HMAM CH 25 Coming Back
Lu Baizang didn't notice anything at first. It wasn't until the noise of fighting came from outside the small building that he realized that his hearing was not as good as usual.
Leaning on the soft couch, he squinted and lifted the chin of the person in front of him. Liu Rushi obediently lay beside the soft couch, raised his head, his eyes filled with emotion, looking very pitiful and endearing.
Lu Baizang smiled slightly, his hand rotated, and in the next moment, grasped his throat with five claw-like fingers: "Did you put something in the tea?"
Liu Rushi was choked so hard that he couldn't breathe: “Villa… Villa Master… Ru Shi only asks for one night..."
Lu Baizang tightened his fingers and looked at his flushed face that revealed a frightened and sorry looking appearance, and sneered: "Do you know that no matter how beautiful your face is, it will always turn ugly the moment right before you die."
Liu Rushi's eyes widened and he began to struggle, tears welling up in his beautiful almond eyes: "Villa Master… please, Villa Master forgive me, for Brother Chen's sake..."
Grabbing him by the neck he threw him away: "Killing you would only dirty my hands, get out."
Liu Rushi didn't expect that things would turn out like this. He curled into himself and stumbled away trembling. He knew that at that moment, Lu Baizang really wanted to strangle him to death.
Lu Baizang stood up and walked downstairs quickly. A guard in black appeared from the steps, kneeling on one knee: "Villa Master Lu, the Lord has already left.”
Lu Baizang gritted his teeth: "Is he injured?"
The guard in black lowered his head and said, “A stab in the abdomen, missed the vital point."
A knife in the abdomen. Lu Baizang knew how weak Jing Ye's body was. Even if the wound was not critical, it would probably still leave behind lingering illness.
A woman dressed simply and smartly came over and said, "Villa Master… Lord Chen, the zhizhou, has led his troops in." (TN: senior provincial government official in dynastic China)
"Zhizhou?" Lu Baizang sneered, his heart already clear, "Come to arrest treasonous rebels?"
"...Yes."
Lu Baizang turned to the black-clothed guard and said, "Take the medicine and call Doctor Meng. Follow the path Ah Ye took and catch up as soon as possible."
"Yes." The guard in black stood up and left.
He stood quietly for a while, listening to the sound of weapons outside the building, his eyes gradually became colder: "Oh Shi Niang, so this is what you said, that everything would be safe and sound?"
The woman knelt down: "This subordinate is stupid, please punish me, master!"
"After the matter is over, go back to the villa to receive your punishment." Lu Baizang strode out the door, "Then find some people to clean this building thoroughly. No filth should be left behind."
"This subordinate has received the orders."
Jing Ye covered the wound and realized that he was gradually becoming hot and losing consciousness.
The carriage jolted forward, and the guard raised the curtain and asked, "My lord, why don't we stop and take a rest."
Jing Ye opened his eyes in a daze, stared at him blankly for a while, and then tried to gather his senses: "No, keep going."
The guard lowered the curtain. The carriage continued forward.
After riding for a while, the sound of horses neighing suddenly came from behind the carriage. The sound soon came from far to near, and the carriage stopped.
There were voices outside the carriage, and someone lifted the curtain and stepped inside. Jing Ye struggled to open his eyes to see who it was. That person held his hand and leaned over.
It was dry and warm.
He had lost too much blood and was feeling cold all over. He couldn't help but lift his arms and hug the other, burying his head in this man's warm embrace.
It seemed that someone else also got in the carriage as well, said a few words to Lu Baizang, then came over to put his hand on his wrist to check his pulse and look at his wounds. He then got out of the carriage.
The person holding him moved, as if afraid of touching his wound, then lowered his head and spoke, his hot breath falling on his ears.
He said: "Ah Ye, I feel very distressed."
Can your distress help me heal that stab wound quickly? If not then there's no point in talking nonsense.
Jing Ye rested his head on his shoulder and gradually relaxed. Before he passed out, he was still thinking: It’s twice now, can’t I be allowed to arrive at my destination standing upright?
