A Western Doctor’s Happy Farming Life[1] 157

Song Qinghan looked at him curiously. He intended to ask him about his relationship with the Emperor, but after thinking for a while, he decided to forget it.

In fact, that was definitely a clear answer out there even if Song Qinghan didn’t bother to ask. He who could be able to have such a close conversation with the Emperor and get the responsive response would not be an official that ordinary. He would have been informed by Luo Haiyun already if Luo Haiyun would love to confess, yet since he didn’t intend to, then Song Qinghan’d better shut his mouth.

He cleared his throat and calmly asked, “Which is more important for you, money or life?”

Luo Haiyun answered without hesitation, “Of course the life!”

“Well,” Song Qinghan sounded while nodding, “So as long as we can make them believe that only by ruining their money-earning source will they be rescued, we will definitely persuade them.”

“But they don’t believe us!”

Luo Haiyun responded subconsciously as something flashed across his mind. He continued to say thoughtfully, “But they do believe Old Shi…”

When they were persuading the villagers, they occasionally heard that the villagers mentioned if they got enough money they would get Old Shi here rather than these two unreliable ones.

Seeing that Luo Haiyun had already reacted, Song Qinghan didn’t say anything more. What bothered him the most now was about the matter of marriage escort team which he should negotiate with Wu Dahu when he back home.

Logically speaking, Wu Dahu had already officially been assigned, so they had to move out from their current house. But since Wu Dahu hadn’t officially taken office, they had to stand by.

However, whether they should go for the marriage escort team or not, they now had to commence arranging the matter of relocating. If they had to escort in the end, they could rend a small house temporarily which was able to accommodate all their packages. If they got no chance to go escort, then they should take times to make a careful investigation and decide to buy a bigger house, probably a mansion.

After dinner, Song Qinghan informed the words Luo Haiyun said today to Wu Dahu, and at the same time he confessed about the matter of marriage escorting.

Wu Dahu did not reject it immediately nor did he agree right away.

Though he hadn’t officially taken office himself, he still got bunch of news from various banquets about the real situation about the place where the minority nationalities stayed. He knew deeply that the place full of ‘barbarians’ was somewhere of all kinds of dangers. Even the escort team would be threatened to die midway.

He understood Song Qinghan’s guilt towards Hening very well, but if Song Qinghan chose to sacrifice himself to repay Hening, that would totally be a matter of ‘the loss outweighs the gain’. And what Hening struggled to do would be in vain at the same time.

Noticing that Wu Dahu was frowning tight there, Song Qinghan did not urge but reached out to carry Little Shitou up, pinching the child’s chubby face.

Little Shitou now could clearly pronounce a lot of syllables. When he felt the force on his face, he giggled and said foolishly, “Femi dada! Play!”

And then he waved his tiny and fatty hands and reached out to hold Song Qinghan’s face. “Muah”, beyond Song Qinghan’s expectation Little Shitou kissed deeply on his cheek leaving a watery mark.

Song Qinghan giggled either as Little Shitou made such a reaction, he reached out again to pinch Little Shitou’s chubby face. Both of them laughed foolishly yet happily there.

Wu Dahu smiled indulgently aside, and then he reached out to take Little Shitou over in his arms as Song Qinghan was being childish himself, and then he patted Little Shitou on the back, while saying to Song Qinghan, “It’s bed time now. I will consider about the matter you mentioned just now, and I will go and ask about the further information about it tomorrow when I officially take office.”

Song Qinghan didn’t urge Wu Dahu because he knew it wasn’t easy for him to make a decision now since everything wasn’t settled down peacefully now. In addition, since there was a hope for this matter, he hurriedly nodded without hesitation.

The next day, when Song Qinghan came back from the Qingyin Village, he noticed that Wu Dahu was sitting in the yard alone with a long face.

Seeing that, Song Qinghan couldn’t help but get tense suddenly, he then approached and asked hurriedly, “What’s wrong? Don’t tell me that Hening has already gone.”

He got two meanings when he accented the word ‘gone’, one of which was ‘gone for the marriage’, and the other was implying ‘died’.

Wu Dahu raised his head and forced a smile on face when he noticed that Song Qinghan’s eyes were filled with worries, and then he reached out to grab Song Qinghan’s hand, comforting, “No, don’t be that negative. But I just got one good news and one bad news here, I am hesitant which one I should tell you the first.”

Song Qinghan paused and answered decisively, “Tell me the bad one first!”

Well, if he heard the good news first and then the bad one, it might be a brain-hitting from the heaven to the hell. Yet if he heard the bad one instead of the good one, he could still comfort to himself that he was lucky in misfortune.

Wu Dahu seemed to have guessed Song Qinghan’s choice and said directly, “The barbarians have set off a fierce war to us formally, and they had attacked and captured three cities in a row which belong to our country. Moreover, from the current situation, they seem to tend to move forward without fear.”

Song Qinghan’s eyes widened as if he didn’t expect this bad news to be so ‘bad’.

No matter it was in the ancient time or modern time, the war was always a matter of aggression, an immoral bad event which ruined the well beings of the people from the involved countries.

Previously, he just lived in a small and remote village and at that time what he should worry about was just something about daily food supply and well-being for his family. Living in that environment full of peacefulness, he had always thought that the turbulence related to wars was beyond in this country. To his surprise, the fact that he never discovered didn’t mean that it didn’t exist.

“Then…” he muttered while frowning tight, “Does Hening still need to marry for the country peace? When there is a war between our country and the barbarians, the marriage will be useless, right? So is that the good news you’re going to say?”

If what he guessed was a truth, then he wouldn’t feel that bad towards such a consequence. Yet he still felt a bit worried about the upcoming war.

