In the end, less than half of them were willing to stay.
They were worried that Yan Lin was testing their loyalty. If they said they wanted to leave, they would be killed to keep their mouths shut. If they didn't have this worry, it would be great if only a third of them could stay. Yan Lin didn't say anything. He took off his valuables and handed them to a centurion. He asked him to exchange them for silver as food for the soldiers.
The centurion trembled as he took the jade pendant, jade flute, and some gold from Yan Lin. Tears rolled down his cheeks.
They bowed to Yan Lin and said their blessings, choking with sobs.
Yan Lin heaved a long sigh. He ordered his men to push the bamboo raft into the water. It was getting dark. It was the best time to escape.
However, the escape was not so smooth. The first problem they encountered was Yan Lin's illness. His festering wounds gave off a foul smell, and his body was burning. In order to escape, Yan Lin hadn't rested for the past few days. He didn't care about his health. The day before yesterday, he had a low fever. After such a long time, his wounds were getting worse. The soldiers couldn't do anything but worry.
The wounds were too big, and they didn't have the right medicine. It was hot and humid in the mountains. He hadn't rested for days … All these conditions were terrible. It was no surprise that he was sick. The temperature on the river was low at night. The change in temperature worsened Yan Lin's condition.
The soldier on the same raft raised his hand to touch Yan Lin's forehead. The moment he touched it, he was shocked by the temperature.
"It's okay …" Yan Lin looked a little distracted, but he forced himself to say, "Follow the plan. Don't waste time."
He dismissed the soldiers who didn't want to leave with him. They would be caught by Fu Wang's troops after they left the mountain. They would be able to find out where Yan Lin and the others were after a little interrogation. How could the raft be faster than a warship? If they didn't hurry, they wouldn't be able to escape.
In fact, Yan Lin could have prevented this from happening. He could have killed all the soldiers who tried to leave, just as the soldiers feared.
He didn't do that, not because he was too soft-hearted, but because it was unnecessary.
The remaining soldiers had little morale left. If he killed more soldiers, the hundreds of them would be in chaos.
"Counselor, your forehead is very hot. If it keeps burning, won't it …"
Yu Jiang silently swallowed the words he wanted to say.
If they didn't do anything about it, Yan Lin would either become an idiot or die.
Of course, it could also turn into pneumonia, but there was no such saying in this era.
The deputy general didn't respond to him, because Yan Lin couldn't stand the protests of his body and passed out.
Even in his coma, he could feel himself being in a furnace for a while, thrown into an icehouse for a while, shivering all over. Then, he felt as if his body was thrown into the deep sea and kept sinking. His surroundings were getting darker and darker … His consciousness was getting more and more blurry. The deputy general's call was more like a faint whisper from the distant sky. No matter how hard he tried to concentrate, he still couldn't hear it clearly.
On the other hand, seeing that Yan Lin was getting worse, Si Jiang had to make a decision.
He had the rest of the soldiers push the bamboo raft to the planned location. If they were lucky, they might be saved.
A soldier said hesitantly, "If we encounter an enemy …"
Si Jiang gritted his teeth and said, "Then surrender. I don't think the Lord and the Military Counselor will blame you."
They had tried their best, but fate refused to grant them their wish.
If the wounded soldiers surrendered, they might be able to live. If they resisted, they would lose hundreds of lives for nothing!
The soldier asked again, "What about the General …"
The deputy general said, "The Military Counselor's injuries are serious. He has a fever all over his body. We need to go ashore and find a doctor as soon as possible."
The soldier felt that something was wrong. They finally had a chance to escape. If they stayed to find a doctor, they might expose their identities.
The deputy general understood this, but he also knew that if Yan Lin died, they would have to face the furious Lord when they returned. Besides, it would be a shame if the Military Counselor died here. If the heavens had eyes, they would definitely be able to turn the situation around.
Si Jiang decided to give it his all.
Could the result be worse than Yan Lin's death and his own death in battle?
"Let's try. There's still hope!"
Si Jiang took Yan Lin on the raft and left the main group. The future was bleak, and the only thing that kept him going was his determination.
After rowing for a long time, Si Jiang and Yan Lin finally reached the shore. There was a small fishing village in front of them.
Si Jiang thought to himself, "I hope there's a doctor here, even if it's a mediocre one!"
Even though he knew that the possibility was not high, he believed that the heavens must have eyes!
The fishing village was not big. There were only about thirty families and about a hundred fishermen.
Because there was no entertainment and oil was expensive, most people worked at sunrise and slept at sunset.
It was already past midnight, and the fishing village was shrouded in darkness.
To prevent their identities from being exposed, Si Jiang took off the raft and their armor and hid them in the reeds. Then he carried Yan Lin into the village.
"Is anyone here? Is there a doctor in the village? "
Si Jiang knocked on the doors of several families. Either no one answered, or he was scolded. The cowardly ones pretended to be dead.
"Yes …"
Si Jiang tried one house after another. When he reached the seventh house, which was near the edge of the village, the owner of the house opened the door.
It was dark, but he could vaguely recognize the owner of the house. It was a short woman.
The woman glanced at them and said grumpily, "Come in. Don't knock. The villagers might get angry and beat you to death."
Si Jiang stood at the door, not daring to go in.
The woman turned around and lit an oil lamp. She asked, "Why don't you come in?"
The deputy general blinked and secretly clenched the dagger hidden in his sleeve.
"Isn't the person on your back sick?" The woman said, "I'm a doctor."
The deputy general was surprised. How did the woman know he was here for a doctor?
The woman said angrily, "Are you stupid? Just now, you were knocking on every door, howling and crying. It's not like I'm deaf. "
The deputy general's face turned red. Fortunately, his skin was dark, or it would have been embarrassing.
"Thank … thank you, doctor!"
Si Jiang hurried in with Yan Lin on his back. He put the patient on an old bamboo mat.
The young lady did not talk nonsense. She lit up several oil lamps in a row and could barely see the patient's condition.
Yan Lin had been so busy that he didn't have time to take care of himself. His hair was messy and his face was stained. It was hard to tell what he looked like.
However, the woman could see that he was handsome. He must be a handsome man after washing up.
"This kid looks promising. Too bad he's a soldier."
The deputy general said, "What's wrong with being a soldier?"
The woman took off Yan Lin's shirt and pointed to the wound. "He's a soldier who hangs his head on his belt. What's wrong with that?"
The deputy general was speechless.
Why did she take off the military advisor's shirt without saying anything?
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