Chapter 78. Savages

Savages

The sound of whistling wind and the rapid galloping of horse carriages filled the ears. Tears blurred everything, leaving only the distorted firelight and shadows.
"Furen, Da Gongzi will return safely," Ah Yuan consoled from the side, pulling me into the carriage and fastening the curtains.
I lay on the bedding, eyes open, surrounded by nothing but the clamor outside and the disheartening darkness.
The carriage raced along, and after two hours, the escorting general, Song Ke, came to report that dawn was approaching. The horses and soldiers had been on the move throughout the night and needed to rest.
I didn't want to speak or go outside. I had Ah Yuan inform Song Ke on my behalf that he should make decisions.
The carriage came to a stop, and I could hear the sounds of soldiers moving outside. Occasionally, there were hushed conversations, followed by reprimands to keep quiet.
Leaving Qiling overnight, everyone knew this was an escape. The atmosphere was somewhat oppressive, even the birdsong in the trees carried an eerie tone. People were cautious, as if afraid of disturbing something.
"Furen," Ah Yuan got off the carriage and came back after a while, whispering to me, "Si Shu is just like Furen, he doesn't eat."
Only then did I remember that among these people, there was also this Wei An. After a moment of thought, I got up from the bedding.
"Is my hair messy? Are my eyes swollen?" I asked Ah Yuan.
Ah Yuan looked at me and smiled, "I'll fetch a damp cloth for Furen to wipe face." After saying that, she got off the carriage.
She dampened a handkerchief with stream water, came back, and wiped my face with it. She also applied it on my eyes for a while. When she thought it was okay, I got off the carriage.
Seeing me, Song Ke and the soldiers outside all showed surprise and saluted one after another. I nodded to them, asked some words about their journey and provisions, exchanged pleasantries, then headed towards Wei An's carriage.
Wei An was sitting in the carriage, carving away at a piece of wood, fashioning it into a boat. When he saw me, he seemed somewhat surprised and saluted.
"Si Sh uhasn't eaten yet?" I asked.
Wei An's expression remained unchanged, "Zhangsao hasn't eaten either."
"That works out well then. Qie will have a meal together with Si Shu," I said without waiting for his response, and had Ah Yuan bring over the coarse food and water.
Wei An hesitated for a moment, glanced at me, then set aside the work in his hands. He got off the carriage and joined me on a rock, picking up a piece of coarse food and eating it slowly.
"Is Si Shu still working on the boat?" After finishing the meal, I glanced at the unfinished piece of wood.
"En," Wei An chewed on the coarse food and said, "I want to test how to find an iron chain that's both secure and easy to unlock."
I smiled faintly. It's a good idea, but it seems too late now.
"Si Shu," my heart felt heavy, and I spoke slowly, "If... I say if, the water fortress is set on fire, what will happen to those boats?"
Wei An pondered for a moment, "It's not easy to untie each boat individually. Last night there was wind, and before they could be untied, some of the boats were already set ablaze."
In other words, the vast water fortress became useless even before the battle began.
Wei Tan's rear army would be the last camp (for defense).
I felt a chill in my palms and fell silent, not saying a word.
"Don't worry, Zhangsao." After a quiet moment, Wei An looked at me with clear eyes, "Once I create larger boats that can be easily dismantled, in the next battle, the water fortress won't burn."
I paused for a moment, finding it funny yet unable to laugh. Thinking of the figure from last night, a sense of bitterness welled up in my heart.
"If so, then, Si Shu, do your best," I said, getting up and walking back to my own carriage.
The group pressed on, leaving Qiling far behind. The mountains, wetlands, and vegetation were separated from the southern lands by a river, but the scenery was quite distinct from that of the north.
No one had the mood to stop and enjoy the scenery. We continued until afternoon when Song Ke came to me and said that about ten li ahead is the boundary of Xin'an. There's a city named Wancheng, which is the county seat of Wanyuan county, where can stay there overnight.
Being unfamiliar with these matters, I asked Song Ke to handle the arrangements.
