After the Disabled God of War Became My Concubine Chapter 71
Soon after, he heard the official follow up with a question. “What about…Chen-daren?”
Pang Shao looked at him.
The official said indignantly, “Jingwang must have bore a grudge against Chen-daren, so he pulled this dirty trick! Chief Minister, we must not let Jingwang have his way, must we?”
But Pang Shao shook his head and sighed, lifting his eyes to watch the abundant green plum blossoms outside the window.
“His Majesty already issued an imperial edict, how could I dare to disobey?”
He lightly sighed, as though having seen a dead bird that flew past, casually uttering.
“What a shame for Chen Ti, that child.”
The official on the side shut his mouth immediately, losing his bravado to talk again.
Today, who honored their words in the palace? Even when one closed their eyes, they would know. It wasn’t His Majesty, but rather, Pang-daren.
There was no imperial edict that Pang-daren could not change; Pang-daren merely did not want to change it.
This official came here originally because of Chen Ti’s case. He probed with a few words, and soon vaguely understood.
Pang Shao had never cared about Chen Ti, and only regarded him as a dog that he could order about as he wished. These two times, Chen Ti had acted on his own, crossing him to curry favor with His Majesty, which had rubbed Pang Shao’s sore spot. Such large amounts of hidden gold and silver, which Pang Shao was oblivious of, were also discovered. So even if the Emperor did not raise his hand to handle the matter, Pang-daren would also not spare his life.
The official sighed in his heart.
It was Chen Ti who was blinded by greed and was not sensible.
Nowadays in the palace, whose life was not in the hands of Pang-daren? Doing little acts behind his back, would there be any good end?
Then, this made it clear what the official ought to do.
Naturally, it would be before Chen Ti’s deathbed that he would be trampled on, in exchange of Pang Shao’s joy. And in the process of delivering the gold, silver and antiques into the exchequer, he would think of a way to take 20-30% and send it to the residence of Pang-daren.
The official inwardly planned.
He then heard Pang Shao suddenly give out a light, rueful sigh.
“I just didn’t expect, the loser dog confined in the cage is still figuring out how to bite people.”
The official did not understand.
Pang Shao also did not explain. He lowered his eyes and drank his tea, concealing the stern countenance in his eyes.
“Truly interesting.”
Although Jiang Suizhou was not beside Pang Shao, he was aware that Pang Shao resented him a lot.
Although Chen Ti was not a high-ranked official, who in the palace didn’t know that he was Pang Shao’s distant relative, that he was one of Pang Shao’s people? Even though Pang Shao did not place much importance in him, he himself had his own selfish calculations. But the penalized Chen Ti just had to publicly slap Pang Shao in the face.
It was a blunt, cold knife that brought dishonor.
However, this did not stop the joy in Jiang Suizhou’s heart.
He had long seen Chen Ti as an eyesore. This time, since Ji You’s rescue went smoothly and Chen Ti was also disposed of, to him, it was a successful kill of two birds with one stone.
As for why Pang Shao resented him so much…
Anyway, even if Jiang Suizhou didn’t do anything, Pang Shao would still not let him off. It would be better to fight with him, and not let him win.
Ever since receiving the news, Jiang Suizhou was filled with exuberance. He sat down in front of Huo Wujiu’s bed, and immediately felt Huo Wujiu’s eyes on him.
“How are you today?” Jiang Suizhou asked.
Huo Wujiu’s complexion was still ghastly, but his expression was composed. His hands were extremely pale*, but he still had miniscule energy left to glance at Jiang Suizhou several times.
*the literal translation from Chinese is “the veins on the back of his hands were vivid”, but it’s to show that he’s pale and unwell, so I translated it to “his hands were extremely pale”
Jiang Suizhou noticed his scrutinizing, and his twinkling eyes stared at Huo Wujiu, waiting expectantly for him to open his mouth and ask.
After all, looking at this whole world now, there were few people who could talk with him, and there were fewer people whom he could share his joy with.
Huo Wujiu, however, counted as one of them.
But he saw Huo Wujiu pause, withdraw his gaze and indifferently say, “Doing good.”
