The wintry Zhangqing Mountain was cold and dry, but the labor did not cease. The village at dawn was filled with the usual sounds of gongs and the shouting from men, women, the elderly, and children.
These sounds persisted for quite some time, and when Lei Zhonglian and others returned drenched in sweat, Liu'er was already growing impatient.
"How come it took so long again?" she asked, as she served the food warmed by the hearth fire.
"They say it's always like this in winter, because there's less farm work, so there's more time for training," Lei Zhonglian explained.
Liu'er made a face once more.
"What's there to train for, other than swinging long spears around foolishly, poking here and there?" she commented.
She had naturally gone to watch the excitement, but found it dull and uninteresting, so she stopped attending.
"Your spear skills are even better than theirs, Uncle Lei. You should teach them instead," she generously suggested.
Lei Zhonglian laughed.
"Each of them may not be as good with the spear as I am, but together, they are stronger than me," he said.
Liu'er didn't understand and didn't care. She set out their meal and warmed herself with the hand stove.
"Miss has gone up the mountain?" Lei Zhonglian inquired.
Liu'er nodded.
"She should be back soon," she said.
Every day, Miss Jun followed a routine similar to Lei Zhonglian and the others. They went to train the troops, and she went up the mountain to practice archery with Zhao Hanqing, and then identified medicinal herbs with him.
A fragrant aroma spread through the woods.
"All right, all right, it's ready to eat," Miss Jun announced, burying the lit twigs and leaves with stones and earth.
Zhao Hanqing squatted on a stone watching Miss Jun excavate two tubers wrapped in dried leaves.
"Can we really eat this?" she asked curiously.
Miss Jun turned one of the tubers over, peeling off the skin while blowing on it to cool.
"You'll know once you taste it," she said, handing the tuber to Zhao Hanqing.
Zhao Hanqing cautiously accepted it, sniffing it first. Then she took a careful bite and her eyes lit up.
"It's good, isn't it?" said Miss Jun, raising her eyebrows.
Zhao Hanqing began eating eagerly, nodding and murmuring assent with her mouth full, quickly finishing one of the tubers.
"I never knew that such an inconspicuous plant could have such delicious tubers," she said, her face animated.
"I didn't know either," Miss Jun laughed.
Zhao Hanqing's expression darkened slightly.
"Did he teach you?" she asked, a touch of jealousy in her eyes.
She was naturally referring to Zhao Zhiyi.
"Not exactly," Miss Jun laughed. "We had nothing else to eat, so he dug it up to stave off hunger, not as a treat or to indulge me."
To stave off hunger...
So his life wasn't easy either? Zhao Hanqing fell silent.
Miss Jun broke her tuber in half and handed it to Zhao Hanqing, who took it without hesitation and began to eat.
"And he's quite stingy," Miss Jun added with a laugh.
Stingy?
In the stories Uncle Yang and the others told, that man existed like a deity, and surely deities aren't stingy.
Zhao Hanqing looked at Miss Jun.
Miss Jun pointed at the tuber in her hand.
"Back then, I only ate half of one," she said, pouting. "Your father wasn't willing to let me have more."
"Was it because eating too much of it is bad?" Zhao Hanqing hesitated before asking.
Miss Jun scoffed.
"Nonsense, he said he needed to eat his fill because he was the most important. It didn't matter if a child like me went hungry," she declared.
He actually said that? Aren't adults supposed to indulge children?
He... is really... interesting.
Zhao Hanqing couldn't help but laugh.
"You're laughing," Miss Jun reached out and pinched Zhao Hanqing's nose.
The dirt on her hand left a mark, causing Miss Jun to burst into laughter.
Zhao Hanqing wiped off the ash on her hand, then immediately grabbed a handful of ash from the ground and smeared it on Miss Jun's face.
The mountain woods echoed with the clear, playful laughter of the girls. Yang Jing, walking by and seeing the two girls frolicking, couldn't help but smile as well.
"Miss Jun," he called, "a letter has arrived from the city."
Due to the worsening situation, shops had closed, including De Sheng Chang. With ample supplies of rice and grain for the winter, Miss Jun told them not to come anymore. Messages were to be sent by carrier pigeon.
To the pigeons, Xia Yong and the others were surprisingly adept, so Miss Jun simply let them handle the messages without needing Lei Zhonglian and the other guards to be involved.
Miss Jun stopped fooling around, not minding the dirt smeared on her face, and walked over to take the small scroll. After reading the brief sentence, her expression became solemn.
"The situation has already gotten this bad," she said softly, exhaling before raising her head, "Uncle Yang, please make arrangements. I need to enter the city."
........................
A chill wind blew by, whipping up the withered leaves on the ground, swirling in front of the city gates.
