Chapter 44: Wanyan Honglie Is Ill

Your Highness, it's time to take the medicine.

——

Wanyan Honglie heard the voice, came back to his senses, and slowly set down the book in his hands.

He glanced askance.

The palace attendant inside the mansion held the medicine bowl with both hands, standing bowed to the side.

Staring at the decoction in the bowl, a surge of anger welled up in his heart unbidden.

Ten years have passed, exactly ten years!

A bunch of quack doctors!

"Put it down, withdraw."

"Yes."

Suppressing the fire in his heart, after dismissing the attendant, he still lifted the medicine bowl, endured the bitterness, and gulped it down.

He had to drink it; it concerned his lifelong happiness, and even if there was only a sliver of hope, he must continue taking the medicine.

Not long after the bitter medicine entered his stomach, he tried several times to lift a certain part of his body, but after struggling for a while, there was still no response.

In the end, despair once again weighed on his heart.

"Pa!"

He angrily threw it down, and the porcelain bowl shattered with a sound.

"Trash!"

A low, deep roar burst from his mouth, his eyes red, his face contorted ferociously.

That's right, Wanyan Honglie is ill, an unspeakable ailment that has plagued him for a full ten years.

Since the battle at Niu Clan Village ten years ago, his manly dignity has never risen again.

Ten years ago, he led men in a fierce battle at Niu Clan Village against Qiu Chuji, Yang Tiexin, and Guo Xiaotian; in the end his followers were all slain and he himself suffered grave wounds.

And one wound happened to strike his kidney meridian; plus he had frozen through a night of ice and snow, and only after fleeing back did he discover that the thing below had lost all sensation.

This is why the exalted Prince Zhao of the great Jin State, despite his rank, has not fathered a biological child in ten years.

Although he deeply loves Bao Xiruo in his heart, he would stop at nothing to possess her.

But she is ultimately a Han Chinese woman; were it not to conceal this scandal of his, he would not have endured such pressure to make her his consort.

Although Yang Kang is not his biological son, he treats him as his own, lavishing affection upon him.

On one hand, it is to resolve the heir issue; on the other, it is also to make up for this deficiency in his heart.

After venting, Wanyan Honglie's face again showed weariness; this fragility appears only when he is alone.

At this moment, he again wanted to visit that thatched hut, even if just to catch a few more glances of his beloved consort.

But each time he just stepped forward toward it, he could not get past the barrier in his heart.

Not yet having truly obtained her,

his heart already feels inferior.

"Father! Father! Are you asleep? I'm coming in!"

Hearing the cheer from outside, Wanyan Honglie hurriedly straightened his clothes and composed himself.

At that moment, a little boy in an embroidered brocade robe ran into the room; looking at his face, he was about ten years old, handsome and noble-looking.

"Kang'er, why have you come? It's so late, why aren't you asleep yet?"

Seeing the child, Wanyan Honglie put on a kind smile, quickly took the boy's small hand, pulled him to his side, and asked gently and warmly.

No matter what, he truly loves this adopted son from the bottom of his heart.

The boy saw the shattered bowl on the floor, his eyes shifted, and he at once grabbed Wanyan Honglie's hands, acting coquettishly, saying in a whiny tone:

"Father, Father, how did this bowl break? Are you all right?"

Wanyan Honglie heard it, and instantly felt as if stabbed in the heart; his mouth twitched involuntarily, but then his heart was filled with affection, he crouched down, stroked the boy's head, and replied softly:

"Kang'er, rest assured, Father is fine; the attendant just accidentally broke it, Father will have someone come in to clean it up."

"Come here, quickly clean up the floor!"

Having said that, he immediately summoned the attendants to come in and pick up the broken bowl.

"Yes."

"Father, Father! Today my master finally began teaching me martial arts!"

The boy seemed to recall his purpose for coming, ignored the attendant tidying the floor nearby, and again clung affectionately to Wanyan Honglie's arm, then exclaimed happily.

Today his newly adopted female master finally agreed to teach him martial arts!

Others in the mansion don't know, but he is well aware of how formidable that female master is—with a single claw she can bore a hole through a blue brick, far surpassing the other masters in the Wang Mansion.

Having just heard this good news tonight, he could not contain his excitement, hurried over to tell his father, and would soon prepare to tell his mother as well.

"Oh? Then Father congratulates Kang'er; which master manages to win Kang'er's favor, Father will reward him handsomely tomorrow!"

Wanyan Honglie felt a bit vexed today; hearing this, he didn't take it to heart. He had already hired many wandering martial artists to teach his adopted son, thinking it was just another who sparked his interest, but he couldn't bear to disappoint the child's joy, so he smiled and gave the boy a promise.

"Thank you, Father! Father, rest early; I still need to go tell Mother!"

Having said that, without waiting for Wanyan Honglie's reply, he happily ran off again.

Hearing mention of his beloved consort again, Wanyan Honglie stared at the boy's joyful running figure, his face full of complex emotions.

"Your Majesty, could it be that I cannot have my own flesh and blood in this lifetime?"

"Alas."

After he had recovered his composure, he couldn't help but sigh, then climbed onto the bed and pulled up the covers.

——

Am I ill?

Bao Xiruo's expression was somewhat dazed; who would shout "senior sister" here?

"Senior sister, have you already forgotten me so quickly?"

"Who!"

Bao Xiruo instantly jolted, regaining her senses.

She turned sharply and saw a teenager of about sixteen to nineteen years old, smiling at her.

Clearly, the words just now had been spoken by him.

Seeing this person, Bao Xiruo's first reaction was an unavoidable fear.

This area inside the Wang Mansion is forbidden to outsiders; how could a stranger suddenly appear?

No, senior sister?

Looking again, the person was still smiling, and after a close look at his face, he seemed somewhat familiar.

Senior sister? Could it be—

In an instant, a figure from ten years ago crashed into her mind with a thundering impact.

"Are you… Dingtian?"

Thinking of that familiar yet distant person, as if an old acquaintance stood before her, Bao Xiruo could hardly believe it; her pretty face flushed with excitement, and finally her eyes gradually filled with tears.

"Looks like senior sister hasn't forgotten me yet."

Niu Dingtian's smile remained unchanged, his heart also stirred, but suddenly he felt a sigh of emotion; looking at the rain‑kissed pretty face before him, he whispered softly.

"Dingtian! Hurry inside!"

Bao Xiruo seemed to suddenly realize, suppressing her excitement, quickly glanced around, then seized Niu Dingtian's arm and pulled him into the house.

Niu Dingtian felt a fragrant breeze brush his face, then his arm was tightly grasped by two supple, almost boneless little hands; by the time he reacted, he had already been pulled inside.

After the two entered the house, Bao Xiruo immediately shut the door, turned her back, stared intently at Niu Dingtian, and then asked softly:

"Dingtian, is it really you?"

Because she was so excited, her chest rose and fell like waves, and tears in her eyes were about to blur.

"Mother Empress! Have you slept? Who are you talking to?"

At that moment, the quiet inside the room was suddenly broken by a burst of children's voices from outside.

"Brothers, during this period try to read the latest chapters as much as possible, don't hold back, we're almost at Sanjiang, only half a month left; send me up there, I risk sudden death to push updates."

(End of chapter)