Chapter 385: Chapter 373 Leaving
Zhang Lingzheng has arrived, but he cannot guarantee absolute success. Fengyu fears that Zhang Lingzheng might fail to save her.
Nuanyang said in a solemn tone, "Master said that whatever he could do, you can do as well! His unfulfilled wishes, you will fulfill on his behalf. He hopes you can survive!"
"Nuanyang, there are some things I cannot replace him in doing," Fengyu said sorrowfully. "If the Second Young Master knows that I am Fengyu, not Xie Xun, he will surely be heartbroken. He harbors vengeance and hatred that will not let him rest even in the afterlife. Nuanyang, I beg you, give me the Soul Suppressing Pearl!"
"I’m sorry!"
Fengyu threatened, "Fine, since your master is gone, then I’ll accompany him anyway."
Zhang Lingzheng was rescuing lives, and Fengyu, now inhabiting Xie Xun’s body, could not linger in the tent. Officials sent by the court had arrived, and she needed to take Xie Xun’s place to handle those petty matters.
"Your Highness, you may proceed with your duties. Rest assured," Zhang Lingzheng seemed to understand what was on her mind as he inserted needles into an acupoint on Fengyu’s arm. Her chaotic and anxious emotions softened, and she bowed in salute. "I entrust myself to Doctor Zhang."
Zhang Lingzheng raised his eyebrows, a bit surprised. This Miss Feng San was indeed someone dear to his heart. He had never seen Xie Xun exhibit such grace and manners with such humility.
Fengyu took one last deep look at the tent and then turned to leave the quarantine area.
After changing into clean clothes, the soldiers stationed nearby had already reported to her. Both Zhang Lingzheng and Zhang Boju had come, one bringing medicine and the other sending food. Zhang Boju, now stationed at the State Mansion, was conversing with Li Yong. Fengyu’s heart sank slightly, and after a brief moment of thought, she instructed the soldiers, "Seal off all exits—do not let anyone out of the city to avoid Zhang Boju sending messages to the Capital."
"Understood!"
Zhang Boju and Zhang Lingzheng had brought medicine and food to Yangzhou. When Xie Xun was still within the tent, Li Yong had sent people out of the city to negotiate. The plague in Yangzhou City was severe, and it was agreed that those entering the city could only leave once the situation had stabilized. Zhang Boju and Zhang Lingzheng agreed to the terms. However, without notifying Xie Xun, Li Yong acted first and informed later, allowing people to enter the city.
Li Yong, being a opportunist, knew well that he had committed a grave error and could not escape unscathed. In an effort to save himself, he actively cooperated with Xie Xun to manage the epidemic in Yangzhou. It was a case of "better late than never." He had also made up his mind—if Yangzhou proved to be inescapable from the plague, Xie Xun surely wouldn’t choose to be buried here with the populace. He would flee alongside Xie Xun.
Whether by exploiting old ties or invoking Consort Xie’s name, his hope was to head to Ningzhou to evade the court’s wrath.
Now, with Imperial Physicians involved and members of the Cabinet arriving, Li Yong was emboldened. He reported Xie Xun and Fengyu’s activities in the city to Zhang Boju in great detail.
Li Yong claimed all the credit for suppressing the riots in Yangzhou.
Having served in the Cabinet for years and overseeing the evaluation of officials, Zhang Boju knew exactly what kind of person Li Yong was and what his record looked like. He did not expose Li Yong’s lies; he was merely astonished at Xie Xun’s presence in Yangzhou. Moreover, Xie Xun had assumed responsibility for the city’s safety. Over the past weeks, resources from the Twelve States had been continuously transported here—grain, medicine—keeping Yangzhou afloat until the court officials and Imperial Physicians arrived. If not for Xie Xun’s coordinated efforts, the allocation of supplies would have collapsed, and over half of Yangzhou’s populace would have succumbed to disease and starvation.
Citizens dying of famine in Yangzhou? That would be the greatest insult to Yanyang.
