[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-unorthodox-sword-of-ming":3,"chapter-the-unorthodox-sword-of-ming-the-unorthodox-sword-of-ming-chapter-85":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Unorthodox Sword of Ming",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2337290,4570,"Chapter 85: Becoming Village Headman","the-unorthodox-sword-of-ming-chapter-85",85,"\u003Cp>Pan Yue said: “We’ll pay whatever it takes—just prescribe the medicine.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The physician warned: “This medicine isn’t cheap—it requires ginseng to boost qi; just that ingredient alone costs one and a half taels per dose. Even after recovery, if you remove the ginseng, each dose still costs eight mace.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yue: “Prescribe it. My father will bring the money soon.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only then did the physician begin preparing the medicine, handing the herbs to the apprentice to decoct, while he attended to Pan Yu’s wounds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yue himself suffered many injuries; when Pan Hong rushed in and lifted his robe, he saw Pan Yue sitting bare-chested on a stool, applying ointment—his body covered in purple and red bruises, swollen and streaked with blood, looking utterly horrific.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Hong’s gaze swept the room, missing his younger son; his heart tightened, his face paled as he stepped inside. “Yue’er, where’s Yu’er?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yue turned back quickly. “Father, my younger brother is inside.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Recalling their narrow escape, Pan Yue’s eyes reddened, his voice trembling with sobs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Hong embraced him briefly, patted his shoulder, then hurried inside to see his second son lying still.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After learning the full extent of the injuries, Pan Hong bought three doses of medicine and arranged for the physician to visit again in three days, then borrowed a cart to haul Pan Yu home.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When they returned to the village, the entire place was filled with wailing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The rice in the military fields of the Western Suburb’s Five Garrisons had not yet been harvested, so villagers from the exile colony were conscripted to cut it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because the fields were far away, they had to bring their belongings and live and work beside the fields until the harvest was complete before returning home.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both Pan Yue and his brother had been conscripted—they’d been gone two days already; barring accidents, they’d finish tomorrow and return.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one expected Tartars to bypass the guard battalion’s defenses and raid inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Listening to the cries echoing around him, Pan Hong’s face darkened. No, though the western frontier was long and hard to fully secure, as commander of Datong, he should have prepared for Tartar raids in autumn and winter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It had become routine—why still couldn’t they stop it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Hong laid Pan Yu on the bed, about to ask Pan Yue for details of the Tartar raid, when Pan Yue shut and barred all windows and doors, then turned, lowering his voice: “Father, do you still have the yellow talismans Sister sent?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yellow talismans?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yue: “Yes—the safety talisman Sister mailed. When Brother was slashed, the talisman saved him. When I was hit by an arrow, it didn’t pierce me—I saw it fall right before my chest.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Hong’s expression shifted slightly. “You saw it clearly?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yue nodded solemnly. “I saw it plainly. Afterwards, our safety talismans turned scorching hot—Brother’s turned to ash, mine burned halfway through.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Hong: “Where are the talismans?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yue: “I gave mine to my brother—he was too badly wounded. I thought swallowing it would help more.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Hong frowned, thought a moment, then went to the cabinet and took out the box.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the box, besides a few vials of medicine, were the yellow talismans Pan Yun had sent them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He pulled out the safety talisman and the health talisman, then paused and took an extra health talisman.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The health talisman could be carried or ingested—Pan Yun had detailed the method in her letter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though he didn’t know if it was real, he was willing to try.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Hong recited the prayer as Pan Yun had written, then burned one health talisman, mixed the ash into water, and made Pan Yu drink it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yu stared at the gray-black liquid, hesitant. “Father, don’t we have medicine already?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Hong knew he was being fussy now that adults were present. He snapped: “No excuses. Drink it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yu took the bowl, closed his eyes, and swallowed it in one gulp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The talisman water tasted strange—disgustingly bitter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Father and son both watched Pan Yu’s face. “Any feeling?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yu: “What feeling? Is nausea counted?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yue: “Father, his lips don’t look as pale anymore.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Hong studied him closely, then nodded after a moment. “They do seem a bit redder.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Pan Yu carefully felt himself, touched his abdomen. “My stomach doesn’t hurt as much.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Hong muttered: “The talisman has cinnabar—could it be the cinnabar’s effect?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yu quickly added: “And there’s a bloody smell—I don’t know what blood Sister mixed in. Father, she used to be odd, but never seriously wanted to become a Daoist. Why, after we left, did she become one?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Hong didn’t tell them about the Embroidered Uniform Guard’s second raid on their home—he feared they’d act rashly. Instead, he said: “Didn’t I tell you? The Daoist from Mount Sanqing who visited me that day saw Yunniang and recognized her as a natural talent for cultivation, so he took her to Mount Sanqing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“When I’m cleared, or when you earn merit and leave Datong, go to Mount Sanqing and bring her back. Whether she wants to cultivate or not, with family as her backing, she can live freely.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yu: “But Father, if Sister’s already this powerful just starting cultivation, when we go to fetch her, who’ll be whose backing?