, they couldn't help but look at each other, and subconsciously looked at the governor opposite them.
Xie Changgeng looked back with a blank expression on his face. The others lowered their heads again and continued eating.
Xie Changgeng finished his meal in a few bites and put down his bowl and chopsticks.
After a while, the woman came over with tears in the corners of her eyes, but an unconcealable smile on her face. She asked them if they were full. If not, she would steam a few more cakes and bring them over.
Xie Changgeng said he was full and thanked her. After the woman cleaned up the dishes and left, he told his followers to take a rest and then he lay down with his clothes on.
The room was pitch black. The night gradually deepened. It should have been three o'clock in the morning. Xie Changgeng suddenly heard a strange noise coming from next door.
Although the sound had been suppressed to an extremely low level, the creaking sound of the bed legs and the natural breathing of the man and woman still penetrated the wall and reached his ears clearly.
The followers who slept on the floor in the same room with him had been tired from traveling during the day. After eating and lying down, they knew that this place was safe and there was no need to be alert. They slept peacefully, snoring one after another. They had already fallen into a deep sleep and were not aware of anything.
Xie Changgeng closed his eyes and turned over.
The noise from the couple next door finally stopped, and my ears became quiet again. Everything was silent, and I could only hear a few dogs barking in the distance.
Xie Changgeng finally dispelled the scenes of himself and the Mu girl that appeared in his mind. Somehow, he remembered what he heard the woman say to her husband who had not returned home for a long time during the meal. He was already restless and had difficulty falling asleep. His mood became worse and worse. He hardly closed his eyes the whole night until it was almost five o'clock in the morning. He finally felt sleepy. In a daze, he had a dream. He dreamed of the dilapidated temple that collapsed on the roadside yesterday evening. The person under the ruins had changed. It was not the man of the family, but a woman.
He turned the woman over, revealing her face, and recognized that it was Mu. Her eyes were closed and her face was pale.
"Mu family!"
Xie Changgeng was startled and called her, but she didn't respond, as if she was dead. His heart was pounding. He suddenly opened his eyes, turned over and sat up. He turned around and saw a dim light coming from the window paper. It was almost dawn, and he realized that he was dreaming.
The follower who was sleeping nearby was awakened by his call, but he didn't hear it clearly and thought it was his boss calling him.
These people are well-trained. Before the follower opened his eyes, he subconsciously grabbed the knife beside him and jumped up from the mat.
"My Lord, what is it?"
The remaining people were also awakened one after another and stood up. In the dim morning light, they saw him sitting still, his figure somewhat stiff.
Xie Changgeng felt his heartbeat was still a little fast. He slowly turned his head and saw several confused eyes staring at him. He realized that he had lost his voice in his dream and woke up his subordinates, so he waved his hands and said nothing happened.
The woman of the family knew that they had to set off early in the morning, so she got up early and prepared dinner.
Xie Changgeng had no appetite. He ate a few bites in a hurry, asked his men to leave some money after eating, and then left the yard.
After the followers finished eating, they led out the horses that were tied in the yard last night and prepared to leave, but they saw him standing by the road in the wild, facing the distant mountains shrouded in morning mist. His back was motionless, as if he was concentrating on something.
A few people didn't dare to disturb them and stood aside waiting.
Xie Changgeng weighed the matter over and over again in his mind, hesitated for a long time, and finally made a decision. He turned around, took the reins from his attendant, mounted the horse, and ordered his men to turn around and go back.
The glance in the dream at dawn left a deep impression on me.
The woman's dead appearance was still vivid in his mind and could not be erased.
Although he didn't know much about this woman and had never had time to pay much attention to her in the past, based on the feeling he had when he was with her before, he expected that after he left, she would immediately return to the Sanmiao area and continue to treat the people there.
The terrain there is not as good as a plain. If an earthquake occurs, there will be danger everywhere.
It would be better to go back and take a look to see if she is really dead.
It would be better if I really died, and it would be all over, and I would never have to worry about it again. It wouldn't take much time to go back anyway.
The followers were puzzled. But since they had received the order, they did not ask any more questions. They followed him and mounted their horses, turning back.
Xie Changgeng did not go to Liancheng, but went directly to the Sanmiao land. He traveled until midnight, camped in the wild to rest, and continued on his journey before dawn. At noon, he finally met a Sanmiao child named Wuji who could speak Chinese on the road. He asked him about Mu Fulan's news.
Wu Ji said, "I know the princess! There was an earthquake the day before yesterday, and many people in Liyang were injured. She was there! I was also in Liyang yesterday, and I saw her!"
Since the child has seen people, she must be safe.
My dream was indeed ridiculous.
Xie Changgeng originally wanted to stop here and go back, but since he was already here, he felt a little unwilling to go back like this.
He hesitated for a moment, then thought that seeing is believing, so he asked his followers to give the child money and let him lead the way.
But Wu Ji didn't want the money. His eyes rolled around, staring at the handle of the dagger sticking out of the boot of his follower.
The follower took out a dagger and handed it over.
Wu Ji tried the striker, his eyes sparkling, and he hid them carefully on his body, and said happily: "Let's go, I'll take you there right away. It would take most of the day to walk from here to Liyang, but you are lucky to meet me. No one here can lead the way better than me. I know a shortcut that few people take."
