Exile after Divorce? Empty the Scumbag Husband First!-Chapter 132 - 130: It Was His Magnanimity That Saved Ruan Qing From Disaster
Last night, Vice Minister Dong brought some tools for warmth from the house, including a water vessel.
Seeing this, Ruan Qing enthusiastically stepped forward: "I’ll help too, since I’m idle outside anyway."
Moreover, he is still the General.
During those few days as a servant at the post station, she had seen General Huo.
At that time, when Ruan Qing was cleaning the stable, she accidentally aggravated a spirited horse, causing it to go out of control, run out of the stable, and harm several innocent people, many of whom were kicked by the horse.
Thanks to Huo Zong controlling the horse, he also instructed others not to blame Ruan Qing too harshly.
It was due to his magnanimity that Ruan Qing avoided a calamity that time.
After sweeping, Ruan Qing planned to personally thank Huo Zong, but by then, he had already left the post station, and she never saw him again since.
Unexpectedly, meeting him again would be under such circumstances.
Inside the dark cave, only a candlelight was placed beside Ruan Mian. Ruan Qing, standing afar, couldn’t see the expression on General Huo’s face at the moment.
However, she saw the blood-stained strips on the ground and was startled, her heart filled with worry.
She quietly asked Vice Minister Dong while tending the fire.
"Lord Vice Minister, why is General Huo in this cave? Isn’t he outside fighting with the enemy troops? Could it be... has Wuheng already fallen?!"
She was taken aback!
If Wuheng had fallen, they would be in danger on Longchang Mountain.
The pursuing Lanqiang troops would certainly try their utmost to find them. Needless to say, they, who were already abandoned by Da Jing, would not meet a good end if caught by enemy forces!
Seeing her panic, Vice Minister Dong quickly reassured her.
"It’s not as serious as you think, Miss. General Huo is just temporarily injured; once he’s a bit better, he will return to the camp immediately."
"It hasn’t fallen? That’s good, that’s good."
Ruan Qing let out a long sigh of relief and quickened her pace in boiling water and tending the fire.
Meanwhile, due to excessive blood loss, Huo Zong had already passed out, but after Ruan Mian’s treatment and the effects of spiritual spring water and anti-inflammatory drugs, Huo Zong gradually regained consciousness.
He was astonished to find that his pain was not as severe as before.
Even the tearing sensation at the wound had improved quite a bit.
So he looked surprised at Ruan Mian, not expecting the medical skills of Miss Ruan to be so superb.
No wonder Mr. Xie held her in high regard back then.
He immediately struggled to get up and saluted Ruan Mian.
Ruan Mian supported him: "General, there’s no need for such manners. Your wound needs to rest for a few days. It’s because of the medication now that the pain is reduced. Once the effects of the medication wear off, the pain will return. You’ll have to bear with it then, General."
"For these few days, rest here until your body is a bit better before moving. If you leave now, the wound is prone to infection, which might let some people take advantage of your current predicament." 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶
Huo Zong was aware of this logic, thinking that with Xie Huai’an and the Junior General stabilizing the camp temporarily, resting here for four or five days was not an issue.
The fights in recent days had resulted in injuries for both them and the Lanqiang Army.
Both sides had ceased direct confrontations for the time being, taking this opportunity to regroup.
But he feared that the enemy might resort to devious tactics.
While pondering, he suddenly thought of something and spoke to Ruan Mian.
"Miss Ruan, I have another request."
In his dire straits, Ruan Mian was the only person he could turn to.
The situation was urgent, and he could not concern himself with anything else.
"Please, General, go ahead."
"Do you know where our camp is located? If not, Vice Minister Dong can tell you later."
"As far as I know, Miss Ruan’s family should have quite a few men. I hope you can persuade them and have someone skilled in horseback riding set out from the southeastern direction of the camp, travel to a village downstream by the Linfen River, and find a hunter named Han Ling, conveying my message to him for support."
Upon hearing the name, a certain plot from the original book suddenly emerged!
She immediately shook her head: "This person cannot be!"
Startled, Huo Zong looked over in confusion.
Ruan Mian explained: "General, what I mean is that such a trip is too time-consuming, and support may not arrive in time."
"Moreover, going to the lower reaches of the Linfen River is inherently dangerous, with the Lanqiang enemy stationed across the river. I heard that their battlefield was nearby a few days ago. Even if they’ve retreated, they will surely still be monitoring that area."
"No matter who, attempting to cross safely is certainly dangerous. General, are you planning to find that person because you’ve encountered some urgent difficulty in the camp? Is it food supplies or weapons?"
Ruan Mian did not mention Han Ling.
However, in the original book, Han Ling is King Yan’s nephew.
Once a leader of the Xuanjia Army, he went to the village and disguised as a hunter, partly to recuperate, but also to avoid some troubles in the camp.
Currently, Huo Zong was unaware of King Yan’s rebellion, nor did he know the Xuanjia Army was no longer loyal to the official.
If, this time, he uses Han Ling’s help for Xuanjia Army’s support, it would be like falling into King Yan’s scheme, wouldn’t it?
The reason other reinforcements had not arrived could probably be King Yan’s obstruction, forcing Huo Zong to turn to Han Ling.
By then, they would certainly use the Xuan Jia Army to capture Huo Zong’s group.
With the Emperor so far away, any whimsical fabrication, and negotiating with Lanqiang enemies, would yield achievements, gain popular support, but lose the city.
A loyal general like Huo Zong dedicating himself to the court, yet suffering an undeserved death.
Considering these possibilities, Ruan Mian was determined to prevent this matter.
Huo Zong, now backed into a corner, took a deep breath in resignation.
"Although you can help procure food supplies from Liao Lie, our arsenal is running low, and reinforcements have yet to arrive. The outcome otherwise is certain."
The conflict was intentionally instigated by the Lanqiang people; they were well-prepared, catching Huo Zong’s side off guard.
The gunpowder and weapons in the arsenal would inevitably be used up.
Upon hearing this, Ruan Mian’s face lit up with delight, and she quickly spoke up: "Weapons are easy to resolve!"
"How do you mean, Miss Ruan?"
Ruan Mian straightforwardly told him about their plan to make gunpowder and build roads, as well as the saltpetre plantation.
Seeing Huo Zong’s face full of disbelief, Ruan Mian reassured him: "How could I dare deceive the General? Mr. Xie is also aware of this."
"General, if you need weapons, I’ll prepare some gunpowder over the next couple of days. We can postpone the road construction; the General’s matters are more urgent."
Of course, making gunpowder truly would be too time-consuming.
Saltpetre doesn’t form quickly, so she could only use the plantation as an excuse, and gradually take out batches of the military-grade explosives she had previously confiscated from the Xuanjia Army arsenal.
Having decided on this, she left another day’s worth of medicine at the site.
