Reborn Liu Bei: I'll lead this Three Kingdoms to victory!

Chapter Twenty-Three: Undercurrents

On the 20th day of the second month of the sixth year of Jian'an, in Yingchuan Prefecture, thirty li outside Yangdi City.

Sima Yi reined in his horse and stopped it by a stream. The wound on his chest ached from days of galloping, and each breath felt like a knife scraping against him. Wu Pu caught up from behind, jumped off his horse without a word, and removed his armor to check on him.

"It's torn." Wu Pu frowned; the bandage was already soaked with blood. "It needs to be re-bandaged."

"I don't have time." Sima Yi tried to push his hand away.

"Then you'll die here." Wu Pu was unusually firm, already opening his medicine box. "Cao Tai's cavalry will arrive no later than tomorrow afternoon, and we have to act tonight. If you're too badly wounded and fall, who will complete the mission?"

Sima Yi remained silent, letting Wu Pu treat his wounds. As the powder was sprinkled on, he clenched his teeth, veins bulging on his forehead, but he didn't utter a sound.

"You're just being stubborn." Wu Pu quickly wrapped a new bandage around his neck. "Mr. Hua said you need to rest for a month. If you keep going like this, even if you don't die this time, you'll suffer from long-term health problems."

"Then let's leave." Sima Yi fastened his armor, mounted his horse, and said, "Let's go."

The fifty riders continued their journey. At noon, they arrived at the designated rendezvous point—an abandoned brick kiln. Three men were already waiting inside the kiln; they were all undercover agents of the Night Scouts in Yingchuan.

"Sima Jun, Sima?" The leader was a lean man with a scar on his left cheek, who called himself "Old Knife".

"It's me." Sima Yi dismounted. "How is the situation?"

"The manor is ten li west of Yangdi City, a villa belonging to the Xun family. There are twenty guards, divided into two shifts, changing shifts at 7 PM. Xun Ji patrols the area every night at 9 PM, then goes back to his room to sleep." Old Dao drew a diagram on the ground with a twig. "Miss Fu Shou is locked in the east wing of the backyard, watched over by an old nanny. The courtyard wall is twelve feet high, with broken porcelain shards stuck in it, but there's an old locust tree in the northwest corner, its branches extending into the wall—enough to climb over."

"Where is Cao Tai?"

"He's still sixty li away from us. He's with three hundred cavalrymen, and they're not moving fast, as if they're waiting for something." Old Dao paused. "There's another piece of news: Xun Ji brought a doctor from the city yesterday, saying that a maid was sick. But my men found out that it's actually Miss Fu Shou who has a fever."

Sima Yi's eyes narrowed: "What illness?"

"It seems like a cold, but the doctor prescribed some medicine and left without saying much," Old Dao said. "The manor is short of medicine, so Xun Ji sent someone to the city to get some, but they haven't returned yet."

Wu Pu immediately asked, "Where's the prescription? Did you see it?"

"I copied it down." Old Dao pulled a piece of paper from his pocket. "Bupleurum, Scutellaria, Pinellia... it's a prescription for treating colds."

Wu Pu took the prescription and looked at it: "No, this is not right. If it's just a common cold, this prescription is enough. But if it's typhoid fever..." He looked at Sima Yi, "We must get the person out of here as soon as possible; we can't afford to delay."

Sima Yi stared at the diagram on the ground, lost in thought for a moment.

"The plan has been adjusted," he said. "We originally planned to wait until dark to make our move, but we can't wait any longer. Old Dao, you take ten men and disguise them as medicine deliverymen. Go in through the main gate—tell them that the pharmacy in the city wants to deliver a few more herbs and that you need to explain their usage to the manager in person."

"Xun Ji will become suspicious."

"So we need to be quick." Sima Yi looked at the others. "The rest of you will split into three groups: one group will keep watch on the perimeter and signal immediately if Cao Tai's men are spotted; another group will scale the wall and take control of the backyard; and I will personally lead one group straight to the east wing."

He stood up: "We'll make our move at 5 PM, when it's just getting dark and the guards are most lax. After we succeed, we won't go through the main gate; we'll climb over the locust tree in the northwest corner—Old Knife, you provide backup outside the wall."

