Fang Zilan stopped and could hardly believe her ears. It wasn't until Awan pulled her sleeves around and saw the person in front of her that she was sure that this was true - Zhuge Yu was standing in front of her.
"A Yu, why are you here?" Fang Zilan looked at Zhuge Yu blankly, then heard him cough slightly and said: "I am here to deliver medicinal materials on your Majesty's order."
He coughed as soon as he said a word, and after a while he continued: "This situation has been reported to the capital. Sister Lan, don't worry, your majesty has spoken so well that he will keep the half-month period for you no matter what. It's just..."
He spoke in a hurry, his breath stuck in his throat, and he couldn't help but cover his face and cough a few more times. Seeing this, Fang Zilan frowned, "Ayu, you..."
"Let me finish..." Zhuge Yu said while stroking his chest to calm his breath: "I read the report submitted by General Xiahou. It described the letter sent by Miss Yan'er from Linjia Village, and the situation in Linjia Village... ...It’s not optimistic, Sister Lan, you must be careful...it is a last resort..."
"I know." Fang Zilan interrupted him, "Ayu, please be at ease, I know it well." After saying that, she shouted to Deputy General Cao: "Old Cao, please go back and recuperate, Ayu."
"Sister Lan..." Zhuge Yu looked worried, "There are still... less than six days left in half a month."
"A Yu, do you believe me?" Fang Zilan looked at the haggard man in front of him quietly, and without waiting for his answer, she curled her lips and said, "I will definitely come out alive."
After she finished speaking, she waved her hand. Vice General Cao, who was standing not far behind Zhuge Yu, understood what he was saying. He took a step forward and said, "Master Zhuge, please go back and rest first."
Zhuge Yu didn't say anything more, he just took a deep look at Fang Zilan and A Wan, then turned and left.
Fang Zilan watched his back disappear from sight, and in a blink of an eye she saw Lin Jian running over in a hurry, but was stopped by Deputy General Cao, "Who is he? Don't rush in!"
Lin Jian ignored Deputy General Cao and shouted to Fang Zilan: "Master Fang, I will go to Linjia Village with you!"
"The situation in Linjia Village is unknown. You..." Fang Zilan was interrupted by Lin Jian before he could finish his words of dissuasion. "I was the one who sent him to Linjia Village. I know where he is. And my brother also has Linjia Village. people, I want to send them home."
When he said the last sentence, his voice seemed to sink to the bottom of the water, making people breathless.
Fang Zilan said nothing, Lin Jian looked at her expectantly, "Master Fang, I am familiar with Linjia Village. Not only will I not cause any trouble if I go there..."
"Old Cao, let him come over." Fang Zilan gave the order directly without listening to what he said.
Upon hearing the order, Vice General Cao stepped aside and stepped out of the way. At that moment, he only heard Fang Zilan say: "Lin Jian, I'm going to say something ugly up front. If you lose your life during this trip, I won't be responsible."
"As long as Mr. Fang lets me go with you." Lin Jian walked towards them without hesitation, "Life or death depends on fate, no one is special."
"Okay." Fang Zilan nodded and glanced at the porcelain jar in Lin Jian's hand, "Is this the only thing you brought?"
Lin Jian looked confused, but then he realized what he was doing. Just as he was about to put the porcelain jar on the ground, he saw Fang Zilan reaching out and saying, "I'll hold it for you for a while while you wrap the towel around it."
"Thank you, Mr. Fang." Lin Jiang was about to clasp his fists, but Fang Zilan raised his hand to stop him, "No need to say hello, stop talking nonsense, I'm in a hurry."
Hearing this, Lin Jian quickly wrapped up his face towel and took back the porcelain jar from Fang Zilan, "Master Fang, let's go."
Fang Zilan hummed lightly, waved to Vice General Cao and said, "Old Cao, let's go."
Vice General Cao saluted behind them and silently prayed that their trip would be safe and smooth.
*
It was already afternoon when Fang Zilan and his party arrived at Linjia Village, and the sun hung high in the sky, making it difficult to open one's eyes.
Awan raised her hand to wipe the sweat from her forehead and muttered: "It's almost summer, the sky is getting hotter."
"You two came from the capital, so I'm afraid you may not be used to it. It gets hot early in the southeast." Lin Jian suddenly frowned as he spoke, "What does this smell like?"
"The smell of corpses spreads out faster the hotter the weather." Fang Zilan wrote lightly: "I'm afraid there are not many people left alive in Linjia Village. We need to find Miss Yan'er as soon as possible."
Awan's face turned pale, "Is Miss Yan'er okay?"
"I hope so." Fang Zilan held her hand a little tighter, "If you can't stand the smell, just inhale the incense a few times."
Awan nodded, obediently took out a sachet and put it under the silk handkerchief, and sucked it hard a few times.
Lin Jian couldn't help but look at him a few more times, and Fang Zilan glanced at him, "You can't stand it either?"
"That's not the case." Lin Jian quickly waved his hand, "As an escort, I have never seen dead people."
Fang Zilan didn't speak anymore, but quickened her pace and shuttled through the extremely silent village road.
"This house looks like no one has lived in it for a long time." Awan looked at the houses on both sides of the road. The doors were ajar and swayed by the wind as if they were about to fall apart.
She broke free from Fang Zilan's hand and ran to a door. She mustered up the courage to push the door open, only to find that there was no one inside.
Fang Zilan stood behind her, looking at the situation in the room. The tables and chairs were tilted here and there, and a lot of things were broken on the ground. She couldn't help but frown, "It's the marks of fighting and dragging."
"Has Linjia Village been robbed by some gangsters?" Awan also looked puzzled, "This really doesn't look like a place where people infected with the epidemic live."
"Look again." After Fang Zilan said that, she quickly walked to the door of the other room. After opening it, it was almost the same. Her brows frowned even more when she saw it.
"It shouldn't be." Lin Jian followed her and looked into the house. "I have never heard of any bandits and robbers near Linjia Village. What's more, Linjia Village is very poor. What's there to rob?"
"Something is fishy, we..." Fang Zilan had just finished speaking when she was interrupted by a coy voice, "Who are you? Why did you push the door of Uncle Li's house?"
Fang Zilan followed the sound and looked over, only to see a dusty child hiding behind the steps not far away, staring at them with a pair of big watery eyes, looking at them curiously.
"The silk handkerchief on his face..." Awan looked at the child in shock. Before he could react, Fang Zilan tapped his toes and lifted him over.
Fang Zilan put the child on the ground angrily and said coldly: "Tell me, where did the silk handkerchief on your face come from?"
The child was so frightened by her voice that she cried, stumbling and shouting: "You... bad guy..."
Fang Zilan was unmoved at all. She pulled off the silk handkerchief around the child's face and pinched his neck. "Tell me, where did this silk handkerchief come from?"
The child paled suddenly, waving his arms and patting her hand, "Let go...I..."
Lin Jian couldn't stand it anymore and asked Awan in a low voice: "What's wrong with Mr. Fang? Why are you questioning a child like this?"
"That silk handkerchief was given to Miss Yan'er by me." Awan's voice trembled slightly, "Miss Yan'er, I'm afraid the worst is in danger."