"I haven't been here for over a month, how did the city end up like this?" a man exclaimed in surprise, staring at the tightly shut city gates.
"The Jurchen people haven't even attacked here yet, have they? Why does it look like a deserted city?" Lei Zhonglian added.
Compared to the bustling and crowded scene when they came for vaccinations, the difference now was striking.
"The situation really is terrible," Miss Jun said from horseback, observing the soldiers ready at the city gates, "Call out to them."
Miss Jun's name proved to be very useful. Upon hearing it, the city gates immediately opened, and Prefect Zhou, upon hearing the news, rushed over as well.
"My dear Miss Jun, why haven't you left yet?" he said in surprise, his face filled with concern, "What are you still doing here at such a time?"
Miss Jun comforted him, then inquired about the current state of the war.
The feudal authority would absolutely not disclose the true state of the battlefield to the public, and this was no different for Miss Jun; in fact, they would be even less inclined to tell her.
If she were to call for everyone to run, Qingyuan Prefecture would turn to chaos.
Prefect Zhou forced a laugh.
"Of course, there's no problem," he said, "as long as the Duke of Chengguo is here, Miss Jun can rest assured."
They did not speak much about anything else, and Miss Jun did not press further.
"Yes, as long as the Duke of Chengguo is here, there is no problem," she nodded and said.
"Indeed, if the Duke of Chengguo is here, there really isn't a problem."
Upon arriving at De Sheng Chang, the Shopkeeper said the same thing, but his expression was somber.
"But now the biggest issue is whether the Duke of Chengguo will still be here."
At the same time, he brought out a letter that was about to be dispatched, providing more detailed information.
These letters included those from Fang Jinxiu in the capital and from Fang Chengyu in Yangcheng. After reading these letters, Miss Jun was fully aware of the events that had unfolded in the capital, as well as the strife within the royal court.
"The Duke of Chengguo won't leave," Miss Jun said. "Leaving would be falling into the Jurchen people's trap. Some in the court may be panicking, but the Duke of Chengguo will certainly not be confused."
With that, she fell silent for a moment.
She was afraid that the court officials were not panicked but were feigning confusion deliberately.
And there was Zhu Zan, who was truly in a situation worse than before, facing greater dangers on his journey to the capital.
"Tell all the De Sheng Chang branches in the northern lands to provide all possible assistance to the Duke of Chengguo's heir," she instructed.
All branches, was this a command? All possible assistance, these words were familiar, precisely what Young Master had instructed to all De Sheng Chang branches.
So this meant that the Duke of Chengguo's heir was to be accorded the same treatment as Miss Jun.
The Shopkeeper of De Sheng Chang was momentarily stunned, but then he recalled Young Master's instructions.
"Miss Jun's words are as good as mine. Whatever she says, you do," he affirmed.
This sentence was always written on the front page of every correspondence, almost becoming a creed for De Sheng Chang.
"Understood," the Shopkeeper bowed and replied.
Because they needed to hurry back overnight, Miss Jun did not linger any longer.
"Considering the chaos in the northern lands, it's not safe. Please have the Magistrate dispatch soldiers to escort us," the Shopkeeper said, looking at the men standing in the courtyard.
Apart from Lei Zhonglian and two or three others, the rest were plainly dressed villagers with a dull appearance.
Why not bring her own guards? These people don't seem reliable.
"There's no need. They are enough," Miss Jun said.
Listening to Miss Jun's words and not wanting to cause trouble, the Shopkeeper bowed in acknowledgement, then prepared several bags of rice and grains to load onto their horses, watching them as they departed.
.....................
On the mountain path where dusk was falling, not even a ghost's shadow could be seen. Thinking about the deserted and desolate villages they passed along the way, Miss Jun felt weighed down with heavy thoughts.
Ten years to nurture prosperity and stability, destroyed in an instant, and it would take many years to recover.
Suddenly, a faint sound of footsteps reached her ears, and Miss Jun sat up abruptly on her horse, while Yang Jing, walking ahead, extended his hand.
The traveling group came to an immediate halt.
"Ha! We've actually stumbled upon a juicy sheep!"
The strange shout came from the roadside, and at the same time, seven or eight men leapt out of the woods, brandishing knives and axes, their expressions both fierce and excited.
Indeed, periods of chaos breed bandits, thought Miss Jun as she sighed at these men.
"Kill them," she said.
*********************************
Feeling a bit under the weather and in a poor mood, I'm taking a leave for the weekend, issuing a single update—sorry, please forgive me.
Thanks to "The Last Gun", "Zun Rong Hui", "Page 11 Famous Rewards", and He's Bi for your continued support and affection.
Wishing everyone a happy weekend.