The cold wind howled fiercely, rattling the windows with loud bangs. Yun Qing, crouching beside the bed, was awakened by these sounds.
The first thing Yun Qing did was reach out to touch Yuxi's forehead—everything was normal. Only then did he speak to Mama Qu, who was also waiting in the room. "What time is it now?"
Mama Qu and Zijin had taken turns keeping watch. When Mama Qu heard Yun Qing's question, she paused momentarily before replying, "It's already choushi1." After saying this, she added, "General, don't worry. Madam will wake up soon."
Yun Qing responded with a simple 'Mm' before saying, "I'll keep watch here. You should get some rest. Come back in two shichen2."
Mama Qu actually wished Yun Qing to rest instead. Even a body made of iron couldn't go without sleep for days. But she didn't dare to persuade him, and even if she did, it likely wouldn't work. "Alright." At this moment, no one had a strong enough heart to sleep soundly. She simply closed her eyes for a moment to regain some energy.
Now, only the husband and wife remained in the room. Yun Qing gazed at Yuxi, who was sleeping soundly. Even now, he vividly remembered the moment she closed her eyes—his mind had gone completely blank, and he had even forgotten to breathe. It was the first time he had felt fear since he fled the capital at the age of ten. He was afraid of losing Yuxi. He dared not even imagine what he would do if she were gone. Holding Yuxi's hand, he pressed it to his face and whispered, "Yuxi, please wake up when you've had enough sleep."
Zijin hadn't slept either. She hadn't dared close her eyes since the incident, afraid that if she did, she would wake up to terrible news. No one had blamed her for what had happened—not even her master had scolded her. But she knew she had failed in her duty. She shouldn't have taken action against the assassin then; her priority should have been protecting Madam's safety. She had thought she could subdue this woman, never imagining that the Second Master's interference would lead to such an unexpected turn of events. Her failure had led to Madam's current unconscious state and left the Second Young Miss so weak. It was all her fault—she deserved to die a thousand times over. Making a mistake once could be forgiven, but making it twice was unforgivable.
Outside the door, Yu Zhi heard Zijin's quiet sobs. Turning away, he entered Master Yang's room and said, "Master, we can't let Zijin go on like this." Seeing her like this pained him.
Master Yang didn't even lift his eyelids as he replied, "You feel sorry for her already? Let me tell you—right now, that Han girl is still unconscious, and Yun Qing has no time to settle accounts. But once she's fine, Yun Qing will definitely end Zijin's life." Considering how ruthless Yun Qing was, this time, Zijin wouldn't just suffer a little—he might actually take her life.
Yu Zhi knew full well that Zijin was in grave danger. Last time, when Madam was injured, Yun Qing had nearly beaten her to death. This time, not only was Madam hurt, but even Second Young Miss had almost lost her life as well. How could Yun Qing possibly spare Zijin? "I told her to leave Yu City with me, but she refused." Because he knew Yun Qing's methods, Yu Zhi wanted to take Zijin away from Yu City, but she refused to leave no matter what, saying that it would be better to be beaten to death by Yun Qing than take a single step out of the Yun Residence.
Master Yang tapped his tobacco pipe and said, "If you leave now, people might think you have colluded with the assassins to harm Han girl. You would be a corpse before you could even make it out of Yu City." Yu City was Yun Qing's domain—trying to escape under his watchful eyes would only lead to a quicker death.
Yu Zhi asked, "Then what should we do?"
Master Yang replied, "As long as Han girl is safe, Zijin's life shouldn't be in danger. But she must pay the price for her mistake." Especially since Zijin's actions had caused the Han girl to give birth prematurely, causing her child to suffer as well.
Yu Zhi asked, "What kind of price?"
Master Yang said, "I don't know—that's up to Yun Qing to decide. But one thing is certain: Zijin can't stay by the Han girl's side anymore." Which was for the best. With Zijin's temperament, she was never truly suited to be a personal bodyguard.