Beyond his expectation, Wu Dahu shook his head for denying the question, and then he sighed heavily, “The good news is that we are now allowed to escort Hening in the team, and we are forced to by the Imperial Will because half of the Imperial Guards are assigned with the mission. I as a newly recruited one should and have to go attend such an event.”

Song Qinghan was stunned and said in disbelief, “What the? How come? The barbarians have already occupied several cities within our territory, why should we still suffer the infanta to marry them? Will they give up attacking us as long as he is married or what? But how come?”

Wu Dahu pursed his lips into a straight line and frowned. Obviously, he was rather dissatisfied and confused with such an order as well.

Yet he still patiently explained, “According to the Emperor’s meaning, we have to defeat them first and then pacify them by the marriage. That’s why he sent such a troop wanting to quench the reactionary. In fact, the real aim to the journey for us is not only to escort the marriage, but to fight back.”

Song Qinghan took a deep breath as his heart tightened, getting tense. He opened his mouth lightly, not knowing what he was going to say.

War is always ruthless. The last moment he worried about the situation of the people who lived at the border area, but now he should worry about his family.

In the battling field, the swords and spears were always blind. If Wu Dahu died on that turbulence…

Seeing Song Qinghan was in a trance, Wu Dahu seemed to have guessed what he was worried about. He reached out and hugged him into his arms, saying gently, “Nothing you have to worry about, we can’t ignore the war anyway. If you’re afraid of that, stay here and wait for me, I promise I will be back very soon.”

Song Qinghan felt the warmth in Wu Dahu’s embrace and refused without hesitation, “NO! I WILL GO WITH YOU!”

If he did get a profound martial skill, he would really hope that he would be a comrade-in-arms with Wu Dahu fighting against the barbarians and protecting each other. But since he couldn’t make that real, he would still hope that he could stay closer to Wu Dahu, at least he could get the first-hand news instead of waiting at home with endless worries.

Wu Dahu was not surprised at all towards Song Qinghan’s answer. He held Song Qinghan in his arms tighter making their hearts touch with each other while their heartbeats seemed to be at a same tempo, as if they were combining into an integrate one.

It seemed that Hening got the news from nowhere, he asked one of his servants to get Song Qinghan over in his mansion.

Hening’s stuffs were all already packed up being placed neatly within his mansion. The mansion was even bigger as it was empty, only one huge wooden box could be seen at the corner of the wall which could be taken away onto the carriage at any time.

Hening still kept his unswerving expression on face when he caught a glimpse of Song Qinghan,  yet a domineering spirit hidden among his eyebrows still could be detected in sight.

“Come with me, I will get you a justice.”

After that, he pulled Song Qinghan directly onto the carriage outside, heading to the Imperial Palace.

Song Qinghan was utterly stunned and muttered, “What justice?”

Hening took a glance at him, and raised his eyebrows, asking, “Are you willing to witness your husband to get involved in that war?”

Even though Song Qinghan failed to figure out what the relation was between the ‘justice’ and ‘Wu Dahu’s attendance in war’, he still answered honestly, “Of course I am not!”

It wasn’t an answer beyond Hening’s expectations, so he uttered directly, “So, we have to get you the justice back.”

The carriage quickly entered the palace and headed towards the harem.

As for why Song Qinghan recognized the place as the harem, it was naturally because of the scenery along the road was the same one he previously walked on. So, he could draw a conclusion that now Hening was bringing him to the sleeping chamber of the Imperial Noble Consort.

After getting out of the carriage, Hening ignored the astonishing gaze from the servants and walked in directly. He raised his eyebrows in peace when he caught the glimpse of the Imperial Noble Consort and the Fifth Prince who were both sitting leisurely within the chamber, and then he asked peacefully, “You two might have got something in happiness, right? Well, I know it from your happy faces, I am so envy of you.”

When the Fifth Prince Noticed the appearance of Hening, he suddenly withdrew his smile but showed a face of seriousness, seemingly wanting to say something unpleasant. Yet the Imperial Noble Consort who was right beside him stopped him right away by pulling his wrist, and then he delivered a wry smile to Hening, saying, “Why don’t you prepare your dowry at home now but come over here? You shouldn’t just come and see us laughing, should you?”

But when he saw the appearance of Song Qinghan who was followed behind Hening, the smile on his face gradually subsided. His innate spirit radiated out from his whole temperament, and uttered coldly, “Oh, someone forgets about the rules? Is this place a scenery now or what? How come a lowly official’s husband intrude my sleeping chamber without my permission?”

Song Qinghan subconsciously bent over trying to pay his salute, but then he was stopped by Hening.

Hening’s strength was greater than Song Qinghan had imagined, he pulled Song Qinghan directly to his side and then responded to the Imperial Noble Consort plainly, “Since you’ve mentioned the RULE, well, I am going to talk something about it with you.”

His eyes suddenly became sharp. He stared at the Imperial Noble Consort in the eyes and then said accenting every single word his uttered, “THEN WHY ARE YOU, AS A CONSORT, STEPPING IN THE STATE AFFAIRS?”

As soon as Hening said so, the Imperial Noble Consort, the one who had always kept his foxy calmness, started to be frantic. He quickly glanced around and raised his handkerchief to wipe slightly on the corner of his lips, and answered coldly, “Even though you’re a femina male who are going to marry as a happy event, I still want to warn you, well, as a senior you should be respectful to, that think twice before saying without evidence. Otherwise, you will just harm others without benefiting yourself, alright?”

The Fifth Prince echoed, “Is that your purpose to put on a venomous slander here today? Don’t ever think that we got no other tactics to get you down because you’re about to marry for the peace of the country. You should know that even we can’t slap you in the face currently, we had already successfully bribed your ‘pitiful old dogs’ around you, they can make our orders come true anyway.”