nucmednet Chapter 138 At Least It Must Be Cleaned Up
Chapter 138 At Least It Must Be Cleaned Up
The night wind was cold, and he walked back dejectedly.
The robes stirred slightly, and a chill seeped into the bones through the collar.
"teacher......"
"Duan Zhi'an..."
He murmured to himself, many fragments of the past flashing through his mind.
That was when he was very young, and it was the first time Duan Zhian came to teach him.
His face was calm with a smile, devoid of the flattery of others or the warmth of family.
She simply said softly, "Your Highness, it's time to study."
After that, whenever he made a slight mistake in his studies, Duan Zhian would tap his fingers on the desk, as if counting each of his errors.
But he never gets angry.
Whether he said something wrong or did something wrong, Duan Zhian might punish him, but he never said a harsh word.
"Aim high, act humble. Even in a high position, never forget to keep your head down."
These were words that Duan Zhian often said to him, as plain as the wind rustling through the treetops, yet they were etched into the young Ning Zhi's heart.
Everyone says that the Duan family's plaque has been hanging high for a century because of the merits of their successive generations in assisting the Crown Prince.
The glory of the Duan family was closely linked to the fate of each generation of crown princes.
The descendants of the Duan family are the guardians of the Duan family's reputation. They are heartless and ruthless, and they will stop at nothing to help the crown prince ascend the throne.
Ning Zhi knew all this, but she felt that Duan Zhi'an was different.
Because he said—
"Planning for the emperor is also a way to ensure one's own safety. Your Highness must not lose sight of your principles."
"In the deep palace, scheming is inevitable, but Your Highness, rest assured, there are many ways to scheme, and I will not do anything to harm Your Highness."
But today, he began to waver.
Duan Zhian knew that he was in love with Jiang Wan, but he kept it a secret and pushed her away.
He even ordered people to kill him without any regard for his own thoughts!
All of this reminded him that Duan Zhi'an was no different from the Grand Tutors of the Duan family throughout the ages, only taking the support of the Crown Prince as his mission.
All the care shown to him was for the sake of preserving the Duan family's honor.
Ning Zhi stopped and looked up at the dark night sky, a sour feeling rising in her throat.
These were the only two people he was close to from childhood to adulthood.
Today, they have all betrayed him.
Even so, he could not completely sever this trust.
Duan Zhi'an taught him the ways of power and strategy, and the methods of managing subordinates.
That kind of subtle guidance permeated his entire life and became a part of his very being.
How easy is it to give up something?
After wandering around for a while, he ended up outside the temple.
From afar, the lights of the taverns and shops could still be seen on.
That must be what Chi Yu meant when he said the peach blossom wine was comparable to the restaurants in the capital.
On such a sorrowful night, it would be perfect to drown one's sorrows in alcohol.
"Waiter, a pot of hot wine," he called out casually.
"Alright! Please come in, sir!" the waiter greeted.
As Ning Zhi sat down, someone hurried past her.
Amidst the wind and snow, the figure seemed somewhat familiar, but his mind was in turmoil, and he had no intention of thinking about anything else.
......
Inside the main room, Jiang Mian had just applied medicine to her waist and was about to go to sleep.
She looked at the map that the hermit Jichen gave her again and again, afraid that if she accidentally lost it, she would still remember it.
But if that place is truly dangerous, how can she go alone? Or should she ask someone to go with her?
As I was pondering this, I suddenly heard a noise outside.
"Who?"
She got up, went to the outer room, and stared intently at the door, but the sound disappeared again.
Just as I was about to turn around and go back, I was suddenly hugged from behind.
"Jiang Mian..."
The chill of wind and snow, along with the sound of rapid breathing, reached my ears.
Jiang Wan tensed up and whispered, "Your...Your Highness?!"
Xiao Heng rubbed his chin against her shoulder and weakly hummed in agreement.
"Didn't Your Highness go to Zhuoyue Manor to accompany the Empress Dowager? Why are you here?"
