"Okay, don't move, I'll get it myself."
Shen Jinchen glanced at him, smiled, and then turned to Cen Xizhi's cabinet, quickly finding a roll of bandages and medicine for treating external injuries.
After taking it out, he carefully took off his clothes, put on a pair of underpants, and waved them around in front of Cen Xi.
Cen Xi had no time to admire the handsome man's body; her eyes were fixed on the bright red wound on Shen Jinchen's left rib, filled with heartache.
"You finally care about me a little bit, Qingqing. Please help me apply the medicine. I really can't handle it by myself."
Shen Jinchen sat down next to her and saw the worried look on her face. He smiled and knew he was right. The girl he had his eye on didn't like him getting hurt. Sure enough, he had to show weakness in front of her. The more miserable he looked, the more she would care.
After laughing, Shen Jinchen handed the bandages and medicine to Cen Xi, then looked at her with hopeful eyes.
"You're already so badly injured, and you were still trying to be brave."
Cen Xi took the medicine, her eyes a little red. This man always seemed to be touching her raw nerves, constantly trying to move her with his actions, telling her how much he cared for her. She wasn't made of stone, and besides, after that relationship, her heart was always affected. Perhaps this was why she was different from Jun Jianchou.
“Qingqing has been persecuted and is in poor health. How can I bear to see you running around without even wearing shoes? Don’t do that again. I only suffered a minor injury. Holding you won’t affect me at all.”
Shen Jinchen gazed intently at Cen Xi, feeling her fingers sliding across his skin. Only then did he realize that it wasn't that he couldn't reach this woman's heart, but that his previous methods might have been wrong.
"Who attacked me this time?"
Cen Xi felt a little uncomfortable under his probing gaze, so she hurriedly changed the subject.
"It's that Yan Taizu who has always wanted to kill you. I guess when he placed the restriction on you, he also injured himself to some extent, which is why he is so relentless in pursuing you."
Seeing her hands still moving, Shen Jinchen tore open his eyes and explained to her.
"How did I fall for this trap this time?"
Cen Xi looked puzzled, thinking that she hadn't done anything wrong, so why was she being held captive again?
"It's possible that you were too emotional that day and took advantage of that person. My people found out that they had already returned to the Ning Prince's Mansion, but now they've appeared in a bamboo forest at the foot of Feifeng Mountain. This is enough to show that the man surnamed Yan sensed your emotional fluctuations, which is why he brought people down the mountain to perform a ritual. Ah Xi, I don't know if this kind of thing will happen again in the future. You have to be careful in the future and try to avoid emotional fluctuations."
Mentioning this made Shen Jinchen's expression darken. That person was indeed powerful enough; they had to be on their guard and deal with him with all their might.
Moreover, the other party was also very cunning. His Majesty's Blue-Clad Guards had been busy for almost a month, but they had only found out some superficial information in major towns.
It's possible that Cen Xi was simply too important to that Yan Taizu, which is why he tried to kill Cen Xi once or twice.
"Is that person Prince Ning of the Ning Prince's Mansion?"
Cen Xi frowned and asked in a cold voice.
"It should be, but it might not be. Qingqing wants to travel all the way to Prince Ning's residence to find out the truth?"
As soon as Cen Xi asked that question, Shen Jinchen guessed her general intention.
"Yes, we can't keep taking the hits. You're right, I might be something that's holding him back. Why not test the waters? The sooner we resolve this, the sooner we'll get rid of this fly."
Cen Xi has always disliked being schemed against, so this trip to the Prince Ning's mansion was imperative.
“Alright, I’ll go with you. The court is not stable, and various forces are stirring up trouble. If we can completely eliminate this most powerful force, the pressure on the court will be less.”
After Cen Xi finished speaking, Shen Jinchen's eyes flashed reflexively. He hadn't forgotten that Cen Xi had said she would leave after dealing with that Yan Taizu. Therefore, he had to follow her every moment. Moreover, he had his own purpose in going to the Ning Prince's mansion, so he had to go.
"I'm saying, as the prime minister of a dynasty, are you really capable of managing things if you're not in the capital for most of the year?"
Judging from his tone, he wanted to follow her. Cen Xi was inexplicably reluctant. She was a free person and didn't like to depend on a man, so why was he following her?
"It's alright. With His Majesty overseeing things in the capital, nothing serious will happen. My role as Prime Minister is to annihilate the entire Grand Banquet and all the forces that are stirring up trouble. So, Ah Xi, you don't need to worry about me not having time to spend with you."
Seeing her wrapping herself up with bandages layer by layer, Shen Jinchen chuckled and then slowly explained.
"Can't you give me some freedom? Are you going to follow me everywhere I go?"
Cen Xi has always preferred to be alone. She would feel very uncomfortable with someone following her, and with him around, how could she go to brothels and do any perverse things?
"Qingqing, Yan Shengxiao is not easy to deal with. Wouldn't having me be like having another helper? Do you still want to leave me?"
After the bandage was tied, Cen Xi was about to find him some clothes to put on when Shen Jinchen grabbed her hand, then pursed his lips and asked in a low, husky voice. He was always in control of the situation and could strategize effectively, but he never dared to imagine that Cen Xi would willingly stay by his side, even though he already knew that she had feelings for him.
"I... Shen Jinchen, have you ever considered that someone like me isn't suited to the atmosphere of the capital? I'm used to living life on my own terms and doing things my own way. If I go to the capital, I'm afraid I'll cause you trouble. Isn't it better if we just stay together like this?"
Cen Xi knew very well that she disliked palace intrigue and power struggles. She was afraid that she wouldn't be able to live the life she wanted in the capital, and she didn't want to compromise. So either Shen Jinchen resigned from his post, or she would eventually leave him. There was no third way.
“Once we get to the capital, I can let you do as you please. If you go east, no one will dare to tell you to go west. You are the Prime Minister’s wife, second only to the Emperor. Who would dare to criticize you? Besides, Ah Xi, you seem to have forgotten that you have an identity. His Majesty is still looking for our Eldest Princess, and the Imperial Observatory is also looking for you, the noble lady of the royal family. If you go back, who will dare to gossip about you?”
"Even if there is, just tell me, and I will definitely step in to resolve it for you, okay? Don't abandon me, alright? It's been twenty-six years since I finally found a wife I wanted to marry, how can you bear to leave me?"
Ignoring his freshly bandaged wound, Shen Jinchen hugged Cen Xi tightly, explaining and pleading at the same time. He knew she didn't want to go back with him again.
“You can resign from your official post, and then we can find a beautiful place with clear waters and lush mountains, go into business and make a fortune. Why bother getting involved in that treacherous court?”
Cen Xi's eyes sparkled; she also hoped to persuade Shen Jinchen that she truly disliked the capital.
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