Chapter 508: IF Route 7: When Will General Dingbei Return?

Ji Qingwu set aside her doubts for the time being and focused on preparing breakfast.

She made thin pancakes from a batter of young elm leaves and millet, rolling them with water shield and shredded bamboo shoots. They were light and savory; this time, they should be to his taste.

But Ji Qingwu waited in the main tent for the entire morning. The pancakes grew cold in their food box, yet Zhao Mingyan never returned.

She went out to ask and only then learned that General Dingbei had left early in the morning.

Civil unrest had broken out in the Northwest. A band of marauders, who had proclaimed themselves kings, were burning, killing, and pillaging. They had already seized two cities, but King Liang, concerned only with his own pleasure, paid no mind to the lives of his people.

General Zhenbei had already gone to provide support. But Daliang was rotten to the core; the official responsible for the border defenses was colluding with the enemy.

Ji Qingwu had seen many refugees on her journey here. She had saved whom she could, which was why her journey had been delayed by several months.

She hoped Zhao Mingyan would return soon. Beyond her personal feelings, she prayed for a swift end to the ravages of war.

Ji Qingwu’s “See you tomorrow” went unfulfilled. They did not see each other, and this parting would last for a very long time.

News from the front lines would occasionally reach the camp, and Ji Qingwu would join the crowds to listen in.

The stories were always of the enemy’s cruelty—how they massacred entire cities, even beheading the defending general and hanging his head from the gates. Ji Qingwu grew more worried with each report.

General Dingbei’s campaign was difficult at first. His forces were insufficient, and he was beset on all sides. In recent days, however, victory reports had been arriving frequently.

Zhao Mingyan had led his troops across the river in a surprise attack, setting fire to the enemy’s encampment and cutting off their path of retreat.

When this news arrived, the soldiers of the Northern Border raised their arms and cheered. Quietly, Ji Qingwu’s eyes grew moist.

On the fifty-third day, General Dingbei still had not returned.

Although Zhao Mingyan was not in the camp, Ji Qingwu could still freely enter and exit his tent. The guards had clearly been given special instructions.

For the past few days, Ji Qingwu had been waking up early every morning to prepare food and wait for him in his tent.

‘What if he comes back today?’ she would think. ‘What if he’s hungry?’

‘If he eats a few bites of the food I’ve prepared, it’s sure to warm him from his stomach to his very heart.’

One day, as Ji Qingwu was carrying a food box toward the main tent, someone called out to her from behind.

“Miss!”

Ji Qingwu turned and saw it was Aunt Zhang. “Is something the matter?”

Aunt Zhang clutched her arm. “Miss, my elbow is hurting. Do you have any medicine that could help?”

“Let’s talk inside my tent.” Ji Qingwu led her into her personal tent.

Aunt Zhang rolled her sleeve up past her elbow, revealing a joint that was visibly red and swollen. Ji Qingwu touched it; it was hot.

After examining her, she said, “It’s a form of arthritis from the cold and damp. Aunt Zhang, you should soak some monkshood and wild ginger in wine. Rub your palms together until they’re warm, then massage the area. That should bring some relief.”

Aunt Zhang glanced around the tent. “Miss, do you have those two herbs here?”

“I’m out of monkshood,” Ji Qingwu said. “I’ll need to have a soldier procure some.”

“Is there a substitute I could use?” Aunt Zhang asked. “It hurts so much I can’t even work. Would notopterygium root work?”

Ji Qingwu nodded. “Of course.” She then opened her medicine chest and took out two herbs.

She pretended not to hear the sound of the food box being opened behind her. She even paused deliberately, taking her time packing the herbs.

Ji Qingwu handed her the two packets of medicine. “Here you are, Aunt Zhang. You can get the wine from Aunt Bai in the kitchen.”

“Thank you so much, Miss,” said Aunt Zhang.

But Ji Qingwu smiled and caught her hand. “Aunt Zhang, Aunt Bai’s throat has been bothering her for a while. I suspect she’s been poisoned. What do you think?”

Aunt Zhang’s expression didn’t falter. “How would I know about that? You must be joking, Miss.”

