Upon hearing this, Xu Di's face paled even more. He sighed and said, "I knew that imperial physician's skill in treating outer garments was lacking. Oh well, I guess I'm destined to suffer like this. Get me a towel to bite on."
Chen Zhaoci said, "No need, I'll use anesthetic powder on you. The wound is a bit deep, and it will be too painful for your body to bear."
Xu Di didn't insist any further. They had been eating and sleeping in the open along the way, even on horseback. They changed horses but not riders. No matter how good his health was or how young he was, he couldn't take it anymore.
Bai Wei had already gone to brew the medicine. After it cooled down, she quickly fed it to Xu Di, who soon fell into a deep sleep. Chen Zhaoci cleaned the wound several times with the medicine, then sprinkled on the wound medicine she had made herself before bandaging it up.
Chen Zhaoci didn't tell Xu Di, fearing that someone might exploit Xu Di's wounds. Xu Di had really caused a huge mess this time. From then on, Chen Zhaoci would carefully examine everything Xu Di put in his mouth and every medicine he used.
It was almost noon when the Marquis returned from the palace. He ate a quick meal and, without even taking a break, went to see Xu Di.
Xu Di had already woken up. His wound was in great pain, and his face was still very pale. When he saw the Marquis return, he quickly sat up.
The Marquis helped him sit up, sighed, and said, "Di-ge'er, you've really stirred up a hornet's nest this time. Even if His Majesty wants to clean up the mess, it will take a lot of effort."
Xu Di sneered twice and said, "Grandfather, they brought this upon themselves, so how can you blame me? I can't just stand by and watch my ancestors shed blood and sweat to build this empire, and they use it to appease foreign tribes. I don't want to see hardworking and honest people treated like ants. These people are the ones who create history, so why should they become their sacrifices? I refuse to accept this!"
Xu Di was too excited. After he finished speaking, he kept coughing. Every time he coughed, it aggravated his wound. Chen Zhaoci stood aside and watched helplessly as the bandage covering the wound was quickly soaked with blood, which tore the wound open again.
The Marquis quickly reassured him, "Alright, alright, don't get so agitated. Take care of your wound. This is your own body. Don't take it lightly just because you're young. Take good care of yourself after you're injured. Only when you're fully recovered can you continue to do things. Otherwise, if you're not in good health, they can remove you from your current position and send you home."
Bai Wei brought Xu Di a bowl of honey water. After drinking it, Xu Di was finally able to suppress the itching in his throat. He looked up in surprise and asked, "Who wants me to go home?"
Seeing that he had calmed down, the Marquis sighed slightly and said, "Who else? Isn't it just those old guys? They said that the princes' affairs were their family matters, and they should have handled them behind closed doors. But you, being so ignorant, brought it all out into the open, exposing the royal family's ugliness to the people of Liang."
Xu Di kept sneering and said, "Why don't they think about the fact that if these traitors succeed, their Xiao family's foundation will change hands. At that time, they will not only lose their royal position, but they may also lose their lives?"
The Marquis nodded and said, "That's what I said. After I said it, those old guys didn't say a word. His Majesty was also exhausted by this matter and said that His Majesty's will could not be changed. He ordered the First Prince and the Third Prince to be imprisoned in the Imperial Prison."
"Grandfather, do you think His Majesty will really cut off the Third Prince's head? If the Third Prince isn't completely suppressed this time, there might be more trouble in the future," Xu Di said to Marquis Yongning with some worry.
Marquis Yongning nodded and said, "This time His Majesty is truly determined. The First Prince is only somewhat involved, but the Third Prince is not. He is too deeply involved. According to the letters found in his residence, he has been in contact with that strategist for more than ten years. Many things were done under the strategist's instructions. Moreover, the Third Prince's wife also played a significant role this time. Some of the evidence was provided by her."
Upon hearing the name of the Third Prince's Consort, Xu Di asked in surprise, "Aren't they husband and wife? Why does the Third Prince's Consort need to provide evidence of the Third Prince's treason?"
Marquis Yongning shook his head and said, "I don't know about that. The Third Prince's Consort wrote a letter to His Majesty a long time ago, listing all the Third Prince's faults and providing His Majesty with some evidence, hoping that His Majesty would spare her daughter's life because of this evidence."
Xu Rao was surprised for a long time, and finally said, "The hearts of parents are full of love and concern for their children."
Xu Di sneered and said, "Parents' hearts are pitiful, but aren't those displaced people pitiful too? How many people did the Northern Barbarians kill in Hexi? How many people did the Jurchens kill in Liaodong? And Wuzhou, the Great Yan still occupies so much of our land. When they attacked, how many did they kill? These are all human lives. How many families have been destroyed and lost because of these wars? Aren't they pitiful?"
Xu Di's anger grew as he spoke, and Chen Zhaoci quickly stopped him: "Stop it now, don't you know you can't get too agitated? These are all things that can't be resolved right now. What good will it do you to be so anxious? What you need to do now is get your health back. If you're not healthy, who will you rely on to carry out your best ideas?"
Xu Di fell silent, head bowed, lost in thought. The room remained silent for a long time before Xu Rao asked, "Xu Di, how did you get into the palace? And how were you injured?"
Xu Di looked up at the Marquis, then at Xu Rao and Chen Zhaoci, and said, "The Third Prince's men moved first. His Majesty was prepared and made advance arrangements to capture them. Who knew that the First Prince would somehow gather a group of men and open the city gates in the middle of the night, surrounding the palace. Fu Erlang and I followed those men into the city. Later, Fu Erlang led his guards to rescue His Majesty, and I sneaked into the Imperial Study by myself. It was quite chaotic at the time. I took an arrow for His Majesty. Later, the First Prince was also captured by His Majesty. It's that simple."
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