The military physician had previously interacted with Fan Changyu and knew she was searching for someone. Upon hearing her outburst, he broke into a cold sweat on her behalf, thinking that Marquis Wu’an was also in the tent. Who knew what punishment would befall Fan Changyu if he heard her encouraging soldiers to desert?
Just as he was about to hurry in and interrupt, Gongsun Yin held him back, shaking his head with an enigmatic smile and making a gesture for silence, turning his ear to listen to the commotion inside.
The physician’s heart was in his throat, thinking that the young woman had simply spoken without knowing military law, but why was even the Military Advisor treating it like an entertaining spectacle?
He stood nervously outside the tent, dreading the moment Xie Zheng would order someone to drag her out for punishment. Instead, only the encouraging voices of the wounded soldiers could be heard. Someone said, “Brother, if I were you, with a girl traveling thousands of miles to find me, I’d die happy right here!”
“Who knows what good deeds you did in your past lives to deserve such luck? The rest of us just hope to return home in one piece after the war, and even then might not find a match. But look at you—the girl came looking for you herself!”
Others tried to console Fan Changyu: “Sister, we know you’re worried about your man, but you can’t say such things in a military camp. Desertion is punishable by death! Don’t worry though—if he survived such injuries, he’s bound to have good fortune ahead.”
Fan Changyu certainly knew better than to encourage desertion. She had only spoken out of anguish upon seeing his horrific wounds, knowing he had been conscripted to protect her family and nine other households from punishment. Her heart was filled with pain and guilt.
As she helped clean the days-old medicine residue from Xie Zheng’s wounds, the mixture of blood and medicine created an unbearable stench. Fresh flesh intermingled with necrotic tissue—applying new medicine would require scraping away the dead flesh.
A tear as large as a bean fell directly from her eye socket before Fan Changyu realized she was crying. She hastily wiped her eyes, trying to compose herself, but her voice still came out hoarse: “I wasn’t trying to make him desert, I…”
Looking at Xie Zheng, another tear fell as she could only manage three words: “I’m sorry.”
If he hadn’t entered into a false marriage with her, he wouldn’t have been on the conscription list. If not for wanting to protect her and the neighbors, he wouldn’t have gone willingly with the army.
Seeing him so gravely wounded on the battlefield filled Fan Changyu with despair.
Xie Zheng was still processing her earlier words about returning home with her. Looking up to see tears in her eyes, his pale, cracked lips pressed together as he said, “Don’t cry.”
He understood why Fan Changyu was apologizing and knew her guilt, but though he wanted to tell her everything, the timing and setting were wrong, so he remained silent.
This was the first time he had seen Fan Changyu cry. His chest felt both constricted and warm, like being immersed in hot springs—a strange and unfamiliar sensation.
He wanted to wipe her tears and hold her, but whether from the mental strain of recent days finally releasing or his injuries catching up with him, exhaustion overwhelmed his body. His limbs felt leaden; even trying to sit up was a struggle.
Fan Changyu noticed his attempt to move and pressed his shoulder back down, saying with red-rimmed eyes, “Don’t move. Wait for the physician to treat your wounds.”
She then called urgently toward the tent entrance: “Where is the physician? Has he arrived?”
Xie Zheng watched her profile, his gaze falling to her hand resting beside the bed. He hesitantly reached for it, repeating, “Don’t cry.”
Fan Changyu fought back tears as she looked down at his hand weakly grasping hers. She gripped back firmly, their palms pressed tightly together. Her hand was warm while he was cool from weakness, but their connection seemed to generate a gentle warmth.
This was their first time holding hands since the meeting.
Like a silent understanding formed through this gesture, Fan Changyu looked at him with clear, determined eyes and said, “I’m not crying. Don’t be afraid—we brought plenty of medicine up the mountain. The physician will surely heal you.”
The military physician, hearing Fan Changyu call again, looked to Gongsun Yin, who seemed disappointed at not hearing what he’d hoped to hear, and finally led the physician into the tent.
The physician felt quite uncomfortable, thinking privately that the Military Advisor truly had a cruel heart despite his gentle face—disappointed that the Marquis hadn’t punished the woman!
Gongsun Yin was easily recognizable in his white robes and carrying a fan. Upon his entrance, the wounded soldiers notably became more reserved.
Gongsun Yin smiled warmly and said, “Rest easy, soldiers. I’m only here to check on everyone’s injuries and ensure there’s sufficient medicine.”
His gaze, however, slid discreetly toward Fan Changyu.
Fan Changyu looked toward the entrance when she heard movement. Though this was her first time seeing Gongsun Yin and she could tell he was an official, she was too focused on Xie Zheng’s condition to pay much attention. She immediately addressed the physician: “Physician, please examine him quickly!”
As she looked up, Gongsun Yin caught a clear view of her face, his fox-like eyes lifting in evident surprise.
Though not unattractive, the woman appeared simple at first glance, like one of those noble young ladies who had lost their mothers early and never gained their fathers’ favor, bullied by sisters since childhood. Unlike the delicate, pitiable flower type, she was more like a stray puppy found by the roadside—something about her inexplicably softened one’s heart. No one would believe she was capable of butchering pigs with a knife.
Gongsun Yin recalled what he’d heard about her and found it bizarre. His gaze fell to Fan Changyu’s arms, his brows furrowing—how could these slender limbs throw a grown man several zhang away?
Perhaps the guard had been lying?
Gongsun Yin’s eyes swept toward the guard who had shrunk into a corner. Their eyes met, but the guard clearly didn’t understand his questioning look, appearing bewildered.
Gongsun Yin withdrew his gaze, no longer expecting to get any answers from the guard’s foolish expression.
The physician had already gone to Fan Changyu’s side with his medicine box. Upon entering, he had nervously looked toward the main seat but, not seeing Xie Zheng, breathed a great sigh of relief, thinking this explained why the Marquis hadn’t become angry.
