◇ Chapter 35 (35) Idiots and Patients
Deep in the forest, no one could notice the hidden danger. Even a sensitive person like a lotus could only sense that someone seemed to be watching them. They looked around but could not find the target.
Could it be a small animal hiding somewhere?
Bai Kang had already cleared the ropes, fearing there might be more traps ahead, and was about to lead the horses through this stretch of road. Lian Zhi said, "Brother Kang, I'll go with you."
"You sit down." Bai Kang said in a deep voice.
What if there is a trap on the ground and the lotus branches are damaged?
Lianzhi rolled his eyes and was about to jump. Bo Kang subconsciously grabbed him and was about to speak when the rustling of leaves by the wind passed by his ears. Lianzhi raised his eyes and happened to meet the eyes of the figure in the dark.
"Don't hold me anymore." Bai Kang didn't move. Lian Zhi was anxious and pushed him, "Let go quickly!"
Before he finished speaking, arrows flew out like raindrops.
There's an assassin!
Lianzhi's pupils shrank slightly, but Bo Kang reacted faster than him, dodging to the side with the person in his arms. Screams and the sound of horse hooves could be heard from the direction of the camp, clearly they had also been attacked.
The heavy rain of arrows made returning to camp difficult. The hunting grounds were always heavily guarded, but today assassins had infiltrated, and there were more than one. Clearly, there was a mole within the Hunting Bureau, and the fact that they had chosen the day of the North Sea envoy's visit made their intentions clear.
Bai Kang gritted his teeth and made up his mind.
"Hold me tight!" He said this, drew his bow and shot towards the treetops, killing an assassin with a few arrows. Lianzhi looked at the bow in his hand with envy, and suddenly realized that this was a good opportunity.
A good opportunity to make Bo Kang trust him more.
As long as he said a few more words like "I will definitely stay by Brother Kang's side" and "I also want to protect Brother Kang", Bai Kang would definitely believe him. After all, Bai Kang was very good to him now.
Lianzhi stood up slightly and reached out, but before he could grab the bow, Bai Kang stepped in front of him, pinning him tightly in his arms and roaring, "What are you doing!"
Lianzhi was a little confused by his shouting, and her eyes subconsciously misted over. She had not expected Bai Kang to be so angry. However, Bai Kang seemed to ignore his tears, picked him up, and quickly mounted his horse.
Can't stay here any longer.
Lianzhi couldn't use an arrow and was timid, so she had to leave here quickly! Not caring about being exposed to the assassin's sight, Bai Kang spurred his horse and instantly broke through the encirclement at an astonishing speed. Finally, he heard the footsteps and shouts of the guards. Bai Kang tightened the reins and stopped, commanding, "Search the forest!"
The guards received the order and immediately rushed into the forest. The guards who stayed behind quickly took the reins and led them away. Several of them were still covered in blood, obviously having just dealt with the assassins in the camp.
Only after making sure it was safe did Bai Kang let go of his strength.
His shoulder ached so much that he looked down and saw that Lianzhi couldn't stop crying. Thinking of Lianzhi's unsteady movements just now, he felt a surge of fear in his heart and growled, "Why did you move so much just now?"
Lianzhi was still crying. She didn't answer him, but touched his shoulder, the spot where he was in unbearable pain. Lianzhi wiped her eyes and said, "Brother Kang, you've been shot by an arrow."
Only then did Bai Kang realize it and touched his shoulder.
As he expected, he was shot, twice, in the shoulder and arm, but not in the vitals.
This way, he could at least clear himself of suspicion. While in the forest, he had intended to wait for the guards to search the area, then play along and pretend to be shot by an arrow. If the lotus branches hadn't moved, he wouldn't have rushed out like that.
"You still know how to cry?" He pinched Lianzhi's face hard, swallowing the bloody smell rising in his throat, "Aren't you afraid that these two arrows will hit you!"
If it was Lianzhi who was injured... he didn't dare to think about it.
After saying this, he looked at the intact lotus branch, feeling a bit proud: the lotus branch was intact and not injured, it was thanks to his good protection.
"I was wrong. I'm sorry." This time, Lianzhi admitted her mistake and said with her head down, "I just wanted to help you. I didn't mean it."
Afraid that Bai Kang wouldn't believe her, Lian Zhi added, "I can use arrows. I really don't want to cause you any trouble...Brother Kang! Bai Kang!"
