Chapter 33 Reminiscing by the Lamplight
The two maids turned pale, as if struck by a thunderbolt—the injuries on Prime Minister Zheng were inflicted by His Majesty, and there was no way any imperial physician could save him, nor could they.
Shuangtian immediately let go, and Zheng Yangzhi's head fell to the ground with a thud, as no one lifted it.
Juanxue also threw away Zheng Yangzhi's foot, as if it were something dirty.
The two maids kowtowed to Wang Yuying: "Immortal Master, please forgive us. We just saw the Prime Minister's miserable state. We don't know what happened, but suddenly our minds became confused and we forgot everything. We just felt that the Prime Minister was so miserable. It was like there was a voice in our heads telling us that we must save him because he was in such a miserable state. We couldn't hear anything else!"
What's wrong with them?
They should be helping their master! Little Zheng has harmed the Immortal Master at Yuqing Temple for three years. They should be helping their master rebuild his strength. Why are they hesitating?
It's easy to understand that Prime Minister Zheng was seriously injured and collapsed in the palace! But just now, it was as if he was being controlled by something, and he only thought about saving people.
Wang Yuying lowered her eyes; the demon beast was bewitching her again.
Shuangtian raised his hand as if to slap himself, but Wang Yuying couldn't bear it and knelt down to grab Shuangtian's hand.
She sighed softly to herself. These two used to enjoy feeding stray cats and rescuing birds back in Kunning Palace. They were both fools. Such people are the most easily bewitched and the most likely to end up battered and bruised.
Juanxue wept, saying, "Immortal Master is the kindest of all. Years ago, when I had a high fever in Kunning Palace, you specially summoned the imperial physician for me. Tell me, which master is so kind? Yet we, harboring resentment, took it upon ourselves to bring in your enemy..."
That won't happen again. I'll lift Zheng Xiang out of here—no, I'll kick him out!
The two maids were about to kick her when Wang Yuying, because of Juanxue's words, remembered the high fever in the backyard of Yuqing Temple, and how Zheng Yangzhi had also asked the imperial physician for her.
Although his motives were malicious, without those imperial physicians, she would most likely be dead.
After a long while, Wang Yuying said softly, "Put it on the ground, close the door, and let me take a look."
He was covered in wounds and shouldn't have been left on the dusty, insect-infested ground, but leaving him there for treatment was already an extraordinary act of kindness. How could we let a stranger into the house?
Juanxue went to relock the door, while Wang Yuying squatted down next to Zheng Yangzhi, intending to treat her injuries in this position. However, Shuangtian brought Wang Yuying a low stool.
Wang Yuying sat down on the stool, and then grabbed Zheng Yangzhi's left sleeve of his court robe, trying to lift it to check his pulse. However, she found that she couldn't lift it after his wrist—the blood-soaked robe had dried, become stiff, and was still sticking tightly to his skin.
Wang Yuying paused for a moment, thinking it was nothing, and that the pain wouldn't affect her. She took a deep breath, grabbed the cuff, and suddenly ripped it off. Zheng Yangzhi's left sleeve went straight up to his elbow, tearing off a large chunk of skin along with it.
Blood quickly seeped from his arm, as if trying to soften the stiffened court robes again.
Both the rolling snow and the frosty sky instinctively turned their heads, feeling a pang of sympathy.
Wang Yuying caught a glimpse of the two maids' changing expressions out of the corner of her eye, and thought to herself that there were many soldiers on the battlefield who were more seriously injured than Zheng Yangzhi.
She gave instructions one by one: "Juanxue, go and search in the grass, pick more purslane, white wormwood, and mugwort. If you can find creeping privet, that would be even better. Shuangtian, go and find more gauze. If you can't find any, use a gauze garment. Also, get a pair of scissors."
Wang Yuying glanced at Zheng Yangzhi's left arm, which was almost completely slashed, yet the several blue veins from his wrist were intact. She silently extended three fingers and placed them on Zheng Yangzhi's wrist. Just as she touched them, she shivered from the cold—his body was so damp and cold, like a block of melting ice!
But then I thought about it again, and realized that this person hadn't been warmed up much.
After taking her pulse, she remained silent in thought. Just then, Shuangtian brought over some scissors, and Wang Yuying simply cut off all the parts that were difficult to remove in a few quick movements, turning her court robe into tattered and torn pieces in an instant.
