Chapter 266 Lord Lu is still more terrifying

Xiao Xuanyou was filled with regret and pain, feeling as if countless sharp knives were tearing his heart apart.

His eyes were bloodshot, and he trembled as he placed his lips on her face. "Okay, I'll take you away from the brothel. You'll be fine."

"It's all my fault, it's all my fault. If I hadn't been so eager to use the child to keep you here, if I had returned from the banquet earlier that day, would you still be alive?"

"It's my fault, I'm a bastard. You can hit me or scold me however you want when you wake up."

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry..."

He abandoned his pride and dignity as the crown prince, his voice broken, his fingertips repeatedly stroking her pale cheek, leaving only endless regret.

Lu Yuan, standing to the side, was enveloped by a tremendous sense of absurdity, feeling as if he had fallen into an ice cellar.

Jiang Zhi's delirium and Xiao Xuanyou's self-blame and regret made him feel as if there was a thick, invisible barrier between them.

It was as if they were from the same world.

He couldn't help but clench the hand holding Jiang Zhi's.

Even though Jiang Zhi was delirious and talking nonsense, Xiao Xuanyou was still lucid. Why was he in such agony, as if he were experiencing it firsthand?

What happened between them?

What kind of tragic experiences did Jiang Zhi have?

But he also knew that now was not the time to dwell on these matters.

Lu Yuan calmed down and called Ru Ying in, asking her to carry the feverish Jiang Zhi back to his carriage and wipe her body to lower her temperature.

He stood guard outside the carriage window, knife in hand, his eyes lowered, his dark pupils lost in the boundless darkness.

Fortunately, after being given medicine and having her body wiped down, Jiang Zhi broke out in a sweat in the middle of the night, her fever subsided, and she stopped talking nonsense.

Lu Yuan let out a heavy sigh.

Qingxing was still being restrained by Lu Yuan, who wouldn't let her get close to Jiang Zhi.

Jiang Zhi slept in a daze for several days before finally regaining consciousness, but she remained listless and lacked the strength to even speak.

He continued his journey while recovering from his injuries, without encountering any further dangers, and soon he was only two or three days away from reaching Kyoto.

Ru Ying was changing Jiang Zhi's dressing when the carriage suddenly rolled over a stone and shook violently. Jiang Zhi couldn't help but cry out in pain.

Lu Yuan, who had been riding alongside them, frowned with worry. "Has the wound reopened?"

He wanted to get into the carriage to check, but because there were so many people around, he could only hold back and ask the people inside the carriage.

Jiang Zhi hissed before saying, "It's nothing, I bumped into it by accident, there's no bleeding."

Lu Yuan, however, didn't quite believe Jiang Zhi's words.

She had kept quiet the whole way, enduring her injuries without wanting to worry him.

However, due to his current status, he can no longer be as close to her as he was in Yaocheng, and personally check on her injuries.

He gripped the reins tightly, when suddenly he heard the chaotic sound of horses' hooves approaching.

We're about to arrive in Kyoto, and there's still an enemy attack?

Lu Yuan's expression hardened, and he immediately ordered everyone to line up in defense.

He quickly recognized the person who had come.

His already poor complexion became even darker, like the bottom of a pot.

"Your Highness, I am late in welcoming Your Majesty. Please forgive me."

Shen Ci'an was dressed in a scarlet official robe, his face was as cold and aloof as jade, and he was followed by a group of imperial guards.

He dismounted, walked past the guards without changing his expression, and bowed to the prince's carriage.

The crown prince did not appear, but simply gave a faint "hmm".

After a few brief pleasantries, Shen Ci'an asked, "I wonder how my wife's injuries are? May I go and check on her first?"

There was no sound coming from inside the car for a long time.

Just when Shen Ci'an thought the person inside wouldn't agree, he heard him say calmly, "Go."

Xiao Xuanyou was unable to contact Jiang Zhi frequently due to his status. Although they had traveled together, they had not met privately for several days.

