Chapter 652: The Prince of Bohai

It had been almost one and a half months since Ji Sheng became the military doctor of the Yan army. He was a versatile man—not only skilled in cooking but also having some knowledge of medicine. Most of the soldiers’ illnesses were minor injuries or colds, which posed no problem to him. Over the past one and a half months, he had handled such cases with ease and even gained a reputation, to the point where some high-ranking officers sought his medical advice.

The greatest advantage of being a military doctor was the freedom to come and go from the camp—a privilege unique to doctors and frontline soldiers.

That morning, Ji Sheng left the camp under the pretext of going out to buy medicine. He first met up with his deputy, Qi Yan, at an inn in the east of the city.

Qi Yan had just returned from Hedong. This time, he brought not only two important tasks but also a hundred scouts from the Falcon Camp. These scouts had been taken by Xie Nongjian to Baiyangdian to join Zhang Xun’s civilian militia. Qi Yan rushed over to see Ji Sheng.

In the room, the two drank wine while chatting slowly.

After taking a sip, Ji Sheng pondered for a moment before saying, “Does the general mean I should give up trying to assassinate An Lushan?”

“Yes! The general says that if An Lushan is assassinated, Shi Siming will quickly unify Hebei, which would be detrimental to the overall situation.”

Ji Sheng nodded. In fact, he had heard quite a bit while in the Yan army camp. An Qingxu wasn’t popular among the troops. If An Lushan were assassinated, the Yan army would surely split, giving Shi Siming an easy victory.

He smiled and said, “Fortunately, you arrived in time. I was already scheduled to treat An Lushan the day after tomorrow. I planned to assassinate him then. But since the general has given his orders, I’ll change my plans and actually go and treat that An Lushan.”

“We not only need to change our plans but also have a new task.”

“What new task?” Ji Sheng paused with his wine glass in hand.

“There are two tasks. One is to assist the Hebei Intelligence Bureau in rescuing the Prince of Bohai, who is held hostage in Youzhou. The other is to help Zhang Xun evacuate the people of Hebei—the more, the better. This time, it will be done by sea.”

“The Prince of Bohai?”

Ji Sheng held his wine glass and pondered for a while. He seemed to have heard of him, somewhere in the camp.

“Let’s tackle one task at a time. Start with the Prince of Bohai.”

The two discussed some details before heading to a grocery store in the south of the city.

The grocery store was called Fuji Grocery Store and served as the headquarters of the Hebei Intelligence Bureau. Due to the upheaval in Hebei, almost all the people from various prefectures and counties had fled. Originally, there had been ten branch bureaus, but now only two remained: the Youzhou Intelligence Bureau and the Weizhou Intelligence Bureau. They could hardly communicate with each other and were essentially independent.

Currently, the head of the Youzhou Intelligence Agency is still Qi Yuhua, the one-armed woman, who is hiding inside the Fujie Grocery Store. Since Xiangzhou was captured by the Yan army, most of the members of the Hebei Intelligence Agency fled Xiangzhou with the defeated troops; some went to Henan Province, while Qi Yuhua led over twenty people back to Youzhou City, where she re-established an intelligence agency.

Control in Youzhou City is now extremely strict. Birds such as pigeons and eagles, which could be used for communication, are not allowed to appear among the civilians. Left with no other choice, Qi Yuhua ordered her subordinates to Tanzhou’s Miyun County in the northern part of Youzhou, where control is slightly looser, to raise eagles for communication purposes, sending them out every ten days on average.

Ten days ago, Qi Yuhua received orders from the Chang’an Intelligence Headquarters, instructing them to rescue the prince of Bohai, who was held hostage in Youzhou, as soon as possible. After ten days of effort, she finally located the prince, Da Yingjun, who was being held under house arrest in a Youzhou military camp under strict surveillance.

If the hostage had been in another part of Youzhou City, they might have had some ideas, but since he was in a military camp, they were at a loss. The Fujie Grocery Store is a two-story building with one owner and three clerks, all of whom are intelligence agents under Qi Yuhua. She lives on the second floor, claiming to be the owner’s daughter. Due to the shortage of supplies in Hebei, the store mainly sells household items, and business is fairly good, with customers coming in from time to time.

