Chapter 22: 第二十一章

A/N  Happy November! I'm back from the dead (lol late halloween joke but I swear I was supposed to update four days ago). Anyways, I might disappear again after this update but I swear I'll come back...eventually. I'm so busy T-T. This chapter was definitely rushed with shit editing (still got more work to do *cries*) but it's longer so I hope y'all still enjoy~ :0

Things were not so fortunate the next morning. In the chill of the early dew, Liu Qingyuan abruptly woke, muscles tense and aching from the cold. It wasn't hard to endure but the pain in his shoulder seemed to drill deep into his bones. The king's slumbering form was still curled against his back but the chill was more pain-filled than cold. Liu Qingyuan closed his eyes briefly, his forehead clammy. His chest felt stuffy, like his lungs were filled with cotton.

Liu Qingyuan shifted, sitting up in hopes that it would relieve the feeling. Unexpectedly in the next second, he felt a surge in his chest and spat out a mouthful of blood. There was movement behind him and Liu Qingyuan hurried to wipe the crimson from his chin. "Qingyuan?" a sleepy voice sounded from behind him.

"...I'm fine."

"Let me see." His voice was suspicious. Liu Qingyuan shifted away from him.

"I'm fine. We should head out early."

"Ai- let me see!" Liu Qingyuan turned his face for only a split second, but Jiang Zhilan saw a small smear of blood by the corner of his mouth. "You! You actually spit blood and still dared to hide it!"

"I'm fine," Liu Qingyuan repeated. "It was congealed blood." The king's eyes turned sharp.

"You're still poisoned. Who knows what side effects there are." Angry and wide awake, Jiang Zhilan stood up, crawling up the cave's opening and brushing aside a damp sheaf of plants. He peered out. "It looks clear..." Liu Qingyuan pushed himself up, momentarily hearing his heartbeat loud in his ears. It was okay though, he wasn't going to die...

"Let's go then." Jiang Zhilan still looked uncertain but he followed Liu Qingyuan out anyway. In the dim light of dawn, Liu Qingyuan looked around suspiciously. It all seemed too easy and yet, staying in that hole would lessen their chances for survival. Especially because he didn't know what had been on that poisoned arrow. Even now, the relief he'd felt last night was gone. The sensation of tens of thousands of pins made it hard to move, but still, he forced himself to walk. They travelled for a while, struggling through the brush from their injuries.

"Ah!" The king's leg tripped over a root, his leg injury flaring in pain, and lost his balance. Liu Qingyuan grabbed him quickly.

"..."

"Ah..." He said, a little embarrassed. "Just lost my footing." They continued on, but Liu Qingyuan noticed his growing limp.

"Do you need to take a break?"

"No, no. I think we're almost there." His leg trembled, giving out under him. Liu Qingyuan caught him by the waist, pulling him to sit on an overturned tree. He kneeled down, pulling up the king's pant leg despite his protests. The wound had bleed through the gauze. Liu Qingyuan hesitated for a while then said,

"I'll carry you."

"Ah, wait!" Jiang Zhilan blocked his guard's arm. "You're...injured too...Also why does it have to be you carrying me..." Liu Qingyuan wordlessly turned around and crouched. "..."

"Hurry up."

Jiang Zhilan bit his lip, slowly climbing onto his back. Liu Qingyuan stood up suddenly, hoisting him higher on his back. "Watch...watch your hands." Liu Qingyuan shifted his grip, the muscles of his injured arm trembling. With his injury, he could only hold him like this... They continued walking, watching as the sun rose in the sky and began to dip down. It was mid-afternoon when a tower appeared, with a few small buildings at its base. "Put me down," Jiang Zhilan lightly patted his shoulder. Liu Qingyuan let him down, discretely clutching his arm. Jiang Zhilan squinted into the distance. "That should be the outpost..." The two of them approached the tower. Although their robes were tattered, dusty and bloody, Jiang Zhilan reckoned that his people should be able to recognize him right...?

