Chapter 74 "She gave birth to a daughter for you..."
The prince picked her up and wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes. "Did you dream of your mother?"
Yun Kui was held in his arms and nodded gently. After calming down, she murmured, "Your Highness, you have found him, haven't you?"
The prince knew who she was talking about. "Yes."
Yun Kui hesitated for a long time before asking, "Could you tell me what kind of person he is?"
The Crown Prince said, "He was a military general under the late emperor. Due to the defeat at Langshan, he was demoted by the current emperor and sent to serve as a commander of a thousand men in a garrison in the south. Later, he went to Kaiyang to suppress bandits and met your mother in Dongshan."
Yun Kui's eyes held a deep-seated hatred that had festered for years, and a faint sneer appeared on her lips: "So it's you, General Jun."
Although Sheng Yu had his reasons, he ultimately failed Qi Shi, causing her to give birth to a daughter after ten months of pregnancy and die young, suffering all kinds of criticism from the world. The Crown Prince would not speak up for him, but he also did not want her to be too disappointed in her family who had some expectations of her.
The Crown Prince pondered for a moment, then continued, “When the new emperor ascended the throne, in order to consolidate his power and eliminate threats, he ruthlessly exterminated the former officials of the previous emperor. The commander of Pengcheng Guard at that time sent your father to Shandong to suppress bandits. During this time, bandits were rampant and the court was constantly trying to assassinate people. Your father was attacked from both sides and was seriously injured. He was rescued by your mother. Later, when Dongshan was blocked, the two were separated. Your father was in danger of his own safety and did not want to involve your mother, so he did not go to look for her at that time. But he did not know that your mother was already pregnant with you that night.”
Yun Kui was slightly taken aback. When she heard the words "thousand-household commander," she immediately pictured a military officer who had abandoned his wife and daughter. She never expected that there would be such dangers behind it.
"Then...then he's still alive?"
Her Highness said that if she wanted to, she would arrange for them to recognize each other, which would mean they were still alive.
The prince said, "Alive."
Yun Kui slowly lowered her eyes.
Since he's alive, he must be at least in his thirties, and a military officer. A commander of a thousand men is at least a fifth-rank official, so he probably already has a large number of wives and concubines and children. What is she then, an illegitimate child?
Hearing her suspicions, the Crown Prince truthfully replied, "He has never married and has no children other than you."
Yun Kui was taken aback again: "Still unmarried?"
The prince nodded: "Your grandparents have also passed away long ago, and he is now all alone. You don't need to worry about encountering a mean mistress or scheming brothers and sisters after you recognize your relatives."
“Of course,” he paused slightly, his gaze falling on her face, “you don’t need to go back to live with him. Stay by my side, the Eastern Palace is your home.”
Her father, even though he was a close advisor to the late emperor and was personally recommended by him, failed to fulfill his responsibilities as a father for even a day. Even if he were willing to acknowledge his daughter, the crown prince would not easily let her go home.
When Yun Kui heard the word "home," a look of confusion flashed in her eyes, and she felt that it was very distant.
It was something that others were born with, but she spent her whole life chasing after it, yet could never obtain it.
But he said he wanted to give her a home?
Could it be that we're going to give her a very high rank and make her a concubine?
Only a concubine of high rank would dare to say that the Eastern Palace is her own home.
The Crown Prince sighed inwardly, "You dare to hit me, yet you don't dare to even consider your own rank?"
Yun Kui casually opened his shirt and saw the red mark on his chest. She couldn't help but shrink back and whisper, "I wouldn't dare. I'd better not think about it."
Crown Prince: "..."
He sighed and returned to the previous topic: "So, do you want to acknowledge him?"
Yun Kui slowly clenched her fingers and asked, "What is his identity? Will it affect my relationship with His Highness?"
“No,” the Crown Prince said. “I have said before that no matter whose daughter you are, all I value is you as a person, nothing else. No one dares to question my decision.”
Yun Kui silently leaned closer to him, a warm current flowing through her heart, an indescribable tenderness.
But when she thought of the days when she was a child living under someone else's roof and suffering cold treatment, countless resentments and grievances welled up in her heart, and all sorts of complicated emotions intertwined haphazardly.
However, it is undeniable that deep down, she never stopped longing for her family.
Fortunately, he was not a scoundrel who abandoned his lovers, nor did he have three wives and four concubines at home. He only treated his mother as a convenient pastime while passing through. He was forced to separate from his mother because of the dangers around him. The real culprits were those bandits and assassins...
After thinking for a long time, Yun Kui finally said, "Your Highness, may I see him? But let's not acknowledge each other yet. Just let me see him from afar, is that alright?"
