# Chapter 16
Qi Xiao's Haiyan Palace wasn't far from Qianqing Palace. When they arrived, the imperial physicians were already waiting. Qi Xiao didn't want so many people hovering about, so he only retained Physician Zhong, who'd been treating him since childhood. The rest were dismissed.
There was blood on Bai Ren's collar. Jiang Deqing stepped forward to help remove his clothes, carefully attending to him while speaking warmly, "I've already had the warming stove lit, Your Highness. If you still feel cold, I'll bring another brazier. Please don't catch a chill."
Qi Xiao was right there, and though he'd kept on an inner garment, Bai Ren couldn't help feeling awkward. He shook his head without speaking. Jiang Deqing then fetched a wool embroidered soft blanket to drape over Bai Ren. Once everything was settled, he withdrew outside the alcove to keep watch.
The imperial physician then came forward to treat Bai Ren's wounds. Qi Xiao's heart ached as he gazed at the blood marks on Bai Ren's neck. After a long while, he asked, "Will it leave a scar?"
"It won't, Your Highness." The physician turned to bow slightly to Qi Xiao, then continued his work, having the medicine boy switch to fresh white gauze. "It looks alarming, but the wound isn't deep—just a torn layer of skin. If you care for it properly and prevent infection, there certainly won't be any scar."
Bai Ren secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He'd been truly enraged just now to resort to that self-destructive method. Truthfully, he'd also been faintly worried about leaving a lifelong mark over someone like Qi Huo—it simply wasn't worth it.
With all this delay, Bai Ren's wound had already begun to scab over. Cleaning it inevitably pulled at the injury. Bai Ren endured it as best he could, but when the pain became severe, he couldn't help drawing sharp breaths of cold air. Qi Xiao, watching from the side, couldn't resist sarcastic words: "I just saw His Highness being quite heroic. I thought perhaps His Highness was made of iron, that he wouldn't fear pain."
Bai Ren paused but didn't respond. Physician Zhong could tell the two's situation was off, but didn't dare ask or speculate. Efficiently, he cleaned the wound, carefully applied medicine, and bandaged it.
"That'll do." Physician Zhong instructed the medicine boy to pack the medical kit, then turned to speak to Bai Ren in detail. "Until the wound heals, I'm afraid Your Highness must watch your diet. Anything that might cause inflammation is strictly off the table, as is alcohol. After today, the wound will likely start itching tomorrow. Your Highness must endure it and not touch the affected area. If you accidentally touch it, you must change the medicine immediately. The wound itself isn't serious—what we need to fear is infection."
Bai Ren nodded and agreed. Qi Xiao frowned slightly. "What foods can help it heal faster? Lamb and fish and shrimp all cause inflammation—you can't eat those. We can't possibly have him eat nothing but porridge all day."
Physician Zhong smiled. "Meat is fine, some beef, but don't overdo it. The diet should remain light overall. If you're worried about lacking nutrients... some bird's nest would work. Skip the ginseng soup though—autumn is already dry, and getting overheated would be bad."
Qi Xiao nodded and sent someone off. For a moment, the warm pavilion held only Qi Xiao and Bai Ren.
Bai Ren looked at Qi Xiao, feeling somewhat flustered for reasons he couldn't explain. What had just happened had nothing to do with Qi Xiao, yet being stared at so coldly by him, Bai Ren couldn't help feeling unsettled. After a pause, he quietly said, "Just now, at the hall... thank you, Your Highness, for covering for me."
"I was going to back out of the Roujia matter anyway, so that doesn't count as doing it for you." Qi Xiao understood that Bai Ren was giving them both a way to step down, but Qi Xiao was hardly so agreeable. He coldly laughed. "Before this, I underestimated you. How many lives do you have, that you can play with fire like this?"
Bai Ren hadn't wanted to argue with Qi Xiao, but since Qi Xiao wouldn't let it go, Bai Ren lost his good humor too. He evenly said, "Your Highness needn't worry on my account. I know what I'm doing. Even the just now... I had it under control."
"C口 control?" Qi Xiao coldly laughed. "Who do you think you are? How well do you understand Qi Huo's temperament? You got lucky with a petty trick and think you've got the whole world figured out?"
Qi Xiao stepped forward, looking down at Bai Ren. "Qi Huo always carries a dagger hidden in his left boot. If he'd truly lost his temper today and stabbed you directly, would you still have any life left to bicker with me? Hmph... you're young, but you've got quite the temper. All he said was some discourteous things! You knew there were only the two of you in the side chamber, yet you dared to make a scene. It's only because Qi Huo is such a fool. If it were me, just now before the Emperor I could have turned black into white, made you gain nothing!"
"I..."
"Dare to talk back!" The more Bai Ren refused to yield, the more Qi Xiao's temper flared. He seized Bai Ren's wrist, staring hard into his eyes, and coldly said, "If you encounter such a situation again in the future, just ignore it! Whatever unkind words you hear, treat them as a dog barking! You have the skill to provoke Qi Huo with words and lure him into attacking you—how do you know others aren't doing the same to you? It's just suffering that moment of humiliation! What's it worth?!"
Bai Ren couldn't bear it any longer, shouting, "Am I supposed to endure everything?! Not fight back when hit, not argue back when cursed?!"