"clear."

Everyone began to prepare. Wu Pu reorganized the medicine in his medicine box, setting aside a few packets for emergencies. Sima Yi checked his sword and crossbow, and then tested the climbing grappling hook.

At three quarters past Shen time, everything was ready.

Old Dao led ten men, driving a donkey cart loaded with herbs, slowly making their way towards the manor. Sima Yi and the rest of the group dispersed and infiltrated the woods outside the manor, awaiting a signal.

It was exactly 5 PM.

The manor gate opened a crack, and an old man who looked like a butler poked his head out: "Who goes there?"

"Reporting to you, sir, it's a clerk from Renxin Pharmacy." Old Dao nodded and bowed. "The manager said that the medicine Master Xun sent someone to get this morning was missing two ingredients, and he was worried that the medicine wouldn't be effective enough, so he specially sent me to deliver the missing ingredients."

"What trigger?"

"Three qian of perilla leaves and five slices of ginger—I have to tell the person decocting the medicine in person, otherwise the heat won't be right." Old Dao said it in a very measured way. "The shopkeeper also said that the cost of this medicine is waived, consider it a tribute to Master Xun."

The butler hesitated for a moment, then opened the door: "Come in, but don't look around."

Ten people pushed the cart in single file.

The moment the gate closed again, three signal arrows flew up from the woods outside the wall—the signal to attack.

Sima Yi was the first to rush towards the northwest corner of the courtyard wall. He threw out his grappling hook, precisely hooked it onto a locust tree branch, and quickly climbed up. The wound on his chest was aggravated, and a sharp pain shot through him, but he gritted his teeth and endured it, vaulting over the wall and landing gently inside the courtyard.

He stumbled upon landing, and Wu Pu called out from outside the wall, "Watch out!"

Sima Yi waved his hand, indicating that he was alright. He crouched in the shadows and observed: the backyard was quiet, with only the east wing lit. Two guards were dozing against the pillars, holding their spears.

He made a hand gesture. Five more men in black scaled the wall behind him and silently approached the two guards.

Cover mouth, lock choke, drag into shadow. All done in one smooth motion.

Sima Yi strode to the window of the east wing, used a dagger to pry open the window bolt, and climbed inside.

Inside the room, an eight-year-old girl was curled up on the tatami mat, covered with a thick quilt, her face flushed and her lips chapped. An old woman sat dozing by the bed.

Hearing the noise, the old nanny woke up and was about to shout when Sima Yi covered her mouth.

"Don't make a sound, we're here to rescue Miss Fu Shou," Sima Yi said in a low voice. "Are you an elder of the Fu family?"

The old woman nodded in fear.

"Then come with us." Sima Yi released her hand. "How is the young lady's illness?"

"She's had a fever for two days... and the medicine isn't helping..." the old nanny stammered. "Are you really here to rescue Miss?"

"Time is short, hurry up and help tidy up." Sima Yi had already walked to the bedside and reached out to touch Fu Shou's forehead—it was frighteningly hot.

The little girl opened her eyes groggily, saw a strange face, and shrank back in fright.

"Don't be afraid," Sima Yi said, trying to soften his voice. "Your brother, Fu Dian... sent me to pick you up."

Fu Shou's eyes widened: "Second brother... is still alive?"

"Alive." Sima Yi lied—Fu Dian had already died in the Xu Du massacre, but that was all he could say at this moment, "He's waiting for you in the north."

He bent down and picked up the little girl. Fu Shou was very light, like a feather.

"Wu Pu!" he called softly.

Wu Pu climbed in through the window, immediately took Fu Shou's pulse, and then looked at his eyes: "It's early stage of typhoid fever, it's still treatable. But we must administer the medicine as soon as possible."

"What's the situation outside?"

"The front yard is under control, and Xun Ji has been tied up by Lao Dao," Wu Pu said quickly. "But there's a situation outside the wall—Cao Tai's men arrived ahead of time, less than five miles from here."

Sima Yi's heart sank: "How many people?"

"The scouts report that there are at least two hundred riders."

"Let's go!" He picked up Fu Shou and walked out.

