After the Disabled God of War Became My Concubine Chapter 62
Jiang Suizhou felt a thud in his heart. Then, flickers of happiness arose within.
Could it be? He knew that Huo Wujiu would be suspicious of him and would never believe that he was just trying to save his life from the Hou Zhu.
It was true that he did not want to save his life under the Hou Zhu. After all, although the Hou Zhu tormented him, he would not torment him to death.
What he wanted was to retrieve his head from being under Huo Wujiu’s butcher’s knife.
This made no difference to Huo Wujiu whatsoever.
Luckily, I said it at this moment. Jiang Suizhou thought to himself.
Looking at Huo Wujiu’s deepening frown, Jiang Suizhou was convinced that it must be because he could not trust him yet. That meant Huo Wujiu still doubted what he had said.
This was as it should be. After all, for Huo Wujiu, he was in the rival camp. It would have been strange if Huo Wujiu believed him immediately after he said so.
With that in mind, Jiang Suizhou composed himself seriously and said, “This Prince knows that you may not believe my words. When all is said and done, it sounds somewhat absurd to you. But…”
Huo Wujiu, however, suddenly interrupted him.
“I believe you.” His voice was smooth, but seemed colder than usual.
Jiang Suizhou was stunned: “This Prince is saying…”
Huo Wujiu raised his eyes to look at him and said, “Cooperate. What you were going to say is for us to cooperate, right?”
Jiang Suizhou nodded: “Yes, but…”
But, why was there something indescribably strange when the words came out of Huo Wujiu’s mouth?
Huo Wujiu looked at him with deep eyes and then said in a slow voice, “You’re trying your best to protect me. I can see that, although I don’t know why you have such confidence in me. If there really is a day like you said, I would never return kindness with ingratitude.”
Jiang Suizhou listened blankly.
Huo Wujiu’s remarks were reasonable, which was not only in line with his open and aboveboard personality, but also the attitude Jiang Suizhou had always wanted to win.
But…
Jiang Suizhou felt a lingering abnormality deep inside, but he couldn’t put a finger on it. Huo Wujiu’s remarks obviously were positive, but when they came out of his mouth, he felt a kind of unspeakable pent-up frustration. It even carried a trace of a piercingly cold chill.
Jiang Suizhou was in a daze when he saw Huo Wujiu glance at him lightly and asked, “Are you relieved?”
Jiang Suizhou nodded woodenly.
Huo Wujiu gave him an unfathomable glance, then put down the chopsticks in his hand. He placed one hand on his wheelchair, turned directions, and moved straight away.
Jiang Suizhou came back to his senses only a few moments later.
He picked up the cup of tea on the table and took a sip thoughtfully.
He didn’t doubt that Huo Wujiu would go back on his word, but…
After contemplating for a moment, he shook his head.
Maybe people like him who conquered the sands and fought in wars are so cold and fierce when they make promises to others?
Huo Wujiu didn’t regain his senses all night.
Absurd?
Indeed, he was a Prince of an enemy country, and although his situation wasn’t favorable, he was still pampered. His life was at least safe. It was indeed quite absurd that such a person would say such things as placing his hopes on an enemy general and even cooperating with a crippled prisoner of war.
…But even more ridiculous was, didn’t he believe him, too?
Huo Wujiu only felt that he was smitten by some spirit. His mind was obviously perfectly normal, but it was like he was struck with a stifling blow on matters related to Jingwang. He felt wooly-headed without rhyme or reason.
Now it seemed that what Jiang Suizhou said to the eunuch was nothing but a prevarication, and shielding him, as he had claimed, was also to prevent Jiang Shunheng from getting what he desired. He had nothing to rely on in this land, and it was only right to put his hopes on him.
But he himself was confused and believed in that nonsense that couldn’t stand up to scrutiny.
Huo Wujiu barely slept throughout the night. As soon as the day dawned, he immediately moved to the wing room that Meng Qianshan had arranged for him.
He knew that he should feel humiliated.
But the emotions that permeated his heart seemed not quite similar to humiliation.
Something surged up from the pit of his stomach and soaked the meridians in his chest till it numbed, like being densely pricked by a row of small needles. Although it didn’t hurt much, it made him uncomfortable all over.
Before this, he hadn’t yet experienced what it meant to be ‘aggrieved’.
The Anyin Hall courtyard was so large that it was easy to find a comfortable and spacious room. Coupled with Meng Qianshan’s attentiveness, it only took one night to arrange a vacant room on the east wing, facing the sun.
The room was nearly as big as the main house, and the light was especially bright. It was the best room for sunbathing among the wing rooms.
When Meng Qianshan prepared the room, he, more or less, wanted to please Madam Huo.
But Madam Huo didn’t look the least bit happy.
The ancestor still had a cold face, and even the aura around him seemed a bit more intimidating than usual. Although Meng Qianshan did not know the reason, he still knew how to discern expressions, so after sending the ancestor over, he hurriedly retreated with the others.
The sun gradually rose, and Li Changning took Wei Kai to Anyin Hall.
It would take a few days for the herbs he prepared to have a noticeable effect. After taking Jiang Suizhou’s pulse, Li Changning adjusted several of the medicines he used, then handed the prescription to Meng Qianshan and asked him to concoct the medicine for Jiang Suizhou.
After performing all these, a maid led the two of them to the room where Huo Wujiu was staying.
Pang Shao manipulated the Emperor to say these words, but presumably, he was also fighting with him.
In this case, the situation was much more complicated. If he retreated at this juncture, he might harm more than his own interests.
But…
Firstly, he was in the dark and had no clue about what was going on in the court. He didn’t even know who was under his command. Even if he took over the job, he was afraid there would be trouble.
