The night of the full moon, Yang Ruoning and Han Danchun rode to Firefly Valley. Han Danchun was unusually quiet all the way, as if he already knew what was about to happen. When he left, he only asked Yang Ruoning where she was going that night before following her.
"You already know, don't you?" Yang Ruoning asked Han Danchun.
"Mmm, it seems you do too," Han Danchun replied somewhat carelessly. httpδ:/m.kuAisugg.nět
"Who told you?" she asked.
"Shaman Granny."
"What did Shaman Granny say?"
"She said there might be bloodshed tonight."
"What do you think will happen when we go back tomorrow?" Yang Ruoning asked again.
"...I don't know."
"You'd better be prepared, Han Danchun. If Aqi dies, you'll be the Khan."
"If I become king, will you be my queen?"
"Heh, you can still joke at a time like this, good. That's a great mindset," Yang Ruoning said, patting him encouragingly.
"I'm serious," Han Danchun turned to look at her. Yang Ruoning saw sincerity in his sparkling eyes.
"Why? Because I'm... different?"
"Yes, if you were here, life probably wouldn't be so boring."
"Ha, thank you for the high praise, though I don't think so myself. However, the reason I said I had to go back to Bianliang is that I have important things to do."
"Oh?"
"My family is there, and I have to go back to find him."
"Oh..." Han Danchun responded and then was silent for a while. Suddenly, he asked again, "If it's possible, can I go back with you?"
Yang Ruoning thought for a moment, "Okay, a vacation before taking office. I think that's reasonable."
With that, they both fell silent again, each lost in their own thoughts. Suddenly, Han Danchun asked again, "Do you think I can do it?"
"I don't know, but I know you have many people helping you, and you are a good person."
"Does being a good person guarantee being a good emperor?"
"Not necessarily, but a bad person is definitely not a good emperor."
"I want to be a good king..."
"That's a goal worth striving for."
When Yang Ruoning and Han Danchun quietly returned the next morning, they found the entire tribe starting a new day as usual. Some were carrying baskets in small groups to gather grass, some were fetching water, and some were driving cattle and sheep to the distant grasslands, showing no sign of any abnormality that had occurred the previous night.
Did they not come? Yang Ruoning and Han Danchun were full of questions. As they led their horses through the woods, they saw people pulling several carts of bodies towards the mass grave at the end of the forest.
After asking around, they learned that a small group had attacked the encampment last night, attempting to rescue the prisoners. Fortunately, they were few in number and weak, and were quickly annihilated.
"What about those prisoners?" Yang Ruoning asked.
The person pointed to the layers of bodies stacked on the flatbed carts, "They are all here," he said.
Yang Ruoning lowered her head, that sense of powerlessness began to spread silently within her again, and soon, her heart became heavy. She tilted her head back and sighed deeply.
"Let's go," she said to Han Danchun. "Good things come to those who wait, especially something as monumental as becoming king."
Han Danchun rolled his eyes, "Don't forget you promised to take me to Bianliang, no matter what."
*************
The minor disturbance last night happened on the other side of the tribe, closer to King Aqi's tent. She saw scorch marks and damaged tents as she passed, while her side and Han Danchun's remained unchanged.
After settling Blake, Yang Ruoning went to find Shaman Granny.
In Shaman Granny's tent, maids bustled about, busier than usual.
Shaman Granny was not there. Yang Ruoning saw a familiar maid and went to ask her.
The maid was extremely busy. As she scooped some gray powdery substance into an exquisite jade box, she said to Yang Ruoning in broken Chinese, "Not here, not here."
"Granny, where did she go? When will she be back?"
"Ah ah..." The maid pointed to her stomach, as if to tell Yang Ruoning that someone was injured.
"Oh, so Granny went to heal someone?" she asked.
The maid nodded.
"Oh, I see, I'll come back later then," Yang Ruoning replied, preparing to leave.
"Ah ah, send..." The maid called out again. She put the jade box into Yang Ruoning's hand and gestured for a long time. Only then did Yang Ruoning realize that the maid wanted her to deliver this item to Shaman Granny now.
Yang Ruoning nodded, "Where should I send it?"
"Khan... Aqi..."
Yang Ruoning suddenly understood, "The Khan is injured?"
The maid nodded.
So, King Aqi was injured. Could it be...? Did those people use the knife she gave them to wound King Aqi? Thinking of this, her heart began to race with excitement.
"How did he get injured?" Yang Ruoning asked.
The maid shook her head, indicating she didn't know.
Before turning to leave, Yang Ruoning suddenly asked her, "What is this powder in the box?"
The maid pointed to the area where the fire was burning beneath the stove.
Yang Ruoning frowned and shook her head, indicating her confusion. The maid walked over, squatted down, and scooped out some ash from the stove, then pointed to the powder.
Are you serious? Yang Ruoning's eyes widened in surprise. You mean I'm supposed to take that ash to King Aqi to treat his wound? What is this... Yes, is this saving him or harming him?
The veins on her temples began to throb.
She quickly bid farewell to the maid and, carrying the ash, walked towards Aqi's tent.
*******************
King Aqi's tent.
After Yang Ruoning handed the small box of ash to Shaman Granny, she retreated to a corner.
King Aqi was bare-chested, with a wound about ten centimeters long on the right side of his abdomen. The surface of the wound had been cleaned. From this distance, it was unclear how deep it was, but it didn't seem serious, as King Aqi was holding a wine pot in one hand and embracing a beautiful singer with the other, in high spirits.
Yang Ruoning watched as Shaman Granny took the small medicine box, scooped some powder with a small spoon, and sprinkled it evenly on the exposed wound. Then she grabbed some crushed herbs and applied them thickly. Finally, she wrapped it with a white cloth.
"Khan, who exactly is that distinguished guest from the south?" the singer actually spoke Chinese.
"Ha, guess? His name is also renowned on the grasslands."
"On the grasslands, I only know one person whose name is renowned, and that is Luo Yuan, General Luo."
"Precisely. General Luo will visit the day after tomorrow, and I will host a banquet. You must perform well and not disgrace this king."
"I will certainly bring out my best skills and present a dance to General Luo."
Hearing that name, Yang Ruoning froze in place. The person she thought she would never see again in this life had suddenly appeared.
He's coming the day after tomorrow? Why is he coming? Yang Ruoning fell into a reverie until Shaman Granny nudged her, and she finally came back to her senses and followed the shaman out of the tent.
"Is this your plan?" Shaman Granny asked.
Yang Ruoning looked at her, not understanding.
"Those people stabbed Aqi with a rusted knife," Shaman Granny said. "Someone saw a Han female slave delivering food to those prisoners."
"So, they think I gave them the knife?"
"You should be thankful you gave them a knife with a blunted edge. Otherwise, you would already be lying in that mass grave."
"Is Aqi's wound... deep?"
"Is that important?"
"Yes."
"The wound is not shallow, but it doesn't seem serious," Shaman Granny paused and stared at her, asking, "So, did the plan succeed?"
"I don't know. The rest is up to the will of the gods." Yes, now it's a matter of waiting for those magical bacteria to work.
"Granny, when will you change the dressing next time?"
"Tomorrow morning."
"Can I help deliver the medicine?" she shouted after Shaman Granny's retreating figure.
"The will of the gods, how dare this old woman defy it?"