The group quickly scaled the wall from the northwest corner. Old Dao was already waiting outside and cried out, "Military Commander, we can hear horses' hooves from the east and south! We're surrounded!"

Sima Yi surveyed his surroundings. Dusk was deepening, and in the distance, the light of torches could indeed be seen moving.

"Head west, into the mountains," he said decisively. "The terrain in the mountains is complex, and the cavalry can't catch up."

"But Miss Fu Shou's illness..."

"We'll figure something out once we get into the mountains." Sima Yi handed Fu Shou to Wu Pu. "You hold her, I'll cover the rear."

"Your injury hasn't healed yet..."

"This is a military order!"

The fifty men quickly retreated westward. Just as they entered the mountains, they heard the sound of horses' hooves and shouts behind them—Cao Tai's men had arrived at the manor, discovered the escape, and immediately gave chase.

The forest was pitch black. Sima Yi ordered everyone to extinguish their torches, and they groped their way forward by the faint moonlight. Fu Shou trembled in Wu Pu's arms, beginning to babble incoherently, "Mother...cold..."

Wu Pu touched her forehead, his expression growing even more grave: "Your fever has gotten even higher."

"We need to find a place to stay and administer the medicine." Sima Yi looked at Lao Dao, "Is there anywhere nearby where we can hide?"

Old Dao thought for a moment: "There's a cave five miles north, where hunters rest. But... I don't know if anyone's there now."

"Let's go there."

The group walked for another half hour before finally finding the cave. The entrance was hidden by vines, but the inside was quite spacious, enough to hold twenty or thirty people. Old Dao led his men inside to check and confirm it was safe.

Wu Pu immediately started a fire, set up a small pot to boil water, and took out medicinal herbs from his medicine chest. Sima Yi placed Fu Shou on the ground covered with dry straw, and the old nanny took care of her nearby.

"Military Commander," a scout entered from outside the cave, lowering his voice, "Cao Tai's men have set up camp outside the woods; it looks like they're going to search the mountains."

How many people?

"At least a hundred, divided into ten teams, searching from the outside in."

Sima Yi walked to the cave entrance and looked out through the gaps in the vines. There were indeed scattered torches moving slowly down the mountain.

"They wouldn't dare venture deep into the mountains at night," he judged. "They probably won't find this place tonight. But it's hard to say what will happen at dawn."

Old Dao walked over: "Military Commander, we need to move before dawn."

"Which way to turn?"

"Head north, cross the Ying River. Once you cross the river, you'll be in Xuchang territory. Cao Tai's reach won't extend that far—after all, he's Cao Ren's nephew, not Cao Cao's own son, so he wouldn't dare cross the border to pursue us."

Sima Yi pondered for a moment: "Alright. But we must wait until Fu Shou's fever subsides before we can leave."

In the latter half of the night, only the crackling of the fire and Fu Shou's faint groans remained in the cave.

Wu Pu stood guard by the pot, carefully controlling the heat. The medicine was finally ready. He scooped out a bowl, blew on it to cool it, and had the old nanny feed it to Fu Shou little by little.

Sima Yi sat at the cave entrance, whittling a wooden stick with his dagger—he was making a stretcher. Fu Shou was in such a state that she definitely wouldn't be able to walk tomorrow; she'd have to be carried.

"Military Commander," Old Dao sat down beside him, handing him a piece of dry rations. "You should eat some too."

Sima Yi took it, but didn't eat it: "Old Dao, how many years have you been a night watchman?"

"Seven years," Old Dao chuckled. "I've been following you since our lord started his rebellion in Youzhou."

"Do you know that gray sparrow?"

Old Dao's face darkened: "I know him. His real name is Zhou Ping, and I brought him out here. Three years ago, his mother fell seriously ill and needed money for medicine... Cao Cao's men approached him and gave him one hundred gold pieces. He then..."

"They betrayed us."

"Hmm." Old Dao clenched his fist. "Later, his mother still died, and he hadn't even spent all the money. I went to see him once and asked him if he regretted it. He said he didn't regret it, saying that in this chaotic world, survival is the most important thing."

Sima Yi remained silent and continued whittling the wooden stick.

