Chapter 102: Injured

After the beginning of autumn, it was time to cure the preserved meats.

In fact, now that several brothers of the Ning family had gone out with the army, and many townsfolk had joined the fight, the whole town was restless.

When going out to the market for vegetables, one could often overhear people discussing how the war was going.

It was clear that Lu Yunjian had been defeated.

The imperial army had won a great victory, and A wu listened with a relieved heart.

However, occasionally, rumors about Lu Yunjian escaping began to circulate.

The court’s forces were still searching for him, and the news was muddled.

Some said Lu Yunjian had colluded with the Wokou, others claimed he had harnessed the mysterious power of the Frangqi and used some sort of artillery.

There were even whispers that he was hiding deep in the Archipelago of Luzhou, in remote and uninhabited places lying in ambush.

In short, the rumors were far-fetched.

A wu listened to these stories with growing worry.

She feared something might happen to her three brothers, feared for Ye Han, and also worried about Emperor Jingxi.

Her mind was unsettled, but she still bought some fish and shrimp.

After returning home, she prepared to cure them into dried shrimp and dried fish.

Once cured, these dried goods would carry a salty-sweet flavor and an aromatic richness that A wu very much cherished.

Back at home, Ning Yinhua helped A wu with the work.

A wu took care of cleaning, while Ning Yinhua handled the thin slicing.

The father and daughter were busy from morning till night, and keeping occupied helped her momentarily forget her worries.

But on this day, just as the two were about to hang the dried fish to dry, a squad of officers suddenly arrived at their home.

Leading the group was Futai, who wore a grave expression and hurried steps.

A wu’s heart sank at the sight, and she quickly asked, “Eunuch Fu, what’s happened?”

Futai stepped forward at once and said hurriedly, “There’s been trouble. Third Young Master and the Emperor have both been poisoned. Third Young Master is alright, but the Emperor remains unconscious!”

A wu gasped, “What? How did this happen? What’s his condition now?”

Ning Yinhua overheard and frowned deeply.

Futai hurriedly explained the details.

The auxiliary ship where the Ning brothers were stationed had detected Lu Yunjian’s trail during the night.

The two sides engaged in close combat.

The imperial navy pressed the attack, and within half an hour, the remnants of the Zhen’an Marquis Manor’s forces were all cut down.

Lu Yunjian, protected by a few trusted men, had taken advantage of the chaos to escape on a small boat.

But he hadn’t gotten far before encountering an ambush—an ambush led by the men from the Beihai Coastal Defense Post where Ye Han was stationed.

Ye Han hated Lu Yunjian deeply.

Since the naval battle began, he had been tracking Lu Yunjian carefully, waiting for an opportunity.

The two sides fought and surrounded Lu Yunjian’s forces, finally crushing them and capturing Lu Yunjian.

At first, everything seemed to be going smoothly.

But it turned out that Lu Yunjian was prepared to die rather than fall into Emperor Jingxi’s hands.

He had hidden Haimaochong—sea caterpillars—and Luzhou Island’s poisonous ants on his person, intending to die with the Emperor.

The Emperor was heavily protected by the Dragon Guard and was extremely cautious, so he did not let his guard down.

However, Ning Sanlang hated Lu Yunjian so much that when he saw him, he dealt him a severe beating, unwittingly exposing himself to the poison.

At the time, he did not realize it.

When Lu Yunjian was brought back under guard and the Emperor questioned Ning Sanlang, the poison had spread.

Consequently, the Emperor, Ning Sanlang, and several officers all lost consciousness.

A wu’s heart clenched painfully.

Deep down, she had always been worried, yet she had tried to tell herself she was overthinking it.

Who would have guessed her fears would come true?

She hurriedly asked, “What about now? How is he?”

Futai replied, “The Imperial Physician is currently attending to him. We also called in military doctors from the Coastal Defense Post, who know the poison of these noxious insects well. They say the poison isn’t severe; common medicinal herbs can cure it. That’s why Ning Sanlang recovered so quickly. But the Emperor is not a native of the Eastern Sea and hasn’t adapted to the local environment. After being poisoned, the damp heat in his body combined with the toxin, allowing evil qi to invade his heart, which caused him to fall into a coma.”

A wu’s anxiety deepened, “Then what do we do?”

Ning Yinhua’s face remained calm as he said, “It’s true that the Archipelago of Luzhou is full of poisonous insects and miasma, but there’s no need to worry excessively. If it had been deadly poison, with immediate fatal effects, he wouldn’t be alive now. The fact that he’s only unconscious means the poison isn’t overwhelmingly lethal, so there must be a way to detoxify him.”

