Chapter 47: Zhou Bapi

Zuo Zhengfeng couldn’t reveal many things, but there were some matters he could share.

He said, “The other day, when we were out, we encountered a few enemy soldiers. Tian Dafu killed three of them.”

Jin Wenwen was surprised by this! It seemed that extraordinary talent came with extraordinary treatment.

That’s how the world worked—when you were a teacher, people called you “Teacher”; when you were a boss, people called you “Boss”; when you were a president, people called you “President”; but when you were nothing, you were just that woman or that man.

In this era, women had many restrictions placed upon them.

Jin Wenwen knew she couldn’t find an opening among these men. If she continued, Uncle Zuo would likely think she was being unreasonable.

Tian Mi arrived at Jin Mingzhi’s tent. Even in daylight, the light inside was dim. She had two guards light a lamp, and she asked one of them to bring the three military doctors. She was going to conduct a live teaching session. The guard hesitated—was this really necessary? After all, Jin Mingzhi was their general!

Jin Mingzhi also felt somewhat awkward. This was too embarrassing!

Tian Mi comforted him, “General Jin is a great person. He’ll benefit the army by teaching them.”

Jin Mingzhi nodded and had the guards go ask them. Before long, the three military doctors arrived, but they didn’t seem entirely comfortable. It felt strange for a lowly soldier to teach them.

But Tian Mi wasn’t concerned about their feelings. Among them, Jin Mingzhi had the longest and most complex wounds, making him the most suitable for this hands-on teaching.

Tian Mi instructed, “Once again, everything that touches the wound must be sterile.”

As she disinfected the scissors and tweezers, she spoke.

She then asked Jin Mingzhi to lie down. He felt somewhat awkward but complied.

Tian Mi said, “Here’s what we need to pay attention to: the scissors should be held horizontally and used lightly to snip. Then, cut in small sections, making sure the incision is always horizontal.”

She demonstrated as she spoke.

Her instructions were thorough, and soon the three military doctors became fully engaged in the process.

Jin Mingzhi gradually relaxed. No one was paying attention to his wounds anymore, and he found himself quietly watching the thread on his body, observing how they cut and removed it.

It didn’t seem too difficult. He felt that he could learn this too.

Removing the stitches did hurt a little, but he didn’t pay much attention to it.

When Tian Mi let the three military doctors try it themselves, Jin Mingzhi finally realized—oh, no! These three men were being quite blunt as they took the instruments from her and started cutting and removing the stitches.

He coughed hard, hoping to break them from their focus, but they didn’t react at all. In the end, he could only close his eyes and try not to look.

The stitch removal was quick, and the three doctors felt a sense of accomplishment. They learned it easily and didn’t notice Jin Mingzhi’s discomfort.

Finally, they applied some medicine and bandaged it up.

Tian Mi said, “General Jin should avoid heavy movements for now. Just focus on eating some nutritional supplements to help your recovery.”

Dr. Zhang and the others would be able to prescribe some tonic medicines for him.

After saying their goodbyes, they left. By the time they stepped out, it was already evening!

The sky was painted with a beautiful sunset, and Jin Wenwen, arriving just in time, saw them preparing to leave.

Her eyes flickered as she thought of a new plan.

Tian Mi and the three doctors were chatting and laughing, not noticing her at all.

By the time they reached the courtyard, it was almost dark. Huang Yuanying hadn’t come to find her, so it seemed that he had his hands full as well.

Bai Mucheng and Huang Yuanying had been talking about matters until it got dark, giving him a lot of instructions. Huang Yuanying didn’t even have time to drink water.

After Huang Yuanying left, Bai Mucheng realized that he had only eaten breakfast that day. His guards had already prepared dinner earlier, waiting for him to finish, and immediately brought it to him.

There wasn’t much in the military camp, just a roasted lamb leg, a bowl of stewed meat, and a few side dishes.

His mind was occupied with the maps of the mountains and rivers he had been exploring and his plans for the next campaign.

What kind of strategy could draw Bai Dongyuan’s attention?

The geography of Qinghe County was difficult to deal with, and besides water-based attacks, all other methods were highly risky with likely massive casualties.

Especially the city walls, they had basically ruled out any possibility of breaching. The information he received from both inside and outside confirmed that Bai Dongyuan had reinforced the walls, stockpiling large amounts of food, clearly signaling that he wasn’t afraid of a siege or a prolonged battle.

