The door closed, and Shen Xihe’s shoulder ached intensely. Only after confirming that Zhenzhu was not seriously injured did she allow her to examine it.
As the light gauze slipped down, the shocking sight of red swelling, bruising, and congestion on her shoulder made Hongyu gasp in alarm.
“How… how did this happen?” Zhenzhu’s eyes reddened with heartache.
“It was…”
“An accidental collision,” Shen Xihe cut off Hongyu’s words.
Hongyu immediately fell silent, realizing that although the Crown Prince was outside the room, Xiao Huayong would undoubtedly be able to hear their conversation inside.
Zhenzhu, sensing the reactions of Shen Xihe and Hongyu, roughly guessed the situation and pressed her lips together without speaking. She fetched a hot towel soaked in medicine and applied it to Shen Xihe’s shoulder.
Shen Xihe took a deep breath, the sharp pain forcing her to close her eyes.
Zhenzhu had always known Shen Xihe’s high tolerance for pain. Back in the northwest, whenever she was injured, she would feign composure to avoid worrying the Prince and the heir. She often said she could do little to assist her father and brother, but at least she could spare them some concern.
Yet, seeing the fine beads of cold sweat on Shen Xihe’s forehead, Zhenzhu’s heart ached. If the congested blood wasn’t dispersed, Shen Xihe would suffer for days to come, and in severe cases, her arm might even become useless.
If only Sui Axi were here. Though Sui Axi was poor at formulating medicines, her acupuncture skills were exceptional. Using silver needles to stimulate acupoints, though painful, would speed up the dispersion. Zhenzhu herself was not skilled in acupuncture, especially with Shen Xihe’s arm so swollen and deformed that locating the correct points would be difficult.
“My lady, shall I prepare some anesthetic?” Zhenzhu whispered.
“No need…” Shen Xihe forced out a trembling reply through clenched teeth.
Duanming had been left outside, scratching at the door. The poorly latched door was pushed open by its efforts. Xiao Huayong, who had been intently listening for any sounds from inside, was deeply concerned about Shen Xihe’s injury and hadn’t noticed Duanming. By the time he did, the door had just been nudged open by the creature.
Worried that the cold draft might chill Shen Xihe, he reached out to close it, only to meet the gazes of Shen Xihe and the others. Xiao Huayong’s pupils dilated as he stared at the severely swollen, black-and-blue injury on Shen Xihe’s shoulder.
Shen Xihe immediately pulled her slipped garment back up, while Zhenzhu and Hongyu moved to shield her.
Xiao Huayong parted his lips slightly but ultimately said nothing. He closed the door again, his mind filled with the image of Shen Xihe’s injured shoulder. He had heard her earlier claim that it was from a collision—what kind of impact could cause such severe damage?
Most importantly, the arc-shaped mark was all too familiar to him!
Striding out into the courtyard, he blew the bone whistle.
Haidongqing circled overhead, flying around the courtyard twice before landing on his outstretched arm.
Sensing his displeasure, the eagle, which usually preferred perching near his shoulder, this time chose a spot closer to his elbow and even shifted further down his forearm after landing.
Before Xiao Huayong could speak, the door opened. Shen Xihe emerged, draped in a heavy cloak with her hair loosely flowing, concerned that Xiao Huayong might blame the bird. Though it sounded absurd, it was precisely the kind of thing Xiao Huayong would do.
“There was a hidden arrow aimed at me. If it hadn’t pushed me aside, I might have been pierced through the heart,” Shen Xihe spoke in Haidongqing’s defense.
As if understanding her words, Haidongqing happily flapped its massive wings.Xiao Huayong's cold gaze swept over, causing it to retract its wings again, even shifting closer toward his wrist along his forearm while emitting gurgling sounds from its throat.
When he turned to face Shen Xihe, Xiao Huayong instantly broke into a radiant smile, his voice as gentle as his gaze: "Youyou needn't worry. If it performs meritoriously, I shall certainly reward it."
Shen Xihe observed the Haidongqing—the celestial sovereign of skies, that fiercely majestic raptor—which had turned its head alongside Xiao Huayong to watch her. For the first time, she noticed its eyes lacked their usual sharp gleam, appearing somewhat grimy and even slightly bewildered. She nodded and withdrew.
The moment the door closed, Xiao Huayong's expression shifted again, his gaze at the Haidongqing turning as chilly as a nocturnal wind.
The Haidongqing tilted its small head, intermittently gurgling from its throat as its head drooped lower and lower.
"Dim-witted bird! Foolish bird! Simpleton bird!" Xiao Huayong prodded its crown with his finger. Though its head kept tilting away, its body remained motionless, gurgling with an air of innocence and helplessness.
"From today onward, you'll hunt for your own food for three months." Xiao Huayong let out a cold laugh.
Since being tamed by Xiao Huayong, the Haidongqing had been fed by him approximately every fortnight. Whenever it caused trouble, Xiao Huayong would deduct its rations—though never starving it outright, as he never forbade it from hunting. Yet the bird particularly favored the white birds Xiao Huayong specifically bred for it.
Seemingly aware its delicacies were being withheld again, the Haidongqing's gurgles grew louder, resembling a child muttering discontentedly after parental scolding.
Witnessing this through the window, Shen Xihe couldn't suppress a soft chuckle.
With Shen Xihe interceding, Xiao Huayong didn't punish it too severely. After delivering his verdict, he released the bird. It circled him several times as if seeking reconciliation, but when Xiao Huayong remained adamant about disciplining it, it let out a long cry and shot away as if in a huff.
"Meow!" Having stared at the Haidongqing too long, Shen Xihe earned a short, sharp cry from Duanming straining its vocal cords.
Glancing down at the cat, Shen Xihe recalled how Hongyu might have been endangered without its intervention. She reached out and rubbed its head, earning contented nuzzles from Duanming.
After Zhenzhu finished treating Shen Xihe's injuries, both Mo Yuan and Teng Jing returned successively. The Wei Langjiang remained alive, so Shen Xihe instructed Zhenzhu to treat his wounds and ensure his survival—they needed him alive to demand explanations from His Majesty.
"The reason they suddenly attacked you," Xiao Huayong explained after entering her room once she'd settled, "is because your maternal uncle's in-laws in Linchuan were exposed. Your uncle promptly captured many of their operatives, so they sought to capture you for negotiations."
Had he not clarified, Shen Xihe would certainly have been unable to sleep.
It turned out Tao Cheng's side had encountered mishaps, compounded by assistance from personnel Shen Xihe had left behind. This provoked the mastermind, who happened to learn of Shen Xihe's presence here—coinciding with thirty percent of their forces being stationed locally. Furthermore, among Shen Xihe's retinue were their spies, thus...
"Even His Majesty's personnel are others' informants," Hongyu remarked in a low voice, her tone thick with sarcasm.
Xiao Huayong showed no particular reaction.
Shen Xihe swept a calm glance over her: "Each of His Majesty's guards exceeds a thousand men. These fifty were drawn from various guards—at most two or three from each unit. Why do you suppose His Majesty specifically dispatched these fifty?"It is precisely because these people's loyalty and treachery are difficult to distinguish that Shen Xihe was asked to help. Among thousands of people, there were only a few uncertain individuals, yet Your Majesty could accurately pinpoint them. His control is astonishing.
Xiao Huayong cast an admiring gaze at Shen Xihe: "Youyou is astute."
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