Le Jianghu de Feng Qingcheng et Mo Xibei

Chapitre 18

Leng Jie understood their expressions. Half a month ago, when she saw Qingfeng only applying medicine and bandaging the emperor without stitching it up, she guessed that the medical skills of this era might not have reached that level. If it had been stitched up then, his wound should have healed by now. But at the time, she felt that saving him was already enough, and there was no need to worry about him suffering for ten or twenty days. In fact, because of the Empress's ordeal, she subconsciously hoped he would suffer more. Today, he was injured because of saving her and didn't seek any reward. Coupled with her understanding of him over the past few days, she discovered that he wasn't actually a bad emperor. At least his heart was with the people. That's why she came to help him treat his wound. Although she could only treat external injuries, she had done her best and repaid his kindness.

[Main Text: Chapter Fifty-Two: Self-Created Acupuncture Techniques]

After bandaging the wound, Leng Jie took out the silver needles, put away the needles and thread, washed her hands, and instructed:

"The wound should not get wet. As long as you avoid strenuous exercise, you can live a normal life. Change the dressing once a day, and I will come to remove the stitches in seven days."

"You mean the Emperor doesn't need to rest in bed?" Eunuch Fu asked incredulously.

The other two were equally puzzled.

It's no wonder they didn't believe Wuming's words. After all, even Wuming's renowned physician required the Emperor to rest in bed for ten days after his treatment, and the Emperor's wounds would reopen even with the slightest exertion, like coughing. How could this mediocre doctor speak so casually?

Leng Jie saw through their thoughts and didn't care about their expressions. She had accomplished what she needed to do; other matters were beyond her control. She nodded slightly in response.

"Was this technique of threading a needle into a person taught to you by your master?" Although Xuanyuan was equally shocked, he understood the mystery behind it. With the wound sewn together and tightly wrapped with bandages, it certainly wouldn't easily reopen. He was even more surprised by the nameless man's practiced skill and the origin of this treatment. At least he knew Qingfeng wouldn't know this method.

“No,” Leng Jie replied crisply.

The group immediately perked up, their eyes shining with anticipation for her answer.

Judging from their demeanor, they wouldn't be at ease without a reasonable explanation. Leng Jie felt it necessary to satisfy their curiosity, so she continued, "This method is my own creation; neither my master nor my senior brother knows it!" She paused, and seeing their skepticism, continued:

"Once, I accidentally rescued an injured little rabbit. After I applied medicine to it, it hopped around a few times, and the wound reopened. Coincidentally, I had seen someone sewing clothes that day. So, I found a needle and thread and sewed it up for the little rabbit before applying medicine. This way, the little rabbit recovered quickly. Later, I found this method effective and used it to heal many other animal friends. That's how I developed this pretty good needlework skill."

The three fell silent again, the air seemingly freezing. After a long while, the shadow guard was the first to react, asking in surprise:

"You used methods for treating wild animals to heal the Emperor's wounds?"

Seeing their convinced and surprised expressions, Leng Jie suppressed the urge to laugh. She continued teasingly, "Don't worry, I've even cured a giant python with this method! Snakes are also called little dragons, right? And the Emperor is the Son of Heaven, the true dragon, so isn't he the great dragon? The great dragon and the little dragon should be considered family!"

After speaking, she didn't dare look at their expressions, afraid she wouldn't be able to help but laugh. Turning away, she said as she walked:

"I'll leave the internal injuries to the Shadow Guard. I'll take my leave now."

My goodness! There's probably no one else in the entire world who would dare compare the Son of Heaven to a tiger in front of the emperor! Truly, a newborn calf unafraid of a tiger! The shadow guard admired Nameless's courage in his heart. His goodwill towards him increased even more.

The shadow guard looked at the emperor with concern, but was surprised to find that apart from a slightly distorted expression, the emperor didn't seem particularly angry. Even Eunuch Fu, who always valued the emperor's authority more than his own life, showed no intention of pursuing the matter beyond a momentary surprise. Furthermore, seeing Wuming leave, he hurriedly chased after him. What was going on?

If he knew that Wuming had once directly and sternly rebuked the emperor, he would probably admire him immensely.

The nameless man's audacity in daring to challenge the dragon's whiskers stirred up deep-seated memories for the shadow guard. In his youthful arrogance, he had recklessly challenged the martial arts leader, only to have his martial arts crippled and nearly lose his life. Fortunately, he encountered the most beautiful woman in the martial arts world at the time, Fairy Zixia. She not only healed his injuries but also found him a good master, allowing him to regain his formidable skills. However, when he returned, wanting to repay her kindness…

"Shadow" Xuanyuan called back the person who was trapped in the memories.