He would need to think of another plan.

His mind raced with ideas, and suddenly, his eyes lit up, a smile forming on his face!

Bai Mucheng usually had a serious demeanor, but when he smiled like that, it felt as if the entire world became brighter.

That place, Bai Dongyuan surely had already thought of it as well. It must have a secret garrison stationed there, but compared to Qinghe County, it was of little significance.

He didn’t know the exact location, but wherever Bai Dongyuan had stationed troops, that was the place to strike.

Haha! No one knew his own weaknesses better than he did.

If they could capture that location, Bai Dongyuan would undoubtedly be thrown into chaos!

In this era, once the sky darkened, there was truly no entertainment to be found. No wonder the ancients had so many children.

Tian Mi told the older woman that she was tired and wanted to rest early. Once the door was closed, she entered her space. The sun had been unbearably hot today, leaving her utterly drained. Even Zuo Zhengfeng had been sweating, while Bai Mucheng seemed unaffected by the sun, as though it had no effect on him at all. Heaven was truly kind to him.

He had such a handsome face, yet he didn’t even get tanned!

Tian Mi soaked in the spiritual spring bath and drank lemon honey water, thinking about the business she’d have to manage once she bought a shop. She only wanted to be a rich lady and didn’t want to handle everything herself. How could she enjoy life or find a handsome, wealthy man if she had to do it all?

But who would take care of the shop operations?

Her father wasn’t the right person for that—he was better suited to guarding the family’s main camp.

Her uncles would certainly handle the pharmacy.

As for the restaurant and beauty shop, she would need to think about it.

Xu Yunpeng, who had studied with his grandfather since childhood, had some business sense. Although he was young, he wasn’t incapable. She also knew that Xu Xun, her uncle, wanted to do business, but he hadn’t yet decided on what.

The next day, before dawn, Zuo Zhengfeng came to wake Tian Mi up.

Tian Mi was in a terrible mood.

“Can’t you just let me sleep? Are you Zhou Bapi or what?” she grumbled.

Sitting on the bed, she felt more and more aggrieved. She was supposed to be a rich lady, but still had to wake up early to work.

Sigh! When would others realize that she was a rich lady? Wouldn’t they show her the respect that a wealthy person deserved?

Oh well! In this world, you had to lower your head when living under someone else’s roof. She lit a lamp, washed up, and went outside. It was still barely light, and the older woman had already prepared breakfast. Bai Mucheng and Zuo Zhengfeng were sitting at the table, waiting for her to eat with them.

Tian Mi quickly shook off her sleepiness. The boss was already here, and no one even gave her a heads-up. So annoying.

With a bright smile, she greeted, “Good morning, Your Highness, King Ding, and Good morning, Brother Zuo!”

Bai Mucheng calmly picked up his bowl of noodles and said, “Hurry up and eat. We’re leaving right after breakfast!”

The egg and shredded pork noodles the older woman had made were simple, but seeing how even the distinguished King Ding had such a humble meal, she felt like she had no right to complain.

Tian Mi looked at Zuo Zhengfeng and asked, “Out again? Did you bring dry rations?”

Zuo Zhengfeng had been hungry yesterday as well and replied, “I brought them, don’t worry!”

After finishing breakfast, Tian Mi also packed her small bag, making sure it looked full.

She then summoned Yanzu to follow Bai Mucheng as they set off.

As usual, they were fully armed and riding horses. This time, their destination was different from yesterday’s. They were likely heading toward the water intake location, but it was farther than the previous place. Tian Mi guessed that Bai Mucheng was still planning on making use of this river.

The river! In peaceful times, it was a vital transportation route, bringing prosperity and wealth, but in wartime, it could be a curse.

From a military standpoint, this was true.

Bai Mucheng could think of it, but could Bai Dongyuan not? Tian Mi thought to herself, wondering which of the two had the better strategy.

As usual, Zuo Zhengfeng rode ahead to clear the path, with Bai Mucheng and Tian Mi following closely behind. The mountain roads were dense with trees, and progress wasn’t fast. But after yesterday’s experience, Tian Mi remained calm, expecting at least one or two hours of travel.

Suddenly, Bai Mucheng, who was ahead, turned around and asked, “Tian Mi, who is Zhou Bapi?”