14
The wheels rumbled as the carriage raced along Chang’an’s official roads after curfew.
Throughout the journey, Li Yifang was both worried about his mother’s safety and curious about Ruan An’s background, but neither of them had time for idle conversation.
They soon arrived at the Li residence. Ruan An carried her medicine box and, together with Ruan Xi, quickly followed Li Yifang into Li Yifang mother’s bedchamber. As they entered, they heard the sound of an old maidservant weeping.
The old maidservant, seeing Li Yifang return, fell to her knees with a thud and said tearfully, “Young master, the madam… the madam has already stopped breathing…”
Li Yifang’s expression changed dramatically upon hearing this. When he approached the bed and saw that his mother was indeed unconscious, he could not immediately accept the news of her death. His voice trembled slightly as he called out, “Mother…”
On this night in her previous life, Ruan An had been deceived by Li Shuying’s outward pretenses. She had taken her child into the Grand Tutor’s mansion, and that night Li Shuying had warmly insisted she stay, so Ruan An had spent the night at the Li residence.
That very night, Li Yifang had also come to the courtyard in Guangde Ward looking for her, but she had not been there.
Ruan An remembered that on that night, Li Yifang mother had indeed passed away.
But since she had been reborn, why could she not change the course of her previous life?
She secretly clenched her fist, unwilling to stand by and watch a patient’s life slip away before her eyes again.
The stifled sobbing in the room continued without end. Ruan An furrowed her brows. She told Ruan Xi to go sit quietly in the outer hall. The boy obediently nodded.
Ruan An then walked to the bedside and observed Li Yifang mother’s complexion.
Though it was said that men should not easily shed tears, Li Yifang had lost his father at a young age and shared an extremely deep bond with his widowed mother. At this moment, tears were already welling in the man’s eyes.
Still maintaining his usual composure, Li Yifang did not forget to thank Ruan An: “Thank you, Miss Ruan, for making this trip with me. It’s a pity… my mother has still passed away…”
Ruan An noticed that Li Yifang mother’s complexion was tinged with black, so she said to Li Yifang, “Lord Li, don’t be too hasty. I believe your mother may still have a chance to be saved.”
The maidservant beside her said tearfully, “Miss, our madam stopped breathing half an incense stick ago.”
Yet Li Yifang inexplicably felt great trust in Ruan An. He nodded to her and said, “Please, Miss Ruan, do try.”
With Li Yifang’s permission, Ruan An first used her fingers to open Li Yifang mother’s eyelids and observed the color of her pupils. She saw that Li Yifang mother’s pupils had a faint bluish tinge.
As the saying goes: For those with sudden acute illnesses, if the face is green and the eyes white, death follows; if the face is green and the eyes yellow, death follows as well; but if the face is black and the eyes blue, there is still a chance for survival.
Therefore, Ruan An extended her slender hand to test Li Yifang mother’s breath. Li Yifang mother was indeed not breathing, but feeling her pulse, there was still a faint, weak pulse.
“Lord Li, I am going to use acupuncture now. I should be able to save your mother’s life.”
When Ruan An said this, her expression was very calm. This certainty and confidence belonged uniquely to an experienced physician.
Given the situation, regardless of anything else, Li Yifang had to try.
He quickly agreed to Ruan An’s suggestion, his heart tensed with anxiety.
Ruan An took out a set of acupuncture needles from her medicine box, from which hung the tiger-shaped rattle and copper bell. Then, with both hands together and skilled familiarity, she inserted needles into various acupoints on Li Yifang mother’s body, including Taiyang, Shaoyang, Baihui, and chest points.
As she applied the needles, she instructed the flustered and astonished maidservant beside her: “The madam’s heart and kidneys are depleted. Ginseng and monkshood are needed to reverse the condition. I once gave your master a thousand-year-old wild ginseng root. Is that ginseng root still there?”
The maidservant quickly replied, “Yes, yes, it is. This servant had someone decoct the ginseng soup just now, but just as it was finished, the madam stopped breathing…”
After completing the entire set of acupuncture techniques, Ruan An focused her gaze. In an instant, Li Yifang mother indeed gave a painful cough, as if some of her spirit had returned.
“Mother!”
“Madam!”
Ruan An was young, yet her medical skills were so extraordinary—she actually possessed the miraculous ability to resurrect the dying!
Both Li Yifang and the maidservant looked utterly astonished.
Ruan An’s gentle, pure features remained very calm. She instructed again, “Quickly bring that ginseng soup and have the madam drink it.”
“Yes, I will go get it right away!”
Tears of joy immediately streamed from the maidservant’s eyes. She also grew curious about Ruan An’s identity.
How had their young master met this young lady?
She was so beautiful, possessed such superb medical skills, and had a three- or four-year-old boy beside her. What was that boy’s relationship to her?
After the maidservant fed Li Yifang mother the ginseng soup, Li Yifang mother gradually regained normal breathing, and her pulse was stronger than before.