Jing Ye was woken up by the sound of crying. He twisted his neck and turned his head to look, and was startled by someone's face covered with snot and tears.
Ye Mao covered his face with his sleeves: "Your Majesty, wuwuwu..."
Jing Ye: "...What are you crying for? Are you still a man?"
Ye Mao pressed his fingers together with tears in his eyes: "Your Majesty is disdainful of me, this subject is not a man in the first place."
"..."
Jing Ye shuddered and struggled to sit up. Ye Mao hurriedly helped him: "Your Majesty has slept for six days and five nights. Forcing yourself is not good."
Jing Ye lay on his back on the bed, surrounded still by the bright yellow gauze curtain and a brocade quilt and jade pillow as always.
He came back.
"That's right." Ye Mao turned around and brought a wooden tray, "Gu Gongzi said that as soon as Your Majesty woke up, this subject must serve you to drink the medicine."
"..."
Damn. Jing Ye tilted his head inward, the reality was too cruel, he might as well continue to faint.
When Gu Hong entered the hall, Jing Ye was walking back and forth, supported by Ye Mao, moving his hands and feet that were stiff from laying for so long.
"Your Majesty."
At the familiar deep voice, Jing Ye looked up and couldn't help but smile: "Gu Qing." (TN: term used by the emperor for his subjects)
This period had been really full of twists and turns. If he thought about it carefully, he hadn't seen the other for only a month, but it felt like a lifetime had passed.
Gu Hong came over to support him, so Ye Mao let go and stepped back. There were only two of them left in the hall. Their palms touched, Gu Hong sighed softly and moved his fingers, interlocking them.
Jing Ye was a little unsettled, he twitched his hands and was about to speak when Gu Hong leaned over and pulled him into an embrace.
"Your Majesty..."
Jing Ye was a little shorter than him, his chin rested on this man's shoulder, and he smelled the warm and fragrant scent of palace incense.
"I, zhen has not been in the palace these days. Zhen heard Ye Mao say that all the affairs, big and small, were handled by you. Thank you for your hard work."
Gu Hong laughed lightly and touched the knife wound on the right side of his waist with his fingers, his long eyelashes trembling slightly.
A long time later.
Jing Ye's neck hurt from being craned on his shoulder, and he twitched his lips and said, "Gu Qing, do you have to hold zhen like this?"
Ah! If not because he had just woken up and was jelly all over, you tofu-eater would be lying on the ground long ago!
Gu Hong smiled and gently let go of him, touching their foreheads together: “This subject came to apologize to Your Majesty."
"Oh."
Jing Ye was speechless. He had already guessed that he and that pair of mental father and son kidnappers were conspirators. He wanted to step back, but his legs had become weak after standing for too long, and he suddenly stumbled.
Gu Hong hurriedly hugged him again, this time he simply lifted him into his arms and hugged him sideways.
Jing Ye was shocked. F**k, someone as gong-like as me doesn't suit a princess carry! This couldn't be tolerated! So he struggled fiercely.
Gu Hong hugged him tightly: "Your Majesty, don't move, I won't be able to hold you... Your Majesty has suffered all the way, why do you seem to have become heavier?"
Jing Ye: "...”
Gu Hong carried him to the bed and sat on it himself. Jing Ye turned around to look at him. He was still wearing moon-white robes, his eyebrows were like distant mountains and his thin lips were smiling slightly, the cinnabar mole on his forehead elegant and captivating. There was just a slight hint of unnoticeable fatigue in his expression.
Jing Ye didn't want to admit to softening at the sight.
Towards such a pretty face, it was hard not to be soft-hearted.
He paused, then coughed slightly and said: "The affairs in the palace are complicated, having to take care of both sides, thank you for your hard work."
Gu Hong's eyes were smiling: "It's not very tiring. Xiao Sheng and Ting Qiu shared some of the duties."
Li Tingqiu?
Thinking of this, Jing Ye frowned: "Zhen sent him out, and promised him his future, why did he come back again?"
Gu Hong looked at him and sighed softly: "This subject doesn't understand either."
