As his consciousness gradually returned, the first thing Chu Zhaohuai became aware of was the bone chilling cold surrounding him from every direction.
It was as though he were lying inside an ice cellar. His hands and feet had already lost all sensation.
The effects of the sedative had not completely worn off. Chu Zhaohuai half opened his unfocused eyes as the smell of earth filled his nostrils. His large cloak was gone, leaving him dressed only in a thin layer of clothing as he lay on the icy ground.
“Mother,” he instinctively called out. “Xiaoshui is cold…”
Chu Zhaohuai did not know whether the drug had muddled his mind but he blankly thought: If it gets any colder, I’m going to turn into ice.
The moment he thought of that, Chu Xiaobing’s shoulders trembled. Suddenly, he found it unbearably funny and muffled laughter escaped from his lips.
After amusing himself for a while, the effects of the sedative receded a little further. His surroundings were no longer completely swallowed by darkness and he could vaguely make out what appeared to be a woodshed.
Chu Zhaohuai gathered what little strength he had and struggled to sit up.
But the moment he moved his hand, a series of cold metallic clinks and rattles rang out.
He lowered his eyes and saw that his already slender wrist had been fastened with a cold iron chain. The other end was locked firmly around a wooden pillar, secured so tightly that there was not the slightest gap.
The group that had hunted him through Jiangnan had always gone after his life whenever they made a move. Now that he had fallen solidly into their hands, there was little hope that he would survive.
The poison powder and the medicine for his heart condition that had been hidden inside his sleeves had also been searched out and taken away, leaving him with absolutely nothing.
This time, there truly was no way out alive.
Chu Zhaohuai listlessly lay back down and stopped struggling.
Actually, this was fine too.
He was destined to suffer this calamity anyway. Perhaps now, he could simply consider himself to be following the will of Heaven.
Just then, voices came from outside the tightly closed woodshed door.
Chu Zhaohuai immediately closed his eyes and pretended to be unconscious.
“That medicine can keep a grown man unconscious for two or three days. It’s only just gotten dark. What are you worrying about?”
“The guards from Prince Jing’s residence saw him being abducted. They’ll definitely report it to Prince Jing. We only need to wait here and ambush them. Bai Ji is no longer useful. We should kill him as soon as possible, so there won’t be any trouble from leaving him alive too long.”
“There’s no harm in waiting until they arrive.”
“What’s wrong with you? Why have you stopped me time and time again?”
The man spoke in a carefree, almost frivolous tone. “With a face like that, one of the finest you could ever hope to see, wouldn’t it be a waste to kill him right now? Besides, he’s the wangfei of Prince Jing. I imagine he must be quite skilled in bed. Otherwise, how could he have bewitched that mad dog Prince Jing into willingly walking straight into a trap?”
“You…” The other man’s voice was filled with disgust. “No matter how beautiful he is, he’s still a man. You actually have that kind of preference?”
The man did not seem to care in the slightest. “Who doesn’t love a beauty? As long as there’s enough charm in bed, even the God of Death himself can’t resist, can he?”
Chu Zhaohuai: “…”
Mm.
Perhaps struggling a little harder wasn’t entirely out of the question.
The people outside cursed the lecher thoroughly. After that, the voices fell silent, leaving behind only the slow sound of footsteps moving around outside, as though someone were making rounds and keeping watch.
He did not know where his eye veil had fallen. Chu Zhaohuai’s face was covered in dirt, his complexion had turned a bluish white from the cold and his hands and feet could not stop trembling. His forehead was gradually beginning to feel burning hot, his thoughts becoming increasingly muddled.
It seemed that he had developed a fever.
Chu Zhaohuai had no time to worry about such a minor matter. He hurriedly exhaled a breath of pure white mist into the freezing air, lowered his eyes and began fiddling with the shackles around his wrist.
The shackle was fastened far too tightly. Any attempt to pull it loose only caused it to catch painfully against the bone of his thumb, making it completely impossible to break free.
Outside, the wind and snow raged violently. The freezing wind howled through the tiny cracks in the woodshed, bringing with it an unbearable chill, as well as the strong, unmistakable smell of kerosene.
A woodshed.
Kerosene.
These people had never intended to let Chu Zhaohuai leave alive.
