Impératrice douairière Xiaoxuan

Chapitre 51

"How did you make her cry?" Mo Yan's first reaction was to find out who the culprit was.

Ning Jin said angrily, "Why is it me!"

Mo Yan ignored him and awkwardly comforted Bai Yingyu, saying, "Don't cry, don't cry. He's talking about your father, not you. Your father did so many bad things, he deserved to be killed..."

Ning Jin and Wu Zichu shook their heads upon hearing this. Zhan Zhao was helpless and was about to speak when Bai Yingyu raised her head, staring at Mo Yan with tears streaming down her face. After a moment, she cried even more bitterly.

"No, no, no..." Mo Yan hurriedly handed her a handkerchief, saying in a flustered manner, "That's not what I meant, I meant your father died a worthy death..." She paused to think for a moment, "That doesn't seem right either..."

She could only look to Zhan Zhao for help.

Zhan Zhao stepped forward and said, “Miss Bai, your father has passed away. I dare not judge the rights and wrongs of his life; public opinion will prevail. I hope you will take care of yourself and do your best to accumulate some merit for your father.”

Bai Yingyu's sobs gradually subsided, and she asked through sobs, "Is this what Lord Zhan is referring to?"

"Go to the Kaifeng Prefecture to testify in court," Zhan Zhao said in a deep voice.

She suddenly opened her tear-filled eyes: "You want me to testify against my father?"

"No, I just hope that Miss can tell Judge Bao everything she knows in court."

"Actually, I know very little," Bai Yingyu said hesitantly, "...Please allow me to think about it."

Zhan Zhao didn't press her, and nodded gently.

The mountain path was quite difficult to traverse, and with both Zhan Zhao and Bai Yingyu injured, they didn't reach Gua Town until nearly dusk. The group found a quiet inn to rest, and Bai Yingyu sat down with difficulty; her legs had become numb from the pain of the journey.

She carefully lifted her skirt and looked at her feet, gasping in shock. Her feet were swollen to the size of steamed buns.

"Your foot!" Mo Yan exclaimed in surprise, "How did it get so swollen?"

Having never suffered such hardship in her life, Bai Yingyu forced back her tears and whispered, "I don't know either."

Despite her swollen feet, she didn't utter a sound. This young lady is truly stubborn, which is quite admirable. The others remained silent.

"Miss Bai, may I have the honor of examining your injuries?" Zhan Zhao asked.

Bai Yingyu hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

Zhan Zhao half-squatted down, took off his embroidered shoes, and pressed a few times on Bai Yingyu's ankle through her silk stockings. Bai Yingyu immediately cried out in pain. After confirming the location of the bone, Zhan Zhao withdrew his hand, sighed almost imperceptibly, and looked up at Mo Yan…

"What's wrong?" Mo Yan felt guilty under his gaze.

The bones were set incorrectly.

Mo Yan was a little dumbfounded: "...No way? I clearly aimed it before pushing it up."

Ning Jin shook his head and sighed repeatedly, looking at Bai Yingyu with sympathy.

Zhan Zhao said to Bai Yingyu, "We can only reconnect it. It will be a little painful, so please bear with it."

Bai Yingyu bit her lower lip lightly and nodded.

The only way to reset it was to dislocate the bone again and then push it back in. Fortunately, Zhan Zhao was quick and didn't even take off his stockings. Bai Yingyu didn't even have time to cry out in pain before she heard two slight clicks from the bone, and it was already set.

"alright."

He straightened up, and Mo Yan poured him a cup of tea with exceptional attentiveness, praising, "So fast! Next time I dislocate my shoulder, I'll definitely ask you to put it back in place for me."

Ning Jin laughed upon hearing this, "You really know how to take care of yourself!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Mo Yan gave him a disgruntled glare.

Bai Yingyu nodded to Zhan Zhao and said, "Thank you, Lord Zhan."

Zhan Zhao said, "Please forgive me if I have been impolite, Miss."

Hearing his words, Ning Jin suddenly raised his eyes and smiled faintly, "Strange, why don't you show such courtesy to Miss Mo?"

Zhan Zhao was slightly taken aback and was stumped by the question. Before he could think about it, Mo Yan said triumphantly from the side, "Zhan Zhao and I are both people of the martial world. How could we be bound by such trivial matters?"

"I see." Ning Jin's expression was strange.

Ignoring him, Mo Yan smiled and moved closer to Bai Yingyu, saying, "Order whatever you want, it's on me." Before Bai Yingyu could speak, she slammed her hand on the table and called out, "Waiter! Waiter! Bring a big bowl of stewed pig's trotters first." She said to Bai Yingyu solicitously, "...to nourish your feet."

"Oh, and another plate of braised pork hock, please."

She smiled at Zhan Zhao and said, "Let me help you heal your legs."

Zhan Zhao looked at her with a half-smile and said slowly, "Want me to give you a plate of noodles too?"

Mo Yan was still slightly stunned when Ning Jin clapped his hands and laughed: "I never expected that you, Zhan Zhao, would actually joke like that."

Zhan Zhao smiled faintly, picked up his chopsticks, and casually fiddled with them in his hands.

Chapter Forty

The food at the inn wasn't very good; the cook made a haphazard meal, and the guests ate it haphazardly. Having traveled a long way, they were exhausted and probably extremely hungry, so even Ning Jin, who was used to a life of luxury, didn't complain.

Because they had to set off early in the morning, and fearing they wouldn't be able to hire a carriage, Mo Yan hurriedly swallowed two bowls of rice soaked in soup before running outside to hire a carriage. She returned shortly afterward, grinning as she reached out to Zhan Zhao, saying, "They want a deposit, but I don't have any money on me."

Zhan Zhao didn't ask how much silver she needed, he just handed her the money pouch. Mo Yan ran off in a flash, and when she returned, she had several sets of coarse cloth clothes that ordinary people wore.

"Miss Bai, this dress comes in pale yellow and autumn fragrance. Go back to your room and try them on. See which one you like best. You can choose first," she said to Bai Yingyu with a smile.

"...Thank you, but I still have clothes in my bundle," Bai Yingyu said softly, unaware of his intentions.

While still in the main hall, Mo Yan didn't feel comfortable explaining further, so she handed the other sets of clothes to Zhan Zhao: "These are for you."