Chapter 74 Who is more cruel and angry?
The wound was treated and needed to be bandaged. Gu Youan remembered that she still had a lot of sterile cotton and bandages, and was about to send the person out so that she could bandage the wound.
Someone outside the tent called out, "Doctor Zhang, your cloth belt is ready."
Gu Youan looked at Zhang Shinan and said, "To prevent the wound from festering, fumigating the bandage with medicinal herbs may help."
The court doctor said, "That's good. It's always good to be more particular. Unlike us on the battlefield before, we didn't have the luxury of being particular and had to make do with whatever treatment we could get."
Gu Youan nodded: "Then use this, Li Xian go get it."
Li Xian nodded, turned around, went to the door of the tent, brought in the plate, and presented it to Doctor Zhang.
Zhang Shinan and the court doctor helped each other bandage the wound. Zhang Shinan took Prince Qi's hand and took his pulse. After listening to the pulse carefully, he wrote a prescription and gave it to the court doctor.
The court physician also took the patient's pulse and nodded, saying, "This prescription clears away heat and detoxifies, promotes tissue regeneration and heals wounds, and activates blood circulation and dissolves blood stasis. It's quite suitable."
Both doctors nodded. Li Xian looked at the princess and saw that she also nodded, so he took the prescription and went out.
Gu Youan: "Uncle Zhang, please stay here with me tonight. The court doctor can go and rest first. I'll replace Uncle Zhang tomorrow morning."
The court doctor took the order and retreated with several guards.
After everyone had left, Gu Youan slowly stood up, walked to Zhou Qi's bed, and touched his face, which was still very hot.
Zhang Shinan said: "Don't worry, I'm here, nothing will happen to Prince Qi."
With Zhang Shinan's cautious nature, he would never say such affirmative words in front of a patient. He treated Gu Youan as his own junior and was worried that she would be worried and hurt her body during pregnancy, so he comforted her in this way.
Gu Youan smiled bitterly: "Uncle Zhang, there's no need to persuade me, I know what's going on."
Zhang Shinan patted her shoulder and said, "You are a smart child. No matter how worried you are about Prince Qi, you must take good care of yourself. You haven't eaten much today, so go and have something to eat."
At this time, Xiaoju, who had been waiting outside, slightly lifted the curtain and said, "Princess, dinner is ready."
"knew."
Zhang Shinan smiled and said, "Go eat first and come back later."
Gu Youan nodded.
After the city guards arrived, they set up hundreds more tents around these tents. Gu Youan came out and looked around: "Are they all set up?"
Liu Zhong stepped forward and reported, "The astronomer says the moon is bright and the stars are sparse tonight, so we don't expect rain. General Yuan, the commander of the city defense army, has had tents erected to protect us. Also, a personal entourage of General Dong Yizhong of the Northeast has just arrived. Would you like to meet them?"
"You're here so soon?"
"One man and three horses, the horses rest but the man doesn't. Horseback riding on the grasslands is very smooth this season, unlike the heavy snow in winter when it's difficult to travel."
Gu Youan stared coldly at the endless night and said, "Send them back. We don't need them here. Tell Dong Yizhong to guard the Northeast Army. If anything goes wrong with the Northeast Army, tell him to come and bring his head to justice."
The guards around the tent stood in neat rows, not daring to make any noise.
Liu Zhong bent down further: "Bald is here and wants to see you."
Baldy was the chief of Zhou Qi's secret guards. After his wedding last year, Gu Youan met him in the mansion. Zhou Qi told him that all the secret guards in Prince Qi's mansion were under his control.
"You've come just in time. This princess is just about to see him."
Gu Youan went to the felt tent next to him, and Xiaoyue and Xiaoju hurriedly followed. Xiaoyue winked at Zheng Erjia, and Zheng Erjia hurried to serve the food.
The bald man came in almost at the same time as Zheng Erjia who delivered the food box. Gu Youan didn't even look at Zheng Erjia. Xiaoyue opened her mouth to persuade him, but seeing the princess's dark face, she didn't dare to act rashly and could only lower her head and wait.
"Liu Zhong stays here, and you all leave."
"yes."
The tent was lit by two candlesticks placed on low tables on either side of the main seat, their dim flames flickering softly. Gu Youan looked at the bald man in black and asked pointedly, "Zhou Qi said you're powerful. There's nothing you can't get your hands on, whether it's the Zhenbei Governor's Office, the Luoyang officials' households, or the palace."
Gu Youan leaned forward slightly, his gaze as oppressive as a knife: "You, the number one secret guard, don't even know that your master was robbed and murdered?"
The bald man had no way to refute it, so he knelt on one leg and said, "It's my fault."