Chu Zhaohuai’s lips were deathly pale. His trembling hand slowly felt its way over his fingers.
Rather than being burned alive here, he might as well steel himself and fight for even the slightest chance of survival.
Chu Zhaohuai drew a deep breath.
In the darkness, two dull sounds rang out, as though something had been broken. The chains rattled violently and then, with a loud clang, they crashed onto the ground.
Chu Zhaohuai clamped the edge of his clothing between his teeth and bit down hard, cold sweat pouring from his body.
He had forcibly broken the bones of his thumb and little finger himself yet he did not make a single sound.
By the time Chu Zhaohuai had freed himself from one of the chains, the people outside had already finished pouring the kerosene. The candlelight had also been removed, leaving only thin slivers of light visible through the cracks around the window.
Staggering to his feet, Chu Zhaohuai had no time to undo the chain around his other hand. He could only hurriedly wind it around his wrist before slowly making his way to the window and pushing against it.
Fortunately, the window had not been sealed shut.
The two people outside were still talking. Their voices came and went indistinctly but they were not standing near the rear window.
At last, the flames outside flickered.
In the blink of an eye, the enormous building suddenly went up in flames.
Taking advantage of the roar of the fire, Chu Zhaohuai slammed the rear window open with the hand wrapped in chains. Before the flames could sweep into the room, he desperately hauled himself through the opening and escaped.
Without even looking back, he fled rapidly into the darkness.
The high fever had almost burned his mind into a state of confusion, mercifully dulling the pain in his fingers.
Chu Zhaohuai stumbled blindly through the darkness, feeling his way forward as he fled. Only after some time did he hazily realize that he was actually on a mountain.
The terrain on the mountain was complicated and treacherous, while the darkness was so thick that he could barely see his own hand in front of his face. On top of that, the snowy ground was slippery. If he accidentally stepped into empty space, he could probably break his neck eight hundred times over.
The sky seemed to be approaching dawn.
Chu Zhaohuai’s consciousness was hazy and he could only rely on instinct as he slowly felt his way forward. In less than fifteen minutes, he had fallen five or six times. His lower leg had even been scraped by a jagged mountain rock, leaving behind a vicious looking bloody gash.
Perhaps the repeated falls had dazed him. Chu Zhaohuai lay sprawled on the ground for a long time without managing to get back up. He stared blankly ahead and thought in confusion.
“Where am I supposed to go?”
Was he supposed to go home?
Back to the Marquis’s residence, or back to Lin’an?
Where was the place that truly belonged to him?
Chu Zhaohuai was almost frozen stiff by the bitter mountain wind. He sluggishly turned over and stared at the sky that was about to break into dawn, his mind wandering aimlessly as he began to feel strangely hot.
There was fire burning him.
Within the range of his blurred vision, torches seemed to slowly appear. A familiar face gradually emerged before his eyes.
The man bent down to look at him, the corners of his lips curving into a smile.
“Divine Physician Bai, you’re truly ruthless toward yourself. Your fingers are so beautiful yet you actually had the heart to break them.”
He was one of the people who wanted him dead.
Chu Zhaohuai’s pupils suddenly dilated. Instinctively sensing danger, he desperately pushed the man away.
His injured leg, still bleeding, struggled frantically, kicking at the snow until layers upon layers of it piled up. His bruised and purplish hand gripped the man’s clothing and pushed desperately outward, while his other hand, still trapped by the chain, could not even be raised and could only sink weakly and deeply into the snow.
The man simply watched as Chu Zhaohuai struggled feebly in the snow, as though admiring a beautiful butterfly that had fallen into a spider’s web and was still fluttering its wings.
With great interest, he leaned closer and was just about to say something when he suddenly heard the sharp clinking of chains colliding.
“Ugh!”
No one knew where Chu Zhaohuai found the strength.
In the instant his pupils contracted, he suddenly surged upright and wrapped the chain attached to his left hand tightly around the man’s neck.
It was as though he could no longer feel pain. His bruised, twisted right hand gripped one end of the chain with desperate force and refused to let go even unto death.
His entire body was burning hot. Perhaps the fever had already muddled his mind. His cheeks were flushed an unnatural red as he began to laugh softly, muttering incoherently.
“…What a lively scene.”
The strength of a person on the verge of death could be terrifying.
