...
The day rushed by.
Because the news ca suddenly, everyone hastily prepared their belongings. Lu Tong returned to the dical Officer Institute at dusk, and the next morning he set off with the Institute’s accompanying convoy.
By daybreak the next morning, when Lu Tong got up, Lin Danqing was already sitting at the doorway enjoying porridge.
"The plain porridge from the dical Officer Institute, who knows when I can taste it again," she said, extending a bowl toward Lu Tong, "try so."
Lu Tong took it from her.
Lin Danqing was also going to Su Nan.
Lu Tong was quite surprised to hear that Lin Danqing was on the list of dical officers, not knowing how she had persuaded her father.
"What’s so hard to persuade about?" Lin Danqing said indifferently, "I volunteered for the task, telling him that going to Su Nan is a great opportunity to make a mark. To climb the ranks through the Official Examiner one step at a ti, who knows how long it would take to beco an Imperial Physician, let alone an Envoy. But going to Su Nan to fight the epidemic is different; once the epidemic relief is over and we return to the Imperial City, the rewards would allow us to skip three levels of the Official Examiner."
"One seeks fortune through risks; moreover, he’s not the one taking the risks. After he heard it, he feigned concern for a while and agreed quite readily!"
Lu Tong asked, "What about your aunt?"
"’Shooting Stars’ poison has been cured, and my aunt no longer needs anyone to take care of her. Besides, with my excellent dical skills, she too wants to go out and prove myself," Lin Danqing replied.
She made it sound easy, but Lu Tong knew the process must have been anything but. However, since Lin Danqing wasn’t keen on elaborating, she didn’t pry further.
After finishing their porridge, they got up to leave, and Chang Jin was already waiting for them at the door.
For this mission to Su Nan, most of the dical officers had previous experience in epidemic relief. Among the newly appointed Imperial dical Officers, only Lin Danqing and Lu Tong were part of the mission. Besides them, Ji Xun was also there.
"I heard he also actively requested to be added to the epidemic relief roster; the dical Officer Institute takes this very seriously," Lin Danqing whispered to her, "And rightly so, his dical skills are outstanding; perhaps he even has better ideas than those older dical officers. With him accompanying us this ti, the epidemic relief will surely be more secure."
Lu Tong nodded.
After Chang Jin verified the nas on the roster, he led the dical officers to the convoy. Besides them, there were so people from the Imperial Apothecary. Lu Tong saw Shi Changpu among them and he greeted her.
The autumn morning was crisp with dew yet to dry. On either side of the city gates was overgrown, withered grass. A flock of southbound geese flew overhead; amidst the distant call of the geese, the convoy wheels rumbled on.
"Wait—"
A familiar voice suddenly called out, and Lu Tong, sitting inside the carriage, was moved and lifted the curtain.
Soone was running up behind the carriage.
It was Yin Zheng, Ah Cheng, and Du Changqing, with Miao Liangfang lagging behind, energetically making his way with the help of a crutch.
The carriage ca to a halt. Chang Jin spoke a few words with the guards escorting them and signaled Lu Tong to alight. Lu Tong stepped down from the carriage, and the group stood panting before her.
"We almost didn’t make it," Du Changqing said, thrusting a big bundle into Lu Tong’s hands, "Eat sparingly."
The hefty package was filled with food.
Miao Liangfang produced a thick envelope from his bosom: "With such a rush yesterday, you had to go back to the dical Officer Institute, and last night I thought of a few more prescriptions, so I hurriedly wrote them down. Take them with you, just in case they are needed in Su Nan."
Dark circles under his eyes betrayed his groggy and visibly exhausted appearance, evidently after a night of arduous work.
Lu Tong accepted the prescriptions and asked, "Aren’t families forbidden to see us off at the dical Officer Institute? How did you co?"
To avoid problems, the convoy left early in the morning, keeping families from visiting. Nevertheless, these people had followed them.
Yin Zheng said, "We initially planned to just try our luck at the city gate; if they didn’t allow us to speak, so be it. Fortunately, we encountered Little Lord Pei on official business, and after explaining to him, we were allowed to proceed."
Pei Yunng?
Lu Tong was startled.
Ah Cheng pointed toward the distance with a smile, "He is still there; isn’t that him?"
Following his gesture, Lu Tong looked in the direction pointed out.
In the deep autumn season, the golden breeze gently blew over the mottled brown brick walls. Atop the city wall, a figure in scarlet stood out strikingly against the morning sunlight.
As the sun illuminated the young man’s handso and sharp features, he stood above while she was below. Where their gazes t, it was like a play of smoke and light, silently stirring.
Without a word, he simply watched her with undisturbed tranquility.
Behind her, Chang Jin’s urging broke the silence. Lu Tong retracted her gaze, clutching the package and the letter, and bid a hasty farewell to her friends. She hurried back onto the carriage.
After the carriage had traveled a distance, Lu Tong thought for a mont, lifted the carriage curtain, and looked back.
The high tower was far behind, and under the golden sun that shone upon the city wall’s bricks, that scarlet figure had disappeared.
He had already left.
...
Below the city tower, the air was fresh, and the wilderness vast.
Xiao Zhufeng asked the person beside him, "What’s the point of letting them send her off one more ti?"
Going to West Street in the early morning just to bring soone to say goodbye felt quite pointless.
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