Chapter 98 — The Medicine Bearer Through the Chaos

Things That Don't Need To Be Said Beforehand

Half a year after the day Te Sinh Duong officially opened to welcome the first patients, a small group of cavalry appeared on the road leading to Lach Dua village, the banner of the Tran Bac Hau family fluttering in the sea breeze. Tinh Yen, who was instructing a group of students how to identify medicinal leaves in the garden, looked up when she heard the sound of horse hooves, and her heart skipped a beat when she recognized the person leading the group.

Thanh Phong dismounted, his appearance completely different from the image of the tired, wounded officer she once took care of - now he stood firmly, healthy, in simple civilian clothes instead of the familiar armor, a change that surprised Tinh Yen.

"You're not wearing a military uniform." She said, walking closer, her voice filled with curiosity mixed with joy at the unexpected meeting.

"I have resigned from the position of front-line commander." Thanh Phong replied, a gentle smile appearing on his lips. "My father, after careful consideration, agreed to let me transfer to another position — overseeing the reconstruction and civil defense work for the entire East Sea region, instead of continuing to be at the front line of the border."

Tinh Yen paused, realizing the meaning behind that decision. "So that means..."

"It means we will be stationed nearby, no longer having to be separated for months like before." He said, his eyes filled with sincerity. "I've been thinking a lot since the day you left the capital. I realized, after everything we've been through together — from the Long Mon pass, to Nghinh Phong, to Go Say, to the siege of Yen Phung — I no longer want to continue living a life filled with only brief separations and reunions between two battles."

She stood still, feeling her heart beat faster at those words, but she couldn't help but feel worried. "But this is a big sacrifice for him. The military career, the reputation he has built..."

"This is not a sacrifice." Thanh Phong interrupted, his voice firm. "Protecting and rebuilding a land that has suffered so much pain from war, helping people like here live a more peaceful life — that is also a form of service no less meaningful than leading troops on the front lines. I have learned that, largely, from the way you have lived all these years."

Tinh Yen smiled, her eyes filled with tears at that sincerity. She invited him to visit Te Sinh Duong, led him through each house, each medicinal bed, introduced him to the young students who were studying diligently, and told stories that had happened in the past half a year since the medical shop opened.

Ngan Ba Thuyen, seeing Thanh Phong enter the yard, smiled slightly and $1 signaling Nhuoc Lan and Ton Ba Nghi to retreat inside, leaving more private space for the two. "He finally came." He muttered to himself, his eyes following the two figures walking side by side through the medicinal garden, unable to hide the satisfaction of someone who had been silently observing and looking forward to this moment for a long time.

While having dinner with the group, Thanh Phong also brought a letter from Ve Khai Trach, sent specifically to Tinh Yen. She opened it and read it right at the table, the familiar handwriting of Tran Bac Hau appeared solemn but warm.

"Doctor Do." The letter wrote. "I have followed what you have done in Dong Hai through the reports Thanh Phong sent back, and I want you to know, I have never, even for a moment, considered you unworthy because of your background. On the contrary, I believe that it is you, more than anyone in the royal court that I have ever known, who truly understands the meaning of the word honor. If you and Thanh Phong decide to walk together on the road ahead, you will always have my full blessing, as a person. father, not just as a Marquis."

Tinh Yen finished reading, her eyes filled with tears, she folded the letter carefully, her heart filled with an indescribable warmth at that sincere acceptance - not because she needed it to feel worthy, but because it completely removed the last barrier that could make Thanh Phong torn between feelings and family responsibilities.

"My father told me the same words, before I left here." Thanh Phong spoke softly, recognizing her eyes. "He said, he learned from his own life, that the honor of a family does not lie in choosing the right person of noble birth, but in choosing the right person with the right virtue to shoulder responsibility."

In the evening, after all the work for the day was completed, the two of them walked together along the beach, the place where Tinh Yen's childhood was witnessed before the chaos came. The sunset dyed both the sky and the sea into a brilliant orange color, the waves gently lapping on the sandy shore.

"I have something to tell you." Thanh Phong spoke up, stopped walking, turned to look straight into her eyes. His voice, even though he had been prepared for a long time, still could not hide a rare tremble.

Tinh Yen stopped and followed him, looking at him waiting, no less nervous.

"I don't mean this as a fancy proposal, with big vows." He spoke, his voice slow but absolutely sincere. "Because I think, between the two of us, the most important things have always been expressed through actions, not words — through the way you saved me time and time again, through the way I always came back to you no matter what battlefield. I just want to say, I want to be with you, not as a reward after what we've been through, but simply because that's what I want most for the rest of my life, no matter where you choose to live or what job you choose to do."

Tinh Yen felt tears rolling down her cheeks, not because of sadness, but because of a fullness and completeness of emotion that she rarely allowed herself to experience so completely. "Me too." She replied, her voice trembling slightly. "I was afraid of this feeling for a long time, because I was afraid it would become a burden, a distraction from the responsibilities I always put first. But now, when all those responsibilities have been fulfilled in their own way, I realize, the feelings between us have never been a burden, but have always been a fulcrum."

They didn't hug quickly, didn't have long vows, they simply stood together, hand in hand, looking out at the sea that was gradually turning dark purple as dusk gave way to night. It was a simple, understated moment, but it carried with it the weight of a long journey they had traveled together — not a reward for what they had sacrificed, but a natural continuation of all they had built together.

"I won't ask you to leave the Sacrifice Hall to follow me, and I won't ask you to turn this place into anything other than what it is." Thanh Phong spoke softly, after a long moment of silence together. "I just want, every time you look up from work, you will always see me somewhere not far away, ready to be with you whenever you need me."

"Then perhaps." Tinh Yen replied, resting her head lightly on his shoulder, her voice more peaceful than ever. "That's exactly what I need, nothing more, nothing less."

They stood there for a while longer, until the first stars began to appear in the gradually darkening night sky. From afar, the lights of Te Sinh Duong were still bright, where Ngan Ba Thuyen and a few young students were still diligently working on the pages of medical books, and the sound of ocean waves echoed regularly like a familiar background music of an entire countryside that was gradually reviving.

"I have one more thing to say." Thanh Phong spoke up, breaking the gentle silence between the two. "I'm not in a hurry to ask for any rituals right now. I know you're still busy with the Te Sinh Hall, with your students, and I also have a lot of work to complete in my new position. We can wait, until we both feel ready."

"I think so too." Tinh Yen replied, smiling slightly. "Perhaps, the most beautiful thing between us has never been haste. From the first day I saved you on the battlefield, until today, everything has happened at its own pace, not forced, not urged by anything other than the sincerity of both of us."

He nodded slightly, gently squeezed her hand, then they both turned to walk back towards the warm lights of Te Sinh Duong, where a new life, no longer dominated by war or political intrigue, was gradually being built day by day, with the hands and hearts of the people who had gone through so many hardships together to get here.