Anxious Heart (Part 2)
Before the main army had even set out, Wei An was already eager to join the expedition, but Wei Jue said he was too young and never agreed. He went to plead with Wei Tan, but Wei Tan also refused.
It was Cheng Mao who delivered the letter. He returned to Yongdu with the task of overseeing the supply of provisions. He reported to Guo Furen, stating that the Wei army has advanced southward, crossed the river, and is currently at Qiling. Wei Jue's forces are in high spirits, facing the armies of Liang and Wu across the river. Perhaps the sight of craftsmen working tirelessly day and night to build ships reminded Wei Jue of his son, Wei An, who had a strong interest in machinery. He instructed Cheng Mao to bring Wei An along on his return journey.
In addition to that, he also wanted to bring one more person—me.
The reason is quite simple: Wei Tan fell ill. Many of the soldiers come from the northern regions, and they often struggle with the different climate and environment in the south, leading to frequent outbreaks of illnesses like dysentery. Wei Tan was no exception. By the time Cheng Mao left Qiling, Wei Tan was already bedridden, recovering from his illness. It's unclear if Wei Jue was genuinely concerned about his son's health or if he wanted to ease the tension between them, but he remarked that men are not as attentive as women and instructed Cheng Mao to take me to Qiling to take care of Wei Tan.
I was quite surprised to hear this news. Wei Tan has always been robust, and since I married him, I haven't even heard him sneeze, let alone fall ill. Now, to see him bedridden, it's clear that the situation must be quite severe.
Guo Furen inquired about Wei Tan's condition in detail, and she didn't seem too supportive of my journey to Qiling. She mentioned that Qiling is quite far from the capital, involving marching and warfare, and it's not fitting for a woman like me to go there. However, since it's Wei Jue's decision after all, Guo Furen didn't dwell on the matter any further. She instructed her servants to prepare the necessary supplies for me and Wei An on the journey.
I'm genuinely worried about Wei Tan, so as soon as I received the orders, I started to prepare. Besides gathering my personal belongings, I also sent Ah Yuan to Yannian Hall to inquire about any effective medicine and prescriptions for dealing with health issues related to the unfamiliar environment. Luckily, Yannian Hall's stock hadn't been fully cleared out yet, and when Ah Yuan returned, he brought back a large bundle of medicinal herbs.
Although the reason for going to Qiling isn't a good one, when Zhou Shi, Zhu Shi, and Mao Shi found out, they all came, showing jealousy and handed me a few bundles, containing gifts for the cousins. Guo Furen also made a gesture, preparing similar things as I did for Wei Tan—recipes, medicinal herbs, and some newly tailored lightweight clothing, a few pieces of which were meant for Wei Zhao.
On the day of departure, as Wei An and I bid farewell to Guo Furen in the hall, when she was sending me off, Liang Hui seemed hesitant to speak. She secretly slipped a letter into my possession, asking me to deliver it to Wei Zhao.
"Zhangsao, take care all the way," she seemed a bit embarrassed, bidding me farewell with a hint of shyness.
I smiled, expressing my gratitude with a bow, and then I settled into the carriage. As the servants lowered the carriage curtain, I caught a glimpse of Xu Ji standing by the gate, holding Wei Zhi in her arms.
*****
Approaching the Eighth Month, the weather was unpredictable, with alternating days of sunshine and rain. During the clear days, the scorching sun was relentless, and when the rain came, it poured heavily, making travel by carriage quite difficult.
As I gazed at the ever-changing sky, I couldn't help but grow more concerned for Wei Tan. How was his illness progressing? The southern climate is more humid and hot compared to the north; would his condition worsen? Before long, I suddenly felt like I might be needlessly worrying. Wei Tan is a tough and robust man after all…
Wei An still carried his tools with him, and whenever he had some free time on the journey, he'd take out a pile of wood and start hammering away. I took a look, and the shapes he was crafting looked like boats.
"When we reach Qiling, Si Shu will surely see many boats, and who knows, Jiushi might even ask you to build a real boat," I said to him with a smile.
Wei An scratched his head and suddenly said, "The boats I build are different from theirs."
"Oh?" I exclaimed, "What makes them different?"
Wei An gave the side of the boat a little push, to my surprise, a section of the wooden board in the middle was actually fitted together, and it could be detached.
"Why did you make it like this?" I asked, surprised.
Wei An patiently picked up a piece of wood and demonstrated, "When we dock on the shore, we can use these wooden boards to connect, so there's no need to struggle climbing over the side of the boat to board."
I was even more intrigued and asked, "Why wouldn't one need to climb over the side of the boat?"
A slightly embarrassed expression crossed Wei An's face, and he lowered his head without saying a word.