Their bloody, tattered appearance evoked many curious glances from the ordinary residents, but Liu Qingyuan's frosty, furrowed brow kept most of them from sneaking more than a couple glances. At the base of the small tower, they were blocked by a pair of guards who looked them up and down with distaste.

"Who are you!?"

Jiang Zhilan smiled politely, acting as if he hadn't heard that rude exclamation. "If you may, I would like to speak to your commanding officer."

"I asked who you are!" The guard shook his polearm, sneering down at the fair-skinned boy. Jiang Zhilan shook his head.

"My business is not with you. I simply would like to speak with your commanding officer."

The guard scoffed. "Do you think my commanding officer would speak to someone like you?"

"You haven't even called him yet. How would any one of us know?" The king was losing his patience. He'd hoped to handle things discreetly but the guard had not been cooperating from the start. Just as the guard stepped forward, Jiang Zhilan felt himself being pulled back. A large back came into his view as Liu Qingyuan stepped forward. With an icy expression, he merely pulled out a plaque from his robes and thrust it into the guard's face.

"Recognize this?' It was clear the guard did. Every person in this line of work had, one way or another seen the position of royal guard as an honour, even if it was a position they did not want to pursue.

"You-"

"He would like to see your commanding officer." The guard fumed, but in the face of such a plaque, he couldn't refuse. He left in a huff. His partner stood nervously, eyeing them occasionally and clutching his weapon like it was a lifeline. It wasn't long before the rude guard returned, a weathered man following behind him.

The man, suited in a full, elegant set of armour, smiled politely at the ragged pair. His eyes were deep set and a small moustache rested on his upper lip. "Hello, what might you want with me?" Jiang Zhilan hurriedly stepped out from behind Liu Qingyuan.

"I would like to talk in private, if you may."

The man raised his eyebrow. "May I know your identities?" Jiang Zhilan and Liu Qingyuan exchanged a glance and the latter merely raised his arm and showed the plaque again. The officer's eyes flashed with understanding and he looked at Liu Qingyuan for a moment before sliding his gaze to the smaller figure behind him.

"Of course...this way, please."

Under the glares of the rude guard, who unfortunately also followed them, the group made their way into the tower. They passed through wooden halls until they reached a small room filled with shelves upon shelves of books and a small table in the center. The rude guard grumbled under his breath, pulling a tea set from the cupboard.

"Now," The man smiled amiably, his gaze polite. "How may I help you?"

"We...could we stay the night here?" The rude guard turned.

"You think this is a charity?"

"Be quiet!" The man snapped and the guard shut up immediately. He turned away, shaking the tea leaves into the pot with unnecessary force as a dark look crawled into his face. "Frankly, I believe that plaque is real, however..." The man did not have to voice his words. It was natural to be suspicious, especially to strangers covered in blood. Liu Qingyuan felt another pain in his chest and trembled slightly, the edges of the plaque digging into his palm.

"To tell the truth...I am the King of Qiangda, Jiang Zhilan." The man's face flickered.

"You-"

"Doesn't the king have a phoenix mark? Take off your clothes and lets see first!" the guard chortled.

"You-be quiet!" The man roared. Jiang Zhilan took an unconscious step back, arm raising as if to shield himself and his face darkening drastically. The man turned back to them. "Are you...truly the king?" Jiang Zhilan nodded. The officer took a deep breath, face paling.

"Your majesty, forgive me I did not recognize you."

"You-" the guard was startled.

"Get on your knees! Do you not know how to respect the king?!" The officer was livid and the guard quickly bowed low.

"Y-your majesty, forgive me..."

"Leave!"

"Y-yes." The guard scurried away and the commanding officer turned back to them.

"Forgive this servant, your majesty. It's my fault for not disciplining them properly..." The king smiled wearily.

"It's no trouble." He was simply just tired. "About that room..."

"Yes, yes! I shall get it ready immediately! How about you wait over here for a bit. I've offended you with this humble establishment, haha..."

"No need, no need..." Jiang Zhilan mumbled.