Indeed, he did not say anything else.
Jiang Suizhou felt his breath stuck in his throat, not going up or down. It was truly awkward.
For a moment, he only stared blankly.
Why didn’t he ask! Huo Wujiu, why didn’t he ask!
Though unaware, Huo Wujiu, who squinted a glance at him, silently clamped his lips in agony at the bottom of his heart.
This Jingwang was already dying with “I have something to tell you” etched on his face, and was only waiting for him to ask, but instead, he chose to tease him.
Huo Wujiu’s expression was indifferent, as though not at all realizing Jiang Suizhou’s abnormality.
Then, he saw Jiang Suizhou taking the book Meng Qianshan brought. But over and over, he kept biting his tongue, so he neither looked nor flipped the book.
Those glossy black eyes repeatedly shot a glance at Huo Wujiu several times.
Teasing him actually made him soft.
Huo Wujiu paused, and finally asked, “What is it?”
Sure enough, those eyes brightened at once.
Huo Wujiu only felt that those legs that were hurting so much that it made him want to kill someone, had gotten far away from him.
He saw Jingwang looking solemn and unyieldingly putting on an indifference. But that ostentatious expression couldn’t be concealed, quite like a cutesy cat.
“This Prince saved Ji You,” he said.
Huo Wujiu nodded. “It’s a good thing.”
Then, he heard Jiang Suizhou followed with, “Chen Ti was beheaded.”
Huo Wujiu hmmed and pondered for a moment, connecting these two matters together. “Scapegoat?”
Jiang Suizhou nodded.
He merely settled his gaze at Huo Wujiu. This look was the same as waiting to be praised. Huo Wujiu paused, and could not bear but to compliment, “It’s a brilliant scheme.”
But he heard Jiang Suizhou repeat, “It’s Chen Ti.”
Huo Wujiu was quite puzzled for a while. “What about him?”
He saw Jingwang staring at him, his satisfied expression natural. He blurted out, “Chen Ti, did you forget? The one who gave you the flower banquet invitation, who wanted to humiliate you, that one.”
With this said, Jiang Suizhou smiled faintly. “This Prince brought disaster on his head.”
Huo Wujiu was dazed for a time.
He just realized; this Jingwang was this happy to tell him about this matter, not because he had saved the life of the Minister of Rites, but instead because…
Jiang Suizhou wanted to tell Huo Wujiu, he had taken revenge for him.
The author has something to say:
Huo Wujiu: Thanks for inviting me. Although I know he doesn’t like me, my heartbeat still starts going insane.
Wei Kai: He doesn’t love you.
Huo Wujiu: I know, hehe.
Wei Kai: ?
Perhaps before today, Doctor Zhou’s understanding of the word “desperado” was only in the literal sense.
But today, he finally understood profoundly what “desperado” meant.
The man on the bed was clearly wounded all over. He was half dead, and his pulse was weak, yet he was still able to ignore it. Huo Wujiu calmly allowed him to remove his rotting flesh and sprinkle a powder on him, and had time to remind him not to try to play tricks and to resist stealing the antidote from him in advance.
The Doctor did not dare to tremble as he administered the medicine to him.
When he removed his upper robe, the whiplash marks on his tightly muscular body crashed into his eyes. He was tortured so heavily that his flesh was torn to shreds, with new injuries overlapping old ones. Perhaps because the torture devices were dipped in salt water, those wounds almost had no scabs and had the tendency to fester.
After over a month of imprisonment, it was obvious from the sight of his body that a day must have crawled by like a year.
If these injuries were on someone else, even if they weren’t in immense pain, they must have long been immobilized. Yet just by looking at his face, this man would appear uninjured if he had a robe on.
In all of Doctor Zhou’s years of medical practice, he had never seen such a ruthless man.
It was said that people who were cruel to themselves would never be soft on others. Therefore, the doctor did not doubt the authenticity of his poisoning and had to resign himself to his fate. From now on, in all likelihood, he would have to follow Huo Wujiu’ orders.