"Is Your Majesty ready? I will now use my internal energy to heal your injuries."

Xuanyuan nodded and replied, "Okay."

......

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As for Leng Jie, the moment she stepped out of the emperor's bedchamber, she couldn't help but burst into laughter. Considering the many palace servants around, she tried her best to suppress her laughter. This caused her face to turn bright red and her forehead to be covered in sweat as she tried to fully release her pent-up emotions.

Seeing this, Eunuch Fu, who had followed the nameless man out, couldn't help but sigh for his emperor: "Alas! How could the Emperor have taken these two fellow disciples as confidants? The capricious and highly skilled physician, Qingfeng, alone was already nearly bringing shame upon the Emperor. And now, with his cunning and unruly Wuming, he's treating the Emperor's authority like a joke." However, considering that the two disciples did indeed possess exceptional abilities and had solved many problems for his emperor, he felt a little better.

He pulled out a handkerchief and handed it to Wuming, who was laughing so hard he almost choked. Wuming didn't even look up, took the handkerchief, thanked him, and started wiping his face with it.

"Young master, do you think it's fun to tease the emperor? This is a capital offense. Don't you know how to be afraid?" Eunuch Fu couldn't help but ask.

Leng Jie then recognized who it was, and she coughed a few times to stop laughing. Then she said seriously:

"Eunuch Fu, you can't just say things like that! When have I ever mocked the Emperor? You asked the questions first, and I was just answering truthfully. I only know that not telling the Emperor the truth is a capital offense of deceiving the Emperor. Is answering the truth also a crime? It seems that only incompetent and tyrannical rulers have indiscriminately killed innocent people throughout history! Does Eunuch Fu think that our wise and mighty Emperor is that kind of monarch?"

This is what it means to turn the tables and make false accusations. Eunuch Fu has learned his lesson. He quickly retorted, "This old servant has no such thoughts. Our Emperor is a wise ruler who cares deeply for the people."

"That settles it. Since he's a wise ruler, how could he not listen to loyal advice?" Leng Jie said meaningfully.

Even though he knew the nameless man wasn't telling the truth, Eunuch Fu was speechless. He felt that no matter what he said, he would end up being the one in the wrong. At that moment, he only regretted not controlling his foul mouth.

Seeing the amusing expression of helplessness and regret on Eunuch Fu's chubby face, Leng Jie stopped teasing him and asked with a smile:

"Did you chase Wuming all the way here just to confront him?"

Only then did Grandpa Fu remember the purpose of his trip. He raised his large, fat hand and slapped his fleshy forehead twice, then exclaimed in realization:

"Oh dear! Look at my memory, how could I forget the important matter!"

Leng Jie remained silent, still smiling as she waited for him to get down to business.

Eunuch Fu looked at Leng Jie with expectant eyes and said:

"You don't know, but many officials are asking who that little eunuch standing next to the Emperor during the morning court is. I've sent word that you're a new eunuch named Xiao Mingzi, specifically in charge of the Emperor's daily life. However, if someone notices that the Emperor's personal attendant disappears after the morning court session, they might become suspicious. So, this old servant dares to suggest that you, young master, go to the Imperial Study after tomorrow's morning court session to avoid being noticed!"

Leng Jie thought about it and realized he made a good point. Since they were going to put on an act, they should go all the way. Besides, she only had half a month left before she could leave the palace, and she could use that time to practice her calligraphy. So she nodded in agreement.

"Sure, but only for half a day. I'll be free after noon."

Eunuch Fu stared at Wuming in astonishment, then picked at his ear as if asking, "Did I hear that right?" He had been prepared for a long and arduous persuasion process. He hadn't expected Wuming to agree so readily.

"You heard me right! Don't you think I'm much easier to talk to than my senior brother?" Leng Jie was amused by Eunuch Fu's expression. She also had many things she wanted to ask him. However, she hadn't had a suitable opportunity yet, so she said, "But you have to promise me one thing."

"I knew it wouldn't be so easy to talk to!" Fu Gonggong asked somewhat dejectedly, "What are the conditions?"

"I'm starving right now, you have to treat me to a meal and chat with me for a while. By the way, how do you plan to persuade me?"

"Young master, you can read minds?" Eunuch Fu asked in astonishment. He was certain he hadn't voiced his thoughts aloud.

"Yes! This young master knows a lot! Don't even think about taking advantage of my youth and ignorance!" Leng Jie found this Buddha-like eunuch too amusing. So, she warned him in a serious tone.