Li Yifang’s tense nerves relaxed slightly. He thought to himself that Ruan An was like a goddess who had descended from heaven. If she hadn’t brought her child into Chang’an City, and if she hadn’t given him that ginseng root, his mother would certainly not have survived this night.
Ruan An’s mood also improved somewhat. Li Yifang mother was the first life she had saved after her rebirth. In her view, this signified that she was bidding farewell to her former self. Things were developing in a positive direction. She and her child would surely return to Jiazhou safely.
“Miss Ruan, I have no way to repay your lifesaving grace. I am willing to give away all my family’s wealth and offer all my gold and silver as consultation fees to you. Please, Miss Ruan, you must accept them.”
Ruan An, however, shook her head at Li Yifang and said in a gentle voice, “I do not need the consultation fees you wish to offer, my lord. But there is another matter in which I ask for your help.”
Li Yifang looked down at her, his gaze slightly dazed.
Setting aside her identity as a physician, Ruan An’s appearance was pure and radiant, her features captivating—she could truly be described as a peerlessly beautiful woman, ethereal and stunning.
Li Yifang’s mother had long wanted him to marry early, but he always made excuses about being busy with official duties. For social obligations, Li Yifang would occasionally accompany his colleagues to the singing halls and pleasure houses of Pingkang Hall to listen to music. Many soft, delicate young ladies had made frequent advances toward him, but he had never felt any interest.
They were beautiful, but none were as beautiful as Ruan An.
Or rather, none of them stirred his heart with their appearance, bearing, and temperament the way Ruan An did.
Sometimes he had even wondered if he was simply uninterested in romantic relationships.
But it was only upon meeting Ruan An that Li Yifang suddenly realized—he was a normal man. He could appreciate a beautiful woman, could even feel the budding of admiration.
“Please speak freely, miss. I will do everything in my power to help you fulfill your wish.”
Li Yifang could confirm that Ruan Xi was Ruan An’s biological son. She would certainly not have come to Chang’an City rashly without reason.
Perhaps the man who had abandoned her was a native of Chang’an, and she had brought the child to find his biological father.
At this thought, a flicker of displeasure passed across Li Yifang’s handsome features. A faint bitterness rose in his heart, along with a feeling of pity for Ruan An and her son.
The man Ruan An was seeking must hold a considerable status. Li Yifang was curious about the identity of Ruan Xi’s biological father, and he felt that this man was likely not someone worthy of trust.
As the Capital Magistrate who acted on behalf of the people, Li Yifang naturally wanted to see justice done for Ruan An. That scoundrel had touched this gentle, kind-hearted young lady, made her pregnant with his child, and then neglected her and her son for so many years—such a heartless wretch was truly despicable!
Ruan An’s soft voice pulled Li Yifang back from his tangled thoughts—
“This illness will require several more days of recuperation, my lord. Will you request leave from the government office to care for your ailing mother?”
The Great Li upheld the principle that filial piety comes before all else. Such leave could certainly be requested. Li Yifang nodded to Ruan An.
But he was not quite sure what she was planning to do.
One day later, the Grand Tutor’s Mansion.
Li Shuying had sent people to inquire about the whereabouts of the traveling physician Healer Ruan of Jiannan. Her servants had learned that she seemed to be staying temporarily with her grandchild in a private residence in Guangde Ward, a property owned by the Junior Magistrate of the Capital, Li Yifang.
But when she sent someone to invite the elderly physician that morning, they found the small residence empty. The physician’s whereabouts were unknown.
When her servant reported this, Li Shuying was at her dressing table, carefully applying face powder to her cheeks. The scented cream in the gilded, gem-inlaid jade box beside her was extremely expensive.
Hearing this news, frustration and irritation rose in Li Shuying’s heart.
In truth, though her facial features were delicate and gorgeous, her skin quality was not very good—not only lacking luster, but also prone to dullness and sallowness.
But she prided herself on her status and always presented a radiant appearance to the outside world. She spent at least half an hour each day applying whitening face powder to all her exposed skin.
Although the talcum powder in the cosmetics gave her skin a very glossy appearance, the lead content also caused her actual skin quality to deteriorate further and further.
Li Shuying’s tone remained fairly calm as she commanded the servant, “Go find her again. You must locate that elderly physician.”
“Yes.”
A few days earlier, the maidservant named Zhuju, who had helped Li Shuying gather information about Ruan An at the fabric shop, brought in the birthday gift that He family’s eldest daughter He Xinruo had given to Li Shuying in advance. She said respectfully, “Miss, that eldest daughter of the He family is eagerly trying to curry favor with you again. This time she sent a set of glazed tea utensils. Would you like to see them?”
Li Shuying glanced faintly at the tea set and said, “Put it away in the storehouse.”
“Yes, miss.”
Zhuju had long guessed that Li Shuying would surely look down on this tea set gifted by He Xinruo. What fine thing had their young miss never seen? Only that eldest daughter of the He family was so shallow and inexperienced.
Shortly after, Li Shuying finished applying her makeup. She pressed her lips together slightly, and they were soon tinted with pomegranate-red lip balm.
