Blood, all of it, stained Meng Wan's fingers, trickling down her cheeks and onto her luxurious clothes. Mu Ci, seeing this, couldn't help but cry out, "Miss, what happened to you? How did you get hurt?"
Having been quite frightened by Bao Tong's wound earlier, Mu Ci couldn't help but scream upon seeing blood.
Blood had already flowed considerably, and Meng Wan felt her vision blurring. She could only tightly grip Meng Wan's sleeve, her voice weak and feeble, "It's...it's...the Crown Princess, the Crown Princess wants to kill me."
"You wretch, what nonsense are you spouting!" Changping was already horrified by the scene before her and shouted angrily, "You were the one who cut your cheek with a knife, how can you turn around and frame me?"
He stepped forward, grabbed Meng Wan by the collar, and glared at her with sharp eyes: "Explain yourself!"
Meng Wan, on the other hand, was already on the verge of death. Her head lolled to the side and she fainted, showing no sign of struggling even as Changping grabbed her collar.
"Miss—" This startled Mu Ci. Forgetting all manners, she pushed Chang Ping away and made a move to pull Meng Wan into her arms.
"Miss, Miss, wake up!"
She didn't understand. Was this some kind of trick by the young lady? But why would she hurt herself like this?
Seeing Meng Wan's long eyelashes tremble but she didn't open her eyes, Mu Ci became even more flustered. She picked Meng Wan up and rushed out, grabbing Ying'er and sternly ordering, "Quickly go and fetch the imperial physician, and also inform His Highness."
At this point, he paused slightly, glanced at Changping again, and his eyes were filled with undisguised hatred: "Just say that the Crown Princess wants to kill Consort Li, and ask Your Highness to make a decision."
Changping trembled, clearly startled by the hatred in Mu Ci's eyes, but only for a moment before regaining her fierce demeanor. She shouted at Mu Ci's retreating figure, "You insolent and ignorant servant, just wait and see how I deal with you..."
His voice gradually faded, his arrogant tone softened, and as he looked down at the blood-stained short sword on the ground, his heart pounded wildly.
--
Jiangyun Pavilion has become a place frequently visited by the imperial physicians lately. Behind the curtain, Meng Wan lay on the bed, her brows furrowed in pain, her head spinning, yet the pain only made her more lucid.
She couldn't help but give a bitter laugh. Had she gone too far? The pain was now almost unbearable.
Suddenly, there was a burst of hurried footsteps outside, followed by Huangfu Mi's figure rushing into the room. Physician Hu was taking Meng Wan's pulse when Huangfu Mi grabbed him by the collar.
How is she?
Physician Hu had never seen anything like this before and was momentarily stunned. Fortunately, he was a man of many experiences, and although he was initially panicked, he quickly recovered.
"Your Highness, Her Highness suffered only a superficial injury. She has taken medicine and is now fine. However, since the wound is on her face, it may leave a scar."
These words made Huangfu Mi's hand tighten: "A scar? It can't be healed?"
"They really think doctors are gods?" Physician Hu chuckled dryly. "The scar is too deep, I'm afraid..."
He dared not say more, for fear that he might say too much and make a mistake, and that Huangfu Mi would vent his anger on him.
Meng Wan had actually been awake for a while and had been listening to the commotion outside. Seeing Huangfu Mi so anxious, she felt a little warmer inside. Seeing him making things difficult for Physician Hu, she quickly spoke up.
"Water..." He was indeed parched, perhaps due to excessive blood loss, which had caused him to lose all the water in his body.
Upon hearing the commotion inside the tent, Huangfu Mi immediately released Physician Hu, lifted the curtain, and strode in.
"Wan'er, you're awake." His gaze paused slightly when it fell on the wound on her cheek.
The wound was on her left cheek. It wasn't long, but it would obviously affect her appearance. Huangfu Mi's heart skipped a beat. He took a big step forward, reached out, and hugged Meng Wan into his arms.
"I'm sorry I'm late." His voice was filled with tenderness as he held Meng Wan tightly, as if afraid that he might lose her if he wasn't careful.
Meng Wan felt a warmth in her heart, but also a little apologetic. "I'm fine, it just hurts a little," she said softly, her voice weak.
Huangfu Mi gripped her hand tightly: "If you're afraid of pain, why be so foolish as to hurt yourself in exchange for Changping being punished? Is it worth it?"
“It’s worth it!” She wasn’t surprised that he saw through her scheme—a scheme to frame Changping. Because Hongxiu had done the same thing to her back in Western Shu, she didn’t hide it, nor did she want to: “If I hadn’t been injured, the Empress Dowager would have had countless things to say. But now it’s me. If she still wants to protect Changping, then I have the upper hand, so I won’t lose.”
Meng Wan has always been this kind of person.
She can tolerate someone who hurts her once or twice, as long as they don't cross her bottom line. But if someone hurts the people around her, she will never forgive them!
Huangfu Mi frowned: "Even if you want to punish her, there's no need to slash your face. How are you going to go out and face people like this?"
Meng Wan had considered this, but only by showing it on her face would she be more frightening, leaving the Empress Dowager with nothing to say!
V104
Meng Wan had considered this, but only by showing it on her face would she be more frightening, leaving the Empress Dowager with nothing to say!
"So now that I'm injured like this, you have to stand up for me and seek justice. This time, you must avenge Baotong for me, understand?"
Huangfu Mi squeezed her hand, then leaned down and kissed her cheek: "Don't worry, I won't let you get hurt for nothing."
After speaking, he flicked his sleeves and strode out, leaving Meng Wan behind, still in the same position, gazing in the direction he left, her brows slightly furrowed.
*
At this moment, Changping was sitting restlessly in Qingyuxuan.
It was obvious that Meng Wan had set a trap for her, and she had carelessly fallen into it. Now, she didn't hope for anything else, she only hoped that His Highness could give her a chance to explain.
Just as he was feeling unsettled, he suddenly heard a series of sparse footsteps outside. Before he could hear any announcement, Huangfu Mi's dark expression appeared.
She had walked too fast and was a little out of breath, but the light in her deep, clear eyes did not diminish at all. Changping suddenly stood up and threw herself into Huangfu Mi's arms before he could speak: "Brother Mi, please investigate! That bitch Meng Wan is trying to frame me. Don't believe her lies. She wants to get rid of me from your side."
Huangfu Mi did not dodge, letting her hands tightly wrap around his waist, so strong that it was as if she had grasped a lifeline.
She murmured in his arms, "Brother Mi, you have to believe me..."
Huangfu Mi let him hold her without moving. Her tears slid down her cheeks and fell onto his chest, instantly soaking his clothes. She kept repeating that one sentence, looking extremely pitiful.
Huangfu Mi sighed almost inaudibly, "You shouldn't have messed with Wan'er's people. This time, I can't help you."