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Hong: “Shut up.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yue: “Father, are these yellow talismans really Sister’s own work? Could they be drawn by her master?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Hong: “No. Yunniang never exaggerates. If she says she drew them, she drew them. Only the medicine was made by her masters.” He lowered his gaze, thinking. “Datong’s physicians can’t match those in Beijing or the Jiangnan region. Mount Sanqing cultivates alchemy. Honestly, Yunniang going there to study talisman arts is a misstep—she should’ve pursued alchemy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll write and ask—Mount Sanqing may have a matching prescription or elixir. Yu’er is still young; he absolutely cannot suffer lasting damage.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Should we still give Brother the medicine the physician prescribed?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Hong: “Yes! Why not? If Yunniang sends a prescription, we’ll switch. Until then, we stick with the physician’s medicine.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yue: “Should we keep ingesting the talismans?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Hong hesitated, then shook his head. “No. Yunniang didn’t say how many to take. One is enough.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Hong still didn’t fully trust the talismans, so he chose caution.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This box has wound ointment. Take some for you and Yu’er. I’ll go cook you something.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the time Pan Hong finished everything and finally wrote and mailed his letter, it was afternoon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The village was still filled with cries. Pan Hong stepped outside and had already gathered most of the details.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The city’s Hu Battalion Commander and the Western Third Garrison’s troops had marched out, driving the raiders far away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>!.read\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Tartars numbered only seventy or eighty. Reports say Hu’s forces beheaded nine; the rest fled back to the steppe with stolen rice and money.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Our side lost many: three soldiers died, the rest were all exile colony villagers and the village headmen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only after the Tartars fled did villagers dare go out to search for their dead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some families found their loved ones quickly; others had bodies recovered by Ming soldiers; some were injured but found in time and brought back for treatment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many more still hadn’t found bodies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jin Zhangli helped search.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to him, they’d been tying rice stalks in the field when the Tartars suddenly appeared, slashing with swords.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>About a hundred people were scattered across the field—exile colonists, plus some military auxiliaries.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This field was their military allotment, their duty—but because they hadn’t finished harvesting, they’d been conscripted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They ran in all directions; the Tartars split up to chase them. No one knew who ran where. Bodies were hard to find.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jin Zhangli searched with them for two days; Pan Yue joined, recovering several corpses and returning them to families.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Three were missing—whether they fled, died, or were captured as slaves, no one knew. They’d searched everywhere. No sign of life, no trace of bodies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Hong was summoned and appointed the new village headman.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Bei saw him in the garrison, his face grim.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Hong was displeased too, but showed nothing—his expression remained calm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The village headman said: “This Tartar raid killed two headmen. Wu Bei, I’m recalling you not to forgive you, but to let you redeem yourself. If you mess up again, it won’t just be a transfer to the guard battalion.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Bei bowed deeply, murmuring: “Yes, yes. I’ll be careful, I won’t dare make another mistake. Headman, you know my loyalty…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What good is loyalty to me? Be loyal to His Majesty. Do your duty.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The headman nodded repeatedly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The village headman turned to Pan Hong, his expression brightening. “Pan Hong, how is your younger son?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Hong replied respectfully: “Much improved, but still unable to walk. Needs more rest.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The village headman nodded. “Battalion Commander Qin admires your sons’ bravery. Battalion Commander Hu asked too—they want to transfer your two sons into the military. What do you think?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Hong looked grateful. “For Battalion Commander Qin to notice my sons is their fortune. But Pan Yu injured his internal organs—he’ll likely never bear heavy labor again. Pan Yue, however, can go.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The village headman understood—he only mentioned Qin, not Hu. He nodded. “Then tomorrow, send him to Qin. From now on, you’ll be headman over five neighboring households.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Hong accepted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The village headman gave instructions: report the casualties under his jurisdiction, then dismissed them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Hong walked slowly home, head down, lost in thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Wu Bei passed him from behind, he deliberately shoved Pan Hong’s shoulder hard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Hong stopped and turned to look.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Bei turned, sneered: “If your two sons hadn’t risked their lives for a military merit, do you think a convict like you could be headman?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Hong: “Aren’t you a convict too? Let me recall—what was your crime? Accepting bribes of fifty-five taels? Barely escaped execution.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You! You also took bribes—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wu Headman, my sentencing document doesn’t specify a bribe amount,” Pan Hong said coldly. “Whether I took bribes—I know. The court knows. Even His Majesty knows. I Pan Hong can say I have no guilt. Dare you say the same?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You!” Wu Bei turned ashen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1717,"2026-06-20T22:03:57.478Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","2e47f3a00feee7202142e1816e7d264bbf763bce5dfd30416a86959ccc41219c","the-unorthodox-sword-of-ming-chapter-86","the-unorthodox-sword-of-ming-chapter-84",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-unorthodox-sword-of-ming-cover.jpg"]