She then ripped off all the tattered cloth from his upper body, revealing a clear "Hero" character on his chest, where there was no sword wound. This startled Shuangtian so much that her hand trembled, and her gauze robe fell to the ground.
Wang Yuying remained calm and instructed those behind her: "Pick them up, dust them off, and cut them into strips."
These were all gauze dresses prepared by Xu Heng's men; they hadn't been worn, so they didn't count as hers.
She began to rummage and examine Zheng Yangzhi's body, bold and uninhibited, without even blushing.
Wang Yuying quickly determined that Xu Heng had not injured any of Zheng Yangzhi's vital organs, having avoided all of them. Although Zheng Yangzhi's injuries appeared serious, they were not life-threatening.
Xu Heng, however, carefully avoided tearing Zheng Yangzhi's official robe by cutting around his chest, thus missing the character "Ying".
She laughed at the conclusion.
Actually, she had four or five suspicions in her mind. She felt that Zheng Yangzhi's wound was different from that of ordinary soldiers. It was sticky, but she was too lazy to think about it too much, so she treated it as usual.
Juanxue knocked on the door from outside, and Shuangtian quickly went to open it with gauze. Juanxue approached with a basket, her brows furrowed: "Immortal Master, I only found purslane."
"That's enough." Wang Yuying immediately interjected, not wanting to be overly meticulous with Zheng Yangzhi. Seeing that Shuangtian was also looking at Zheng Yangzhi's chest, she was afraid that the basket would fall. The purslane scattered on the ground was not as easy to pick up as the gauze dress, so she hurriedly said, "Go inside and grind the herbs. I need the juice too, so don't throw it away."
Shuangtian turned his head like a block of wood, responded with a "Yes," and then turned back into the house to find a mortar and pestle. After grinding the purslane, Wang Yuying followed the example of the former military doctors, folded the gauze in two layers, applied medicine, and wrapped it around Zheng Yangzhi's body. It was not convenient for her to wrap it around his back alone, so she ordered Juanxue Shuangtian: "Turn him over and support him!"
Juanxue and Shuangtian had been avoiding looking directly at Zheng Yangzhi, who was shirtless. Upon hearing this, not only did their ears burn, but their hands also felt hot, and they dared not touch him.
"Oh dear!" Wang Yuying exclaimed helplessly, wishing she could stomp her feet. She handed the gauze in her hand to the two maids, "Here!"
Then she took matters into her own hands, turning Zheng Yangzhi over as if she were handling any other goods, and rolling him around to wrap the wound with gauze, layer upon layer. She didn't have time to worry about aesthetics; when she finished wrapping it all, Zheng Yangzhi looked like a piece of braised pork.
Wang Yuying listened carefully to his breathing – he was still unconscious and quite weak.
"Give him some water," Wang Yuying instructed.
Shuangtian and Juanxue turned around together, bumped into each other, moved aside, took a step back, then a step forward, and finally decided that Juanxue would go to fetch water. Seeing the two maids in such a flustered state, Wang Yuying assumed they were tired and couldn't help but smile and say, "You've worked hard tonight."
"We are not tired, it is the Immortal Master who has suffered!" the two maids hurriedly replied.
Wang Yuying closed her lips and glanced at the ground, which was still stained with a lot of blood. She would have to clean the floor after Zheng Yangzhi left, which was really troublesome.
The two maids, however, thought of the terrifying words Zheng Xiang had carved on his heart and were filled with deep regret. From then on, they were no longer deceived by Zheng Yang.
Juanxue brought over a sandalwood tray, placed it on the ground, poured a cup of water from the pot on the tray, and said to Zheng Yangzhi, "I apologize for the offense, Prime Minister." Then, she used a spoon to scoop water from the cup and tried to feed it to him from the corner of his lips. Wang Yuying witnessed the whole thing and gasped for breath in exhaustion. Juanxue tried to feed him for a long time without success, so Wang Yuying pinched the corner of Zheng Yangzhi's lips with her thumb and forefinger, and the two lips immediately parted.
"Pour it in!" Wang Yuying ordered.
I dared not pour snow into her mouth, so I fed her with a spoon, one spoonful, two spoonfuls.
"How long will it take for him to wake up like this?" Wang Yuying instructed Juanxue earnestly. "You have to force-feed him until he chokes and wakes him up."
The two maids were horrified; so that's what their mistress was planning! Wang Yuying, however, thought that even if she had just poured a bucket of ice water on his face instead of him being injured, he would have woken up. The Ministry of Justice did this after torturing him; it wouldn't affect his life.
