Xiaocao treated the man well, and he seemed to be the same person. At least his injuries had not worsened at all, and it could even be said that he was getting better. However, after Xiaocao pulled out the silver needle, the man was still twitching uncontrollably, and looked extremely miserable. To be honest, after being severely tortured, this man's mental state might not be so bad.
He obediently followed Xiaocao's instructions and kept the man under guard. As for the rest, he dared not say or do anything.
It's not often that Xiaocao gets so angry. One can only say that she is really angry or her bottom line has been challenged.
It can only be said that the guards who died today made Xiaocao angry. When facing other people, she couldn't show her emotions, for fear of affecting them and hindering them. If someone with ill intentions appeared, it would be like walking into a trap. If he didn't suffer, who would? After venting her anger, Xiaocao felt a little better, just a little.
Xiaocao let out a breath lightly, calmed herself down, and went to check on the injuries of others. She was not good at charging into battle, but she could do logistics. Under her command, as long as people came back alive, she would not allow them to die. Although this goal might be a bit big, this was indeed Xiaocao's ultimate ideal - to fight in times of war.
Such an ideal is barely acceptable when there are relatively few people, like now. However, once she reaches the front line of the war, like the Dingbei Army now, she will be powerless no matter how capable she is.
There are so many things I want to do. When I list them all out, I sometimes feel discouraged and have a feeling that I can't accomplish them at all. However, as long as I do them, even if it's just a beginning, there will always be hope in the future. If I don't do them, it will be really impossible! Isn't the foundation now much better than before? After all, in the past, there were some things that I didn't even dare to think about.
But now, Xiaocao always pulls Huayu, asking her to learn, watch, and then practice.
It was just a simple treatment of external injuries, cleaning, disinfection, suturing, applying medicine and bandaging. Generally speaking, it was not very difficult. Huayu was in high spirits, and there was no shortage of people for her to practice on today. After the anesthesia, she just let him do it. After two more times, she actually did it well.
—This is a good start for Xiaocao, isn’t it
The Liuqi people behind them were chasing closely, so it was impossible for them to rest here for a whole night. So they set out quietly in the middle of the night and left some fires at the original place. Even if they could not deceive the other party for long, they could at least delay for a while.
They had too little rest in the past two days and were very nervous. When it was getting close to dawn, perhaps because they were about to reach the territory of Qichao, the people from Liuqi behind them were very hot. Fortunately, they were probably not well prepared, and there were not many people chasing them. Of course, although it was not many, it was still nearly twice as many as their side.
Because he kept moving forward, holding onto the tree to catch his breath, he felt a burning pain in his lungs. Of course, this situation was not limited to Xiaocao. "We can't go on like this. If we delay any longer, we will be the ones to suffer."
There was a moment of silence. "Hua Yu, take your wife and go first. We will cover your retreat."
-Everyone died, and Madam must be protected. This was not only an order from the master, but also because Madam deserved more people to protect her. It was not only because of her character, but also because of her superb medical skills. If anything happened to her, it would mean a lot of things would be lost. No one knew it better than them. Although Madam was a disciple of Divine Doctor Lin, she had surpassed him. She could do what Divine Doctor Lin could do, and she could also do what Divine Doctor Lin could not do. She was more important than all of them!
"Don't talk nonsense, if you want to go, let's go together."
"Madam..."
"Shut up, I don't want to hear your nagging. Also, I haven't married your prince yet, so don't call me Madam."
This title was always used in private. Now, he was nervous and let it slip.
Xiao Cao took out the anesthetic spray bottle and said, "Before, there were too many people and they were scattered, so it was difficult for the other party to get close. The effect was limited. Now the situation may be different." Xiao Cao looked at the leader of the guards, "Can it work?"
The leader estimated, "If we take advantage of the weather and launch a surprise attack, it should be possible."
"Then take it." Xiao Cao threw it over. "Do you know how to use it? Logically, the closer you are to the opponent's facial features, the more effective it will be with just a little bit. But for safety, it doesn't matter if you waste some. No matter who uses it, they must be alive."
