Chapter 57: Who Is Wounded
He Mingpei demanded to know who had fired the poisoned arrow in secret, when Xiong Han, whose spear technique was second to none in the army, stepped forward and knelt. "Your Majesty, it was me!"
Before He Mingpei could speak, Feng Zhao said, "Your Majesty, I ordered Commander Xiong to fire the arrow! The poison was my doing as well!"
He Mingpei was apoplectic with rage, slamming the table as he cursed. "I have repeatedly declared that Yongzhao Army fights honorably and aboveboard—no such underhanded and despicable tactics! Are you trying to shame me? How dare you act without my authorization!"
Tang Shounian paid no heed to Chu Mu's eye-roll and urgently interjected, "Your Majesty, they ordered their men to withdraw a hundred meters and fought us fairly, one on one. And we still fired a poisoned arrow in secret—it's a victory without honor!"
"Shounian, shut your mouth!" Chu Mu snapped. "Let Master Feng finish first!"
Feng Zhao showed no inclination to explain himself. Instead, he turned to question others. "General Mu, do you still remember the Battle of Lise over twenty years ago?"
Mu Zhe, past fifty years old, recalled, "Over twenty years ago, I was still a minor general in Yaojiang. Ordered by the King of Yaojiang, I followed the other generals along with the forces of the State of Deng to attack the tiny state of Anqing. Lise, which bordered Deng, was the only passage to breach Anqing. Hundreds of thousands of armored troops from Yaojiang and Deng arrived at Lise, originally thinking this insignificant Lise would be easy pickings. But we underestimated Anqing's National Preceptor Rong Guan. Though already past fifty, Rong Guan remained extraordinarily fierce. His two sons' sword techniques surpassed even their father's—these three men led fewer than a hundred thousand Anqing troops and inflicted such devastating casualties on us that we fled in utter rout! They were like deities!"
Feng Zhao picked up the thread. "Your Majesty, everyone knows that for centuries this tiny state of Anqing survived solely on the peerless martial arts passed down through the Rong family. Later, when the Rongs declined, Anqing immediately changed dynasties. This Xia Mancheng is precisely the grandson of Rong Guan. judging from his blade technique, he has inherited Rong Guan's true mastery—I'd say calling him invincible under heaven is no exaggeration!"
Nearby, Wang Shou also chimed in, "Master Feng speaks truly! Xia Mancheng shows no desire to restore his kingdom, instead dedicating himself body and soul to Yuanliao. Over these few years, he has swept across the realm, conquering most of Yuanliao's territories! When Xiongzhou clashed with Yuanliao, Yuanliao's forces went from Liqi to the Gui Fortress of Fengmu in just a few months. The King of Xiongzhou exhausted every soldier in his kingdom. Crown Prince Yang Daochun personally led the main army to encircle them from both front and rear, sealing off the Vanguard Battalion of the Zhenwei Army so tightly that not a drop of water could escape. Yet in the end, the crown prince fell on the battlefield. Xia Mancheng led his troops in a blood-soaked breakout, crushing Gui Fortress by sheer force. The Xiongzhou army was annihilated to the last man, and Xia Mancheng didn't even scratch himself." As Wang Shou spoke, he rolled up his sleeve, revealing a horrifying scar running from his upper arm all the way into his back. He continued, "I took that blade from him that day, barely surviving. Xia Mancheng is originally a terrifying creature, like a demon from the abyss. But today he was acting completely out of character—looking so smug and pleased with himself. He must have cut down several of our generals and grown arrogant, only using about two-tenths of his true strength."
Seeing He Mingpei's brow furrowed tight, Feng Zhao said, "Your Majesty, I agree with General Wang's assessment. If Xia Mancheng were to go all out, not one Swift Blade Nie Shen could stand against him—let alone dozens! Your Majesty witnessed his sword technique yourself!"
He Mingpei nodded. "That's true. I saw him with that嬉笑 expression, fighting as if it were mere child's play, effortlessly! If he's not even using his full strength and already fights like a demon, I'd say no one in this world could possibly defeat him."
Feng Zhao pressed on. "Your Majesty, as long as this man remains in the Yuanliao army, we cannot advance a single step! Today my methods were indeed卑劣, but as you saw, no matter how many men we sent against him, it would only be sending them to their deaths. The only way to eliminate him was this method!"
He Mingpei snorted. "Once he recovers from his wounds, won't he come back even stronger?"
