After Marrying The Paranoid God of War (Rebirth) - Chapter 2.1
Chapter 2: Feed Him Mouth-to-Mouth
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The sudden rain finally ceased, leaving thick mist lingering in the mountains.
Though the thatched cottage belonged to Xinghua Village, it was quite a distance from the main village. As evening approached, the bustling sounds of villagers were scarcely heard, only the murmuring of the creek and the chirping of mountain birds.
The mud-and-thatch house might have been small, but it had all the necessary rooms. The main hall served as a medicinal room, with flanking storage rooms, a kitchen, and a space for preparing medicines. There were also living quarters and two smaller rooms.
It may have been a simple dwelling, but it exuded an air of secluded grace.
When Sun Ye returned with the two medicine apprentices, he received a stern scolding from Ruan An. Now, the young apprentices were busy copying books in their own rooms.
Sun Ye, who was skilled in surgical knife techniques, had taken Ruan An’s place to continue treating the wounded Huo Pingxiao, who had fallen into a coma.
The supporting window in the main hall was open, and the rain stains on the green stone floor had yet to dry. Sun Ye casually glanced at the loosely discarded belt not far away.
Upon closer inspection, Sun Ye exclaimed, “Wow,” and marveled at the luxurious craftsmanship of the belt, even the buckle was made of precious materials!
Sun Ye estimated the market value of this belt, and if it were pawned at a shop, it could buy three of these thatched cottages.
However, the military officer had an arm injury, so why did Ruan An take off his belt?
Suddenly, Sun Ye remembered that when he returned, Ruan An had changed her clothes.
In the morning, when she went down to Qingquan Town, she was wearing a plain, tooth-colored cotton skirt.
But when she returned, she had changed into a dark blue jacket?
Sun Ye couldn’t figure out the reason, and he didn’t delve further into it.
Regardless, he didn’t care.
He had to quickly stitch up the officer’s wound to avoid being punished by Ruan An to transcribe medical texts multiple times.
On the other hand, Ruan An went alone to the kitchen, tightly gripping the crumpled and dirty light-yellow jacket. Her face was pale.
When she spread it out, it was clear that this jacket was beyond salvage.
The pleated skirt was covered in star-like bloodstains and liquid marks, and the upper part of the jacket was torn to shreds by the man as easily as tearing paper.
Huo Pingxiao’s strength with a single hand was astonishing.
Ruan An threw the jacket into the blazing firewood and drank a mixture of the contraceptive pill she had formulated with water. The uncomfortable feeling between her legs did not dissipate, and her thoughts remained chaotic.
She roughly recalled the events before losing consciousness.
An hour ago, Huo Pingxiao accidentally shattered the only medicating tool.
Ruan An was worried about the remaining Mafei soup being damaged, as using ordinary utensils to feed him would cause him to cough up the medicine.
It was raining at that time, and neither Sun Ye nor the medicine apprentices had returned.
In her desperation, Ruan An remembered that she had used a method taught by Sun Ye, the divine physician, to save a woman who had attempted suicide by hanging.
The method involved blowing air into the ear with a bamboo tube, rubbing the patient’s sides with both hands, and if that didn’t work, using mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to revive the patient.
Saving a life was the top priority, and Ruan An, without minding gender distinctions, prepared to use mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to feed Huo Pingxiao the Mafei soup.
She swallowed the Mafei soup and then suddenly felt that something was amiss with Huo Pingxiao’s expression. So she examined his pulse again.
It turned out the man had been dosed with potent aphrodisiacs.
He had previously attempted to suppress it with his inner strength, but the ginseng soup she had initially given him catalyzed the effects of the aphrodisiac.
Accidentally, Ruan An, without realizing it, had ingested the Mafei soup.
The effects of the mandrake in the soup could have aphrodisiac or hallucinogenic effects, depending on the person’s constitution.
As for the events that followed, Ruan An couldn’t quite remember them.
The only thing she could be sure of made her heart drop –
She had likely lost her virginity.
***
Chang’an City, Taixing Palace.
The Emperor stood on the platform of Chengtian Gate, with the grand and orderly Huayu palace behind him, overlooking the night of the imperial city.
Inside the Zhuque Gate, the heavenly street stretched wide, and if one were to look during the day, one could faintly see the Huai Yang (Sophora Japonica) trees on both sides and the Imperial moat.
The Three Departments, Six Ministries, the Honglu Temple, the Grand Ancestral Temple, and even the East Palace Court and other central government offices were all located here.
Gazing further into the distance, one would see the Shanhe and Xingdao neighborhoods where the common people lived.
The moonlight was as soft as silk, and the spring breeze brushed against the threshold.
The Emperor had a solemn expression, and the sharp voice of the Chief Eunuch suddenly reached his ears.
“Prime Minister Huo Lang has arrived!”
As the words fell, the Emperor turned in the direction of the sound, and palace attendants pushed Huo Lang’s wheelchair towards him. Huo Lang’s legs were not very mobile, so they built many ramps of white marble in the outer court to facilitate his movement.
He was the only official in the entire court who didn’t have to kneel in front of the Emperor. His hands rested lightly on the wooden armrests of the wheelchair, and in the dark night, his deep eyes were marked with traces of years. When he looked at people, his eyes were somewhat sinister and gloomy.
