Zhao Tuo’s confusion was genuine, not an act, and Qin Yuanxi sighed again in frustration.
“Zhao Tuo, I’ll ask you one thing, have you ever deceived me?”
“Young master?” Zhao Tuo’s face showed surprise, “Why would young master say such a thing?”
“Answer me!”
Qin Yuanxi was getting a bit angry, unsure whether he was angry at himself or at Zhao Tuo. He couldn’t discern Zhao Tuo’s true intentions. Sometimes he felt Zhao Tuo was sincere, that everything was genuine, his care and loyalty were real, and sometimes he felt Zhao Tuo was acting, that everything was a lie, and that Zhao Tuo was merely a spy for Prince Lu, feigning loyalty to gain his trust.
These two thoughts were swirling in his mind, leaving Qin Yuanxi completely muddled and frustrated.
In any case, he was really annoyed!
“Young master!” Zhao Tuo noticed Qin Yuanxi’s displeasure and immediately knelt down without hesitation, lifting his robe, “Zhao Tuo dares not speak a single falsehood to young master. Every word is true. If there’s any deceit, young master can punish me!”
Then he offered his knife to Qin Yuanxi.
His actions were swift and decisive, devoid of any hesitation, which made Qin Yuanxi feel that he was wrong to doubt Zhao Tuo.
“Get up! Why kneel? What’s the point of kneeling when you’re injured all over? Get up quickly.”
Seeing the wounds on Zhao Tuo’s body, already oozing blood, Qin Yuanxi couldn’t help but sigh and support him, “Just promise me not to deceive me. If I find out you’ve lied to me, you’re finished!”
His tone was a bit harsh, a threat without much power behind it. Even if Zhao Tuo deceived him in the future, what could he really do? It was just a bluff.
But unexpectedly, Zhao Tuo took it seriously.
“Zhao Tuo will never deceive Your Majesty, not at any time. I would rather die a hundred deaths than speak a single false word to Your Majesty.”
His voice was low, only audible to Qin Yuanxi, but it was resolute, each word ringing true. It reminded Qin Yuanxi of the scene when he saw Zhao Tuo single-handedly protecting the carriage, fighting against the bandits.
Qin Yuanxi moved his lips, wanting to say something, but not knowing what to say. In the end, he helped Zhao Tuo and found a nearby inn to rest temporarily.
The two of them stayed in Changze Town to recover. Meanwhile, the political situation at the capital seemed to be shifting a bit. Since the Prince Regent left with the Emperor, there had been no news for many days, leaving many ministers in the cabinet somewhat uneasy.
Of course, it wasn’t that they didn’t trust the Prince Regent; he always followed protocols in his actions. They were worried that the Emperor’s careless behavior might burden the Prince Regent. Seeing no signs of his return, they considered sending a message to the Prince Regent to understand his plans and gain some insight.
While Zhao Tuo recuperated, Qin Yuanxi didn’t rush to leave. Instead, he decided to stay in Changze Town for a while, as it was inconvenient for Zhao Tuo to travel with his injuries. Qin Yuanxi arranged for a young medical apprentice to come from a nearby clinic to help with the medication and care, lending a hand in this time of need.
Changze Town was bustling with activity, and Qin Yuanxi was someone who enjoyed such liveliness. However, with Zhao Tuo’s injured state, he couldn’t keep following him around. Qin Yuanxi didn’t like it either, but he pretended to be annoyed and scolded Zhao Tuo lightly, making him obediently rest at the inn while Qin Yuanxi roamed around with the young medical apprentice, passing the time.
The young medical apprentice had grown up in this area, and he led Qin Yuanxi around, showing him places to visit and things to enjoy. Whenever Qin Yuanxi spotted something delicious or entertaining, he would bring some back for Zhao Tuo. Worried about Qin Yuanxi’s safety, Zhao Tuo secretly followed him, intending to protect him from the shadows.
However, fate took an unexpected turn, and Qin Yuanxi discovered Zhao Tuo’s secret surveillance. Not only was his tracking exposed, but Zhao Tuo also accidentally tore open the wound that had already healed around sixty percent, necessitating a restart of his recovery.
With a stern face, Qin Yuanxi scolded him thoroughly, and only then did Zhao Tuo become more honest. From that point on, Qin Yuanxi also stayed put, rarely going out and spending most of his days where Zhao Tuo could see him.
Zhao Tuo couldn’t help but worry about Qin Yuanxi’s well-being, and that was an undeniable fact. Consequently, Zhao Tuo regained the upper hand innocently.
On the other hand, Qin Yuanxi was more willing to be with Zhao Tuo alone. After all, Zhao Tuo’s face was quite pleasing to his liking. Even if they just chatted about trivial matters, Qin Yuanxi felt quite content.
“Why is the medicine not ready yet?” Qin Yuanxi noticed that the medical apprentice had been gone for a while, feeling a bit puzzled. “I’ll go check and also see what we’ll have for dinner.”
As Qin Yuanxi stepped out of the kitchen, he bumped into the young apprentice, who was trembling and spoke hesitantly, “M-My lord, something happened to my master. Please, you must go and see.”
