(27)
If Sima Tu's arrival was unexpected, then everything that happened next was even more unpredictable and unimaginable. If you want to ask why you say this, let’s look at the past events that were scattered in the wind and shattered into dust. There are always a few things that are enough to make you change your view of the world, your prejudices against someone, and your understanding of yourself.
These things usually have unexpected characteristics, and the so-called unexpectedness often hides its "inevitability".
At the beginning of this sword-making journey, the young man had already made everything more certain by forging various "karma" and planting various "encounters". Perhaps as Murong Yan said, Xiahe Town could not escape the fate of being annihilated after all.
Watching the sun set over the western mountains, the fiery red sunset reflected those hills and shone on the people who were rushing home at night. At a certain moment, they seemed to be dyed blood red. Not knowing that the crisis was approaching, they were still full of faith, carrying baskets on their backs and carrying herbs. After delivering the herbs to the Zhang Family Pharmacy, they happily ran home with their respective portions of the medicine. Perhaps it was because their family members were also infected with the plague, so they were reluctant to leave everything here and leave.
Seeing this scene, Murong Yan, who had just walked out of the medicine shop in the back hall, couldn't help but feel sad. Then she frowned, just to suppress that feeling the most, and then slowly walked into the diagnosis ward. The "lame" girl who was originally looked after by Murong Yan, seeing how sad Murong Yan was, now comforted her and said: "Sister Murong, why are you so stern? Are you feeling uncomfortable somewhere? Or are you feeling uncomfortable?" Are you too tired to take care of me? Then ask Bai Shaoxia to come over and change my dressing for you, and ask him to bring some food by the way!"
"Ha..." Murong Yan said with a smile: "He is a man, so it is always a bit inconvenient..."
"Hey, by the way...where did he go? As soon as he came back, he left you and went to be happy by himself?"
"No! No!" Murong Yan seemed to explain, then helped the other party take off the bandage on his ankle and said, "He went back to Fulai Inn. He said he was afraid that Sima Tu had some evil intentions and tried to kill Doctor Zhang, so he planned to Bring all your luggage and stay in the pharmacy temporarily."
"Ah? It's rare in the world for Shaoxia Bai to be so dedicated and conscientious!" Miss E Wu couldn't help but sigh when she learned that her former "defeated general" actually acted for justice.
"Perhaps... he is just 'helping' his former weak and helpless self..."
After some words, the sound of horses suddenly came from outside the door. It was Bai Feng arriving in a chariot. Murong Yan, who was hiding behind the consultation ward and quietly observing the situation outside, happened to witness this scene: she saw the young man carrying his sword back again, jumping out of the carriage in a dashing manner, and then carefully getting out of the way of the passing countryside, heading towards Murong Yan came this way.
"Brother Feng?" Seeing her lover's murderous intent, Murong Yan asked with solemn eyebrows, "What happened?"
"Yan'er, hurry up and take shelter in the back hall with Miss E. Sima Tu will be here in a moment!" Bai Feng said, not forgetting to pay attention to the people coming and going outside the door.
After hearing this, Murong Yan nodded in agreement. Just as she was about to turn around to pick up E Feiying, she asked the young man to hold her arm, "Remember, no matter what happens, Doctor Zhang cannot be allowed to come out!"
After Bai Feng spoke righteously, he let go of the other party and watched Murong Yan and E Feiying hide in the back hall. However, after a while, Zhao Kuo and others also returned to the pharmacy with medicinal materials and met Bai Feng. The two talked for a while, and then they came up with a plan of "the soldiers will block it, the water will cover it with the soil".
They wanted to use the improvement of the epidemic situation as an excuse, coupled with the pleading of Lord Li, the town official, to force away the criticism from Taiping Road and the court. It is not difficult to imagine that Sima Tu and E Binghuan came here this time. One of them came for Taiping Road, and the other was naturally ordered to come to treat the plague. And E Feiying's running away was just a small accident.
As the "general" in the plan, Bai Feng naturally participated in it in order to calm the evil spirit of the intruder. As for how to "cover it with earth", we have to rely on the witty words of Mr. Li and Zhao Kuo.
The plan is done and implementation is imminent. The two girls, Ajuan and Zhao Xiaomei, immediately put on the clothes of medicine boys, intending to pretend to be medicine boys and take care of them, just to hide the other two sisters.
After a while, the sound of thunderous and orderly footsteps could be heard outside the pharmacy door. I saw Lord Li, the town official, walking in front, respectfully greeting the prefect and the Heavenly Master behind him, as well as their sergeants No. 100.
"Hey! You two, call Zhang Yi out quickly and pay your respects to Mr. E and Taoist Wu Gu!" Mr. Li walked to the door of the pharmacy and said angrily to the two female medicine boys.
"It won't work! Master is testing medicine and brewing it, and he can't get away at all!" Although the female medicine girl's body was covered by her simple gray and blue clothes, she still couldn't stop the charm emanating from her bones.
The medicine boy next to him immediately straightened the slightly larger felt hat on his head and said calmly: "That's right! Master, he didn't sleep all night last night, and he is busy from morning to night today. If he comes out to greet guests at this time, I'm afraid It will only lose face and be an eyesore to all the adults..."
"This... this, this master doesn't come out to entertain guests, does he treat us as ordinary villagers?" Mr. Li looked at the two adults behind him with a slightly embarrassed look, and said: "Mr. E, Taoist Master Wu Gu , please forgive me for being rude and failing to cleanse the dust for you two, and for condescending you to come to such a shabby place..."
After talking for a while, E Binghuan stopped him impatiently: "That's enough! In special times, keep everything simple! Take us in quickly, and then let them invite my daughter out..."
Mr. Li quickly nodded in agreement, and then crossed the threshold. Unexpectedly, the swordsman waiting by the door was startled and sat down on the ground.
"Ouch! Who is standing there! You are trying to kill an official of the imperial court!"
The young swordsman replied expressionlessly: "Master Li, we met that day! I was just chatting and laughing with my friends, no offense intended..."
"You are just talking and laughing, what do you mean by holding a sword?" As soon as Mr. Li finished speaking, a noble prince next to the young swordsman immediately walked over to Mr. Li and helped him up.
"Oh! Mr. Li, you are really here!" The young master said: "My lord, Zhao Kuo, we met that day! Come and sit here, we still have a few business deals to discuss!"
"Sit down!" Mr. Li first shouted angrily, and then said cautiously: "Don't you see the two people behind me..."
"Oh!" Zhao Kuo looked like he suddenly understood, and replied with a smile: "Would you two come and sit down together? Please!"
In this way, these few people walked all the way to the side hall and sat down. The few accompanying guards around them originally planned to follow them into the house, but the young swordsman stopped them and only allowed them to guard outside the door.