Futai added, “The Imperial Physicians say that although His Majesty is unconscious, there is hope for his recovery. There is no immediate threat to his life. However, the Emperor’s body is precious and delicate. This news has been kept secret and not allowed to spread. Because the Emperor is away on campaign, the lower officials are handling court affairs, but none of them dare make decisions on matters involving the Emperor’s health. Only the Empress Dowager or the Imperial Son have the authority, but they are far away and unable to intervene.”

Futai looked at A wu with a clear implication.

Being away from the palace, the Emperor had no female attendants or imperial wives with him.

Only eunuchs and officers cared for him, but none dared decide on medications or treatments without orders.

A wu’s face turned deathly pale, her hands trembling.

Although her father and Futai said there was no danger to His Majesty’s life, she still felt an overwhelming fear.

Just days before, she had been pondering what to do.

Now, upon hearing this news, her heart twisted painfully.

She knew, no matter what, she hoped he would live.

She could not bear anything to go wrong.

Personally, how could she bear to lose him?

Officially, if Emperor Jingxi were to die, all their plans would come to nothing.

Her two children, who had not yet enjoyed their father’s love, would lose him forever.

What a pitiful and tragic fate that would be!

She also thought of her third brother.

If he were to come to harm because of this, she would never find peace.

How much regret and hatred she would feel!

But amidst all this anguish, she took a deep breath and tried to calm herself.

She knew Futai was right.

The Imperial Physician, the Dragon Guard, Futai himself—none of them could decide the Emperor’s fate in such a crucial moment.

But she, who had once been his Imperial Noble Consort, his imperial wife, must stand by him and make decisions on his behalf.

So she looked at her father, “Father?”

Ning Yinhua paused thoughtfully.

He had long planned how to gain leverage over this exalted ruler to fight for his daughter.

But now that the Emperor was unconscious, and emergency measures had to be taken, he said, “Very well, you will follow Eunuch Fu to the Coastal Defense Post.”

***

A wu’s heart burned with anxiety.

She hastily packed and prepared to follow Futai.

While packing, her hand brushed against the ring she wore and she suddenly remembered Lu Yunjian’s Yusuo Tablet.

She paused for a moment.

She had heard that Lu Yunjian was already captured and had become a prisoner.

She vaguely felt that this was, in a way, an ending.

She took out the Yusuo Tablet and kept it close as she hurriedly followed Futai to the Coastal Defense Post.

Since time was urgent, they rode horses.

Although A wu wasn’t skilled at riding, having traveled with Ye Han back to the Eastern Sea, she had learned some.

They rode quickly, and after two hours of travel, they arrived.

Emperor Jingxi was at the Beihai Coastal Defense Post, situated by the sea.

From afar, A wu saw the towering city walls and the high watchtowers.

Outside the towers, the sea waves crashed turbulently, vast and boundless.

Docked on the water were massive warships, their tall white sails gleaming under the blue sky.

The black barrels of huge cannons mounted on deck were awe-inspiring.

As they approached, A wu saw neatly lined-up troops drilling, while a group of officers hurried out on horseback to greet them.

Futai dismounted first, saying, “Your Highness, we’ve arrived.”

After a long ride, A wu’s legs ached and her feet tingled; she could barely stand.

Futai supported her.

At that moment, Ning Dalang and Ning Erlang arrived, having heard the news.

A wu quickly asked, “How is Third Brother?”

Ning Erlang replied, “He is fine, already awake and taking medicine. He was reckless and caused trouble for the Emperor. If something happens to His Majesty, how could we bear it?”

Ning Dalang noticed A wu’s worry for the Emperor and gave his brother a meaningful look.

Then he reassured her, “According to the Imperial Physicians, it’s nothing serious. The problem is His Majesty is not a native here and isn’t accustomed to the local diet or the poisonous insects. We grew up dealing with these sea creatures; it’s not a big deal for us, but His Majesty had never encountered them before and is unaccustomed.”

Moreover, Emperor Jingxi had been raised in comfort.

Suddenly coming into contact with such toxins naturally caused a strong reaction.

A wu’s anxiety deepened, and Futai quickly took her to visit the Emperor.

Emperor Jingxi was housed in the rear courtyard of the Coastal Defense Post.

On the way, they passed rows of officer guards and Dragon Guards.

From afar came the scent of medicinal herbs and burning mugwort.

At the door, several Imperial Physicians stood with grave expressions, clearly recognizing Futai and probably knowing A wu’s identity, so they respectfully greeted her.

A wu did not respond but hurriedly asked, “How is His Majesty?”

Futai asked, “Is it convenient for you to enter and tend to him?”

