Drip.
Chen Baoxiang wiped away the drops of water that had splashed onto her face.
She stared blankly at the rainwater that had collected overnight on the eaves of the Ministry of War, then suddenly asked the deputy official beside her: “Has there been any word back from Ningsu’s side?”
The deputy shook his head. “Not yet.”
By this hour, they should have long since arrived at the Medicine Preparation Bureau. Ningsu had clearly promised that she would send word once they arrived.
Absentmindedly fingering the sachet containing the small Buddha figurine, Chen Baoxiang suddenly felt a wave of unease. “Leave someone here to keep watch. I’m going to go and see.”
“But, Official Chen — they still haven’t brought out the appointment order.”
“If they truly intended to give it to me, they should have had the dispatch courier bring it directly to me — why make me wait here indefinitely?” She rose to her feet and strode toward the door. “Go and call Zhao Huaizhu and the others — as many as are available. Everyone comes with me.”
“Understood.”
Several military constables outside tried to play bureaucratic games and keep her detained, but Chen Baoxiang’s expression grew increasingly grim. She brushed them aside, walked straight out, mounted her horse, and rode in urgent pursuit in the direction that Daxian and Yin Yue had taken.
“Someone at the western city gate said they saw the Zhang Family’s carriage leaving the city.” Zhao Huaizhu caught up and reported. “It’s too congested inside the city — they may have gone around through the outskirts.”
Chen Baoxiang gave her reins a sharp pull and rode at full gallop toward the western city gate.
“Official Chen, that’s a back road — very few people ever use it.” Zhao Huaizhu shouted from behind.
“I know.” Chen Baoxiang quickened her pace. “But that’s most likely the very road they took.”
A road unfamiliar to others, yet one she knew very well. She rode straight through a grove of trees and onto the dirt path.
In the distance, faint sounds of voices.
Chen Baoxiang narrowed her eyes. “Wang Wu, take half the people and go check the situation over there — if you encounter bandits, cut them down without question. Huaizhu, come with me to the right.”
Zhao Huaizhu acknowledged the order, and as she followed, she couldn’t help but feel a sense of awe.
For all that their superior seemed easygoing and idle on ordinary days, whenever a real matter arose, she was more dependable than anyone. Out here in the wilderness, everyone else was like a headless fly — yet she could fix on a direction with complete certainty.
As though she had been here before.
And indeed — not two li into the pursuit to the right, they caught sight of a group of people engaged in fierce combat.
Chen Baoxiang charged into the encirclement on horseback, arriving just in time to intercept a sword blow on someone’s behalf with a sideways sweep of her blade.
The person stumbled a couple of steps, the dark-colored robe billowing slightly.
Chen Baoxiang looked closely — and her expression changed entirely: “Ningsu?”
Ningsu, covered in blood, stood in the muddy water with her blade raised. Upon seeing Chen Baoxiang, she immediately called out: “To the southeast — please, Official Chen, go and rescue them at once.”
Chen Baoxiang didn’t say a word — she simply charged off in the direction Ningsu pointed.
The rain had stopped over the wilderness, and the footprints in the road were very clear. From what could be seen, a considerable number of people were in pursuit of Zhang Zhixu — Ningsu had only managed to hold back a small portion of them.
She was anxious at heart, and her horse ran at a furious pace — but before even two or three li had passed, she came upon a fork in the road.
One path to the left, one to the right — both bore the same tangle of chaotic footprints.
“These two roads diverge too far apart. If we check them one by one, I’m afraid we won’t make it in time.” Zhao Huaizhu said. “What if we split up?”
“No. Their numbers are too great — if we divide our own forces further, we’d be even less of a match for them.”
Chen Baoxiang scanned their surroundings, then said abruptly: “Pursue to the right.”
“Right?” Zhao Huaizhu kept up with her, hesitant. “What if we’re wrong…”
“We won’t be wrong.” Chen Baoxiang gripped the reins with unwavering certainty. “In this world, aside from himself, no one knows him better than I do.”
To the right lay a vast bamboo grove. Pass through it for about a li, and it opened onto a wide river.
On the far bank were many bandits. Upon seeing her approach, those men began searching with even greater urgency.
Zhao Huaizhu was about to order her people to search the reeds along the riverbank as well — but then she saw her superior suddenly leap off her horse and into the river.
Chen Baoxiang swam with great effort to the area of the reed bed in the middle of the river. After searching around briefly, she seized a broken reed stalk jutting up from the surface of the water.
She reached down with her other hand and gave a firm pull —
A figure broke through the water’s surface. Flying droplets of water, together with a sharp dagger, came hurtling straight for her face.
Chen Baoxiang caught his wrist and held him tightly in her other arm. “Daxian — it’s me.”
Zhang Zhixu’s movement stopped.
Clear river water streamed down from his eyelids, striking the river’s surface and scattering into tiny ripples.
He stared at the person before him with something close to disbelief, and after a long moment finally released the dagger and let his expression soften. “How did you actually manage to find me.”
“You were clutching the Buddha figurine and calling for me again, weren’t you?” She patted his back. “I heard you.”
“You’re lying.” He pressed his lips together. “If you could hear me, you should have heard me from the moment I left the city.”
“That was my fault.” Chen Baoxiang guided him toward the direction of her own people as they swam. “I should have insisted on seeing you all the way there from the start.”
This could hardly be laid at her feet.
Zhang Zhixu glanced back at the bandits on the far bank who were itching to move, and with some urgency caught hold of Chen Baoxiang’s wrist: “Where is Yin Yue? Did you see Yin Yue?”
When the pursuing forces had been closing in, and in order to keep Yin Yue safe, he had sent Jiuquan away early with his people to separate from him.