Chapter Twenty-Five: Lin Miaomiao Has a Fever

Li Yanhe gently patted Lin Miaomiao’s back, soothing her in a soft voice, but it was clear that Lin Miaomiao was lost in a trance, unable to hear him at all.

Lin Miaomiao only felt herself burning up, yet the heat didn’t last—sometimes hot, sometimes cold. In that instant, she understood what was happening to her.

She had no idea how she made it through the night. When she awoke the next day, she realized she had come down with a fever.

Li Yanhe glanced at the now conscious Lin Miaomiao. Though her fever hadn’t fully subsided, at least she hadn’t been addled by the high temperature.

Looking at the stone walls around her, Lin Miaomiao asked Li Yanhe in puzzlement, “Where are we?”

Li Yanhe explained, “This is the place we came to yesterday when we were selling pastries. The old man we met—his surname is Xu—his son left with his wife and children, but Old Xu was determined to stay.”

Lin Miaomiao frowned. Li Yanhe hadn’t finished his explanation, but from his observations, Old Xu must have been quite a figure in his youth.

Old Xu was sharp-eyed and possessed a meticulous mind; he could tell at a glance that Li Yanhe was no ordinary man.

Yet such a character, upon returning to his hometown, found it empty: his descendants had all fled due to the invading Hu tribes.

Li Yanhe guessed the old man was clinging to the hope of returning to his roots, unwilling to leave. Otherwise, given his abilities, his children and grandchildren would surely respect him.

Li Yanhe sighed. Fate is unpredictable, and life is filled with misfortunes. If everything went smoothly, could it still be called life?

Lin Miaomiao lay in bed for another two days, only venturing out when her health improved somewhat, though her recovery was still unstable.

When Lin Miaomiao followed Li Yanhe out of the cellar, she saw Old Xu sitting in the courtyard, sipping tea and basking in the autumn sun.

As Lin Miaomiao emerged, Old Xu addressed her, “So the little girl is awake. What’s your relationship with him?”

Lin Miaomiao smiled and replied, “I’m his child bride.”

Old Xu frowned, then chuckled, “Doesn’t look like it!”

Lin Miaomiao laughed at his words, then looked earnestly at Old Xu. “Sir, people walk through this world with all kinds of identities, and every identity exists for a reason—existence is justified.”

Her childish voice carried her words, and Old Xu was momentarily stunned. Then he laughed warmly, “You’re a clever little girl. I must admit, I pale in comparison...”

He gazed intently at Lin Miaomiao, silently savoring her words: “Indeed, life is filled with all kinds of identities.”

“Every identity exists for its own reasons, so existence is justified.”

Old Xu looked around the courtyard, where black-clad figures now knelt, though it had been empty a moment ago. He raised his eyes to the young man before him.

He spoke slowly, “I am old now and will not return. You must take care of things yourself. I am just an old man here now.”

He looked up at the sky—the sun hung high, but he felt a chill, watching as Lin Miaomiao walked away.

With a self-deprecating smile, he said to the young men behind him, “In the end, we are less open-minded than a little girl.”

One of the young men frowned, and Old Xu continued, “When you take over, always remember: heal the sick and save lives, but never get involved in conflict.”

With a wave of his hand, Old Xu said, “I have nothing more to teach you. Go now.”

The young man looked at his master’s aged face, feeling a pang of sorrow, then bowed three times before leaving.

The old man watched Lin Miaomiao and the young man depart, sighing, “Through fate, I too have found release.”

He murmured to himself, then lay back in his chair, rocking gently and gazing into the distant sky. Is existence truly justified?

Li Yanhe had clearly heard Lin Miaomiao’s words to Old Xu, but he only frowned, glancing at her with worry.

Lin Miaomiao spoke, “Shouldn’t we leave now?”

Li Yanhe nodded, “Yes, it’s time for us to go.”

“Where is our next destination?” Lin Miaomiao looked up at him, her gaze earnest.

Li Yanhe looked down at her. Sunlight streamed over his face, and Lin Miaomiao’s fair cheeks were flawless, her big eyes blinking up at him with a mischievous air. People often say you can see a person’s future in their childhood; beauty lies in the bone, not the skin. At this moment, Lin Miaomiao already showed the makings of a future beauty.