Zhuoyue Villa is more than twice as far as the capital, and even at the fastest horse, it would take four or five days.
Could it be that Xiao Hengzhi flew over here?
"Last night I felt inexplicably uneasy. I heard from the Empress Dowager that you had come to Zhaoming Temple... I was worried about you..."
He was barely breathing, and his words were filled with heavy breathing sounds.
Jiang Wan then realized that rather than being hugged from behind, it was more accurate to say that he was leaning his entire body against her.
"Your Highness...please sit down..."
Jiang Wan helped him to a chair. When she went to pour tea, a sharp pain shot through her waist, and her hand trembled, spilling some water.
"What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?" Xiao Hengzhi asked.
Jiang Mian rubbed her lower back, thinking about Xue Lu and the eagle whistle he had given her, and couldn't help but complain.
"Didn't Your Highness say that someone would appear if I blew the eagle whistle? Today I encountered a group of villains in the Snow Lodge. When I was dodging them, I bumped into a tree trunk. I blew the eagle whistle desperately, but no one appeared."
"No one has shown up?"
Xiao Hengzhi frowned, his eyes filled with disbelief and doubt.
"Yes, if it weren't for Your Highness's rescue, I'm afraid..."
Jiang Wan stopped mid-sentence when she glanced at Xiao Hengzhi's dark expression.
After drinking a bowl of tea, Xiao Hengzhi regained some of his strength.
He pulled Jiang Mian close and asked softly, "Let me see where you're hurt?"
Jiang Mian clutched her clothes and said, "The injury is on my waist. I've already applied medicine. It's just a bruise, nothing serious. Your Highness doesn't need to see it."
"obedient."
"It's cold, I don't want to take off my clothes."
"I can only feel at ease after seeing it."
Jiang Mian knew this person's temper, and she couldn't persuade him otherwise, so she could only take off her clothes layer by layer.
When he was down to only a thin shirt, Xiao Hengzhi's hand rested on his shoulder, which felt very warm.
Jiang Mian recalled that it seemed that after she was poisoned by the Spring Bitter Powder, Xiao Hengzhi was no longer as cold as before.
Is it because he took a poison?
As she pondered this, she turned and asked, "Has Your Highness finished reading?"
Xiao Hengzhi gave a soft "hmm," seemingly somewhat dejected.
He dressed Jiang Mian layer by layer, held her in his arms, and whispered, "I'm sorry."
Jiang Wan was taken aback: "What has Your Highness wronged me about?"
"I'm sorry... I hurt you."
“This wasn’t the prince’s fault…” Jiang Wan paused, then continued, “Actually, I experienced something similar in my past life. It was someone sent by the empress. I guess it’ll be the same this time…”
"Since you knew about this in your past life, why didn't you try to avoid it?"
“I…” Jiang Wan pouted, “I’m too lazy to explain to you.”
Xiao Hengzhi sighed deeply, his feelings somewhat complicated.
Jiang Wan was so tightly hugged that she could hardly breathe. She pushed her away and said, "I'm a little sleepy..."
Xiao Hengzhi released her, and she turned and walked to the bed, saying, "This bed is only big enough for one person. Your Highness, please find another way to make do for the night."
"I came all the way here to see you, and this is how you treat me?"
"But this bed is so small, and Your Highness is so tall, how can you possibly sleep in it?"
"You'll know once you try," he said, taking off his outer shirt and preparing to lie down.
"No!" Jiang Wan pushed him away. "Your Highness has traveled a long and dusty journey; you should at least wash yourself off..."
Both of them were stunned for a moment after hearing this.
It's as if she wants something to happen between him.
Xiao Hengzhi raised an eyebrow: "You can go to bed after washing up?"
"..."
Jiang Wan didn't say anything, only feeling that this person was being shameless again.
She shrank further into the blankets, leaving only her small face showing.
Xiao Hengzhi found her appearance exceptionally adorable and bent down to kiss her.
Just as I got closer, there was a rapid knocking at the door.