Shen Ci'an didn't care about anything else and walked towards the carriage behind in a few steps.

"Young Miss..." he called softly.

Sitting on the black horse beside him, Lu Yuan looked down at him, one hand on the hilt of his sword, his eyes seeming to hold the sight of a cold blade being drawn.

“Master,” Jiang Zhi replied.

Shen Ci'an lifted his robe and boarded the carriage.

Ruying naturally stepped out, leaving the space to the couple.

Lu Yuan knew he shouldn't have overheard, but his hearing was excellent, and he heard every word of the conversation inside the carriage.

"You must be so badly injured and have had a hard journey." Shen Ci'an frowned deeply.

The carriage was now covered with thick cushions. Jiang Zhi leaned against the side of the carriage, her black hair loose. Because she had just applied medicine, she was only wearing an undergarment, with a fox fur cloak draped over her shoulders and a quilt covering her body.

The carriage was filled with a strong smell of medicine.

Her face was still a little pale, but she was much better than when she was first injured.

"Don't worry, Master. The Crown Prince and Lord Lu have taken good care of me. Although the wound looks terrible, it's not serious anymore." Her voice was weak from a long illness.

Shen Ci'an frowned even more deeply.

"The Shen residence has been taken care of. Once you return to the capital, you can stay here and rest for a while to recover from your injuries. Don't go out unnecessarily."

Jiang Zhi had planned to go find Xiao Yunheng once her injuries healed, but she didn't dare to argue with Shen Ci'an in front of him. She could only nod and say, "Okay, I'll listen to the teacher."

A slight smile appeared on Shen Ci'an's face as he took out a paper package from his pocket. "These are some sweet cakes I bought when I passed through the town earlier. I've kept them in my pocket and they're still warm. Try them and see if they suit your taste."

Jiang Zhi's eyes lit up.

Because her injuries were severe at first and she needed to avoid certain foods, the imperial physician instructed Lu Yuan to keep an eye on her and prevent her from eating any sweet or greasy foods that might aggravate her condition.

The meals that Lu Yuan sent every day were extremely bland.

She couldn't very well ask him to send someone to buy it since they were in the middle of nowhere, and it had been a long time since she had eaten such sweet snacks.

Just as she picked up a small piece of pastry to put it in her mouth, Lu Yuan's cold voice came from outside the carriage window, "The imperial physician said that Princess Qinghe needs to avoid certain foods. Lord Shen is disregarding the doctor's orders and showing no regard for the princess's health."

Shen Ci'an smiled faintly, "A good mood is just as important as recovery. My wife has traveled a long way and is bound to be feeling down. Why not give her some sweets to cheer her up?"

He then said softly to Jiang Zhi, "Just eat a small piece. If you like it, I'll buy you more on the way back."

"No, the imperial physician must examine him first." Lu Yuan instructed his attendants to fetch the imperial physician.

"Is it possible for Princess Qinghe to eat sweets now that she's in such poor health?" Lu Yuan asked the imperial physician who had rushed over, thinking something had happened.

"this……"

Shen Ci'an lifted the carriage curtain, "It's just some sweet cakes. My wife is in a bad mood while she's ill, so eating something sweet will help her recover from her injuries."

Shen Ci'an smiled faintly at the imperial physician, "Am I right?"

The imperial physician looked at Shen Ci'an and then at Lu Yuan, wiping the cold sweat from his forehead.

Both of them were close advisors to the emperor; one was ruthless and cold-blooded, the other arrogant and aloof. He couldn't afford to offend either of them.

So he could only say ambiguously, "The princess is feeling better now, so it's fine for her to eat some sweets—"

Staring at Lu Yuan's almost murderous gaze, he forced himself to say, "However, for the sake of the county princess's health, it would be best to wait a few days before discussing it further."

In comparison, Lord Lu is more terrifying; he's a coward.