Seeing how exhausted his disciple looked, Master Yang advised, "Go get some rest! You need to regain your strength—there's still a tough battle ahead." This time, he would have to risk his own reputation to protect Zijin. However, if he really wanted Yun Qing to raise his hand3, even he might have to pay a price. Therefore, people said that having disciples was like being in debt4!
Yu Zhi, however, couldn't sleep.
Yun Qing stayed by Yuxi's side until dawn. He lifted his head and glanced outside before softly saying, "Yuxi, the sun is up. Why are you still sleeping?"
Mama Qu came in with a bowl of hot chicken mushroom congee📹. She looked at Yun Qing and said, "General, please eat something." For the past two days, Mama Qu had been persuading Yun Qing to eat.
Yun Qing had no appetite, but he still had to eat something even if he didn't want to. However, just as he was about to take the bowl, he suddenly felt Yuxi's hand move. At that moment, he forgot all about the congee. He called out softly, "Yuxi, Yuxi…"
Yuxi opened her eyes and saw Yun Qing, who was unshaven and looking utterly dishevelled. Still groggy, she asked, "He Rui, what happened to you?" If she didn't know better, she would think he was a bandit.
Mama Qu wiped away her tears and said, "Madam, you're finally awake." If she had slept any longer, the General might have gone mad.
Yuxi's eyes fell on the bowl of congee in Mama Qu's hands. Its rich aroma had jolted her awake. "Congee..." She was starving—her stomach growled in protest.
Mama Qu said, "Madam, you haven't eaten for two days. Drink some water to cleanse your stomach before eating the congee."
Hearing this, Yun Qing quickly stood up and poured a cup of water from the table. The water was warm, just right for Yuxi to drink.
After putting down the chicken mushroom congee, Mama Qu hurried out to get more food for Yuxi.
Yuxi drank half a cup of water before lying down again. When she noticed that her stomach felt flat, she turned her head but didn't see the baby nearby. She grabbed Yun Qing's hand and asked anxiously, "He Rui, where is the baby? Where is my child?" The baby had to be safe—nothing could happen to it.
Seeing the colour drain from Yuxi's face, Yun Qing gently patted her hand and replied softly, "The baby is with Mama Lan. Don't worry. Once you've eaten something, I'll have her bring the baby over for you to see."
But Yuxi couldn't wait. "I want to see the baby right now. Have Mama Lan bring the baby to me right away." The baby had been born at just over seven months—would it even survive? The thought sent a sharp pain through her heart. This incident was all her fault. If she hadn't let her guard down when meeting Han Jianye and sent Hong Qi and Hong Dou away, none of this would have happened.
Yun Qing reassured her, "There's no need to rush. Mama Lan will bring the baby soon. You've been unconscious for two days and nights—eat something first." He was worried that Yuxi would be too upset to eat if she saw the baby in her fragile state.
Yuxi stared at Yun Qing and asked tremblingly, "Is the baby not doing well?"
Yun Qing didn't hide the truth from her. "The baby was born prematurely and is a bit weak, but Mama Lan says that with careful care, the baby can survive." There was no point in keeping it from her—she would see the baby soon anyway.
Just then, Mama Qu came in carrying a bowl of bird's nest congee.
Yun Qing took the bowl of bird's nest congee and instructed Mama Qu, "Have Mama Lan bring the baby over. Madam wants to see the child."
Mama Qu glanced at Yuxi and assured her, "Madam, don't worry. I'll have Mama Lan bring the baby right away."
Yun Qing scooped up a spoonful of congee and urged Yuxi, "You haven't eaten for two days. Eat something first." The baby was already in that fragile state—worrying wouldn't change anything.
Yuxi knew her priorities—if she didn't look after herself, no one would be left to care for the child. So she cooperated and ate the congee in large mouthfuls.
