"Jiu'er, how is she?" Meng Shaode rushed in from outside, his hands clutching a ginseng root.
"Quick, give this to your mother. I begged your grandmother for ages before she'd give it to me."
A Jiu was fully focused on channeling spiritual energy into Cai Lihua's body. Only when she felt dizzy did she stop.
"Mother?" A Jiu called out cautiously.
Cai Lihua's eyelids fluttered, and A Jiu was overjoyed.
Meanwhile, Meng Shaode had used a long bow to pound the ginseng on a stone, then twisted it forcefully with both hands. Drop by drop, ginseng juice was fed into Cai Lihua's mouth.
"She's finally awake," Meng Shaode said, collapsing onto the ground beside his wife as if he had narrowly escaped a disaster.
"Mother?" A Jiu called out tentatively a few more times.
"Jiu'er, are you… are you hurt?" Cai Lihua tried to sit up, but her depleted energy left her weak and she lay back down.
A Jiu quickly clasped her mother's hand and said repeatedly, "I'm fine, Mother. Don't get up, you need to rest."
Although the spiritual energy had had an effect, A Jiu guessed her mother's body would still need time to absorb and convert it.
"Those scoundrels are truly despicable. It's a good thing there's a war now, otherwise I'd have dragged them to the Qian Kun Hall and had them killed for bullying others with their influence."
Meng Shaode cursed with indignation.
As soon as he said this, A Jiu remembered a detail. "Father, that old man was very likely the current ruler."
She recalled Eunuch Zhou shouting "Protect the imperial chariot" before he died. Only a ruler would use the term "imperial chariot."
It seemed her grandmother was right; the Hua Zhou Dynasty was about to undergo a major shift, with even the emperor on the run.
Perhaps to avoid drawing attention, he had only brought a few dozen guards with him.
"Ah? Jiu'er, you can't be mistaken, can you?" Meng Shaode was stunned for a moment before he reacted.
"No mistake," A Jiu recalled the man's aura and composure. With several guards dead around him, he remained unfazed. His imperious demeanor, brook-no-defiance attitude, confirmed her suspicions.
"Good heavens, even the emperor is on the run. Is the sky falling?" Meng Shaode sighed in agreement.
"The princes are already fighting amongst themselves. It seems they all intend to carve up the Hua Zhou Dynasty," A Jiu murmured. In this struggle, there was only victory or defeat, no right or wrong.
"When will it end?" Meng Shaode frowned, worried.
"Either the throne changes hands and the new emperor is a wise ruler, or someone emerges who can pacify the war and stabilize the dynasty."
A Jiu watched the color gradually return to her mother's face, her tone noticeably more mature than usual.
Even Meng Shaode couldn't help but glance at his daughter more than once. Having gone through so much, his daughter had grown up.
Thinking of this, Meng Shaode's mind suddenly shifted to her lifelong marriage prospects. His eyes widened, and he looked at Tuoba Yan.
"You, boy, come here. Uncle needs to have a good talk with you."
A Jiu quickly regained her senses and looked at Tuoba Yan with concern. She opened her mouth as if to say something, but then considered Tuoba Yan's peculiar constitution and figured he couldn't be at a disadvantage. She let it go.
"Uncle, just tell me what you need to say. Don't involve me."
Tuoba Yan was dragged around like a subservient junior. It wasn't until they were dragged out of the dilapidated temple that Meng Shaode finally let go of him.
"You dare set your sights on my daughter? Who gave you the courage? Don't think that just because you saved our family, I'll owe you my daughter's future and thank you with her marriage. At worst, I'll kowtow to you in gratitude."
Upon hearing this, a sly smile flashed in Tuoba Yan's eyes. He scratched his head and said,
"This matter? I thought you were talking about something else. It's true, Jiu'er and I have a marriage contract. Jiu'er just asked me not to tell you, and I have to obey her, so I kept it a secret."
Meng Shaode froze. What was this boy grinning about? Didn't he see his fierce demeanor? Or was he not fierce enough?
"Stop playing coy with me. Either you agree to a separation, or I'll let my daughter become a widow. Choose one."