"Who told you to endure everything?! I'm just telling you to endure that moment!" Qi Xiao was so furious his liver burned. "Do you know what you are?! What strength do you have to be defiant with others?! Protecting yourself comes first! Get away, then come tell me, and I will take revenge for you! That's much better than your rotten methods! Who asked you to use this self-destructive approach?!"
Bai Ren had let Qi Xiao's scolding ignite his anger, but hearing those words—"I will take revenge for you"—he couldn't help but freeze. Perhaps to others, it was just an ordinary sentence, but to Bai Ren... it was the first time anyone had ever said such a thing to him.
The marriage between the Prince of Lingnan and the Princess Consort had been arranged by the old Prince of Lingnan. The Prince had never approved from the start, so over the years he had never shown any affection for the Princess Consort. Later, when the Princess Consort's father and elder brother both died on the battlefield, the Prince grew even more cold toward her. He provided for her material needs without shortage, but rarely visited her courtyard. In turn, Bai Ren had barely seen the Prince of Lingnan throughout his childhood. His understanding of his father was limited to the few times each month when he was examined on his studies. In Bai Ren's eyes, his father was not much different from his tutors—just more imposing.
Such a father would naturally never say he would take revenge for his son. Even when Bai Ren left for the imperial capital, what the Prince of Lingnan instructed him wasn't "don't be afraid, Lingnan is your backing," but rather "be careful with your words and deeds, don't disgrace Lingnan, don't bring shame upon the Yi clan."
As for the Princess Consort, she certainly treated Bai Ren well, but since she wasn't favored and had no family to rely on, she didn't have the ability or the底气 to tell Bai Ren, "don't be afraid, whatever happens, your mother will take revenge for you." More often than not, it was Bai Ren who protected her.
Bai Ren had never known what it felt like to have someone willing to stand up for him. He couldn't describe it in detail. He just felt something souring in his heart, yet also warming. Even the unpleasant words Qi Xiao had said just now—when he thought about them now, for some inexplicable reason, they weren't so hard to bear after all.
Unfortunately, such feelings were too unfamiliar to Bai Ren. He couldn't quite come back to himself for a moment. After a long daze, he slowly said, "I wouldn't dare... Your Highness not harming me is more than I could wish for."
Qi Xiao was so angry he laughed instead. He knew Bai Ren too well—he could understand the humiliation Bai Ren had endured in the side chamber, could feel that urge to slaughter everything. All of it, Qi Xiao felt deeply.
Qi Xiao looked at Bai Ren and saw himself in the past.
Recalling what he himself had just said, Qi Xiao also felt he'd gone too far. He self-deprecatingly smiled to comfort himself. It was merely sympathetic pain, that was all.
Taking Bai Ren's words as a stepping stone, Qi Xiao顺势 let it go. He sighed, helplessly saying, "Harm you? Tell me yourself—how much have I suffered losses for your sake? Don't you trust me?"
Bai Ren certainly didn't trust Qi Xiao, just as even if Qi Xiao doted on and protected him, he was still on guard. But the atmosphere was so good right now, Bai Ren unconsciously lingered in it. Bai Ren avoided the question, lowering his eyes to look at the hand Qi Xiao was gripping. He slowly said, "The second prince grabbed me right here just now—it's probably already bruised. Your Highness is generous. Please allow me to apply some medicine first before continuing to grip."
Qi Xiao laughed despite himself. He turned to fetch the bruise ointment, then came back and sat at the front of the couch, pulling Bai Ren's hand over. He rolled up his sleeve—and indeed, on that thin arm, several purple-green finger marks were clearly visible. Qi Xiao opened the ointment box, took some, and rubbed it between his palms to warm it before applying it to Bai Ren's arm. Qi Xiao didn't下手 lightly. The medicine stung, making Bai Ren's hand tremble. Qi Xiao didn't look up. "Bear with it. Only by massaging the pooled blood beneath the skin can it heal faster."
Bai Ren was extremely uncomfortable. Hesitantly he said, "Th-thank you... thank Your Highness for your care."
"Heh, that's an interesting way to put it. If I don't care for you, whom would I care for?" Qi Xiao's anger had subsided. The person who pleased him was right in front of him. He couldn't help but softly tease. "This counts as care? Wait until you're healed... I'll show you what real care looks like..."
"Your Highness." Jiang Deqing bowed outside the screen. "The caning at Qianqing Palace is finished. Those who watched said there was no cheating—it was genuine. The second prince fainted from the pain at the end and was carried back. An imperial physician has been summoned. Also, someone from Qianqing Palace came to ask if His Highness is feeling better, and about the evening banquet later..."
"He can't go." Qi Xiao rose, washed his hands in the bronze basin, and took up a cloth to slowly dry them while slowly saying, "Go tell them—Physician Zhong said the wound is in an exposed area and must be kept from wind. He won't be attending the evening banquet."
Jiang Deqing agreed, then hesitated to ask, "And Your Highness, will you..."
Qi Xiao was also disinclined to go, but this banquet was held to welcome Princess Dunshu, and it would be too improper for him not to attend. Qi Xiao casually tossed the cloth onto the side table. "I'll go."