The Imperial Physicians replied quickly, “The poison has been detoxified, and the room inside and out has been fumigated thoroughly. You may enter to see him, but it’s best to wash your face and hands with medicinal herbs and be fumigated as well.”

A wu said, “Very well, quickly.”

Soon, an attendant brought her a basin of herbal water to wash her hands and face.

Then she stood before a brazier burning various herbs and mugwort, thoroughly fumigating her body before entering the chamber.

Inside, a strong scent of medicine mingled with mugwort filled the air.

Emperor Jingxi lay on a bed against the wall, his eyes tightly closed.

A wu’s heart ached sharply.

She stepped quickly to his side and bent down to look at him.

His face was pale, his thin lips slightly faded in color.

The proud and dignified countenance now seemed fragile.

Seeing this, A wu was truly afraid.

Never before had she so clearly realized this man was her pillar, the one she held in her heart, the father of her two children.

No matter what, she and he had once shared such tender sweetness, had together faced the joy of conceiving children.

This was an indelible truth.

If he were to leave her now, how painful and desperate she would be!

She had to have this man live, live in this world!

As she thought this, Futai entered with two little eunuchs carrying a bowl of medicinal broth to cleanse the Emperor’s body.

A wu glanced and said, “Let me do it.”

Futai hesitated briefly, then agreed, “Very well.”

He explained how to cleanse His Majesty and then left the room, ordering the eunuchs to assist her.

For A wu, this was new—a first.

Since the day she met Emperor Jingxi, this man had been strong and invincible before her.

He seemed to control everything around her.

She had been the one who served and was cherished.

But now, for the first time, he lay there with his eyes shut, pale and fragile, his long and strong hands now weakly drooping.

She took his hand, soaked a towel in herbal water, and gently wiped it.

She carefully cared for him.

Then she loosened his robes and wiped his chest.

It wasn’t the first time she had seen him like this, but before, it had always been in dim light and amid distracted passion, never observed so clearly.

Now, she saw the defined lines of his muscles—strong and resilient.

The touch was pleasant, seemingly full of strength.

While doing this, memories came flooding back.

She recalled mornings lying on the bed, poking her head out from beneath the brocade curtains, swinging her legs curiously as she watched palace maids dressing him and washing him, brushing his hair.

At that time, she only watched, amused.

He was the Emperor, needing no help from her.

He always cared for her meticulously.

She remembered how he would hold her, having her straddle his waist like a little child, bouncing her up and down.

That posture, that strength, was intoxicating and irresistible.

‘Ah, stop thinking about it!’

Suddenly, A wu heard a faint groan, as if in pain.

She looked up quickly.

It was Emperor Jingxi.

He frowned with difficulty, seeming to suffer.

A wu was startled and said, “Call the Imperial Physicians quickly! Is His Majesty in pain?”

A eunuch lowered his voice carefully and said, “His Majesty is only uncomfortable in his sleep. The Imperial Physicians have said it’s nothing serious.”

A wu was stunned.

She understood the eunuch’s words meant he had endured this pain for a long time.

Her heart ached unbearably.

After finishing the cleansing, she sat at the bedside, gazing down at his features.

The man who ruled the world, so calculating when awake, was now silent and still in slumber.

She raised a hand and gently smoothed his furrowed brow with her fingertips.

Doing so, tears welled up and spilled down.

She had ridden horseback for two hours and was exhausted.

Seeing him like this, her pain was overwhelming.

She felt weak and collapsed onto him, wrapping her arms around his slender waist.

Burying her face in his chest, breathing in his steady breath, she was reluctant to leave, desperate for him to awaken.

She wanted him to stroke her hair and soothe her, to treat her kindly, to give her everything.

Before, when she waited for her father and brothers, she always hoped for their return.

Facing him, perhaps unconsciously, she had yearned to make up for what she lacked.

Because of this, when looking at Dening or the Crown Princess, she sometimes felt jealousy.

But now, with her father home and loving her, that sense of loss was filled.

Yet she realized more clearly her affection for him—the attraction between man and woman, the intimacy between their beds, the allure when their gazes met that made one sink deep.

In truth, Emperor Jingxi and her father shared some similarities—their calm temperaments, worldly wisdom, understanding of state affairs, and ruthless decisiveness in critical moments.

But at this moment, A wu knew clearly that in her heart, Emperor Jingxi and her father were different.

Before the Emperor, she seemed more spoiled and demanding, wanting him to pamper her more.

Without realizing it, she was already asking more of him.

A wu hugged him tighter.

“If you don’t wake up, I will hate you. I’ll marry someone else immediately.”