Chapter 34 — The Medicine Bearer Through the Chaos

Letters From Ai Bac

Bac Nhi was returned to North Dich in a small prisoner exchange that took place in neutral territory half a day's journey from Long Mon pass, along with three Dong Lam prisoners who had been captured by North Dich in previous battles. Tinh Yen was not allowed to be present directly during the exchange, but she came to see Bac Nhi off at the barracks gate, putting a small package of herbs to stop bleeding and relieve pain in his hand, in case he needed it on the way back.

"May you return safely to your flock." She said, through the interpreter's translation.

Bac Nhi looked at her, his eyes carried an indescribable attachment, then bowed his head low - a rare gesture of respect that a steppe soldier rarely gave to people outside his tribe. He said a short sentence, and the interpreter translated: "He said, if the war ever ends, he will offer you a cup of fermented horse milk, the best thing in the steppes where he comes from."

Tinh Yen laughed lightly, a rare smile in this politically charged scene of separation. She felt strangely warm in her heart even though she knew she would probably never see that young prisoner again. She stood and watched the group gradually disappear behind the hills, carrying with her a small belief that, no matter how cruel the war, the seeds of kindness could still sprout in the seemingly driest place.

Not long after that event, another piece of good news came to the camp - the royal court officially approved the promotion of Ve Thanh Phong to the position of Deputy General, second only to Tran Bac Marquis Ve Khai Trach in the command system of the entire Northern border line, a bigger step than the position of Deputy General of Long Mon border that he currently holds.

The investiture ceremony took place more solemnly than the previous promotion, including a messenger from the royal court to read the decree, along with a small team of ceremonial staff carrying seals and new robes for the young general. Tinh Yen stood in the witnessing crowd, both proud and feeling more clearly than ever the growing gap between Thanh Phong's position and her own position.

That evening, after the ceremony, Thanh Phong came to see her, still wearing the ceremonial robe, looking more tired than happy.

"Aren't you happy about your promotion?" Tinh Yen asked, noticing his unusually thoughtful look.

"I'm happy to be trusted with greater responsibility." Thanh Phong replied, sitting down on the familiar stone. “But along with the promotion edict, I also received another letter from my father, and its contents made me not entirely happy.”

He took out an old envelope from his shirt, the handwriting on it had an unusual haste compared to Tran Bac Hau's familiar, calm letter writing style.

"My father wrote that recently at the royal court, there was a group of mandarins in the Household Ministry who continuously made it difficult for the approval of the military budget for the Northern border line, citing the tight national treasury and need to prioritize other projects." Thanh Phong recounted, his voice lowered. "My father suspects that this is not simply a budget issue, but a form of retaliation because he has repeatedly refused to sign grain supply contracts that he believes show signs of unfairness and inflated prices compared to the actual market."

Tinh Yen listened, a familiar feeling arose in her heart - the image of the strange-smelling licorice in the medicinal warehouse, Ky Ba Nghiem's words about the silent cuts in the military supply ranks, and now, the story of the illegal supply contracts that Ve Khai Trach was trying to prevent. The disparate pieces of the puzzle seem to be gradually coming closer together, although the overall picture remains unclear.

"Did your father clearly state who those contracts were related to?" She asked, trying to keep her voice calm even though she was filled with curiosity.

"No, my father only wrote in general terms, probably because he was afraid the letters would be intercepted or fall into the wrong hands." Thanh Phong shook his head. "But you mentioned something worrying — that those who oppose you in the court seem to have close ties to an official who heads a ministry that holds finances, although you did not dare to name it in the letter, only vaguely calling it 'a growing force in the Ministry of Household Affairs'."

Tinh Yen shivered slightly, even though she didn't understand why that sentence made her so uneasy. She remembered Master Lieu Nguyen's words before his death, about a conspiracy in the court related to the distribution of herbs and medicinal herbs, about how he had witnessed something that should not be known. Is it possible that the same force, which has been hidden for many years, is now spreading its tentacles wider, not only affecting remote fishing villages like Lach Dua, but also powerful military families like Tran Bac Hau?

"I don't want you to worry any more about this." Thanh Phong said, noticing her thoughtful look. "Perhaps these are just normal political conflicts in the court, my father is wise enough to handle them himself."

"I'm not worried because you're weak, but because you know well, those behind such plots usually don't stop just because they encounter a straightforward person like your father." Tinh Yen replied, her voice more serious than usual. "Please be careful, sir, and remind your father to do the same."

Thanh Phong looked at her, somewhat surprised by the sudden seriousness in her voice, but then nodded, without asking further why. "I will remember your words." He said. "And I promise, when you come to Yen Phung, if there is anything wrong regarding this matter, I will be the first person you can trust to come to."

The next morning, Tinh Yen went to see Ky Ba Nghiem and told part of the story Thanh Phong had just shared, although he did not reveal all the details because of its sensitivity. She wanted to consult him, who had many years of experience in the military and had some understanding of the complex nooks and crannies of the bureaucracy.

"Are you asking me again about the Ministry of Health and the shady supply contracts?" Ky Ba Nghiem frowned and put his pen down on the notebook. "Last time you asked about the batch of medicinal herbs, this time it's about Tran Bac Hau. You're trying to piece together something, right?"

"I'm just trying to better understand the world I'm about to enter." Tinh Yen replied, not denying but also not revealing all her deep doubts.

Ky Ba Nghiem looked at her for a long time, then sighed, seemingly deciding to share a few more things. "Ho Ministry is one of the six most important ministries of the court, holding the entire national treasury, from military food to natural disaster relief. The position of Minister leading the Ho Ministry is therefore always one of the positions with the greatest power and temptation in the court. I do not dare to confirm anything about who holds that position today, but the history of this Yongkang dynasty is not lacking in stories about great mandarins falling before the temptation of power and money. silver."

"If you want to learn more about such things when you come to Yen Phung, where should you start?" Tinh Yen asked, trying to keep her voice as a simple curious question.

"You should be careful with that question." Ky Ba Nghiem replied, his eyes became serious. "The Royal Medical Institute is a specialized agency, not a place to investigate court affairs. If you are too curious about things that are not part of the duties of a medical officer, you may take unnecessary risks, especially when you don't yet have a solid foothold there. Focus on proving your skills first, everything else, if fate arises, will automatically find you."

That advice made Tinh Yen pensive all afternoon. She clearly understood that Ky Ba Nghiem's caution came from his kindness, from his desire to protect her from the hidden dangers of officialdom that he had witnessed over many years in the military. But at the same time, she also felt more clearly than ever that, once she stepped into Yen Phung, it would be difficult for her to just stand outside and observe, especially when the pieces about her master's past, about her grandmother's death, and now, about the difficulties of the Tran Bac Hau family, seemed to be gradually converging on the same point.

That night, after Thanh Phong left, Tinh Yen sat alone in the tent, taking out the small piece of paper she had been using to record the fragmentary clues she had collected since the night her master passed away. She added a new line: "Ho Ministry - growing power - unclear supply contract." She looked at that line for a long time under the light of an oil lamp, feeling more clearly than ever that her path to Yen Phung was not only a path to skill and fame, but also a path leading straight to the heart of a plot that had been silently spreading suffering for many years, a plot that now both she and Thanh Phong seemed to be approaching from two different directions, unexpectedly meeting.