Song Xian captured Ge Kun, and the army Ge Kun brought did not dare to act recklessly anymore. To ensure the safety of the Third Prince, they all put down their weapons.
Only a few people rushed out of the city gates and fled all the way back to Liao land.
Chang Yue carefully recounted all this to Xie Liangchen: "The master wants you not to worry."
Xie Liangchen nodded. Those people were deliberately let go by Song Xian, with the intention of having them go back and report to the Liao people, telling Empress Dowager Xiao that her most beloved grandson is in Song Xian’s hands.
Ge Kun’s life or death now depended on Empress Dowager Xiao’s decision, and this war had reached a resolution.
The Liao people in the North dared not act lightly, and Taiyuan Prefecture was also breached. Even if so wanted to instigate trouble, it would only be minor skirmishes.
Hopefully, the Eight States will stabilize, and the people can live peacefully.
"The rain has stopped."
Xie Liangchen heard the voice of Village Chief Wang and got up to walk outside.
Village Chief Wang said to Xie Liangchen, "While it’s not yet dark, it’s a good ti to go into the mountains and bring the people out."
Xie Liangchen nodded and looked at Chang Yue.
Chang Yue said, "I’ll have soone go with the village chief."
Just as everyone was about to leave, Xie Liangchen vaguely heard soone find Village Chief Wang and say, "Could Miss Xie co over for a mont..."
Village Chief Wang thought of Miss Xie’s pale face, fearing she had exhausted herself in the past days, feeling so hesitation.
"What’s wrong?" Xie Liangchen asked as she approached.
Before Village Chief Wang could speak, the villager Wang Kui, with eyes reddened, spoke, "I saw the rain let up a bit earlier, and fearing we’d have to stay in the mountain tonight, I took my daughter Sanyan to gather firewood. Unexpectedly, I couldn’t keep an eye on her, and Sanyan tumbled down the slope... Her head is all bloody. I wanted to carry her out of the mountain, but she hurts terribly when moved. We dared not move her and didn’t know what to do."
Xie Liangchen was familiar with Wang Kui’s daughter Sanyan. Every ti she visited the village, Hu Zi and Sanyan would surround her.
Xie Liangchen said, "I’ll pack up the dicine kit and go with you."
Xie Shao Yuan was asleep, and Xie Liangchen left soone to look after him, then went into the mountains with Chang Yue and others along with Village Chief Wang.
The rain in the mountains was heavier, and it took the group more than an hour to reach the villagers’ hiding place.
Xie Liangchen went to check Sanyan’s injuries first. Sanyan’s face was full of scratches from branches, her head was injured and bled a lot, and her whole nape swelled up. Her right arm was broken, and her leg had a large bruise. The little girl lay there, lips moving, sotis calling out for her mother, sotis crying out in pain.
Xie Liangchen touched Sanyan’s forehead slightly, feeling it sowhat warm.
"Miss," Sanyan’s mother said tearfully, "How is Sanyan? After her fall, I fed her so water, but she vomited. The village elders say that if she keeps vomiting, then..."
Sanyan’s mother did not continue speaking.
"Why are you saying these things? Isn’t this adding to the chaos?" Wang Kui said, "We don’t know what to do. We should listen to Miss Xie."
Xie Liangchen looked at the surroundings. The cave was damp and cold, certainly not suitable for Sanyan to stay in overnight.
Xie Liangchen said, "I’ll attend to Sanyan’s wounds for now, and you find a wooden board to carry her back to the village."
Hearing Xie Liangchen’s instructions, Sanyan’s mother hastily replied, "We’ll do it right away."
Xie Liangchen gently wrapped Sanyan’s wounds with cloth strips. Sanyan’s eyes twitched with pain, and she finally woke from her stupor. Seeing it was Xie Liangchen, her eyes showed a flash of joy, but it was soon overshadowed by pain.
Xie Liangchen softly comforted her, "It’ll be better soon. Just hold on a bit longer."
When Xie Liangchen finished bandaging the wounds, she noticed that Sanyan was still tightly gripping her coat and wouldn’t let go.
Xie Liangchen leaned down and asked Sanyan, "What’s wrong?"
Sanyan’s lips moved slightly, glancing around but seeing no one else, she hoarsely called out, "Dad... Daddy..."
Sanyan’s eyes were filled with tears.
Dad?
Xie Liangchen asked, "Are you looking for your daddy?"
Sanyan seed to shake her head, but imdiately she closed her eyes, her face full of pain.
"Sanyan, be good. Don’t move for the next couple of days," Xie Liangchen said, "It will gradually get better."
"Miss, we’ve found a wooden board," Wang Kui stepped forward at this mont.
Just then, Sanyan winced in pain.
"What? Does it hurt again?" Wang Kui asked anxiously, "It’s all my fault; if I’d known it would be like this, I wouldn’t have taken you into the mountains to gather firewood."
Trailing behind Wang Kui, Sanyan’s mother began to sob again after hearing this.
"Alright," said Village Chief Wang, "Hurry and carry her down while it’s still light."
Wang Kui and the others imdiately ca forward, placing Sanyan on the wooden board, and everyone helped each other as they moved down the mountain.
The rain in the mountains was not light, and the river rushed forward, churning with mud and stones.
Xie Liangchen looked down at the river water flowing down the mountain path, frowning. She didn’t like water; looking at it always made her uncomfortable.
Her father once said that their family saved Song Xian years ago, so could her fear of water truly stem from that incident?
Village Chief Wang reminded, "Be careful, the path ahead is mostly buried by rocks falling from the mountain."
Chang Yue’s people went ahead to help the villagers clear the path.
Xie Liangchen was about to remind everyone to be cautious when she heard Wang Kui exclaim. Wang Kui stumbled, the wooden board he was holding shifted, and as he tried to steady himself, he pulled the board even further down. The villager from the Wang Family Village on the other side was caught off guard, and the board slipped from their hands, sending Sanyan and the board tumbling down the mountain.
"Chang..."
Before Xie Liangchen could finish calling out, Chang Yue had already leaped forward.
Wang Kui, who had fallen on the ground, seed stupefied, staring blankly at the scene until Chang Yue left Xie Liangchen’s side, at which point he suddenly stood up.
Out of the corner of her eye, Xie Liangchen caught a glint in Wang Kui’s eye, and a thought flashed through her mind, recalling Sanyan’s words and the way Sanyan shivered in "pain."
In that instant, Xie Liangchen suddenly realized sothing, quickly stepping back to dodge as Wang Kui’s knife narrowly grazed her clothes, prompting her to decisively trigger the sleeve arrow on her arm.
As soon as the sleeve arrow activated, there was a rumbling sound above.
"It’s collapsing, it’s collapsing."
"Liangchen, move!"
Shouts rang in Xie Liangchen’s ears, and stones struck her body. Almost instinctively, she dived forward.
When she hit the water, Xie Liangchen dimly felt soone catch her, holding her in their arms.
They were both swept against rocks in the river, then carried downstream by the current.
Fully imrsed in the water, Xie Liangchen was overwheld with panic, feeling the water press into her body, and she began to struggle.
The more she struggled, the harder it beca to breathe, and everything seed to drift away from her.
Her body seed to shrink into a small bundle, weak and powerless, suddenly returning to her childhood, to that year by the sea.
"Ah Chen, don’t look back... understand... quickly... go to the shore..."
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