Fuzhu's Ballad

54

Chapter 54 Contradictory

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Although it was still summer, there was already a hint of autumn in the morning air in Tongye. Lan Dan washed her hair and planned to sit on the porch to dry it quickly, but she fell asleep leaning against a pillar. When she was gently awakened by someone, she felt a chill all over her body and shrank her shoulders, worried that she might catch a cold.

“If you’re sleepy, why don’t you go to your room and rest?” Su Yi Ming crouched beside her, his face full of concern. “These past few days you’ve been exhausted, and if you get sick again it’ll only make things harder for Brother Rui.”

Lan Dan smiled and shook her head at him, but then she felt a pain in her neck and had to use her hand to support her shoulder while she tried to relax the tense muscles in her back. Because of the Empress Dowager’s death, Shentu Rui was already upset and his fever had recurred. Although Ge Chun said it was good to release the pent-up emotions, it would still affect the healing of his wounds. She had been taking extra care of him these past few days, sleeping only one or two hours a day. Only yesterday night, when Shentu Rui’s fever finally subsided, did she have the energy to take a quick shower.

“In a little while…” Su Yi Ming smiled strangely and scratched the back of his head like a child. “Lan Cheng wants to come and see Brother Rui.”

Lan Dan glanced at him with displeasure, feeling that he was being unreasonable. She never stopped Lan Cheng from visiting, so why did he need to tell her about it as if she had a small-mindedness? “Are you telling me to avoid her?” she asked grumpily.

Su Yi Ming scratched his head again and explained, “These past few days, Brother Rui has been feverish and confused, and Divine Physician Ge doesn’t allow anyone else to visit. So Lan Cheng couldn’t come either. They have some things…” His eyes darted quickly to Lan Dan’s face, looking a little sly. “That they want to say to each other privately.”

Lan Dan pursed her lips and hummed silently. She knew that whatever Lan Cheng wanted to say, she didn’t want her to hear it. After all, she had once regarded Shentu Rui as her sweetheart. To be fair, if she were Lan Cheng and the man she wanted to marry became her own brother, it would be very embarrassing. She would definitely not want a third person present when they met and talked. It seemed that Lan Cheng and Su Yi Ming had made good progress in these days. General Su even came to be their vanguard and clear the way for her.

Su Yi Ming felt guilty under her gaze and chuckled foolishly, “I heard from Master Ge that we are going to collect herbs today. I will accompany you. Anyway, Brother Rui is getting better and you should go out and relax.”

Lan Dan raised an eyebrow and acted tough, “If you say that, then I won’t go! I want to stay here with Shentu Rui.”

Su Yi Ming helplessly surrendered, “Fine, fine, you go with me, go with me, alright?”

That was more like it. She had learned to take advantage of people like Shentu Rui. Lan Dan smiled, and Su Yi Ming followed suit, jokingly saying, “The city is still chaotic outside, I need Miss Fu Zhu’s protection.”

It had been so long since she had left the General’s mansion, and as soon as they stepped out of the gate, Lan Dan was horrified. The small city, which was originally simple and neat, was burned into a mess, with broken walls and ruins everywhere. The scene was miserable. The civilians in the city had all been sent to Jixian to avoid the war, and the streets were empty, with only groups of patrolling soldiers walking by. Because of the silence, the sound of footsteps and armor echoed in the streets and alleys filled with burnt walls, making it even more desolate. The spreading fire night suddenly came back to Lan Dan’s mind, and she couldn’t help but shiver. She thought of those things, those people… she knew thatFifth Brother had been killed and beheaded that night, and his head was sent to Beimo’s army camp. Beimo’s army lost its reason for attack, and retreated back to the border of Beimo, but there had been no action for so many days.