Chapter 29 Getting Along: "Is the King going to formally take me as his concubine?"
In early July, the air became even hotter.
The army set out on its campaign, and everything proceeded as planned, seemingly no different from before. After crossing the river, they traveled straight ahead, and in just over half a day, the scenery around them changed several times.
Such a marching speed was normal, but it was too difficult for Shi Wan, especially since she was forced to ride with Jiang Xu for most of the time.
They traveled day and night to the front lines, arriving at a private residence as the sun set.
The house was small, and the furnishings inside were simple, looking like a temporary place to stay. Shi Wan followed the soldiers inside and walked all the way to a room.
"Miss Wan'er, please rest here tonight." The soldier's tone was very polite.
Shi Wan quickly thanked them and hurried inside. It took her a while to recover most of her lost energy after sitting down for a while.
The aches and pains throughout her body felt like a saw, constantly tugging at her spirit.
An invisible pressure weighed heavily on this small space. Outside the window, it was so quiet that even the fluttering of birds could not be heard.
The daytime sky was painted with a suffocating, dim yellow. Shi Wan sat inside, her heart pounding even harder. The insides of her thighs were red, as if the skin had been broken, with the right side being more serious. When she pulled down her underwear, blood was seeping out.
Sweat had already soaked through her inner clothes, sticking stickily to her body. She shifted uncomfortably from side to side, when she heard a series of regular and familiar footsteps outside.
Shi Wan's heart tightened, and she quickly pulled down her skirt to cover herself. Almost at the same time, the door creaked open, and Jiang Xu, seeing her flustered expression, said, "You were pretending to be sickly on the way here, but you've become lively now?"
Shi Wan was now used to his sarcastic tone, and said softly, "I haven't ridden a horse much, and my legs are a little sore. Could Your Majesty send someone to get me some ointment?" Since she was no longer a servant or a hybrid, she didn't need to be so strict about the rules.
"So delicate." Jiang Xu glanced at her indifferently, then walked over to her in a few steps.
His movement startled Shi Wan, who then noticed the faint smell of medicine in the air. Seeing the food box in the man's hand, she exclaimed in surprise, "Thank you, Your Majesty."
Once the ferocity she displayed several hours ago had worn off, she was now exactly the same as before.
Jiang Xu placed the food box on the table, opened it, and sure enough, a strong medicinal smell wafted out. Shi Wan picked up the bowl and drank it at a steady pace.
Seeing that she was so sensible, Jiang Xu's eyes flickered slightly.
Shi Wan was oblivious to what the other person was thinking and deliberately avoided eye contact.
In the short term, it would be difficult for her to escape again. Even if Jiang Xu were to be negligent and give her this opportunity, it would be difficult for her to run very far.
Perspective and cognition are one aspect, but more importantly, it's due to this body.
After drinking a bowl of medicine, Shi Wan's complexion improved considerably in a short while. When she looked up, she saw Jiang Xu standing to one side with an unreadable expression.
Shi Wan quietly covered herself up more thoroughly, and only after confirming that everything was alright did she look at him again, "Why is Your Majesty staring at me?"
"I naturally want to take a closer look at what I acquired at a high price."
They got her back at a high price? Or did this person just kidnap her along the way?
Shi Wan didn't respond, but instead asked, "Your Majesty, I'm actually very curious, what exactly made you favor me?"
She felt that she had no other bargaining chips besides her looks, but Jiang Xu had taken her on a long journey today, and apart from silence, he had not mentioned their unpleasant parting again.
She had long been prepared to die or suffer torture.
But right now... this person is like a soft knife grinding against her flesh, making her increasingly uneasy.
Especially now, his face turned cold again.
Lately, Jiang Xu's silence has made him look even more terrifying than when he's all smiles.
Jiang Xu looked at her and said, "Go to the bed."
Shi Wan was taken aback. "What?" She immediately realized she had misunderstood and sat up straight.
She had been forcing herself to speak earlier, and now her inner thighs were burning with pain. Every slight friction felt like it would mercilessly pierce her skin.
Shi Wan didn't want to appear timid in front of Jiang Xu, and her body tensed up involuntarily as the man strode closer.
"Lift up your clothes." His voice was calm, and in the extremely quiet room, it clearly reached Shi Wan's ears. "Put your legs in place."
