33. Care
The person he tried to protect was about to betray him.
Chapter 33
The door of the room was tightly shut and filled with a strong smell of blood.
Seeing this, Jiang Qiuye curled her lips slightly, immediately soaked the handkerchief in hot water, wrung it dry, and gently cleaned his wound.
The originally clean and clear water was dyed red.
She took out the powder for treating external injuries and slowly shook it on the wound.
Ji Ci didn't make a sound, but he broke out in a cold sweat from the pain, his shoulders trembled slightly, and his fingers clutched the pillow tightly.
The pain of such flesh being torn apart was nothing to Jiang Qiuye; it was her normal state. But Ji Ci was different. He was a pure and innocent person, and it seemed that he was born not to endure such humiliation from the ruler.
Prince Qi was an unattainable figure for the common people and the court officials. By punishing him physically, mortals could see and feel that their lives were connected.
It turns out that the celestial being King Qi is also one of the common people.
The people’s anger may not be quelled by the restoration of General Dingbei’s title, but it can be quelled by the deification of the celestial being.
Her reluctance grew stronger, and she spoke softly, "When I was little, I always felt exceptionally cold at the start of winter. I had to wash clothes in the icy river and take care of my younger sister. One day, it was incredibly cold, a day that left a deep impression on me. In the freezing cold, what I wanted wasn't pity, but a physical hug."
She slowly reached out her hand and placed her palm on Ji Ci's trembling back. She didn't move, but just stroked it gently, feeling the body beneath her gradually stop trembling and gradually warm up.
"So you got it?" Ji Ci's voice was muffled in the pillow.
"What do you get?"
"Embrace......"
Jiang Qiuye lowered her eyes and suddenly remembered the day when she was a maid in the palace. She couldn't help but hug Ji Ci.
It's funny to say, Ji Ci was the first person she hugged since she was taken away by the human traffickers.
"I got it. I'm lucky."
"Um."
After stopping the bleeding, Jiang Qiuye only helped Ji Ci put on his shirt, and covered his lower body lightly with a thin blanket to facilitate frequent application of medicine.
He walked to the side and stirred the charcoal fire to make the room warmer.
Ji Ci buried his head and didn't want to look at her, feeling a little frightened.
Although he had prepared himself before the punishment, the pain when the first blow came down was beyond his cognition and instantly disrupted his rationality. When he endured more than the twentieth blow, he struggled unconsciously but was held down tightly.
When it comes to caning, identity has nothing to do with it.
For many years, he regarded himself as a tool to atone for his mother's sins, and laid out all his dignity in front of the emperor.
He dragged his frail body along, not holding out any hope for his own end. To him, fame or infamy was of no consequence.
He is twenty-three years old this year, and the boy who was familiar with poetry and books at the age of three and shot eagles in front of the emperor at the age of five, disappeared without a trace when the bloody truth was placed in front of him.
But now she stood before him, staring at his humiliation, her warm hands caressing his flesh.
He just felt that his current appearance was extremely ashamed.
"Your Highness, are you hungry?" Jiang Qiuye retreated to Luohan's bedside and asked softly.
Ji Ci didn't say anything, still buried his face, and just shook his head slightly.
Jiang Qiuye thought his wound was just too painful, and her patience was much better than usual. She sighed inwardly and said, "How about I make a bowl of chicken soup for the prince? If the prince doesn't eat, he will heal very slowly."
When Ji Ci heard what Jiang Qiuye said about the chicken soup with medicinal food, he seemed to start feeling hungry, so he buried his head and nodded.
Jiang Qiuye wanted to laugh when she saw this, and suddenly felt that Ji Ci looked...quite cute.
Since waking up, the pain in his body has made it difficult for Ji Ci to fall asleep. He can only dispel some of the pain through heavy breathing.
An hour later, Jiang Qiuye walked into the study with chicken soup in one hand and closed the door again.
Ji Ci finally poked his head out and tried to take the bowl of soup with both hands, but Jiang Qiuye didn't hand it to him.
"Your Highness, I'll feed you. I added herbs to the soup to help heal wounds and soothe the nerves. I've also chopped up the chicken. Your Highness, just swallow it directly."
She blew on it gently to cool it down, and fed him mouthful by mouthful with a spoon. The chicken soup and minced meat went into his stomach, driving away all the coldness and making him gradually feel sleepy.
He drank the last sip in a hurry and choked. He couldn't help coughing, but it pulled the wound and made it more painful.
"My Lord, have a good sleep. I'll be by your side."
Ji Ci was a little dazed. He closed his eyes and hummed softly.
Jiang Qiuye exhaled and raised her hand to gently push the hair away from his forehead.
For the first time, she didn't act falsely and sincerely called him, "Brother Jian Xi, go to sleep."
The person on the bed no longer responded, so she just sat on the ground, leaning against Luohan's bed and watching him fall asleep.
She suddenly recalled the deserted courtyard that day, when he was drinking sake in the same decadent manner.
Unlike his anorexia, that was the first time I saw him decadent.
He must have thought of a way to take the blame long ago, but...
But maybe in his heart, he didn't want to do this or be treated like this.
That supreme person is obviously his brother.
It was not until the second half of the night that Jiang Qiuye listened to his breathing and confirmed that he was completely asleep. Then he slowly got up and walked gently in the study.
There are a lot of official documents in the study, most of which are confidential documents. She can take any of them to complete her mission.
The antidote for this month, the antidote for next month, and the antidote for the month after next.
But......
For the first time, she felt hesitant and uneasy about the mission.
This person now trusts her.
The one he was trying to protect was about to betray him.