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Once settled in a room that wasn't too big and wasn't too small, Jiang Zhilan let out a breath. The furnishings were simple but he merely wanted to rest. It had taken closing the door tightly to stop the torrent of offers the commanding officer of this outpost had listed. Really, he just wanted to rest...

"You should take a rest, your majesty." Jiang Zhilan nodded listlessly, feeling like his legs were a couple of cooked noodles. He stood from the bed anyway, tugging off his belt and slipping off his tattered outer robes. Jiang Zhilan paused with an arm out of his second-innermost robe. He turned his head, gaze colliding with Liu Qingyuan's.

"You..."

"I'll go ask around for some bandages and ointment. Wash up." Liu Qingyuan left in a rush, leaving the king dazed. After a moment, Jiang Zhilan resumed his movements, heading over to the small basin of water and cleaning up as best as he could. The clean set of inner robes were rough. Although his silk robes were much better on the skin, they were dirty, bloodstained and torn. Just as Jiang Zhilan plopped down on the bed, the door opened and Liu Qingyuan came back in with an assortment of medicine bottles and bandages upon a small wooden tray.

The clothes were a little small so when he sat down, his fair ankles were exposed. Liu Qingyuan looked for a moment and glanced away. He set down the tray, uncorking one bottle and approaching the seated king. "Your wounds."

"Ah.." Jiang Zhilan untied his shirt, feeling a little apprehensive. He didn't dare look up as Liu Qingyuan took his arm. His fingers were feather light and cool as they spread the ointment and before long, the wound was wrapped up neatly. Fingers grasped his ankle, pulling his leg up. "W-what are you doing?!"

"Wound." Liu Qingyuan said lowly. His finger tightened a fraction.

"Oh..." Blood flooded the king's cheeks as Liu Qingyuan pushed up his pant leg. His palm was both rough and warm and his fingers stroked gently... Jiang Zhilan's face grew redder as he looked up over Liu Qingyuan's kneeled form, trying to gaze at anything but him. The darkening sky and the lone candle on the simple wooden table gave the room a rather ambiguous air.

"Done." Liu Qingyuan got up and turned away immediately. He fiddled around with the tray of medicine. "You should rest early, your majesty."

"...okay." Liu Qingyuan heard the rustling of blankets behind him and the creaking of the old bed behind him. There was silence for a few moments then, "Qingyuan?"

"...yes?"

"What about your wounds? Are you sure you're okay?" There was rustling from the bed as the king sat up again.

"...'ve taken car of it."

"...alright. Rest early too." There was another pause.

"Mhm." Jiang Zhilan lay in the lumpy bed with the coarse blanket up to his chin. He stared at the uneven canopy above and couldn't remember a time when his body had hurt this much. Except maybe when he was a rowdy child that got into trouble. Under the blanket, he touched the bandages on his arm and smiled secretly. Although it was still early, exhaustion quickly took hold of him, dragging him into the abyss of sleep.

Liu Qingyuan glanced back after a long while, seeing the peacefully sleeping face of the king. He sat down then, peeling his blood soaked robes away from torso. The cut on his abdomen was shallow but it still stung. Liu Qingyuan cleaned himself with a fresh basin of water, applying medicine and wrapping up the wound to prevent infection. The wound on his shoulder was a different story. The arrow had sliced right through the top of his shoulder, making the tail end of it hard to reach, especially as every touch to the inflamed flesh sent a barrage of pain though his body. He cleaned the wound as meticulously as he could, gritting his teeth against the sensation of hot needles. Although the medicine wouldn't help the poison, it may help the wound itself, and so he applied it anyway. Liu Qingyuan used a couple herbs to create a concoction that would temporarily suppress the poison until he could find a way to cure it. He was then faced with the task of wrapping up his shoulder.

The awkward angle left the bandage loose and sloppy but Liu Qingyuan was tired enough to give up and just rest. He wiped the sweat on his forehead, a quiet, shuddering breath escaping his lips. Suddenly a light touch grazed his shoulder and took the roll of bandages from him. "Let me do it." A voice said sleepily. Liu Qingyuan went quiet, allowing him to. The result wasn't half bad.

