Chapter 653: Rescuing the Hostage

The Yan army soldiers watching Da Yingjun were all in fear. The military doctor’s guess in the afternoon had been confirmed—Da Yingjun was vomiting and having diarrhea, with a high fever. Without the doctor’s diagnosis, many soldiers had heard that these were symptoms of plague. All the soldiers stood outside the tent, covering their mouths and noses with cloth lined with carbon powder. The two soldiers who had taken care of Da Yingjun at night were so terrified they collapsed beside the tent; even they had become objects of fear.

“The medical doctor is here!”
Someone shouted. The soldiers quickly made way, and two medical doctors, Wei Ruqun and Ji Sheng, rushed in carrying medicine boxes.
The captain stepped forward and said, “Doctor Wei, the situation is serious. All the symptoms you were worried about are appearing in him.”
“Hmm! Let me take another look.”
Wei Ruqun took out a towel lined with carbon powder, covered his mouth and nose, and tied it behind his head. Ji Sheng also covered his nose and mouth. After taking a few steps, he stopped and asked the captain, “Have you reported this to General An?”
The captain shook his head. Not knowing the severity of the situation, he didn’t dare to report it.
“I suggest you report it right away. If it’s really plague, it spreads quickly. If you delay, you’ll face severe consequences.”
The captain’s face turned pale, and he rushed off to report the situation.
Ji Sheng and Wei Ruqun entered the tent and turned to the soldiers, saying, “No one is allowed in!”
In fact, there was no need for them to order it—who would dare enter now? With the soldiers so afraid, the tent seemed like a place inhabited by a devouring demon.
The two entered the tent, which was pitch black. Vaguely, they could see a person lying on the bed, emitting pained groans. Wei Ruqun’s medicine was indeed effective. Ji Sheng nudged Wei Ruqun and pointed at the door. Wei Ruqun understood and squatted by the door to fetch medicine while keeping an eye on the outside.
Ji Sheng squatted down in front of Da Yingjun and touched his forehead—it was scorching hot. He smiled slightly and said, “Do you remember me?”
Da Yingjun recognized Ji Sheng’s voice and said weakly, “Doctor, I might really be seriously ill.”
“You’ll be fine. If you want to get out, you need to act like you’re dying right away.”
Da Yingjun’s eyes lit up slightly. He understood Ji Sheng’s meaning. “I get it. I’ll pretend to be very sick.”
Ji Sheng patted his hand and then said to Wei Ruqun, “I heard An Lushan went to Khitan and will return in a few days. We don’t have much time. Don’t wait until tomorrow—we should transfer him out of the camp tonight.”
“I know. I’ve already arranged everything this afternoon.”

Wei Ruqun went out in the afternoon to make some arrangements and got in touch with Qi Yan. Now eager to return, he had no intention of delaying until the next day. Smiling, he said, “I’ve already given the soldiers guarding him medicine; the effects will show soon.”

Ji Sheng tidied Da Yingjun up and changed him into clean clothes. At that moment, a commotion came from outside as a group of people approached the tent. A loud voice shouted, “Where’s the military doctor?”

“The military doctors are inside the tent.”

“Have them come out to see me!”

The man was An Yongzhen, the highest commander of the camp. An Yongzhen was also a highly skilled warrior, one of An Lushan’s Twelve Protectors, ranked third. To win over talented individuals, An Lushan selected twelve young officers with exceptional martial skills and adopted them as his adopted sons, known as the Twelve Protectors. Ranked by their martial prowess, An Yongzhen was a Khitan who changed his name to An Yongzhen after being adopted by An Lushan; he was the third Protector. Since the first Protector, Li Qinchou, had died, he was actually ranked second.

These Twelve Protectors were all brave but reckless fools. An Lushan wouldn’t choose someone both wise and brave as his adopted son, as that would threaten his own position. People like Shi Siming, with simple minds, no selfish motives, and much higher loyalty, were preferred. An Yongzhen was no exception—he was highly skilled in combat but simple-minded. Hearing that Da Yingjun might have the plague, he flew into a rage. Without hesitation, he ordered the officer who brought the news to be beaten with a hundred military whips before rushing to the hostage camp.