Gu Youan sneered, "What can a wrong word do?"
The bald man kowtowed, drew his knife, and was about to swing it at him when Gu Youan scolded him coldly, "That's enough!"
Liu Zhong threw something out of his hand, and it hit the bald man's wrist with a clang. His wrist loosened and the knife fell to the ground.
Gu Youan stood up with the help of Liu Zhong's hand and took two steps forward. The candlelight behind her made her figure look like a mountain. Her figure and her words weighed heavily on the bald man's heart.
"This princess wants everyone involved in this to die, leaving no one behind!"
"Bald man, obey your orders!"
She leaned slightly to the side, with half of her face hidden in the darkness, making people tremble with fear like a god of death. The bald man suddenly looked up and saw that the princess and the prince looked the same when they were angry.
"Half a month, this princess will give you half a month. If you can't do it, you can commit suicide!"
The bald man knelt on his knees, kowtowed and apologized, then picked up his knife and left without looking back.
Gu Youan was really tired and his body was shaking slightly.
Liu Zhong hurriedly helped his master sit down and whispered, "Baldy and Xu Zhi have checked the dead bandits. The person behind them couldn't be anyone other than the one from the palace. But the killer didn't come from the palace, but from the direction of Shanhaiguan."
Half of the secret guards trained by Prince Qi's Mansion in recent years are in Luoyang, and the others are scattered in Jiangnan, Northwest and other places. Since the northeast is the territory of Prince Qi's Mansion, they have relaxed their supervision.
If you think about it carefully, it was Prince Qi's carelessness in this matter, and the bald man cannot be blamed.
Shanhaiguan? Gu Youan thought of Zhang Heng. She held her forehead and asked, "I heard that Zhang Heng's uncle Zhang Minghui was a ruthless general?"
"He did have such a reputation, but that was when he was young. Ever since General Yuan went to guard Shanhaiguan twenty years ago, he hasn't moved in all these years and hasn't fought a major battle. His spirit is no longer what it used to be."
Otherwise, he would not have tacitly allowed his nephew Zhang Heng to come to Prince Qi's Mansion.
Gu Youan recalled the family tree she had read and chuckled, "If I remember correctly, Zhang Minghui is only a few years younger than General Meng?"
"Yes, Zhang Minghui is also sixty years old."
Among the three garrisons in the northeast, only the Liaodong general is younger, not yet fifty years old.
Gu Youan: "Then let Baldy investigate. If it is related to Zhang Minghui, then the officers in Shanhaiguan should take action."
Zhou Qi originally wanted to take it slow. The Yanzhou Army and the Liaodong Army would sooner or later become the personnel of Prince Qi's Mansion. There was no need to be too hasty. He should act slowly and quietly to avoid causing unrest on the border.
Gu Youan sneered coldly. The person is about to die. Why should he be slow? He should cut the Gordian knot and kill the gods and Buddhas who stand in his way.
The curtain of the tent moved slightly. Liu Zhong took a look and said, "Princess, please have dinner first. The prince is waiting for you."
Gu Youan hummed, "Let's set the table."
"yes."
Liu Zhongcai agreed, and the maids who had been waiting outside came in to serve her. In a short while, the food was ready, all of which were the light flavors that she liked to eat recently.
Gu Youan: "It's hard for you to bring these vegetables with you when you go out."
Xiaoyue smiled and said, "Aunt Qian and the others often travel far away, so they have experience. They prepared all these."
Although Gu Youan had no appetite at the moment, he still picked up his chopsticks and ate a bowl of rice, a lot of vegetables, and a few pieces of the only bowl of beef stew with meat and vegetable sauce.
Seeing that her master was about to put down her chopsticks, Xiaoju hurriedly said, "Princess, there's barbecue outside. Would you like to try some?"
"No more eating, help me wash up."
"yes."
The maids brought in hot water to serve. Gu Youan sat down to wash up when Sister Wei came in and reported, "Doctor Zhang has finished his dinner and has gone to look after the prince. I asked the maids to use mattresses and quilts to make three beds in the prince's main tent. One is for Doctor Zhang, one for the princess, and the third for Xiaoyue."
Afraid that the princess would not agree, Xiaoyue quickly said, "Doctor Zhang will take care of the prince, and I will go in to take care of you."
Gu Youan hummed, opened her hands and asked someone to change her outer clothes: "Remember to wash and change clothes, and don't bring dirty things in."
Xiaoyue quickly agreed: "I will go there in a moment."
Gu Youan went into the main tent. Zhang Shinan was taking his pulse. Gu Youan walked over faster and asked, "Is he feeling better?"