He looked at the suddenly collapsed Bo Kang with some panic. He held him up, but only felt blood on his hands. Without caring about anything else, Lianzhi shouted to the guards behind him, "Come and help!"
When Bai Kang woke up, they had already returned to the camp. The imperial physician came to tend to his wounds. He had lost so much blood that his face was still pale. Fortunately, he was not seriously injured, though he still felt a little dizzy.
The arrow had sunk several inches beneath the skin, and when it was pulled out, it brought out blood and flesh, and the inner garment was soaked red, which was painful to look at. Bai Kang was already fully awake, but he only frowned slightly and endured it with all his might.
After the wound was bandaged, Bai Kang sent the doctor away and looked at Lianzhi again. He took a deep breath and asked in a weak voice, "Just a little?"
He was questioning Lianzhi about what she had just said.
Lianzhi didn't expect that he had remembered this sentence. She pursed her lips and hesitated for a moment, then picked up the bow and shot an arrow at the target near the carriage, which only slightly missed the center of the bull's eye.
"I'm not hiding my weakness this time. Believe me. I really want to help you." Lianzhi lowered her head, looking aggrieved. Bo Kang raised an eyebrow, unsure whether to believe it or not. The envoys from the North Sea were not seriously injured, but the elderly, weak, and sick from the Ministry of Rites were nearly all dead. The Hunting Bureau had already rushed over and reported the incident.
The Privy Councilor couldn't escape responsibility for the fate of a good hunting expedition. This matter wasn't Bo Kang's concern. His arrowhead and arm were bandaged, so he couldn't ride a horse anymore and rode in the carriage with Lianzhi.
Chang Yuzhu, who was also injured, sat across from them. Looking at Bai Kang, who was half wrapped up, he joked, "Bai Kang, the last time you were injured this badly was when you were punished by the late emperor, right?"
Hearing this, Lianzhi's eyes rolled and her ears perked up.
"It's not that serious." Bo Kang waved his hand and changed the subject. Lianzhi listened carefully and found that they were talking about Chang Yuzhu's family affairs.
I don't know if she really suddenly wanted to talk about family matters, or if she was on guard against him.
Bai Kang was seriously injured and could only take three days off to recuperate. However, the Ministry of Rites was busy, and Minister Du was also injured, so he couldn't be absent. He made some excuse, but the Emperor granted his leave. This led to even more discussion about Bai Kang within the court.
The most popular speculation is whether His Majesty suppressed Bo Kang and whether the assassination in the hunting ground was related to the Ministry of Rites.
Bai Kang, at the center of public opinion, ignored the outside world's voices. Lianzhi, feeling guilty about his injury, said she would take care of him—not with ulterior motives or a deliberate attempt to disrupt his care, as she had done before, but with a genuine commitment to changing his dressings. Bai Kang's injury happened to be in his right arm, making his movements extremely difficult. He could use his left hand, but not as well as his right, and had to rely on assistance.
What's more, Lianzhi's guilty look is so cute.
Arrow wounds are difficult to heal, especially when the feathers are barbed, which can cause further tearing. Despite prompt treatment and Bo Kang's resilience, he remained active and energetic all day, but by the evening, a fever had set in. He couldn't lie down, as it would put pressure on the wound, so Lianzhi stayed by his side, waiting every two hours to change the dressing.
By the time the dressing was changed, his outer garment was soaked with blood and stuck to his body, making it difficult to remove. Lianzhi had to work hard to tear off his inner garment.
Bo Kang deliberately hissed. Noticing that Lian Zhi's movements had slowed down, he asked, "Are you scared?"
Lianzhi didn't say anything.
He admitted that he was reckless, but he was sure that he would not be exposed at that time. If Bo Kang had not stopped him, he would have gotten the bow long ago.
Even if he had his own selfish motives, he wanted to help Bo Kang, and he was right!
Looking at his expression, Bo Kang knew what he was thinking and sighed. He had been thinking about how serious his injuries were, hoping to teach Lianzhi a lesson and stop being so reckless. Now, it seemed like forget it.
"Let me do it, you go to sleep." Bai Kang took the medicine from his hand. The moment their hands touched, Lianzhi realized that his hand was terribly hot.
Sure enough, within a few minutes, Bai Kang developed a high fever.
It was already late at night when Lianzhi finished changing his medicine. She couldn't hold on any longer and fell asleep. She was originally lying on the edge of the bed, but when she woke up, she found herself lying on the bed.
