Translator: Dj2203
Editor: Dj2203
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On the first day he met Zhuang Li, Qi Wang gave up on the idea of removing the poisoned needle, because he knew he couldn’t afford to lose.
He would tremble with fear if closing his eyes meant saying goodbye to this person forever.
But now, when Zhuang Li said unequivocally that he must pull it out, he couldn’t bring himself to refuse.
He was the one who couldn’t afford to lose, yet he was also the one willing to lose everything for the boy before him. So he gave up struggling, closed his eyes, and replied, “Okay.”
Zhuang Li held his head and whispered softly in his ear, “Don’t be afraid, everything will be alright. Trust me, okay?”
The words “Trust me” were clearly spoken for the first time by the young man, yet they evoked a strange and profound sense of familiarity in the Qi Wang’s ears. His uneasy heart immediately calmed down, and he nodded in response, “Good, good.”
These two simple “good”s entrusted the Qi Wang’s life. He didn’t understand why he would so easily trust someone, but he was willing to do it anyway. There was nothing to think about; at this moment, being in this warm embrace felt like eternity to him.
So he reached out and slowly embraced the boy’s slender waist, holding his breath and waiting for the boy’s reaction.
To accept or to push away?
Zhuang Li not only accepted the hug but also buried his head in his lover’s neck and quietly wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes.
The carriage suddenly became very quiet, yet two rapid heartbeats could be faintly heard, merging into a warm and reassuring atmosphere.
Qi Wang, who had been struggling to find the words “relaxed and happy” for a long time, kissed the soft strands of hair at the boy’s temple without leaving a trace, a smile of utmost happiness blooming on his lips.
However, Zhuang Li spoiled the mood by asking, “You’re married and have children?”
The smile on Qi Wang’s lips immediately turned into a straight line as he firmly denied it: “I didn’t!”
“Then how did you get your son?” Zhuang Li pressed.
“He’s the son of my general.” Qi Wang grabbed the young man’s waist, afraid he would run away from his embrace without listening to the explanation, and said very quickly, “Back then, my general died on the battlefield to save me. When I returned to the capital to find his wife to repay his kindness, I found that his wife had died in childbirth, leaving behind a newborn baby. At that time, my father and mother were forcing me to get married and have children, so I secretly passed this child off as a Prince to get away with it.”
“I have never looked for a woman all these years, let alone had any thoughts of marriage and children.” Qi Wang turned to look at the young scholar, and said in an embarrassed tone, “If I told you that I have been waiting for someone all along, and that person is you, would you believe me?”
Zhuang Li looked into his deep eyes, smiled and nodded: “I believe you.”
After saying that, he called out in his mind, “System, did you hear that? Do you still doubt the gods’ feelings for me?”
7480: “…Master, you’re being a bit childish!”
Ignoring the system’s complaints, Zhuang Li quickly moved closer to his lover and stole a kiss from his lips.
Qi Wang was stunned. After realizing what had happened, he immediately cupped the young man’s face and forcefully stole another deep kiss from him.
….
It was already late when the caravan arrived at the villa. Zhuang Li, whose lips were swollen and red, was lifted off the carriage by the Qi Wang, who had his hands around his waist.
Upon landing, Zhuang Li retaliated by pinching Qi Wang’s burning hot ear.
The two looked at each other and couldn’t help but laugh.
Zhuang Lao Er and the others were assigned to the west courtyard, while Zhuang Li and the Qi Wang went to the east courtyard. The commander of the guards gathered 150 guards and arranged patrol duties.
Zhuang Li seemed to remember something and deliberately instructed, “Don’t worry about Luoxia Village at the foot of the mountain, and don’t pass by there.”
The commander of the guards looked at the Wang, only to find him completely absorbed in something, oblivious to the commotion.
“Yes, your subordinates will avoid Luoxia Village,” the guard captain replied respectfully.
“Has the imperial physician come along?” Zhuang Li asked again.
“They’ve come along.” The guard captain waved slightly behind him, and an elderly man with gray hair stepped forward carrying a medicine box.
“Give me the box, you can go and rest.” Zhuang Li dismissed the imperial physicians and pointed to the east wing, instructing, “You all need to guard this place closely tonight and not let anyone near. I need to help the Wang remove the needle.”
The captain of the guards looked up abruptly, staring at him in disbelief. The other guards also looked over with tense expressions and intense gazes.
It’s no wonder they reacted so strongly, because the poisoned needle stuck in the Wang’s chest had become a deep-seated worry for all of them.
The needle was too close to the heart; if too much force was used or the angle was off when it was pulled out, the Wang would die instantly. What was even more difficult was that the skin on the Wang’s chest had to be cut open when the needle was pulled out, and the flesh had to be repeatedly dug and searched. The intense pain was unbearable for an ordinary person.
If the Wang couldn’t bear the pain and struggled to get up, the imperial physician removing the needles would be disturbed, and the Wang would also die.
They had tried to restrain the Wang’s hands and feet, but the Wang was extremely skilled in martial arts, and even seven or eight guards couldn’t subdue him. They tried to lock his wrists and ankles with iron chains, but he could break them in no time.
Having been tempered in the blood and fire of the battlefield, the Wang even slept with one eye open. How could he possibly allow someone to wield a knife over his vital spot? His brain knew he couldn’t struggle, but his body would instinctively resist. No imperial physician could thus approach him unharmed with a knife.
In short, to safely remove the poison needle from the Wang, the practitioner must meet four requirements: first, it must be painless; second, it must be fast; third, it must be precise; and fourth, he must gain the Wang’s complete trust.
Could this young man really do it?
When the guards hesitated, Qi Wang said in a deep voice, “I have already agreed, the needle will be removed tonight.”
“Yes, sir!” The guards’ wavering gazes immediately hardened.
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