"I just took the medicine, so I can't see it yet. Let's wait a little longer."
Gu Youan sat down beside the bed and held Zhou Qi's hand, which was still dry and warm.
Zhang Shinan was very experienced. He went to sleep on the bed prepared for him, closed his eyes and said, "Since you don't want to sleep, then just watch him. Call me in two hours."
Gu Youan didn't say anything, just sat there, holding Zhou Qi's hand, thinking about the things in Songjiang City.
Songjiang City that night was no different from any other night, but something happened among the city defense troops outside Songjiang City.
The cause was a fight between a deputy captain and a regular captain under another deputy general, which then involved their own soldiers. Seeing that more than 2,000 people were fighting and about to cause a big incident, the main commander General Yuan was not there. At this time, the highest-ranking officer in the army was the second-level military officer, deputy general Zhang Heng.
Zhang Heng looked coldly at the two people who were not sure whether they were really drunk or pretending to be drunk. He drew his sword swiftly and chopped off their heads. Everyone was stunned.
"Military Regulations Article 4: Anyone who causes unrest in the military camp will be charged with conspiracy to commit treason and executed without mercy!"
The soldiers who had been fighting with their superiors suddenly became clear-headed.
Zhang Heng shouted coldly, "Get out of here! Do you want to break the law knowingly? Are you going to lose your heads?"
At this time, several other deputy generals who rushed over from home after hearing the news also shouted and asked everyone to disperse.
The crowd slowly dispersed, and two bodies that were not yet cold were scattered on the ground. Some people couldn't help but look back, and only then did they feel scared.
One of Tian Erlang's soldiers said timidly, "Fortunately, we listened to Xiaoqi and didn't go forward to interfere."
The small flag that Tian Erlang was in was under the command of the deputy captain who was causing trouble. All the generals rushed forward in a frenzy, but Tian Erlang forced ten of his men not to go.
Tian Erlang was always easygoing with his men, but now he was unusually cold: "Remember what happened today, and learn from it. We are the city guards, and they are Prince Qi's army. If there is no order from above, the words of the deputy generals, commanders, and generals are all bullshit. We don't need to listen to them, or we will only get ourselves into trouble."
"Xiaoqi is still good to us, we all listen to Xiaoqi."
"Okay, go back to sleep. What's the point of making such a fuss in the middle of the night?"
It took some skill for him to gather all his soldiers to fight in the middle of the night. It almost caused a riot. Zhang Heng didn't believe that these two people were simply drunk and their brains were not working well, nor did he believe that they were the only ones involved.
Zhang Heng raised his chin towards the deputy general who had just arrived: "Deputy General Wang, your men."
Deputy General Wang was so angry that he cursed: "What do you mean by my people? We are all from Prince Qi's Mansion and we eat Prince Qi's food. Zhang Heng, please don't harm me."
Zhang Heng smiled faintly, "I won't harm you, but if you don't get to the bottom of this matter before the prince returns, it will be impossible for you to avoid being implicated."
The commander, General Yuan, took away five thousand soldiers and horses, and the princess also arranged Liu Ling, the eunuch chief who held the seal, to suppress them. It didn't take much thought to know that something must be wrong.
Zhang Heng said, "I don't need to tell you who Liu Ling is. If you don't take care of things quickly, Liu Ling will come and deal with you."
Liu Ling had been in the military camp all day and was asked to go back by the people in Prince Qi's mansion after dark. If Liu Ling had been here, it would not have been Zhang Heng's turn to take action.
Deputy General Wang was also an old man in Prince Qi's Mansion. He knew a little about the methods of Liu Ling, the sinister old eunuch. Without waiting for Zhang Heng to say anything, he immediately went back to investigate.
Zhang Heng glanced at the corpses on the ground and said to the people around him, "Find a coffin to put them in. They can still be used."
"yes."
Liu Ling, who frightened Deputy General Wang, returned to the city for no other reason than receiving news from Shanhaiguan that they had captured several spies and had asked them some extraordinary questions. They could not wait to pass the news layer by layer, so they escorted the captured spies back to Prince Qi's Mansion.
Liu Ling emerged from the dark cell, his body dripping with blood. His smile was terrifying in the night. He pulled a letter from his sleeve and handed it to the guard: "This is the transcribed testimony. Send it to the princess."
The secret guard took the letter and disappeared into the darkness.
Zhou Chen, who hadn't slept all night, naturally knew that the men in black clothes and horses had left the city. He couldn't help but sigh. What was going on?
It was already the next morning when the secret guard who delivered the letter rushed to the grassland and found the city guards of Prince Qi's mansion.
