Your Highness, Please Love Me Tender

137. Zhui Xing and Lian Cang

 

Translator: Flying Lines

 

The next morning, when Su Jie woke up, the toxin of the Heartbroken had already spread to his right leg, itching and painful as if thousands of ants were gnawing at his leg. The numbness, powerlessness along with the tingling pain in his right leg made Su Jie frown, causing him to nearly stagger down as he took a step.

“This Heartbroken is really poisonous. My leg worsened to this point overnight.” Su Jie waited with patience in the room to get used to the pain, then walked out of the room with a look of ease.

For Su Jie, who had been tortured by the Death Gu, the pain brought by the Heartbroken was not unbearable. Although with each step, his right foot seemed to be walking on a knife, Su Jie just endured it alone.

Su Jie planned to check on the officials who had worked for Lan BuHui after visiting Xiao Shengnian. Lan BuHui didn’t do any harm to the officials when he left. Some of the officials were willing to surrender, while some were not. Su Jie hadn’t got the time to select any talents for the time being, so he needed to consider using some of these officials.

“Kill those who refuse to surrender, send those fence-sitters to the remote areas, and then hold the imperial examination to select the talents among the civilians. Elder Zhou can serve as the Imperial Teacher to cultivate talents for you.” Xiao ShengNian intended to stay and help Su Jie. Although his arm was injured, it didn’t affect his brain, so he followed Su Jie to where the officials were imprisoned.

Not until then did Xiao ShengNian realize something and asked, “Where is Elder Zhou?”

“Elder Zhou went to…” Su Jie, deep in thought, almost blurted out the truth when asked. Fortunately, he came back to earth and changed the topic in time, “Elder Zhou is busy preparing for the crowning ceremony scheduled to hold in ten days. There are a lot of things to deal with recently.”

However, Xiao ShengNian squinted his eyes, keenly noticing that change of emotion flashing by Su Jie’s face.

“Are you hiding something from me?”

“No.” Su Jie smiled and walked into the room where the officials were imprisoned.

Xiao ShengNian followed behind Su Jie silently, feeling something was wrong.

But he couldn’t tell what it was.

Xiao ShengNian was still deep in thought after Su Jie finished dealing with the matter of those officials.

He paused and scrutinized Su Jie.

Su Jie was walking ahead when he found that Xiao ShengNian didn’t catch up. He couldn’t help but turn around and ask, “What’s wrong?”

“There’s something wrong with your leg.” Although Xiao ShengNian didn’t possess the superpower to see through his clothes and notice the abnormal bruise underneath, the sharp sense of the martial artist enabled him to notice under careful observation that the way Su Jie walked was a little abnormal.

It was still a secret in State Yanling that Su Jie had been poisoned by the Heartbroken, so no one told Xiao ShengNian about it.

Su Jie wanted to hide it from Xiao ShengNian, thinking that Zhou ZaiYue had gone to make the antidote, but he had underestimated Xiao ShengNian’s keen observation.

Helpless, Su Jie had to give Xiao ShengNian a simple account of how he had been poisoned by the Heartbroken.

“Heartbroken?” Xiao ShengNian frowned, “Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”

“You… you have the antidote?”

“No.”

“So, it’s just letting one more person worry for me. I don’t like it.” Su Jie explained.

“I just want to be someone you can count on in danger. I hope you can think of me when you encounter difficulties. Even if I can’t help you, I can face it with you.” Xiao ShengNian said seriously.

Su Jie looked at him and finally nodded, “Okay.”

The news of the unified State YanLing quickly spread throughout neighboring countries who all sent envoys to deliver gifts and their congratulations. And the reason why Su Jie decided to hold the ceremony in ten days was to give the neighboring countries enough time to prepare and attend it.

At this time, the men sent by the Guqin Master from State YanHui had disguised as businessmen and entered the State YanLing. They had seen the portrait of “Sharp Sword” given by the Guqin Master. The purpose of this trip was to see if the emperor of State YanLing who was about to ascend the throne was Sharp Sword.

At the same time, Zhui Xing arrived at the capital of State YanLing.

Zhui Xing’s temperament and bearing made the center of attention wherever he went. With a cold face and fierce aura, he was stopped at the city gate.

Recently, the constant assassination of Su Jie had already made the guards and generals of State YanLing feel a headache. Even the investigation of people entering and exiting the city had become extremely strict. Lian Cang was standing on the city wall and looking down at the common people as the soldiers let them in after thorough body searches. So, Zhui Xing, who was a complete stranger to all guards, was considered suspicious.

Lian Cang got off the wall and asked Zhui Xing.

“Where did you come from?”

Zhui Xing thought for a while and told the truth, “State YanHui.”

“State YanHui?” Lian Cang’s face darkened. Now all the top military officers of State YanLing knew that the elegant and noble man next to His Highness the Crown Prince was a prince of State YanHui. The senior generals wouldn’t tell anyone about this, but in their hearts, they didn’t like Xiao ShengNian being with Su Jie.

Especially Lian Cang. Every time he saw Xiao ShengNian, he would scrutinize him with sharp eyes, fearing that Xiao ShengNian would harm their crown prince.

It was not until Xiao ShengNian blocked the arrow for Su Jie that the vice generals had changed their attitude toward Xiao ShengNian, but they were still wary of Xiao ShengNian.

Now hearing that Zhui Xing came from State YanHui, Lian Cang snorted and said, “The imperial city is of crucial importance where people harboring evil intentions are not allowed in. Leave Yanling’s territory as soon as possible, or don’t blame me for catching you up.”

“I’m here to find my prince.” Zhui Xing was sizing up Lian Cang in silence. He noticed that the armor Lian Cang was wearing was of a vice-general’s rank, second only to General in State YanLing, thus deducing that Lian Cang could get in touch with Su Jie, which indicated he must know who was the prince he was talking about.

When Xiao ShengNian left State YanHui, he didn’t bring Zhui Xing with him, but entrusted Zhui Xing to deal with everything in Yanhui. Zhui Xing sensed the movement of Prince Qin’s mansion, but couldn’t contact His Highness no matter what. Therefore, he had rushed to State YanLing at top speed.

After arriving State YanLing, Zhui Xing first saw Prince Xian and Yue Wanzhi at the border, knowing that Xiao ShengNian was by Su Jie’s side. Then he quickly followed the army all the way to the city without a moment’s delay.

“Prince? What sort of prince?” There was only one crown prince in State YanLing. Who was this prince he was talking about? Lian Cang frowned impatiently and then realized that His Highness the Crown Prince had a prince from State YanHui by his side.

“You are looking for that prince.” Lian Cang laughed, looking at Zhui Xing and asking, “What are you here for? To bring your prince back?”

“Yes.” Zhui Xing answered with a cold face.

“Ok, I’m gonna let someone take you to him.” Lian Cang grumbled in his heart. The prince of State YanHui had been staying by his Highness’s side for too long, luckily now someone from his own country was here to take him back.

Thinking of this, Lian Cang felt quite happy and said with a wave of his hand, “Let’s go. I’ll take you to look for your prince personally.”