She wanted to see what kind of person he was, why her mother would rather suffer all kinds of blame than give birth to her. If he was not worthy at all, she would never acknowledge him as her father.
The prince gently ruffled her hair. "Alright."
The following day, after the meeting in Chongming Hall, the Crown Prince specially kept Sheng Yu behind.
At hand are the clues that Zhao Yue has collected and organized over the past few days, including the details of Sheng Yu's suppression of bandits in Kaiyang County, and the time from Qi's pregnancy to childbirth.
The Crown Prince handed him these files, saying, "General Sheng, do you still remember that in June of the fourth year of Zhenning, you were ordered to go to Shandong to suppress bandits? You were assassinated in Dongshan, Kaiyang, and seriously wounded, but were rescued by a woman who went up the mountain to gather herbs..."
Sheng Yu's expression changed drastically, as if a crack had been torn open in his previously calm face.
I never expected to hear news about her again after eighteen years.
"Your Highness, this..."
The crown prince gazed at his expression and said calmly, "She gave birth to a daughter for you."
Before Sheng Yu could recover from his earlier words, his pupils constricted sharply upon hearing this, and he felt as if he had been struck by lightning. His hand, which was holding the file, trembled uncontrollably.
The timeline of the past was clearly recorded in black and white. He dared not look away and silently read it word by word. His time with that woman over the course of a day and a night slowly surfaced in his mind like a revolving lantern.
On that day, he was poisoned in the eyes by an assassin and found refuge in a mountain cave, but unexpectedly encountered a female doctor who was taking shelter from the rain.
Seeing that he had multiple injuries, the female doctor immediately took out gauze and herbs from her basket and came up to treat his wounds.
He had several wounds on his chest and abdomen that he couldn't see and couldn't treat himself, so he could only take off his shirt and let her clean and wipe him.
Her technique was gentle yet skillful; perhaps out of concern for his safety or fear of him falling into a coma, she would also talk to him.
He had never seen her face, but he remembered her voice clearly.
As she applied the herbal poultice, she asked him, "Are there many people chasing you?"
He said yes, and half-jokingly asked her, "Aren't you afraid I'm a bandit?"
She seemed to chuckle. "Bandits... are there such handsome bandits? You wield a gun, have many old wounds, and wear a jade pendant with a qilin engraved on it. You must have been on the battlefield, perhaps a general?"
He pursed his lips and remained silent, neither confirming nor denying.
After treating the wounds on his lower back and abdomen, she applied the medicinal liquid to his eyes and wrapped them with gauze several times.
Both of their outer garments were soaked by the rain. She lit a fire in the cave, took off her clothes and hung them on a makeshift wooden frame to warm herself by the fire. After doing all this, she slowly sat down next to him.
"There are many snakes and insects in the mountains in summer. I will stay here with you, General, until your subordinates come looking for me, then I will leave."
He was already very grateful and did not want to trouble her further. "I am blind. If the assassin comes, I'm afraid I won't be able to protect you, young lady. Consider this jade pendant a token of my gratitude. In the future..."
Before he could finish speaking, he heard the woman's steady breathing beside him.
Perhaps she was too tired, she had already fallen asleep.
He had no choice but to close his eyes and rest, remaining vigilant and carefully listening to the sounds outside the cave. Only after nightfall, when there were no suspicious footsteps or sounds of weapons clashing outside the cave, did he gradually relax and fall into a light sleep.
Unexpectedly, instead of the assassin, they suddenly heard a series of chilling rustling sounds approaching. He immediately gripped his spear tightly. The female healer also woke up, and upon seeing the scene before her, her breathing became visibly panicked: "It's poisonous snakes, many snakes..."
The fire was left with only a faint red glow, which was not enough to deter the snakes. She frantically picked out the relatively intact branches from the fire, still feeling somewhat afraid.
She was a healer, and venomous snakes were not uncommon in the mountains. However, being surrounded by so many venomous snakes at the same time, with a blind patient by her side, she could not remain calm and composed no matter what.
The pain from his wound also prevented him from accurately locating sounds, so he could only shield the person behind him and say, "Tell me the location, and I'll handle it."
She nodded and began to guide him. He brandished his spear, slaying the approaching venomous snakes one by one.
Perhaps she hadn't expected him to be so skilled despite his serious injuries, and he seemed to hear her mutter a soft exclamation.
But there were too many venomous snakes, and the spear was not as sharp as a sword. Before he knew it, two or three venomous snakes crawled close. He felt a sudden pain in his waist and abdomen and was about to turn the spear around to deal with it when she quickly waved the sparking branch in her hand and drove the snakes away.