Shi Wan did as she was told. Although she had mentally prepared herself, she still felt uncomfortable about frequently exposing her body to this person.
The wound on her thigh was even more severe than she had just glanced at. The bleeding area was torn open, and the wound was filled with dirt and grime, which had somehow gotten in and looked rather gruesome.
Jiang Xu took out the ointment and applied it to her. Instantly, Shi Wan felt a cool, tingling sensation on her leg, like tiny needle pricks.
She gripped the corner of the mattress tightly, her knuckles turning white. Jiang Xu noticed this and suddenly said, "Relax." His voice remained calm, but his grip was much lighter.
Upon seeing this, Shi Wan felt a mix of emotions. Besides her long-held suspicions, she was also somewhat flattered. Jiang Xu's willingness to personally apply the medicine for her and his lack of severe punishment for her overstepping her bounds showed that he could tolerate these things for the time being.
It didn't cross his bottom line.
"Thank you, Your Majesty," she said obediently, regaining her composure.
Jiang Xu didn't look at her, only saying, "It will take at most three days to arrive, just bear with it." After a while, as if he had thought of something, he added, "Once you get there, take good care of yourself as soon as possible."
Shi Wan remained unfazed. "This is a problem I was born with, and it's unlikely to be effective anytime soon."
"No matter what medicine you use, you'll be cured eventually." Jiang Xu put away the medicine bottle, his tone unchanged.
"And after it's healed?" A thin layer of ointment covered the wound on her leg. Perhaps it was the cool touch, or perhaps it was the current favoritism, that made her speak more boldly, "Does Your Majesty intend to formally take me as your concubine?"
By bringing this up again, she was no longer so overwhelmed by melancholy.
In chaotic times, the pursuit of wealth is urgent, and the common people live in poverty. Going out again now would come at a much higher price than before. After this ordeal, her portrait is probably already on some people's desks.
It's better to do this kind of work, neither servant nor master, at least I can survive.
To survive safely in places like the front lines.
She'll have that day eventually.
Hearing her mention this, Jiang Xu looked up and saw that Shi Wan's face was calm, but her eyes held a hint of loneliness, as if she was thinking about something. He said, "Why are you thinking about this all of a sudden?" He thought that the person in front of him was worried about this matter. After hesitating for a few moments, he still said, "Once I have accomplished my mission, I will naturally send a small sedan chair to bring you into my household."
As long as she stops having these inappropriate thoughts and stays peacefully by his side, that's enough.
Shi Wan lowered her head even further, adopting a posture of refusing to communicate, and remained silent with her lips pursed.
"What are you doing?" Jiang Xu sat closer. "Are you still angry from earlier?"
"Your Majesty, you are not angry with me, so what reason do I have to be angry?" Shi Wan said, seemingly serious but also feigning. "Besides, I am not fortunate enough to even dream of such things."
"They are servants, how could you be?" Jiang Xu assumed she was unhappy with the two maids from earlier and sneered, "You're throwing a tantrum now."
Although the man's words were blaming, his tone was entirely indulgent, and even revealed a hint of pleasure.
It seemed that whenever she spoke to Jiang Xu so unrestrainedly, his mood would inexplicably improve.
That's really strange.
“I’m not being temperamental.” Shi Wan raised her eyes, her bright eyes like an amber ocean, rippling with emotion. “The king wants to take me in with a small sedan chair, I’m just sad.”
Compared to Wan'er, who used to be cautious and flattering him, Jiang Xu clearly prefers her as she is now.
She spoke softly and gently, her eyes filled with affection.
Although he remains stubborn, it's not a big deal.
He casually remarked, "If you were more obedient, I wouldn't have been willing to treat you like this."
"Actually, in the end..."
"If you hadn't run, you wouldn't be in this predicament now."
Seeing this, Shi Wan didn't say anything more. After a moment, when Jiang Xu's questioning gaze swept over her again, she simply said, "I know I was wrong."
"So, I just want to make amends to Your Majesty."
"I just want to learn how to get along well with the King."
Seeing that her mood had dropped again, Jiang Xu sighed inwardly and said gently, "I have been very busy these past few days. Later, there are many interesting things at the border. Would you like to go and see them?"
