When Yun Qing met with Zhao Feng again, he asked directly, "Have you made your decision?"
Seeing that Zhao Feng did not respond, Yun Qing continued, "I am willing to give you time to think, not because I fear the trouble of killing you. I'm giving you this opportunity because you are someone I respect."
Zhao Feng had guarded the border city for over twenty years, earning countless military merits and handling affairs fairly. He also showed Yun Qing a lot of kindness in the past. Yun Qing was not a genuinely cold-blooded or emotionless person.
Zhao Feng did not answer the question directly but instead asked, "If I refuse, what will you do to my Zhao family?" By 'Zhao family', he was referring to the entire clan.
Yun Qing responded with a single word: "Death..."
One was either an ally or an enemy—there was no third option.
Zhao Feng smiled bitterly. Was there anything left for him to consider? Yu Qing had left him with no choice. If he agreed, his family and clan might survive. If he refused, the Zhao family would be wiped out. Zhao Feng did not think Yun Qing was joking—killing was as natural to Yun Qing as eating. He sighed, "I'm old now and can no longer fight on the battlefield. This is a good opportunity to retire and spend my remaining years peacefully." Given his frequent interactions with the Imperial Court, Yun Qing would never again entrust him with any important responsibilities. It was better to resign voluntarily rather than wait for Yun Qing to dismiss him.
Satisfied with Zhao Feng's practical point of view, Yun Qing said, "You will stay in Yu City. I plan to have Tianlei guard the city. He is young, and if anything unexpected happens, you can assist him." Unless Yun Qing suffered a defeat at the front lines, Zhao Feng would not act rashly as long as Yun Qing took Zhao Zhuo and Zhao Hao away with him.
Zhao Feng was somewhat surprised but still nodded in agreement.
Shortly after Zhao Feng left Yun Qing's residence, Xu Daniu called out from outside the door, "General, Mama Qu sent word that Madam has woken up."
Upon hearing this, Yun Qing immediately put down the map in his hands and strode out of the room. "She's really awake?" He had thought Yuxi would sleep until evening, but to his surprise, she had woken up so soon.
Xu Daniu nodded. "Yes, she's awake..." Before he could finish speaking, Yun Qing had already taken large strides towards the inner courtyard.
As he watched Yun Qing's departing figure, Xu Daniu muttered to himself, "It's a good thing Madam is all right." If anything had happened to her, the General would have gone mad, and blood would have flowed like a river.
As Yun Qing entered the inner courtyard, the maids and older servant women stopped to salute him and called out, "General." After he passed, they lowered their heads and continued with their duties.
Inside the room, Mama Qu was feeding Yuxi a bowl of red date porridge🔗. Yu Qing walked over and said to Mama Qu, "Let me do it." With that, he took the bowl from her hands.
Seeing this scene, Yuxi weakly said, "You should go about your duties. Ma a Qu can take care of me." Her voice was so faint that one had to listen carefully to hear her.
Yun Qing fed her a spoonful of porridge and said, "This won't take long."
Noticing that Yuxi was about to speak again, Yun Qing added, "No talking while eating or sleeping. Fi ish the porridge first."
Yuxi hadn't expected Yun Qing to use her own words against her. She smiled helplessly and said nothing more, obediently finishing the bowl of porridge.
Yun Qing placed the bowl on a small table next to the bed and carefully laid Yuxi back down. In a gentle voice, he asked, "Are you feeling better now?"
Yuxi gave a slight nod, "Much better." In reality, she was in severe pain—not only was there a burning pain beneath her left shoulder, but her lower body ached terribly. However, she didn't voice her discomfort, not wanting Yun Qing to worry.
Still, Yun Qing could see through her pretence. He brushed aside the dishevelled strands of hair on her forehead and said, "I've already sent for Physician Bai to find a way to relieve your pain." Watching Yuxi suffer like this pained him deeply. If it were possible, he wished he could endure the suffering in her place.
Yuxi didn't mind. Although she didn't like taking medicine, she wasn't someone who avoided medical treatment out of stubbornness. She softly asked, "What about Zaozao? How has she been these past few days?" She had heard about Liu-er's condition from Mama Qu earlier—since the child had been eating and sleeping well, she was relieved.
Yun Qing smiled and said, "Uncle Huo has been taking care of her for the past two days, and she's been very well-behaved. But she keeps calling for you. I'll have someone bring her over to see you later." He chose not to tell Yuxi that Zaozao had been crying for her mother nonstop for the first two days—she didn't need to worry about that right now.
Yuxi smiled weakly. "That's good."
Holding Yuxi's unnaturally pale hand, Yun Qing told her softly, "Yuxi, I plan to lead the troops out in three days. I won't be able to stay by your side then." If he had a choice, he wouldn't leave her and the children, but the opportunity for war was fleeting—no matter how reluctant he was, he had to go.
Fortunately, Yuxi had strong mental strength. Despite the shock of hearing such news in her current fragile state, she quickly regained her composure. Otherwise, considering how weak she was, it would have been surprising if she hadn't passed out from the stress. Truly, Yun Qing was not the most considerate husband.
Yuxi took a deep breath and asked, "How can you go to war in the middle of winter?" She knew the assassination attempt on her must have provoked Yun Qing, but she hadn't expected him to be so affected that he would immediately rush into battle. The freezing nights alone could be deadly. Even if the soldiers were strong enough to endure sleeping in the wilderness, what about food? It wasn't just a handful of people—it was tens of thousands!