At that moment, Ji Sheng and Wei Ruqun emerged from the tent and knelt down together, bowing and saying, “Saluting General An!”

Although rough, An Yongzhen was relatively polite toward military doctors. Ji Sheng had once treated his calluses, so he had a good impression of him. Ignoring Wei Ruqun, he asked Ji Sheng, “Is he really infected with the plague?”

Ji Sheng nodded. “It seems so. This disease spreads quickly. Usually, within two or three days, everyone who has been in contact with him will fall ill and then die one after another. There’s no cure.”

An Yongzhen stepped back in fear, eyes wide, and asked, “What should we do then?”

Ji Sheng made things up on the spot. “My father has treated the plague before. He told me that once infected, one must be isolated immediately—neither in crowded places nor in the city. If the patient dies, the body must be burned right away, and everything the patient has used must also be burned. It’s necessary. Otherwise, if it spreads, tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of people could die. An entire county could be wiped out.”

Except that his father’s story was a lie, everything else was true. People in this era had an inexplicable fear of plagues and had all heard something about them. An Yongzhen nodded in agreement—indeed, that was the case. A plague had once struck his hometown, killing entire tribes within a single winter.

An Yongzhen turned and glared fiercely at the thirty-some soldiers guarding the hostage, saying in a sinister tone, “Who among you has been in contact with him?” The soldiers, terrified, all pointed at two soldiers who were collapsed on the ground. “They are it!” An Yongzhen waved his hand and ordered, “Slay them! Burn their bodies on the spot!” The poor soldiers didn’t even have time to plead before they were killed with spears by An Yongzhen’s men. No one dared touch their bodies; instead, their bodies were propped up with spears and taken outside to be burned.

An Yongzhen glanced at the two military doctors—he also didn’t want to keep them. Ji Sheng had been waiting for this moment. He stepped forward and bowed, saying, “General An, I’ve discussed this with Doctor Wei. We can’t be sure it’s a plague yet, but he definitely can’t stay in the camp. He must leave immediately. We plan to take him outside the camp for treatment. If we can cure him, that would be ideal; if not, we’ll burn him outright.”

If it had been ordinary soldiers, An Yongzhen would have considered no treatment and simply killed and burned them. But since this was a hostage from the Sumu Mohe people, it posed a dilemma for An Yongzhen, as he didn’t have the authority to make a decision. He scratched his head and ordered, “All of you stay here. No one is allowed to leave. I’ll go report to the prince!” He mounted his horse, ignoring the rule against riding fast inside the camp, and headed straight for Youzhou City.

…

An hour later, An Yongzhen returned, looking extremely frustrated. An Lushan hadn’t returned from Khitan yet, and the people in the prince’s mansion said they would have to wait a few more days. But… He asked Ji Sheng again, “Can I isolate him in the camp?” Ji Sheng shook his head. “The camp is too crowded. This plague is actually a poison that can spread through the air. Many people haven’t even been in contact with the patient but still die from it—that’s how it works.” “Then where should we take him?” An Yongzhen asked, his voice trembling. Ji Sheng glanced at Wei Ruqun. It was Wei Ruqun who had arranged things in the afternoon. Wei Ruqun replied, “Ten miles to the north, there’s a mountain god temple. The area around it is desolate and uninhabited. It would be better to take him there for treatment.” Ji Sheng was overjoyed, secretly praising Wei Ruqun for choosing a good location. He knew that mountain god temple well—it was located near a forest, perfect for Da Yingjun to escape.

