Jiang Suizhou stepped back involuntarily as the red veil floated down to the
ground.
He felt his heart beating rapidly with shock, and even the blood in his ears
surged in the wake of it.
…Just a mere glance.
His eyebrows are sharply shaped and low set, so his eyes appear especially
cold and hostile, with a splash of undisguised bloodthirstiness and
ruthlessness.
In the midst of his panic, Jiang Suizhou seemed to be looking at a dying
beast. Although he was prostrate in front of him, he could pounce on him at
any time, bite his throat and die with him.
A bloody smell mixed with the sweet fragrance of the red candles wafted in
the air, a little bit like the putrid and cold smell of a cell.
Now, he knew who this person was without asking.
…Wasn't he the famous God of War of Great Liang, who was crippled by
the Hou Zhu of Southern Jing, who would chop his head off and hang it out
to dry on the city walls three years later?
Jiang Suizhou pursed his lips and suddenly wanted to apologize to that
student of his.
Let him go, please. He wanted to leave.
Jiang Suizhou stalled in place, while Meng Qianshan who was beside him
was about to go crazy with trepidation.
What was His Highness doing?! He lifted the veil, but threw it away. At this
point, Jiang Suizhou did not utter a single word and stared at Huo Wujiu
coldly.
Meng Qianshan cautiously glanced at Huo Wujiu.
He once only heard that the only son of Marquis Dingbei was a young hero
rarely seen in the world. Right now, it seemed that the rumors were true.
The emperor caught him back and locked him in the imperial dungeon.
Those who were locked in there usually did not survive more than three
days before being tortured to death.
Yet this Madam Huo survived inside for more than a month.
His lips were abnormally white, and bruises adorned the corners of his lips,
along with some dried bloodstains. Not to mention, he was indeed good-
looking. He had deep set facial features, exuding aggressiveness. He was
the image of a strategic general. Even with injuries, he didn't look pitiful,
but rather conveyed a sense of decadence and fragility.
A visible scar peeked out from a dip in the neckline of the wedding robe. Its
muted shade of dark red wasn't easily discernible against the crimson robes
he was wearing.
He decided to take the risk to conclude the ceremony.
With this in mind, Meng Qianshan carefully bowed in respect and brought
Jiang Suizhou the nuptial wine.
"Your Highness." He bowed beside Jiang Suizhou.
When Jiang Suizhou glanced sideways, he saw that the tray held in Meng
Qianshan's hand had two golden cups with wine in it.
He did need to get over his shock.
So, he picked up one of the cups, tilted his head, and drank the wine in the
cup clean.
Meng Qianshan's eyes almost popped out.
…Your Highness! That's the nuptial wine, the nuptial wine!
Meng Qianshan looked at Jiang Suizhou and then at Huo Wujiu in panic.
One looked as indifferent as a statue, and the other was cold and arrogant as
Yanwang. They stuffed the words that were pouring out of his mouth back
into his throat.
At that moment, he saw his master turn around and put the golden cup back
into the tray.
"Withdraw," he ordered.
Meng Qianshan froze. "Uh, Master…"
He saw his master glance at him lightly, and the flickering candle light
illuminated the small mole at the corner of his eye.
"All of you, withdraw."
——
After the cup of wine was downed, Jiang Suizhou finally calmed down.
By now, he was all but certain that he had become that unfortunate
Jingwang who had married Huo Wujiu in the unofficial historical records
described in that student's paper.
After he was sure of this fact, he calmed down a bit.
All in all, this person he suddenly became would die early no matter what.
Being killed by Huo Wujiu, on the contrary, was a good thing for him.
After all, an illness was uncontrollable, but relationships between people
could be mended.
Huo Wujiu was also regarded as an illustrious figure in history. He defeated
the world, but his uncle went to sit on the throne. After his uncle died, it
was also his uncle's son who inherited the throne. On the other hand, Huo
Wujiu led his troops back to Yangguan alone and remained there for life.
He believed that if he didn't humiliate such a righteous man and respected
him a bit, Huo Wujiu definitely wouldn't kill him three years later.
It was just…
He looked at Huo Wujiu.
His identity at present was that of Southern Jing's prince, and the Huo
Wujiu in front of him was an enemy, a traitor.
If he stepped forward and deliberately expressed goodwill, it would
certainly attract suspicion, which would be counterproductive.
So…
Jiang Suizhou slowly took a breath and spoke coldly.
"You reek of blood; it's disgusting," he said with a sneer.
Although his childhood wasn't happy, his upbringing was quite strict, so he
grew up courteous and polite. He had never uttered such words to anyone.
Thus, he sounded strangely awkward and lacking in confidence.
Fortunately, his voice was cold and carried a dab of condescending
arrogance, so he barely covered it up and bluffed his way through.
Huo Wujiu didn't take up the thread of the conversation.
He looked down and faintly glanced at the red veil that fell to the ground.