Jiang Zhilan was actually quite nervous. He didn't want to hurt Liu Qingyuan any more. In the low light, he couldn't see much but it was enough to know that his bodyguard had been lying when he said he was fine. Maybe it was also the lighting but his face looked rather pale. They both secretly sighed in relief when Jiang Zhilan tied the last knot on the bandage. There was a moment of silence.

"You should rest." Jiang Zhilan knew hosting a poison wasn't easy work.

"There's only one bed. I'll stand guard."

"There's guards all around us. You don't need to."

"Then I'll-"

"You'll sleep in the chair?" Liu Qingyuan went silent.

"You don't need to worry about me, your majesty. Just go to sleep." Jiang Zhilan sat on the bed with crossed arms, silent for a second.

"Then I'll stay up too."

"You-"

"You're poisoned. What if something happens to you in the middle of the night?" The king raised a stubborn brow. He could see the exhaustion in his face. If he didn't rest up, Jiang Zhilan was afraid he'd fall off a horse or something. The two had a stare-down, Liu Qingyuan's dark gaze clashing with the king's unrelenting stare. He sighed, striding forward and pushing the king back into the bed. Resolutely, he climbed into the bed, pulling the thin quilt over himself.

"Hey! Why am I on the inside?!" Liu Qingyuan closed his eyes.

"Sleep." Jiang Zhilan sat for a moment, chewing his lip, then sighed and laid down. Every few seconds he glanced over at Liu Qingyuan's handsome profile. Relaxed, his features were softer and his expression less severe. Suddenly he opened his eyes, turning his head. Their gazes clashed. Liu Qingyuan blinked slowly, watching the firelight dancing in the king's surprised eyes. "Sleep," He repeated, turning his head back and closing his eyes. He listened to the king's breath eventually even out and forced his thrumming heart to slow until he sunk into sleep.

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Jiang Zhilan opened his eyes, embarrassedly realizing he was clinging to Liu Qingyuan's form. However, a sense of wrongness rose and he raised his head. Jiang Zhilan furrowed his brow, sitting up suddenly. Wasn't that the sound of yelling and...fighting? His movement woke Liu Qingyuan who opened his eyes like he hadn't been asleep at all. He listened for a second then sat up quickly.

"Something's wrong. We've got to go."

"What's-what's wrong?" Jiang Zhilan scrambled off the bed, slipping on his shoes and hastily tugging the simple outer robe on. He sent a cursory glance out the window and was shocked by the raging battle below. He was pulled away by Liu Qingyuan and the pair of them ran to the stables behind the building.

The horses had sensed the clamour outside and were nervously pacing in their stalls. Liu Qingyuan grabbed two horses and deftly readied them. Jiang Zhilan swung his body up and onto the saddle of one, watching anxiously as Liu Qingyuan clumsily tied their small bag to the other.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Jiang Zhilan was skeptical but he didn't say anything afterwards. Although it was unfortunate to leave the commanding officer with this mess, they'd come back and repay him when the king was safe. The two burst from the stables, leaving the yells and fighting behind in a cloud of dust. A polearm came flying after them, striking the dirt a few feet behind them. The horses were spurred faster and their shadows soon became lost in the dawn.

A while later, the horses plodded slowly along, their flanks shiny with sweat and their teeth pulling at the high grass. The king's voice broke the silence. "Back then, I lost your sword. I'll...get you a new one."

"Mm." For a brief moment, Liu Qingyuan felt sad. That sword had been bestowed on him by his master. Perhaps after the situation was stabilized, he could go back and look for it. After a while, they slowly arrived in town. They didn't have money and their clothes were shabby but their horses were tougher than the ordinary kind; obviously soldiers' horses.

