Chapter 54 Chapter 54 [VIP]
The ship did not stop at a large city, but instead stopped urgently next to a small village.
There is danger everywhere in the darkness.
The air in the forest is filled with a strong smell of blood.
Although we had left the ferry for a long time, the stench of blood had not yet faded.
Before escaping from the ship, the last thing Yuan Mu did was to throw the torch he found outside at the pirates who were fighting with the officers and soldiers.
She didn't know if that weak move would help, but she did it anyway.
Yuan Mu's power was too weak, she could only do what she could.
She lowered her eyes and shed tears, her eyes were red.
Yuan Wei was breathing out more than he was breathing in. His waist was bent into a strange arc and his face was as pale as gold paper.
"Don't cry," he whispered. "No one is catching up."
Yuan Wei had never been so embarrassed in his life.
Yuan Mu seemed to be completely unaware that he was a seriously injured and dying person.
Yuan Wei hadn't seen Yuan Mu for a long time, and he only knew a few fragments about Yuan Mu.
To be honest, even with such rich experience, he still couldn't figure out why Yuan Mu, a favorite concubine, would appear on the ship to Fengzhou?
When Yuan Mu heard Yuan Wei's words, he looked down and saw that his hands covering his abdomen were covered in blood. Only then did he realize why the blood energy was still lingering around.
When the emperor was in trouble, she specifically asked the military doctor beside him to learn how to bandage the wound.
Yuan Mu had medicine with her. She pulled Yuan Wei to sit down, then used a short knife to cut out some clean cloth and, following the method she remembered, she bandaged Yuan Wei simply.
She lowered her eyes, looking serious.
Yuan Wei looked calm, but in fact his back was already soaked with cold sweat.
His knuckles dug into the ground, digging through the soil, burying it so deep that his little finger was almost completely inserted into the ground.
"Be gentle..." Yuan Wei said through gritted teeth, "Do you want your father to die?"
He pretended to be relaxed, and raised his eyebrows.
Yuan Mu didn't look up at Yuan Wei. She was already irritable and nervous, and when she heard him still nitpicking, she kicked him again.
She said coldly: "Then you will die here."
Yuan Mu's words were very useful. After she finished speaking, Yuan Wei didn't dare to say another word.
The night was very cold, but the moment she tied the soft cloth, sweat still slid down her chin.
Yuan Mu's face was tense. She leaned weakly against the tree beside her, her long eyelashes closed with fatigue.
She simply sprinkled medicine on Yuan Wei's waist and abdomen, and the overly sharp pain was slightly reduced. He immediately stood up with the support of his hands.
"Wake up," he pulled her up, "You can't sleep now."
Yuan Mu couldn't stand up, and it was only then that Yuan Wei noticed that her legs were covered in blood.
She fell and bruised her knee badly.
Just now on the boat, Yuan Mu bandaged herself, and Yuan Wei thought she was fine. But when he saw that the hem of her skirt was dyed blood red, he was still shocked for a moment.
He half-knelt on the ground and patted her face: "Wake up, Yuan Mu."
Yuan Mu didn't want to go to bed because she was tired or sleepy, but because she had lost too much blood.
After the tension just now passed, she immediately couldn't hold on any longer.
Yuan Wei had been to the battlefield and experienced the war. He had suffered a lot in those years.
But the most important thing is that he is in very good health. Even if he is tortured to death, he can always get his life back from prison.
But Yuan Mu can't do that.
Her health is very poor and she cannot withstand the wind and rain or the damage.
Yuan Wei hurriedly took out the medicine and dagger that Yuan Mu had used, and then carefully bandaged her wound to stop the bleeding.
Her consciousness was very hazy and her knuckles hung limply.
Yuan Wei really couldn't understand Yuan Mu.
He is not her benefactor or a good person who is worthy of her saving.
To put it bluntly, the two of them were a father and daughter with a deep hatred for each other. Yuan Mu should have felt happy and joyful to see Yuan Wei die.
Not doing anything insulting to his corpse was a manifestation of her excellent self-cultivation.
