After dining with Shen Du, Zhu Yan went to Pan Chi’s room. As she opened the door, she saw him sitting on the bed, examining the white silk threads covering his body.
Pan Chi, who claimed to be a descendant of Pan An, was naturally handsome enough to put women to shame. Now, covered in white silk and ravaged by illness, he had become much thinner, as delicate as a willow in the wind. His fragile appearance would likely evoke pity even from men.
“How are you feeling?” Zhu Yan sat on a nearby chair, the breeze from her movement causing the white threads to ripple like waves.
Pan Chi stopped fiddling with the silk threads and looked up at Zhu Yan, shaking his head slightly.
Since returning from the execution ground, the white threads had been growing uncontrollably. He couldn’t tear them off, and he suspected he might soon turn into a complete cocoon.
“It seems I’ll become a butterfly as you said. Oh no, an ugly moth, and fly away.”
“After that, you’ll only need to flap your wings to travel and sightsee. Doesn’t sound too bad.”
Zhu Yan’s hand paused as she was pouring water. She glared at him, “What nonsense are you talking about? I’ll cure you.” Just like she cured Third Sister.
“Cure? Is there an antidote for this poison?”
“There must be. As long as Chen Huoe is around, there is,” Zhu Yan paused, looking at Pan Chi, “I’m just afraid that even if we find it, there won’t be enough time… What should we do?”
“It’s simple,” he suddenly laughed, “When I turn into a cocoon, you can just roll me along.”
This guy always pretended not to care, which made people feel uncomfortable.
—
A few days later, Shen Du’s worries materialized as if on cue, causing panic among everyone.
No one had expected that the former Governor of Yingzhou, who once cared deeply for the people and the country, would raise an army against the Great Zhou Dynasty.
Outside the city gates, Mo Qianzhi led his followers, ready for battle at the foot of the city wall.
“It’s terrible! Mo Qianzhi is leading his men to declare war outside the city!”
Someone came to report, but was it merely a declaration of war?
“What?” Shen Du, who had been writing plans for Yingzhou’s reconstruction at his desk, knocked over the ink tray and rushed to the city wall.
Looking at the masses of troops below, Shen Du’s heart tightened. His worst fears had come true.
Seeing Shen Du finally appear, Mo Qianzhi narrowed his eyes and raised his bow. An arrow with a note tied to it was shot towards the wall.
A gust of wind whistled past, and the arrow struck the city pillar to Shen Du’s right.
The arrowhead embedded in the pillar, its shaft still quivering.
An Imperial Guard quickly retrieved the arrow and handed the note to Shen Du.
“Great Zhou will fall.”
Mo Qianzhi was leading his followers in an attempt to overthrow the Great Zhou Dynasty. Shen Du watched as Mo Qianzhi waved his hand, and a barrage of arrows flew towards the city wall.
Strangely, all these arrows hit only the wall and pillars.
Then, they left.
It seemed this first visit was just a warning. The next time would be a real battle.
Shen Du immediately returned to his residence and sent an urgent message to inform the Empress of this development.
Mo Qianzhi didn’t try to intercept the messenger, which made Shen Du suspicious. Thinking of the official at the Court of Judicial Review, could they have already made a secret agreement?
So Shen Du personally selected an Imperial Guard to travel north, avoiding the official roads, and preparing for all possibilities.
—
“That scoundrel Mo, I should never have spared him,” the Empress unfolded the letter, then crumpled it into a ball, signaling to Xu Wan beside her.
“Immediately appoint Shen Du as the Grand Marshal,” the Empress paused briefly, “Grant him a purple general’s robe, a gold and jade belt, and the Qingyu Sword. Give him the authority to execute first and report later. He must capture Mo Qianzhi and defend Yingzhou.”
As Xu Wan drafted the imperial edict, the Empress pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed, looking up.
Soon, the imperial edict was sent from the capital to Yingzhou. It was discovered by Mo Qianzhi’s men but rescued by Shen Du and his team. Shen Du had indeed been cautious.
After reading the edict, Shen Du’s brow furrowed. He glanced at the bestowed equipment, but without reinforcements, what use were these?
He angrily slammed the edict on the table, startling Zhu Yan.
