During the following days, the residents of Da Lang noticed that there were a lot of imperial carriages visiting Liu YangHuan's residence.
The Emperor had practically emptied out his medicinal vault, sending carriages after carriages containing precious medicines and thousand-years ginsengs. There were also auspicious objects sent along, supposedly ones to aid the strengthening of the bodies. From night pearls, warming jades, statues of roosters1Rooster in chinese is usually affiliated with good fortune and fortitude... . One would probably think the Emperor was trying to move half of the imperial palace to Liu YangHuan's estate.
The Royal Princes had also visited the residence almost every day, sometimes not bothering to even go back to their estates for days on end. Apart from going to the Imperial Palace for their daily court duties for the first half of every day, Liu YangHuan's residence practically became their second home.
The three of them and Zhen BuFeng took turn to expend their energy to Ji SongLi. However, apart from the first seemingly successful attempt by Zhen BuFeng, their efforts afterwards yielded little to no result.
Even General Zhen personally also visited one day and expended his own energy, not only for Ji SongLi, but also for Ji ChanFang.
Ji ChanFang was already starting to gain consciousness, though he was always still groggy whenever he managed to open his eyes. The effect of the poison seemed to have muddled his mind and impeded his eyesight. Wu JianRui kept by his side almost the entire time, her own body became apparently thinner every each passing day.
The same condition also applied to Hai FenChu, who could only watch Ji SongLi lying unmoving in his bed.
YuLan entered the bedroom carrying a basin of water, accompanied by Xiao He. She put it on the table, poured a cup of water from a pot already on the table, and walked towards Hai FenChu, who was still sitting by the bed. She softly touched the older woman's shoulder, alerting the latter's attention to her presence.
"Madame Hai." She forced a smile while handing her the cup of water, "You have been up all night. I can watch after Young Master in your stead for a time being. Please have some rest."
Hai FenChu looked up to her with bleary empty eyes. She accepted the water and drank it slowly, then managed to muster a light nod before weakly sauntering outside with Xiao He's support.
YuLan walked towards the basin of water and soaked a few clothes to freshen the young man in bed. Every night, although the Ji SongLi had yet to regain consciousness, his body had been shivering with cold sweat. The frown on his youthful face was the only visible expression anyone could observe.
"YuLan," a soft voice called her from the door. She turned her head quickly, feeling slightly conscious she had been engrossed in looking after Ji SongLi too much, she did not even realize someone had entered the room.
It was Ji LanBai. It was one thing to not notice Ji SongLi's, Zhen BuFeng's, or even the three Royal Princes' footsteps - given their martial art skills. But Ji LanBai was never the most quiet female in the household, always walking around with gusto in her steps, despite YuLan and Wu JianRui's grimace and constant reminders.
"I must be getting tired, too... ." YuLan mused bitterly.
The younger girl walked sloppily, her own fatigue very evident on her pale face. Ji LanBai was already petite in her stature to begin with, now she look even more frail.
Worrying between both her father and her brother, Ji LanBai had been forced to mature quickly in just a span of a few weeks. No one would canoodle her to ease her worries. Her mother was occupied with taking care of Ji ChanFang, as the Second Madame was with Ji SongLi. Ji LanBai could only offer her own way of support by ensuring her mother always eat on time and consume her medicine as well, lest Wu JianRui would also break down before Ji ChanFang fully recovered.
There had been quite a few deaths resulting from the last incident caused by the Dong tribe.
The Ji estate in Ming Town was almost wiped out. There were only a couple of survivors who were lucky enough to only receive flesh wound, not poison.
But for the remainder of the deceased soldiers and guards, their families could only accept the reality of departure of their loved ones. They could only be silent in their bereavement.
Fortunately there was a form of compensation system in case of deaths. However, the two people who were most eligible and responsible for this, Ji ChanFang and Ji SongLi, were bedridden. And the two Madames were never involved in this kind of matter.
The mourning families definitely could not and should not wait until the General fully recovered. Thus together with He Shan and Sun Chen, YuLan took it upon herself to prepare and finalize all due compensations to the deceased soldiers' families.
For the educated scholars like He Shan and Sun Chen, this was not too complicated once they were shown the procedure, but everyone was surprised with YuLan's involvement in the matter as well. In fact, she was probably more efficient than the two scholars. She ended up becoming the head command of the whole operation, streamlining the distribution process so the whole thing could be finalized as efficient as possible.
For YuLan, it was not a difficult thing, having been in managerial position in the past. All she had to learn was the procedure, shown and told to her by the surviving Ji soldiers and Zhen BuFeng who also had similar system in his own Wolf clan.
Then Ji LanBai and Wu JianRui, as the acting heads of the family in Ji ChanFang and Ji SongLi's absence, only needed to stamp all paper works with their Tiger seals.
In merely a week, all compensations had been distributed properly to the bereaved families. The Ji clan also bore the funeral arrangements for the deceased.
YuLan could not help but to feel sad.
