Chapter 44

As expected, Wei Jing rushed to pick up Shao Qing as soon as he was free, arriving by mid-afternoon. His face and body were stained with large patches of crimson, and the hilt of his long blade still bore traces of drying blood. He carried an aura of lingering menace, his handsome features stern and cold, his brows revealing an arrogance and dominance that seemed ingrained in his very bones. So riveting and heart-stopping was his appearance—so intimidating that one might hardly dare to look up—that this was the most authentic side of Wei Jing. Yet, when this imposing man’s gaze fell upon that familiar figure, his hard, stern features softened instantly.

“Husband!”

“Mm.” He answered with a single sound. The mountain path was treacherous, and he was uneasy about her riding alone. He rode forward on his horse, leaned down directly, and scooped her onto his saddle swiftly.

The scent of blood was heavy, but Shao Qing did not mind in the slightest. She stretched out an arm and skillfully wrapped it around his waist, nestling comfortably in his embrace.

“Have we won?”

Although her guess was clearly correct, she couldn’t help but ask.

“Mm.”

Descending the mountain was even more difficult than controlling the horse on the uphill, yet Wei Jing managed easily. He applied a slight pressure with his arm to adjust Shao Qing’s position, ensuring she sat even more comfortably.

“Now, let’s head into Gaoling City.”

He lifted his eyes to gaze out toward the city, then lowered his head to look at her, a flash of concern passing through his gaze: “You must be sure to get some proper rest.”

“Mm, at last, we’ve taken Gaoling.” Now, all that remains is the commission document.

Actually, what pleased Shao Qing even more was that when they met again, the lingering heaviness that had recently clung to Wei Jing had vanished, and he looked noticeably lighter.

Could it be that she might expect, now that that matter was behind them, he had finally let it go?

No sooner had she thought so than his smile waned slightly. He said in a low voice, “Yes, at last, I have managed to incur less reproach from my mother and imperial elder brother.”

Less reproach? Not completely unblemished?

Shao Qing was momentarily taken aback. Looking into his eyes, which held a trace of sadness and remorse, that faint sense of unease surfaced in her heart once again.

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Beneath the deep blue canopy of the sky, the majestic city walls stretched out in a dark, imposing arc to either side. The city gate stood wide open, flanked by two rows of spear-wielding soldiers standing at attention, their blades catching the sunlight with a dazzling gleam.

It was on a beautiful, clear late-autumn day that Shao Qing entered Gaoling City. The grandeur of the fortress city stirred her soul, and she followed Wei Jing along the broad avenue paved with neatly set bluestone slabs, heading straight for the residence of the Gaoling Governor.

Before ascending the mountain, Wei Jing had already ordered his trusted subordinate—Han Xi—to lead a thousand soldiers into the city ahead of him to capture all of the Dong faction’s supporters. He then immediately took charge of both military and administrative affairs. The stationing personnel, including Chen Qi, Zhuang Yan, Kou Xuan, and others, had received his orders and hurried over. Upon gathering, they plunged into a flurry of ceaseless activity: posting notices to reassure the people, clarifying that the so-called “smallpox epidemic,” which had, in fact, subsided on its own, and handling numerous other matters.

Shao Qing was busy alongside everyone else. Although Wei Jing had asked her to rest, she insisted on staying. The official appointment had yet to be finalized. While the situation was largely settled with the efforts of Second Master He, it would still be a major advantage to organize affairs and secure control over Gaoling quickly.

She had already come ninety-nine steps—there was no room to falter at the most critical moment. She was holding up fine.

Though busy, there was a silver lining—finally, she could finally get a proper, uninterrupted sleep.

Wei Jing wouldn’t let her overdo it. As soon as dusk fell, he took her back to the temporary side room to rest. Shao Qing didn’t object; she still had the day’s events on her mind and wanted to speak with him, hoping to strike while the iron was hot and coax him a bit. But who knew that right after their bath, as soon as she lay down on the bed, a deep wave of exhaustion surged from within her, and in a dazed murmur, she only managed to call out “husband” before nestling against his pillow and drifting off to sleep.

Just before losing consciousness, she felt Wei Jing’s thin lips gently brush her forehead as he whispered, “Sleep well…”

She resolved: Let’s talk tomorrow—I’ll definitely say it then.

Having told herself that, Shao Qing allowed herself to sink into the sweet darkness of slumber. So tired, so heavy with sleep, she assumed she’d enjoy a dreamless sleep until dawn. But to her surprise, she was jolted awake in the middle of the night.

Because of Wei Jing.

