Chapter 73: The Startled Horse
My cousin did not answer.
The young man stood across a wooden table, gazing at Qi Chengming from afar. He said nothing, but his gentle gaze contained everything.
"Brother Shou—" Tian Niang wanted to say something, but in the end she just called out again in a flustered manner, as if making an accusation.
Qi Chengming suddenly understood. He pulled the drunken and swaying Song Gu to his feet and came up with a lame excuse: "Let's go outside for some fresh air."
Xiao Chengzi, ever the quick-witted one, jumped up, and the group hurriedly left, leaving only his cousin and his wife at the table to talk.
It was already dark, but the streets were still bustling with people, and a cold wind was blowing.
"Your Highness, let the imperial physician take your pulse." Xiao Chengzi said in a low voice, not daring to be careless, and called the doctor who was waiting in the shop next door to come out. This imperial physician had been treated to good food and drink for half a day and did not feel tired of waiting. He carefully extended his hand.
Qi Chengming awkwardly extended his hand, not resisting. His own people knew his situation; he'd been through so much lately, and when he returned from Hezhou, he was soaking wet and already feeling unwell. This indulgence tonight meant he'd probably be sick tomorrow morning.
"It's nothing serious, but you shouldn't eat spicy food or be exposed to cold winds for the next two days to prevent catching a cold." The physician pondered for a moment and then gave his conclusion. "You should drink a bowl of ginger soup tonight to dispel the cold."
Xiao Chengzi nodded seriously and listened.
The physician withdrew his hand, his expression softening slightly, and said meaningfully, "Fortunately, His Highness's body has recovered quickly from its depletion over the past few months, so it's not a big deal anymore. But try not to eat spicy food, overwork yourself, drink alcohol, or be exposed to cold winds after catching a cold... otherwise even the healthiest young man can't withstand it."
As he spoke slowly, Xiao Chengzi grew anxious and hurriedly called over the palace servants following behind to bring over the outer robe and hand warmer, and quickly draped them over His Highness.
Cold wind... they're feeling the cold wind right now!
Qi Chengming tried his best to keep a straight face as he listened.
Is it true that young people should refrain from indulging occasionally? This time, he just accidentally went too far.
cough.
The group waited at the door. The sluggish Song Gu stood unsteadily, and Qi Chengming turned to him with concern, draping one of his coats over him. The head steward was quite drunk, as he obediently thanked him without showing any surprise, fear, or excitement at having his clothes on.
"Your Highness, will Young Master Wang really go?" While waiting, Xiao Chengzi, increasingly impatient, noticed everyone else had retreated to a safe distance, except for Steward Song, who stood obediently, seemingly drunk and unable to understand. So, he asked out of curiosity, unabashedly.
"Young Master Zhong is still so young."
"He'll probably go," Qi Chengming said, his tone uncertain, but he was somewhat certain in his heart.
Yang Zhong is too young. Normally, he should wait until Wang Shou has raised his son to a few years old before he can confidently return to the battlefield. But his cousin won't be so patient.
The battle is urgent, and our responsibilities are urgent.
I haven't seen Wang Shuo's younger cousin... Judging by his age, he probably didn't see his father and brothers much growing up, and was likely raised by women and children in the household from a young age.
I wonder how my cousin, who has revealed his feelings, will convince his wife.
Qi Chengming thought to himself.
A short while later, the young couple emerged from the shop, both having regained their composure, except for Yang Tianniang, whose eyes were red and whose head was bowed. Wang Shou gave Qi Chengming a somewhat complicated smile, seemingly having persuaded—or rather, appeased—his wife.
"Let's go back." Qi Chengming shook his head, still displaying a tolerant expression. Silently supporting his cousin and not putting any more pressure on him was the only thing he, as the younger cousin, could do.
Although Qi Chengming was also very worried.
His cousin didn't even appear in the original storyline. Who knows if he'll die on the battlefield instead of fighting his way to the top? Without even a plot guarantee, Qi Chengming was really uneasy.
Sigh, this is worrying. I wish the mall sold life-saving items.
At that moment, Qi Chengming was deep in thought when he heard panicked screams and shouts from a crowd in the distance, along with a gust of cold wind.
Qi Chengming's pupils widened slightly: "...!"
Not far away on the road, a horse had fallen, its body tilting and losing its balance, plunging onto the side of the road where unsuspecting pedestrians were. Even more unfortunate was the person riding the horse, a panicked rich boy, who was falling headfirst. At that angle, he would be seriously injured, if not killed!
Wang Shou's expression instantly turned serious, and a fierce glint flashed in his eyes.
He strode over, his speed so fast it created a gust of cold wind, heading straight for the out-of-control horse. With one hand outstretched, he caught the tumbling boy, while his other hand instinctively reached for the horse's neck. The young man gritted his teeth; Wang Shou intended to use himself to brace the collapsing horse—
The horse was too heavy; even though it looked like a small pony, it probably weighed as much as two or three adults. He could only buy him a moment's time! At least enough time to give the pedestrians who were about to be hit some time to escape... And this boy too, as long as he managed to stop him from falling headfirst, he wouldn't have time!
In that split second, Wang Shou had already slightly curled up his body, preparing himself for injury.
His mind went blank; he didn't really have any concept of the injuries he had sustained from being hit by the horse.
Qi Chengming broke out in a cold sweat: "...!!"
