Chapter 220 Broken Jade
Xiao Zhuo stood there, staring at Mep's body.
He was pierced by Xiao Kai's sword, his clothes and armor soaked with blood, but he did not groan or tremble. However, when he entered the tent and saw the dead Meipu, his body trembled slightly.
Shen Yuexi didn't know how to comfort him for a moment, so she could only lower her head and stand quietly beside him.
There was a lot of noise outside the tent, but inside it was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.
After a long while, Xiao Zhuo asked, "Why didn't anyone tell me this news?"
His voice still sounded calm.
"It has nothing to do with anyone else. This is my decision," Shen Yuexi raised her eyes and said, "My husband was at the critical moment of attacking the city at that time. I was afraid that he would be distracted after knowing this news."
"Everyone must die," Xiao Zhuo said. "I've been fighting for many years and have seen countless people die before me. I'm no longer someone with fragile emotions. Who killed him?"
He turned and looked at Qiang Lin who was standing behind Shen Yuexi.
Only then did Shen Yuexi notice that tears were flowing from his eyes, leaving two tear marks on his dusty face.
This man was being tough in words, but she knew that Maep's death must have had a huge impact on him.
Qiang Lin glanced at Shen Yuexi and whispered, "It was...Emperor Yongde's guards. After Prince Mei rescued his sister, he was chased by the guards and shot by several arrows. By the time I arrived, it was too late."
Xiao Zhuofu turned around and faced Mei Pu, saying, "Is he my father's guard?"
He walked to the stretcher, half-knelt down, stretched out his bloody left hand, and placed it on Meipu's forehead: "I really should go to the capital to help you in person... It seems that our agreement will have to be postponed."
Shen Yuexi heard the self-blame in his words and said quickly:
"My dear husband, please don't blame yourself. Prince Mei left just when you were about to attack Yongwei. As the commander of the entire army, it was impossible for you to leave."
Xiao Zhuo's hand was originally pressed near the wound to stop the bleeding, but now it was placed on Mep's forehead. The wound under the collarbone began to bleed again, forming a thin stream of blood along his elbow, dripping onto the ground.
Shen Yuexi came to his side, knelt down and pressed a snow-white handkerchief on Xiao Zhuo's wound, saying, "My husband, Prince Mei has passed away. Don't be sad. You should stop the bleeding immediately."
As soon as the snow-white handkerchief was pressed against the wound, it was quickly soaked with bright red.
"Where's Doctor Hua?" Shen Yuexi turned and called to Qiang Lin, "If you can't find him, quickly call another doctor to treat my husband's injuries."
Qiang Lin was about to go out when he heard the old voice of Doctor Hua from outside the tent.
"Princess, please don't shout. I'm coming, I'm coming."
The generals standing near the entrance made way. Doctor Hua rushed in breathlessly, carrying a medicine box on his back. He placed the medicine box on the table and said, "I just treated the wounded soldiers and am very tired. I found a deserted place to sleep for a while..."
He suddenly stopped, his eyes fixed on the body of Mep in the tent. He sighed, then shook his head repeatedly, and said:
"Prince Mei, you finally don't have to suffer the pain of leprosy anymore. It's a pity that such a young person passed away before an old man like me."
As he spoke, his voice choked.
Shen Yuexi shouted to Doctor Hua, "Doctor Hua, the dead cannot be resurrected. Come and see my husband. Xiao Kai stabbed him in the upper right side of his chest, and he's bleeding profusely."
Doctor Hua wiped his eyes, leaned over, held Xiao Zhuo's shoulders and looked around, then said:
"Don't panic, Princess. Prince Zhao isn't coughing up blood, which means his lungs aren't injured. His arm can still move, which means his bones aren't injured. The wound has simply pierced through the flesh from top to bottom. It looks serious, but it's not serious. Please help Prince Zhao remove his armor and clothes so I can treat his injuries."
Doctor Hua gave the order, and Qiang Lin stepped forward and carefully took off Xiao Zhuo's armor with the help of Shen Yuexi.
There was another layer of inner armor beneath the armor. It was the close-fitting inner armor that Shen Yuexi had Daxiong make for Xiao Zhuo. The Yanque sword hadn't touched the inner armor, but had penetrated through the edge. Shen Yuexi removed the inner armor and the jade pendant from Xiao Zhuo's neck, placing them on the table nearby. This way, Doctor Hua could treat the injury.
A military officer nearby came over and said, "Prince Zhao, should I order someone to carry out Prince Mei's body?"
"No need," Xiao Zhuo said, "You all go out, let me stay with him for a while."
Hearing Xiao Zhuo's low voice, everyone knew he was upset and left the tent. Qiang Lin glanced at Shen Yuexi, who gestured with her eyes. Qiang Lin nodded and also left the tent.