“What? What happened?” Qin Yuanxi was taken aback, and the young apprentice’s sorrowful cry made him worried. Trying to comfort him, Qin Yuanxi said, “Don’t worry, we’ll go together and assess the situation.”
The young apprentice’s master was the senior physician at the medical clinic, and he was no longer young. Qin Yuanxi feared something bad might have happened. In a rush, they entered the clinic and found the situation was not right.
The young apprentice clutched the door frame, trembling heavily, and immediately knelt before Qin Yuanxi, crying uncontrollably. “My lord, I’m sorry, I had no choice. They threatened me with my master, saying they must trick you into coming. If I didn’t cooperate, my master…” His words were interrupted by sobs.
As the young apprentice knelt and cried, Qin Yuanxi noticed several rough men approaching them. He swallowed a lump in his throat and took a few cautious steps back, observing the men who emerged from inside the clinic, shoving the senior physician. The senior physician’s expression wasn’t good, and he glanced at Qin Yuanxi before shaking his head and sighing deeply.
In an instant, Qin Yuanxi’s heart sank. He recognized these men; they were the bandits from before, the one who had clashed with Zhao Tuo. Qin Yuanxi vividly remembered the one who had slashed Zhao Tuo’s arm, causing the most severe injury.
“How’s that? Didn’t I tell you? The boss will surely like him. Look at this young master, so tender and beautiful. His face is more delicate than any girl’s, just a pinch and water will come out. After we hand him over to the boss, our trip down the mountain won’t be in vain.”
“Sixth brother, you have sharp eyes. You spotted such a little fox hidden inside the carriage. Impressive! Now the boss won’t scold us when we return.”
“That’s right.” The guy with a scruffy beard, called Lao Liu, sized up Qin Yuanxi’s face left and right before letting go of him. “Not a waste of squatting here for so many days, it was worth it.”
Qin Yuanxi quickly grasped the situation after hearing a few words and became instantly nervous. “You guys just want money, right? I have it, I’ll give it all to you.”
He carried a money pouch containing two silver bills and some silver coins. Lao Liu pulled off the money pouch, opened it, and sneered coldly, “Just this little? Who do you think you’re fooling?”
He then kept the money pouch, patted Qin Yuanxi’s face, and said, “But it’s too late now. We’re not after wealth anymore. Please, be our guest and come with us to the mountain.”
Hearing this, Qin Yuanxi struggled immediately, “Do you dare to touch me!”
“Hah, the young master’s quite feisty. Hurry up, that guard beside him is skilled. Move quickly and withdraw.” Lao Liu, the scruffy-bearded guy, took a cloth, covered Qin Yuanxi’s nose, and Qin Yuanxi felt dizzy and light-headed. After that, he lost consciousness.
The goal of the gang of bandits was to kidnap Qin Yuanxi. Fortunately, the old doctor and the apprentice in the clinic managed to avoid the calamity. Once the man left, the old doctor shakily woke up the unconscious child, gasping for breath, and instructed, “Quickly, go find that young master’s family and have them notify the officials to rescue him!”
With tears and snot, the child nodded, apologizing, and ran outside. After taking a few steps, he bumped into someone, almost getting thrown off. Luckily, the person held him back, and the child apologized quickly, then continued running with his head down. Zhao Tuo reached out and pulled him back.
“You are here, then where’s my young master?”
“Huh?”
“I’m asking you, where’s my young master?” Zhao Tuo’s expression turned displeased. “He went somewhere. The innkeeper said he left with you.”
Zhao Tuo had been waiting in the room for Qin Yuanxi. When he didn’t return after a while, he started to worry. When he couldn’t find him, his face changed. Thankfully, the innkeeper mentioned that Qin Yuanxi had returned to the clinic with the clinic’s young apprentice. Zhao Tuo followed and arrived at the clinic, but he didn’t find Qin Yuanxi there. His expression darkened again.
“The young master, the young master was taken by the bandits!”
The apprentice didn’t dare to hide the truth and tearfully explained the situation. Zhao Tuo turned to leave, but the old doctor stopped him. “Young master, please wait, listen to me.”
With the apprentice’s support, the old doctor quickly walked up to Zhao Tuo and said, “The young master’s desire to save people is understandable, but you should first inform the officials. The mountain trail is difficult to attack and defend, and it’s dangerous to go recklessly.”
Zhao Tuo furrowed his brows, then took out a token and threw it to the child. “Take it and find the stationed general in this area, order him to support and suppress the bandits.”
“Wait.” The old doctor hurriedly said, “Young master, there’s a small path behind the mountain pass that I accidentally discovered while gathering herbs. Although it’s treacherous, it’s a shortcut and very concealed. If the young master wants to go alone, you can take that route to save time.”
The old doctor was familiar with the terrain in the mountain pass due to his years of herb-gathering. He quickly drew a simple map for Zhao Tuo and handed it to him with a hint of guilt, “I’m really sorry, young master.”
“It’s none of your concern.”
A cold glint flashed in Zhao Tuo’s eyes. He closed the map, borrowed a horse from the clinic, and galloped northwards.
Hello, everyone ヾ(＾∇＾). I hope you enjoyed the story! If you’re feeling generous, please buy me a coffee, share/comment on my translated works! Check out the link below for early chapters. (๑>ᴗ<๑)