As he set down his medicine box and rolled up his sleeves to take the pulse, he recognized who lay on the army cot. His legs instantly went weak, his mind as muddled as spilled paste, his expression shocked and confused.
How… how was the Marquis here?
Could it be that the woman’s earlier words were directed at the Marquis?
The physician drew several sharp breaths.
Seeing the physician frozen with a horrified expression, Fan Changyu urged again: “Physician?”
The physician looked at Fan Changyu, swallowing hard, then met Xie Zheng’s eyes on the cot. As he sat on the simple wooden stool to take the pulse, not only were his hands shaking too much to properly feel the pulse, but his legs were trembling as well.
Having heard so much he shouldn’t have, would the Marquis silence him permanently?
Fan Changyu noticed the physician trembling all over and worried he would take the wrong pulse. She asked concernedly: “Physician, are you alright?”
In just this short time, beads of sweat had formed on the physician’s forehead like rolling pearls. He wiped them roughly with his sleeve and, under Xie Zheng’s gaze, forced a smile and said, “It’s nothing… nothing…”
After finally finishing the pulse-taking, Fan Changyu immediately asked about Xie Zheng’s condition. The physician wiped his sweat and began, “Mar—”
At this word, noticing a warning look from the Marquis’s guard, he quickly corrected himself: “Marvelous young man, this wound nearly reached the internal organs—extremely dangerous. Only his strong constitution allowed him to last these many days, but he still needs prompt medicine and careful recovery. Excessive blood loss will likely cause frequent dizziness these days. It would be best… best if he could eat some meat for nourishment.”
After taking the pulse, it was time to clean the necrotic tissue and apply new medicine to Xie Zheng’s wound. Seeing the physician’s hands still shaking, Fan Changyu feared he might accidentally hurt Xie Zheng and offered to do it herself.
The physician’s trembling was only from fright, and he was trying to calm himself. He couldn’t risk any harm coming to Xie Zheng, but he was also worried about letting an inexperienced hand wield the knife.
Xie Zheng spoke up at this moment: “Let my wife do it.”
The physician’s heart was again thrown into turmoil—so this woman was their never-before-seen Marchioness!
Fan Changyu was startled by this form of address but said nothing.
Even as the physician sat on a low stool directing Fan Changyu to scrape away the dead flesh, his beard was still quivering.
Gongsun Yin was also extremely surprised. Under the pretense of checking on the wounded soldiers, he brazenly remained, not budging despite several cold glares from Xie Zheng, his gaze moving between Fan Changyu and Xie Zheng.
Fan Changyu held the dagger to the fire to sterilize it, all her attention focused on the necrotic tissue on Xie Zheng’s chest, completely ignoring those around her.
A guard brought a clean cotton cloth for Xie Zheng to bite down on, but he refused it.
Fan Changyu raised the dagger, her other hand already lightly pressing on his chest, and asked, “Are you afraid?”
Xie Zheng said, “Just do it.”
Fan Changyu suddenly felt her eyes stinging. She suppressed all the emotions welling up in her heart and focused entirely on scraping the dead flesh from his chest, her hand steady and her lips pressed tightly together.
Xie Zheng simply watched Fan Changyu unblinkingly, as if the wound on his chest and his own life were inconsequential matters.
Both their foreheads were covered in sweat, yet neither made a sound.
When Fan Changyu noticed her palms were sweating, she had someone bring a cloth to hastily wipe her hands and the dagger handle before returning to remove the dead flesh from the wound.
Xie Zheng’s muscles were tensed like stone, veins standing out from his arms to his temples. Sweat dripped from his eyelids, but he didn’t even blink.
The entire tent was silent, extraordinarily so.
Gongsun Yin stood to the side holding his fan, the mockery in his eyes and smile now gone.
It was a curious feeling. A moment ago, he had thought that while this woman and Xie Zheng made a visually compatible pair, considering their social standings, he wasn’t sure if their match would prove fortune or misfortune for her.
Now, he suddenly felt that in all the world, there probably wasn’t another person besides this woman to whom Xie Zheng would so readily entrust his life.
If he could give her his life, how could he ever let her suffer the slightest grievance in the complex society of the capital?
As for whether this woman was worthy of Xie Zheng—if she could inspire such willing devotion from him, what right did others have to judge whether she was good enough or worthy?
He tapped his fan bones lightly against his palm, his lips curving into a slight smile.
When Fan Changyu finished scraping the last bit of dead flesh from Xie Zheng’s chest, her entire back was soaked with sweat. She turned to the physician and said, “It’s done.”
The physician hurriedly sprinkled a bottle of wound medicine and applied the herbs he had ground during this time, instructing that it would be best not to leave the bed for the next few days and to avoid lifting heavy objects until the wound was completely healed.
Fan Changyu stood silently to the side.
Having seen enough of the spectacle, Gongsun Yin finally spoke a few words of comfort to the wounded soldiers when Xie Zheng cast another cold look his way. After giving Xie Zheng a look promising to keep his secret, he leisurely took his leave with the physician.
After everyone had left, the guard, feeling awkward about remaining inside lest Fan Changyu noticed something amiss, also went outside.
Only then did Fan Changyu quietly ask Xie Zheng, “Does it hurt?”
Xie Zheng shook his head and said, “It doesn’t hurt.”
Fan Changyu’s eyes were still faintly red. The medicine she had brewed earlier would help prevent the wound from becoming infected, and Xie Zheng could drink it.
She brought over a bowl and fed it to him spoonful by spoonful. Seeing him so weak, she said sadly, “You should have signed the divorce papers earlier.”
Xie Zheng choked on a mouthful of medicine, immediately breaking into heart-wrenching coughs.