Wang Xiaohua deliberately ignored the particularly earnest and affectionate address Chu Chu had used, looking at his two half-dead subordinates with a thunderous snort. "Imperial Concubine, don't worry. They'll be taken down by tomorrow night."
Chu Chu widened her eyes in astonishment, staring at the two barely breathing men. "Tomorrow? Why? They're already at death's door!"
Wang Xiaohua spoke in a rough voice, each word ringing with conviction, "The state has its laws, the army has its regulations. Those who neglect their duties due to carelessness shall receive two hundred lashes and be publicly displayed for three days as a warning to others."
Chu Chu was momentarily stunned by his words. Xiao Jin Yu's brows slightly furrowed as he spoke coolly, "Which army's regulations are these?"
Wang Xiaohua paused his saber handle and glared with bulging eyes, "My army's regulations!"
"Which troops are under your command?"
Wang Xiaohua swung his broadsword backward, pointing directly at the courtyard gate with its tip, "Everyone inside belongs to my army!"
Xiao Jin Yu calmly watched this man whose eyes seemed to spit fire, speaking lightly yet clearly, "General Wang, according to our dynasty's state laws, what punishment does such a statement warrant?"
Wang Xiaohua's sturdy frame stiffened, the raised sword tip drooping slightly as he stared speechlessly at Xiao Jin Yu's expressionless face.
"General Wang, I would like to speak with these two men. Please accommodate this request."
Wang Xiaohua gritted his teeth and glared, his thick eyebrows shooting upward. One large hand gripped the saber handle tightly while the other clenched into a fist like an iron ball.
With just one finger, he could send this frail person who resembled window paper to meet his maker instantly. Yet there wasn't the slightest ripple of emotion on the man's face, his eyes deep and unfathomable. Even the young girl beside him showed no trace of fear, as if whatever he said would inevitably come to pass.
In truth, aside from complying with this man's words, Wang Xiaohua really couldn't find any alternative path.
Wang Xiaohua swung his broadsword, "swish swish" twice—in a flash of lightning speed, he severed the ropes binding the two men's hands. The two immediately collapsed to the ground like overcooked noodles.
"They're in the third room from the left on the west side. Prince An, please do as you wish."
With that, he entered the courtyard carrying his sword, leaving two burly, unconscious men in the care of a petite young woman and a sick man who couldn't even lift a bowl at the moment.
Chu Chu ran over to check the two men's pulses. "Wang Ye, their pulses are still quite strong! They can survive!"
Xiao Jin Yu looked at the two mountains lying on the ground. "Chu Chu... do you have any loose silver on you?"
Chu Chu paused, feeling the small pouch at her waist. "Yes."
Xiao Jin Yu whispered, "Go into the courtyard and find two men. Tell them you need help carrying some things for me, but don't say anything else. As soon as they agree, immediately reward them with some silver, then bring them here... Be careful to avoid that General Xiaohua."
Chu Chu smiled understandingly. "Got it!"
In the blink of an eye, Chu Chu slipped out with two strong young men. The moment they saw their comrades lying on the ground, they immediately understood what Prince An wanted them to carry.
No wonder the Imperial Concubine had been so vague earlier...
But they had already given their word and received their reward. Backing out now would be showing great disrespect to the Prince and Imperial Concubine, so they had no choice but to grit their teeth, quickly hoist the men up, dump them on the beds, and vanish without a trace.Chu Chu looked anxiously at the two men's chest wounds where flesh had split open. "Wang Ye, we need to clean their wounds quickly and apply medicine... Should we call a doctor?"
Xiao Jin Yu glanced at the injuries, frowned slightly, and scanned the room. "Chu Chu, search around—there should be medicine in here."
"Alright!"
After rummaging through the room, Chu Chu indeed found a cloth bundle of medical supplies in the wardrobe. It contained not only ointments and powders for various injuries but also gauze, bandages, scissors, and tweezers.
Holding the bundle, Chu Chu gazed at Xiao Jin Yu with admiration. "Wang Ye, how did you know there would be medicine here?"
"Look at their scars..."
Though the men were robust, their bodies were covered in overlapping scars. Recalling Wang Xiaohua's earlier words, such incidents were clearly commonplace in the military camp. Even the most careless soldier would have made preparations.
Chu Chu pursed her lips, staring down at the horrifying wounds as she whispered, "Wang Ye... could our child not join the military?"
Xiao Jin Yu froze momentarily, remaining silent. Without waiting for his response, Chu Chu carefully began treating the two men's wounds by the bedside.
Her movements were gentle, her expression full of compassion and tenderness. With a slight frown and pursed lips, she focused intently—yet unlike physicians accustomed to life and death, her care never felt detached or indifferent. This was precisely why Xiao Jin Yu preferred her over doctors and resisted being touched by others, willingly entrusting himself to her.
Under her care, he never felt like a patient whose fate was controlled by others, nor like a helpless invalid receiving charity. Instead, he felt genuinely cherished and lovingly cared for...
He hated seeing her worry and toil over his illnesses, yet he had also grown fond of this comforting tenderness, reluctant to recover. Now, this gentle and endearing person was his wife. Whenever he remembered this, he felt heaven had been exceedingly kind to him.
As Xiao Jin Yu watched her, mesmerized, Chu Chu finished applying medicine and bandaging the wounds. She slowly brought a cup of water to the parched lips of one man.
A fit of coughing followed, and the burly man woke up. Recognizing the person feeding him water, he nearly rolled off the bed in terror. Last night, when Chu Chu arrived, he had been guarding outside the room where the hanging occurred and clearly heard others address her as Imperial Concubine—Prince An's Imperial Concubine.
"This humble soldier deserves death... This humble soldier deserves death!"
Chu Chu urgently pressed down on his shoulders. Despite his injuries, the sturdy man still possessed considerable strength, forcing her to nearly lie on top of him. "Don't move! Don't move! You'll start bleeding again!"
Frightened by the situation, the man froze on the bed, not daring to move an inch, terrified that the slightest offense to Prince An's beloved—rumored to be cold-faced, ruthless, and ill-tempered—would result in him being minced to pieces.
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