Just as she finished the bowl, a faint sound came from outside. The timing was perfect. At the sound of approaching footsteps, Yuxi glanced anxiously at the door.
Mama Lan entered the room, took off the outer cloak that protected the baby from the cold, and finally brought the child in front of Yuxi for her to see.
The baby was the size of a newborn kitten, wrinkled, with a sallow complexion and sparse hair. Tears welled up in Yuxi's eyes the moment she saw her child.
Yun Qing had expected this reaction. He gently said, "Don't cry. You mustn't cry during your confinement—it'll leave lasting health issues." When he saw the baby for the first time, his own heart ached so much that he almost cried. He knew it was even harder for Yuxi.
Mama Lan quickly reassured her, "Madam, don't worry. The Second Young Miss is weak because she was born prematurely, but give her a few months, and she'll be as strong and healthy as the Eldest Young Miss." She was trying to comfort Yuxi, but in reality, given the baby's condition, no amount of care could make her as robust as Zaozao.
Yuxi hastily wiped away her tears and told Mama Lan, "I'll have to trouble you with taking care of the child." In her current state, she was in no condition to care for the baby herself. She had no choice but to entrust the child entirely to Mama Lan. Fortunately, she knew Mama Lan was experienced and dependable, which gave her some peace of mind.
Yun Qing said, "Uncle Huo has already given the baby a nickname—Liuzhi." He had no objection to the name Huo Changqing had chosen for their youngest daughter.
"Liuzhi..." Yuxi repeated the name softly.
Yun Qing nodded and explained, "There's an old saying: 'If you deliberately plant flowers, they may not bloom; but if you unintentionally plant willows, they may grow into a shade'. Willows can take root and survive wherever they are planted. Uncle Huo hopes our child will have the resilience of a willow branch and grow up strong and healthy."
Yuxi nodded gently. The name had a good meaning and suited her daughter's fragile condition. However, she found 'Liuzhi' a little unpleasant to the ear. After thinking momentarily, she suggested, "Let's call her Liu-er instead. As for her formal name, we can decide on that together later." A nickname could be plain, but if her given name was just as unrefined, their daughter might think they didn't value her. After all, Zaozao's nickname wasn't particularly elegant, but her given name, Yun Lan, was quite beautiful.
Yun Qing smiled and nodded. "Alright, Liu-erit is." Whether it was Liu Zhi or Liu-er, as long as Yuxi was well, the child's name didn't matter much to him.
Yuxi had originally wanted to ask Mama Lan about the baby's condition, but her energy was limited. After talking for a while, she felt exhausted again and wanted to sleep. Seeing this, Yun Qing said, "Rest if you're tired. I'm here—you don't have to worry about anything."
Yuxi mumbled an acknowledgement and said, "You've worked hard." Ever since she had collapsed, everything had fallen on Yun Qing's shoulders. A feeling of guilt surged through her.
Yun Qing gently stroked her face and said, "What nonsense. Just rest." As a man, it was his duty to protect his family. But he hadn't done a good job—he had failed to protect Yuxi and their child, and they had both suffered so much as a result. In the end, it was his own incompetence.
Once Yuxi was asleep, Yun Qing instructed Mama Qu, "Go and call Physician Bai." Only after the physician had examined her could he genuinely feel at ease.
Footnotes Full List
- 1:00 am to 3:00 am
- 2 hours. 2 shichen means 4 hours.
- fig. show mercy
- This implies that disciples are a 'debt' because they often cause trouble or burden to their teachers. This could be due to their lack of experience, mistakes, or tendency to rely on the teacher for help.
きつね's Musing
I do feel sorry for Zijin, but this is the second time Yuxi has been injured on her watch. If it was anyone else, they would have been fired by now. 😮💨
And I thought I was the only one who found the name Liuzhi was a bit unsuitable for a girl? It reminds me of Yu Zhi, Zijin's husband. 😅
Tags:
The Rebirth of Han Yuxi