“My legs are not very convenient, Your Majesty, please forgive me.”
The Emperor had a kind demeanor and waved his hand, saying, “Zhong Xun was ambushed in Jiazhou, and his whereabouts are unknown. I have sent a hundred elite agents from the Northern Office to Jiazhou. Prime Minister, you should ease your worries.”
Zhong Xun was the courtesy name of Huo Lang’s eldest son, Huo Pingxiao.
Huo Lang replied calmly, “My son is young and impulsive, and he may have made some mistakes. Your Majesty, please do not worry.”
The chief eunuch on the side subtly blinked his eyes while holding a dusting brush.
The Emperor was quite anxious, but Huo Lang remained calm. Why was he so composed when his only heir from his late wife was missing? The news of Huo Pingxiao’s disappearance was kept secret by the Emperor, known only to a few high-ranking officials and this close eunuch.
The Huo family was one of the three great pillar families, and they held the honor of having one marquis and two marquises. Huo Lang’s father was a founding marquis, and he later inherited the family title. In the previous dynasty, he played a crucial role in supporting the current Emperor to ascend the throne during the War of Succession.
After the emperor ascended to the throne, he appointed Huo Lang as his prime minister.
Huo Lang led all the officials, held the reins of power, and had control over everything, making him the most influential figure in the court.
The emperor’s thoughts about his most trusted minister were always complicated. He both envied and feared Huo Lang, but he also deeply understood that without Huo Lang, Li Kingdom would be in turmoil.
The chief eunuch had served the emperor from a young age, and he knew very well how capable Huo Lang was. Despite being a loyal subject, Huo Lang was also skilled at taming the emperor.
In the past, he allowed the emperor to act as he pleased but could predict in advance what kind of mistakes the emperor might make. Huo Lang would deliberately let the emperor make mistakes, only to timely resolve them when trouble arose.
Over time, the emperor developed a strong emotional dependence on Huo Lang. When faced with difficult decisions, he would always seek the prime minister’s advice.
As the saying goes, “A tiger does not beget a dog.”
Huo Lang’s son, Huo Pingxiao, clearly inherited his father’s talents. He was the eldest legitimate son and was destined to inherit his father’s title.
At the age of nineteen, he was already granted lands and a noble title by the emperor for his military achievements. He became a renowned Marquis of Dingbei (North), all before reaching the age of being crowned.
Huo Pingxiao was an exceptional warrior, greatly admired by generals and soldiers alike. He was a fearless and valiant young man who could lead armies to conquer and shake the land.
Having such a powerful marquis at such a young age should have made the emperor even more wary. However, Li Kingdom faced numerous internal and external challenges, surrounded by neighboring nations and plagued by regional lords seeking independence.
The emperor couldn’t afford to lose Huo Lang, let alone a brave general like Huo Pingxiao.
The emperor could not do without Huo Long, let alone valiant leaders like Huo Pingxiao. In that year, while Li Kingdom had no war internally or externally, the northern border faced the constant threat of the Tujue (Turks), and in the Jianguan area near Jiazhou in the Jian’nan region, bandits ran rampant.
Huo Pingxiao was appointed as the military commander of Jiannan, and the Emperor ordered him to station his troops there in preparation to quell the local banditry before returning to the capital.
Unexpectedly, Huo Pingxiao suddenly went missing, and there was no trace of him.
A few days ago, Turkic cavalry repeatedly disturbed the region within the Great Li’s domain. If those barbarians were to learn of the disappearance of the Great Li War God, it might lead to trouble.
Once they cross the Shuofang region, and break through Ning and Bin provinces, Chang’an city will be in great danger, and the forces in the capital region can’t hold out for long.
In these past few days, the Emperor hasn’t had a good night’s sleep.
The Emperor and his ministers conversed for a while, and the Emperor watched as the palace attendants wheeled away Huo Lang’s wheelchair.
The chief eunuch advised, “Your Majesty, you should also return to the sleeping palace for some rest.”
The Emperor’s brow furrowed deeply, and he didn’t respond.
At that moment, tens of thousands of lanterns suddenly rose into the sky on the horizon.
In an instant, the night sky of Chang’an lit up, resembling a vast Milky Way, dreamlike and enchanting.
The Emperor raised his head, and a gleam passed through his eyes.
The emperor raised his head, his eyes passing over the glittering lights, and his voice suddenly deepened: “Who leaked the news of the disappearance of Duke Dingbei?”
The chief eunuch withdrew his gaze, and hastily replied with a respectful tone, “This servant doesn’t know. If Your Majesty doesn’t like these lights, you can send street officials to stop them.”
“Forget it, this news couldn’t have been kept secret for long.”
The emperor, dressed in crimson court robes, shook his luxurious wide sleeves and walked toward the corridor with a solemn expression.
The chief eunuch waved the dust cloth, commanding the ceremonial team and the Yellow Gate attendants to quickly follow.
Every time Duke Dingbei went to war, numerous young ladies in Chang’an would release lanterns in a grand manner to pray for him.
However, the fate of this dream man of all the ladies in Chang’an was uncertain, benefiting the common people who specialized in selling lanterns.