While pondering ways to rescue the hostage, Qi Yuhua suddenly heard the owner calling up from below, “Yuhua, there are two people looking for you!” She peeked out the window and saw two young men standing outside—one with a childlike face and the other handsome. From their demeanor, it was clear they were not ordinary civilians. Her gaze focused on the man with the childlike face; she seemed to have seen him somewhere before. Suddenly, the man made a gesture, which was a secret signal used by Intelligence Agency members when meeting. Since the owner had called her, it meant the identities of these two men had already been verified.

She immediately shouted, “Uncle Wang, please have them come up!” Moments later, Ji Sheng and Qi Yan came upstairs. In fact, they had met at the Chang’an Intelligence Headquarters before—Ji Sheng had been sent there to train new intelligence agents. “Head Qi, do you still remember me?” Ji Sheng bowed to her and said with a smile, “Last March, when you returned to Chang’an to report, we met in the agency’s training hall.” “You’re… General Ji!”

Qi Yuhua suddenly remembered that she had indeed seen a few scout generals in the training hall back then. Due to the large crowd, she hadn’t remembered them at the time, but now she recalled them.
“It turns out to be General Ji. Please, have a seat!”
Qi Yuhua was overjoyed to meet someone from her own side in the Yan army’s stronghold. Although she was usually cold, she knew how to prioritize matters. General Ji was the leader of the Falcon Camp, one of the most elite units in the Anxi army. His presence would surely be of great help to her mission.
Contrary to her usual coldness, she began to greet them warmly and even poured two cups of herbal tea for them.
Ji Sheng and the other person sat down. He introduced his companion to Qi Yuhua, saying, “This is General Qi Yan, the deputy commander of the Falcon Camp, who has just returned from Hedong.”
Qi Yan nodded at her with a smile. “I’ve long heard of Master Qi’s reputation.”
Qi Yuhua knew that one of them was a colonel and the other a deputy commander, but in reality, both held military ranks above that of a middle general—very high positions. She sat down and said with a wry smile, “I don’t have any reputation to speak of. With Xiangzhou fallen and the Intelligence Department suffering heavy losses, I don’t even have the face to return to Chang’an.”
“What does the fall of Xiangzhou have to do with Master Qi? It’s so difficult in Hebei, yet you still stayed in Youzhou—your courage is admirable.”
Ji Sheng praised her a bit before changing the subject. “We’ve also received orders from the general to assist the Hebei Intelligence Department in rescuing the Prince of Bohai. We’re here today to discuss this matter.”
Qi Yuhua was overjoyed. With the help of the Falcon Camp, things seemed hopeful. She quickly said, “We’ve already traced the hostage’s location—he’s inside the Yan army’s camp. If we can get him out of the camp, I’m confident I can send him away. The hardest part is getting into the camp. One of my subordinates has already infiltrated it, but rescuing the hostage is extremely difficult.”
“Maybe I have a solution?” Ji Sheng said with a slight smile.
“You?” Qi Yuhua looked at him skeptically.
Qi Yan beside her laughed and said, “Master Qi might not know yet, but General Ji is currently the military doctor of the Yan army in the Youzhou camp.”
“Is that so? We’re both in Youzhou, yet I had no idea.”
Qi Yuhua became excited. “Then let’s discuss the details carefully—how to rescue him and how to get him out.”
……

To rescue the hostage, one must first meet him. As soon as Ji Sheng returned to the camp, he went to look for Wei Ruqun to discuss his ideas with him. Wei Ruqun was the military doctor who had introduced him to the camp. He had already received letters from his wife and children; they were all in Chang’an, staying at his uncle’s house. His wife had used the thirty taels of gold to buy fifty acres of farmland near the capital city, which she rented out to others, ensuring a source of income for their family.

Wei Ruqun was extremely grateful to Ji Sheng. He was eager to return to Chang’an to reunite with his family, but leaving Hebei was not so easy.

Ji Sheng understood his feelings and called him over to discuss it as soon as he returned to the camp.

The military doctor’s tent was located in the southwest corner of the camp, consisting of three separate tents—one large and two small. The large tent was used for diagnosing and treating patients, while the smaller tents held various medicines, medical tools, and served as the doctor’s sleeping quarters.