The master couldn't control him, and the senior brother was being ridiculed. Could someone who dared to rebuke even the emperor be bullied? It seemed the one who dared to bully him hadn't even been born yet. Thus, Wuming's image in Eunuch Fu's mind had risen to the level of a "mischievous little devil." Eunuch Fu thought the best way to deal with this kind of "little devil" was to appease him. So he quickly agreed:

"It was my oversight that caused you to go hungry, young master. I will immediately instruct you to prepare a proper meal."

[Main Text: Chapter Fifty-Three: Reminiscing About the Past (Second Update)]

The autumn wind is chilly, the bright moon hangs in the sky, and the twinkling stars cast their clear light upon the ground.

After waiting a long time without seeing the nameless Qingfeng return, he decided to go to the maple forest to look for her and see if her lightness skill had improved. However, he searched the entire maple forest but couldn't find her. He thought she had returned to the East Palace, but when he got there, he only saw the madwoman and no sign of her.

A strange sense of panic quickly spread through Qingfeng's body. Next, he secretly went to the West Palace and Cining Palace to investigate. He didn't hear anything unusual. Therefore, he had no choice but to go to Longteng Palace to ask Xuanyuan for help in finding the person.

Unexpectedly, he ran into Ziying helping Xuanyuan heal his injuries. Qingfeng immediately saw that he had ignored advice and recklessly used his inner energy again. Although he was furious that he didn't take his body seriously, he couldn't just ignore it and leave. So he sat down without saying anything and joined Ziying in healing him.

Meanwhile, in the Moon-Viewing Pavilion of Longteng Palace, a fat man and a thin man seemed to be drinking and chatting happily under the moon. Of course, this was only a view from a distance.

After filling her stomach, Leng Jie finally asked, "Eunuch Fu, is that shadow guard by the Emperor's side a figure from the martial arts world?"

"Young master, you have sharp eyes! You recognized him at a glance. He is none other than the infamous Purple Shadow Thief of yesteryear. His lightness skill was unparalleled, reaching a level of unparalleled mastery. His 'Blood Chant' was even more unpredictable. It is said that anyone who saw him in the martial world perished." Eunuch Fu, initially worried that Wuming might ask some strange questions, immediately lowered his guard upon seeing that he was only curious about Purple Shadow. He then answered with all his might.

"Blood Chant, is that the dagger?" No wonder he was so hostile towards her when he heard it was to be used to clean her wounds. But with his ghostly skills, a light and agile dagger is indeed a good weapon. Leng Jie continued to ask:

"Then how did he become the Emperor's shadow guard? Could it be that he was caught by the Emperor when he came to the palace to steal something?"

"Of course not. In a way, he's half the Emperor's teacher! Half of the Emperor's kung fu was learned from the late Empress, and the other half from Master Ying. I heard that Master Ying received favors from the late Empress when he was young. That's why he stayed to protect the Emperor and forbade the Emperor to call him his teacher. However, since the establishment of the Dragon Gate, he has spent most of his time dealing with matters of the martial arts world."

"He's in charge of Longmen?" Leng Jie suddenly felt utterly deflated, like a punctured balloon. She had heard the Emperor mention the situation at Longmen and witnessed him being chased by men in black. She had always assumed the Emperor was personally managing Longmen. Therefore, she believed that as long as the Emperor didn't leave the palace, Longmen would be leaderless.

At the time, she figured she'd have to find a job anyway after leaving the palace, so why not do something she had absolutely no skills in? Why not go back to her old profession and become an ancient spy? With her expertise, maybe she could build a super intelligence network in this backward ancient world? That's why she both vehemently criticized the emperor and deliberately tried to attract his attention with her schemes. After countless attempts to persuade him, she finally convinced him to let her go to Longmen. But now that she knew there was such a formidable figure from the martial arts world in charge there, should she still go? This was a question she needed to seriously and carefully reconsider.

Grandpa Fu was puzzled as to why Wuming's expression had suddenly darkened. Seeing him chewing on a chicken wing as if it were wax, he assumed the food wasn't to his liking. He immediately placed a piece of braised beef in Wuming's bowl.

Realizing her lapse in composure, Leng Jie quickly regained her composure. She threw away the chicken bones, took a sip of her wine, and then put a slice of beef in her mouth, eating it with relish while feigning surprise and asking:

"The late Empress was skilled in martial arts? That's amazing!"

Upon hearing the mention of the late Empress, Eunuch Fu's face immediately lit up with an expression of admiration, and then he asked in surprise:

"Young master, you don't even know this? The legendary romance between the late emperor and Zixia Fairy, the most beautiful woman in the martial arts world, shocked the court and the martial arts world. It was a well-known story, familiar to everyone, young and old."

