Cry of the Midnight Jackdaw

Chapter Thirty,
Drowning

This made him immediately wake up from the slightly intoxicating drunkenness. He Xuan knitted his eyebrows and went around some aristocratic young lord from somewhere saying words of flattery like long live your Highness, and blocked He Yang who was still toasting all around.

“Nan(south)……” Just as the word came out the mouth, He Xuan suddenly recalled the words Xiao Zuo said at that time to not care about him, and he suddenly paused, and said, “Has the repairs to the south’s yard been fixed?”

“It has been completed just a few days ago. It was made in the style of the Yu Ye PoolJade Liquid (wine), next year in the summer, remember to come admire the lotuses.” He Yang held up his cup in self satisfaction, and just as he was going to say something, he saw a small servant boy run over in a panic, and say in a small voice, “Your Highness, the Nan Hun Duke has slipped in the water at the south yard’s pool!”

“What?” He Yang’s face instantly turned bad, He Heng did not want to touch this Nan Hun Duke for the time being, so if he were to have something happen in his residence, the troubles he would get into would be enough for him to suffer. Beside him, He Xuan also clearly heard, and looked at him with knitted eyebrows, He Yang cupped his hand to him, “I will go look now.”

After finishing, He Yang then hurriedly planned on going over, but just as his right leg took one step out, he seemed to have abruptly remembered something, and then turned his head again. He Xuan’s gloomy face seemed like the dark clouds right now gathering by the skies, where a slight grasp could explode into a storm of thunder, He Yang slightly guiltily coughed lightly, then lowered his voice, “If Brother is worried, then come along with me to see.”

Once He Yang and the others arrived, Xiao Zuo was already saved by a guard. His waist-long hair twisted into a ball and fell behind the head, like finely winding algae at the bottom of the water, while the clothes were all drenched. In this kind of winter day, the waters were piercing cold, but Xiao Zuo’s luck was bad too- this pool was just filled with water, only a thin layer of ice solidified on it, it looked to be able to hold people, but the truth was not as such.

Xiao Zuo’s lips were so cold they were all blue and purple, seeping with a dark and gloomy black colour. He softly leaned on a fake mountain to the side, and the few locks of hair on his forehead were still continuously dripping with water, and seeped into his collar along his profile. As though he was extremely cold, Xiao Zuo’s eyelids slightly shook, and his lips also trembled without a stop, and that bead of water on his eyelashes jerked up and down along with the motion.

He Yang saw this appearance, and pulled the guard still in a daze to the side in a fit of rage and started jumping, “You bunch of stupid camels! The weather is so cold, do you want to freeze the duke to death by letting him lie on the floor all dripping wet? If he were to die, even if you were to have your heads cut off one by one, it wouldn’t be enough to compensate!”

“This subordinate deserves death, this subordinate deserves death.” The guard on the side was like he was startled from a dream, and hurriedly lifted up Xiao Zuo who still had his eyes closed to a guest room in a fluster. He Xuan blankly watched a swaying pale hand hanging from Xiao Zuo, and could not help but recall that year he was ten, it was also on a winter day like this, it was also in this kind of pool that did not ice over.

He seemed to even be able to recall that bone-seeping icy water, continuously assaulting his nasal cavity wave by wave. In the panic, his four limbs struggled hopelessly, yet could only sink deeper and deeper. His eyes stung painfully due to the waters, he only had enough time to see the top of his head faintly seeped in with a sliver of daylight.

How was he saved that time? It seems like he can’t remember that clearly anymore. He Xuan blankly looked at that deep pool, there must be a giant beast in there, he patiently prostrated in the bottom of the water, and didn’t find it enough to swallow the young and small He Xuan into his stomach, he even had to drag Xiao Zuo into the bottom of the water where one could not see the light of day.

But the bottom of the water was too cold, too dark, it was enough with just him alone.

“Brother? Brother?”

He Xuan coughed lowly, then stiffly moved away his eyes, and heard He Yang say, “Since this is something that happened in my residence, I will need to go look, what does Brother plan on doing next?”

“Ig will go with you.” These words seemed to not go through any consideration, and fell out along He Xuan’s throat. He knitted his eyebrows, like he was a bit angry at this kind of action of betraying himself, yet the steps did not even fall behind He Yang one bit and entered the guest room.

Inside the room, the doctor in He Yang’s residence already finished checking up, and was sitting at the side fiddling with the medical kit. Seeing He Xuan and He Yang both come in, he hurriedly bowed.

“How is it?”

“In reply to your Fourth Highness, thankfully he was saved in time, there is already not much of a big problem, but it is a very cold day after all, with this encounter, he will have wind chills, and must be more careful.”

“Rewarded.” He Yang nodded his head. At this time, Xiao Zuo already woke up, and he slightly arduously turned around, like he wanted to say something, but just as he opened his mouth, he immediately started coughing with all his might. He Xuan stood at a far place and watched him, Xiao Zuo’s face was still frighteningly pale, He Xuan knitted his eyebrows, but in the end, he held it in and did not go forward.

“Greetings to the Fourth Highness, your Highness the Crown Prince.”

“What happened?”