Ji Sheng arrived at noon. There were no patients in the large tent; only Wei Ruqun sat there, looking worried, lost in thought at a small table, with letters from his wife and children on it. When Ji Sheng entered the tent, he said with a smile, “I have some good news for you. You might get a chance to leave Hebei.”

Wei Ruqun’s eyes widened. He quickly stood up, bowed, and said with a smile, “Could you please tell me more about how I can leave Hebei? I beg you, General!”

“Don’t call me General!”

Ji Sheng glared at him. “How many times have I told you?”

Wei Ruqun panicked and quickly explained, “I forgot. Please don’t blame me, Military Doctor Ji.”

“Come with me!”

Ji Sheng led him to their small tent and said, “You do have a chance now. We need to rescue someone, and you can leave Hebei with that person.”

“The Prince of Bohai!”

“It is him!”

Wei Ruqun jumped up. “Why didn’t you say earlier? I saw him this morning!”

Ji Sheng grabbed his collar and whispered fiercely, “Is that true?”

“Why would I lie to you? He’s sick. I went to see him today. I wanted you to go, but you weren’t here.”

Ji Sheng slowly released his collar and thought to himself, “What a coincidence. Could it be fate?” He then asked, “What’s wrong with the Prince of Bohai?”

“It’s not a serious illness. He has a stomach problem. I prescribed two doses of medicine for him. He should be fine by tomorrow.”

Ji Sheng pondered for a while. A bold plan gradually formed in his mind. He asked Wei Ruqun, “Let me ask you—is there any medicine that could make his condition worsen and make it seem very serious?”

“Medicine can only cure diseases; how could it worsen them?”
“Stop talking nonsense. I just want to know if you have it or not.”
“I do have it, but…”
Ji Sheng waved his hand to cut him off. “There’s no ‘but’. You need to follow my instructions.”
Ji Sheng placed a hand on his shoulder and stared into his eyes. “Let me tell you—this is your only chance to leave Hebei Road. Your future wealth and prosperity depend on this man. Do you understand?”
Wei Ruqun’s eyes gradually lit up. He understood Ji Sheng’s meaning. If he accompanied this Bohai prince back to his country, the king would surely reward him generously, and then he could find a way to return to Chang’an and become rich.
His lips trembled as he said, “Okay! I’m willing to follow you. I’ll do whatever you say.”
“Good. Now let’s go to him again and treat him.”
…
The hostage of Bohai Prince Da Qinmao was named Da Yingjun, his third son. Since the age of fifteen, he had been held as a hostage in Youzhou. At that time, he was a hostage of the Tang Dynasty. Due to An Lushan’s rebellion, Da Yingjun changed from a Tang hostage to An Lushan’s hostage. An Lushan used this hostage to exert pressure, forcing the Sumu Mohe people to provide troops and food. Although the Sumu Mohe people did not send troops, they were still forced to supply An Lushan with a lot of food.
Fearing that someone might rescue this hostage, An Lushan kept him under house arrest in the military camp, with people monitoring him closely around the clock. However, due to the chaos in Hebei at that time, An Lushan had no time to deal with this Bohai prince hostage.
Because Da Yingjun was under strict surveillance and was in good health, Ji Sheng had not yet had the chance to meet him. But fate had its ways—just today, after receiving his mission, the opportunity arose.
Ji Sheng and Wei Ruqun, carrying a medicine box, went to the camp where Da Yingjun was detained again. Da Yingjun’s camp and Ji Sheng’s military doctor’s tent were both inside a large camp, but quite far apart—one in the southwest and the other in the northwest, forming a diagonal.
The camp they were in was one of An Lushan’s five direct military camps, with about 20,000 troops, led by An Yongzhen, one of An Lushan’s twelve top guards.
Military doctors held a low status in the camp, but they were very popular. Almost every soldier would greet them and give them some copper coins. Don’t underestimate these coins—they might save their lives in the future. Wei Ruqun accepted them without hesitation.
Of course, there were other military doctors in the camp, but theirs was the most renowned, thanks to Wei Ruqun’s excellent medical skills. Most of the other doctors were barbarian doctors.
“Military Doctor Wei, the prince seems to be getting better.”

