After Rescuing The Sickly White Moonlight - Chapter 8

Chapter 8

On a desolate path, the skeletal remains of a carriage lay scattered across the ground, completely empty. The “bandits” hadn’t anticipated this scene; in their moment of hesitation, Guanyue seized the advantage. A flurry of strikes sent the assailants retreating in disarray.

One of them, realizing it was a diversionary tactic, shouted for the others to withdraw immediately. Before leaving, he noticed a torn map of Red Ying among the wreckage. Having confirmed his suspicions and seeing no point in a prolonged fight, he and his men beat a hasty retreat.

Watching the bandits flee, Guanyue let out a cold snort. He ordered his men to pack up and galloped toward the nearest pier.

On a large ship navigating the Huai River.

Lin Yu’s face was deathly pale—even worse than the poisoned Zheng Qingyun. The swaying of the vessel sent his stomach into a chaotic churn. Worse still, he didn’t dare leave the cabin; the sight of the river water brought back harrowing memories of the floods in Sanshan City.

Zheng Zhili poured him a cup of warm water, offering comfort: “Hang in there. Once we reach Shichuan City, we won’t need the boat anymore.”

Lin Yu nodded weakly. “I’m fine, don’t worry about me. I’ll adjust in a day or two.”

Zheng Qingyun felt a twinge of guilt. “If I had known you got seasick, we wouldn’t have taken the water route.”

Lin Yu quickly stopped him from blaming himself. “The water route is safer. This is just an unexpected situation; no one could have known.”

“I wonder where Guanyue and the others are,” Zheng Zhili mused.

Lin Yu, mumbling around a dried green plum Zheng Qingyun had popped into his mouth, replied, “Don’t worry, Guanyue is a fierce fighter.”

Zheng Zhili thought about it—true, even he couldn’t beat Guanyue. He was a bit curious, though; the original plan was to take the carriage back to the ancestral home, but this morning, Zheng Qingyun had suddenly insisted on the river route.

When he asked why, Zheng Qingyun looked at Lin Yu, and Lin Yu recalled the previous night.

Last night, before sleep, Lin Yu and Zheng Qingyun had discussed the next day’s itinerary. As Zheng Qingyun soaked his feet, he suddenly said, “Guanyi, tomorrow morning, rent a boat. Do it quietly.”

Guanyi agreed without asking why; having served the Third Young Master for years, he knew his master’s temperament.

Lin Yu had added: “Have Guanyue take a few skilled men in the carriage and head east. Carry the Red Ying map and make sure to ‘accidentally’ reveal it if they encounter trouble.”

Zheng Qingyun had given him a surprised look, to which Lin Yu simply blinked. “Luring the tiger from the mountain, making a feint to the east while attacking in the west… how was it? Used it well, didn’t I?”

Zheng Qingyun had been charmed into a smile. As they lay in bed, Lin Yu massaged his acupoints. Before they left, Physician Chen had not only given Lin Yu a crash course in medicine but specifically taught him certain points to help Zheng Qingyun feel more comfortable.

“The poisoner won’t give up easily. Since that’s the case, letting them believe we went to Red Ying plays right into their hands,” Zheng Qingyun said, wrapping his cloak tighter. He coughed twice, making the pale-faced Lin Yu scramble toward him. He quickly stopped him: “Stay there, don’t move.”

Lin Yu sat back down.

Zheng Zhili suddenly spoke: “Actually, Father used to be on quite good terms with Lord Suo Lou.”

Lin Yu was shocked. “Really?”

He hadn’t known this in his previous life. All he knew was the bitter, life-and-death rivalry between Suo Lou and Zheng Heng. In that life, Suo Lou was the one who carried out the Emperor’s order to arrest the Zheng family and pronounced their execution.

Zheng Qingyun didn’t know either. “Why do I have no memory of this?”

Zheng Zhili looked north, seemingly lost in memory. “I was very young then; most of what I know I heard from Mother. Suo Lou and Father were fellow disciples; they studied and practiced martial arts together. Because Grandfather was in Suzhou, Father went there, and for some reason, Suo Lou followed.”

“At that time, Father and Mother had just married and had our eldest brother. The Huaijiang Army was led by both Father and Suo Lou. Grandfather died the year I was born. Later, Suo Lou suffered a defeat while fighting Red Ying. Because I was sick, Father had requested leave to return to the capital and wasn’t part of that battle. Father couldn’t say exactly what happened, only that ever since Suo Lou returned from the border, he has been extremely hostile toward him,” Zheng Zhili explained slowly.

Lin Yu’s seasickness vanished, replaced by intense curiosity. “Uncle and that man have such a history?”

It was also the first time Zheng Qingyun had heard this old tale. After a moment of silence, he asked, “Did Suo Lou return immediately after his defeat?”

Zheng Zhili shook his head. “I’m not sure. Maybe after six months or a year? I don’t remember clearly.”

The three fell silent. They couldn’t know what had turned two close friends into enemies who sought each other’s destruction.

Guanyi knocked on the cabin door, bringing in lunch and breaking the silence. It was a simple meal: three dishes and a soup, with three bowls of rice.

“Let’s eat first,” Lin Yu said.

Zheng Qingyun took a bowl but could only manage a few bites. Zheng Zhili, devouring his food, looked at his brother’s nearly full bowl. “Third brother, you’re eating like a cat. No appetite?”

Zheng Qingyun put down his chopsticks. “Not much. I’ll eat more later.”