Xiao Zuo pursed his mouth, a maid to the side handed a handkerchief to him, Xiao Zuo took it then smiled, “It is all my fault. I was originally in the yard searching for my pouch, and just so happen to see a corner of the pouch, I got impatient momentarily, and wanted to go over from the surface of the lake. I am from the south, I originally thought the lakes in the north were all very sturdy, who knew just as I stepped on it, the thin ice on top would shatter, then……”

“So it was like that.” He Yang sighed, “This is not your fault. Since it is something that happened in my residence, go back and rest properly for a few days. If you need any medicinal herbs, just speak, I will go see you in a few days.”

“Thank you for the concern, your Highness.” Xiao Zuo squeezed out a smile, and wanted to get up to bow, but was pressed back by He Yang, “Go rest, I still need to go back to the front reception, I will take my leave first.”

“Take your time, your Highness.”

He Xuan was always standing far away, and expressionlessly listened to him and He Yang go back and forth. Once He Yang went out the door, He Xuan followed him out, and before leaving, he turned back to glance at Xiao Zuo. He was lowering his head, the newly-changed clean underclothes were a bit wide, and on his body, it was all loose, making his physique appear a bit thin and weak. He Xuan’s foot stopped, then hung his eyes down and moved away his gaze, then closed the door.

❀

“Keh, keh……” Xiao Zuo leaned on the back of the bed and coughed a few times. Just when he wanted to lie back down and continue sleeping, Zi Wan already brought a pot of water and came inside, “Duke, have some hot water.”

Xiao Zuo nodded his head, and took it and drank a mouthful, then laid back down. Zi Wan looked at him, and sighed with knitted eyebrows, “Duke, why must you torture yourself like this?”

“Torture myself?” Xiao Zuo pulled a bitter smile, he hung his eyes down and pinched a corner of the blanket, “If I were not to torture myself now, there will be no opportunity to.”

“Duke.” Zi Wan’s voice raised up a bit, and disapprovingly tucked the corner of the blanket for him, “How could you say such disheartening words. Should I ask a doctor to come take a look?”

“En.” Xiao Zuo accepted it, Zi Wan reached out and touched his forehead- it was very hot, she dejectedly sighed, got some water from the side, tossed a dry cloth into it to wet, then wrung it and put it on Xiao Zuo’s forehead, “Please sleep, Duke. This servant will call a doctor over.”

The doctor came very quickly. At that time, Xiao Zuo was still sleeping, one could faintly hear his breathing was crude, his face was flushed, and seemed to not sleeping too well, and would also knit his eyebrows in his dreams, with a look of been concerned.

“It a sign of a wind chill.” The doctor packed his bags, “Use this prescription, if the heat is able to withdraw in a few days, then there is no problem. If it still does not withdraw, at that time, come find me again.”

“Thank you, Doctor.” Zi Wan nodded her head, and had the doctor go get the fee for checking up from the steward, then sent him out the door.

“Duke, the medicine is finished concoting.” Zi Wan brought a steaming hot porcelain bowl in through the door, “Would you like to drink it while it’s hot?”

“Throw it out.” Xiao Zuo lifted his eyes up to look without much energy, his voice was all breathy.

Zi Wan froze a bit. She held the bowl and hesitated for a while, but seeing that Xiao Zuo did not have the intent of changing minds, she swept by the potted plant in the corner that withered one half, and her heart fell down, “Duke……”

She originally planned on asking, but just as she opened her mouth, she saw Xiao Zuo long already close his eyes to sleep. Zi Wan could only close her mouth, she brought the empty bowl out, then closed the door.

Wind chills during winter was not easy to get over, Xiao Zuo was not eating medicine either, and on the next day, he burned even more intensely, and had Zi Wan change handkerchief after handkerchief, but it still was not effective.

❀

“How is Xiao Zuo’s illness?” He Xuan was eating dinner, and by coincidence, today’s table had a plate of diced chicken that Xiao Zuo loved to eat. His hand holding the chopsticks paused, and asked as though he recalled something.

Li Fu Hai bent his waist, “I’m afraid it’s not going too well.”

“Not too well?” He Xuan put down his chopsticks, received the handkerchief the maid handed over and wiped his hands while his heart thought to Xiao Zuo’s illness. At this time, he got up, and then suddenly did not know what he wanted to do there. His heart seemed like a small grains porridge that just finished boiling, fuming with hazy hot air, worrying about Xiao Zuo’s illness while also angry that Xiao Zuo did not take care of his own body, and froze in his spot for a long while- the soup in the bowl even went cold, Li Fu Hai stood behind him, and could not help but remind him.

“Your Highness, the dishes will go cold.”

He Xuan then seemed like he just came to. He slightly knitted his eyebrows, the irritation in his heart swelled like a tidal wave and fiercely hit what looked like a steady and stable bank, that kind of unspeakable worry and anger turned into bunches of biting ants, growing into a group and boring into the built masonry whole. That eternal dam finally collapsed, then He Xuan took a deep breath in, and stood up while holding in his rage, and took the big cloak and draped it on, wore his hat, then instructed the servant to prepare the horse, and was anxious to go to Xiao Zuo’s residence to look.

Take it as mobilizing the troops on a punitive expedition, He Xuan’s hands wearing leather gloves tightened on the ropes, and perplexingly thought.