Wuji not only knew the roads well, but was also good at speaking. It was obvious that he respected Mu Fulan very much. While leading the way, he kept talking about how good she was and how she had helped his mother with her illness a few days ago.
Xie Changgeng said nothing.
Wu Ji glanced at him, and suddenly seemed to remember something, and asked, "Oh, I haven't asked you yet, who are you to the princess? What do you want to see her for?"
Xie Changgeng glanced at the attendant beside him, and the attendant said on his behalf: "Sir is the princess' husband. He is naturally here to see her for something. You lead the way quickly!"
Wu Ji was stunned, stopped, stared at Xie Changgeng and the people around him, with suspicion in his eyes.
"Why don't you leave?"
The follower urged.
Wu Ji took out the dagger he had just hidden, threw it to the ground, and said, "I don't want your things anymore. I don't know the way!" Then he turned around and ran away.
Although this kid was like a skinny monkey, running around very fast, he had no chance of escaping when he met the people around Xie Changgeng. He was caught in no time.
"Okay, why don't you lead the way again?"
Xie Changgeng asked him.
Wu Ji didn't say anything.
The attendant who grabbed him was in a bad mood and stretched out his hand to pinch his shoulder. Wu Ji felt pain and fell to the ground, tears welling up in his eyes, but he was still very stubborn and said, "You are bad people, you lied to me, you must want to harm the princess! I will not take you to find the princess!"
Xie Changgeng gestured to let him go, walked over, squatted in front of him and said with a smile: "How did I lie to you? Tell me."
"The last time I heard my mother and the others gossiping, they said that General Yuan was the princess's Baron, and they were a perfect match made in heaven."
Uggie yelled.
Xie Changgeng narrowed his eyes. "What does Baron mean?"
"Baron is what you Han people call husband. General Yuan is the princess's Baron, so how can you be her husband? You are a liar, right?"
The followers were all shocked and looked at Xie Changgeng in unison. They saw that his face was stiff and he didn't even dare to breathe.
Seeing him like this, Wu Ji was a little scared. He didn't dare to say anything and stared at him carefully.
Xie Changgeng slowly stood up, facing the direction of Li Yang, stood for a moment, then suddenly turned around and left.
When his followers saw him leave, they naturally released Wu Ji and followed him back.
The group returned to the main road along the same route, mounted their horses and headed back in the direction they came from.
Xie Changgeng didn't say another word and rode his horse all the way. In the evening, he came to a fork in the road and stopped.
The fork in the road split into two. The left side led to Liancheng, and the right side was the direction they came from.
Xie Changgeng sat on the horse for a long time, then turned around and said, "Wait here for me to come back."
After he finished speaking, he turned his horse around and galloped towards Liancheng.
…
Although the earthquake had happened several days ago, Mother Mu was afraid that another accident might happen, so she couldn't sleep well these past few nights. She set up a bed in front of the young master's bed, and she and several maids took turns to keep watch at night.
She accompanied him for the first half of the night. The second half was spent with Zhu Yu. The maid leaned on the couch and heard footsteps. She opened her eyes and saw Xie Changgeng walk in in the morning light. Without saying a word, she walked straight towards the sleeping young master. She was so surprised that she stood up quickly and called him.
Xier was awakened by the noise. She opened her eyes in a daze and saw that the person who had been here a few days ago had come back again.
He was standing in front of the bed. In the dim morning light, his figure was like a huge black mountain, pressing down on him.
Xier jumped out of the bed, but before she could sit down, Xie Changgeng bent down, wrapped the little person on the bed with the quilt, and then strode out as if he was catching a chicken.
"Jiedushi!"
The maid was horrified and chased after him for a few steps, but saw that he had already left the house without looking back. She knew she could not stop him, so she turned around in a hurry to look for Mother Mu.
At dawn in the east, a horseman galloped towards the city gate and gradually got closer.
The people guarding the city gate saw Xie Changgeng coming out so quickly and knew he was leaving. Although they were puzzled by the thing on the horse's back in front of him that seemed to be still struggling and twisting in the quilt, which looked like a child, they did not dare to ask more questions. They were about to open the city gate to let him pass when they suddenly heard a roar from afar: "The city gate cannot be opened! Stop him!"
The commander of Liancheng led a large group of guards and soldiers and rode to the city gate. He ordered all the soldiers to line up to block the city gate. He dismounted and ran to Xie Changgeng's horse, panting, and said, "Sir, the princess is not here, you can't take the young master away like this!"
Xie Changgeng glanced at the soldiers blocking his way, took out a square token from his arms, and showed it to Liancheng Ling.
Liancheng Ling looked over and saw that what he held in his hand was actually a golden medal with a coiled dragon on the back and four large characters "As if I were here in person" engraved on the front.
Xie Changgeng looked gloomy and said coldly: "Seeing this gold medal is like seeing His Majesty, you wouldn't know it, right?"
This gold medal was cast when this dynasty was founded. It was only temporarily granted to officials who had special missions or were highly regarded by the court. All officials knew about it.
The Liancheng commander no longer dared to stop him, and hurriedly knelt down and kowtowed to the ground.
The soldiers followed suit and knelt down.
Xie Changgeng took back the gold medal, ordered his men to open the city gate and clear the passage, and without saying another word, he rode his horse past the many soldiers kneeling on both sides of the city gate, galloped out of the city, and his figure disappeared into the morning light in the blink of an eye.