"Is Si Gongzi hoping to have the grain carts pushed directly onto the boat?" Cheng Mao chimed in with a smile from the side.
Wei An glanced at him, then packed up his tools and walked back to the carriage.
*****
With the two sides facing off across the river, tensions were high, and the clouds of war hung heavily. The common people had endured years of turmoil and had become experienced at such times. Along the way, I observed many families moving from cities to rural areas. Despite the government's strong efforts to ensure safety and the checkpoints they set up, there were still a significant number of travelers on the road.
When we were five days away from Qiling, we stopped to rest at a place with a post station. Suddenly, Ah Yuan tugged at my sleeve and pointed to a spot, saying, "Furen, isn't that Gongyang Gongzi?"
I was surprised and followed her gaze, but all I could see were unfamiliar faces coming and going.
"Where?" I asked.
Ah Yuan looked around for a moment, then chuckled, "I thought I saw someone from behind who resembled him, but I might have been mistaken."
If Gongyang Gui's family received the news, they wouldn't just ignore it. By now, he should have been stopped and sent back to the capital. I pondered this and glanced around for a while, eventually calming my heart.
*****
Qiling was the hometown of the founding Emperor of our dynasty, and historically, it has been a crucial military location. Capturing this place holds significant significance. After establishing a firm foothold, Wei Jue used Qiling as a base, constructing a water fortress along the river. The ships brought from the north, along with the newly built vessels working tirelessly day and night after arriving in the south, formed a formation stretching for thirty miles along the river.
These were all things Cheng Mao told me, and I didn't go to the river to witness the impressive fleet; instead, I headed directly to the rear army.
As the carriage passed through the gate, there was a cacophony of noises, with soldiers bustling around everywhere. Under the scorching sun, some were practicing, while others were hurrying about, and the air was filled with a dusty, brownish haze.
The arrival of the curtain-drawn carriage drew the attention of many, and Cheng Mao led the way, receiving respectful gestures from numerous soldiers as they saluted him.
The weather was scorching, and many people were only wearing lightweight pants, their bare upper bodies glistening with sweat under the sun. Ah Yuan and I exchanged glances, feeling somewhat embarrassed by the scene.
After the carriage finally came to a halt, I descended while wearing my veil. Cheng Mao greeted me with a bow and led me towards a large tent.
My steps were hurried, and as I looked at the open tent flap, the darkness inside felt unknown, making my heart race with uncertainty.
Guarding the entrance was Wang Hui, and upon seeing me, he quickly bowed in respect.
"How is Da Gongzi ?" I hurriedly asked.
Wang Hui glanced at me, his expression slightly hesitant.
"Da Gongzi has just gone to sleep," he replied.
I nodded, then proceeded cautiously, stepping inside.
A faint medicinal scent wafted into my nostrils as I looked inside, and the first thing my eyes fell upon was the figure lying on the bed. The lighting was subdued, and Wei Tan was lying on the bed, wearing just a single-layered garment, with nothing else covering him.
Even in his sickbed, he looked so rugged. I couldn't help but furrow my brow. No wonder Wei Jue had summoned me here.
I removed my veil, placed it on the table, and approached Wei Tan. As I got closer, I noticed he was lying on his back, his eyes tightly shut, seemingly asleep. I lowered my head slightly, carefully examining his complexion. It was hard to tell if it was the dim lighting or his naturally dark complexion, but I could only catch a hint of a somewhat pale shade from his lips.
Something didn't quite feel right, but as I looked at his deeply sleeping face, a sense of pity welled up within me.
Such a robust person, he seemed impervious to anything. In the past, even if he was woken up in the middle of the night due to an emergency, he would immediately spring to his feet, full of energy.
Such a person is now plagued by illness.
I sat down by the bed, my clothes rustling, the soft sound echoing distinctly in the quiet tent.
Wei Tan remained completely oblivious, not moving a muscle.
I stared at the tranquil curve of his lips, and a strange thought popped into my mind—he…. is not dead, right?
The idea startled me, and I looked at his chest. After a moment, I confirmed the subtle rise and fall beneath his pristine silk robe. Unable to resist, I reached out to verify, but as my hand made contact with his chest, there was a sudden "puff," and Wei Tan burst into laughter.
I jumped in surprise.
Before me, Wei Tan was laughing uncontrollably, showing no trace of illness!
"You..." I was dumbfounded, about to stand up, but Wei Tan grabbed my hand and held me firmly in front of him.
"When Furen entered the tent, I was silently counting in my heart, trying to predict when Furen would speak. Unexpectedly, I only got to two hundred and five, Furen already extended your hand," Wei Tan's dark eyes gleamed, and he whispered, "Teached Weifu how to wait well."