The man was strangled so tightly that even his jaw was forced upward, leaving him unable to breathe. The veins on his neck bulged violently.
He was a trained martial artist. Originally, he had not wanted to be too brutal and break the wings of this delicate butterfly but with his life hanging in the balance and his neck on the verge of being strangled apart, he could no longer afford to hold back.
He reached back and seized Chu Zhaohuai’s wrist, squeezing it viciously.
Chu Zhaohuai’s entire body shuddered and his hand dropped limply as he staggered.
The man seized the opportunity to tear himself free from the chain. Clutching his neck and gasping for breath, he glared at Chu Zhaohuai.
When Chu Zhaohuai had mercilessly covered his face in poisonous powder back in Jiangnan, he should have realized then that this seemingly gentle man might actually be a madman on the inside.
It was better to eliminate him as soon as possible.
Otherwise, leaving him alive would only invite trouble later.
The man drew a dagger from his waist. The lust in his eyes had completely faded, replaced by an indifferent, vicious glint.
Chu Zhaohuai’s eyes were unfocused as he stared blankly into empty space.
Even after seeing the gleaming dagger, he no longer had the strength to resist.
Blood slowly dripped from his lower leg, splattering onto the snow like spring flowers breaking through the earth.
Pain and cold swept through his feverish, muddled mind and in his dazed state, Chu Zhaohuai felt as though he were sinking into a deep, endless dream.
Perhaps it would be a blessing to simply sink into it and sleep forever.
Suddenly,
“Whoosh!”
An arrow tore through the air, striking the man squarely in the neck.
Blood instantly sprayed outward, splattering across Chu Zhaohuai’s entire face.
Dawn broke.
Light poured down from the horizon.
Chu Zhaohuai raised his head blankly. Through his blurred vision, he saw a figure dismounting from a horse not far away and walking toward him against the light.
The instant Chu Zhaohuai saw that person’s face, the last thread of consciousness he had desperately been holding onto seemed to have finally found a reliable harbor.
At last, he could no longer hold on.
He allowed himself to sink completely into sleep.
……
The bitter wind howled and heavy snow filled the sky.
Yin Chongshan rode over on horseback and hurriedly reported, “The bandits of Nanxia Forest have all been subdued. The city defense troops heard the news and have already arrived at the foot of the mountain.”
Half of the bandits’ stronghold in Nanxia Forest had been burned down.
Ji Xun held his raven headed cane in one hand and leisurely lifted the tiger skin covering the mountain bandit chief’s chair.
Beneath it, the chair was actually stacked with gold bricks.
Ji Xun glanced indifferently at the gold bricks.
“Who is leading the troops?”
“The commander of the Imperial Guards. His surname is Lin.”
Ji Xun thought for a moment.
“The one over fifty who was called an old bastard who should have died already after I cursed him?”
Yin Chongshan replied, “That was the former commander of the Imperial Guards. He has already been sent to the afterlife by Your Highness’s golden words. There is a new commander now.”
“Hmm,” Ji Xun said. “Block them at the foot of the mountain.”
“Yes.”
No sooner had Yin Chongshan left than another personal guard hurried over.
“Your Highness, the Princess Consort… I’m afraid things aren’t looking good.”
Ji Xun’s brows furrowed almost imperceptibly. He lifted his feet and walked toward the sleeping quarters next door.
The mountain bandits certainly knew how to enjoy themselves. They risked their lives robbing and plundering in the mountains, with their heads practically tied to their belts, yet they had still furnished their sleeping quarters to resemble those of an official’s household, even affecting an air of refined elegance.
The charcoal brazier was burning fiercely.
The moment Ji Xun entered, the heat enveloped him, causing his brows to draw together even more tightly. Nevertheless, he forced himself to endure it, walked over, sat down on the edge of the bed, and lifted the bed curtain.
Chu Zhaohuai had been frozen for half the night. Just moments ago, when he had nearly thought he was about to die, he had felt unbearably hot. Now that he had recovered somewhat in the warm room, the chill within his body had risen once more, leaving him trembling violently from the cold.
One of the personal guards knew a little about medicine. Kneeling beside the bed, he said, “The Princess Consort’s body was already weak to begin with. After being frightened like this and exposed to such cold wind, his pulse has become faint and weak. If his body cannot warm up, I’m afraid he may not be able to endure it.”