Such was death.
In the end, those people were all just names on papers.
Money helped, compensation helped; but lives that were lost could never be returned.
Was it all worth it? If time could be rewound, would those lost souls have chosen a different paths apart from sword and blood?
"Will Li-ge ... be alright?" Ji LanBai walked towards her brother's bed and softly put her small palm on his arm. Her soft voice woke YuLan from her own lament.
Before YuLan could reply, she could hear commotion from outside the room and a few hurried steps of servants of the residence, heading towards the front gate. Hai FenChu was resting; Wu JianRui was still in Ji ChanFang's room; He Shan and Sun Chen might already be addressing the disturbance. Nevertheless, Yulan quickly walked out to observe as well.
Apparently another set of carriages from the palace came, but this time with ruckus and argument accompanying the bearer of the carriage.
Usually, the servants would just carry the content of the carriages inside to accept the goodwill of the Emperor, then the carriages would return to the palace.
But this time, Princess Zhang XiuYa personally came along with the carriages. She was accompanied by Minister Chao's daughter, Chao MeiHua.
"This Princess will be coming inside and offer greetings to the Madames of the house! What nerve you lowly servants have to obstruct my path!" The Princess flung her sleeves, her flawless face frowning in displeasure and her perfectly drawn eyebrows were lifted in challenge.
He Shan had also just arrived in front of the gate along with Sun Chen, their lips were pursed in ire. Although scholars were always generally respected by nobles and Imperial Family alike, they still could not be rude towards a second-ranked Princess,
"Your Highness." HeShan tried to hide his sardonic smile, "Neither the General or the Young Master are conscious yet to offer their hospitality to your esteemed self... ."
His sarcasm was very clear, causing the Princess' face to turn red. She could not act willful towards the two young scholars though, as they were practically her seniors from the same teachers. She was previously under Liu YangHuan and Wu DanShao's tutelage as well.
"He-laoshi," Chao MeiHua interjected, "We just intend to express our goodwill towards the two Madames and possibly observe the well-being of General Ji and Young Master Ji as well... ."
"Young Miss Chao." SunChen this time spoke with a slight bow of his body, "The two Madames are resting and we can only ask your noble self and Princess to return. On behalf of the two Madames, we extend our apologies."
"You --," Chao MeiHua gritted her teeth and was about to refute. She then noticed YuLan walking from the inner residence towards her direction as well, alongside the Young Miss Ji LanBai.
Both were looking evidently more haggard than the last time they saw them.
They were only wearing plain colored robes and their face were devoid of make-up. The usually vibrant Ji LanBai was looking more pale, her usually full cheeks were now slightly sunken. Her long hair simply fell on her back, without any adornment.
Bai YuLan did not even bother to comb her own hair. She just gathered everything and formed it into a high bun, with some strand hair falling around her facial frame. Her lidded eyes only added to her wane appearance.
The Princess and Chao MeiHua were both appalled but also inwardly pleased at the lacking appearance of this young woman that all the Royal Princes, Zhen BuFeng, and Ji SongLi had shown their familiarity with.
Appalled; because clearly YuLan did not bother to make herself presentable to greet them both who were higher of status.
Pleased; because as females, they saw that the latter's outwardly appearance was not one normally call pleasing to the eyes, let alone to the opposite sex.
Such were the complexity of young women, especially ones who were rivals in love. Although they would not outrightly offend the other party, they would always compare themselves with the other and would feel pleased if they perceived themselves as superior.
But whatever might be on their minds, YuLan did not even have the mind to care. Upon reaching He Shan and Sun Chen's side, she bowed respectfully towards the two noble personages as well,
"As He-laoshi and Sun-laoshi have previously mentioned, Princess, and Young Miss Chao, although we are deeply thankful for His Majesty the Emperor for his well-intended gifts, and yourselves for having personally deliver them, we are unable to receive your esteemed selves as guests today."
Upon hearing this, the Princess stepped forward and stood valiantly in front of YuLan, "Who are you to dare to speak!! Just a lowly servant!"
He Shan and Sun Chen let out a soft gasp. YuLan straightened her body to see the Princess squarely in the eyes, her own face void of any expression.
"Princess... ." Chao MeiHua anxiously tugged on her sleeves. But Zhang XiuYa flung her arms to release her hold,
"She is just a servant, MeiHua! What are you being cautious about?" She pointed her finger onto YuLan's face. Zhang XiuYa's lips were lifted in mockery as she continued to speak,
"I have asked some of my people to check her background. Just a lowly orphan that has received slight favor from her masters. How audacious that she even dares to speak to us this way! Clearly you have overstepped your boundaries!"
"Princess!!" He Shan now growled in warning. Although he and Sun Chen never really knew YuLan's background in detail, they definitely knew that she did not have any blood relation to any of the Ji family members. But for them, all they wanted to recognize in a person was talent. They also were orphans, how could they listen to a Royal Princess, who never had any stumble in her life, berate someone they thought as their own kin.