"Rest assured, Your Majesty," Feng Zhao smiled. "The exotic poison I used from Yaojiang is no ordinary thing—each poison is brewed in a single bottle, and there's only one corresponding antidote, also a single bottle. If he were captured by our army today and willing to submit, I would certainly have administered the cure. But Cheng Zhongshan saved him and brought him back to camp—actually, that sealed his fate. He will die within ten days."
Kong Fang laughed heartily. "Your Majesty, though we lost several generals today, the true defeat belongs to the Yuanliao army! With Xia Mancheng, their pillar of strength, gone—even if the King of Yuanliao himself leads the campaign, we have nothing to fear! As the saying goes, all is fair in love and war. Today Master Feng and Commander Xiong have rendered great service. Don't cling to trivial matters."
He Mingpei considered for a moment, then nodded. "You speak reasonably! However, if Yongzhao Army keeps pulling stunts like this, we'll lose our prestige. This time we'll let it slide, but if there's a next time, military law will prevail!"
Feng Zhao and Xiong Han hastily replied, "We acknowledge our mistake! There will be no next time."
Tang Shounian started to mutter again, but Chu Mu had already slapped the back of his head. "Can't you shut up already? Aren't you ashamed enough? Or have you actually fallen in love with a man?"
Tang Shounian gaped, mortified.
Just then, Vice General Wen Saoxie entered with a smile and reported, "Your Majesty, the Yuanliao army has retreated a hundred li!"
Zhongshan and Jinlu stood by the bedside. The army physician examined Mancheng's wound and felt his pulse, shaking his head repeatedly. Jinlu couldn't contain his anxiety. "Doctor Liu, how is it?"
"The arrow wound actually didn't damage any vital areas—it's only the poison... Forgive my incompetence, but I've never seen this toxin before, nor do I know how to counteract it. I fear..."
Zhongshan's face darkened as he said nothing.
Mancheng had fallen unconscious before even returning to camp and hadn't woken since. This was the last physician they'd consulted.
"What exactly is the situation?!" Jinlu roared.
Doctor Liu glanced fearfully at the fuming Jinlu and delivered his final, softened words. "In my assessment, General Xia will succumb to complete exhaustion of heart and spirit in eight or nine days from now."
Jinlu flew into a rage, cursing the Yongzhao Army. Zhongshan silently moved closer, kneeling beside Mancheng's bedside. Jinlu signaled to Si Hu and the others with his eyes, and everyone filed out.
Zhongshan removed the string of Buddhist beads from his own wrist and clasped them onto Mancheng anew. He gently stroked Mancheng's face.
How many nights had he held Mancheng tight, gazing devotedly at his sleeping face? When Mancheng slept alone, he was never peaceful—drifting in and out, tossing and turning. But the moment Zhongshan held him, he became obedient, like a lazy little kitten, falling asleep quickly and sleeping soundly until noon, so deeply that Zhongshan's arm would go numb beneath him.
He was明明 a cold-blooded executioner who killed without blinking, a ravenous beast of a man—yet his sleeping face was always so innocent and naive, as if untouched by the world's troubles, a carefree child.
"Mancheng..." Zhongshan called his name, tears streaming unceasingly down his face.
"Mancheng... I was just saying how strange it was that you'd been so unusually kind to me lately... Were you... did you know how happy you made me? This was enough—more than enough. I don't want your love anymore, not even a little bit, I don't even wish for it. Just wake up..."
"Mancheng, from the moment I first laid eyes on you, I loved you to madness. My every thought was of how to please you. Seeing you made my whole world shine bright... When I couldn't see you, I thought of you every single second... Every time I thought of you, it was both sweet and agonizing..."
"Mancheng! I love you... I've gone mad with love... Can you hear me? Mancheng... What am I supposed to do? Mancheng..."
"Mancheng... Were you thinking of him? Did you... Every time you said you missed him, but why didn't you say it this time? Or maybe you didn't get the chance to say it? You heartless beast... You always said you missed him right in front of me, and every time I heard it, I wanted to cry..."
"Mancheng..."
"Mancheng..."
Zhongshan pressed his cheek against Mancheng's chest, closing his eyes, as he had countless times dreamed and longed to do. He called out with profound tenderness—
"Mancheng... I love you."
Don't be afraid. I promised you—if you go to that other world, I will follow you there...
