Chapter 69 Chapter 69 "My wife, Shen Xi, is like meeting each other"...
Once it was confirmed that Xie Chengyan's condition had stabilized, Sun You did not linger any longer. There were many wounded soldiers from the battle during the day, and he still had to go to the wounded soldiers' camp to take care of them.
Seeing that Wen Tingmao's apprentice was indeed quite capable, he confidently left Xie Chengyan in Shen Xi's care and hurriedly took his medicine box to check on the other wounded soldiers.
This was exactly what Liang Tuo wanted. Although Shen Xi had disguised himself as a man and entered the military camp, it was hard to guarantee that others wouldn't discover his true identity. It would be safer for him to stay in Xie Chengyan's command tent.
Moreover, Shen Xi's decisive action in pulling out the arrow just now gave Liang Tuo some confidence. With his wife around, he could feel at ease.
Winter in Youzhou is bitterly cold. The area where we were stationed was wide open and unshaded by trees, with the north wind howling around us.
Strong winds have been blowing these past two days, whipping up sand and dust that slaps against your face, almost knocking you over.
Liang Tuo dared not imagine how Shen Xi had managed to trek all the way to the military camp alone. The journey was fraught with danger, and a slight misstep could have led to her losing her way.
Let alone a weak woman like her, even he himself would be on tenterhooks traveling alone.
Yet, amidst the wind, sand, and snow, Shen Xi happened to appear outside the military camp.
In the firelight, she was slender and stubborn, like a straight tree, secretly growing upwards, never leaning to one side.
There is a divine will at work.
Liang Tuo glanced one last time at the figure guarding the bedside, lowered his head, and quietly withdrew from the command tent.
Shen Xi noticed Sun You and Liang Tuo leaving, but didn't pay much attention to it.
In the latter half of the night, Xie Chengyan's injuries worsened, and he developed a high fever. In his delirium, he mumbled something incoherently, covered in cold sweat.
Shen Xi didn't bother to distinguish those meaningless words in his sleep. She wiped his body with cold water again and again, only thinking about bringing down his fever as soon as possible.
Thus, she stayed by Xie Chengyan's side all night, wiping his body, feeding him medicine, and busying herself with other tasks.
Finally, as dawn broke, Xie Chengyan calmed down, and his body temperature gradually returned to normal.
Shen Xi finally breathed a sigh of relief.
As the night passed, the sounds of patrols and drills echoed outside the tent. Shen Xi got up, washed her face with cold water to dispel her drowsiness, and forced herself to wake up.
In order to enter the military camp and to avoid unnecessary trouble on the way, she deliberately changed her appearance, painting her face black and yellow to match a man's appearance.
Only after being washed did it reveal its true appearance. After days of traveling and spending a night guarding the wounded, it was now covered in bluish-black marks.
This is Xie Chengyan's command tent, and no one dares to enter without permission. Besides, Liang Tuo knows she is inside and will help stop her.
Nevertheless, once Shen Xi regained her senses, she didn't dare to delay any longer. She immediately took out her disguise from her medicine box and transformed herself back into the appearance she had the night before.
Just as he finished doing all this, a voice came from outside the tent: "Doctor... Doctor Shen, are you awake?"
It's Liang Tuo.
Shen Xi responded and called him in. Liang Tuo had come to bring her breakfast, and a sixteen or seventeen-year-old boy was following behind him.
Setting down the food box, Liang Tuo pushed the boy forward: "Your Highness, it's too tiring for you to take care of everything here by yourself. I've found a soldier to help you. Just let him do any chores."
His gaze shifted to the soldier and scrutinized him. The soldier, unfazed, stared back at him, his eyes fixed on Shen Xi's face.
"Thank you, Vice General Liang." Shen Xi nodded, then turned to the soldier and asked, "Young man, what's your name?"
Before the soldier could react, he remained silent. Liang Tuo turned his head and saw that the soldier was staring at Shen Xi without any manners. He immediately became anxious and patted the soldier on the back to remind him.
He added, "Just call him Xiao Wu. Please don't take offense. He's young and doesn't know proper etiquette."
Shen Xi didn't care about any of that and smiled reassuringly, "It's alright."
Liang Tuo secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, Xie Chengyan was unconscious and didn't see it.
Xiao Wu then realized what was happening and blinked, "Hello, Dr. Shen! My name is Xiao Wu."
After saying that, he also very perceptively stepped forward and took the food out of the food box and laid it out on the table.
The food in the military camp was naturally not as refined as usual. Even though Liang Tuo had gone to great lengths to find the best food for Shen Xi, it was still just a bowl of plain porridge and a plate of radishes.
Liang Tuo said awkwardly, "Dr. Shen, there are many inconveniences in the army regarding supplies. Please make do with what you have. In a couple of days, I will ask my subordinates to send you some other supplies."
Shen Xi shook her head and refused: "Don't bother. I'm not here for sightseeing, nor am I incapable of enduring hardship. Everything will be done according to your rules. Besides, it's already an exception that you've allowed me in."
Liang Tuo rubbed his hands awkwardly. After five years apart, his wife had changed somewhat; she spoke and acted with gentleness, yet remained resolute.
Although there were already some signs of this back in the capital, it's becoming more and more obvious now.
Shen Xi didn't say anything more. She walked to Xie Chengyan's side, checked the temperature on his forehead, and then lifted the gauze to examine the wound carefully.
Xiao Wu was young, but clever and efficient. Seeing this, he followed along and began to tidy up the blood-stained cloth that Shen Xi hadn't had time to clean up the night before, as well as Xie Chengyan's old clothes that were soaked in blood.
As I was tidying up, my hand suddenly shook, and an envelope fell out from the pile of messy things.