After searching for a while, Jiang Qiuye finally found the list of spies that Ji Ci had planted in Li State.
After quickly browsing through it, she put the document back to its original place, and finally walked back to Luohan's bed, stretched out her legs and sat down.
She kept staring at his sleeping face, very quiet and obedient. She tried to reach out and touch his back again, but hesitated and finally withdrew her hand and stopped touching him.
At this time, the wind and the sea outside the house were calm, not even the sound of birds, but her heart was in turmoil.
If a man does not work for himself, he will be punished by heaven and earth...
She was completely sleep deprived.
…
Under Jiang Qiuye's careful care, the wound gradually scabbed and fell off.
Five days later, Ji Ci started walking and handling official documents.
Although he is now confined to Prince Qi's Mansion, there is still an endless stream of guests coming to visit him, and the political affairs of the past keep coming to him like frost and snow.
Jiang Qiuye couldn't stop him from handling his official duties, so she could only provide him with three meals a day, wipe his body, change his dressings, and take care of him in every possible way.
Perhaps due to her inner uneasiness, she became more patient with him.
On the seventh day, she finally left the palace on the pretext of buying medicinal herbs.
She first went to the medicine shop to replenish her herbs, and then bought some raw materials for making dragon beard candy. After walking around outside for a whole day, she came to Jingshan Academy.
Today, Jingshan Academy has regained its former prosperity, and the scholars are tirelessly preparing for next year's spring examination.
Zhang Yi came out when he saw her for the first time, smiled slightly, and bowed to her, "Miss Qiu."
Jiang Qiuye looked unhappy and asked stiffly, "I heard you were beaten with ten boards."
Zhang Yi nodded and said, "Yes, it's still a little difficult for him to walk. But ten strokes of the cane is nothing. But I heard that Prince Qi was beaten with forty strokes of the cane and fainted, and was carried back to the palace. I wonder how his recovery is going now?"
Jiang Qiuye frowned, seemingly displeased at hearing Ji Ci's name from Zhang Yi's mouth. She simply turned her head away from his sight and said perfunctorily, "It's nothing serious."
"Then I shall be at ease. I wonder what business Miss Qiu has brought you here today?"
Jiang Qiuye shook his hand, then pulled out a piece of paper from his sleeve and handed it over. "List."
Zhang Yi took it and unfolded it, then sneered, "Only five people? So few?"
Jiang Qiuye's expression gradually turned sinister, and he whispered with glaring eyes, "You know how well Prince Qi hides. It's not easy for me to enter the palace now. He usually doesn't let me into the main courtyard, so how can I get so much information? These five people are already the limit. I will slowly figure out the rest."
"So..." Zhang Yi said with a smile on his face, "Then I'll have to trouble you again, Master Qiuye."
Jiang Qiuye hadn't liked Zhang Yi the first time she saw him. He was a hypocritical man, a beast in human clothing. She pursed her lips, turned her head away, and prepared to leave.
"Wait, Lord Qiuye." Zhang Yi called her.
"What else?"
Jiang Qiuye had a bad attitude and his patience had reached its limit.
"My lord, you forgot to take the antidote with you." As he said that, he took out two pills from his arms and handed them over, one for her and one for Jinhong.
"Got it." She quickly took it from her hand, unwilling to pay any more attention to this person.
"grown ups."
"What else is going on?"
"There is one more thing I need to give to you, my Lord."
Jiang Qiuye suppressed her rage and turned back to Zhang Yi, only to see him take out something from his sleeve again and put it in Jiang Qiuye's hand.
She was horrified at the sight, and suddenly her whole body lost strength. She couldn't help but tremble and said, "Zhang Yi, what do you mean?"
Zhang Yi maintained his gentlemanly demeanor, a forced smile on his face. "That's not my opinion, it's the Pavilion Master's. The Pavilion Master said that a bird that has escaped from its cage will never fly away as long as the golden chain is still tied to its foot. I hope Master Qiuye will take this mission seriously."
"It's just a few antidotes. Pavilion Master doesn't care. At most, when the bird has had enough fun, we can just catch it back."
Jiang Qiuye was in a daze all the way back to the palace. Although he was wearing a very thick fox cloak, he still couldn't stop shivering, and the cold wind seemed to always reach his heart.
Yes.
She was not afraid of anyone in this world except that man.
The master of Feiyan Pavilion said nothing.
She entered Feiyan Pavilion at the age of six and was trained as a killer. When was she seen by Yan Wu?
It seemed like she was thirteen years old. At that time, she had already become a silver ghost. She had never failed in a mission and was one of the best figures in the pavilion.
I originally thought I was living in hell, but since he brought me here, I realized what real hell is.
He enjoys physically torturing others, and he enjoys mentally suppressing them even more. He revels in the feeling of being feared and hated by others.
Later, she finally mustered up the courage to make a deal with Yan Wu.
After the last mission, the war between the two countries ended, and she was set free.
It was for this reason that she became Qiu Ziye and came to Shengjing, Jin State.
She hadn't heard anything about Yan Wu for a long time, and she thought she had long since gotten rid of his mental control over her.
But now I know that she didn't, she is still so weak and afraid.
She took out the thing Zhang Yi had just given her, which was an exquisite gold anklet.
When she was thirteen, he made a belt for her with his own hands, a chain to control her.
She took it off at seventeen and threw it in his face.
Now she deeply realized that she could not get rid of Yan Wu and Feiyan Pavilion by herself.
She bit her nails hard, feeling very angry.
What to do?
The image of that clean and kind person suddenly flashed through her mind.
Ji Ci...
If it were Ji Ci, would he be able to protect her?
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