Yuan Mu was in a daze. After he treated her injuries, her consciousness was still very confused.
She couldn't walk, so Yuan Wei had to pick her up first.
Yuan Mu is an adult woman after all. No matter how light she is, it is not easy for him to hold her while he is injured.
Fortunately, this place is very close to the houses in the village.
There was a sudden commotion on the ship just now, and some people were running towards this side.
When Yuan Wei saw a house with lights on, he took Yuan Mu directly there.
She is too weak and will easily have a fever at night if this continues.
Yuan Wei had heard some rumors that the imperial concubine was often ill.
He didn't know how Yuan Mu could have gotten her body into this state even though the emperor loved her so much.
However, this stall is no longer useful.
I opened the door of a village and someone answered it soon. The other person had a typical Han Chinese appearance.
He breathed a sigh of relief, and countless Hu people gathered there.
If the other party only speaks Khitan, he can make it work.
"Uncle, I'm so sorry to bother you," Yuan Wei said softly. "I'm an official sent to Fengzhou to fight bandits. While sailing, my boat was robbed by bandits, and my daughter was seriously injured. I'm wondering if you could offer me a place to stay for one night?"
He took out a token, with a smile on his face, looking like a low-ranking official who was ordered to suppress rebellion.
Yuan Wei had served as a high-ranking official and had also risked his life in times of crisis.
But after all, it had been too long since he had dealt with people at the lower level.
When Yuan Wei saw the old man who was over sixty years old staring at Yuan Mu's face, he felt a strong sense of nausea.
"Of course I can..." the man said slowly, "But I already have a couple living in my house..."
Yuan Wei said calmly, "It's okay. It's enough for uncle to take us in and stay in the woodshed for one night."
After saying that, he handed half a silver coin to the old man.
The old man, who was originally hesitant, suddenly changed his expression and opened the door generously: "No, no, my eldest son and youngest son have joined the army, and there is still a room at home."
After Yuan Wei thanked him, he walked into the small courtyard.
There was a big dog in the middle of the yard. When they came in, it barked loudly.
The barking of dogs was very harsh.
Yuan Wei calmly withdrew his gaze. He had such a murderous aura that even animals didn't dare to approach him.
The old man was very puzzled as to why his dog was like this.
The couple resting in the room were also surprised and leaned out to see.
The dog barked so loudly that the old man had no choice but to chase it outside, beating it and scolding it: "You are a guest in our house, why are you barking?"
There was also an old woman and a very young girl in the house.
The girl was timid and no one knew whether she was their granddaughter or someone else.
The old woman brought the little girl over, and the wrinkles on her face were bent with smiles.
"Please come this way, distinguished guest," she said, leading Yuan Wei into the empty room. "I have just boiled some hot water and will bring it to you shortly."
Living next to them was a couple.
The two of them were dressed quite luxuriously, not like ordinary people.
But they were all very young and had a silly air. Perhaps they had been separated from their servants. When they saw Yuan Wei coming, they raised their voices and asked, "Come here and help us get some hot water into the wooden barrel. This old woman can't do it."
This domineering attitude made Yuan Wei want to laugh.
"No," he refused flatly, "My daughter is injured and I have to take care of her."
The husband frowned and whispered, "It's not like we won't pay you."
But when he lowered his head and followed his wife's gaze to look at the person Yuan Wei was holding, his eyes suddenly widened.
The lights in the house were not very bright.
Even so, Yuan Mu's overly beautiful face was too eye-catching.
Yuan Wei felt even more nauseous.
He didn't even look at the stupid couple and directly brought Yuan Mu into the simple living room.
Her forehead felt slightly hot, a sign of a fever.
The countryside is different from the palace. There are no medical officers at your service, and sometimes a sudden cold can be fatal.
Yuan Wei was a person who valued his life very much, especially since he had just survived two quarters of an hour ago.
He got some hot water, bandaged Yuan Mu's wound again, and then put the soaked soft cloth on her forehead.