As soon as they reached the handsome prince’s tent, the officer in charge rushed over with a smile.
Wei Ruqun sneered and said, “What’s so great about it? I temporarily suppressed him. His condition is serious; if we don’t take care of him, he might even lose his life.”
The officer was shocked. If anything went wrong, he would bear the responsibility. He quickly said, “Those two military doctors, go and check on him right away!”
He also greeted Ji Sheng, as he knew him too.
The two entered the tent, where a foul smell hit them. The prince’s situation was indeed miserable—he had been locked in this tent all day long, doing all his needs inside, unable to step outside, and his every move was under constant surveillance. This had gone on for almost two years.
The handsome prince was about twenty-three or twenty-four years old. Contrary to his name, he wasn’t handsome at all—even rather ugly. He was thin, with an especially large nose, resembling an eggplant, making him easily recognizable. To escape the camp, he would have to cover his face, but that was almost impossible.
He was lying on the bed. Due to his illness, his face had become gaunt, making his nose appear even larger.
“Doctor Wei… you’ve come. Thank you!”
He spoke weakly, pointing to his stomach. “It seems a bit better than this morning.”
“I think your illness isn’t just due to food poisoning. I’ve brought Doctor Ji along to examine you together.”
Ji Sheng knelt down and felt his pulse. Although it was weak, it was still steady—this was because of his prolonged imprisonment in poor sanitary conditions.
He nodded and said to Wei Ruqun, “I suspect it’s an early symptom of plague.”
“I’m worried too. I heard that plague broke out among the troops brought back by the young prince from Hedong. We need to be careful.”
The officer watching behind them was shocked. If it really was plague, they would all die. He had also heard that plague had occurred among the troops brought back by An Qingxu, but how could it spread here? The prince never left the tent!
Ji Sheng gave Wei Ruqun a glance. Understanding, Wei Ruqun stood up and said to the officer, “I have a few things to say. Let’s talk outside.”
No one usually refused a doctor’s request, so the officer followed Wei Ruqun outside. Only Ji Sheng and the hostage, the handsome prince, remained in the tent.

Ji Sheng quickly took out a ring engraved with patterns from the medicine box and showed it to Da Yingjun. Da Yingjun was stunned at first, then his eyes lit up with recognition—he recognized the ring as his father’s ring, a symbol of the Bohai Commandery Prince. Just as he was about to speak, Ji Sheng silenced him with a whisper, “I’m here to save you. You must cooperate!”
Da Yingjun nodded, his eyes filled with excitement. At that moment, Wei Rujun and the officer came in. “Dr. Ji has more experience with plagues than I do. Right now, he’s only suspicious. The key is to see if the patient develops a fever tonight. If so, it’s likely to be plague. You must inform me immediately, and no one is allowed to approach him. I’ll give him another dose of medicine to see if we can control the condition.”
The officer nodded nervously. Of course he knew that if it was plague, anyone who got close would die. He sighed again and asked, “How could this happen? I really don’t understand.”
“It’s hard to pinpoint the source of this disease, but I guess it’s because he’s too dirty. You should set up two tents for him, separating his entrances and exits, which might help avoid transmission. It’s already late. Remember to tell the others the methods I taught you so everyone can use them.”
The two walked into the tent as they spoke. Wei Rujun asked, “How is he?”
Ji Sheng shook his head, indicating the situation was bad.
“Alright! I’ll start boiling medicine for him. You must immediately take all his belongings outside and burn them, including the bowl he uses for eating. Dig a deep pit and bury it too.”
The best way to make others believe Da Yingjun had the plague was to create panic first. Once panic set in, the soldiers watching over him would naturally back them up. The higher-ups might think there was a chance of survival, but they didn’t want to take that risk.
Soon, a fire was lit in the open area outside. The soldiers covered their mouths and noses with cloth soaked in charcoal powder in one hand, while using another hand to throw Da Yingjun’s bedding, clothes, pillows, and all other items into the fire to burn them.
…
That night, just as Ji Sheng and Wei Rujun had finished packing up and were about to go to bed, a soldier rushed over in panic, reporting that Da Yingjun was vomiting and having diarrhea, with a high fever—his condition had worsened significantly.