Chapter 34 Shen Yunrong woke up again, her body already...
When Shen Yunrong woke up again, she was no longer in so much pain.
She was about to raise her hand when it felt numb and sore, as if something was pressing down on it.
Before she could see clearly, the man pinning her down immediately woke up: "What's wrong? Are you in pain again?"
Princess Ana's whip lashed across her chest and abdomen, the most sensitive parts of a woman's body. Even a viper couldn't be more vicious; killing her with an arrow would be too lenient.
Fortunately, the soft whip was designed for women. The room was dark and cramped, so the whip couldn't be extended very far. The red and swollen welts on the body were shocking to see, but they didn't break the skin. After applying medicine yesterday, the redness and swelling have subsided considerably.
The injuries on her face and neck will take several days to heal. Zhao Linzhang breathed a deep sigh of relief. Luckily, he arrived in time. If he had been a step slower, he didn't even want to imagine what his woman would have been tormented by her.
"Why didn't you go to sleep?" Shen Yunrong was able to speak today, though her voice was hoarse, like the sound of a broken gong. She reached out and touched the dark stubble on Zhao Linzhang's chin.
"I don't want to leave you!" Zhao Linzhang grabbed her hand and pressed it against his face. The fear and helplessness of losing her lingered in his mind every time he thought about it.
A maid's voice rang out from the doorway: "Your Highness, it's time to change the young lady's dressing!"
"Come in!" Zhao Linzhang expertly stirred the ointment a couple of times, and as he was about to lift Shen Yunrong's clothes, he glanced at the maid beside him and waved his hand: "You may leave!"
The door was closed, and Zhao Linzhang went to untie Shen Yunrong's clothes. Shen Yunrong, terrified, used all her strength to press his hand down: "Your Highness, what are you doing?"
Zhao Linzhang pressed down on her hand with one hand, his strength gentle yet unyielding, and with the other hand he loosened her sash: "Let me help you apply the medicine!"
"This, let the maid help me!" Before Shen Yunrong could finish speaking, she felt a chill on her chest. Her clothes were open, and she was completely naked without any undergarments.
"No, they're clumsy and will hurt you!" Zhao Linzhang's gaze fell on the swollen skin, his eyes darkening, filled with deep heartache. The medicine on his face and neck had been changed by the imperial physician last night, and he was instructed to change it again tonight.
Shen Yunrong couldn't help but flinch the moment she lightly dabbed some ointment on her fingertip and placed it on the burning wound.
"What, did I hurt you?" Zhao Linzhang quickly stopped.
"It's cold!" Shen Yunrong muttered softly.
"Bear with it, it'll be over soon!" Zhao Linzhang reassured her softly, gently spreading the grayish-brown ointment little by little with his fingertips before applying it to the red and swollen area.
He was focused and patient, gently making circles and slowly massaging to allow the ointment to penetrate every part of his skin.
The ointment was cool, but her fingertips were burning hot. The red plum blossoms on the snow-capped mountain trembled slightly. Every time Zhao Linzhang's fingertips brushed against her, it was as if they were carrying shimmering sparks, making her cheeks burn involuntarily.
The feeling was so shameful that Shen Yunrong wanted to bury her face in the pillow, especially when Zhao Linzhang's sleeve occasionally touched her pubic area, causing a tingling, painful, and itchy sensation. She gritted her teeth and tried her best to endure it.
A soft moan escaped her lips, a sound of barely suppressed groan. Zhao Linzhang paused, looked up at her, and saw her flushed cheeks, her pearly teeth biting her bright red lips. His eyes were deep, and he tightened his grip on her fingers.
That damned princess! She's ruined the beautiful scenery he usually wouldn't even dare to touch.
Startled by her own charming voice, Shen Yunrong bit her lip tightly, daring not to make another sound.
"It'll be done soon!" Almost as soon as the medicine was applied, she pulled her clothes over to cover up her alluring figure.