"Military Commander," Old Knife suddenly said, "Tell me... is it worth it for us to risk our lives to save her? Fu Shou is only eight years old. Even if we rescue her, what good will it do? Her father is dead, her brother is dead, a young girl in this chaotic world..."

"It is precisely because of the chaos of this world that we must save them even more," Sima Yi interrupted him. "If we can't even protect a little girl, what difference is there between us and Cao Cao?"

Old Dao was stunned.

"My father often told me," Sima Yi said softly, as if talking to himself, "that the world is bad enough already, and all we can do is make it a little bit better in our hands. Even if it's just a tiny bit."

Birdsong could be heard outside the cave—a coded signal from the night watchmen, indicating that it was safe.

Sima Yi stood up: "Tell everyone to get some rest. We'll depart at 3:00 AM."

At the beginning of the Yin hour, it was still dark.

Fu Shou's fever had subsided somewhat, and although she was still unconscious, her breathing was much more stable. Sima Yi secured her to a stretcher, and four soldiers took turns carrying her.

"Head north, across the Ying River," he ordered. "Old Dao, you lead the way."

The team quietly emerged from the cave and headed north along the ridge. The forest was shrouded in thick fog, with visibility less than ten paces. But this served as cover—even if Cao Tai's men searched the mountain, they would have a hard time finding them.

After walking for about an hour, the sky began to lighten with the first hint of dawn.

"The Ying River is just ahead," Old Dao pointed. "There's a ferry crossing, but it's not operating yet at this hour..."

"No need for a ferry crossing," Sima Yi said. "Let's find a shallow spot and wade across."

After walking another two miles, we found a riverbank. The water wasn't deep, just above our knees, but it was icy cold.

"Take off your shoes and roll up your trousers." Sima Yi was the first to go into the water. "Carry the wounded and Lady Fu Shou over."

The river water was as cold as a knife. Sima Yi gritted his teeth and walked forward step by step. The cold water stung his chest wound, making his vision blur, but he didn't stop.

On the opposite bank was a reed bed. The group had just stepped ashore and hadn't even had time to put on their shoes when they heard the sound of horses' hooves behind them.

Cao Tai's men are coming after us.

"Enter the reed marshes!" Sima Yi shouted in a low voice.

Fifty men quickly disappeared into the reeds. Just as they were hidden, more than twenty riders rushed to the riverbank.

"General! The hoofprints end here!"

"They must have crossed the river! Chase them!"

Just as the cavalry were about to cross the river, a bugle call suddenly sounded in the distance—it was the garrison from the direction of Xuchang.

Cao Taylor's expression shifted: "Damn it... he's crossed the line."

"General, shall we continue the pursuit?"

"...Retreat." Cao Tai glanced reluctantly at the reeds on the opposite bank. "They're lucky to be alive."

The sound of horses' hooves gradually faded into the distance.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief in the reed marshes.

Old Dao slumped to the ground: "At least... I escaped this time."

Sima Yi, however, was not so optimistic. He looked at Fu Shou in his arms; the little girl had a fever again, her face flushed.

"We can't stop." He stood up. "The garrison in Xuchang will be patrolling soon, so we have to keep heading north."

"Military Commander, your wound..." Wu Pu saw that blood was seeping through his clothes again.

"She won't die." Sima Yi re-tied Fu Shou to the stretcher. "Let's go."

On the 23rd day of the second month of the sixth year of Jian'an, in Xiangping.

I am listening to Hua Tuo report on the experimental results of his new prescription.

"The Ephedra and Cimicifuga Decoction with added gypsum and anemarrhena is remarkably effective for mild cases." Hua Tuo was in good spirits. "Of the thirty trial patients, twenty-five had their fevers subside in three days. But for the severe cases... it didn't work; nine died."

"What about the mortality rate?"

"From 30% to 20%." Hua Tuo paused. "I'm still adjusting the prescription. I've added rhubarb to clear the bowels and purge heat; that might help."

Zhuge Liang added from the side: "The 'Epidemic Prevention Handbook' has been compiled, consisting of three volumes: Volume One explains how to identify typhoid symptoms, Volume Two explains home protection and disinfection, and Volume Three explains simple prescriptions and nursing care. The students have already had the printing plates made, and the first batch of 500 copies will be distributed to various villages tomorrow."

