SFS Chapter 466 I’ve wronged you
Chapter 466 I’ve wronged you
The medicinal bath water in particular shows Shen Qingtan's meticulousness.
She was worried that his wounds shouldn't get wet, and also considered that he might feel uncomfortable after traveling for several days and nights, so she specially prepared a medicinal bath for him.
“You received the news that I was returning to Kyoto and immediately set everything up for me, just waiting for me to come home.” Zhao Yi affectionately rubbed his cheek against Shen Qingtan’s forehead. As long as she was by his side, even the coldest and hardest heart would become hot and burning. “Go to Lanxue Garden and wait for me.”
“I’ll take care of you.” Shen Qingtan broke free from Zhao Yi’s embrace and skillfully untied his belt with her fingers. “I know you’re injured. I don’t feel at ease until I see your injuries.” After a pause, she added, “I want to know what happened to you in Yongqing County.”
Zhao Yi saw through Shen Qingtan's little scheme and said helplessly, "Okay."
He turned and gave a wink to the attendant standing at the door. After the attendant closed the door, he said in a gentle voice, "I told you about the matter of Yongqing County in my letter."
Shen Qingtan glanced at him sideways: "You clearly know that's not what I want to hear."
Zhao Yi couldn't help but smile at her coquettish expression.
Just as Shen Qingtan was about to say something, she took off Zhao Yi's clothes. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a deep, bone-revealing wound on his shoulder, from which blood was still seeping out.
Her nose suddenly stung, her eyes welled up with tears, and she couldn't utter a single word of reproach.
"You're really ruthless. Don't you know how to hold back?" Shen Qingtan's throat tightened. Just looking at it made her feel pain, so she didn't dare to touch it. "Go to the bathtub quickly. I'll scrub you first and then apply the medicine."
It wasn't that Zhao Yi was heartless towards himself, but rather that he had no choice but to be ruthless with himself. Only in this way could he avoid being held accountable by the Northern Qi Emperor and still achieve his desired goal.
But Shen Qingtan's slightly reddened eyes filled Zhao Yi with self-reproach.
Since they arrived in Northern Qi, she has often worried about his safety.
Zhao Yi kissed her eyes tenderly, wanting to say something more, but Shen Qingtan urged him to sit in the bathtub.
The wound, which had been numb with pain, gradually regained sensation after being soaked in the medicinal soup. The pain came on fiercely, and Zhao Yi gripped the edge of the bath tub with both hands, the veins on the back of his hands bulging menacingly.
Shen Qingtan was combing Zhao Yi's hair when she noticed that his face had become even paler and his forehead was covered in a fine layer of cold sweat, clearly indicating that his wound was hurting.
She quickened her pace: "Bear with it. The physician said the medicinal soup will irritate the wound, but it will help it heal faster."
"It's okay, it doesn't hurt too much."
Zhao Yi took a deep breath, enduring the excruciating pain in his shoulder, and talked to Shen Qingtan about what had happened in Yongqing County in order to distract himself.
Shen Qingtan was his strong support, so he didn't hide anything from her and told her everything in detail.
He then brought up what had happened in the palace that day.
"The Feng family supports Prince Xian, and Feng Zhihuan's ability to thrive in Yongqing County is inseparable from the protection he receives from Prince Xian. Given the nature of Consort Shu and Prince Xian, they cannot be clean."
“I arranged for people to torture Feng Zhihuan. Feng Zhihuan was a coward who was afraid of death. He probably knew that he could not escape death and that his powerful backers could not protect him. He could not withstand the interrogation and handed over several booklets and a box of secret letters.”
"Those booklets recorded the officials that Feng Zhihuan had bribed over the years, and those secret letters were also written to him by officials from various parties, which became evidence of their collusion."
However, Zhao Yi did not hand over all the registers and secret letters to the Northern Qi Emperor; he kept the registers and secret letters that involved court officials.
“I handed over all the evidence of collusion between Feng Zhihuan, Prince Xian, and local officials to the Emperor of Northern Qi. The Emperor of Northern Qi only confined Prince Xian for three months and ordered him to hand over the silver he had embezzled and accepted as bribes.”
"In order to protect the reputation of the virtuous king, he not only handed the case over to me, but also gave me a token. This token is equivalent to the presence of the emperor of Northern Qi, and I can deal with any court officials who obstruct my investigation at will."
Shen Qingtan was a perceptive person and immediately guessed Zhao Yi's intention.
He planned to wait until the time was right before uprooting all the officials that Feng Zhihuan had colluded with.
Shen Qingtan washed Zhao Yi's long hair clean and neatly wrapped it in a towel: "You forced the Emperor of Northern Qi to investigate the assassination attempt on you, didn't he give you an explanation?"
"To show his trust in me, or as a gesture of favor, he made me investigate on my own." Zhao Yi's eyes were cold. "I implied that Feng Zhihuan had sent someone to assassinate me. In order to maintain the superficial peace between us, the Northern Qi Emperor would definitely take action against Feng Zhihuan and make him a confirmed criminal."
“Feng Zhihuan’s crimes are heinous and he deserves to die,” Shen Qingtan said vaguely. “It’s a pity we couldn’t get rid of the Northern Qi Emperor.”
This is the root of all evil.
Zhao Yi gently patted Shen Qingtan's hand, his gesture meant to soothe her and calm her down: "How are you doing in Kyoto?"
“I’m fine, but after you went to Yongqing County, not only did the Emperor of Northern Qi send people to summon me to the palace, but even the mistresses of various families were vying to hold banquets and sending invitations to me. I don’t need to think about it to know that they didn’t have good intentions. Fortunately, Consort Shu had arranged for Madam Feng to poison me before, so I simply pretended to be sick and declined all the invitations.” After Shen Qingtan finished scrubbing Zhao Yi’s body, she took a towel and dried him off. “I can’t help you much, but at least I can put your mind at ease and not let my affairs distract you.”
She wasn't a shrewd strategist, and she was afraid of making a mistake and holding Zhao Yi back.
They were walking on thin ice in Northern Qi, and could not afford to make any mistakes, or they would face utter ruin.
"You've helped me so much. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be where I am today." Zhao Yi raised her hand and tucked a strand of hair that had fallen down Shen Qingtan's temple. She had just been scrubbing him in the bath, and she was covered in fine sweat. Her smooth cheeks looked as if they had been painted with rouge, making her look charming and alluring. "Madam, I'm sorry to have troubled you."
"You're talking to me in such a distant way, it makes me feel wronged." Shen Qingtan rolled her eyes at Zhao Yi, but considering he was injured, she decided not to argue with him for the time being.
Looking at her vivid and expressive face, Zhao Yi felt that the wound on his shoulder didn't hurt as much anymore, and all the fatigue from the past few days vanished.
He apologized, put on his underpants, and sat on the soft couch.
Shen Qingtan treated Zhao Yi's wounds.
The pain caused Zhao Yi to break out in a thin layer of sweat on his back.
Shen Qingtan took out a handkerchief, about to wipe him.
"Knock knock—" The door to the study was knocked on, and Tingxue's voice came from outside: "Your Highness, Boss Qin has sent a message."