SWHCBB 71

Chapter 71: My Little Husband’s Poison Relapsed!

As the two walked toward the lakeside, they saw many emaciated commoners in ragged clothing along the way.

But these refugees stood far off, several hundred meters from the post station, too afraid to come any closer. Their faces were filled with both timidity and desperate hope, as if silently pleading for a bit of charity or coin.

Wen Jue noticed; naturally, Jiang Chuang had seen even more clearly.

Wen Jue asked, “Are those the Huazhou refugees? I heard Sixth Brother went there specifically to deal with the growing number of displaced people.”

“Yes, they’re refugees,” Jiang Chuang sighed. “There was heavy rain in Huazhou that ruined many farmlands. The court already sent the Sixth Prince with grain for relief, how are there still so many left wandering?”

It had been more than a month since the Sixth Prince had gone. If things were still out of control, then the rats in the granary must’ve had eighteen generations of offspring. Even someone of his noble lineage coming down to intervene couldn’t fix this mess.

Wen Jue withdrew the sarcasm from his eyes and shook his head. “Let’s go.”

Jiang Chuang nodded.

They had food, but it was military rations. Even setting aside whether they could afford to distribute it, how many days would they last in case of trouble ahead? And even if they did give it out now, it would be a temporary fix, not a real solution. Curing the symptoms but not the root.

_____

The lake shimmered green and clear. Though not large, it nestled beside a mountain, surrounded by blooming wildflowers, like a hidden paradise.

Jiang Chuang wrapped an arm around Wen Jue’s shoulder and pointed at the lake proudly. “I passed by here returning to the capital before and loved stopping here. Don’t be fooled by how small it is, it’s hard to find. Most people wouldn’t even know it exists! That’s why the water is so clear. If those brutes ever saw it, they’d probably use it to wash their feet or something. Tch tch tch!”

“I used to think it was boring coming alone. I hoped one day I’d be like my father, marry someone I loved, have someone to share the journey and the scenery. I never thought I’d actually live to see this day. It’s really… wonderful.”

He hugged Wen Jue from behind, pulling him into his arms and sighed with contentment.

Jiang Chuang couldn’t see the heavy thoughts weighing down Wen Jue’s heart. Wen Jue forced a smile, guilt tightening in his chest. “Wherever you go from now on, I’ll be there with you. I want to walk the roads you’ve walked and see the sights you’ve seen.”

The view was beautiful, but his mind was not at peace. He was wasting both the scenery and Yunchuan’s heartfelt effort.

Jiang Chuang nuzzled Wen Jue’s face like a puppy, pinching his cheek. “Why are you so lovable, huh? Wen Xiao Yu, ah Wen Xiao Yu, now I finally get what it means to cherish someone so deeply that even having them down to the bone isn’t enough! If I’d known, I would’ve agreed to be with you sooner, we wouldn’t have wasted all those years…”

He mumbled on, but Wen Jue caught something off and asked, “Wasted years?”

Jiang Chuang instantly clammed up, laughing awkwardly as he patted his own head. “Ah, I mean, you should’ve told me you liked me earlier! Then we wouldn’t have wasted so much time, right?”

He wasn’t good at lying. Wen Jue immediately sensed something was amiss. Yunchuan… was keeping something from him.

“But even if we’d met earlier, things might not have turned out better. Everything has its time, maybe this was always the best arrangement,” Wen Jue replied gently.

Jiang Chuang quickly nodded. “Right, right! If you’d married me two years earlier, maybe you wouldn’t like me anymore!”

Wen Jue smiled faintly, but his heart sank deeper. Just what was Yunchuan hiding?

He didn’t want to be suspicious. Suspicion was poison to any relationship, it always led to ruin.

No… this wasn’t suspicion!

Wen Jue bit his lip, heart aching. Maybe it was just as Yunchuan had said, when you love someone too much, you start to want to possess them completely. You want to know everything about them, their past, their relationships, their every move. You can’t stand them having even a single little secret from you.

This was the first time he’d truly loved someone. Only now did he realize how irrational that love could be.

____

As night fell, Wen Jue returned to the guest quarters to rest after dinner, since he was a member of the imperial family. Jiang Chuang walked him to his room but didn’t go in. He had to return to the military camp to sleep alongside his soldiers.

Wen Jue didn’t insist on him staying. They stood at the door saying their goodbyes, when Jiang Chuang sighed dramatically. “Who knows when I’ll get the chance to do it with you again. If I’d known, I’d have gone all out the last few nights!”

Wen Jue’s face turned pale as he endured a sharp pain in his body and still managed to scold, “Why… why are you always so crude with your words!”

Jiang Chuang heard the weakness in his voice. “Zhiyu, you… what’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”

Wen Jue shook his head but then suddenly collapsed into his arms.

Jiang Chuang was scared out of his wits. “Zhiyu! Zhiyu! Someone! Help! Physician! Bai Yuan!”

____

Wen Jue’s sudden collapse threw the whole post station into chaos. Jiang Chuang carried him everywhere in search of Bai Yuan, his face paler than Wen Jue’s.

Huang Guang had never seen him so frantic and quickly tried to calm him down while rushing to find the so-called divine physician. No one noticed that Zhuge Qing, for once, looked guilty and didn’t dare go near.

Even the well-fed post station manager was startled out of his chambers, half-dressed, shouting, “What happened?!”

Just as the outside turned to confusion, Bai Yuan finally emerged unhurriedly. Seeing Jiang Chuang wide-eyed and panicked, he frowned. Reaching out to take Wen Jue’s pulse, his frown deepened.

Jiang Chuang’s heart raced with every change in Bai Yuan’s expression, terrified the next words would be “It’s incurable. He’s going to die.”

Then Bai Yuan finally spoke. “His poison has relapsed, and badly. I don’t know why it worsened so suddenly. I need a quiet courtyard to treat him and some fresh herbs.”

“Relapse?” Jiang Chuang felt his mind go blank, limbs ice cold. He asked quickly, “Will… will it be life-threatening?”

“If treated in time, no,” Bai Yuan replied.

Zhuge Qing finally spoke up, “This post station is too crowded, there’s no way to keep it quiet. The nearest place is Huazhou. Why don’t we move there?”

Jiang Chuang didn’t hesitate and nodded solemnly. After quickly weighing the situation, he turned to Huang Guang. “Tomorrow, you lead the troops and continue the journey. I’ll take Zhiyu to Huazhou for treatment. Once he’s better, I’ll catch up. If… if…”

Huang Guang immediately responded, “No need to say more, General! I understand! Right now, Prince Jin’s health comes first. I trust you’ll handle things properly. The campaign won’t be delayed!”

Jiang Chuang looked at the unconscious Wen Jue in his arms, pain piercing his heart. “Thank you.”