An Yongzhen frowned deeply. He didn’t think much and hadn’t considered the possibility of escape; it was merely his intuition that told him something was wrong. Even if he had been smarter, he still wouldn’t have figured out Ji Sheng’s intentions. This hostage had been in Youzhou for many years and had been in his camp for over a year—there was no way he would think of escaping. Besides, Ji Sheng and Wei Ruiqun were his military doctors, people from his own side. He could never have imagined that Ji Sheng was the culprit behind blowing up the gunpowder depot and setting fire to the fodder store. If he had known Ji Sheng was the leader of the Anxi Army’s scout unit, he would likely be awakened by nightmares even while sleeping. All he knew was to obey military orders. An Lushan had ordered him to keep a strict watch over the hostage and prevent him from leaving the camp, which is why his intuition told him something was amiss. Just then, two soldiers guarding the hostage let out a “Ouch!” as they knelt down, clutching their stomachs and sweating profusely. This was actually the effect of the preventive medicine Wei Ruiqun had given them. Military doctors had such professional advantages—although they gave their patients poison that caused death, they could claim the patients were terminally ill and beyond cure. Perhaps it could be detected now, but in ancient times… doctors could be both angels and demons. Ji Sheng immediately pointed at the soldiers and shouted, “Look! They’ve been infected!” The surrounding soldiers were in an uproar and stepped back in fear. Then the two soldiers couldn’t help but vomit again. An Yongzhen’s expression changed drastically. Now he couldn’t care any more and shouted repeatedly, “Hurry! Kill these two!” Dozens of his personal guards rushed forward, stabbed the two with spears, and carried them away. This bloody scene terrified Wei Ruiqun, who trembled all over. He knew these two weren’t sick at all. His face turned pale as he shrank away, too scared to speak. Ji Sheng shouted anxiously, “General An, do you want hundreds of thousands of Yan Army soldiers to die out?” These words struck An Yongzhen like a heavy hammer to his chest. Finally, he made up his mind—just a minor hostage; it was more important to protect the army. He pointed at Ji Sheng and Wei Ruiqun and said, “You two, take the patients away immediately.” He then ordered the thirty-some soldiers guarding the hostage, “You all go with them. Hurry up!” The soldiers were terrified. Many of them felt pain in their stomachs, realizing they would be killed on the spot if they didn’t leave right away. In a panic, they found a carriage, helped the two military doctors carry Da Yingjun onto it, and, enduring the pain in their stomachs, followed the carriage out through the nearest north gate.

An Yongzhen watched them walk away until they disappeared. He waved his hand and summoned a general, ordering him, “Take a thousand men and keep a distant watch on them. Do not get any closer. In a few days, if they’re all dead, set fire to everything—both the people and the temple. Remember, your men must be extremely careful and stay at a distance.”
“The subordinate will obey!”
The general rushed off to assemble his troops. An Yongzhen glanced at the camp and then ordered his personal guards, “Burn everything here—nothing is to be left behind. Kill that officer too and burn him along with it. Dig a deep pit and bury all the burned remains. Do you understand?”
The guards agreed and began burning everything. An Yongzhen touched his forehead; he felt a bit feverish and grew fearful. He needed to take medicine as well.
…
The Mountain God Temple was located ten miles north of the camp, not far from An Lushan’s gunpowder testing site. To keep the site secret, An Lushan had relocated all the nearby villages. After the gunpowder factory was abandoned, the area became uninhabited.
It was a night in mid-April in the north, one of the freshest and most beautiful times of year. The sky was as clear as if washed clean, without a single cloud. A bright, round moon emerged from the forests to the east, acting like a giant lantern that illuminated the entire plain, making the roads clearly visible.
Despite the beautiful night, the Yan army had no mood to enjoy it. They were shrouded in a shadow of death, suffering from fever and stomach pains, with fear filling everyone’s hearts.
Ji Sheng rode on his horse, reflecting on the strangeness of this mission. It seemed as if fate had arranged it all. If he weren’t a military doctor, how could An Yongzhen have entrusted him with taking the hostages out of the camp? It was as if An Yongzhen was handing him the credit willingly. He only learned about the mission in the morning and completed it by night—only fate could explain such things.
He looked back into the distance. About three miles away, he faintly saw a group of troops—those were the cavalry sent to watch over them. Ji Sheng sneered. He was part of the “plague army.” Would they dare follow them?
“Hey!”
Ji Sheng raised his voice and called out. More than thirty Yan soldiers turned to look at him, wondering what brilliant idea this military doctor had this time.
“Do you see it?”
Ji Sheng pointed back toward the distance. “There’s an army following us. Can you see them?”
The soldiers stopped in their tracks and peered into the distance. Under the bright moonlight, they could see clearly a group of dark figures sneaking behind them. The Yan soldiers were stunned. What were they doing here?