I won't make you wait even one second.
Zhongshan pushed aside the curtain and stepped out, his face a heavy gloom. He called out, "Wei Si Hu."
Si Hu rushed over and knelt to receive orders.
"Escort General Xia back to the capital... Hand him over to the King... There must not be even a hair's breadth of error... Leave immediately!"
Fate is an unfathomable thing. Try as you might to grasp it, it comes without shadow, leaves without trace, swift as a spinning top, leaving only eternal regret.
Yuanliao City fell into unprecedented chaos.
The usually quiet Zhongbi Mansion's entrance was suddenly crowded with horses and carriages. Doctors of extraordinary skill and renowned physicians came and went. Yet the master of this mansion could hear none of the commotion.
Gradually, the entrance to Zhongbi Mansion grew quiet once more.
Lu Tong requested an audience with the King but was denied, so he reported instead to Peng Hong. "Your Highness, the Yongzhao Army on the Deng border has suddenly launched an offensive! He Mingpei urgently dispatched over a million troops from Dudong to reinforce Fang Guangda—several border cities of Deng have already fallen! You must make a decision quickly!"
Peng Hong deliberated for a moment, then ordered Qu Zhenlie to lead three hundred thousand troops of the Wutao Army to Deng in haste.
Lei Fuyan remained worried. "Your Highness, please urge the King to stop wasting time at Zhongbi Mansion..."
Peng Hong couldn't help but fly into a rage, bellowing, "Insolence! The King's affairs are none of your concern! Mancheng is dying..." Peng Hong stopped abruptly at these words, his eyes turning red.
Si Hu arrived at Rongxi Garden with a grim expression. The restless soldiers of the Zhenwei Army immediately fell silent, dropping to their knees in salute.
"Are you planning a mutiny?" Si Hu uttered these words, his eyes blazing with killing intent.
The soldiers exchanged uncertain glances. A squad leader stepped forward and asked, "General Wei, is General Xia truly going to die?"
Pain showed in Si Hu's eyes. He gritted his teeth. "Each of you do your duty and attend to your tasks... If there is any further disorder, I will execute you first."
"General Wei!" Weiyang lunged toward the exit, only to be stopped by swords and spears at the inner courtyard gate.
Si Hu coldly looked over and offered a perfunctory bow. "Your Royal Consort."
"How is Mancheng? How badly is he hurt?" Weiyang couldn't get out, her dignity forgotten. She wept. "Let me out! Let me see him one last time!"
"Your Royal Consort, no one can see General Xia at present. The King has forbidden anyone to enter General Xia's room..."
Weiyang's pleading proved useless. She changed her tone, berating, "Wei Si Hu! Zhang Zhou hasn't deposed me yet! I am still Yuanliao's Queen! If you don't let me out, I will make a scene!"
Si Hu remained unmoved. He snorted coldly and turned to leave.
Weiyang wept uncontrollably, her frail, illness-weakened body trembling. "Don't go—tell Mancheng I want to see him, please! I'm begging you!"
"Your Royal Consort..." Si Hu's perpetually bloodshot eyes filled with tears. He murmured quietly, "Seeing him won't help. General Xia can't hear anything, can't see anything... He hasn't opened his eyes since he was struck by that arrow..."
From within Rongxi Garden came intermittent cries—"Let me out... I must see him! Mancheng! Mancheng—let me see him! Let me out... Let me out..."
The memory of the first time she saw him felt as if it were still before her eyes. He wore crimson and gold-trimmed military attire, breathtakingly handsome, unmatched by any. Weiyang was far more than merely awestruck. From that moment, her affection sprouted like poisonous weeds, growing uncontrollably in her heart.
The warmth and intimacy he gave, even if all of it was false, she couldn't help but love him. Knowing he didn't love her, knowing he was cruel and merciless—she still couldn't stop loving him! How else could such a deep love breed such heartrending hatred? But now, Weiyang was torn asunder, wanting only one thing—for him to live!
As long as he lives, I am willing to let go.
As long as he lives!
Before he left for Dudong, he had stood by the pavilion window, his face a forced mask hiding the sorrow within. His voice had carried a helpless loneliness—"How many times he's deceived me, I've lost count..."
How pitiful he was! How desperate must he have been? Otherwise, how could he have forced himself to part from the one who made his heart ache so deeply?
"Weiyang, from now on, Zhang Zhou belongs to you."