Doctor Hua first disinfected the wound with strong liquor and asked Shen Yuexi, "Did Prince Zhao get injured in the sword fight with Xiao Kai?"
Xiao Zhuo remained silent and just stared at Meipu.
Shen Yuexi knew that he was not in the mood to talk at the moment, so she said to Doctor Hua, "My husband had already stabbed Xiao Kai. I don't know what Xiao Kai said to him, but my husband was stunned. Then Xiao Kai jumped up and stabbed him with the sword."
"He said I wasn't my father's son," Xiao Zhuo said, "and that I was a bastard born from the affair between my mother and an unknown man."
Shen Yuexi finally understood what happened on the battlefield and was so angry that she almost jumped up.
"This Xiao Kai is so despicable. He actually resorted to such despicable tactics. When he couldn't win, he resorted to insulting people with such words."
Xiao Zhuo said, "In a life-or-death struggle, one must use any possible means. I was indeed affected by his words. It's not because he said such words, but because I didn't expect him to say such words."
Shen Yuexi thought of Lin Kuilai on the Yongwei city wall.
Xiao Kai, a brave man, didn't know how to say this. Could it be that Lin Kui taught him to say this?
She was still pondering when she noticed that Doctor Hua was staring at something on the table, his hands had even stopped moving. She quickly reminded him, "Doctor Hua, why are you stunned?"
"I've lost my composure." Doctor Hua came to his senses and continued to suture Xiao Zhuo's wound with needle and thread.
Shen Yuexi followed Dr. Hua's gaze and found that he was looking at the jade pendant worn by Xiao Zhuo.
I remembered that when Dr. Hua first saw this jade pendant, he seemed to be in a trance. Could it be that Dr. Hua had seen this jade pendant before? Otherwise, why would he behave strangely every time he saw it?
While she was thinking, the guards outside the door shouted: "The doctor is treating King Zhao's injuries, you can't go in."
Mei Dai's laughter rang out: "I am King Zhao. Are you all blind? Don't you recognize me?"
Shen Yuexi then remembered that there was a girl named Mei Dai in the tent. She was so flustered by Xiao Zhuo's injury that she had forgotten about Mei Dai. When did she run away?
She quickly shouted to the outside of the tent, "Don't make things difficult for Sister Mei. Let her in."
The curtain was lifted, and Mei Dai came in with disheveled hair and a metal mask on. She held the mask in one hand and a horsewhip in the other, singing a song as she came to Xiao Zhuo and stopped.
"This face looks so familiar, is it my beloved concubine?"
Xiao Zhuo looked up at Mei Dai but did not respond.
"Master Mei's younger sister, Consort Mei Dai," Shen Yuexi had spoken to Xiao Zhuo before turning to Mei Dai and saying kindly, "Sister Mei, go play somewhere else first. Doctor Hua is treating my husband's injuries."
Mei Dai laughed heartily, holding the horse whip and saying, "Who are you to dare to order me around? I am the ruler of a country, ruling the world... Woohoo, where is my beloved concubine? Where is my beloved concubine?"
As she spoke the latter part, she suddenly turned from laughing to crying, as if she was thinking of something sad, and her voice was mournful.
"Sister Mei was so traumatized that she became like this," Shen Yuexi said to Xiao Zhuo, "She's gone crazy. Husband, don't worry about it."
Xiao Zhuo said, "I know."
"Ah!" Mei Dai suddenly screamed while crying. The pitch was so high that it hurt Shen Yuexi's eardrums.
"I recognized you," Mei Dai pointed at Xiao Zhuo with her whip, "You are the child of Empress Pei and a blacksmith... No, no... You are the child of a butcher... You are not the son of Emperor Yongde, you are a bastard."
Xiao Zhuo clenched his fists, his chest heaved violently, and his teeth chattered.
"Sister Mei, stop talking nonsense!" Shen Yuexi was so angry that she really wanted to go up and cover her mouth, but she was still assisting Doctor Hua.
"I said this myself. No... I'm not his biological father... I'm another father," Mei Dai said, babbling nonsense as she stood in front of Xiao Zhuo. "Is his father a blacksmith? Is his father a butcher? Is his father a whorehouse slave?"
Shen Yuexi was shocked. Mei Dai spoke incoherently and said something that was unclear whether it was true or not.
She said that this was said by Emperor Yongde himself. Is this true or false?
Xiao Kai was the only one who said that Xiao Zhuo was lying, and now even the virtuous concubine Mei Dai said so.
Xiao Zhuo's face turned pale. He reached out and tore the thread from the wound, grabbed the jade pendant on the table and threw it to the ground, smashing it to pieces. He then stood up and walked out of the tent.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com