At midnight, a sliver of the moon—hidden behind dark clouds—failed to filter through the window’s gauze, and the quiet room was plunged into utter darkness.

“Mother! Imperial Elder Brother!”

In the dim light, Wei Jing’s breathing grew rapid. “Wait for me!!” he shouted.

With a sudden “teng,” he sprang upright; his large hand swiftly clenched into a fist with a sharp clacking sound, his teeth set tightly as he panted urgently.

“Husband! Husband!” Shao Qing was startled awake and called his name repeatedly. In the darkness, Wei Jing fixed his gaze on her for several heartbeats before turning his head to survey the soft curtains, quilts, and pillows. Only then did his awareness return; the harsh crimson in his eyes softened somewhat as he rubbed his brow.

“I’m fine, don’t worry.”

But how could he be fine? Wei Jing’s voice was hoarse, and Shao Qing, running her hand over his head and face, discovered him drenched in sweat—his nightclothes soaked as if he had just been pulled from the water.

Quickly, she got out of bed, switched on the light, and fetched him fresh nightclothes. Then, using warm water from a large white porcelain kettle in the warming cupboard, she dampened a towel and wiped him down.

“Why are you still dreaming?”

It wasn’t the first time Wei Jing had been troubled by dreams. When the two of them had first come together, he often startled awake in nightmares. Freshly after misfortune struck, he would be tormented by horrific dreams that left him disoriented for a long time after waking.

Over time, as his pain receded into the recesses of his heart—and with Shao Qing’s comforting presence—those night terrors gradually subsided, allowing him to sleep soundly until dawn.

Yet now, with his nightly dreams returning frequently following the poisonous salt case—and the agonizing, impossible choice he had been forced to make—he found himself burdened by guilt toward his mother and elder brother. What haunted him by day had begun invading his sleep at night.

“Didn’t you already take Gaoling?” Shao Qing murmured.

She had thought that once Gaoling was captured, things would naturally improve—that she could then try to comfort and persuade him, hoping the matter would soon blow over. But as it turned out, nothing had changed. It was clear that what weighed on Wei Jing’s heart was not Gaoling at all but the self-reproach for failing to prioritize the tragic deaths of his mother, older brother, and nephew. He blamed himself, unable to let go of that burden.

Shao Qing’s long-held, subtle unease was finally confirmed. Her heart grew heavy, overshadowed by despair. This matter was taking a turn in the very direction she dreaded most.

The human heart, after all, has its own measures—if one side of the scales of emotion gains extra weight, the other side inevitably lightens.

Wei Jing’s decision had been agonizingly difficult from the start, revealing his inner turmoil and inability to choose. This time, although he followed through with his conviction, he was relentlessly tormented by guilt—which only served to add to that burden.

Shao Qing constantly feared that next time, he might make an entirely opposite decision. She was terrified—after having exhausted every ounce of her strength and painstaking effort this time, if a counter-reaction arose next, she might not be able to summon an even greater force.

Once that thought surged, it left Shao Qing utterly restless. It wasn’t mere baseless worry; Wei Jing’s ambition was for the entire realm, and sooner or later, he would have to face similar choices again—perhaps more than once. She didn’t consider herself someone excessively concerned with the welfare of the people, yet even the indirect guilt of that sin weighed upon her so heavily that it nearly left her breathless.

“The spirits of our mother and imperial elder brother in Heaven would never want to see you act recklessly. We must not be too hasty. Look—haven’t we already taken Gaoling?”

Shao Qing pressed down her tangled thoughts and spoke soothingly.

Wei Jing had regained his composure. He took the damp cloth to wipe away his sweat, quickly changed into fresh nightclothes, and carried his wife back to her usual place. “Mm, I know. Don’t worry.”

He always took his wife’s words to heart, yet some matters couldn’t be resolved merely by listening; he needed to fully come to terms with them—to untie that knot in his heart and adjust himself from within. He simply couldn’t make sense of it or untangle that knot; his attempts at consolation only treated the symptoms rather than addressing the root of his dilemma.

At that thought, Shao Qing felt an overwhelming sense of helplessness. She asked herself, honestly, that if she were to experience such things herself, she probably wouldn’t be able to let it go easily. She understood Wei Jing, and that only made her more anxious.

She did not want to cause a great tragedy indirectly, and she certainly did not wish for her partner and husband to go down such a path. Recalling Wei Jing’s loss of control that day, a profound sense of powerlessness and deep fatigue welled up in her heart.

“Go back to sleep. It’s my fault—I woke you up.”

