Chapter 367 The Living Must Go On

Magistrate Tian had still been holding on, but when he heard the report that the Second Master and Third Master had taken their own lives in the granary after it was breached, he fainted dead away.

The two masters did not want to become trophies for the Rong invaders to claim credit with. One died with a smile as he killed himself, the other died cursing loudly…

A tragic death.

The entire Government Office sank into a grief so thick it could not be dispelled.

Yan Lao’er stuck close to his brother, not leaving him by so much as a step.

His fear came late. Only now did it really hit him.

He felt that only by staying next to his brother could he feel safe.

Yan Huaiwen, however, was utterly calm.

“Tianyou, carry Magistrate Tian to the rear courtyard and settle him there. You personally will watch over him.”

Yan Lao’er glanced at Magistrate Tian, who looked as if he had aged countless years even in his faint, and had no choice but to leave his brother’s side for the moment.

The frame of his family’s donkey cart was still lying tipped over in the courtyard. He pushed it over and used it to carry Magistrate Tian.

Quick-eyed and quick-handed, Yan Lao’er also picked up everything scattered on the ground and piled it in the corners.

He winced a bit inside. Quite a lot had been ruined.

“Heng’er, take some men and fetch physicians. Find several clinics.”

Yan Xiangheng took the order and left.

“Move the writing desk out into the courtyard. We will conduct our work here.”

That way anyone entering would see them at once and would not have to run to the side rooms, saving time.

Grief could not be allowed to linger. The Crouching Tiger Government Office had to pull itself together. An entire cityful of commoners was counting on them.

“Seal off the granary. We will decide what to do with it when Magistrate Tian wakes.”

“Notify every household in the city to carry their dead to their own doorway, so the Government Office can register them.”

“All Herbal Medicine Shops in the city will temporarily fall under Government Office control. Check and tally all medical stock.”

“For the injured in each household, minor wounds can be treated at home. After one hour, they may come to the east side gate of the Government Office to seek consultation and receive medicine. As for the severely wounded, report them to the city patrol troops, who will carry them to the west side gate of the Government Office, where they will be settled together.”

“Open the government storeroom and bring out all the supplies that were used previously for setting up the medical tents outside the city. The east and west sides of the Government Office will be used for physicians to diagnose and dispense medicine.”

“Take stock of the types and quantities of medicinal ingredients left in the storeroom.”

“Manshan, you personally oversaw this year’s grain tax. You know better than anyone how much grain Crouching Tiger collected. Start inside the city, then move outside. Within Crouching Tiger’s jurisdiction, find out how much was looted by the Northern Rong. Take men and ask in every township.

The three shifts of yamen runners are at your disposal. If that is not enough, you can borrow men from the city-guard troops Gufeng sent. First, to wipe out any remaining Northern Rong, second, to get a clear count of how much grain is left in the stores, to prevent anyone from concealing the truth.”

Liang Manshan hurriedly pointed at a few yamen runners and left.

“Conscript laborers from among the commoners to gather and shroud all the corpses in the city…” Yan Huaiwen paused, then continued, “and confirm whether there are any survivors among them.”

“The corpses of the Northern Rong are to be thrown outside the city, and the number recorded.”

“As for all the volunteer fighters of Crouching Tiger who have fallen, record their names and their merits.”

“Those separated from their families are to be escorted home by the city patrol troops. If no family members have survived, send them to the Government Office.”

…

Sitting in command in the courtyard, Yan Huaiwen issued order after order, and the entire Government Office burst into motion.

The dead were already dead. The living still had to go on living.

Yan Xiangheng returned with physicians, only to be sent by his father to find the commoners who had followed them along the way and were now hidden in various secret spots…

Only one servant remained at Magistrate Tian’s side.

Under Yan Lao’er’s direction, he boiled water and made up the bed…

The two of them carefully lifted Magistrate Tian onto the bed. Yan Lao’er first lit the stove in the room, and only after the fire caught did he open the window and extend the flue pipe out through it.

Once they had mixed the hot water to the right temperature, the two of them helped Magistrate Tian change out of his filthy clothes, caked with blood and dust. They pulled a quilt over him, wiped his hands, feet, and neck clean, and loosened his disheveled hair bun so he could lie more comfortably…

His Eldest Nephew had brought three physicians. One specialized in setting bones and put Magistrate Tian’s arm back into place.