The process of applying medicine was quite tedious. Only when Huo Wujiu’s upper body was almost wrapped in gauze did it come to an end.
“Your injuries are too severe, and you have already lost qi and blood. Afterward, while your wounds heal, you might develop inflammation or fever, which can be life-threatening in serious cases. I will prescribe a few oral medicines for you. You–“
Huo Wujiu, who had been silent for a long time, suddenly spoke and interrupted him.
“Take a look at my legs,” he ordered.
Manor Doctor Zhou froze at the interruption before realizing what he was talking about.
However, before he could react, Huo Wujiu had quietly leaned down, tugging his robe up with one hand and pulling his trouser legs up with the other.
It was a pair of long, straight legs that looked full of strength.
However, under the scars and blood stains, the horrific wounds on them were bone deep and vividly clear.
Those were wounds that cut through flesh and blood and severed the meridians.
Doctor Zhou only took a glance, and then averted his eyes in panic—— His medical skills might be good, but he wasn’t a peerless genius doctor. With just one look, he knew that there was no cure or remedy for such an injury.
He looked towards Huo Wujiu, just to see those deep black eyes quietly looking at the wound that exposed his bloody flesh.
Huo Wujiu was so calm that he scared Doctor Zhou.
“Can I still stand up?” He heard Huo Wujiu ask.
Doctor Zhou trembled and deliberated for a moment before carefully replying, “I’d better bandage your legs as well. If the wounds fester, they’ll be difficult to deal with.”
He carefully avoided Huo Wujiu’s question, which was another way of telling him that it was hopeless.
Huo Wujiu fell silent.
After a moment, he grunted, let go of the fabric clutched in his hand, sat up, and leaned back into the backrest of his wheelchair.
Huo Wujiu was extremely quiet.
Doctor Zhou did not dare to look at Huo Wujiu’s face again, but as he bowed forward to apply medicine to the latter’s leg, Doctor Zhou saw his hand resting on his knee.
The veins in the back of his hand bulged, and his five fingers were tightened, clenching the old wounds on his hand.
After Jiang Suizhou uttered those words, he distinctly felt the Hou Zhu’s satisfaction.
Or rather, what the Hou Zhu was satisfied with wasn’t the words he uttered, but the displeasure that showed on Jiang Suizhou’s face when he replied.
His Majesty seemed to be particularly malicious toward Jiang Suizhou, and liked to base his pleasure on the latter’s pain.
With Jiang Suizhou’s agreement, the matter naturally came to an end. His Majesty seemed to no longer be interested in the court. Several officials presented memorials, but he listened to them with a lack of interest, then waved his hand and said to let the Grand Minister of the Masses decide.
The courtroom seemingly turned into Pang Shao’s turf.
Hence, the morning court session did not last long and ended with a yawn of His Majesty.
Jiang Suizhou followed the officials out of the Guangyuan Hall and pursed his lips.
He really didn’t expect that the purpose of the Hou Zhu’s trip to the court was to taunt and jeer at him.
But so far, the Hou Zhu hated Huo Wujiu and, at the same time, didn’t treat Jiang Suizhou any better. Currently, Jiang Suizhou and Huo Wujiu were tethered to a rope, so it could count as saving trouble by letting the Hou Zhu vent his anger.
Jiang Suizhou cast his eyes down and descended the stairs step by step.
He initially thought he would breathe his last breath, but to his surprise, he was able to walk arduously up till now.
Just then, someone passed by him.
“I’m really bitterly disappointed with Your Highness’s move!” The voice was old and gloomy.
Jiang Suizhou raised his eyes, and saw an old minister with white hair two or three feet away, walking toward him .
As soon as he turned around, Jiang Suizhou froze.
…He’s practically identical to the portraits in history materials!
This man was, without a doubt, the only remaining good minister at the end of the Jing Dynasty, the Minister of Ceremonies, Qi Min.
This man served as a minister for three generations of the Jing Dynasty. He was honest and upright. He held to his principles and never yielded to pressure. He was a rare courtier who dared to stand up to Pang Shao in court in the late Jing Dynasty.
