Chapter 90 — The Medicine Bearer Through the Chaos

Light After the Storm

Three days after the counterattack, a messenger from the Bac Dich camp approached the city gate, carrying a white flag asking for a temporary peace — not a surrender, but a clear sign that Great Khan Truy Phong, after suffering heavy losses and realizing that reinforcements and morale of the Dong Lam army had been strengthened, was no longer able to maintain the long siege as originally planned. A few days later, reconnaissance reported that the Northern Dich army had begun to completely retreat from the area around the capital, leaving behind abandoned military camps and a land devastated by weeks of fighting.

That news spread quickly throughout Yen Phung like a cool breeze in the middle of a hot summer, cheers rang out from all the streets, first aid stations, and guard posts on the citadel walls. After weeks of living in constant fear, the people of the capital can finally breathe a sigh of relief, even though everyone knows that the wounds this siege left behind - both on the body and in the hearts of everyone - will take a lot of time to heal.

At the ambulance stations, the number of new cases of the epidemic continued to gradually decrease, and by the end of that week, Linghu Baquan officially reported that the epidemic was considered completely controlled, although the number of people lost during the outbreak was still a heavy number that no one wanted to mention. Tinh Yen, standing in front of the list of names that had not survived, meticulously recorded according to the habit she learned from Mrs. Khue, felt a deep sadness mixed with comfort that number, although heartbreaking, was much smaller than what could have happened if there had not been timely intervention from the first days.

"You have saved more than you have lost, Doctor Do." Kinh Ba Van said, standing next to her in front of the list board, his voice was low but sincere. "That is something a true physician can be proud of, although one must never forget those who could not be saved."

Meanwhile, at Dai Ly Tu - the place where the court's serious cases were detained and tried, Can Ba Thong was officially arrested immediately after the war situation temporarily stabilized. The arrest warrant was issued with enough irrefutable evidence: the act of withholding medical aid during the siege of the capital, the direct connection with Chu Dac Hoanh and other corrupt officials, and the testimony of Lieutenant Trong Khoat about the bribery ring that had been operating for many years.

When the guards arrived at his palace to execute the arrest warrant, Can Ba Thong did not resist, just stood still and looked at the group of people surrounding him with a strange calmness, as if he had known this outcome a long time ago but still tried to prolong the time for each day or that day.

"Do you think capturing me will end everything?" He spoke, as he was escorted through streets crowded with curious people watching, his voice still carrying a bit of inherent arrogance. "I am just a pawn in a chessboard much larger than you can imagine."

Those words, despite their defiance, also sowed a new worry in the hearts of those who heard them - whether Can Ba Thong was really the sole leader, or just a link, albeit a large one, in a network of corruption that was much deeper than what had been exposed. Nhuoc Tran, upon hearing the report, frowned slightly and ordered further investigation into his remaining relationships in the court, not allowing any accomplices a chance to escape.

That evening, after everything temporarily calmed down, Tinh Yen alone went to the medicinal garden of Thai Y Vien, where the beds of herbal plants still resiliently grew green despite the past days of chaos. She sat down next to a familiar tree, letting her pent-up emotions for weeks finally release.

She thought of Mrs. Khue, of Lieu Nguyen, of Dang Thi Van, of all the people who had fallen on the long journey she had gone through — from Lach Dua, to Ngan Khe River, to Long Mon Pass, to Nghinh Phong, and now the capital city of Yen Phung. Every name, every face, had contributed to shaping the person she was today, a physician who was no longer the timid fishing village girl of yesteryear, but had the strength to stand firm in the midst of the biggest storms of the era.

Tears rolled down her cheeks, not from simple suffering, but from an emotional release that she had suppressed for so long amid the days of having to maintain her sanity for hundreds of others to rely on. She cried for those who died, cried for herself all those years ago, and even cried with relief when she realized that finally, justice - even though it was late and at the cost of so much pain - had begun to be served.

"I thought I would find you here." A familiar voice rang out from behind. Tinh Yen turned around and saw Ngan Ba Thuyen, who had recovered enough to walk steadily, standing in the moonlight, holding a small stick for support.

"You shouldn't travel so much." She said, hastily wiping away her tears, trying to regain her familiar composure.

"I'm fine, thanks to you." Ngan Ba Thuyen replied, slowly sitting down next to her. "I saw you sitting here alone, crying like a child, and I thought, maybe it's time you allowed yourself to be a little weak, after all you've carried for so long."

Tinh Yen smiled slightly through the tears still on her cheeks. "I don't think I can hold back so many tears after everything that's happened." She said. "But maybe, I've needed to cry like this for a long time."

Ngan Ba Thuyen nodded and was silent for a long time, looking up at the moon hanging in the sky that had become clear again after many days of clouds and chaos. "Can Ba Thong has been arrested, the trial will continue soon." He spoke, his voice slow. "And I promised you, when everything with him is over, I will tell you the whole truth about your master."

Tinh Yen's heart skipped a beat at that reminder. She looked up at him, seeing in those old eyes a sense of preparation, as if for the past twenty years, he had been waiting for this very moment to finally be able to let go of the burden he had been carrying for so long.

"I'm ready to listen, whenever you think it's time." She spoke softly, her voice both nervous and filled with the patience of someone who had been waiting for this answer for a long time.

"Not tonight." He replied, standing up slowly. "Tonight, let us both rest, enjoy this rare bit of peace. The truth has been waiting for twenty years, it can wait a few more days, until everything really calms down."

Before leaving completely, Ngan Ba Thuyen stopped and turned to look at her one more time. "There's something I want you to know right now, even though I can't tell you everything yet." He said, his voice low. "Your master, Thich Lieu Nguyen, is the best person I have ever had the honor of knowing in my life. Whatever you are about to hear about his past, please do not let it shake the trust you have had in him all these years."

Those words made Tinh Yen's heart warm and filled with new anxiety, but she just nodded, did not ask any more questions, and let him fade into the darkness of the hallway leading to the Royal Physicians' resting area.

A few days later, a simple memorial ceremony was held in the central square of the capital, for all those who died during the siege — both soldiers who died in battle and civilians who did not survive the epidemic. The Holy King himself attended, along with all the courtiers and a large number of people. White candles were lit throughout the square, creating a sea of silent light in the dark night.

Tinh Yen stood in the line of people who had great contributions in fighting the epidemic, next to Kinh Ba Van, Linh Ho Ba Tuyen, Nhuoc Lan and Ngan Ba Thuyen, looking at the flickering candlelight spread across the square, but couldn't help but think of the small lamp in Mrs. Khue's house in Lach Dua - a small flame, now it seems to have multiplied into thousands of other flames, each carrying a story, a loss, and a hope to continue. live.

Thanh Phong stood not far away, in the ranks of the generals, his eyes found her in the crowd, and when they met, the two only exchanged a slight nod, no further words were needed, because between them, the understanding had surpassed all need for verbal expression.

He left, leaving Tinh Yen alone in the middle of the medicinal garden under the moonlight. Her heart now carried a fragile but true peace - the biggest storm had passed, the enemy had retreated, the mastermind had fallen, but ahead, there were still the last secret doors waiting to be opened, the last pieces of a story that had lasted her entire life, now finally about to be completely completed.