"Young Marquis... truly worthy of being a descendant of the Xie family from Marquis Zhenbei Mansion," Zhang Boju mused darkly as he sat at the main seat in silence for a long while. The Cabinet had been embroiled in fierce arguments with the Ministry of Revenue over disaster relief. Lin Helin, in order to gather food supplies, summoned family heads, pleading tirelessly with them, exhausting his very heart and mind. They bore the pressure, scraping together provisions and medicine, rushing to Jiangnan overnight. They had believed Yangzhou was reduced to utter chaos, thinking they could save anyone still salvageable.
Who could have expected... Yangzhou was better off than they had imagined.
The court had cut off trade routes for the Twelve States and their agricultural products. Who could have predicted that the Twelve States would turn around and support Jiangnan instead? That winter, while struggling themselves to survive, they extended a generous helping hand.
"Sir, Yangzhou’s situation is relatively stable for now, and Xie Xun is presently in the city. What does Sir intend to do?" Li Yong said obsequiously while pouring tea.
Zhang Boju, the direct grandson of Grandmaster Zhang and future head of the Zhang Family, realized this was a probe into the clan’s attitude toward Xie Xun. If the clan revealed an intent to arrest or kill Xie Xun for the sake of earning merits, then Li Yong would inform Xie Xun, urging him to flee Yangzhou immediately.
Li Yong was an opportunist through and through. By redeeming himself, he believed he could still evade disaster. He didn’t want to relocate to Ningzhou, nor did he wish for Xie Xun’s demise.
"I’ve only just arrived and am not yet well-acquainted with the situation in Yangzhou. As for Xie Xun’s case, I’ll need to consult with the Cabinet," Zhang Boju replied, deflecting with vague diplomacy without stating anything concrete.
Li Yong, craftiness incarnate, had a mind full of schemes.
Yangzhou was a thousand miles from the Capital and closest to Jiangnan’s military barracks. If Xie Xun were to be arrested, it would be easy to request assistance from Jiangnan’s barracks. Currently, Xie Xun held widespread acclaim within Yangzhou City; he had earned the love of both the citizens and the defending garrison. Without external reinforcements, attempting to capture Xie Xun might not necessarily succeed. The soldiers stationed here may not genuinely obey orders, and the common folk might help him escape.
"Sir, the Prince has returned!" someone reported from the gates of the State Mansion.
Zhang Boju’s expression shifted slightly. He pondered for a moment and then rose to greet him. Truth be told, he did not have close relations with Xie Xun. Due to Fang Chuning, he was rather more familiar with Xie Jue instead.
Fengyu strode swiftly, walking against the light until Zhang Boju could make out her tall and imposing figure. When her face became clear, Zhang Boju silently remarked on how strikingly similar the three Xie brothers looked—each with stately and elegant features befitting their distinguished ancestry.
"Young Marquis, how have you been?" Zhang Boju greeted in the manner of addressing Xie Xun as prior nobility from Marquis Zhenbei Mansion. He deliberately refrained from addressing him as the Prince, as that would mean acknowledging that the clans tacitly recognized Xie Xun’s sovereignty.
"Mr. Zhang must have experienced great weariness from the journey. It’s truly commendable," Fengyu replied indifferently.
"It pales in comparison to the Young Marquis’s exhaustive efforts here in Yangzhou—quelling riots, distributing food and medicine, restoring stability. The citizens of Yangzhou have narrowly escaped calamity, all thanks to the Young Marquis’s benevolence and noble character. On behalf of the citizens of Yangzhou, I extend my gratitude to the Young Marquis," Zhang Boju said with elegant diplomacy.
Fengyu inwardly noted the skillful artistry in his remarks.
Yangzhou was Yanyang’s Yangzhou, not the Twelve States’ Yangzhou.
Whatever she and Xie Xun did for Yangzhou could, at best, only be described as acts of benevolence and righteousness.
Zhang Boju’s expression of gratitude on behalf of Yangzhou’s citizens was delivered from the stance of ownership, thanking them for their gracious assistance. It also conveyed the court’s attitude: This is our Yangzhou.
It’s time for you to leave!