The guard leader finally nodded and said, "I will obey your orders."
After Xiaocao and Huayu left, the leader of the guards took a look at the spray bottle in his hand. This thing really worked wonders at certain times. Although the effect would not be so good now, it would definitely be a powerful weapon if used properly. As long as they could eliminate a small half of the other side's people, their current crisis would change drastically. With a glimmer of hope, he decided to use it himself.
To be honest, the thing they suffered this time was that they did not carry bows and arrows, because the place was not entirely forested, and even if there were trees, they were not densely packed. Not only would the bows and arrows be ineffective, but the people on their side would have no cover, and it would be very difficult for them to get close to the enemy and fight, which is why they were so passive. Now that the sky was just a little bright, they could still take advantage, but they had to act quickly.
The leader's actions were effective quickly and significantly. The man was suddenly ambushed and had no idea what was happening before he lost consciousness, so he naturally had no way of uttering a warning or asking for help. He then fell unconscious for a very short time and was at the mercy of others. As long as you are careful and cautious, your moves will never miss.
I knew this thing was powerful, but I was still surprised when I actually used it.
After losing more than twenty people in succession, Liuqi's people realized belatedly that something was wrong and immediately withdrew their men, no longer daring to pursue recklessly. Under normal circumstances, even if they were assassinated, there would be no sound at all. If it was just one or two people, it would be fine, but now, it was obviously far more than that number, which was weird.
Doing so undoubtedly bought precious time for the people in front, however, after the Liuqi people became cautious, it would not be so easy for them to take action again, and they were intentionally looking for the executioner hiding in the dark. The leader licked his cracked lips, hesitating between continuing to restrain these people and evacuating. The final result was not difficult to guess. People like them were always walking on the edge of a knife, and they were the type who were straightforward and decisive. So far, they have made a lot of money. As for the lady's order, he is not in any danger now.
"There, quick, kill him—"
In front, Xiaocao and the others could hardly hear any movement behind them. However, the retreat of the Liuqi people meant that their leader's actions were exposed. Then they suddenly heard a loud noise. Even if it was not very clear, they could roughly guess what the situation was.
"Did your leader disobey my orders? When I go back, I will ask your prince to deduct his salary for three years. He will have to eat with others within three years." She was clearly smiling, but tears fell silently.
Hua Yu also "smiled" and said, "Miss, I'm afraid this idea won't work. The master has always been generous to us, and the leader is a frugal man. He has saved up a lot of money. Not to mention three years, even thirty years will give him enough to eat."
"Really? Then first confiscate his family assets. Then no one of you is allowed to give him money. You can only give him food. And the same person can't eat three meals a day. You can laugh at him and teach him a lesson."
"Madam, I heard what you said. When the leader comes back, you must not go back on your word." Another guard with a somewhat erratic personality spoke up. He was not very old to begin with, and seemed eager to try, as if he couldn't wait to see the leader embarrass himself.
Several other people nearby also spoke in low voices, seeming to be quite happy about some things. For a moment, the solemn atmosphere became much more relaxed, if it weren't for the faint sound of uncontrollable sobbing.
"Madam, there is a fire ahead!"
It was impossible for the Liuka people to run ahead of them, otherwise, they would have been surrounded by dumplings long ago, so it was almost self-evident who it was. "Hurry, hurry up-"
Without confirming each other's identities, no one spoke for a while, but everyone tacitly sped up their pace. At some point, a regular sound was heard, and then Xiaocao clearly felt that the mental state of the people around him was different.
"Girl, they are our people. We have over a thousand men."
Xiao Cao paused. Why did so many people come to Ting Yu? Was there a trick
Before he could ask, Hua Yu continued, "It was the Dingbei Army. The master asked for help from the Dingbei Army."