Shen Yunrong bit her lip, her brows furrowed, feeling both ashamed and embarrassed. She couldn't feel the pain, but she noticed that hand reaching to undo her belt. How could this be? She bent over and said, "Your Highness, there's no need to apply medicine here since you're not injured!"
"Of course I saw it last night!" There were several abrasions on her legs, which must have been caused by being dragged when she fell to the ground after fainting.
Upon hearing this, Shen Yunrong looked herself over. She had changed her clothes; this loose undergarment was not hers.
She had nowhere to hide; now not only her face, but her body was as red as a boiled shrimp.
"That little wound doesn't need any medicine!" Shen Yunrong struggled in vain.
Looking at his own clothes, Zhao Linzhang skillfully pulled down his pants: "No, it'll leave a scar if I don't apply the medicine!"
The sudden chill made Shen Yunrong curl up all ten of her white toes, and she couldn't help but bring her legs together.
Zhao Linzhang pressed down on her knee: "I looked closely last night; there are three abrasions on her legs."
Last night, he lit a candle and slowly examined the skin, then soaked a towel in warm water and carefully wiped every inch of it.
"You!" She wished she could faint this time because he had seen her private parts.
"Say it if it hurts!" Zhao Linzhang saw that the abrasion was healing very quickly today and had already scabbed over; the imperial ointment was very effective.
After applying the ointment to the abrasions on my calves, I noticed a bruise the size of an egg on the inside of my thigh, probably from a bump.
Because it was close to the inside of the bed, Zhao Linzhang bent down and applied the plaster in circles, pressing it down.
Shen Yunrong could clearly feel his breath brushing against the sensitive skin on the inside of her thigh, causing her an indescribable burning sensation and trembling.
After applying the medicine, both Shen Yunrong and Zhao Linzhang were covered in a light sweat.
Liu Hu's voice rang out from the doorway: "The Prince urgently summons you from the palace!"
He was supposed to go to the palace yesterday, but Shen Yunrong hadn't woken up yet, and he was worried.
"Rest assured, I'll be back soon!" Zhao Linzhang avoided the wound on her face and kissed her lips.
Shen Yunrong watched him leave, then rubbed her face against the bedding, which still smelled of Zhao Linzhang, giving her a sense of tranquility that made her feel drowsy.
In the palace, Zhao Linzhang knelt down as soon as he saw the emperor. The incident happened suddenly that day. He had mobilized troops without authorization. Although he sent Xiao Zheng to the palace to explain to the emperor, it was still a case of acting first and reporting later, which was against the law.
"Your Majesty, I am guilty and beg for punishment!"
"Who is so important that you have to mobilize so many troops!" The Annamite princess attempted to assassinate King Zhuang but was killed by a hail of arrows from the guards. He has already expelled all the Annamite princes.
However, he had heard that the Annam princess had secretly fallen for his younger brother, so why would she suddenly attempt to assassinate him?
"She is my brother's beloved!" Zhao Linzhang answered frankly.
"A woman can actually move your heart?" the emperor laughed. "And what about the princess of Annam?"
Zhao Linzhang gave a brief account of what happened that day, and the emperor exclaimed in amazement: "Although you did it to save someone, the country has its laws, and I cannot show favoritism."
"Your Majesty's grace!"
The next day, Shen Yunrong woke up again and did not see Zhao Linzhang for a long time. The imperial physician changed the dressing on her face and neck. The knife on her cheek was stopped by the maid. It was a shallow cut. Although it looked like her face was covered in blood, it was the lightest injury on her body.
Only the wound on her neck was something the imperial physician instructed her not to move around too much to avoid tearing the wound open again.
When the maids brought her food, she asked Zhao Linzhang about it, and they all stammered and gave vague answers.
His expression was also strange, as if he was hiding something from her.
Yesterday, he was summoned to the palace by the emperor. Thinking about how he had killed that princess, he wondered if he would be arrested and punished. The more he thought about it, the more anxious he became. Ignoring the maid's attempts to stop her, he got out of bed.
"If you won't tell me, I'll go find him myself!" It's all her fault. In the heat of the moment, she killed the princess to save her. She should be the one to pay with her life.