“There’s no need to think about it; they’re here to collect our bodies.” After saying that, Ji Sheng added, “They probably don’t even dare touch the bodies.” The soldiers all lowered their heads in despair. Wei Ruqun, feeling pity, poked his head out of the window and said, “Don’t be afraid. As long as you follow my instructions, we might not die.” Wei Ruqun’s words gave the soldiers hope again. They gathered around him, asking one after another, “Doctor Wei, is there really a way to cure him?” “Doctor Wei, I have an 80-year-old mother at home and a baby who needs feeding. Please save me!” … Wei Ruqun comforted them, “Don’t worry. This prince might be seriously ill, but as long as we don’t eat or drink with him, I think it should be fine. Look at me and Doctor Ji—we’ve touched him too, and nothing happened to us, right?” Encouraged, the soldiers became more spirited. At that moment, they felt that death was far away from them. Ji Sheng, sitting on his horse, smiled faintly. Plagues were great! They could solve any problem. An hour later, they arrived at the Mountain God Temple. The temple was already empty, and there were no houses within miles around. Even beggars didn’t want to stay here. The temple wasn’t dilapidated; its doors and windows were intact, and it was dry and tidy, requiring little cleaning. It was small, with a main hall and two side halls on either side. The two military doctors and the Bohai prince stayed in one side hall, while the remaining thirty-some people squeezed into the other. At this point, who had the energy to watch over the prince? Wei Ruqun took care of the prince, while Ji Sheng stepped outside. He glanced at a large forest a hundred steps away and then called out to Wei Ruqun, “Doctor Wei, I’m going to gather some herbs!” Wei Ruqun understood and shouted back, “Be careful! Don’t go too far!” “Got it!” Ji Sheng left the temple and entered the forest. It was very quiet inside. Silver moonlight shone through the treetops, casting deep shadows on the ground. All that could be heard was the wind rustling the leaves. With a snap, Ji Sheng broke a branch, startling the owls perched there, causing them to fly away in panic. Amidst their cawing, several figures fell from the trees, landing skillfully in front of Ji Sheng. Soon, more figures appeared around him. “What, trying to kill me in the dead of night?” Ji Sheng smiled as he glanced at them. “We wouldn’t dare. I’ve been waiting for a long time.”