As instructed, Juanxue poured a cup of water into Zheng Yangzhi's mouth.
"Cough, cough!" Zheng Yangzhi coughed twice, leaning back slightly before falling back down.
Wang Yuying thought to herself: Alright, she's awake. I've done more than enough.
Zheng Yangzhi's body was still trembling slightly from the pain, but he insisted on turning his head little by little to look at Wang Yuying's side. He slowly raised his hazy phoenix eyes. Because of the trembling, the messy sideburns that were originally stuck to the ends of his eyebrows with cold sweat fell down and brushed across his brow.
Wang Yuying froze, suddenly having the illusion that Zheng Yangzhi was shattering.
She stared at him for a while, and even felt a very shallow sense of pity. But when she came to her senses, she was unconsciously drawn to such a despicable person, and a wave of embarrassment, anger and self-reproach washed over her. She said sarcastically, "Zheng Yangzhi, I never thought you would end up like this one day."
It's exactly like a stray dog that got beaten up by its owner and then chased away.
Zheng Yangzhi sadly curled one corner of his lips, shook his head and murmured: "What misfortune have you suffered? You took off your clothes to clothe me and fed me. I can never repay this kindness even if I die."
On her flawless face, her brows were deeply furrowed, yet her expression was kind and understanding.
Wang Yuying lowered her eyes. Historical records state that Xiang Yu, the Hegemon-King of Western Chu, attempted to persuade Han Xin, the Marquis of Huaiyin, to surrender, but Han Xin refused, saying, "The King of Han bestowed upon me the seal of a Supreme General, gave me tens of thousands of troops, and even took off his own clothes to clothe me and shared his food with me."
Emperor Gaozu of Han, Liu Bang, took off his own clothes and gave them to Han Xin to wear, and offered him his own food. How could he betray such a kindness?
But how did Emperor Gaozu treat Han Xin later?
Zheng Yangzhi's words were both bold and aggrieved. Coupled with his pitiful tone and expression, if he were a woman, he would have no chance against Xu Heng.
Unfortunately, Wang Yuying wasn't buying it and bluntly pointed out: "Come on, you've come all this way to me, and you haven't really suffered in silence."
Upon hearing this, Zheng Yangzhi's eyes once again revealed the same infatuation as that night.
Wang Yuying quickly turned her head away, refusing to meet his gaze. Juanxue and Shuangtian were stunned into silence—everyone in the capital said that Prime Minister Zheng had never been interested in worldly affairs, yet in this lifetime, they would actually see him gazing so intently at a woman.
This is a bit tricky, because this woman is their family's spiritual master.
Juanxue and Shuangtian closed their eyes, lowered their heads, and were filled with remorse.
Zheng Yangzhi's smile faded, and his voice became soft and gentle: "I keep thinking about what you said that night, and the more I think about it, the clearer it becomes in my heart."
Upon hearing this, Juanxue and Shuangtian turned deathly pale, their eyes clenching so tightly that wrinkles appeared at the corners of their eyes. Wang Yuying noticed this and, without pressuring them, said, "You two, step back."
Juanxue and Shuangtian breathed a sigh of relief, expressing their deepest gratitude to Wang Yuying, before slipping back to their side room and closing the door tightly.
Zheng Yangzhi closed his lips when Wang Yuying gave the order, and only spoke again after hearing the door close: "I wonder if you remember the first time we actually met?"
"I thought you were like those other women, deliberately trying to pick me up. I thought you were both stupid and wicked. 'There were no geese in the sky,' which was stupid, but crashing into a horse without regard for human life was wicked. Plus, I was sick at the time and in a bad mood, so I slammed the car door shut. But at the same time, I felt a strange emotion, I don't know what it was, I just know that when the car door was open, I would unconsciously look at you. When you were chasing after me, I couldn't help but peek through a crack in the window. This was beyond my control. The closer you chased, the stronger that strange feeling became, I couldn't shake it off, I became more and more afraid and angry. I thought I was annoyed by your harassment. Not long after I started driving, I encountered a dead eagle falling from the sky, and I realized I had misunderstood you."
"Let me tell you a secret: I'm terrified of birds. You actually managed to shoot an eagle! Not only did my anger vanish instantly, but I also felt a surge of joy. As if possessed, I took the eagle home, thinking I'd apologize to you next time we meet."
“But you don’t,” Wang Yuying replied.