Last night in the middle of the night, Zhou Qi suddenly had a high fever all over his body. Zhang Shinan was well prepared and poured the boiled medicine soup into his mouth. Gu Youan didn't know whether the Chinese and Western medicines would conflict with each other, so he calculated the time and waited for fifteen minutes. He dissolved the anti-inflammatory medicine in the water and fed it to him.
Fortunately, he still knew how to swallow. After being fed water, the fever in his body gradually subsided after a while. I don’t know which medicine took effect.
After all this, Gu Youan was too sleepy to hold on any longer and was persuaded by Xiaoyue to take a rest.
Zhang Shinan, who had just woken up, waved his hand and told her to go and rest, and he would take over the watchful eye. Only then did Gu Youan lie down and rest.
She was too tired and slept until dawn. When she woke up, she immediately got up to see Zhou Qi. His complexion seemed to have improved.
She touched his hand again, and it didn't seem as hot as before?
Gu Youan was unsure and quickly looked at Zhang Shinan.
Zhang Shinan, who had been up all night, stretched his wrists and took Prince Qi's wrist to feel his pulse. Then he smiled and said, "The hardest time is over."
Gu Youan, who had been scowling since he learned Zhou Qi was attacked, smiled for the first time: "When can we move?"
"Don't worry, let's wait for two more days. Even if we can't wait for two days, at least wait until he wakes up before leaving."
Gu Youan asked, "Should we change his medicine?"
"We need to change the medicine, but there's no rush. Let's wait until the court doctor arrives."
The court physician slept soundly all night. Without waiting for the princess to call for him, he had breakfast, asked for a set of clean clothes, and changed into them before going to the main tent.
Zhang Shinan said, "You've come just in time. Come and see your prince."
After the court doctor paid his respects to the princess, he walked over to check on her. Before he even took her pulse, he said, "You look better than yesterday."
Zhang Shinan said, "I had a high fever last night, but now that I've gotten over it, I think I should be fine."
The court physician agreed while taking the patient's pulse: "The first one or two days are the most dangerous. As long as you can survive the high fever, your life will basically be saved."
Gu Youan felt more and more comfortable listening to their conversation. She did not say anything and just waited for the court doctor to make a diagnosis.
"The pulse doesn't look as serious as yesterday. How about we take a look at the wound?"
Gu Wen nodded and asked someone to bring medicine and fumigated cloth strips.
Xiaoyue went outside the curtain to take the plate and brought it in. Gu Youan walked to the bed and watched them change the dressing.
When he opened the wound, Gu Youan saw that it was hideous, red and swollen. He asked Zhang Shinan and the court doctor to take a look, but they smiled and said, "It's fine, it's fine."
After changing the medicine and re-bandaging the wound, Zhou Qi woke up, perhaps because the wound hurt.
"An An."
Gu Youan hurriedly stepped in front of him, his eyes red with anxiety: "You're awake."
It turned out that he was not dreaming, it was really An An. He forced a smile at the corner of his mouth, but his dry and white lips were hurt by the fever, and he couldn't help frowning.
"Xiaoyue, bring some water."
"Hey, here I come, Princess, water."
She moistened his lips with a handkerchief and said softly, "It's good that you're awake. Don't worry about talking. I'll take care of everything."
Zhou Qi only then remembered that he was injured. He held her hand tightly and frowned even deeper: "You are pregnant, why did you take the risk to come here?"
Gu Youan was so angry that he threw a wet handkerchief at his face: "If I don't come, will you just sit here and wait for me to die? Wait for your wounds to fester and your intestines to rupture and die? Or wait for the emperor to send assassins to finish you off?"
Zhou Qi was helpless: "That's not what I meant. I'm just worried about you."
Gu Youan sneered, "Only you, Zhou Qi, are affectionate and righteous, unwilling to leave your beloved wife and children behind. But I, Gu Youan, am a cold-hearted and cruel woman. I knew I could save you, but I chose to watch you die."
Gu Youan stood up suddenly, and Xiaoyue hurried to support him, fearing that the princess would hurt the little master in her belly.
Gu Youan waved Xiaoyue away, furious. "Go to hell, you must die now. When you're dead, I'll use you as a pretext and lead the city defense army all the way into Luoyang City to kill all of you Zhou family members to avenge you. Then I'll rule the world. Die in peace. When I ascend the throne, I'll bring the 100,000 handsome men from my harem to pay tribute to you."
Xiaoyue was shocked. What was the princess saying?
The court doctor lowered his head and dared not say a word. How could he listen to these words?
Zhang Shinan coughed awkwardly and said, "Alright, you two young couples, stop arguing. One of you just woke up from a serious injury, and the other is pregnant. Being angry is bad for your health."