Ji Qingwu continued, “There’s nothing wrong with the medicine Aunt Bai has been taking. The problem is with the water she drinks every night after she returns to her quarters. Am I right?”

“You have knowledge of medicine, Aunt Zhang. You know which herbs have similar properties, so it wouldn’t be difficult for you to know which ones react badly with each other.”

Aunt Zhang flung her hand away. “You have no proof! You’re wrongly accusing me based on nothing but speculation. I never thought you were this kind of person.”

Ji Qingwu looked at her. “I should be the one saying that to you.”

Outside the tent, an urgent, rousing horn call sounded.

Ji Qingwu startled. She didn’t know what the horn meant, but Aunt Zhang did. She rushed out of the tent and began to shout at the top of her lungs.

“Help! Someone, come quickly! This Doctor Ji has poisoned the food she prepared for the General!”

The patrolling soldiers immediately surrounded them.

Ji Qingwu stepped out of the tent and said calmly, “She’s the one who did it. It has nothing to do with me.”

Aunt Zhang yelled, “Oh, really! Now that I’ve caught you, you’re trying to slander me? I’ve been in this camp for over a decade. Why would I frame you? Why not someone else?”

Ji Qingwu asked, puzzled, “I didn’t know the General was returning today. What would be the point of poisoning the food?”

“Because you’re a spy!” Aunt Zhang shrieked. “Your origins are a mystery!”

The woman’s answer resolved Ji Qingwu’s own question. She let out a long, drawn-out “ohhh.”

“So *you’re* the spy.” ‘That explains everything,’ she thought.

Aunt Zhang yelled, “Arrest her! What are you all standing around for!”

A soldier barred her path with his blade. “Quiet your shouting!” he said fiercely.

They had received instructions from Eunuch Li to take special care of Doctor Ji. Regardless of whether she was a spy, they were to wait for the General’s return to decide the matter.

Ji Qingwu gazed toward the camp entrance. “Your General is about to return.” As she said this, she couldn’t help but try to step forward, but the soldiers blocked her again.

She could only wait by the flap of the tent.

The main army must have gone to the training grounds to regroup upon their return to camp. Almost an hour later, a figure was finally seen heading toward the main tent.

Ji Qingwu watched the tall figure approach, and her heart began to beat faster.

She longed to see him, yet she feared it might not be him.

Then she worried that she hadn’t taken care with her appearance today. She hadn’t put on any rouge or powder—’Will I look pale and unwell?’

A thousand thoughts swirled in Ji Qingwu’s mind.

But when she got a clear look at the man in armor, she froze.

The newcomer looked at the soldiers with their drawn blades, his long, narrow eyes squinting. “What is all this?” he asked.

“Reporting to the General, these two may be spies sent by the enemy.”

Ji Qingwu studied him. ‘This must be the other general of the Northern Border. The one she’d almost caused trouble for before, General Zhenbei?’

He had such a gentle smile. If she didn’t know his rank, she might have mistaken him for a wise, unassuming military advisor.

Perhaps Ji Qingwu’s stare was too obvious. Wei Ting looked at her and chuckled. “Sending a spy with such delicate skin? Are they planning on using a honey trap?”

Ji Qingwu decided to retract her assessment of him. He was more like a dissolute playboy. She turned her head away.

The soldier asked, “General, what are your orders?”

Wei Ting smiled. “Let’s wait for General Dingbei to return and deal with it. I’m just going to the Great General’s tent to retrieve a scroll.”

He added smugly, “That was a satisfying battle. We’ve wiped out both the traitors within and the enemy without. The Great General and I even made a bet on who would get back to camp first. Looks like I won.”

The moment he finished speaking, Ji Qingwu’s eyes flew wide open.

Because Aunt Zhang, who was standing beside her, suddenly sprang into action. A dozen poisoned needles shot out from somewhere within her sleeve.

Most of them flew toward Wei Ting.

Two more flew straight at her face.

Ji Qingwu desperately arched backward to dodge, her body bending until it was nearly parallel with the ground.

In a flash.

Another arrow sliced through the air, carrying an icy chill, and struck Aunt Zhang squarely between the eyes.