The letter was soaked in blood, as if it had been carelessly dropped on the ground last night in a hurry and had gotten mixed into the blood-stained clothes.
Xiao Wu was surprised for a moment, then ran over and handed the item to Liang Tuo: "General, this seems to be a letter from the Prince to his wife."
The atmosphere froze momentarily upon hearing this.
Shen Xi paused, then turned around in confusion.
Liang Tuo hurriedly snatched the letter away, stuffed it into his pocket, and scolded him, trying to cover it up: "Don't talk nonsense! I've told you long ago that you can't read and need to study more. How come you still can't read now!"
But Xiao Wu tilted his head back and argued, "I can read! Brother Wang taught me a long time ago. It says 'To My Wife's Personal Beloved' on it. There's no mistake. You can look again if you don't believe me!"
Liang Tuo choked for a moment, then quickly pushed Xiao Wu out, saying, "Go, go, go! Quickly pack up that pile of stuff, don't worry about it, don't look at the prince's things!"
Xiao Wu was still unconvinced. As he was being pushed out, he turned his head and said, "General, can't you read? I'm sure I didn't see it wrong!"
Despite making such a fuss, he was ultimately kicked out without any mercy.
Liang Tuo's heart pounded, and he turned around awkwardly. Shen Xi was already slowly approaching him.
Actually, Shen Xi wasn't particularly curious about the letter at first, but Liang Tuo's attitude made her suspicious.
Now that Xiao Wu has left, and everyone in the tent knows her identity, Shen Xi simply stretched out her hand: "Aren't you going to give me the letter?"
Liang Tuo forced a smile: "You've misunderstood, this letter isn't for you..."
Everyone could see he was trying to cover something up. Shen Xi smiled and said, "What, it's not for me? Did Xie Chengyan have another wife after five years?"
These words were spoken casually, but Liang Tuo's already stiff smile froze even more.
Shen Xi remained silent, only staring at him with an unchanging smile on her face.
Liang Tuo seemed to have secretly compared the two outcomes, and without any further hesitation, handed the letter to Shen Xi.
"I'm sorry, Madam, I have overstepped my bounds."
Shen Xi didn't make things difficult for him. Her gaze was fixed on the envelope, which was Xie Chengyan's handwriting. The four characters "To My Wife" were clearly written on it.
Upon seeing those four words with his own eyes, Shen Xi suddenly realized what the letter in his hand actually was.
For a moment, it felt as if a thousand pounds were weighing it down.
She subconsciously turned to look at Xie Chengyan. He was still unconscious, and the faint sunlight shone on his pale face. Compared to five years ago, he had lost a lot of weight.
"Madam, perhaps you...shouldn't look at it anymore."
Seeing that she had figured something out, Liang Tuo offered timely advice.
But Shen Xi didn't listen. She turned around and opened the letter in her hand.
Familiar handwriting came into view, and it read as follows—
"My wife Shen Xi, seeing words is like seeing her face to face.
In the past, I betrayed you with my cunning and schemes, and I have failed you in many ways, ashamed of the bond we shared. My wife was born a phoenix in the clouds, destined to drink the morning dew and soar through the heavens, but I locked her in a cage. This is the greatest regret of my life.
As my time draws to a close, I only hope that you will soar across the vast ocean and blue sky, find a good man, build a new nest, and live in peace and happiness year after year. If there is an afterlife, I wish to be the phoenix tree in the courtyard, providing shade for your dreams for half a lifetime.
With deepest sorrow, I bid you farewell. May you take good care of yourself.
Sure enough, this was Xie Chengyan's suicide note.
Suicide note.
Shen Xi felt a tightness in her chest, as if a heavy iron block was weighing down on the tip of her heart.
She read it word by word, unable to articulate her feelings, but dared not read it a second time, and finally could only calmly close the letter.
Seeing that she was not well, Liang Tuo awkwardly tried to comfort her, "Madam, don't worry, the prince is a lucky man and will be blessed by heaven."
Shen Xi forced a smile, but it looked rather strained: "I'm not worried, I'm just a little tired."
Liang Tuo would never believe it: "Madam..."
Shen Xi looked at him and said, "You don't believe me?"
Her eyes were bloodshot from staying up all night, but her gaze was unusually clear as she turned to Xie Chengyan: "I will definitely pull him back from the brink of death. We still have scores to settle, and it won't be that easy to end things."
Liang Tuo hesitated for a moment, then changed the subject, giving Shen Xi a few words of advice on things to be careful about in the military camp.
Then he left and did not disturb them any further.
Shen Xi still clutched the thin suicide note in her hand, her chest filled with indescribable emotions.
His gaze fell on the dying figure on the sickbed. He approached and took the man's hand.
Xie Chengyan's palms had thin calluses from years of martial arts practice, making them rough and uneven.
She looked at him for a long time, and finally couldn't help but sigh, her very soft voice falling into the cold air.
"Xie Chengyan, didn't you say before that you would lock me up, imprison me, and not allow me to leave you? Why are you letting go now?"
"Who gave you permission? It doesn't matter who gave you permission unless I agree."
Shen Xi clenched her fists tightly, crumpling the letter in her hand: "Xie Chengyan, did you hear me? I won't let you let go."
I disagree.
As soon as she finished speaking, Shen Xi suddenly realized that her hand was being firmly gripped from behind, with an unusually strong grip.
Surprised, she looked up and saw that the person who had been unconscious just moments before had slowly opened his eyes, his gaze unfocused, falling blankly on Shen Xi.
He was murmuring, "Xi... Xi'er."
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Author's Note: Xiao Xi: Now your life is mine! Stop causing trouble [eye roll]
Liang Tuo: Why do I feel a chill down my spine? (scratches head) (grabs Xiao Wu by the collar)
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