The Kingdom That Never Sleeps CH 107 He Is Mine Now
Inside the military tent, the physician was brewing medicine for Tang Shen. Upon seeing the three men enter, he immediately rose and saluted.
Wang Zhen approached the bed and took a steady look. Tang Shen was dressed in a white inner garment, his clothes from the shoulder down had been cut open, exposing his smooth arm. Near the elbow, a thick layer of medicine had been applied, without any bandage tied around it. There was no fresh bleeding, but upon closer inspection, traces of dried pus could be seen.
Wang Zhen’s heart tightened as he asked, “Is the wound infected with an abscess?”
The physician replied, “There’s some infection.”
Wang Zhen followed up, “Is it serious?”
“The wound itself is small, so the abscess isn’t too severe. However, as daren knows, abscesses have always been difficult to treat, and I cannot guarantee a full recovery. For now, Tang daren’s health seems to be holding on, and if he wakes up tonight, he should be fine. He’ll need some time to recuperate afterward, but the scar on his arm cannot be removed.”
Yu Chaosheng stepped forward and asked, “Since the wound is only on his arm, why is he still unconscious?”
The physician hesitated, “This…”
Only Yu Chaosheng believed Tang Shen had been injured just this morning. The physician had already been instructed by Li Jingde not to reveal Tang Shen’s true condition. Yu Chaosheng’s sudden question left the physician momentarily at a loss for words.
Li Jingde was also caught off guard and was about to explain, “Tang Shen isn’t unconscious, just asleep,” when Wang Zhen calmly said, “Yu daren may not know that although Tang daren’s injury appears minor, the wound became infected, leading to an abscess. Abscesses cause weakness, persistent high fever, and thus unconsciousness.”
Yu Chaosheng glanced at Tang Shen, who was sweating profusely, and remarked, “Tang daren is surely blessed and will recover without issue.”
Since Yu Chaosheng was not particularly familiar with Tang Shen, he didn’t stay long and soon returned to the city.
As Tang Shen’s senior brother, it was only natural and proper for Wang Zhen to stay and take care of him. After Li Jingde left to handle military affairs, only Wang Zhen and the physician remained in the tent. The physician gently fanned the fire while brewing the medicine.
Wang Zhen said, “You may leave. I’ll take over.”
The physician was stunned. “Daren, this…”
“What precautions should I take?”
Though the physician did not recognize Wang Zhen, he had noticed how even Li Jingde seemed somewhat deferential to him earlier. Since Wang Zhen had given the order, the physician dared not object. After all, brewing medicine wasn’t particularly difficult, and the patient wouldn’t wake up anytime soon. He replied, “It requires slow simmering over a low flame for about four hours.”
After bowing, the physician prepared to leave but was stopped by Wang Zhen. “The scar on his arm—can it truly not be removed?”
The physician wasn’t sure how much Wang Zhen knew, so he hesitated before vaguely answering, “If there had been no abscess, there might have been ways to remove the scar. But with the infection being somewhat severe, even with the best scar-removal ointment, it’s unlikely to fade completely.”
“Good. Let it remain, so that I may see it every day and remember this lesson, never to forget.”
The physician didn’t quite understand Wang Zhen’s meaning and asked in confusion, “Daren?”
“It’s nothing. You may go.”
“Yes, daren.” The physician bowed and left.
In the now silent tent, only the sound of bubbling medicine could be heard. Wang Zhen checked the medicine to ensure everything was in order before walking over to the bedside and sitting down. His gaze lingered on Tang Shen’s pale face for a moment before moving to his wounded arm.
A slender, elegant hand gently touched Tang Shen’s cheek.
Wang Zhen’s hands were exceedingly beautiful—his fingers long and delicate, his knuckles well-defined. Whether playing the qin or writing, his hands always moved with a graceful fluidity, as if painting a picture. His hands were slightly pale, but compared to Tang Shen’s sickly pallor, they looked far healthier. Even Tang Shen’s lips were pale, and though his fever had subsided somewhat, his forehead was still warm. Fortunately, the small wound meant that the overall severity wasn’t too great.
Wang Zhen’s hand lingered on Tang Shen’s cheek for a long moment before sliding down slowly to rest on his chapped lips.
Too dry.
Due to the high fever and lack of water, Tang Shen’s lips had become cracked and parched.
Wang Zhen fetched a cup of water and dipped his fingers into it, carefully moistening Tang Shen’s lips. The water brought a slight flush back to them, but once it dried, the color faded again. Wang Zhen patiently continued the process several times until Tang Shen’s lips finally regained some softness and a hint of pink.
Setting the cup down, Wang Zhen sat quietly by the bed, gazing at Tang Shen without a word. No one knew how long had passed before a long sigh broke the silence in the tent.
“I gave you a chance to leave. But little junior brother, it was you who failed to take care of yourself.”
“There won’t be a next time.”
By nightfall, Tang Shen’s condition had indeed improved, and his fever had subsided, though he remained unconscious.
Wang Zhen left the tent and summoned the soldier who had escorted Tang Shen back to Youzhou. Initially, the soldier tried to feign ignorance, insisting that Tang Shen had only been injured that morning while hunting with Li Jingde. But Wang Zhen immediately asked, “How is the situation in Xijing Prefecture?”
The soldier was stunned.
“Speak.”
“…Yes, daren.”
The soldier truthfully recounted everything he knew, though his low rank meant he lacked many crucial details.
Wang Zhen listened carefully, narrowing his eyes. “Yelü Shege and Yelü Qin went to Xijing Prefecture?”
“Yes. It was because an assassin suddenly attacked Yelü Qin that the city was locked down, preventing Tang daren from returning.”