After hearing this, Xiaocao no longer had any doubts. If it was the Dingbei Army, then it made perfect sense. They could make it back in time in about four days, and when they first met the Liuqi people, they sent a message to Tingyu and his team, which was almost six days ago. The subsequent messages had been sent without interruption. If Tingyu had asked for help from the Dingbei Army when he first received the letter, although because there was no positioning there and the matter was of great importance, and carrier pigeons were unreliable, they would have to send someone in person. Originally, a round trip would have taken about five or six days. If they could go faster and walk some night walks, then it should be just in time now.
"Go back and rescue them, move quickly, but don't engage in a head-on confrontation, try to delay the time as much as possible."
Xiaocao didn't even need to finish her words, as Huayu was almost the only one left by her side.
The fire in front was getting closer and closer, "Xuan'er—"
Xiaocao was stunned when he heard this, and even felt a little dazed. His legs went weak and he fell to the ground.
"Xuan'er—"
Wei Tingyu was carried to her in a wheelchair.
Under the light of the fire, the anxiety and worry in Wei Tingyu's eyes were clearly revealed. He didn't even care about his own condition and wanted to get up. Xiao Cao hurriedly stopped him, "Don't move, don't move, I'm fine, I'm fine, I just feel a little weak."
There is no need to explain what happened afterwards. The people on Qi Chao's side had already rushed forward, including the words. After all, their Crown Prince was right in front of them, and she was no longer needed. She did not need to fight, but at least explain the situation to Qi Chao.
Xiao Cao stood up with the help of the tree, took off the tightly sealed and tightly fixed exquisite small backpack, took two steps forward, and carefully approached Wei Tingyu's arms, "Tingyu..."
Wei Tingyu wrapped a cloak around her, tightly hugging her. His eyes, which had long been filled with red bloodshot, were now unconsciously wet. No one could imagine the fear in his heart.
After receiving the initial message that they had encountered the Liuqi soldiers, Wei Tingyu felt as if he had returned to the time when he was most tormented by illness. He could hardly sleep, and he wished he could bring people over immediately. However, he gritted his teeth and did not let himself lose his mind, because he knew very well that if they were really the Liuqi soldiers, then there would definitely be a lot of people. With the limited manpower he had, they used to deliver food to others, and his physical condition made them indeed a burden. Therefore, he could only endure the inner torment and immediately wrote a letter to Pingjin Hou, asking someone to send it over as soon as possible.
Fortunately, Pingjin Hou did not disappoint people. He personally ordered the troops to come, with a thousand men in the vanguard and more to follow.
If he had not received news every day during the days of waiting, and if it had not been for the news written by Xiaocao himself, even if it was only a few words, it would have been a spiritual support for Wei Tingyu. Otherwise, he would not have been able to wait at all.
Although Wei Tingyu was weak, Xiaocao felt extremely relieved at this moment. After she completely relaxed, she felt tired and sleepy. However, she seemed to feel a cool liquid on her neck. She was confused. Was it raining? She was two beats late to think of something. She reached out and touched it, then whispered, "Tingyu, don't cry! I'm fine, aren't I?"
"From now on, don't leave my sight again!"
Xiao Cao smiled, "Are you going to lock me up by your side? Then you have to live for a long time. I will let you live for a long time." As for after she goes back, she will stay at home and it is impossible for her to be in his sight all the time. She shouldn't play such word games, which might irritate him. Everyone knows what he means.
After a while, Xiaocao fell asleep. Wei Tingyu kissed her forehead without loosening his hand.
Behind him, Pingjin Hou looked at them with a bit of doubt in his eyes, thinking that there seemed to be something wrong with this relationship. Were these two too close? However, it was fine to think about it. It was someone else's private affairs and had nothing to do with him. His hidden injuries had healed, and he felt that his body was in great shape. He could carry a sword and ride a horse to fight. It was no problem at all. He even felt like he had returned to 20 years ago. This was all thanks to the girl from the Wen family. Her kindness was as great as a mountain. If he still asked about some small issues, it would be too ignorant.
Pingjin Hou simply didn't want to get in the way, and took a few guards with him, "Let's go and take a look. Let's see what Liu Qian, such a bastard, wants to do by running to our Qi Dynasty in this way?"