He looked at Bo Kang beside him with mixed feelings.
Perhaps it was his gaze that was too scorching, and Bai Kang woke up. Before he could say anything, he heard Lian Zhi say, "Bai Kang, don't you blame me for getting you hurt?"
The situation was critical yesterday. Why did Bo Kang try to stop him even though he was obviously afraid that he would be exposed?
Why didn't they just leave him alone? Didn't Bo Kang suspect he was a spy? Why did they save him?
Not knowing what he was thinking, Bai Kang chuckled, his voice a little hoarse: "I'll be thankful if you don't bother me." After that, he pinched his face again: "Be more careful next time. Ask Qinghe to prepare hot water and breakfast, and ask someone to come in to help me prepare medicine. Whatever you want to eat, go to the kitchen..."
"I'll do it!" Lianzhi said with a firm look.
He couldn't explain how he felt, but in the end he attributed it to the fact that Bai Kang was injured because of him, and he always felt a little guilty.
After instructing Qinghe to bring breakfast, Lianzhi helped Bai Kang change his clothes and dressings. He took the water brought by the servant and walked slowly to the bedside, which made Bai Kang a little worried.
It was obvious that Lianzhi really wanted to help him, but she was clumsy, and her movements when wiping him were particularly awkward. After wiping him the first time, Lianzhi got out of bed to wash the towel, but perhaps in her haste, she didn't notice and stepped into the basin.
There was a loud bang and Bai Kang got up from the bed. He found Lianzhi sitting on the ground, the basin was overturned and water was spilled all over the floor.
"I'm sorry." Lianzhi was soaked and said pitifully, "I really didn't mean it."
Bai Kang sighed, picked up the person with one hand and put him on the bed, then used his good left hand to wring out the towel and wipe Lianzhi's hands clean.
"Help me apply the medicine first." He wiped the water droplets off Lianzhi's face, his expression calm. If you ignore the red face due to the fever, it looks almost the same as usual. "I'll have someone clean up and change your clothes. You don't have to do anything. Don't move around anymore, understand?"
Lianzhi knew she was in the wrong and nodded obediently.
Seeing his exceptionally well-behaved appearance, Bai Kang felt soft-hearted and smiled casually: "You don't have to feel sorry. No one can say for sure about injuries, and it has nothing to do with you. Am I fine? I didn't say anything, but you are upset."
Bai Kang went to the door and told the servant to go in and clean up the mess. Without Lianzhi to make things worse, the work progress of everyone in the courtyard suddenly accelerated.
After a while, breakfast was served.
Bai Kang was injured and couldn't eat hairy foods, so he only had barley porridge and choy sum prepared. Lianzhi didn't like these, and he wasn't one to let himself be wronged. He rushed before Qinghe, grabbed the spoon and said, "Brother Kang, let me do it."
"Take good care of yourself." Bai Kang's eyes were full of suspicion.
"You want me to make amends," Lianzhi said. When Bai Kang didn't answer, he quickly scooped up some porridge with a spoon, blew on it, and handed it to Bai Kang's lips.
As if to say, he can do good things too.
Bai Kang then took a sip with a half-believing attitude. Somehow, it reminded Lianzhi of the days when he fed cats in the palace. Although Bai Kang had nothing to do with cats, the cats were usually fed by palace servants, and he just had to play with them from the side.
Now that I think about it, teasing people is the same as teasing cats.
He scooped a second spoonful and continued to feed. Bai Kang ate quickly, opening his mouth as he did, and the two of them clung to each other, as if they had reached a tacit understanding.
Until Lianzhi moved too quickly and dropped a spoonful of porridge on her wrist. Her white and delicate wrist immediately turned red, and the burn made Lianzhi's wrist tremble.
"Lianzhi!" Bai Kang finally became anxious - he was anxious because he was afraid that Lianzhi would be careless and burn himself.
He was beginning to suspect that Lianzhi was doing it on purpose, wanting to use her brilliantly stupid plan to piss off the now weak him to death.
After applying the burn ointment on Lianzhi, Bai Kang was no longer in the mood to drink the porridge, so he asked Qinghe to take the porridge away.
"This is my first time serving someone else." Lianzhi shrank her neck and whispered, "I didn't mean it, Brother Kang, don't be angry."
never mind.
Hearing these words, all the anger in Bai Kang's heart disappeared.
"Warm a cup of milk and bring it to Madam." Bai Kang turned to Qinghe and said.
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