Gu Youan was so angry that he knew what he said just now was stupid, but he didn't want to reflect on it at this time and turned his head away from him.
Zhou Qi took a few breaths and begged for mercy pitifully: "Princess, don't be angry. Blame me. Blame me for saying the wrong thing."
Gu Youan became even more confident: "You said you were wrong?"
"I was wrong."
Seeing him so pitiful, Gu Youan stopped being angry. The anger in his heart subsided and he said calmly, "I am also wrong. I couldn't kill our enemies one by one. Thinking about you and me, and our children having to grow up under the threat of assassination, I can't help but feel angry. Blame me. No matter how angry I am, I shouldn't be directed at you."
Zhou Qi's eyes lit up with joy: "We are husband and wife. If you are angry with me, who else can you take it out on?"
Liu Zhong reported from outside the door, "Princess, Chief Steward Liu sent over the interrogation testimony. Would you like to see it now?"
Gu Youan glanced at Zhou Qi and said, "Here comes my revenge."
Knowing that he was getting better, Gu Youan stopped staring at him, shook off his hand and walked out, ordering Xiaoyue, "Bring something good for your master, the prince."
Zhang Shinan smiled and picked up his medicine box, saying to the court doctor, "Please take care of it. I'll go take a rest."
The court doctor said, "You go now. I'm here."
Only Prince Qi and the palace physician were left in the main tent. Zhou Qi's expression changed, and he said coldly, "Call Xu Zhi over."
The court doctor lowered his head and went out to call for help.
"etc."
"Your Highness, do you have any other instructions?" The court doctor stopped.
"Tell the princess to have breakfast first before going back to work."
"yes."
Gu Youan was in a felt tent nearby, waiting for someone to deliver the message, when the court doctor came over.
The court physician said: "The prince told you to have breakfast before going back to work."
Xiaoju nodded quickly and said, "Your Highness is right, Princess, let's have breakfast first and then get down to business."
Anyway, the prince is awake now. As long as he is fine, he will take care of it if anything happens. The princess should take good care of herself.
She had just scolded him and she was still not in the right, but now Gu Youan obeyed obediently and said, "Tell the messenger to wait a moment and send breakfast first."
"Hey, I'll go right away."
While Gu Youan was having breakfast in the felt tent next door, Prince Qi was listening to Xu Zhi's report on the news of the past two days. He read the testimony that Liu Ling had sent over at a glance.
Zhou Qi lowered his voice and asked, "Did Baldy go to Shanhaiguan?"
Xu Zhi didn't dare to shout loudly to attract the princess, so he whispered, "I went there last night. The princess said she wanted Baldy to resolve this matter within two weeks. Everyone involved in this matter must be killed, leaving no one alive."
Zhou Qi laughed. If he didn't leave any of them alive, he wouldn't be able to kill Zhou Xuan now. An An must be angry about this.
Zhou Xuan, don't be anxious, you will die sooner or later!
Originally, he had thought that since he was a member of the Zhou family, he might spare his life after he came to power, or lock him up until death. But after this time, he no longer had to think like that. He and Zhou Xuan would fight to the death!
Gu Youan had his breakfast, and when he called someone over, he saw the opened envelope and sneered in the direction of the main account.
Since no one was around, he couldn't hear it anyway. Zhou Qi drank a bowl of porridge and lay down to rest.
The city defense troops in Songjiang City, Shanhaiguan, the Northeast Army base and other places, as well as the secret guards of Prince Qi's Mansion have all been mobilized. In a few days, there will be no way to escape from Luoyang City.
The couple stayed on the grassland for two more days. After Zhou Qi's wound improved a little, Gu Youan ordered them to set off back to Songjiang Prefecture.
When we came, we rode at full speed and arrived in one day, but when we went back, we rode slowly and it took us two days to get back to the city.
Liu Ling and Zhou Chen, who had received the news in advance, were waiting at the city gate. When Zhou Chen saw the prince and princess's motorcade, he was so excited that tears almost came to his eyes.
The two masters are finally back. If they hadn't come back, Liu Ling, the cruel and ruthless eunuch, would have turned Songjiang City into a hell where everyone would be in danger.
Several generals were captured from the city defense army, three out of five first-level officers in Songjiang City were captured, and more than a dozen second-level and third-level officers were captured. The government offices on the west street of the city have been deserted in the past two days.
Liu Ling looked at his master's motorcade approaching and a smile appeared on his old face.
Zhou Chen shuddered again. Why was he laughing for no reason? It was so scary.
Zhou Chen didn't know that his master had returned, and those imprisoned traitors deserved to be beheaded.
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