"Okay." I nodded. "How's the pandemic situation now?"

"New cases are decreasing," Tian Yu said. "Since cremation and quarantine were implemented, the spread has slowed significantly. But... the total number of deaths has risen to eighty-seven."

Silence fell over the hall.

Eighty-seven lives lost. Behind each one is a family.

"Have all the compensation payments been distributed?"

"It's been distributed. According to your standards, adults will receive ten shi of grain and five bolts of cloth, while children will receive half that amount." Tian Yu paused, "Some families were unwilling to undergo cremation, so the students personally went to persuade them, saying that this was to save more lives... Most of them agreed."

Just then, Xu Shu rushed in, his face grim.

"My lord, the gray sparrow... is dead."

I was taken aback: "How did he die?"

"Suicide." Xu Shu handed over a secret report. "When the Night Scouts' brothers in Ye City found him, he had already taken poison. He left a suicide note, saying he was sorry to his lord and sorry to Old Dao, but his mother had lived a good life before she died... It was worth it."

I took the suicide note. The handwriting was messy, and you could tell that my hand was shaking when I wrote it.

"Let him have a proper burial," I said softly. "And set up a memorial tablet for his mother as well."

"My lord... you're not going to pursue this further?"

"When a person dies, the debt is cleared." I burned the will on the candle flame. "Issue the order: all brothers who are night thieves, their families, young and old, will receive monthly pensions from the government. If they die in battle, from illness, or in an accident, their children will be raised by the academy until adulthood—this clause shall be written into the Pension Order."

Xu Shu's eyes reddened slightly: "Yes."

"And one more thing," I said, looking at him, "this matter of cleaning house ends here. Gray Sparrow is the last one; don't mention it again. The brothers who are still alive are all brothers."

"...clear."

After Xu Shu left, Zhuge Liang asked softly, "Teacher, you really don't blame him?"

"It's strange," I confessed, "but he paid for it with his life. And..." I looked out the window, "In chaotic times, everyone has their own unavoidable circumstances. What we need to do is establish a system so that future generations won't have to face this kind of choice again."

February 25th, dusk.

Cheers suddenly erupted from the north gate of Xiangping City.

I climbed the city wall and saw a weary procession slowly approaching. At the head of the procession was Sima Yi, riding a horse and holding a little girl in his arms.

Fu Shou was saved.

I hurried down the city wall to meet him.

Sima Yi dismounted, his steps unsteady, almost unable to stand. Wu Pu supported him, whispering, "Military Commander, your wound is festering, and you've had a high fever for two days, but you're pushing yourself..."

"Don't speak yet." I took Fu Shou—the child was as light as a leaf, but her breathing was even, and her complexion was better than expected. "Hua Tuo! Where is Hua Tuo?"

Hua Tuo and his apprentices rushed over and immediately took Fu Shou to treat her.

I looked at Sima Yi: "You..."

Before he could finish speaking, the boy had already fallen forward.

I supported him, my palm touching his back—it was damp and warm. It was blood and sweat.

"Take him to medical school! Quickly!"

That night, the medical school was brightly lit.

Hua Tuo and his apprentice were busy in two wards at the same time: on one side was Fu Shou, whose typhoid fever had not yet healed, but she was treated in time and her life was not in danger; on the other side was Sima Yi, whose wound was severely infected, and who was in a coma with a high fever. Hua Tuo said, "If it had been half a day later, even a god could not have saved him."

I stood guard outside the ward, watching the medical staff come and go.

Zhuge Liang brought over hot tea: "Teacher, please go and rest for a while. There are students watching over you here."

"It's nothing." I took the tea. "Kongming, did you see that?"

"What do you see?"

"Seeing these fools who risked their lives to save others," I said softly, "Sima Yi was one, and so was Gray Sparrow back then... In this world, good people always suffer."

The boy remained silent for a long time.

"I think..." he said slowly, "that it is precisely because good people suffer that we need someone to stand up and build a world where good people are not taken advantage of."

I turned to look at him.

The fourteen-year-old boy had clear and determined eyes.

"You're right." I patted him on the shoulder. "So we have to win. Only by winning can we rewrite the rules."