Jiang Zhilan sighed in his heart and smiled ruefully. Born as a prince and currently the king, he'd never travelled anywhere in such a state. There had always been a large palanquin and parade and the citizens would be lined on the streets, having been told beforehand of his visit. Besides his aching body, this version of events was a bit satisfying. Dressed in plain clothes with messy hair, most of the citizens hardly paid him a second glance. It was sort of...freeing.

"Halt." Jiang Zhilan looked up at the voice. A small trio of guards were looking them up and down suspiciously. "Where did you get these horses from?"

"The outpost south of the city." The soldier narrowed his eyes.

"We just got word now that they were attacked. I don't know you. Show your identity tags!"

Liu Qingyuan's mouth hardened but he stuck a hand into his robes and pulled out a plaque once again. Silently he held it up to their faces. If the imperial design didn't say anything, the words engraved into the metal spelled out that Liu Qingyuan was an imperial bodyguard; one of the highest level at that.

The soldier blinked and suddenly went to bow but Liu Qingyuan, who was still on the horse, raised a leg and blocked him. In the middle of a busy street, the soldier understood and consciously said, "Follow me." He turned away, leading, and discreetly wiped the sweat on the forehead. Who knew that it was just his luck to run into bigshots! The soldier turned back, glancing at Jiang Zhilan but a cold voice forced his gaze away.

"Look forward." Liu Qingyuan and Jiang Zhilan followed the soldier to a large room. Just like before, the highest ranking officer visited them with a wary smile on his face. This man was different. He seemed more suspicious and requested a private audience with Jiang Zhilan. Liu Qingyuan hadn't wanted to, but the king sent him a reassuring smile. Liu Qingyuan leaned against the wall outside as the king and the captain had a conversation. He glanced at the guards standing at the end of the hallway. They kept stealing glances, obviously curious at what event had turned their barracks upside down.

"Hgn-!" Liu Qingyuan jerked forward, clutching his chest. A burning pain flared up. The blood drained from his face and he tasted copper in his throat. His muscles tensed as he struggled to control his own body and stay upright. His head dropped, fingers trembling as if restraining the urge to claw at the source of pain. One of the guards glanced over.

"Hey, are you okay?" Liu Qingyuan exhaled sharply, forcing his back to straighten and gritted out two words,

"It's nothing." The guard looked him over skeptically.

"Are you sure? You look rather pale." His inquiry was cut off by the sound of the door opening. Jiang Zhilan stepped out first, his gaze becoming a touch alarmed when he saw Liu Qingyuan's pale face. He supported his arm.

"Send a doctor too." The captain bowed under the baffled gazes of his subordinates.

"Yes."

The king turned back to Liu Qingyuan. "Let's go rest. The carriage will be ready in a couple hours."

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"This lowly servant is too unskilled to figure out which poison this is. Please forgive me, your majesty." The doctor bowed, secretly wiping the sweat on his face. He glanced at his patient who was sitting at the table with his eyes closed and his shirt around his waist, and then at the shabbily dressed man beside him. However, the aura he emitted made the doctor nervously avert his eyes.

Jiang Zhilan sighed, standing up to lightly touch his hand to Liu Qingyuan's forehead. "H-however," the doctor stuttered. "I have some standard pills to suppress poison. Although it might not work, there are definitely no side effects." Jiang Zhilan thought for a moment then nodded, sending the doctor scurrying away. He then turned to Liu Qingyuan.

"Tell me if you feel uncomfortable." Slowly, Liu Qingyuan's long lashes parted and his piercing gaze met the king's. He looked for a moment before averting his eyes. Shortly afterwards, the doctor returned and gave Liu Qingyuan a bottle of small, dark, bead-like pills and told him to take one every six hours unless he was confident in his body's health. Then he could just take one every time he felt discomfort. Of course, the pills were only a temporary solution. If the antidote was not taken, death was still imminent.

After the doctor finished explaining, the pair left that town on route back to the palace. The king watched the scenery slowly flashing by outside the window. His finger dropped, letting the curtain fall back in place as his eyes lowered in thought.

"Whoever caused this incident, he definitely would not let them go."