Ji Xun made his decision immediately. “Return to the capital and summon the imperial physicians.”
The personal guard hurriedly stopped him. “…The Princess Consort also cannot withstand the jostling and exhaustion of the journey.”
Sweat had already formed on Ji Xun’s forehead from the heat. Frowning, he stared at the person curled up among the pillows on the bed, trembling incessantly. After a long while, he finally said flatly, “Then treat him. If you can’t save him…”
The personal guard shuddered and immediately knocked his forehead against the floor.
Ji Xun continued, “…then that is simply his own fate.”
The personal guard breathed a sigh of relief.
Ji Xun no longer looked at him. He had just begun to rise when a hand suddenly seized the sleeve of his robe.
The strength behind it was weak. With the slightest tug, he could have easily shaken it off.
Ji Xun lowered his eyes and looked at him.
The young man had suffered an entirely undeserved disaster. His thin body was curled tightly into a ball. Even the blazing charcoal brazier and the thick blankets could not dispel the cold from him. His lips were pale and trembling, and after a long while, he finally managed to make a sound.
Once again, he was calling for his mother.
Ji Xun looked at him and could only find him foolish and useless. At his age, and yet he still…
“Your Highness,” Chu Zhaohuai murmured.
Ji Xun froze.
The personal guard had been waiting for His Highness to leave, but after waiting for a while, Ji Xun was still sitting there. Not only did he show no intention of leaving, he even reached out and touched the Princess Consort’s forehead, as though checking his temperature.
The personal guard was stunned.
Ji Xun then touched Chu Zhaohuai’s palm.
It was ice-cold.
His two fingers seemed to be broken as well.
There was no discernible change in Ji Xun’s gaze as he asked, “How do we drive the cold from his body?”
The personal guard’s breathing stopped for a moment. Suppressing the turmoil in his heart, he answered cautiously, “Perhaps if we put out more charcoal braziers and move them closer…”
Ji Xun gave a soft hum and said leisurely, “Wouldn’t it be faster to simply roast him over the brazier?”
The personal guard: “…”
The personal guard trembled with fear and knocked his forehead against the floor once again.
Ji Xun did not make things difficult for him over his half-baked medical knowledge. He merely ordered coldly, “Go outside and wait.”
The personal guard hurriedly bowed and slipped out.
Before closing the door, he inexplicably glanced back.
Prince Jing sat on the edge of the bed, his brows and eyes cold and indifferent, yet his movements were unexpectedly gentle as he gathered the young man curled into a ball into his arms.
A man’s embrace did not have the unpleasant, drying heat of a charcoal brazier. Instead, it was like the warm breeze of spring, its comforting heat slowly seeping into the young man’s body.
The Princess Consort, who had been struggling painfully moments ago, finally stopped tossing and turning. Listlessly, he wrapped his arms around Prince Jing’s waist and settled down obediently in his embrace.
The personal guard shuddered violently. He did not dare look any longer and hurried out with his hands and feet moving awkwardly in opposite directions.
Ji Xun did not like heat.
The young man had not yet fully grown into his adult frame, and his slender body was thin and delicate. Even after the cold had been driven away, he instinctively continued pressing himself closer to Ji Xun, clinging to him.
Prince Jing’s clothes were thin, allowing him to keenly perceive every movement Chu Zhaohuai made.
The warmth of his body gradually changed from cold to warm. Because of his discomfort, he gently rubbed against the side of Ji Xun’s neck. Even the warm breath brushing against his skin could not be ignored…
Sweat slowly slid down Ji Xun’s forehead.
When he sensed that the young man’s breathing had finally become even and steady, his hand slowly closed around Chu Zhaohuai’s chin. Looking down from above, he quietly studied that face.
Chu Zhaohuai’s face was still smeared with dirt and streaked with blood, but the contours of his features could still be clearly made out. Even that personal guard had nearly stared at him when he had come to check his pulse earlier.
But beauty and ugliness were no different to Ji Xun.
No matter how beautiful a person was, he could turn around and forget them in the next moment.
To Ji Xun, Chu Zhaohuai like this was no different from when he wore the eye veil.
Ji Xun said indifferently, “Had enough?”
Chu Zhaohuai was still unconscious, so naturally he could not answer. Instead, he moved closer again and rubbed against Ji Xun’s chest.