"Yes." A hint of regret flashed in Zheng Yangzhi's eyes. "Because later His Majesty told me that he had fallen in love with a girl, and I was very happy to hear that. But when I saw it was you, those emotions and resentment surged up uncontrollably in my heart. Not only did I not apologize, but I also blurted out some harsh words to you. Actually, I was stunned after I said it. Why did I suddenly say such derogatory and hurtful things?"
“Never before, this is not like me, I lost control from then on.”
“I thought I was upset because of your retort, and I should have left in anger and never seen you again. But I saw you laughing and talking with His Majesty through the crack in the door, and I kept watching. I was rooted to the spot. I can’t explain the strangeness and contradictions at all.”
"His Majesty was not yet on the throne then, and he was still my best friend. You two got along well and were very loving. I should have been happy for him, and I wanted to be happy for him, but I couldn't. I tried and worked hard, but I just couldn't be happy. I can only explain it by saying that you and His Majesty were not suitable for each other, after all, His Majesty was already engaged."
"So I kept opposing, obstructing, and slandering you. By the time I realized that my strange feelings were liking, jealousy, or anger, it was too late."
Zheng Yangzhi's body was still trembling slightly from the pain, but he endured it and spoke a long speech in one breath: "At this point, I should have stopped and made amends, but I didn't. After I understood my own feelings, I became even more envious of you and His Majesty. Whenever I had the chance, I would try to stop and separate you. But after each time I did it, I was filled with longing for what I could not have, self-blame for hurting you, and guilt for betraying His Majesty. Yet I could not tolerate your love with His Majesty. Every night of conflict and pain, I would use your hairpin to tattoo words on my chest. When my body ached, my heart would feel a little better."
Upon hearing this, Wang Yuying glanced at Zheng Yangzhi's chest and carefully examined the character "Ying," which indeed appeared to be repeatedly traced and engraved on the original marks.
“After you humiliated me that night, I kept thinking, if I were you, how would I feel if I heard what I said? The more I reflected on it, the more guilty and remorseful I felt.” He was covered in cold sweat, and his trembling intensified. “I am... such a terrible person.”
Wang Yuying lowered her eyes, her gaze tracing a circle on the ground.
Zheng Yangzhi stared intently at Wang Yuying, not wanting to miss even the slightest detail of her blinking eyes: "Liking someone shouldn't be done in a humiliating way. I regret not responding when you apologized, and not stopping when you chased the carriage, so that we could have met before His Majesty. I regret not befriending you properly when you and His Majesty were together, so that after your divorce, I might have had a chance like General Jing."
His throat tightened, and it was all too late. This lesson was more painful than a hundred sword wounds.
“Actually, after you left the palace, I said many bad things about you.” Zheng Yangzhi confessed. “That day at the tavern, to prevent His Majesty from entering, I said there were courtesans inside. And a few days ago, when you had just returned to the palace, I said to His Majesty that you were ‘violent and had a long list of misdeeds; arrogant and domineering, vindictive and vindictive. You abused the concubines, causing widespread resentment in the Forbidden City, offended His Majesty, and disregarded the Emperor’s authority.’”
After he finished speaking, he paused for a moment before Wang Yuying finally spoke: "I can guess," she said, her eyes still fixed on the ground, "You're a dog who can't say anything nice."
“It won’t happen again.” Zheng Yangzhi immediately replied, “After that night, I didn’t want His Majesty to know, so I still treated you coldly in public. I apologize for this mistake.”
But now that His Majesty knows, there is no need to avoid suspicion anymore. Zheng Yangzhi thought to himself, and couldn't help but raise the corners of his lips, gazing tenderly at Wang Yuying.
"You've said so much tonight because people are about to die, and their words are always kind?" she asked.
"It has nothing to do with today's injury. I've wanted to tell you this for a long time, but it's not convenient to say it in front of others. Every time I smile at you in private, before I can even open my mouth, you close the door and disappear."
“That’s because your smile is terrifying,” Wang Yuying replied without thinking. After saying that, she felt that the words were too intimate and shouldn’t have been said, so she quickly added a few words, “Originally, I didn’t plan to save you, but thinking back to when we were at Yuqing Temple, although your motives were not good, you were the only one who offered a helping hand. I’m the kind of person who repays kindness and avenges wrongs, and I’m quick to settle scores.”
Zheng Yangzhi's gaze was fixed on her face as he smiled and said, "You are a person of strong emotions."
Wang Yuying said, "I avenged myself with that kick back then, and tonight I'll repay the only favor you did for me. We're even now, so don't ever hang around in front of me again!"