As the sun slanted in the sky, indeed, a city came into view. Everyone was pleased and hastened their steps towards it. But upon reaching the city, they found the city gate tightly shut.
Song Ke called out from below the city walls, and soon, a person's head appeared atop the walls.
"Who comes?"
"I am Song Ke, a deputy general under the Prime Minister's command! Open the gate at once!" Song Ke said.
The person responded, "Oh, oh! So it's Song Jiangjun! Wait a moment, wait a moment. We've heard rumors of recent battles ahead, and Xianzhang forbids opening the gates easily. Xiaoren had to inquire first!" As he spoke, there was a dull thud, and the city gate slowly swung open.
However, Song Ke stopped everyone from entering.
"What's wrong?" Ah Yuan asked in confusion, leaning over from the carriage window. After a moment, we saw Song Ke shout loudly, "Turn around! Go back!" Everyone was startled, and the drivers quickly turned the horses around. Ah Yuan and I were jolted and thrown onto the bedding due to the abrupt movement.
As I sat up again, I heard the sound of battle cries approaching. Song Ke shouted, "Protect Zhuren!" Before his words even faded, the clash of weapons was already ringing in the air.
The dust kicked up by the vehicles filled the air, making it hard to see the scene of the fighting. However, the carriage sped away, and soon the sounds of the conflict were left behind. After a bumpy ride lasting nearly a quarter of an hour, suddenly, there was a "thud." The carriage jolted violently, and the drivers yelled "whoa!" The jarring impact left my bones aching, and it took a while before the carriage came to a halt.
Still shaken, I was about to inquire about what had happened when the driver, panting heavily, said, "Furen! The carriage can't go any further! One of the horses pulling the carriage has collapsed from exhaustion!"
With unexpected events unfolding one after another, my heart was in turmoil. Ignoring Ah Yuan's attempts to stop me, I got off the carriage to see for myself.
Surrounded by the quiet countryside and woods, there was no one in sight. In front of the carriage, one of the two horses that had been pulling it was still standing, breathing heavily, while the other lay lifeless on the ground. The driver was in the process of untangling the reins from the dead horse, sighing as he did so, "Since leaving Qiling last night, it hasn't rested more than a few times. We were hoping to reach a town by night, but… ai…"
Just then, the sound of urgent hoofbeats drew near. My heart raced, and I was about to urge them to hide, but the driver said, "No need to hide! It's Si GongZi's carriage!"
I looked and indeed, the carriage was speeding towards us, but it was Wei An who sat in the driver's seat.
"Whoa!" Wei An, not very skilled at driving, overshot by several zhang before managing to bring the carriage to a halt.
"Si Shu!" I rushed forward, inspecting him closely. "Is Si Shu alright?"
Wei An put down the reins and hopped down from the carriage, shaking his head. "I'm fine."
"Ah! Finally stopped!" I was about to speak again, but unexpectedly, the carriage curtain was lifted, and Wei Jiao emerged with a pale face, saying, "Mou was scared to death!"
I looked at them in surprise.
Wei Jiao dusted off the dirt from his clothes and chuckled, "Don't be alarmed, Shao Furen. Mou's horse was hit by an arrow, but thankfully Si Gongzi pulled me onto the carriage, and then the driver on the carriage got hit too, so Si Gongzi took the reins." He finished by bowing slightly, "Is Shao Furen unharmed?"
Me: "..."
"One wonders how those soldiers are doing?" Ah Yuan asked.
Wei Jiao shook his head, "The forces in that city are the enemy's. Song Ke Jiangjun fought a deadly battle to cover our escape. It's probably treacherous and dangerous for him back there."
Everyone fell silent.
I looked at the damaged carriage and sighed, "What should we do now?"
Wei Jiao pondered for a moment and said, "Mou used to practice medicine around this area. If Shao Furen is willing, Mou might have a solution."
I said, "Please, Wei Bian Que, go ahead."
