Chapter Seventy-Nine: Victory in Battle

Everyone in the room quickly rose to greet him.

“Husband!” Seeing her husband standing before her, unharmed, Lady Yun was overwhelmed with emotion, her face radiant with joy.

“Father!” Wei Yichen, Wei Qingwan, and the others surrounded Wei Mingtin, scrutinizing him carefully.

“A great victory! We drove those pirates from the sea into utter retreat! Not a single one of their ships remains visible on the water!” Wei Mingtin announced, his face alight with happiness.

Ordinarily, he was consumed by official duties. As soon as preparations for this large-scale battle began, he no longer returned home, devoting himself entirely to the campaign, day and night, advancing and retreating alongside his soldiers.

Now that victory had been achieved, he hurried home at once to share the good news with his family, to ease the worries they had harbored for him.

“A great victory? Is it true?” Lady Yun was beside herself with delight.

Everyone in the house wore expressions of unbridled joy, and Wei Ruo was no exception.

In that moment, the gloomy clouds that had hung over the Commandant’s residence for days were finally dispersed, revealing the bright moon behind the mist!

Afterward, everyone clustered around Wei Mingtin as he took his seat.

The maidservants hurried to bring tea and cakes.

After briefly conversing with his children, Wei Mingtin told them to retire for the night, as it was late and he had just emerged from several days of arduous battle and needed rest.

Everyone withdrew accordingly.

The next morning, Wei Yichen, Wei Ruo, Wei Qingwan, and Wei Yilin arrived early at Cangyun Court to wait.

Usually, the family took breakfast separately, but today was different; everyone was eager to hear more about the battle.

After a short wait, Cui Ping came out and invited them in.

Upon entering, they saw Wei Mingtin already up, dressed in casual attire, looking refreshed and spirited.

He bade them sit and join him for breakfast.

On the large round table were rice porridge, fried dough, pickled vegetables, and soup dumplings—common fare among the people of Taizhou Prefecture.

When breakfast was finished, the servants cleared away the remnants.

Everyone took seats nearby. Wei Mingtin understood his children had come early out of concern for him and also out of curiosity about the events of recent days.

“This victory is due to two people,” Wei Mingtin, usually a man of few words, began to speak more freely.

“Who are they?” Lady Yun asked eagerly.

Everyone looked at him with keen curiosity.

“The first is that gentleman; the reinforcements sent by the court are closely tied to him. This time, he orchestrated the surprise attack, leading our forces from Moonwatch Mountain to strike at the heart of the pirate army, disrupting their formation.”

Everyone knew of this, so it came as no surprise.

“And the second?” Lady Yun asked.

“The second is something none of us expected. During the recent recruitment in town, a young soldier joined us and brought us an extraordinary weapon—not an ordinary crossbow, but one capable of loading ten arrows at once. After firing, you simply replace the cartridge. Its efficiency is remarkable, and its use greatly increased our firepower.”

“Before the battle began, we gathered all the craftsmen in town and worked through the night to produce a large number of these mechanical crossbows for the campaign.”

“This is a blessing for you and the people of Xing Shan County! Is that young soldier a skilled craftsman, to have created such a formidable weapon?” Lady Yun asked curiously.

“I’ve asked him. The weapon wasn’t his own invention; he acquired it from a master who travels the land. Even so, the credit is his. Moreover, he distinguished himself in battle, showing exceptional bravery. After this, I intend to promote him to company flag leader.”

“He truly seems to be heaven-sent to aid you and the people of Xing Shan County!” Lady Yun exclaimed.

Wei Ruo, listening quietly, knew the person her father spoke of was Brother Xiao Yong, and her smile deepened.

Brother Xiao Yong was safe and had earned military merit—truly wonderful news.

“Father, what about you?” Wei Yichen asked.

Would his father be promoted by the court for winning the battle?

“I’m not sure about my own situation,” Wei Mingtin replied, knowing it depended on the attitude of the Seventh Prince.

Both the Seventh Prince and the young master of the Lu family had participated in the campaign; they knew the circumstances best. Ultimately, it depended on how the Seventh Prince reported to the court.

“Father is so brave—once the court hears, they’re sure to promote him!” Wei Yilin couldn’t help but say.

“Let’s not dwell on that for now. Whether I am promoted is not for me to decide. The most important thing is that the battle was won, bringing peace, even if only for a time, to the people of Xing Shan County. That is the greatest cause for celebration,” Wei Mingtin said.

Wei Ruo didn’t pay much attention to what her father said after that; her mind was focused on sharing the good news with her nursemaid and Uncle Xu.

The conversation lasted nearly an hour, after which Lady Yun urged the children to leave, so her husband could rest further.

Wei Ruo left the dining hall and saw Wei Mingtin’s bodyguard, Jing Hu. She went over specifically to ask him the name of the young soldier praised by Wei Mingtin that day.

Jing Hu gave a clear answer: Xu Zhengyong.

Confirming that it was indeed Brother Xiao Yong, Wei Ruo returned to Ting Song Court in high spirits.

“Miss, why are you so happy?” Xi Mei noticed that Wei Ruo was walking as if on clouds—clearly something good had happened.

“I’m going to write a letter to nursemaid, to tell her about Brother Xiao Yong,” Wei Ruo said as she walked into the house.

“How is Brother Xiao Yong?” Xi Mei asked, her voice growing excited and curious.

They hadn’t heard any news since Brother Xiao Yong joined the army.

“He’s earned military merit.”

“Really?” Xi Mei’s eyes lit up, but then she quickly suppressed her smile, sniffing, “That rascal—so he does have some skill! He truly is my fellow disciple!”

Turning her head, she asked, “So when will Brother Xiao Yong be able to come home?”

“He should be able to soon. It sounds like the pirates in Xing Shan County have been driven away, so there should be a period of peace. If that’s the case, the camp will likely arrange for the soldiers to visit home in shifts,” Wei Ruo replied.

“That’s wonderful! Miss, should I find some tonics for Brother Xiao Yong to take back with him?”

“Go ahead, I was thinking the same thing. We’re of one mind on this,” Wei Ruo said.

Xi Mei turned and dashed lightly toward the small storeroom.

###

Two days later, Xu Zhengyong finally returned.

The nursemaid immediately sent a message to Wei Ruo.

The two families lived close by; a pigeon soon carried the letter to Wei Ruo’s courtyard.

Receiving the letter, Wei Ruo and Xi Mei left the house under a prearranged excuse.

Now that Madam Zhang was on Wei Ruo’s side, she would turn a blind eye even if Wei Ruo wandered after leaving home.

Passing through Four Treasures Studio into the rear courtyard, they found the nursemaid, eyes brimming with tears, speaking to Xu Zhengyong.