Despite all this fussing, Magistrate Tian merely furrowed his brows and did not wake.

The other two physicians took his pulse in turn, discussed it with each other for a while, and left two prescriptions.

Yan Lao’er listened carefully but only understood the general idea. It seemed they were saying that Magistrate Tian was grieving and enraged, with pent-up internal fire and great fright…

His age was not young, and this flight from danger had overburdened his body, so he had fallen unconscious.

First they were to pour a bowl of decoction down his throat to calm his spirit. If he woke, he was then to drink medicine that would warm and nourish his internal organs. If he did not wake within half an hour of taking the medicine, they should pour down another dose.

Yan Lao’er remembered it all, thanked the three physicians, and saw them out.

He set the little servant to watching over Magistrate Tian.

Then he hurried to the front of the Government Office.

“Big Brother, these are the medicines Magistrate Tian needs.”

Yan Huaiwen took the prescriptions, scanned them quickly, and said, “Got it. I will have someone send the medicine over in a bit. If anything else is missing, send someone to tell me. Tianyou, guard Magistrate Tian well. I do not trust anyone else with him.”

Seeing how busy things were on this side, with people lining up to consult his brother one after another, Yan Lao’er did not add to the chaos. He nodded solemnly.

He went to his own quarters first and grabbed a bunch of food, bundled up in large and small packages. After a moment’s thought, he packed up his own bedding and slung it over his back, then gathered the cooking gear, pots and basins and all.

With his arms full and hands occupied, he swaggered off to the back courtyard of the Government Office.

He more or less guessed what his big brother had in mind. After all, Magistrate Tian had previously shown a desire to die.

With the Second Master and Third Master both dead, who knew whether Magistrate Tian would also lose the will to live.

That was why his brother had sent him to stay and watch over him.

He had to pull himself together and take good care of him.

They had gone to such lengths to save this man. How could they possibly let him die now!

When it came to looking after people, he was a professional.

The medicine arrived quickly.

The little servant, completely at a loss, was fanning with a palm fan. When he saw Yan Lao’er return, his eyes lit up, as if he had finally found his backbone.

“Watch the medicine. Don’t fan the fire so hard. Once it is ready, bring it in right away, yeah? I will leave the bowl here for you. And don’t be so scatterbrained. Magistrate Tian will be fine. Once he drinks the medicine, he will be all right. What are you scared of!”

The little servant agreed weakly, staring at his back, his eyes almost brimming with tears.

How could he not be scared? He was scared half to death.

If anything happened to Magistrate Tian, how could he possibly survive?

After he finished lecturing the boy, Yan Lao’er went into the room and had to steady his own breathing for quite a while.

It was easy enough to say. He was only holding on by sheer willpower himself.

This whole day had been spent in gut-wrenching fear.

It felt better when he was beside his brother. Once he left him, his anxiety surged.

No, he had to keep himself busy, find things to do.

Yan Lao’er studied Magistrate Tian’s hair. Just now it had been tied up so they could wipe him down. Now it had come loose, and it did not look good.

He went over it again carefully with a cloth.

Medicine alone would not do. He needed to eat something.

He took out a pot, poured in water, rinsed the rice, and set it to cook into porridge.

He added some leafy greens to make vegetable congee. Thinking of this, Yan Lao’er went to wash the vegetables.

Then he glanced at his own hands.

Oh my, Mother, he had forgotten to wash himself.

He quickly set everything aside, boiled water and mixed it to the right temperature, then scrubbed himself from head to toe and changed into the clean clothes he had brought.

The little servant came in carrying a bowl and froze for a moment.

The room was filled with the scent of Scented Soap.

Yan Lao’er looked like a different person, neat and clean.

“Right, you need to wash too. The two of us both have to be squeaky clean if we are going to serve Magistrate Tian properly. Give me the medicine bowl. Here, Scented Soap. Wash up, change your clothes, and then come back.” Worried that the boy would be reluctant to use it, Yan Lao’er handed him the piece of Scented Soap he had already used.

The little servant took it, thanked him, and left.

Yan Lao’er got busy again.

He blew on the decoction until it cooled enough to drink, then used a spoon to press down Magistrate Tian’s tongue and poured in half a bowl in one go. Then he poured in another half bowl. Done.

(End of chapter)