Ji Xun: “…”
Perhaps I should just kill him.
Ji Xun thought coldly.
Foolish, delicate, greedy for money, and of no use to the greater scheme.
He had killed countless people like this.
He did not care about killing one more.
Chu Zhaohuai rubbed against him once again.
Ji Xun’s gaze grew even colder.
At that moment, a personal guard outside the door came to ask, “Your Highness, what should we do with these gold bricks? Should we leave them for the Imperial Guards?”
Ji Xun remained silent for a long time. He slowly exhaled, reached out, and gathered the scattered silk quilt more securely around Chu Zhaohuai before saying, “Pack them into crates and transport them back to the Prince’s residence.”
“Yes.”
✦ ✧ ✦
Cressilia
[Translator]
☕ A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR THE TRANSLATOR
You read the chapter. They wrestled with the words. Seems fair, no? (￣▽￣)
☕ BUY THEM A COFFEE →
✧ (づ｡•ㅅ•｡)づ ☕ ✧
✦ thank you for reading ✦
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ChaptersChapter 1 · Substitute BrideChapter 2 · Chu ZhaojiangChapter 3 · Very safeChapter 4 · He is the prince’s manChapter 5 · It was really hard to refuse their kind invitation.Chapter 6 · Thankfully it was just poisoning.Chapter 7 · Haha, I spit on “golden and jade hall”!Chapter 8 · Are you not satisfied with the homecoming gift?Chapter 9 · You must keep your identity hidden.Chapter 10 · I like whole fish banquetChapter 11 · BankruptChapter 12 · Add some funChapter 13 · FightChapter 14 · Three taels of silverChapter 15 · Go back to restChapter 16 · They’re all spendthrifts.Chapter 17 · Enough for branches and leavesChapter 18 · Rumors can kill peopleChapter 19 · I want to get closer to the prince.Chapter 20 · Why not move in and share a room?Chapter 21 · Ha, I’m not stupid.Chapter 22 Part 1 · Liang Fang’s prescriptionChapter 22 Part 2 · Liang Fang’s prescriptionChapter 23 · Be more cautious and vigilantChapter 24 Part 1 · Don’t touch meChapter 24 Part 2 · Don’t touch meChapter 25 Part 1 · Golden NeedleChapter 25 Part 2 · Golden NeedleChapter 26 · To avoid suspicionChapter 27 · Committing numerous evil deedsChapter 28 Part 1 · May I receive the worst possible fortuneChapter 28 Part 2 · May I receive the worst possible fortuneChapter 29 · I really didn’t mean to kill youChapter 30 · Protect the prince!Chapter 31 · The bird that fell into the trapChapter 32 · Embracing someone on the couchChapter 33 · The miracle doctor is going home!Chapter 34 · I shouldn’t have wanted to hurt himChapter 35 · A bout of madnessChapter 36 · NightmareChapter 37 Part 1 · SpecialChapter 37 Part 2 · SpecialChapter 38 · Being hunted downChapter 39 · Cause and Bitter FruitChapter 40 · Is he honest and kind?Chapter 41 · I am flattered and overwhelmed.Chapter 42 · No, I want to buy.Chapter 43 Part 1 · When the city gate catches fireChapter 43 Part 2 · When the city gate catches fireChapter 44 · It’s the face of a notorious thiefChapter 45 · Are you trying to comfort me?Chapter 46 · Thank you, Your Highness!Chapter 47 · Thank you, Your Highness!Chapter 48 · It’s delicious!Chapter 49 · SeducingChapter 50 · By imperial decreeChapter 51 Part 1 · Potent MedicineChapter 51 Part 2 · Potent MedicineChapter 52 · Wasn’t it impotence?Chapter 53 · I’m not busy todayChapter 54 Part 1 · Break his legs directlyChapter 54 Part 2 · Break his legs directlyChapter 55 · I really didn’t mean to mess with youChapter 56 · Don’t play the victim when you’re having a medical episodeChapter 57 · Let’s do it one more time!Chapter 58 Part 1 · I’ve got you!Chapter 58 Part 2 · I’ve got you!Chapter 59 · A doctor’s dutyChapter 60 Part 1 · Are you at peace with yourself?Chapter 60 Part 2 · Are you at peace with yourself?