Zheng Zhili sent Guanyi to find some hawthorn cake to help with digestion, but Zheng Qingyun only took a tiny bite. Lin Yu hadn’t eaten much either, but seeing Zheng Qingyun rubbing his stomach in discomfort, he immediately moved closer to help massage it.

Zheng Zhili, used to the way the two acted as if they were one person, ignored them and went outside to try some fishing.

Lin Yu’s hand moved gently over Zheng Qingyun’s stomach. “Try to eat a bit more. Your body won’t hold up if you don’t.”

Zheng Qingyun shook his head and buried his face in Lin Yu’s chest. After a long while, just as Lin Yu thought he had fallen asleep, he heard faint sobbing.

Startled, Lin Yu pulled back. Zheng Qingyun’s eyes were red, and tears were brimming. Embarrassed at being caught, he quickly wiped them away.

Lin Yu panicked. In two lifetimes, he had never seen Zheng Qingyun cry. Seeing him weep in his arms made Lin Yu’s heart ache. He spoke softly, coaxing: “Qingyun, what is it? Does your stomach hurt that much? Should we find a pier and go ashore?”

Zheng Qingyun choked back a sob, but the tears spilled over like a broken dam. Lin Yu was reminded of their first meeting, where he himself had burst into tears in the other’s arms. He instinctively pulled him close, stroking his hair with one hand and his back with the other. “It’s okay to cry. Tell Brother Xiao Yu what’s wrong… but it’s okay if you don’t want to say anything.”

“Why did this have to happen to our family?” Zheng Qingyun muffled his voice. “Why won’t they just let us go?”

Lin Yu felt a sharp pang of grief. He knew this was Zheng Qingyun’s frustration boiling over—why he had to endure all this, the lack of a healthy body, the inability to take the exams and become an official like other sons of noblemen. Whether his body could even last through the exams was a question.

Lin Yu hugged him tighter. “I’m always by your side. Qingyun, no matter what happens, we will find a way. I will always stay with you.”

Zheng Qingyun whimpered, refusing to cry out loud for fear that Zheng Zhili would hear; he didn’t want to worry his second brother. He thought to himself: For some reason, I can vent all my pain to Lin Yu, yet before others, I must remain the calm and brilliant third son of the Zheng family.

Once he calmed down, Lin Yu poured some tea. “Drink some water. Don’t get dehydrated.”

Zheng Qingyun downed the tea and, feeling exhausted, prepared to rest in the inner cabin. Lin Yu had Guanyi accompany him while Zheng Zhili came in to find Lin Yu.

“I just remembered,” Zheng Zhili said. “After Suo Lou’s defeat back then, he disappeared for about ten days. He was the only one missing.”

Pale smoke drifted from a gilded incense burner, filling the room with fragrance. Consort Zhang reclined on a daybed, flipping through a book and occasionally eating fruit with a silver fork.

“They went toward Red Ying? Good. They chose well,” she remarked nonchalantly.

A maid leaned in and whispered, “Your Ladyship, Lord Suo has sent another letter, suggesting you restrain yourself for a while.”

Consort Zhang sneered. “Who is he to tell me what to do? Restrain myself? Why doesn’t he tell Liang Yi’an to restrain himself! Who in the world knows that the Emperor has another son named Liang Yinan? He is less than two years younger than Liang Yi’an, yet every day he is compared to him. The Empress’s scoldings are just for show; if she really cared, she’d restrain her own son.”

The more she thought, the angrier she became. She hurled the silver fork away. “Don’t bother replying. He wants me to raise a private army for him? In his dreams.”

The maid looked at the silver fork embedded in the screen, not daring to make a sound. The relationship between Her Ladyship and Lord Suo has been strained for a long time; I’d better just get used to it, she told herself.

Consort Zhang retreated to the inner room and pulled out a jade pendant. It was flawless and exquisite, worn smooth from frequent handling. She gripped the jade and sat in silence for a long time.

Zheng Yanzhang was studying at home. With only ten days until the Palace Examination, he was nervous but mostly excited. Guanqi brought him a letter from the Crown Prince. Only then did he realize Liang Yi’an had been sent away on business; no wonder things felt quiet.

The letter was mostly greetings and shared anecdotes, and Zheng Yanzhang read it to relax. But the latter half made his heart skip a beat and his breath catch.

“…A plague has broken out among the people of Zhongqing City. There is no cure. The county magistrate has ordered a lockdown, but many citizens have fled into the night. The disease is spreading rapidly. I have reported this to my Father and requested officials to take charge, but the scope is vast. I fear I may not return in time to celebrate your success as Top Scholar. I congratulate you in advance…”

Changzhou… Qingyun and the others would be passing through Changzhou!

Zheng Yanzhang’s limbs went cold as he broke into a cold sweat.

As night fell, the cabin grew chilly. Zheng Qingyun instinctively rolled into Lin Yu’s arms, the warmth surrounding him. He squinted comfortably.

Lin Yu found it amusing. “You’re really using me as a heater.”

Zheng Qingyun nudged him twice, finding a comfortable position. “Yes, and it’s free of charge.”

Lin Yu patted him. “Nothing in life is truly free.”

Zheng Qingyun was too tired to open his eyes. “So sleepy… Brother Xiao Yu, let’s sleep.”

Lin Yu obediently pulled him closer. Moonlight spilled over the river; it was a peaceful night.