People's hearts were unpredictable. Jing Ye couldn't make any wild guesses. He suddenly thought of Le Zhenghuan and asked him, "You asked people from Pingyue City to take zhen away. Is it because the capital was infiltrated?"
"Yes."
"People who want to kill zhen? Jianghu people?"
“Yes."
"Is it the Zhao family…? No, although the Zhao family is powerful, they can't order around jianghu people. So who could it be..." Jing Ye turned his head and saw Gu Hong leaning his head on the jade pillow, his eyes closed and seeming to be asleep.
"Gu Qing… Gu Ruoshui?"
"..."
Jing Ye was speechless, this fellow really didn't treat himself as a guest.
He leaned closer to take a closer look at the man. It was not so obvious when he spoke with a smile. But at this time, with his eyes closed and asleep, his face looked a bit tired and haggard, and a little pale.
Jing Ye got off the bed lightly, looked back at him, and sighed.
Forget it, for the sake of you working as a hard laborer for me.
Jing Ye leaned over to remove his hair crown and lifted his legs onto the bed. After thinking about it, he also reached over and pulled the thin quilt to cover him.
Then he straightened up and walked out, parting the bead curtain. Ye Mao was waiting outside the curtain. Seeing him, he hurriedly stepped forward: "Your Majesty..."
Jing Ye signaled him to keep his voice down, and whispered to him to get some clothes for him. Ye Mao understood and ordered the palace maid to get some clothes and said, "Your Majesty, Lu Gongzi is waiting in the front hall."
Jing Ye thought about it and realized that he was probably here for the seven-star lantern, so he nodded and went to the front hall.
When Lu Baizang saw him coming, he smiled and saluted: “Paying respects to Your Majesty."
Jing Ye said: “Zhen will issue an order later. Just take the order and go to the treasury to get it."
Lu Baizang did indeed come here for this purpose. Hearing Jing Ye's direct attitude, he actually felt as if he was being shooed away. He suddenly felt unhappy and took a few steps forward to grab his hand: "Does Your Majesty's wound still hurt?"
If you didn't mention it, I would have almost forgotten. Jing Ye looked at him with an expressionless face.
Lu Baizang felt that he was in the wrong and tried to please him: “This subject made lunch, Your Majesty, please have some?"
It seems that he was indeed hungry. Jing Ye touched his belly, and Lu Baizang took the opportunity to kiss him on the cheek. Without a bat of an eye, Jing Ye pulled his sleeve to wipe his face.
Lu Baizang: "...”
The food box containing the dishes was put on the side. Lu Baizang walked towards the bedroom. Jing Ye had no intention of stopping him, but suddenly remembered that Gu Hong was still sleeping on the bed and blurted out: "Wait a minute!"
Lu Baizang looked back at him: "What's wrong?"
Wait, that's not right, why did he feel guilty. Jing Ye paused for a moment: “Zhen... doesn't want to eat in the bedroom."
Lu Baizang stared at him: "Really?”
"Yes." Jing Ye took his hand and walked towards the side hall, "Let's go there..." But Lu Baizang held him back and said with a smile: "Your Majesty won't let me go, could it be because you are hiding something inside."
Jing Ye's expression stiffened. Lu Baizang had already pulled him into the bedroom. Gu Hong was standing by the soft couch with a booklet and reading it carefully. He raised his head when he heard the sound.
His hair was not tied up, and was left flowing down his back, simply tied with the ribbon used by Jing Ye. His robes were also loosened, and his expression had a hint of joy and satisfaction. It practically said "meat tastes good when you eat it in your mouth" on his face.
Eat what meat, ahh! Nothing happened, okay! Jing Ye roared in his heart.
It was a pity that Lu Gongzi couldn't hear it. He still had a smile on his face, but no matter how one looked at it it was still a bit unsettling.
Jing Ye tried to pull out his hand, only for the other to tighten his grip, so he could only turn his head silently to the side.
Thiswasnotbeingcaughtcheatingthiswasnotbeingcaughtcheating.
This. Was. Not. Being. Caught. Cheating!