“The Grand Marshal defending Yingzhou City alone,” he laughed sarcastically, “Well, with you and the half-dead Pan Chi, and the citizens who couldn’t escape in time.” The smile disappeared from his face.
Zhu Yan, who had been silent beside him, could do nothing now but stay with this Grand Marshal who had nothing.
It seemed that Yingzhou’s fate might depend on heaven’s will.
On the table, a map of Yingzhou was spread out. Seeing Shen Du studying the map, Zhu Yan stepped forward to take a look.
But she was unfamiliar with these matters of war. Apart from the characters for “Yingzhou,” all she saw were twisted lines intertwining. It was more difficult than making a dead person speak, leaving her dizzy.
“How is Pan Chi?” Shen Du stopped what he was doing and looked up at the person standing across from him.
“He’s still poisoned,” Zhu Yan shook her head slightly, “Shall I go check on him?”
For the first time, he didn’t feel troubled by Zhu Yan’s suggestion to see Pan Chi. He just nodded in response, then continued studying the strategic map without another word.
—
Arriving outside Pan Chi’s room, Zhu Yan knocked lightly but heard no response from inside.
Could he be dead? This thought flashed through Zhu Yan’s mind, and without waiting for a response, she pushed the door open.
Pan Chi was lying on the bed, silk threads wrapped around his entire body and extending to the window curtains, unable to move.
“Why are you here?” Pan Chi’s voice sounded strange as if someone were choking him.
“Mo Qianzhi has brought his army. I came to see if you could still fight,” Zhu Yan said lightly, her eyes filled with worry.
Pan Chi wanted to laugh but couldn’t. His face was wrapped in threads like a ball of yarn.
Seeing her guilty expression again, Pan Chi felt helpless. His usually glib tongue couldn’t utter a word of comfort.
“In my current state, what can I do?” It was just a matter of waiting for death.
“Don’t say that! You’re the only person in this dynasty to achieve the highest scores in both civil and military exams,” Zhu Yan gestured frantically, “How could you be useless? At least you could be a punching bag.”
“Besides, I won’t let anything happen to you.”
Pan Chi was amused by her words, but then his expression turned solemn: “It’s alright. Everyone dies eventually, it’s just a matter of time.”
Zhu Yan became anxious: “Don’t say that! There must be a way.”
Zhu Yan never believed in fate. That year when she was abducted and nearly lost hope, things took an unexpected turn. Shen Du entered the Imperial Harem and later became a Cabinet Minister. That’s why she didn’t believe in fate.
Pan Chi’s throat made a wheezing sound: “It’s a pity. All these years I’ve focused on traveling and sightseeing, without any great achievements. Look at my judgments in court, weren’t they all just for show?”
“Now that Yingzhou is in danger, I can’t even help.”
Listening to his words, Zhu Yan nodded thoughtfully, then shook her head.
Pan Chi continued speaking, lost in his thoughts.
“Under the Empress’s rule, the Western Regions are also quite stable, and the neighboring countries have all submitted to the Great Zhou,” he suddenly reflected that his status as a top scholar in both literature and military arts might have been more of a gimmick than anything substantial. “The minor troubles within the country hardly require my concern.”
“I never thought I would experience war firsthand. It’s a pity that I’ve long since let my skills atrophy.”
“To be prepared for danger while living in safety and to plan—how many people truly practice this?” Zhu Yan mused, acknowledging that she could not always live up to such ideals, so who was she to demand it of others?
Shen Du hadn’t expected Mo Qianzhi to rebel either.
Zhu Yan knew well that Pan Chi’s poisoning made it impossible for him to help Shen Du. She had only brought him up to have someone to talk to, as she felt powerless to assist.
She was merely a minor eighth-rank Clerk of the Metropolitan Office, and with Pan Chi poisoned, the fate of Yingzhou City depended solely on Shen Du.
“I have no right to criticize you,” she said with a sudden dejection, sitting down on a nearby chair with a troubled expression. “This is my first time leaving the capital to handle a case. I can only perform autopsies and make inferences. At most, I have some knowledge of medical theory, but what good is that? It won’t help against thousands of enemy soldiers.”
The two of them fell into silence, simply gazing at each other without further words.