But she was still so young. Li Yanhe shook his head, thinking to himself, “Am I really daydreaming?”

“To Changyan County,” Li Yanhe said softly. “There is a garrison there. I can join them and begin the pilot project you spoke of.”

Lin Miaomiao nodded, “Is it safe there?”

Li Yanhe sighed, “Not really. The place is frequently harassed by barbarians, so the locals have grown accustomed to outwitting them.”

“Conducting experiments there will yield substantial results. If we implement measures in Changyan County, the impact will be clear.”

Lin Miaomiao nodded. Li Yanhe smiled and picked her up. At that moment, the wolf children Lin Langluan and Lin Langze cried out in unison, “Sister, sister...”

Li Yanhe sighed, suddenly finding the two children a bit vexing; he clicked his tongue and cast a casual, unimpressed glance at them.

The two little ones, intimidated by Li Yanhe’s stare, quietly went off to find Anqi. Lin Miaomiao felt a strange sense that Li Yanhe seemed quite formidable at that moment.

Li Yanhe shook his head, amused by Lin Miaomiao’s high spirits, while Anqi watched silently from behind.

He thought to himself, “Even battle-hardened generals retreat before the master’s gaze, let alone these two wolf children.”

Lin Miaomiao, Li Yanhe, and their companions set out once more. With Old Xu’s help, they acquired a carriage, and Anqi took the reins.

Li Yanhe, Lin Miaomiao, Lin Langze, and Lin Langluan rode inside, sometimes with Li Yanhe trading places with Anqi.

Autumn was swiftly passing, and if winter arrived before they reached Changyan County, they would face more than just the threat of Hu tribes.

The northern winter was bitterly cold; even one’s face could freeze on the road, let alone travel under such conditions.

Traveling with three children in a carriage only increased the danger and difficulty, so they needed to reach Changyan County as soon as possible.

Watching the carriage speed along, Lin Miaomiao felt for the first time how troublesome ancient journeys truly were.

Traveling to distant places could take a month or two, with most of the time spent on the road, not to mention the importance of their business.

Third Prince Li Taian looked at the letter on his desk, carelessly burning it, and said to Xiao Gexu, “Second Brother has escaped, but he has three children with him. Where did they come from?”

Li Taian drummed his fingers on the desk as Xiao Gexu replied, “They are likely the children of the family who saved Prince Shengxuan.”

Li Taian’s interest was piqued. He looked at Xiao Gexu, “Tell me in detail.”

Xiao Gexu set down his pen and looked seriously at Li Taian. “Your Highness, when Prince Shengxuan was severely injured, if not for that family’s help, you would not be sitting here today, but would be attending a funeral in the palace.”

Li Taian smiled gently, though no one knew his true thoughts. After a long pause, he said, “Withdraw our men. Make sure no one notices.”

Staring at the handwriting on the desk, he sneered, “I almost forgot, there’s not only the First, Second, and Fourth Princes in the palace, but also the Ninth. I almost overlooked him.”

He gazed long at the candle flame, then blew it out and told Xiao Gexu, “Go rest early.”

Xiao Gexu and Li Taian slept together. The night was quiet, but in the darkness, a group of black-clad figures slipped away unnoticed.

Fourth Prince Li Deren sat in Crown Prince Li Hanwen’s study, where the atmosphere was tense—Li Hanwen had also received intelligence.

Prince Shengxuan’s wounds had healed, and Li Hanwen knew he had missed the best opportunity. Those who needed to be withdrawn should be pulled back.

Li Deren sighed and said to Li Hanwen, “Brother, if we dispose of all these people, it’s a loss for us too. Why should we...”

Before he could finish, Li Hanwen glanced at him and said slowly, “After New Year, you and Ninth Brother should go study in the Six Ministries, yes?”

Li Deren instantly understood why Li Hanwen wanted to withdraw his men—the Seventh and Ninth Princes, Li Yankang and Li Yonghe, were also eyeing the throne.

If they didn’t pull back now and the Seventh or Ninth Princes found evidence, it would be disastrous if Emperor Yongchang learned of it.

And so, the pieces continued to move across the board.