“An assassin targeted Yelü Qin…” Wang Zhen repeated, mulling over the information. A faint smile curled his lips, carrying a trace of inscrutability. He returned to the tent, used Li Jingde’s stationery to write a letter, and handed it to the soldier. “Return to Xijing Prefecture immediately and deliver this letter to Qiao Jiu. He’ll know what to do.”
Hearing Qiao Jiu’s name, the soldier’s confidence in Wang Zhen increased. “Understood!”
After attending to the matter of Xijing, Wang Zhen returned to the tent. As he looked up, his eyes met Tang Shen’s.
Tang Shen was propping himself up with his arm, about to get out of bed. Seeing Wang Zhen, he froze, his voice hoarse and filled with shock. “Senior Brother?”
Wang Zhen, ever perceptive, quickly approached and poured a cup of water. “Thirsty?”
“Yes.”
Tang Shen took the cup and drank two large gulps, finally feeling a bit better. Just as he was about to ask why Wang Zhen was there, he noticed the way Wang Zhen lowered his eyes, his gaze dark and tinged with displeasure. Tang Shen’s heart sank. He didn’t know what he had done to anger Wang Zifeng, but it was clear from his expression that Wang Zhen wasn’t pleased.
“Senior Brother… are you angry?”
“Yes.”
“At what?”
“Why did you get hurt?”
Wang Zhen had already heard the soldier’s account of Tang Shen’s injury, but he asked nonetheless. Tang Shen felt aggrieved—it wasn’t like he had expected Yelü Qin to be attacked, Zhao Fu to suddenly send him to Youzhou, or the lockdown of Xijing Prefecture to prevent his return!
Feeling wronged, Tang Shen recounted the entire incident in detail.
Wang Zhen poured him another cup of water and asked, “After saying so much, are you thirsty?”
Tang Shen: "…" Weren’t you the one asking all the questions?
Wang Zhen: “Oh you… don’t make me worry like this again.”
Tang Shen was holding the cup with both hands, sipping the water in small gulps. Hearing this, he instinctively looked up at Wang Zhen. Their eyes met—Tang Shen sitting on the bed, gazing straight into Wang Zhen’s deep eyes. Within them, he saw a mix of worry and affection. He had never seen Wang Zhen express his emotions so openly before. His senior brother had always been a serene figure, unbothered by worldly matters, always composed and elegant, as though nothing could ever stir him.
But with just that glance, it was as if Wang Zifeng came alive.
More vivid, more... captivating, making it difficult for others to look away.
Tang Shen felt something deep within his chest tremble violently. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but realized he didn’t know what to say at this moment.
Quickly averting his gaze, Tang Shen muttered, "I didn’t want to get injured either, but there was nothing I could do. No one in this world wants to get hurt..."
"There won’t be a next time."
Tang Shen didn’t catch it clearly. "What?"
Wang Zifeng smiled. "Nothing."
Tang Shen stared at him, perplexed. After a moment, he said, "I feel like today’s senior brother is different from usual."
"Oh? How so?"
"Usually, you seem like an immortal, and I often wonder what you're thinking. Most of the time, I can't figure it out. But today, though I still can’t tell what’s on your mind, it feels like you've made some sort of decision. You seem very resolute."
Initially, Wang Zifeng had wanted to tease Tang Shen, but hearing this, he froze for a moment.
"You think... I’ve made a decision?"
"Haven’t you?"
Wang Zifeng showed a strange expression. He paced two steps inside the tent, then suddenly turned back and, with a light-hearted smile, said, "Yes, you’re right. I’ve made a decision—a very important one."
Tang Shen asked curiously, "What decision?"
Wang Zifeng replied, "Not long ago, I received a painting from our teacher. The painting is breathtakingly beautiful, so much so that it stirs the soul. I love it deeply. However, this painting may not feel the same about me, and we don’t walk the same path. I was greatly conflicted, pondering night after night whether I should claim the painting as my own, whether I should disregard its will and decide its fate for the rest of its life."
Tang Shen chuckled softly, exposing him, "A painting isn’t a person. How could it have preferences? If you’re going to use a metaphor, Senior Brother, you should find a better one."
Wang Zifeng raised an eyebrow. "Taking the chance to poke fun at me?"
Tang Shen finally caught on. "You deliberately gave me an opening so I could tease you! So, what did you decide about the painting? Are you going to keep it?"
"He's mine now."
Tang Shen didn’t quite understand. "What?"
Wang Zifeng gazed at him steadily, a leisurely smile playing at his lips. "I said, he's already mine."
Tang Shen: "?"
What on earth is Wang Zifeng talking about?
Wang Zifeng was still as cryptic as ever. When Tang Shen pressed for clarification, he refused to elaborate further, only saying, "The time hasn’t come for everything to be revealed." Tang Shen could only grumble inwardly, knowing he couldn’t not accept his senior brother’s eccentric ways.
Once Tang Shen’s condition improved, they began discussing matters concerning Xijing.
Tang Shen knew far more than the soldier had. After he shared his information, many of Wang Zifeng’s speculations were confirmed, aligning perfectly with his deductions.
Tang Shen said, "The assassination attempt on Yelü Qin is likely staged, a ploy between him and Yelü Shege. The assassin didn’t even harm him, yet he stabbed himself. Over the past few days, I’ve thought a lot about it, and I suspect that Yelü Qin’s self-inflicted wound was a performance to put pressure on Xijing Prefecture and capture the so-called assassin. As for the assassin’s identity… it might be connected to other royal princes. Who do you think it could be, Senior Brother?"
Wang Zifeng responded with a question, "Who do you think it is?"
Tang Shen thought for a moment and answered, "The third prince of Liao, Yelü Han!"