Chapter 684: Extra Chapter 2: Abrupt and Melodramatic

Marshal Chen?

Isn't Zhao Zixun just Marshal Chen's confidant?

It turns out Marshal Chen finally decided to locate the Marshal's Mansion in our Wufu Town.

This is something I never could have imagined.

Originally the women's school closed, I was forced to suspend my studies and felt upset, but now an excellent opportunity lies before me—I have no reason not to seize it.

I immediately packed my belongings and hurried home.

Father pulled strings and made arrangements, directly sending me into the Marshal's Mansion.

The first thing upon entering the Marshal's Mansion was to establish the rules.

The one who gave us instructors a talk and set the rules was General Zhao Zixun.

General Zhao was extremely dignified, his words carried weight; I kept my face flushed and head lowered the whole time, daring not to meet his gaze.

Altogether ten people entered the Marshal's Mansion to serve as instructors—six men and four women—and it was said that ultimately half would be eliminated, with the remainder each assigned to serve the various young masters and misses of the mansion.

The Marshal's Mansion had separate lodgings for female instructors; we four lived in the same row of side rooms and quickly became familiar with each other.

We were all young and innocent, with little scheming; soon we realized we had all been pushed in through family connections, and we were all here for General Zhao.

Among us was a girl named Lu Xian, who was very bold; before long she dared to lunge straight at Zhao Zixun, but he flicked her away with a hand, flinging her to the ground and rolling several meters away, looking utterly embarrassed.

Within half a month she was expelled from the Marshal's Mansion.

They said her virtue was lacking, fearing she would corrupt the young masters and misses of the mansion, and refused to hire her.

This charge was devised by Zhao Zixun, and the rumor was also spread by him.

He truly cannot tolerate even a speck of sand in his eyes.

Of the three of us left, one, because of this, actually began having nightmares night after night; after a few days she gave up her position and left the Marshal's Mansion.

I and the remaining female instructor were thus promoted directly, staying in the Marshal's Mansion to teach the two young ladies.

Under Zhao Zixun's management, the Marshal's Mansion had strict rules.

For example, when we instructors should have class, where to go for class, after class what range we could freely move in, if we wanted to go out whom to report to, how long we could be out, etc. —all were clearly stipulated.

Under such strict management, I had been in the Marshal's Mansion for two months yet still knew nothing about it.

My range of activity was too small, and the people I could contact were few.

Even Zhao Zixun—I had seen him no more than three times.

Not seeing him, my heart gradually sank.

The Second Young Lady of the Marshal's Mansion is four years younger than me, a very fine girl; she studies diligently, asks questions, is friendly with others, and longs for the outside world.

She told me, 'Once the situation stabilizes, I will ask the Marshal to send me abroad for study; when I return having completed my studies, I want to swap identities with me—I will be your instructor and tell you everything I have seen abroad.'

I listened to her wonderful vision, but in my heart I dared not agree.

If she really goes abroad to study, I will not continue staying in the Marshal's Mansion as a female instructor.

When she returns having completed her studies, whether she will still remember me is an unknown.

The turn of events was abrupt and melodramatic.

As the New Year approached, the Marshal's Mansion gave all us instructors holiday leave; I returned home and, together with my parents, busied myself preparing New Year goods and making arrangements for the celebration.

Unfortunately, as the year-end neared, a band of marauders burst into Wufu Town, burning, killing, and looting, nearly setting the Marshal's Mansion on fire.

Zhao Zixun was ordered to suppress the bandits.

He led men to swiftly clear out the bandits within Wufu Town, then took a detachment and marched straight into the mountain stronghold where the bandits were stationed.

Those days, everyone in Wufu Town felt insecure, fearing Zhao Zixun could not defeat the bandits; in the end, it was we ordinary people who suffered.

On Little New Year's Day, I went to the Marshal's Mansion and handed over an embroidered sachet bearing a dragon-and-phoenix auspicious pattern to the Second Young Lady.

This was something I had promised her before the holiday; I rushed and managed to finish the embroidery just before the New Year.

My embroidery is excellent; the pattern on the sachet is vivid and lifelike. The Second Young Lady liked it very much, she pressed two silver coins into my hand and chatted with me nonstop before letting me go.

From the Marshal's Mansion to my home is six li; the sky had already darkened, so I quickened my pace and hurried home.

Just as I was about to reach home, passing through a narrow alley, a hand suddenly shot out and grabbed my trouser leg, making me scream in fright.

Immediately afterward I heard a familiar voice: 'Fu Wan, it's me, Zhao Zixun.'

I lowered my gaze and saw Zhao Zixun emerging from somewhere; his right leg ankle had suffered a grave wound, as if hacked by an axe, and blood was still gurgling out.

I hurried to support him: 'You're hurt? Why are you bleeding so much? My home is just ahead not far away—bear with it, I'll help you to my house to staunch the bleeding and bandage.'

Zhao Zixun nodded; I exerted myself to prop him up. He had lost too much blood, his whole body trembled, and half his weight pressed on me, making the journey extremely difficult.

Fortunately, since I had not returned home by nightfall, my parents worried and both went out to look for me; we happened to meet on the way and they helped me bring him back home.

My parents are not hidebound; otherwise they would not have sent me to the county town to study at the women's school. From childhood I learned needlework and read the sages' writings; as I grew older, whatever interested me, my parents supported me in learning it.

In these tumultuous times of war, many have abandoned scholarship for medicine, so I too have followed the trend and picked up some basics; I can still do simple hemostasis and bandaging.

But throughout the process, Zhao Zixun did not let me do much hands‑on work.

I basically followed his orders the whole time: 'Boil some hot water and bring it over.'

'Do we have any hemostatic powder at home?'

No.

Such scarce supplies, our family could not possibly have.

Zhao Zixun then used a bandage to tightly bind his lower leg, asked for white liquor, and poured it directly onto the wound.

Not to mention me—even my father, watching, drew in a sharp breath.

Zhao Zixun gritted his teeth and did not utter a sound.

Hemostasis, disinfecting with white liquor, bandaging and fixing—Zhao Zixun carried out the steps in order, so skillfully it was heart‑wrenching.

But that very night he still ran a high fever; I stayed by his bedside, wringing out towels to cool him down.

In his fever‑induced haze he grabbed my hand and muttered something.

I leaned in and listened carefully, then heard him calling my name: "Fu Wan... Fu Wan..."

My face inexplicably flushed over a large area, and I replied: "Mm, I'm here."

"Fu Wan..." he continued to murmur, "On the day I entered the county town, I saw you."

I was startled.

That day the street was full of so many people.

I was drowned in the crowd, so ordinary—how could he possibly have seen me?

"I saw you at a glance..."

"We seem to have met somewhere before..."