Chapter 1271 – Defeating Huang Song, Unifying Dongqing (Thirteen)
The Vice General felt a pang of sorrow, thinking their strategist was just too kind-hearted. If only he had secretly dealt with the beast Yuan Xin earlier!
Nie Xun said, “I have one more unresolved worry…”
The Vice General replied, “Please, speak, strategist.”
Nie Xun asked, “Can you read?”
The Vice General admitted, “I know a few characters at best, unworthy to show off in front of the strategist.”
With his breath becoming more rapid and his eyes growing wearier, Nie Xun forced himself, “Then help me prepare some ink and write a family letter to my wife and daughter. Yuan Xin is narrow-minded and holds grudges; if I’m not around, they will be left as a lone mother and child, vulnerable to bullying. Even if the Lord has compassion and gives them some care, a widow faces many troubles, and such care cannot last a lifetime.”
Although the Lord would care for the widow of his subordinate to a degree, it was no substitute for family.
Nie Xun looked despondently, “Would you be willing to write a letter for me? I wish for my wife to take our daughter to the Yue family. The Yue family is notable in Dongqing, and they have only this one daughter… If my wife has the company of two elders, I could die in peace.”
The Vice General responded, “I’m willing.”
A faint smile of relief appeared on Nie Xun’s face, “Thank you.”
Seeing him like this, the burly Vice General couldn’t help but feel a surge of emotion.
He had someone prepare a blank letter and ink, but Nie Xun couldn’t hold on and fell asleep, needing to be roused after half an hour.
Nie Xun dictated while the Vice General wrote.
“I have a private seal; stamp it with the seal to verify the authenticity of the letter to my wife.”
The private seal served for ancient folks just like an ID card today—uniquely identifiable.
Nie Xun had several seals, some for official matters, others for personal connections, but this particular one was made with his wife, Zhu Qing Ning. One was engraved with a yin inscription, the other with a yang inscription, both adorned with mandarin ducks and sweet nicknames for each other.
Such intimate items were often kept discreetly.
Following instructions, the Vice General retrieved the seal and carefully stamped it on the letter’s end.
Upon recognizing the seal’s design, he couldn’t help but marvel at the affection between Nie Xun and his wife.
After completing everything, Nie Xun had exhausted all his strength and, coupled with his low fever, succumbed to sleep once more.
In the military, transmitting documents privately was strictly forbidden; otherwise, it would be seen as treason or conspiracy, thus all must go through official channels.
Originally, these matters were handled by Nie Xun, but now, he was nearly unable to stand. Naturally, the letter reached Yuan Xin’s hands.
The family letter was quite normal and succinct. Nie Xun urged his wife to remarry if anything were to happen to him. Concerned about his family’s vulnerable status, he wished for them to head north to seek refuge with the Yue family.
Seeking refuge with the Yue family?
“Who is Nie Xun’s Yue family?”
Yuan Xin stared at the letter, pondering until he remembered that Nie Xun’s Yue family meant Mr. Yuanjing from Dongqing.
While that wasn’t an issue, the problem was that Mr. Yuanjing was associated with Jiang Pengji’s faction now.
Though Mr. Yuanjing hadn’t officially pledged fealty to Jiang Pengji, everyone knew he had been teaching in Wanzhou for many years.
Sending Zhu Qing Ning and their daughter to the Yue family meant sending them straight to Jiang Pengji!
Yuan Xin certainly would not allow this; he even suspected Nie Xun had ulterior motives.
Moreover, if Nie Xun truly perished, would the Lord neglect this widow and her child? Did they really need to travel such a distance to seek the Yue family?
Yet, Nie Xun’s request was reasonable, and Yuan Xin was the one who had severely injured him, so he couldn’t outright reject him without being criticized for being unkind.
Yuan Xin asked the Vice General, “How is the strategist’s condition?”
The Vice General reported simply—Nie Xun was teetering on the edge of death.
Yuan Xin couldn’t believe it; he called the military doctor over. The doctor gave a detailed explanation but nothing too different.
Yuan Xin’s heart sank; it seemed Nie Xun truly was at death’s door.
First off, this family letter could not pass through the Lord Huang Song’s hands; otherwise, the Lord would know he was the one who injured Nie Xun and would definitely seek to punish him. Secondly, with Nie Xun barely clinging to life, was it right to withhold his last wishes?
After much thought, Yuan Xin finally consented to the family letter.
“Dispatch swift horses to deliver the letter to the strategist’s wife.”
Nie Xun’s wife, Zhu Qing Ning, was currently in Hede County, which wasn’t too far; a swift horse could reach her in about five or six days.
During these five or six days, Nie Xun’s condition fluctuated, and he awoke infrequently, sometimes losing his mind to fever.
Yuan Xin secretly took a glance.
Once, Nie Xun was stunningly handsome; the birthmark on his forehead only enhanced his appearance.
In terms of looks, ninety percent of women would feel embarrassed next to him, with only Wei Ci being able to rival him.
With sublime grace and unparalleled poise, he was perfectly formed; one more bit would be too long and one bit less too short. His brows were like emerald feathers, and his skin like white snow.
Now, however, his complexion had darkened, his looks had grown haggard, and he appeared to have lost much weight.
His breath was weak and intermittent, as if a grim reaper were waiting beside him, ready for his last breath.
Thinking about this left Yuan Xin with a chill down his spine; he casually tossed out a comment, “Take good care of the strategist,” before he departed.
The military doctor sighed deeply.
Once Yuan Xin was far away and the doctor went out for medicine, only then did Nie Xun weakly open his eyes, with depths of mystery in his gaze.
“Ha—”
A cryptic smile crept onto his lips.
Zhu Qing Ning had been feeling uneasy lately. Their daughter had cried all night for several days, nearly choking on her sobs. Desperate, she sought doctors and asked fortune-tellers, even calling in shamans who were known for warding off evil spirits for the nobles.
The shamans could not discern the cause and only vaguely suggested, “Right now, external chaos breeds countless vengeful spirits. Your young one is still a child, her soul easily affected by malicious influences… It’s likely she encountered something troublesome. Why don’t you let me perform a ritual, Madam? Just to try.”
Zhu Qing Ning was skeptical but after several days of her daughter’s cries, and being unable to find the reason, she decided to trust the shaman.
After the ritual, the shaman gave Zhu Qing Ning a few yellow talismans to help ward off night terrors.
After putting the talismans on her daughter and hanging some around her room, to her surprise, the talismans worked! The crying subsided that night, and her daughter fell swiftly into dreamland.
Grateful, Zhu Qing Ning prepared a handsome reward for the shaman.
Though this shaman was no charlatan, she wasn’t exactly miraculous either; she was ready to make her escape at any moment.
Unexpectedly, the next day, Zhu Qing Ning sent people bearing a generous reward to her, causing the shaman to beam from ear to ear and claim all the credit for herself. A few days later, a family letter from the front line arrived at the house, causing Zhu Qing Ning to lose all color in her face and weep like a raincloud.
After her tears flowed, she collected herself and immediately started packing belongings and important items, preparing enough guards and horses to make her way north.
As Madam Qiqi was not in Hede County, no one stopped Zhu Qing Ning from her great undertaking.
Over a hundred guards escorted the mother and daughter with plenty of wealth north.
As long as they avoided the front lines, the journey would be relatively safe.
Zhu Qing Ning clutched the family letter, reading it over and over, slowly piecing together the true reason behind her daughter’s incessant crying these past few days.
“Truly… it is…!”