Yuan Mu has a stunning beauty.
A fortune teller who had known about fortune telling had said long ago that she would bring disaster upon herself sooner or later.
Apart from anything else, this face alone would bring her endless troubles.
Yuan Wei knew about this.
But it was not until tonight that he realized how much unnecessary danger Yuan Mu's stunning appearance could bring her.
He blocked the door tightly, but left the window half open and tore most of the window paper.
Taking advantage of the dead of night, Yuan Wei took out a short stick of gunpowder from his sleeve and fired a flaring flare into the dark night sky.
The sound of the sound breaking through the air was not overly loud, and after the yellow dog outside the yard started barking wildly, no one paid any attention to the sound.
Yuan Wei heard the couple in the next room cursing loudly.
He ignored it and placed the things Yuan Mu brought under the moonlight, looking at them one by one.
Pass, certificate, medicine bottle, property, dagger.
The credentials and pass are fake.
There was something wrong with the dagger, it was too sharp. I wonder if she brought it from the palace.
When he turned over Xi Rongjing's token, Yuan Wei's expression really changed.
His thoughts turned very quickly, and he subconsciously thought that Yuan Mu might have followed Xi Rongjing and secretly left the palace.
When he thought of Xi Rongjing being dismissed by the emperor, his expression became even gloomier.
What on earth had happened? Why was Yuan Mu so desperate to get rid of the emperor?
Yuan Wei pursed his lips. When his eldest brother was still alive, his family wanted him to join the army. He lived a life of luxury for many years, but his strong body remained unchanged.
He didn't close his eyes all night and stayed by Yuan Mu's side.
The old man's eyes were too dirty, and Yuan Wei was afraid that something might happen at night.
Late in the night, the door of the house was opened again and the old man went out to pick up the person.
Yuan Wei listened attentively and heard a faint "Dad".
He suddenly realized that something was wrong. Didn't the old man say that his eldest and youngest sons had joined the army?
Yuan Wei opened the door slightly and leaned out with a knife in hand.
"Dad, there were government officials on that boat..." a sturdy man said in a trembling voice, "We saw the rich people and thought it was a merchant ship, but we didn't expect it to be a government ship. Many of our brothers died..."
The thin man next to him also said: "Dad, they are from the capital, we, we may..."
Before he could finish his words, the old man was so frightened that he sat on the ground.
"There's one living in our house right now," he said fearfully. "He says he's an official going to Fengzhou to fight the bandits, and he's bringing a daughter with him."
The old man's voice trembled: "That girl is very pretty. I want to take her back to you as your wife."
The strong man and the thin man were originally frightened, but when they heard that there was a beautiful girl, their expressions suddenly changed.
The two looked at each other and asked in unison: "Dad, which room do they live in?"
It's really a chain of business.
The pirates would first force the boat to stop, then burn, kill and loot. If anyone escaped, they would be taken in by the villagers and then slaughtered.
Yuan Wei had witnessed the filth and chaos of the border.
But at this moment, he instantly felt the urge to kill.
Yuan Wei finally looked back at the sleeping Yuan Mu, changed the soft cloth on her forehead, closed the door tightly, and walked directly into the courtyard with a knife in hand.
The whole night was spent in chaos.
Yuan Mu developed a fever during the trip, but fortunately it wasn't too severe and subsided by dawn.
She had no strength left in her body.
The scar on my knee was covered with blood, but it still caused sharp pain even in my dreams.
Yuan Mu dreamed of Zhang Qin one moment, Gao Shen the next, and Xi Rongjing the next.
The nightmare is bizarre.
Finally she calmed down and when she looked up, she met the sad eyes of Helan Zhen, who was covered in blood.
Yuan Mu suddenly woke up from his dream.
It was already bright outside, the window paper seemed to be torn, and the scorching midday sun shone in.
Yuan Mu looked around the completely unfamiliar house, feeling as if he had drunk too much and was blacking out.
Her last memory was of helping Yuan Wei bandage his wounds in the woods with some difficulty.