The dim yellow light accentuated Shao Qing’s fair skin and made the faint bruises under her eyes quite noticeable. Wei Jing furrowed his brows, blew out the light, and brushed her dark hair aside before turning and drawing her close, gently patting her back.

“We’ll talk tomorrow; for now, just sleep.” He had decided that she must rest for at least a few days, and this time, he wasn’t going to heed her objections.

He refused to engage in idle chatter, soothing her like a baby with his persistent pats, leaving Shao Qing no choice but to remain silent. Alas, with her heart so burdened by troubling thoughts, she found it impossible to sleep soundly; she lay in a half-dream, half-awake state until dawn’s early light finally allowed her to fall into a deep slumber.

When she awoke the next morning, the day was already bright, and there was no one by her pillow—Wei Jing had long since risen and gone off to attend to his busy tasks.

Feeling a bit lightheaded and unsteady, she leaned on the bedpost as she got up. Chunxi, who had come to care for her, exclaimed, “Madam, you’re feeling a bit warm!”

Worried about those around them, both she and Wei Jing had Nanny Ping with her grandchildren, along with Zhuang Yan and others, come over. Chunxi hurriedly asked, “You seem to have a fever; shall we call Dr. Yan to take a look?”

Yan Ming also arrived, coming along with the Kou family.

Shao Qing touched her forehead—it felt somewhat hot, or so it seemed—yet she truly couldn’t muster any energy. Perhaps she should see a doctor; she had been so exhausted lately and constantly had a premonition that she might fall ill.

After Shao Qing finished washing up and changing into fresh clothes, she was just about to instruct Chunxi to wake Yan Ming when she was interrupted by some big news.

Second Young He had sent another message.

After Wei Jing led the Bao army in a counter-encirclement and gained the upper hand, the governor’s son turned back halfway to Gucheng—he was preparing himself to vigorously promote Wei Jing as governor.

At the appropriate moment, Wei Jing submitted the evidence provided by the Yi tribe, sending Dong Du’s “proof of guilt” to Gucheng ahead of schedule, thereby catching Second Master He’s adversaries off guard.

If all goes smoothly, the official documents indicting Dong Du and appointing Wei Jing as temporary county governor should be issued.

A county governor oversees a county’s military and civil administration, with the authority to appoint subordinate officials and most local officers; the power is enormous and requires formal appointment from the imperial court. However, the superior provincial governor holds the right to recommend and advise, and in remote regions like Yizhou—where the mountains are high and the emperor seems far away—a recommendation is almost a guarantee.

Once the document appointing Wei Jing as temporary county governor is issued, the matter will be conclusively settled.

Now, all that remained was that final clinching step; as soon as Shao Qing heard the news, she could think of nothing else and immediately dashed off to Wei Jing’s temporary outer study room.

After pushing her way past layers of guards and opening the door, she found Wei Jing sitting upright in the foremost seat, a freshly opened letter in his hand. Ji Huan, Zhang Yong, Zhuang Yan, and the others were all seated there.

She quickly asked, “Has Second Master He’s letter arrived?”

“Is it that the official appointment document has been issued?”

“Yeah, it’s been issued.”

At the sight of her complexion, Wei Jing immediately frowned. Having run over, Shao Qing was breathing heavily; her face, normally flushed, now bore a pallid tint. Worried, he immediately stood up to meet her.

Ji Huan said, “Second Master He mentioned he would personally deliver the official appointment document and is already on his way. He sent this letter first to put our minds at ease.”

The purpose here wasn’t really to deliver the appointment document—it was to see Wei Jing in person and win him over.

“Well, let him come; as long as the appointment document is issued, everything is fine.”

Shao Qing was overjoyed. “That’s wonderful!”

And indeed, everyone in the outer study was brimming with joy.

“Great, that’s excellent!”

Finally, they had taken Gaoling this year, and an immense joy surged within her. Shao Qing’s smile widened as she was about to speak to Wei Jing, who was coming toward her. But before she could utter another word, a sudden wave of dizziness struck. Her body wavered abruptly.

“Ah Qing!” Wei Jing was startled. In two long strides, he rushed forward, catching her in his arms. “What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”

“I’m fine, I…”

But how could she be fine? Shao Qing had been utterly exhausted, holding on by sheer willpower alone. Now, at the sight of the confirmed good news, that very resolve drained away. She barely finished speaking when her brows furrowed, her body weakened, and she lost consciousness, collapsing right into Wei Jing’s arms.

Author’s note: Wei Jing’s inner affliction urgently needs remedy. As for Shao Qing, she ought to have been struck down by illness a long time ago—having been on the run all this while without truly falling ill, her delicate, refined body has long been pushed to its limits.