"Young lady, you can't come down! His Highness is injured!"
Shen Yunrong, who had reached the door, asked in surprise, "Where is he? How did he get injured?"
After the maid helped her put on her coat, she accidentally let slip the secret, covering her mouth and shaking her head in horror: "His Highness forbade us to tell you!"
Shen Yunrong knew that Zhao Linzhang was in trouble. She asked anxiously, "Why can't we say that he is seriously injured?"
"Why did you come down? I'm fine!" Liu Hu and Xiao Zheng helped Zhao Linzhang, who was limping, as they reached the door and heard Shen Yunrong's voice.
"Where are you hurt?" You're so hurt you can't even walk.
Zhao Linzhang's ears turned bright red upon hearing this: "I only got a few slaps on my thighs, but I'm tough and can walk tomorrow. As for you, didn't you say you couldn't get down? Go back now!"
He had to step over the threshold, which aggravated his wound, causing him to break out in a cold sweat and his mouth to twitch. Those bastards really beat him hard; his buttocks looked like they were rotten.
"Then why are you coming over here!" Shen Yunrong said, turning back to look at him as she walked back to the bed.
"If I don't come over soon, someone's going to cry!" Zhao Linzhang gritted his teeth and forced a smile.
"You're still joking at a time like this? Come up and lie down." Shen Yunrong wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes.
"I'll just lie on that soft couch!" He dared not sleep with her, lest she shed tears again if she found out.
Lying on the soft couch, Zhao Linzhang could see her as soon as he turned his head. Satisfied, he raised his hand and waved the servants away.
"Did the Emperor hit you? Did the princess blame you?" Shen Yunrong lay down opposite him.
"What princess? She deserved to die." Zhao Linzhang now finds it disgusting to even mention that woman, as if it would defile his own mouth.
"It was because I was in a hurry that day that I led troops to search for people without imperial decree. His Majesty was kind enough to only give me a few lashes." Zhao Linzhang raised his eyebrows. This was a crime that could have cost him his head. As for the fines, confinement to the Prince's Mansion, and removal of his position as Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, they were just a tickle.
"How many lashes did you get? It's all my fault!"
"You're wrong, it's my fault!"
Zhao Linzhang suddenly burst out laughing: "Don't you think we look like a pair of star-crossed lovers in distress right now!"
"Nonsense!"
"I have already asked the Emperor for permission to bring you into the family in three months!" As for why three months later, he had been confined to his quarters for three months, otherwise he would have wanted to marry her tomorrow.
"Three months later?" Shen Yunrong was startled by his words and sat up abruptly. She felt a sharp pain in her neck and cried out.
"What happened? Did you aggravate your wound? Is it bleeding?" Zhao Linzhang was about to get up to check when the burning pain in his buttocks made him break out in a cold sweat.
"It's alright, the imperial physician said the wound is healing very well. Where are you injured? Let me see!" He wasn't in this much pain when his palm was cut by a knife last time, so this must be a serious injury.
"No, no, don't come any closer!" Zhao Linzhang was embarrassed; how could he let her see his bloodied buttocks!
Shen Yunrong knew from Zhao Linzhang's unusual reaction that he was definitely not only injured in the thigh as he claimed. She burst into tears and said to him, "You won't let me see, you must be in excruciating pain!"
The scalding tears fell onto Zhao Linzhang's softest spot in his chest: "Look, let me show you!"
He wished he could strip naked and show it to her.
Shen Yunrong carefully moved off the bed, squatted in front of him, and lifted his casual clothes. The underpants he was wearing were unusually loose, just like the ones she was wearing. As soon as her hand touched them, Zhao Linzhang let out a hoarse cry.
"I'm just afraid of scaring you, it's not that I don't want you to see it..."
As soon as she finished speaking, Shen Yunrong rolled up his loose trouser leg. There was no injury on his thigh. She asked in confusion, "Isn't it your leg?"
Embarrassed, Zhao Linzhang clenched his fists and gritted his teeth, declaring, "It's the buttocks that are punished!"
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