The rest of her memory seemed to be blank, or maybe she fainted after that.
Yuan Mu lifted the quilt and wanted to get off the bed. As soon as her feet touched the ground, she hissed.
My legs hurt. Did I fall so hard yesterday?
She rubbed her legs and limped to her feet.
But just as Yuan Mu stood up, Yuan Wei came back.
When she saw him alive, she looked as if she had seen a ghost.
Yuan Wei came over with the bowl and chopsticks and said calmly, "Don't be picky. There's nothing else for you to eat here."
His abdominal wound hadn't healed yet, so no matter how you looked at it, he must be in a worse state than her.
Yuan Mu really didn't know how he looked so calm.
Could it be that his experience of being expelled from Jingzhao during the previous war allowed him to remain so calm in the face of such things?
Her stomach was empty and she had no time to pay attention to Yuan Wei.
Yuan Mu took the bowl and chopsticks and finished the meal in no time.
Only after she finished her meal did she feel a little more energetic.
Yuan Mu raised his eyes to look at Yuan Wei and asked hesitantly, "Why are you on that ship? What happened?"
Yuan Wei always felt that Yuan Mu was at least aware of the details, even if she didn't participate in the emperor's treatment of the Yuan family. But looking at her confused look, she was probably clueless.
She was so innocent and simple, how did she survive the war alone?
This question touched Yuan Wei's sore spot.
But now that things have come to this, the two of them are in the same boat, and there is no point in hiding things from her.
Yuan Wei briefly explained the whole story and then told her about recent events.
"Your husband has always wanted to kill me, but he was hesitant to do anything, fearing it would tarnish your reputation," he whispered. "So he ordered me to persuade the enemy to surrender. In short, he sent me to my death."
This position has a nice name, called Xuanweishi.
It is necessary to penetrate deep into the enemy camp, then publicize the righteousness of the court and order the other side to surrender.
Throughout history, this has been an extremely dangerous position, especially during war, when people often try to persuade political enemies to surrender in order to eliminate dissidents.
Out of ten people who go there, nine of them will be killed directly as sacrifices.
Yuan Wei's reputation was so bad that it could only be saved by death.
This time when the official ship got into trouble, the inner court would do everything in its power to put the blame on the Rouran.
The emperor originally wanted Yuan Wei to die.
The ship's guards were lax and the people accompanying them were of low rank, so they were unable to withstand the skilled pirates they encountered.
Yuan Mu's luck was incredible, he happened to be able to choose such a ship.
After finishing speaking, Yuan Wei looked at Yuan Mu and asked in a low voice: "I'm done. What about you? How did you get here?"
The two of them traveled together on the boat for many days, and there was always someone following him, so it was not the case that Yuan Mu had never seen him.
Yuan Wei looked at her belongings and guessed that she must have disguised herself.
After listening to Yuan Wei's words, Yuan Mu was still a little stunned.
She briefly told him what had happened and then said nothing more.
"You are truly a sentimental person," Yuan Wei said softly, "but honestly, if it was Xi Rongjing who did it, the King of Chu would have no chance of survival no matter how lucky he was."
His expression was calm.
Perhaps it was because half of Yuan Wei's face was covered, or perhaps it was because Yuan Mu had gradually accepted the fact.
She was not too angry, but she felt indescribably sad.
"Where do you want to go next?" Yuan Wei asked, pursing his lips. "Do you want to go back to Jingzhao, or where else do you want to go?"
"The Emperor didn't mean anything. Now that your misunderstanding is resolved, it's fine to go back," he said with a sidelong glance. "He's quite cold-blooded, but he probably has true feelings for you."
It is very rare to hear such words from Yuan Wei's dog mouth.
Yuan Mu shook her head and lowered her eyes.
"I don't know," she said softly, "I'll think about it."
Yuan Mu's expression revealed fatigue and weariness.
She was like someone who had walked in the desert for too long and was too tired to think any more.
When that last hope was extinguished, even though she had reached the oasis, she could not muster the energy to do anything.
At noon, the sun is scorching.