Since the Ruan-named physician had disappeared, Li Shuying was also curious about how He Xinyuan’s facial pockmarks and sores were doing.
If Li Shuying said she was second in status among the aristocratic young ladies, no one would dare claim first. She was peerlessly beautiful, and her grandfather was the current emperor’s imperial tutor. Throughout all of Chang’an, no one outshone her.
Thus, many aristocratic young ladies, and even noblewomen, eagerly fawned over her.
She didn’t really need to pretend to befriend He Xinruo, but every time at banquets, she took pleasure in He Xinruo’s humiliation of He Xinyuan.
After all, from He Xinyuan’s face full of pockmarks and sores, she could derive much satisfaction and a sense of balance.
Zhuju then said disdainfully, “That eldest daughter of the He family is far too pleased with herself. She only managed to latch onto the Huo family. What is there to be so proud of? Everyone knows that since the Marquis of Dingbei, Huo Pingxiao, died in battle on the frontier, the Huo family’s power and influence have diminished considerably.”
Li Shuying didn’t respond, only traced her eyebrows while looking into the bronze mirror.
Indeed, now that Huo Pingxiao had died in battle, how much longer could the Huo family, the foremost of the three great pillar families, last?
The powerful, court-dominating Prime Minister Huo Lang was a disabled invalid who wouldn’t last much longer. Once Huo Lang fell, the Huo family would have no one to succeed him. His other two sons, compared to a prodigy like Huo Pingxiao, appeared utterly mediocre.
Li Shuying’s earlier irritability gradually subsided, and a faint, mocking smile appeared on her vermilion lips.
She was about to marry into the Eastern Palace and would eventually become empress, the mother of the Great Li nation. Her Li family would only get better and better.
After Huo Lang died, the first of the three great pillar families should be replaced by the Li family.
It was nearly dusk. The borderland between the Great Li and Beiyuan was a vast, boundless expanse of desert sand.
Suddenly, a fierce wind arose, and in an instant, yellow sand swirled wildly.
The captain of a thousand on the watchtower was gazing solemnly into the distance, scouting for enemy movements. The wind and sand filled his mouth and nose and blurred his vision. When the violent sandstorm on the frontier finally subsided, he could finally see the scene in the distance—
An immense, dark mass of an army was marching toward them. He saw tens of thousands of barbarian soldiers.
But the cavalry in front of these barbarians was the Wolf Cavalry of the Marquis of Dingbei, Huo Pingxiao.
Though days of living out in the open had left these soldiers, who had survived death, looking somewhat weary, their indomitable spirit had not diminished in the slightest.
As the group drew closer to the watchtower, the captain of a thousand also saw the face of the leading general. His eyes widened in disbelief.
It was the Marquis of Dingbei!
It was their Grand General!
It was their Grand General Great Li’s God of War, Huo Pingxiao!
Huo Pingxiao had survived! He had come back alive!!!
The captain of a thousand rushed down from the watchtower as fast as he could and ran toward Huo Pingxiao’s horse.
The round, full sun hanging high in the sky was a deep crimson. The blood-stained general’s banner and the tattered red battle robe flapped fiercely in the wind.
The fierce-beast-shaped helmet on Huo Pingxiao’s head sat slightly askew, yet this did not make him look the least bit disheveled. On the contrary, it accentuated his already defiant and untamed bearing.
He silently reined in his horse. The extreme red behind him contrasted sharply with the jet-black coat of his fiery steed—striking and dazzling, yet carrying the kingly, hegemonic aura that made all others step back.
The captain of a thousand noticed that Huo Pingxiao seemed much thinner than before the expedition.
The contours of the man’s face were also more chiseled and colder than before the campaign. His skin remained a pleasant light wheat color.
From a distance, his pitch-black eyes were slightly narrowed, bearing a wolfish, watchful quality, tinged with faint arrogance—sharp, intimidating, and enough to send a chill down one’s spine.
Huo Pingxiao casually lowered his black lashes. His armor was covered with mottled marks and stains, through which one could vaguely glimpse the flash of blades and shadows of spears from that bloody, brutal battle.
With a “swish—,” he suddenly flicked the head of the chanyu, which hung from his long-handled blade. The head, cracked and parched by the wind and sand, flew in a parabolic arc straight toward the captain of a thousand.
The captain of a thousand promptly knelt on the sand and called out excitedly, “This lowly general greets the Marquis of Dingbei! Congratulations to the Marquis of Dingbei on his victorious return!”
With a “thud,” the head hit the ground. The unruly golden-black warhorse raised its neck and neighed several times, impatient.
Huo Pingxiao furrowed his brows and reined in the horse again. The strength in his palm and finger bones was formidable as he controlled this difficult, untamable steed, refusing to let it move.
“Go quickly to Chang’an and inform His Majesty.”
The scar on the man’s neck added a touch of rugged wildness to his appearance. His deep, low voice was hoarse as he commanded calmly, “This marquis is not dead.”
**