The air was filled with a cold, bloody stench. The two men struggled to drive away the snakes and finally managed to cut them all down. Only when no more snakes approached did they breathe a sigh of relief.
He felt a dizziness in his head and could barely stand. Only then did she notice that he had been bitten by a venomous snake on his waist and abdomen. She immediately helped him sit down and carefully examined the wound.
Seeing her remain silent, he almost thought she was beyond help. Having been assassinated repeatedly over the years, he wouldn't be surprised if she died by an assassin's blade one day.
Just as I was about to offer my condolences and make some arrangements for her funeral, I heard her speak with a slight, strained voice.
"This snake venom... must be sucked out with your mouth, otherwise it will quickly penetrate into your internal organs."
She seemed to be asking for his opinion.
The female doctor was not afraid to look directly at the patient's body, but his injury was indeed in the wrong place.
After a moment of silence, he spoke first: "I suppose my life is nearing its end, young lady, there's no need to put me in such a difficult position..."
Before he could finish speaking, she said, "General, I apologize for the intrusion..."
A warm, moist sensation followed his lower back and abdomen, accompanied by pain and a tingling numbness that instantly tensed his back, made his hands clench, and caused his veins to bulge.
Even though he was resolute, he couldn't control his body's reactions. Fortunately, the cave was dimly lit, so his lapse in composure wasn't fully exposed to others.
But she was so close, her warm lips sucking on his wound, she probably already noticed his abnormality.
After the snake venom was removed, there was another period of silence between them. He turned away, feeling ashamed, remorseful, and unable to face her.
The pain in my lower back and abdomen gradually subsided, but the surging heat there did not ease; in fact, it intensified. My mind was in a daze, and an indescribable torment coursed through my veins, gradually spreading to my limbs and bones.
His remaining rationality told him that this was not the reaction one should have after the snake venom was cleared.
Until he heard the panicked, tearful voice beside him: "I'm sorry, I didn't know this poison could cause delirium. General, are you feeling unwell anywhere? I..."
She leaned over to look at his wound, and the reaction there was no longer any way to hide it.
His outer garments were drying on the wooden rack, and he was only wrapped in bandages. The temperature inside the cave rose instantly due to the toxins catalyzing each other's bodies. He couldn't see, but all his other senses became increasingly sensitive. Even the slightest touch was magnified infinitely. Reason was completely devoured, and in the end, only the most primal desire between a man and a woman remained...
When I woke up again, it was already noon the next day.
He was rescued by his subordinates and was lying in the post station, his wounds having been cleaned again.
He urgently inquired about the woman's whereabouts, but his subordinates said they had not seen her.
When they went back to the cave to search, her basket was gone, and the corpse of the poisonous snake on the ground had been cleaned up.
He guessed that she had taken the snake's carcass with her. Snake gall, snake skin, and snake oil were all excellent medicinal materials and would definitely be useful to her. Perhaps she washed them by the stream, or perhaps she took them down the mountain to the market to sell, which is why she disappeared without a trace.
Although it was driven by snake venom last night, he still came out on top. He waited for her to return in the cave, intending to give her an explanation.
Before she could return, the same group of black-clad assassins appeared, and another fierce battle ensued. He and several of his subordinates narrowly escaped death, but fortunately, the soldiers from the Dahe Guard, who had come to Dongshan to suppress bandits, helped them and saved their lives.
Meanwhile, the bandits in the mountains burned and looted again. The Yizhou garrison sealed off Dongshan Mountain, prohibiting ordinary people from entering or leaving, hoping to take this opportunity to wipe out the bandits roaming the mountains. He could only focus his remaining energy on suppressing the bandits and dealing with the black-clad assassins.
He was later seriously injured and fell into a coma. He was rescued by his subordinates and taken back to Pengcheng. After recuperating for half a year, his eyesight slowly recovered. However, his mother fell seriously ill and died during this time...
His relationship with that woman was merely a one-night stand, not a deep love, yet every time he woke up in the middle of the night, her voice would frequently echo in his mind, reminding him of the deep, unforgettable entanglement they shared that night…
If it weren't for the constant dangers around him and the various reasons that led to their separation, he would have gone to find her, apologized to her parents, and married her in a proper and respectable manner.
Over the years that had passed, he assumed she was already married and had children, but he never expected that she would give birth to a daughter for him!
He made her give birth alone, suffering immense pain and even losing her life for it! And their daughter also endured countless hardships in this world.
Self-blame and remorse overwhelmed him like a surging tide, and every word in the case file felt like a sharp knife tearing open his flesh.
His hands were clenched into fists, and his whole body was trembling.
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