It seems that being clever and coquettish is still useful. As long as you go along with him and show weakness, this man will give you a sweet treat.
Not wanting to invite trouble, Shi Wan quickly put on a smile and replied, "Of course."
......
*
It was located several dozen miles from the Turkic region.
At the second quarter of the hour of Mao (5:45 AM), the sky is about to brighten.
As soon as the army arrived at the location, they began to build fortifications and set up camp. Jiang Xu's army, as the vanguard, arrived here ahead of time. Shi Wan followed along the way, and by the time she was settled, she was exhausted.
After taking his medicine as usual, he went into the tent and relaxed a bit. He lay on the bed, opened his eyes and looked around for a while. After a while, he closed his eyes and fell asleep.
The tent was quiet, the summer heat seemingly shut out. The ice chest by the bed emitted a cool breeze that permeated the air. On the couch, the sleeping person had a furrowed brow.
Scenes I hadn't dreamt of for many days resurfaced.
This time, the scar under the left eye of the assassin was more conspicuous, turning bluish-purple. He suddenly leaped out from the crowd and then stabbed Jiang Xu in the throat.
The blood droplets spread along the patterns on the armor, turning it into a deep crimson color in an instant.
The assassin's dagger was specially made, with barbs growing in the opposite direction covering the blade. When the tip pierced the throat, the barbs would hook onto the tracheal cartilage, instantly shredding flesh and blood.
The crowd suddenly panicked, the cacophony of voices making her feel somewhat disoriented. The large patches of blood seemed like a harbinger of some disaster.
The silk curtains hanging from the ceiling on the couch were torn by Shi Wan, making a tearing sound. In her nightmare, she thrashed about wildly until she felt a sharp pain in her palm as a small piece of sharp ice pierced her flesh.
She slept very soundly, probably because she had something on her mind the whole time. When she woke up, she was still distracted for several breaths. Her body was sore and weak, and the look of fear had not completely dissipated. She threw away the ice chest haphazardly and was about to get out of bed when she turned her head and saw two people dressed as maids who had entered at some point.
Wearing matching plain-colored shirts, they stood respectfully a few steps away from Shi Wan, one on each side. When one of them saw her get up, he respectfully stepped forward to help her up.
"Wait a minute." Shi Wan was quite frightened and was about to ask something when Jiang Xu suddenly lifted the curtain and walked in. Seeing her defensive posture, his gaze immediately swept over the two maids.
"You two can go now." After he finished speaking, the two of them hurriedly bowed and took their leave, leaving Shi Wan's brows furrowing unconsciously once again.
"What are you doing?" she asked, trying to keep her tone calm. "Why have you assigned me two servants?"
“The military camp is different from Jichuan; it’s inevitable that there will be things you’re not used to.” Jiang Xu sat on the edge of the bed, carefully observing her expression. “Why do you look so pale?”
"It's just a nightmare, an old problem." Shi Wan avoided his gaze, her eyes lowered as she stared at the patterns on the soft couch.
Nightmares? Jiang Xu said, "Your nightmares are far too frequent." Last time at Yun'an Temple, they terrified him, and he remembered that the servants reported that Wan'er often had similar nightmares.
Is there really anyone in the world who is trapped in nightmares every day?
Jiang Xu secretly noted this matter down. When he came to his senses, he saw that Wan'er was becoming more and more thoughtful, her lips moving slightly. Just as he was about to ask her a question, Wan'er suddenly closed her lips tightly, looking no different from her usual self.
His gaze turned cold, but Shi Wan was oblivious and continued, "I haven't been sleeping well since arriving in this new place. I'm so sorry to have troubled Your Majesty."
After a moment, Jiang Xu gave a curt reply, made a few perfunctory remarks, and then found an excuse to leave the tent.
Outside the tent, the heat emanated from the sky, and the edge of the sky was tinged with a faint bluish-gray.
A few remaining stars stubbornly clung to the dome, but they had lost their nighttime brilliance, flickering like dying embers.
He couldn't see it clearly for a while.
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The author says: "In chaotic times, the demands for food and drink are urgent, and the common people are left with only chaff and rice." This line comes from Du Fu's poem "Driving the Youngsters to Pick Cocklebur (also known as burdock)".
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