Zheng Yangzhi pretended not to hear and turned to look at the sky: "Actually, in the past two years, I don't know if it's because of the repeated tattooing that went too deep and damaged my internal organs and meridians, but I always feel pain all over my body on rainy days, and sometimes I break out in a cold sweat from the pain."
Wang Yuying kept her head turned to the side, her expression unchanged.
Zheng Yangzhi added, "Perhaps that pain, and even the injuries I have suffered today, are God's punishment for my previous arrogance, malice, and selfishness towards you."
"No! His Majesty injured you, how can you blame me?" Wang Yuying immediately distanced herself from the situation.
Zheng Yangzhi chuckled to himself. He had finally understood his own feelings; he liked her, including her sharp wit. Although he wouldn't tease or belittle her anymore, he still quite enjoyed it when she teased and belittled him.
"Then can you forgive me?" Zheng Yangzhi pressed.
"No," Wang Yuying replied immediately. Anyone can just talk.
Zheng Yangzhi smiled slightly as he gazed at the sky. The moon was bright and the stars were few tonight. He wondered if lying on the ground now could be considered a kind of couch.
She said I couldn't get on the bed anymore, but since I was kneeling anyway, it seemed the same as kneeling off the bed...
Zheng Yangzhi smiled and let out a breath.
"Get up and go back quickly," Wang Yuying urged him, having no intention of letting Zheng Yangzhi stay overnight.
This time, Zheng Yangzhi not only turned his head, but turned his entire body to face Wang Yuying. He glanced down at his neck and saw that he was only wearing gauze and a pair of underpants. He couldn't go home like this, could he?
Zheng Yangzhi reverted to his previous pitiful state, sighing, "You've shredded my court robes."
This sounded a bit strange. Wang Yuying was silent for a moment before replying, "In urgent situations, one should act expediently."
She was only dressed in women's clothing, but obviously, this reason didn't work on Zheng Yangzhi.
After a long while, unable to think of any other good reason, she simply raised her chin and declared, "I don't have any clothes for you to wear."
Zheng Yangzhi smiled, propped himself up with his hands, and picked up the cloak covered in dust and blood, carefully wrapping it around himself from neck to toe.
"I'm leaving," he told Wang Yuying.
Wang Yuying did not respond.
Zheng Yangzhi smiled and looked down at the ground, which was covered in blood. He thought, "She'll surely scold me for making such a mess, won't she?" But Wang Yuying didn't say anything to him.
Zheng Yangzhi wasn't annoyed: "Take care."
Then, step by step, they moved very slowly out of the courtyard gate.
Wang Yuying kept staring at his back, not to see him off, but to lock the door after he left.
Not long after Zheng Yangzhi stepped out the door, he heard the sound of the courtyard gate being locked. He smiled and touched his lower lip with his finger—when she had caught her thumb, her fingertip had touched the corner of his lips.
He had never touched her two luscious, red lips.
Zheng Yangzhi pulled his cloak tighter around himself again. The long night was filled with the sight of two rows of palace lanterns guiding him, and he no longer felt the pain or loneliness.
*
The Imperial Study.
The Emperor has many official duties to attend to today. After dismissing Grand Commandant Feng and others, he will promote candidates to take over. Prime Minister Li is suspected of corruption and will also be investigated. In addition, there are thirteen other memorials submitted before the Emperor's remonstrance, criticizing the Empress's return to the palace. All of them will be rejected.
So I'm still busy at this hour.
A short while later, a eunuch arrived, tiptoed in, and crouched down in the corner. Qingfu glanced at him immediately, then remained silent.
The emperor caught a glimpse of it out of the corner of his eye, but ignored it.
He ordered Qingfu to send a few eunuchs to keep an eye on Zheng Yangzhi. At first, they would report back every half hour: "Your Majesty, the Vice Chancellor has gone halfway through the Thousand Steps Corridor."
"Report—The Vice Prime Minister has descended from the Thousand-Step Corridor."
...
After this happened four or five times, Xu Heng's initial pleasure turned into impatience. He was too lazy to listen to Zheng Yangzhi's slow pace any longer, so he ordered the eunuchs to stop running back and forth and wait until Zheng Yangzhi left the palace before reporting back.
So the eunuch obeyed the order meticulously and only reappeared at this moment.
After Xu Heng finished reviewing the memorial in his hand, he slowly leaned back in his chair and asked, "So, he left the palace?"
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