Early summer is approaching.
But Yuan Mu's face showed the kind of depression and boredom that only an old person who has lost hope in the world would have.
In fact, she has been like this since she was very young and has very little interest in living.
Live as you live, die as you die.
Yuan Mu and Yuan Wei are completely different people. Even when he was beaten half to death, Yuan Wei never gave up hope of survival.
He is despicable, treacherous, and evil, but bad people like him will be infamous for eternity.
"How old are you, and you're already like this?" Yuan Wei said through gritted teeth. "You're a descendant of the Xianbei imperial family, and you have the blood of the people!"
He is a really energetic person. Even though he has fallen to this point, he is still preparing to make a comeback.
Yuan Mu is now being tracked down by the emperor's secret guards.
But she dared to guarantee that the emperor must want to catch Yuan Wei now, and he might even want to find Yuan Wei and skin him alive.
"You have blood, you had your eyes gouged out and your fingers cut off," Yuan Mu said in a gloomy mood, "and now you are like a wanted criminal."
Whenever she spoke to Yuan Wei, she found it difficult to restrain her urge to be sarcastic.
Who made him always say that about her in the past?
Yuan Mu felt that she had treated him very well by not taking advantage of Yuan Wei's injury to beat him up last night.
Yuan Wei was stunned, as if he didn't expect Yuan Mu to say that.
He turned his head and suddenly asked, "Why did you come back to save me last night? Don't you hate me and don't you want to kill me?"
Yuan Mu said frankly: "Of course I do. When I first entered the palace, I thought about how to kill you every day."
"You have to die a very tragic death," she said lazily, "to justify all the suffering I've endured."
"I'm not trying to save you," Yuan Mu lowered his eyes, "I just can't bear to see others die in front of me."
Yuan Wei stood by the window, just listening to her quietly.
"Don't you know where to go?" he said softly. "I do know a good place, but it's a bit hard. Do you want to go?"
Yuan Wei's words jumped too fast.
I really don’t know how his colleagues can stand him like this.
Yuan Mu raised his eyes gloomily and asked, "Where are you going?"
"Let's go to Fengzhou." Yuan Wei's eyes were full of ambition. "Do you want to be the head of Fengzhou?"
Yuan Mu was startled by his words and said in confusion: "What are you talking about? Isn't Fengzhou very chaotic now?"
"The man currently ruling Fengzhou is a member of the Yuan clan," Yuan Wei whispered. "He has long harbored ambitions of rebellion and usurpation, but he is stubborn and self-willed, so he could be replaced."
"You take charge, and I'll be your assistant," he said, a dark light dancing in his eyes. "Don't you want revenge on me? Then use me and let me serve you."
Yuan Wei was indeed a treacherous villain in two dynasties.
Yuan Mu had never dared to think about such a thing, and at that moment he was almost persuaded by him.
Why on earth does he have so many ridiculous ideas?
But Yuan Mu then thought of the time when Yuan Wei was driven out of Jingzhao and was hated by everyone, he did succeed in gathering his troops and fighting back.
He was a meritorious official of the Yuan Dynasty and had really fought for the country with the emperor.
Yuan Wei's words were full of temptation. He stared at Yuan Mu and said, "You have even taken charge of the palace affairs. Are you afraid that you can't manage the affairs of the whole state?"
She looked at him blankly, her eyes full of struggle.
"Fengzhou is a buffer zone between the two countries," Yuan Wei continued. "If something really happens, it would be extremely convenient to leave the country directly."
"Let's give it a try?" he whispered. "All our ancestors were emperors."
Yuan Wei looked at Yuan Mu with half of his eye, with a strange look of repentance and compassion.
It is said that Yuan Mu has a bitter fate and is destined to be miserable.
But aren't all the tragedies in her life caused by him alone?
The destruction of the family, the loss of hands and eyes are all due to one's own fault.
Yuan Wei half-knelt down, holding Yuan Mu's hand, looking up at her, and lowering his voice: "Let's give it a try, okay?"
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