"Then may I ask which year you were referring to, sir?" Leng Jie deliberately mimicked Eunuch Fu's tone and asked in return.

“Uh! His Majesty is 20 this year, and the Crown Prince is one year older than His Majesty, so it must have been 22 years ago.” Eunuch Fu calculated seriously.

"I'm only sixteen at most. How could I possibly know about something that happened twenty-two years ago?" Leng Jie asked with a smile. Seeing Eunuch Fu's expression of sudden realization, Leng Jie asked again:

"Who is the Crown Prince?"

"The Crown Prince is the Emperor's only elder brother."

Leng Jie noticed a hint of sorrow flash in Eunuch Fu's eyes when the topic of the Crown Prince came up. He seemed unwilling to discuss the Crown Prince further. Instead of asking him directly about the Crown Prince, he asked:

"Your Majesty must have many brothers, right?"

To everyone's surprise, Eunuch Fu asked in astonishment, as if he had seen a ghost:

"Young Master, are you really one of Jinghe's men? How come you don't even know this?"

Leng Jie wondered if she should hypnotize Eunuch Fu. Because if she kept asking, she didn't know when she'd finish getting to know what she wanted to know. Most importantly, he seemed to be starting to have doubts. After all, she didn't even know basic common sense! Leng Jie picked up her chopsticks and rhythmically shook them as she asked:

"Grandpa Fu, look what this is!"

[Main Text: Chapter Fifty-Four - Plan Failure]

With a "plop," Xuanyuan finally coughed up the blood that had been accumulating in his chest. His pale face finally showed some improvement.

Qingfeng and Ziying simultaneously withdrew their palms, then simultaneously pointed towards the door. They exchanged a knowing smile and gracefully leaped out, leaving Xuanyuan to recuperate on his own.

As soon as I stepped outside, a gentle breeze asked:

"What's going on? With you here, why would Xuanyuan use his true energy?"

"You'll have to ask your junior brother about that. He's the one who brought the seriously injured emperor back. I'm also very curious about what happened, but since the emperor isn't telling the truth, I can't press him for an answer," Zi Ying replied, shaking her head.

"Junior Brother? You said it was Wuming who brought the Emperor back? Where is he? Is he injured?" Qingfeng seemed to see again the scene of Leng Jie rescuing people from among hundreds of men in black that night. He asked urgently in one breath.

Zi Ying had known Qing Feng for years, and when had she ever seen him so anxious? Every time, it was someone desperately seeking his help, yet he always acted as if nothing was wrong, unhurried and indifferent. Zi Ying couldn't help but feel even more curious about Wuming.

Seeing that Ziying was only looking at him thoughtfully and didn't agree, Qingfeng felt an unprecedented sense of fear rise in his heart and instantly sweep over his entire body. He trembled involuntarily and murmured, "No, she'll be alright. She's so clever and quick-witted, she'll definitely be alright."

"Who said he was in trouble? Your junior brother is so cunning, how could he possibly be in trouble? He wasn't hurt at all." That's why I was wondering. Zi Ying saw Qing Feng's face suddenly turn pale and then he muttered to himself. He was clearly worried about his junior brother, so he left the second half of his sentence unsaid.

"She's alright? I knew it, she's so smart, she'd be fine." Qingfeng said happily, then asked, "Where is she?"

"I don't know, just now... and then Eunuch Fu went after him..." Zi Ying recounted the whole story of how Wuming brought the emperor back and cleaned and stitched his wounds.

Qingfeng was stunned. She had actually thought of stitching up the wound. He had considered this idea before and even tried it once, but the scream of the drugged man when the needle pierced his flesh was still vivid in his mind, like thunder in his ears! He had given up on the idea after that. But he never expected her to actually do it. And judging from Ziying's words, even the Emperor didn't seem to be in much pain as he watched her thread the needle on his own body. Just how many amazing skills did she possess?

Eager to learn more about her, Qingfeng thanked Ziying and turned to stop two palace servants, pressing them for details. She discovered that Eunuch Fu was enjoying wine and the moon with a young master at the Moon-Viewing Pavilion. Needless to say, there was no one else in the world who could make Eunuch Fu abandon his injured master to go drinking. Qingfeng headed straight for the Moon-Viewing Pavilion.

Zi Ying watched Qingfeng's hurried departure and shook her head, sighing, "Alas! Even the self-proclaimed carefree Young Master Qingfeng has become entangled."