Yun Qing briefly explained his reasons for the campaign and the preparations he had made. He knew Yuxi was still weak and shouldn't exert herself thinking too much, but he also understood her—if he didn't tell her anything, she would let her imagination run wild. After finishing his explanation, Yun Qing reassured her, "Everything has been planned out. Don't worry. When spring comes, I'll come back to get you and the children." If this campaign was successful, they would probably have to move.
In truth, Yuxi didn't want him to leave. In her current state, she needed her husband by her side. Even though Yun Qing wasn't the most attentive caregiver, just having him there would put her mind at ease. However, she also understood that his concerns were valid. If they marched now, they could minimise unnecessary casualties and increase their chances of success. She said, "He Rui, you must take care of yourself. Whatever happens, don't let anything happen to you. If anything happens to you, I won't live alone either." If they lived, they would live together; if they died, they would die together.
Yun Qing's heart clenched. He stroked her forehead and whispered, "Don't say such foolish things. Our family will be fine. Things will only get better." He didn't even realise how soft his expression had become.
Yuxi smiled faintly and said, "All right, I'll wait for you to come and get me and the children. Don't worry about me—I'll recover as soon as I can." As long as she was alive, there was hope.
She was still incredibly weak, and after talking for a while, she began to feel exhausted. Not wanting to delay Yun Qing's work, she prepared to feign sleep.
Just then, a series of firm, rhythmic footsteps sounded outside.
Moments later, Huo Changqing entered the room, carrying Zaozao in his arms. Seeing Yuxi's pale face, he gave her a small nod.
As soon as Zaozao saw Yuxi, she reached out her hands, wanting to be held. When Yuxi didn't respond, she called out loudly, "Mom, hug, hug…" Her voice was as loud as ever, making Yuxi feel dizzy. The sheer volume was truly overwhelming.
Yun Qing immediately noticed Yuxi's discomfort and didn't even need to think to know the reason. He said to Zaozao, "Don't make trouble for your Mom. She's not feeling well."
But Yuxi couldn't bear to turn her daughter away. In a soft voice, she said, "Put her beside me. The child must have been scared, too."
Worried that Zaozao wouldn't know her own strength, Yun Qing simply sat on the edge of the bed with her in his arms. Although she was not yet two years old, she was quite strong. In Yuxi's condition, even the slightest bump from her would be painful.
Yuxi reached out and gently touched Zaozao's face, speaking softly, "Why have you lost so much weight?" In just three days, the child had become noticeably thinner.
Zaozao clutched Yuxi's hand against her face, looking extremely aggrieved as she said, "Mom, Mom… Dad bad…" In her world, anyone who didn't do as she wished was a bad person.
Yuxi couldn't help but laugh, "Dad's not bad; he's just afraid of scaring you. Be good, Zaozao. Mom isn't feeling well these days and can't play with you. When Mom gets better, Mom will play with you and your meimei1."
For the past two days, Old Woman Yu had frequently mentioned Liu-er to Zaozao and had even taken her to see the baby twice. So at the mention of 'meimei1', Zaozao reacted immediately and repeated, "Meimei1..."
Yuxi hummed softly and said, "Yes, meimei1. From now on, you..." But before she could finish, the discomfort overwhelmed her.
Seeing how exhausted she was, Yun Qing said with concern, "Rest well, don't push yourself." If he had known she would tire so quickly, he wouldn't have talked to her so much.
Yuxi wasn't one to push herself beyond her limits, and right now, she truly couldn't hold on any longer. She gave a slight nod and said to Zaozao, "Zaozao, Mom is sleepy and needs to rest. Be good and listen to your Dad and Grandpa, okay?" Her voice was so weak that it was barely audible.
But Zaozao understood clearly. She nodded, "Mom, sleep..." Her sentences were short, but her pronunciation was clear and her meaning unmistakable.
Huo Changqing looked at Zaozao with a slight surprise. But at that moment, she had already nestled obediently in Yun Qing's arms, quietly watching as Yuxi closed her eyes.
Back in the front courtyard, Huo Changqing turned to Yun Qing and asked, "I've already heard from Xu Wu about your wife's condition. What are your plans?"
Yun Qing didn't quite understand what he meant.
Huo Changqing clarified, "Your wife won't be able to conceive for the next five years, and right now, you only have Zaozao and Liu-er. Have you thought about... other options?" By 'other options', he was referring to whether Yun Qing had considered taking a concubine or a second wife.
Yun Qing immediately understood but shook his head. "Having Zaozao and Liu-er is enough. Besides, it's not like Yuxi won't be able to have more children—she just needs to wait five years." If Yuxi ended up having only daughters in the future, he would simply have Zaozao's husband marry into their family. But he didn't say that last part out loud.😮💨
Huo Changqing said, "Yun Qing, it's not wrong to want a son, but you need to discuss it properly with your wife. Don't end up like Fu Tianlei—ruining your marriage over the issue of an heir."
Yun Qing shook his head. "Uncle Huo, don't worry. I won't make such a foolish mistake." The Yun family had suffered a tragic fate, and he himself had experienced too many life-and-death situations. That's why he didn't place much importance on passing on the family line. If it happened naturally, that was fine; if not, he wouldn't force it.
Huo Changqing nodded, "As long as you understand." He hadn't brought up the matter today to urge Yun Qing to take a concubine but rather to remind him. He didn't want Yun Qing and Yuxi to grow apart over the issue of heirs—it would be a loss far greater than any gain. His concern wasn't unfounded; there had been too many examples in the past of families being torn apart over such matters.
Footnotes Full List
- 妹妹 mèimei = younger sister
- If Yun Qing had told Uncle Huo about this, there wouldn't have been any future misunderstanding between Yuxi and Uncle Huo.
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The Rebirth of Han Yuxi