He was exceedingly indifferent, with an innate pride. He was obviously at
anyone's disposal, but he was so awe-inspiring that he deterred anyone
from taking a single step forward.
Jiang Suizhou pulled himself together and then said, "They sent you to
benwang right after dragging you out of prison? Does my Emperor brother
really think that benwang has no preferences and can swallow anything in
my mouth?"
He tried his best to be harsh but after these cutting words left his mouth, he
felt a shiver down his spine from the unease.
Huo Wujiu's gaze moved away from the red veil on the ground and swept
lightly over Jiang Suizhou.
He saw the man standing in the light, his back straight, his gaze sullen and
cold. His pair of fox eyes with upturned tails were brimming under the red
candles, and his red attire set off the small red mole at the tip of his eye,
making him even more enchanting.
His tone was quite fierce, awkwardly fierce, even with a dash of regret and
shame, as if he had never been mean before.
He has fought with Southern Jing many times, so naturally he has also
heard of His Highness Jingwang's name.
He was an invalid, born from a concubine who devastated the country. He
was filled with evil tricks and was in no way a person of good character.
Jingwang had a long-standing reputation for being a sinister and vicious
man. As early as when he was twelve or thirteen years old and still a young
prince, there were always corpses being dragged out of his palace, and their
cadavers were totally ghastly. Once he was suddenly enlightened as a
cutsleeve, a lot of the male pets he gathered in his backyard died for his
entertainment, and there weren't many left alive now.
But now it seemed…those were exaggerations.
Meanwhile, Jiang Suizhou was only concentrating on deliberating his
words, and did not notice Huo Wujiu's fleeting gaze.
He paused and then said, "I'll find a physician to examine you tomorrow. If
you're going to die, do not die in my place." After saying that, he turned
around and added, "Thereafter, stay here honestly and give benwang less
trouble."
After speaking, Jiang Suizhou secretly sighed in relief.
…That should have been mean enough, right?
Not only must he retain the ferocity to the enemy and not really hurt him,
he must also find excuses to heal his injuries.
It was so difficult.
Naturally, he was thinking of treating Huo Wujiu's injuries tonight.
After all, he had only just come out of prison, and Hou Zhu would never
extend him medical treatment. Skin trauma wasn't fatal, but it was unwise
to delay treatment. Moreover, Jiang Suizhou, as a modern man who had
never seen any bloody scenes, was a bit frightened even by the smell of
Huo Wujiu's blood.
But he knew that was out of the question.
As the only prince in the dynasty, he was still not sure what kind of people
were in his manor. It was for this reason that he ordered everyone to retreat
just now.
It was naturally unreasonable for him to rush to treat the enemy's injuries as
soon as he was sent in. But if they have spent the night alone, it would be
reasonable enough to request a physician for him tomorrow.
So…
Jiang Suizhou looked around without leaving a trace.
This was a chamber specially used for wedding events. Except for the red
lacquered bed with gold edges, there was only a narrow couch left for
people to lie on.
There was no other place to sleep.
The couch was delicate and unique, with carved corners and a total width of
no more than two handspans. It was more like an ornament than a piece of
furniture.
Jiang Suizhou's eyes showed a sense of resignation.
He knew that he could only spend the night on this couch tonight.
Before lifting his steps, he did not forget to turn around and give Huo Wujiu
a cold look.
"Go and lie on the bed. Stay away from me, and don't taint me with your
bloody smell," he said.
Unbeknownst to him, his condescending and arrogant countenance, coupled
with his overly delicate face, made him appear more or less seductive
beneath the flickering red candlelights.
After speaking, Jiang Suizhou turned around and went straight to the couch
and laid down.
He had to make do with it all night.
He faced the wall and didn't notice that after he laid down, Huo Wujiu's
gaze fell onto his back.
His cold scrutiny was as icy as a blade buried in the snow and ice of
Yangguan.
A moment later, Huo Wujiu withdrew his gaze and lowered his eyes. His
left hand, which had been resting on his knee, slowly turned over, then he
unfurled his palm.
That hand was stained with fresh blood. Under the swaying light of the red
candles, he held a wood chip as sharp as a blade in the palm of his head.
It was something he broke off from the inner wall of the palanquin on the
way here.
Originally, the wood chip should have been used to slash Jingwang's throat
at an opportune moment earlier on.
But…
He glanced faintly at Jiang Suizhou's back.
Just now, at the moment he was about to make a move to kill him, he met
those eyes.
Bright, clean, yet totally flustered, as if he was scared of him.
Huo Wujiu closed his eyes.
He had clenched the wooden chip tightly in his palm, but at that moment,
he made no move.
He seemed to have never had a penchant for bullying the weak.
After a few moments, he slowly opened his eyes. He placed both hands on
the sides of the wheelchair, and with a little force, moved himself from the
wheelchair to the bed.