The leader was his deputy, Qi Yan. He stepped forward and bowed, “I’m ready. We’ve prepared three corpses that can be replaced at any time.”
“No need for so many; one corpse is enough.”
Ji Sheng glanced at the others. “How many people in total?”
“Reporting to the general, there are seven in total, all ready. The carriage is in the forest, and we’ll head straight to Bohai Country tomorrow. Qi Tangzhu, the person to meet us along the way, has also been arranged.”
“Alright! I’ll hand over the people to you at dawn tomorrow.”
…
The next day, at first light, Wei Ruqun woke everyone up and delivered bad news—the prince of Bohai had died.
“Ji, the military doctor, and I went to the forest to find a spot to burn the body. Everyone, don’t follow!”
The soldiers stood at the entrance of the side hall, watching from afar the prince of Bohai lying on the stretcher, his face pale, eyes closed, one white hand dangling outside the stretcher, swaying with it.
The soldiers watched as the stretcher was carried into the forest, but none dared follow. Soon, black smoke rose from the forest—they were burning the body.
In the forest, Wei Ruqun boarded the carriage. As they were about to part, his eyes reddened. He bowed to Ji Sheng, his voice choked with emotion, “General Ji, I’ll never forget your kindness. If possible, I will surely repay it!”
Ji Sheng smiled and scolded him, “Calling me General Ji again!”
Wei Ruqun gave a bitter smile. “Yes! I always forget. Doctor Ji, I don’t know when we’ll meet again.”
“Soon. I’ll return to Chang’an too. Then come to the military camp and look for Ji Sheng of the scouts, and you’ll find me. Doctor Wei, I hope we can continue to work together in the future.”
“Of course! I will definitely come to see you, Doctor Ji.”
At that moment, the handsome prince of Bohai also stood up and bowed to Ji Sheng, “I can’t express enough gratitude for your kindness. I’ll always remember your life-saving act today!”
“The prince speaks too highly. I was just following orders. Take care on your journey!”
“Take care, Doctor Ji!”
The carriage set off, guarded by people from Hebei Intelligence Hall, heading north swiftly until it gradually disappeared into the distance.
Qi Yan asked again, “General Ji, shall I wait for you here?”
“No! Wait for me twenty li to the west. I still need to handle some matters.”
Ji Sheng took out a cloth bag and wrote the words “Prince of Bohai” on it with a piece of charcoal, then strode toward the place where the body was being burned.
Qi Yan mounted his horse and spurred it westward…
About an hour later, Ji Sheng emerged alone from the forest, carrying a bag of bones with the words “Prince of Bohai” written on it.

He entered the Mountain God Temple and said to everyone, “Come here! I have something to say to you.” Not knowing what was happening, they crowded forward. Ji Sheng placed the bag containing the bones on the table and asked, “Last night, Doctor Wei gave you medicine. How do you feel?” One soldier replied nervously, “I feel pretty good. My stomach doesn’t hurt anymore, and I’m not feverish either.” “Hmm!” Ji Sheng nodded and continued, “That’s my family’s secret recipe. It can cure mild symptoms, but in cases as severe as his…” He pointed at the bag of bones, “There’s no hope for him; it’s only death.” At that moment, another soldier asked, “Where is Doctor Wei?” Ji Sheng sighed and said, “That’s why I called you here. Let me tell you the truth—Doctor Wei has run away.” “Run away!” The thirty-some Yan soldiers panicked and became chaotic. “What’s going on?” “Everyone, calm down! Calm down!” Ji Sheng waved his hand, finally getting them to quiet down. “Listen to me!” Once they were completely silent, they stared at Ji Sheng. Then he asked, “Let me ask you—what do you think would have happened if it weren’t the Prince of Bohai who got infected with the plague last night?” “General An would definitely kill us all and burn us!” A clever soldier answered first. Everyone’s faces turned pale. Ji Sheng nodded and said, “That brother is right. As you all saw, those two soldiers with stomach pains were killed and burned right away. Without the Prince of Bohai, none of us would have survived last night; we would all have died. And look!” He pointed to dozens of tents visible in the distance. “You should all see those. Those are the troops General An sent to collect our bodies. If the Prince of Bohai had been saved, maybe we could have survived. But since he died from the illness, would General An still spare our lives?” “What should we do then?” They cried in terror. “Let’s follow Doctor Ji!” “The solution is simple—just like Doctor Wei, everyone should run for their lives!” Ji Sheng raised his voice. “I’m leaving too. If you want to survive, run quickly through the back door. The cavalry over there might see us.” The thirty-some Yan soldiers were in chaos. They took off their armor, threw away their weapons, and rushed out of the Mountain God Temple through the back door, heading into the forest. In moments, not one of them was left.

The Mountain God Temple instantly became empty. Ji Sheng smiled, threw all his armor and weapons into the carriage, waved his whip, and said, “Go!”
The carriage set off, racing westward. With clouds of yellow dust rising, it soon disappeared into the distance…