After the Disabled God of War Became My Concubine Chapter 28
The shattering cup of tea caught the imperial doctor off guard. Hearing this, he promptly replied, "Naturally not! His Majesty ordered me..."
"Did Royal Brother tell you that we are at odds, and that I am reluctant to go to his birthday banquet?"
This was naturally the truth. However, having a mutual understanding about this truth was enough, and it must never be laid outright on the table.
Whoever expressed it first would be unfilial and unbrotherly. But if the underlings underneath said it...it would be equivalent to provoking the relationship between their masters.
The doctor did not dare to admit it. He knelt in place and kowtowed, and then hurriedly denied, "His Majesty naturally did not! It's just that I..."
Jiang Suizhou laughed icily.
“Of course, my royal brother will never say such things. It's obviously your self-assertion as a servant,” he said, “Since my royal brother has asked you to come treat me, you should perform your duty as a doctor properly. Don’t speak out of turn and tarnish my royal brother’s reputation. I also must punish you on behalf of my royal brother."
The imperial doctor was flustered and quickly attempted to defend himself.
Inside and outside the palace, was there anyone who thought highly of this unpopular King Jing? Even the powerful man, who sent him to treat his illness, instructed him to beat him.
From the start, King Jing remained silent and submitted meekly to his insults, so he took him as a soft persimmon. It never occurred to him that he was gathering momentum, waiting for the right moment.
Jiang Suizhou did not give him a chance to speak.
"Meng Qianshan." He opened his mouth and ordered.
Meng Qianshan, who was waiting at the door, hurriedly came forward.
Then the doctor heard Jiang Suizhou say, “Beat him and personally send him back to the palace. Say that this man deliberately provoked the relationship between me and my royal brother. I’ve already punished him, so the rest is up to my royal brother.”
Meng Qianshan had viewed the doctor as an eyesore several times before, so upon hearing Jiang Suizhou's command, he was so happy that his eyebrows danced with pleasure. He quickly called in the manservants outside the room to drag the doctor out.
Jiang Suizhou gently added, "Drag him far away before beating him. Don’t dirty my ears."
Meng Qianshan nodded repeatedly and commanded the servants to drag the doctor out.
When the room quieted down, a maid stepped forward, carefully cleaned the floor, and poured a new cup of tea for Jiang Suizhou. Jiang Suizhou picked up the teacup.
He was well aware that Pang Shao sent the doctor. After Jiang Suizhou sent the doctor back, the doctor would not lose his life, though he would certainly be deprived of his official position and expelled from the palace just to spare someone's feelings.
As a university teacher, he had never even executed corporal punishment to his students, much less let someone take a beating because that person committed a mistake and provoked him. He would have gotten sacked from his official post without Jiang Suizhou’s interference, anyway.
Yet, he must do it.
Those people pressed hard on his heels and picked on him. If he didn't retaliate at all, they would become more aggressive and unscrupulous. He was caught in the dilemmas of the original owner, so if he couldn’t bear to hurt his opponents, it would definitely be him who would die.
Jiang Suizhou raised his eyes and looked out the door.
Under the gloomy sky, the exquisite and gorgeous eaves spread out layer upon layer, seemingly trapping him in a chess game.
Jiang Suizhou slowly sighed and once again picked up the book he placed on the table.
He had long been used to Huo Wujiu's living in his room, so he didn't notice that Huo Wujiu had captured all his emotions in his eyes.
Sickly man; it was just giving a man an overdue beating, yet he was the first who couldn’t bear it.
Fortunately, he was born in a beautiful and peaceful place. He didn't see blood and didn't go to the battlefield. Otherwise, if he really witnessed a murder, how scared would he be?
Huo Wujiu looked down and collected all these emotions in his eyes.
...He deserves to be pampered in a lifetime of prosperity.
February 24th was the birthday of the emperor.
Early that morning, it was drizzling outside the window.
Raindrops continuously pattered until dusk, and the rain outside the window didn’t stop even when the time to enter the palace arrived.
The lamps were lit up early in the room. Jiang Suizhou was waited upon as he put on a winding and complicated imperial robe. When he turned around, he saw Meng Qianshan pushing the properly dressed Huo Wujiu out from the back room.
Because of Huo Wujiu's special status, Jiang Suizhou had instructed Meng Qianshan not to dress him too ostentatiously. However, despite his lavender blue robe and a simple hair crown, the man’s awe-inspiring aura was still outlined. There was no hiding the noble aura that shone from his head to toe.
The candlelights were shining brightly all around, but the man seemed to have a natural glow.
Jiang Suizhou stood riveted for a moment, and it took him a lot of effort to barely withdraw his gaze. He cleared his throat to cover up his gaffe.
"When we enter the palace later, be smart," he glanced at Meng Qianshan and instructed.
Meng Xiangshan naturally knew what he meant. Jiang Suizhou was asking him to take care of Huo Wujiu.
Meng Qianshan nodded.
The two went all the way out of the royal residence and got into the carriage waiting at the entrance of the residence.
The carriage was not too spacious, and Huo Wujiu's wheelchair was a bit bulky, so once it was placed on the carriage, the two were extremely close to each other.
As soon as the curtain of the carriage was lowered, silence suddenly settled over the four corners, and only the sound of their breathing remained.
This kind of breathing in a narrow space where one breath fell and another rose gave off the illusion of intertwined breathing. It was particularly audible in the silence when nobody talked.
In such an atmosphere, Jiang Suizhou suddenly and inexplicably felt cornered.
He was sitting beside Huo Wujiu, and with just the two of them so close to each other, he suddenly did not know where to put his hands. He wanted to speak to break the silence, but had nothing to say. He only heard Huo Wujiu’s steady breathing, one after the other, bringing his heartbeat to a slower pace.
Jiang Suizhou urged himself to think of something, such as what the emperor might say once they arrived at the banquet, and how he should respond…
But at that moment, the carriage suddenly lurched forward.
Jiang Suizhou was distracted, and in his inattentiveness, the carriage jostled him askew, and he fell aside.
He happened to pitch headfirst onto Huo Wujiu's shoulder.
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