Secondly, the question before him was making him choose between a rock and a hard place. Either give up this hard-earned benefit of Jingwang, offending all his fellow officials, or bring Huo Wujiu into the palace for some humiliation, offending Huo Wujiu.
Jiang Suizhou sighed.
This was simply grilling him. But in contrast, his life was more important.
On top of the throne, the Hou Zhu was still urging him strangely, “Fifth Brother, why aren’t you saying anything? The beauty or the cushy job, you have to choose one.”
Jiang Suizhou raised his eyes, and this time, the revulsion and anger on his face was no longer faked.
“As Brother Emperor said, I shouldn’t overstep my bounds,” Jiang Suizhou opened his mouth and replied unhurriedly.
He saw the emperor smile all the more smug.
The sky brightened, and the trees outside the window swayed about. The sun shone brightly through the thin green branches, spreading mottled shadows onto the smooth dark floor tiles.
Dust particles danced silently in the air, making the rays show a bit of yarn-like essence.
It was a dazzling tranquility.
In the mansion, Doctor Zhou was paralyzed on his knees with his back straight and a thin layer of cold sweat dripped down onto his forehead.
He was wide-eyed, and his neck was stiff, not daring to move.
Against the pulsating veins in his neck was a sharp, blood-stained wooden chip.
The blood was not his, but he could feel how sharp the piece of wood was. It was capable of cutting his throat and killing him instantly.
“Madam…General! General! What exactly do you want to ask? Just ask!” He trembled and shivered.
A low voice rang out above his head.
That was Huo Wujiu in his wheelchair. He sat there, bent over and with one arm lazily resting on his knee. His other hand was holding the blood-stained wooden chip.
He held it firmly against Doctor Zhou’s throat.
“What did he send you here for?” he asked. He tilted his head, eyes downcast and looking down condescendingly at the man kneeling before him.
Doctor Zhou shivered and told the truth, “I’m here to treat your injuries on the order of Qianshan-gonggong!”
Huo Wujiu said coldly, “Tell the truth.”
Doctor Zhou was on the verge of tears. “I am telling the truth!”
Huo Wujiu coldly looked him up and down for a moment.
He didn’t appear to be lying, but that didn’t rule out the possibility of him pretending either.
Just now, as soon as this person came and said he was the doctor of the mansion, Huo Wujiu had a conjecture deep inside.
The Emperor of Jing was a fool, but Jingwang was not. Jiang Shunheng caught him and only wanted to torture for fun, but Jingwang didn’t have this only purpose.
He hadn’t made a move, but he certainly had plans. Jingwang might want to get something from him, maybe the Liang army intelligence, or he might try to use him to fight against Jiang Shunheng.
Although his performance yesterday was inconsistent with the rumors, rumors were not groundless.
Therefore, if Jingwang wanted to relax his vigilance and control him, the best way was to prescribe medicine to him with the help of doctors.
Huo Wujiu looked at the mansion doctor who was shaking like a sieve, his gaze cold and unmoved.
“Then open your mouth,” he ordered indifferently.
The manor doctor trembled and obeyed.
The next moment, a pill suddenly fell into his mouth, and before he could react, his jaw was tightly pinched and jerked upward.
The pill fell into his belly.
The doctor’s pupils trembled, and immediately, he felt a sharp burning pain that rose up from his stomach.
In front of him, the handsome, god-like General slowly and methodically withdrew the wooden chip and sat up with his knees propped up.
The bottomless abyss that were his eyes were calm and waveless, akin to the impermanence of hell that tortured lives.
He leaned on the backrest of his wheelchair.
It was clear that he was sitting in a very simple wooden chair, but his bearing was like sitting on the tiger skin in the Prince’s tent.
He lowered his eyes, looked at Doctor Zhou, and said, “This medicine can corrode the five organs in less than a moment. While I still have the antidote in my hand, tell me. What exactly did they want you to do when they sent you here?”
Doctor Zhou cried bitterly, “I’m really not lying to you!” The burning pain in his abdomen had already made him tremble with fear. He was so anxious and scared that he woefully fished over the medical kit he had thrown aside and shivered as he turned it over to Huo Wujiu.
“I really have orders to treat your injuries! These are all wound medicines. If you don’t believe me, I can use any of them on myself to prove it to you!”
While speaking, he hurriedly poured out the stuff in the medical kit and was about to open them one by one for Huo Wujiu to see.
Huo Wujiu sized him up quietly.
This time, he believed that this man was telling the truth.
He was actually sent to treat his wounds?
For some reason, Jiang Suizhou’s appearance under the red candles last night flashed before his eyes.
There was no doubt that he was like a rabbit who was scared of his own ears atop his head, yet he had to pretend to be vicious.
…Besides, he probably didn’t have the guts to even drug him.
Huo Wujiu quietly looked at the mansion doctor who was on the ground. A moment later, he took out a vial from his sleeves and threw a dark brown pill at him.
“One lasts for three months. Don’t say a word about today’s affairs. Come back to me for the medicine after three months,” Huo Wujiu said.
Doctor Zhou quickly picked up the pill and stuffed it into his mouth.
“Since you’re here to treat my injuries, then get up and take a look.”
Huo Wujiu said indifferently and glanced down at the small medicine vial in his hand.
He only had a total of two medicines on him. When he was imprisoned, the soldier who escorted him was Lou Yue, an old friend of his father, so he stealthily stuffed it in Huo Wujiu belongings during the search, leaving him something to save himself with.
One of them could quickly stop bleeding when seriously injured, but after swallowing it, it would cause severe pain in the five organs. However, the pain would disappear after only a moment. The other was to boost qi and enrich blood. It was most useful when trekking long distances in the snow. He glanced at the mansion doctor who wiped his tears and stumbled up from the ground, withdrew his gaze and quietly put the vial back in his sleeves.