He had visited a zoo in modern times and seen several intelligent horses, which made him very fond of horses. He had always wanted to learn to ride a horse since his journey through ancient times. Although he hasn't yet acquired a real horse, he has mastered the basics of riding.
The horse he used for practice on the road was one of these short-legged ponies, clearly designed for beginners.
Qi Chengming had asked at the time how much such a horse would weigh. Old Hua gave him a figure. Qi Chengming estimated that, converted to modern units of measurement… it would weigh about four hundred jin!
It didn't look particularly heavy, but I didn't expect it to be so heavy.
Qi Chengming was astonished and immediately memorized the number.
'Four hundred catties...four hundred catties!' Now, recalling this number, and looking at the people who were stunned by the roadside, and at the young man who had resolutely rushed over and was determined to block the passers-by, Qi Chengming was about to be terrified.
In modern times, 400 pounds could probably cause serious injury, and that would still be an emergency measure. In ancient times, it would be 100% fatal!
Cousin!!
This one second felt both incredibly fast and incredibly long.
Normally, Qi Chengming wouldn't even have been able to react in time, but this time, he felt his mind was racing, and he had never been so clear-headed and quick-witted.
The infrastructure system and Qi Chengming were deeply intertwined. Accessing the system warehouse took no time, and retrieving the two previously purchased pills also took no time. The pills melted instantly in his mouth. Qi Chengming's unwavering action of rushing forward almost coincided with the panicked shouts of those around him—
"Brother Shou!!" "Young Master Wang!" "Heavens! Your Highness—!"
Taishan Tuoding Pill and Fengchi Dianche Pill have been successfully used!
In an instant, Qi Chengming appeared in front of the horse from back to front. It was his first time using the medicine provided by the system store, and he was still not used to his sudden increase in speed and strength. The moment he supported the horse, he was stunned for a moment by the slightly heavy feeling in his hands.
"Cousin!!" This time, Wang Shou's expression turned terrifying and distorted.
His face was ashen, as if he had witnessed something utterly devastating, and he was so terrified that he lost his voice.
The next second, Qi Chengming used the momentum of his running to fly diagonally forward, as if he was running too fast and couldn't stop. As the horse fell down in a sorry state, he also successfully knocked his cousin and passers-by flying.
"Ouch!" "That hurts!" A chorus of cries erupted from the roadside as everyone tumbled to the ground. The horse fell heavily to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust, and coughs echoed throughout the area.
Qi Chengming also tumbled heavily alongside his cousin, gasping for breath as they fell. While walking on the new concrete surface made things much easier, the pain of falling was doubled!
"hiss……"
"Cousin! Cousin, how are you?" Wang Shou was in a terrible shock, his blood churning from the fall, and his old injuries hadn't healed yet; he almost choked. But he couldn't care less about himself; as soon as he caught his breath, he hurriedly looked up to check on Qi Chengming's condition.
"Your Highness! How are you?!" The palace servants, terrified, rushed over to check on him. Song Gu was completely sobered up by the fright. People can always unleash their potential under extreme circumstances, and Song Gu had run quite fast, which made him cry again.
Xiao Chengzi's face turned deathly pale. It was hard to tell whether his expression or that of the terrified Tian Niang, whose legs were trembling with fear, was more frightened: "Your Highness, are you hurt?" "Shou-ge—!"
"I'm fine, just a minor scratch." Qi Chengming waved his hand, signaling the royal physician, who had snapped out of his daze and was rushing over in a disheveled state, to quickly examine the young master who had fallen off his horse.
His cousin's intervention averted a tragedy where he would have landed headfirst, but he is now unconscious on the ground, and it's unclear whether his condition has improved.
In addition, the other pedestrians who were knocked away by him will all suffer some injuries, as long as they are not run over by the horse.
The scene immediately descended into chaos.
Qi Chengming comforted the palace servants, Wang Shou comforted his wife, and the soldiers who rushed over after hearing the commotion maintained order. The noise filled the roadside.
The imperial physicians were suddenly reduced to making house calls on the street.
Several people were bleeding from their heads, and under Qi Chengming's stern command, they were naturally the first to be treated.
While waiting, Qi Chengming and his cousin were helped into the shop and sat down on chairs. The manager of Baijia Restaurant did not dare to be careless and served each of them a bowl of sweet soup to calm them down.
Qi Chengming looked at the young man who had been silent since earlier, feeling somewhat uneasy.
His acting skills are really at the level of an ordinary person. Just now, in a moment of desperation, he used the system's medicine to save people. His quick reaction and great strength can be explained by the burst of energy in a moment of desperation. Did he not see through the flaw?
And...cousin's silence...could it be that he's caught up in guilt and lingering fear?
Because he rushed over to save people or something.
In his cousin's opinion, what other reason could there be for a prince to rush over without regard for his image? (Of course, Qi Chengming would have saved those bystanders too.)
Qi Chengming is most unable to handle this kind of thing; the tender emotions of those close to him make him feel more guilty than the strongest silk net.
"Cousin..."
As expected, Wang Shou finally sighed, his expression complex, his tone exceptionally heavy, "You..."
He hesitated, glancing at Qi Chengming's bleeding hand and the other hand that had been in contact with the horse, but ultimately said nothing: "...Never mind."
Qi Chengming: "?"
Stop calculating! Don't leave things unfinished, cousin! It'll make my stomach feel so heavy I can't sleep!
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Author's Note: Wang Shou discovered his cousin's little secret hhhhh, his feelings are mixed.
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