Chapter 564 - 564 561 Not Suitable for Expedition_1

Chapter 564: Chapter 561: Not Suitable for Expedition_1 Chapter 564: Chapter 561: Not Suitable for Expedition_1 “Hurry and summon the military doctor! The young lady is injured! Quick!” Lu Ping instructed a guard of the Bai family beside him.

The guard answered and galloped off.

Only then did Bai Qingyan raise her hand to touch her feverish ear. She didn’t know when, but fresh blood had already soaked half of her shoulder.

However, Bai Qingyan didn’t take this minor injury to heart.

Dong Changmao had already led three thousand light cavalry to pursue A Yu. But Dong Changmao would naturally not catch him. He would deliver the three thousand light cavalry to Dong Changlan and then return to Dengzhou City… claiming the three thousand light cavalry were completely wiped out by Nanrong, and petition the Imperial Court for aid.

After autumn, winter was about to set in. The weather in the Dongji Grassland was complex and unsuitable for long expeditions.

So this winter, the Emperor could only placate the Dengzhou Army, hoping they would hold Dengzhou City.

Even if the Emperor had the ambition to eradicate the Rong, he would have to wait until spring next year.

During this time, whether it was A Yu or Dong Changlan, they could all have a peaceful winter.

After the Nanrong Army was repelled, Dong Qingyue sent someone to convey the news to the camp swiftly, instructing the people to pack up and return to the city the next morning, as chaos ensued in the city after the war.

Except for Dong Mansion requisitioned by the Masked General, other officials’ residences and the alley where wealthy families resided were turned upside down.

The Dengzhou Army, after a brief rest, began to clean up Dengzhou City, retrieving the bodies of their fallen comrades and clearing the bodies of the Rong outside the city to avoid scaring the returning populace.

The Dengzhou Army each received their orders. Some commanders led their soldiers to search for Rong stragglers hidden in Dengzhou City. Others led soldiers to repair the houses and streets damaged by the Rong Army, working efficiently in cooperation.

Bai Qingyan returned to Dong Mansion, and the military doctor hurried over to clean and bandage her wound. That arrow was extremely dangerous, almost grazing Bai Qingyan’s neck. She narrowly missed meeting the same fate as Princess Mingcheng.

Dong Qingyue, upon seeing the wound, could not help but feel a lingering fear. Bai Qingyan had always been cautious… Hence, Dong Qingyue allowed her to lead twenty thousand troops to attack the northern gate alone.

He estimated that it was because A Yu was inside Dengzhou City that Bai Qingyan inevitably acted rashly during the siege.

As Dong Qingyue saw that Bai Qingyan was now safe, he breathed a sigh of relief, but could already imagine Madam Dong twisting his ear when she saw Bai Qingyan’s ear injury.

Before dawn the next day, the Dengzhou Army had already cleaned and cleared Dengzhou City. They opened the city gates to welcome the citizens back.

The first to enter the city was the Dong family’s convoy, followed by carriages of the officials in Dengzhou City, and then the people driving ox carts and pulling handcarts.

Dengzhou City had just been washed with water by the Dengzhou Army. Although the smell of blood was not so strong, there was still a slight odor left. The streets were neat, and the doors and windows destroyed by the Rong Army had been repaired.

Xiao Rongyan also returned to Dengzhou City with the Dengzhou Army, but he did not visit Dong Mansion again. He bought an inn to stay temporarily and said he would leave for Wei Kingdom in a few days.

Bai Qingyan and Dong Qingyue stood in front of Dong Mansion to welcome Madam Dong. From a distance, they saw the carriage engraved with the Dong family crest coming from the end of the long street. Dong Qingyue glanced back at Bai Qingyan’s bandaged ear and said, “When your grandmother scolds your uncle later, you have to say some good words for him!”

Bai Qingyan smiled, “I got this injury from my own rashness. How could Grandmother blame Uncle for that? Uncle, you worry too much.”

Seeing the Dong family’s guard already dismounted, followed by Madam Cui, Little Madam Cui, Dong Tingyun, and Dong Tingzhi’s carriages, the three concubines’ carriages of the Dong Mansion had already bypassed to the side gate.

Seeing Madam Dong being helped off the carriage by Nanny Wang, Bai Qingyan stepped forward to greet, “Grandmother.”

The sky had not completely brightened yet. The steps of the Dong family, washed repeatedly, were still wet. The lanterns with the Dong character written on them, hanging high on the eaves, swayed back and forth with the wind, casting unsteady shadows. Madam Dong, being old, had not yet noticed the injury on Bai Qingyan’s ear. She responded with a smile, her gaze falling on the vermilion doors of Dong Mansion, “This time, though we let the people leave home with us, at least we brought them back safe and sound.”

Chun Tao, with red eyes, got off the carriage and her eyes turned red again upon seeing Bai Qingyan. She hurried forward but dared not surpass Madam Dong and greeted, “Young Lady…”

Just as Madam Cui reached Madam Dong, Bai Qingyan called out “Aunt,” and Madam Cui noticed the bandage on Bai Qingyan’s ear, “Ah! Kid, what happened to your ear?”

Chun Tao’s gaze fell on the bandage around Bai Qingyan’s neck. Her face turned pale with worry, disregarding etiquette, and she rushed forward, “Young Lady… are you injured?!”

Hearing this, Madam Dong’s face turned pale. She rushed up the steps, lifted her skirt, grabbed Bai Qingyan’s arm, and checked the injury on her ear.

“Grandmother, it’s nothing serious! It just brushed by. Uncle wasn’t reassured and had the military doctor bandage it up. If you ask me… it didn’t even need bandaging.” Bai Qingyan smiled, touching her own ear bandage, “If you don’t believe me, Grandmother, once you’ve settled down, I’ll have Chun Tao remove the bandage for you to see!”

“This child…” Madam Dong rebuked Bai Qingyan, but breathed a sigh of relief, “Is it really not serious?”

Bai Qingyan nodded with a smile, “Uncle was also worried just now. He told me… if Grandmother scolds him, I should speak on his behalf!”

Madam Dong squeezed Bai Qingyan’s hand hard and gave Dong Qingyue a glare as they walked in, her voice lowering, “When you brought Kid to capture the city, how did you promise me? Unscathed! This is your unscathed?”

“Mother…” Dong Qingyue supported Madam Dong from the other side and whispered, “There are so many servants in this mansion. Please leave your son some face.”

“Grandmother, it really wasn’t Uncle’s fault. I was too eager to capture that Masked General, so I was a bit reckless. It’s good I got wounded this time; it taught me a lesson. In the future when I’m on the battlefield, I won’t be so impulsive. Just this minor injury trading for future caution and safety is worth it for Kid.”

Bai Qingyan’s words made sense. Madam Dong squeezed her hand harder, “You think Grandmother doesn’t know… you’re just covering for your uncle?”

“It’s Kid’s fault, not Uncle’s.” Bai Qingyan supported Madam Dong, slowly walking towards the Chuihua gate.

“Look, your niece… even after being hurt, she still sides with you. Shame on you, making your niece speak up for you!” Madam Dong’s tone clearly showed she was no longer angry.