Chapter 201 - 201 Her Second Brother
201 Her Second Brother
Lin Zheng learned a lot as he followed Su Binglan on her journey. He worshiped her like she was a goddess. Naturally, he found out why his master had gone to the capital.
“Master, is Second Martial Uncle in the valley camp?” Lin Zheng called Su Wenxiu “Second Martial Uncle” because he was Su Binglan’s brother.
Su Binglan focused her attention and said, “Yes, it’s right there.”
Her words mystified Lin Zheng, and he became puzzled. He wondered how his master knew where Su Wenxiu was, but he would not pry as he was a bright young man. All he knew was that his master was powerful.
“Yes, Master. We will rescue Second Martial Uncle right away.”
Su Binglan said, “Let’s eat something first. We will make our move at night.”
It was dark and windy at night, so it was a more suitable time to do things.
“Yes, Master.”
When Su Binglan and Lin Zheng finished their meals, she told Lin Zheng to sleep in the inn while she went to the Zhu residence.
During their meal, Su Binglan overheard people talking about Zhu Liang, so she knew he was currently in the Zhu residence in the capital city.
She made the trip and swiftly returned. Later that night, when Su Binglan and Lin Zheng were having dinner, someone said, “Did you hear? Master Zhu from the Imperial Kitchen ate something at noon and became mute.
“I heard he could no longer smell anything and that something had damaged his throat. He was in a hurry to find a doctor to give him emergency treatment.”
“Yeah, I heard. Master Zhu couldn’t even make a sound.”
“That guy isn’t a good person anyway. He got close to the crown prince and did many terrible things over the past few years.”
“Shh, you can’t say such things so openly.”
…
Lin Zheng ate a lot that night as he listened to the gossip. He could gather helpful information that way. He could not help but look at his master when he heard the people’s discussions.
‘Master went out at noon. Was she involved in this matter?’
Of course, Lin Zheng’s guess was correct.
Zhu Liang had harmed Su Binglan’s third uncle, so she returned the favor and gave him a taste of his own medicine. Killing Zhu Liang was too merciful, after all. Giving him a taste of his own medicine would torture him for a lifetime as no one could cure Zhu Liang’s condition.
Su Binglan looked into Lin Zheng’s eyes and knew what he was thinking. She said smirkingly, “It’s just as you guessed.”
Lin Zheng opened his mouth in shock. He had witnessed his master’s abilities and was already used to them.
That night, the duo went to the western suburbs of the valley outside the capital. Weeds and tall trees overgrew the environment and looked like an uninhabited place.
Lin Zheng wondered if his master’s second brother was really there. Of course, he doubted the environment, not his master’s intuition. Lin Zheng felt a tough battle might be ahead, so he made ample preparations, even eating a lot that night.
“The terrain is complex here. Stay close, and don’t wander off,” Su Binglan said.
Lin Zheng understood the dangers lurking there. Thus, he followed his master to a tee. When the two reached the valley’s high point and looked down, they saw a flat area. The battalion commander and many well-trained people were there too.
Lin Zheng was surprised. “Master, is someone training a team here?”
Su Binglan focused her vision and replied, “You’re right. Moreover, these guys seem pretty capable. They’re either assassins or private army members that someone is secretly training.”
An estimated several thousand people were in the camp, so it was not a small team.
Lin Zheng somewhat understood his master’s words. “No wonder the staff from Hundred Herbs Hospital couldn’t find the thieves. It turns out the thieves are in a secret place. Who would have thought that they came from this place.”
Su Binglan revealed a crooked smile. “It’s not that simple. The Wu family is the Hundred Herbs Hospital’s backers, and the Wu family is the head of the imperial hospital. Someone is pressuring the Wu family to make a decision.”
After listening to his master’s explanation, Lin Zheng suddenly realized something and said, “Is it a power struggle between the higher-ups?”
He had seen and heard a lot from Su Binglan along their journey. Therefore, he understood certain things.
“You’re right. One can do many things if one controls the imperial hospital. The Wu family has withstood these people’s pressure and is looking for people to help them.”
Lin Zheng put his knife away and said, “Master, I’m ready. Let’s kill our way in and save Second Martial Uncle.”
Su Binglan glanced at him, and Lin Zheng felt his master was looking down on him again because of the look in her eyes.
Su Binglan put some things in a windpipe and lit them up. When the wind blew the smell of the burning substances into the valley, she explained, “This is knockout gas, and it will cause those people to faint. I made it myself.
“We’re a little far away, so it won’t be much use, but it’s effective. Still, there are too many people, and it won’t be easy to save Wenxiu.”
Even if the people down there were privately trained teams, Su Binglan did not want to cause more deaths. She only wanted to save her second brother and live a good life with her family.
Of course, if someone insisted on destroying her family, she would retaliate. If not, she did not want to commit killings because even those people had relatives to look after. Everyone wanted to live a good life, after all. It wasn’t the people’s fault, but the higher-ups instead.
Lin Zheng nodded thoughtfully as Su Binglan led him in. She knew where Su Wenxiu was, so she immediately went in that direction.
When she opened the tent, she saw several people inside, tied up with their mouths stuffed with cloth. None of them could speak. As for the guards outside the tent, Su Binglan had knocked them out.
After looking around, she saw Su Wenxiu.
“Second Brother!”
Su Wenxiu never expected to see his sister there, so he thought he was hallucinating. He became teary-eyed as he had suffered a lot these days. He missed his family very much and wanted to go home. Su Wenxiu thought he would never see his family again.
He was tall and slender but had never gone on a journey before. He was excited to follow Hundred Herbs Hospital’s delivery team but later became homesick.
Su Binglan approached Su Wenxiu, removed the cloth from his mouth, and untied the rope around his wrist.
“I-Is that you, Little Sister? Am I dreaming?” Su Wenxiu’s voice was hoarse as he could barely make a sound.
He was in a sorry state with many wounds around his body. Su Binglan almost could not recognize him as her second brother. “It’s me, Second Brother. I’m here to bring you home.”
After Su Binglan untied the rope, Su Wenxiu immediately hugged his little sister, saying, “Little Sister, I-I want to go home.”
Su Wenxiu had told himself he would never cry because he was a man, but he still did at that moment.
“Okay, let’s go home,” Su Binglan said gently.