Pain erupted all over his body, causing his muscles to tremble
uncontrollably. He was not aware of it at all. With a slight movement of his
hand, he hid the bloodstained wood chip under the bed, concealing the
sound amidst the rustling of his garments from when he transferred himself
to the bed.
His gaze swept over Jiang Suizhou and saw that he was lying
uncomfortably. His back was stiff, as if forcing himself to sleep.
…Tch.
Huo Wujiu withdrew his gaze smoothly.
Jiang Suizhou closed his eyes tightly after lying down, just waiting for sleep
to come quickly so he could get through the night.
It would be best if he could wake up in his apartment the next day, awoken
by his alarm clock.
…However, despite merely yearning for a peaceful sleep, Jiang Suizhou
failed to get what he wanted.
It was indeed a couch with carvings all around. Not only was it painful to
look at, it was even more painful to lie on. He could only turn on his side
with a thin cloak that was barely a quilt draped over him.
This sickly body was so delicate that it was beyond his expectation.
The narrow couch made his back sore, and despite it being springtime, his
hands and feet were freezing cold.
He tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep until the red candles burned out
in the room and the sky outside the window grew brighter.
By the time he sat up early in the morning, he was so sore that his body felt
like it was falling apart. His throat was a little itchy, giving him the urge to
cough.
He coughed twice softly in an attempt to suppress the sound and rubbed at
his temples dizzily.
Outside the window, there were already many maids waiting on the porch.
Jiang Suizhou looked up and saw Meng Qianshan standing in the doorway with his hand in his sleeves. Presumably, he was waiting for him to wake up
before entering to serve him.
He couldn't let him in. Once he entered, wouldn't the fact that he and Huo
Wujiu were not in bed together be exposed?
Jiang Suizhou immediately came to a decision in his heart.
Gotta run, and run fast.
He glanced at Huo Wujiu.
There was an empty wheelchair on the other side of the bed, and Huo Wujiu
was lying motionless on his side, facing him.
The window allowed in some light, shining on his face. His raven feather-
like eyelashes cast a shadow over his cheeks.
He was indeed very good looking.
His facial contours were sharp, and his features were deep. His nose was
straight, and with his eyes closed, his long lashes hid that pair of ruthless,
menacing, black eyes. His heroic spirit seemed to be displayed
ostentatiously.
With the help of the sunlight, Jiang Suizhou saw a tiny old scar that
abruptly cut off the edge of his left eyebrow.
It was akin to a scratch on a divine weapon, causing it to fall into mortal
dust, tainted with drops of blood.
He was sleeping soundly.
Jiang Suizhou breathed a sigh of relief and carefully got up from the couch.
It would be best if Huo Wujiu didn't wake up yet.
After all, he'd been so harsh last night before hiding to the side to sleep for
the night. It was now dawn. For him to run away with his tail between his legs now was a bit humiliating no matter how one looked at it.
This kind of embarrassing thing was better done without anyone knowing.
With this in mind, Jiang Suizhou straightened his robe and stood upright.
His posture seemed candid, but in reality, walked out cautiously.
With the sound of footsteps drifting away, the door opened with a sound,
and then closed again.
The only subtle sound in the room also disappeared, leaving nothing but an
empty silence.
Huo Wujiu opened his eyes.
Those gloomy eyes were awake and sharp and hardly looked like he had
just woken up.
His eyes landed coldly on the couch under the window.
Daylight from the open window fell onto it, and dust particles fluttered in
the light.
The couch was empty.
What was more, it was carefully tidied up. Just by looking at the folds that
were clumsily smoothed out, he could still make out the effort the person
took to cover up the traces of his sleep.
Huo Wujiu's gaze paused.
He has always been highly vigilant and has a keen sense of hearing and
vision. Therefore, Jingwang's every move last night had not escaped his
eyes.
Huo Wujiu watched as he squeezed down on the couch and listened to him
toss and turn all night long, believing that he was moving noiselessly.
Seconds ago, Huo Wujiu listened to him as he tiptoed outside like a thief.
…It was unbelievable.
Before he came here, Huo Wujiu envisioned what he might face in
Jingwang's Manor. Jingwang was a vicious and insidious person, cunning
and vindictive; plus, he was originally at odds with the Emperor of Jing.
The Emperor seemed to be rewarding him, but in reality, he was using Huo
Wujiu to humiliate Jingwang, so it was impossible for Jingwang not to hate
him.
His situation would only be more tortuous than in the imperial prison.
But Jingwang did not do anything and, instead, avoided him, as if he were
utterly terrifying.
Huo Wujiu involuntarily lowered his eyelashes, and his gaze fell on his
legs.
The people of Southern Jing were indeed terrified of him. It was due to this
fear that his meridians were damaged and his legs crippled.
Even though he had become a cripple who couldn't stand up, they were still
afraid. Take yesterday as an example. It was just a matter of taking him out
of prison, but the majority of the imperial guards were dispatched, and the
streets along the road were strictly cordoned off..