Wei Jiao explained, "In this county, well-to-do families typically have carriages. During times of major battles, it's common for families to migrate. Among the four of us, we have three horses. We could abandon the damaged carriage, use two horses to pull a makeshift cart, and ride the third horse. It would look no different from travelers."
I looked at him and then at the group and the carriage.
Being away from home, both Wei An and I were dressed inconspicuously, and the carriage was quite ordinary as well. What was meant to avoid attention then now proved to be fitting.
"Who will ride the cart, and who will ride the horse?" Wei An asked.
Wei Jiao replied, "Considering Shao Furen's health, Shao Furen and Ah Yuan should still ride the cart. Gongzi and the driver will lead the way with the horses, while Mou will ride the horse."
Ah Yuan looked at him skeptically, "Bian Que.. isn't planning to run away, right?"
Wei Jiao glared at her, annoyed, "Is Mou m such an untrustworthy person?! Just go to any rural area and see, which grown man here doesn't know how to ride a horse! Mou has followed Da Gongzi, One is his retainer, whether in life or death..."
"Enough," I interjected, "let's not delay, and make the preparations quickly according to Wei Bian Que's plan."
Everyone acknowledged and began to get ready.
The compartment of my carriage was damaged. We emptied its contents and transferred them to Wei An's carriage. To avoid leaving traces, we pushed the damaged carriage into a nearby gully. The rest unfolded as Wei Jiao had suggested: I and Ah Yuan were inside the cart, the driver and Wei An were outside, and Wei Jiao rode a horse.
To appear more like villagers, under Wei Jiao's guidance, I tied a piece of cloth around my head, while Ah Yuan styled Wei An's hair into the most rustic fashion possible.
Once everything was arranged, Wei Jiao took a look and nodded in approval before we set off.
The sky was turning dark, and the unexpected events had left everyone tired and silent.
Throughout the journey, we couldn't find any homes to stay in, so we had to camp by the roadside. Wei Jiao, the driver, and Wei An went to gather firewood, while Ah Yuan and I stayed at the campsite, dividing the coarse food.
As night fell, the campfire was lit, casting a warm glow that diluted the darkness.
Ah Yuan and I were breaking the coarse food into small pieces and eating. Wei An had finished eating early and was working on his wooden boat.
Across the campfire, Wei Jiao and the driver were engaged in a lively conversation.
"Mou heard the soldiers calling you 'Huang Shu' earlier?," Wei Jiao said.
The driver chuckled, "They're just kids shouting nonsense, One doesn't deserve such a title."
"Why not? Back in my hometown, the older folks were all called 'Shu'," Wei Jiao chewed on the coarse food and continued, "From the way Shu talks, sound like you're from Hengzhou."
"Exactly, I am from Hengzhou."
"Oh, I see. That makes us kind of fellow villagers then. Maizhou and Hengzhou are just next to each other..."
The two of them chatted and laughed, while our side seemed quieter.
I couldn't help but think of Wei Tan. It had been nearly a day since we left Qiling, and I had no idea how the battle was progressing. Throughout the journey, this concern weighed heavily on my mind, leaving me restless whether I was sitting or lying down. Wancheng was a crucial stop on the way back to Yongzhou from Qiling. If Wancheng fell, the situation would become even more perilous than before.
Wei Tan... Whenever I thought of him, it felt like something was tugging at my heart. But here I was, in the middle of nowhere, with nothing to do but feel helpless and anxious.
Suddenly, Ah Yuan gave me a strong tug, "Madam..."
I looked at her, noticing her tense expression as she stared ahead.
I followed her gaze and saw two figures emerging from the shadows ahead. They were burly men, dressed roughly, with disheveled hair, and their knives gleamed in their hands.
Wei Jiao and Uncle Huang also spotted them, their expressions changing as they stood up from the ground.
"Who are you?" Wei Jiao asked nervously.
One of them glanced at him, then looked at me and Ah Yuan, revealing a lecherous smile. He spat on the back of his knife and wiped it with his sleeve, "We're locals from nearby villages. This forest is part of my territory, and we've come to collect some money and goods from you."