Chapter 2: Who Left These Wounds Behind?
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In the cold and oppressive atmosphere of the side chambers of the cold palace, Yu Zhen looked at the variety of delectable pastries and dishes before him, his stomach betraying him with a loud growl. Yet, when he glanced around at the soldiers and maids who surrounded him like a wall, his appetite vanished.
Although escaping from here shouldn’t be a problem for him, being treated in this manner left him feeling deeply confused.
Turning to a beautiful maid beside him, he asked, “What’s your name?”
“I am Yue Lan,” the maid replied with a lowered head. “Please, Prime Minister Liu, have your meal as soon as possible.”
“Prime Minister?” Yu Zhen was surprised to hear a title that seemed to indicate he held a high-ranking position even after his transmigration.
As he tried to get off the bed to eat, he suddenly felt a sharp pain throughout his body. In fact, he had been feeling sore all over, especially in places where he shouldn’t feel pain, as if he had been doused with chili water…
“Oh no!” Yu Zhen dropped the bowl, lifting the blanket to reveal a crimson liquid staining the bed. “Why is it blood?!”
Yue Lan’s face paled, quickly coming forward to assist Yu Zhen. “Quickly, send for the royal physician!”
“Such a small matter, and you’re calling for the royal physician? Must be a case of hemorrhoids bursting, right?” Yu Zhen joked, finally realizing why he had been smelling blood throughout the room—it was his own.
“What’s hemorrhoids?” The young maid looked at him puzzledly. She couldn’t help but feel that Prime Minister Liu was really strange today. He usually didn’t speak a word to anyone, yet today he seemed interested enough to ask her name. But this version of Prime Minister Liu was much more interesting than the one before.
“It’s nothing. Even if I told you, you probably wouldn’t understand,” Yu Zhen chuckled, completely unconcerned about the bleeding, as he searched for his meal.
The royal physician led three or four maidservants into the room, unabashedly instructing Yu Zhen to lift his garment.
Yu Zhen shook his head. Normally, it would be his teammates who helped him with things like applying medicine. He wasn’t used to having others do it for him! Besides… “Do I really need this many people watching me?” Yu Zhen wiped away a bead of sweat, feeling embarrassed as he looked at everyone.
“These maidservants will help clean your wounds. Prime Minister Liu, isn’t it always like this? Why are you asking?”
Well, he decided not to dwell on the hemorrhoids issue. It was better not to have his identity exposed, which could potentially lead to trouble. But why were the clothes of people from ancient times so difficult to remove?
In the silent room, Yu Zhen undid the waistband of his garment. While the inner pants remained, the upper garment loosened and fell away. As each layer unfurled, revealing the soft, delicate skin akin to a woman’s, countless dark red scars became visible!
Initially, Yu Zhen hadn’t paid much attention. He already had many scars on his body. However, he was wrong; besides scars, there were other marks!
With his back to the crowd, he suddenly tore open his own garment, lowering his head to examine his chest. There were mottled marks, bruised and purple, and even bite marks?! Such scars were truly thought-provoking.
What the heck is going on? Could the former owner of this body have been a masochist? Taking a quick look around at the surroundings, even though Yu Zhen was usually quite oblivious, he quickly realized the dire situation of his current identity.
Oh no, oh no. He realized he had transmigrated into a person who was imprisoned and abused.
With a swift motion, he covered his garment, casting a sidelong glance. Unease welled up in his heart. He was a “Prime Minister,” who dared to treat a Prime Minister like this? “Who caused my injuries?”
Yue Lan had never seen Prime Minister Liu look so terrified. What happened earlier, when he restrained King Yan on the bed, was clearly not a hallucination. “Prime Minister, if you quickly reveal the whereabouts of Princess Zhi Jun, you naturally won’t suffer like this. We maidservants also won’t have to stay in this secluded cold palace without being allowed to leave.”
“Cold palace?” Yu Zhen’s heart sank. He felt the heavy atmosphere in the room, the cold and desolate furnishings. Without saying it out loud, no one would believe this was a palace.
But then again, he was a Prime Minister, not a noble consort. Wasn’t he supposed to attend court sessions? He gritted his teeth and asked again, “Why am I locked up here? Would I run away? If I don’t know where that Princess Zhi Jun is, will I die?”
“This servant doesn’t dare speculate, but if you still insist on not revealing the whereabouts of Princess Zhi Jun, your days will certainly not be easy.”
“What?! Princess Zhi Jun is missing? Was she kidnapped? What does that have to do with me? Am I a kidnapper? That’s impossible!” Yu Zhen was shocked. How could he, a distinguished detective, be associated with such outrageous matters in this reincarnated body?
“Prime Minister, have you forgotten?” Yue Lan’s expression turned fearful as she widened her eyes, making Yu Zhen feel a bit guilty.
“No, no, I just had a sudden lapse in judgment.” He didn’t dare to speak carelessly. After all, it’s better to be cautious when outnumbered.
After taking his medicine, Yu Zhen was about to lie down when he heard voices outside the room: “Keeping this person here, Your Majesty, is extremely unwise. If we don’t eliminate him soon, what if he’s taken away by another country? Wouldn’t that lead to our demise in the Great Yan?” The tone was unabashed.
Another person interjected, “Lord, be careful, don’t let him overhear. If he reports to His Majesty, we’ll all be in trouble.”
“He still wants to see His Majesty. He’s just a hostage sent by the Liu Country. Let me ask you, how many times has His Majesty visited this cold palace?”
“After all, he is the Prime Minister of a vassal state. His Majesty said he’s useful to keep. If you kill him, won’t that anger His Majesty?”
“How can I allow him to harm our Great Yan? Not to mention his elopement with Princess Zhi Jun, now that Princess Zhi Jun is missing, if he’s colluding with another country, how will it end for our king?” Every word pierced Yu Zhen’s ears. He heard it clearly: he was indeed a hostage from another country, and it was true that he had abducted Princess Zhi Jun. But instead of letting him go, these people seemed to have come to kill him.
Two middle-aged men entered the room, standing upright with impeccable manners. One of them raised an eyebrow at the relaxed Yu Zhen on the bed. “Prime Minister Liu, what kind of drama are you playing now? If you truly wish to end your life, why not let me help you?” As he spoke, he ordered someone to bring a jug of wine and cups.
Just as Yu Zhen had narrowly escaped death’s grasp and obtained a second chance at life, there was no way he would seek death again. Judging by the demeanor of these two men, they seemed oblivious to the concept of “death.”
Pushing himself up with both hands, Yu Zhen looked solemnly at the two approaching figures by his bedside. Then, with a sudden grin, he said, “No need, this fine beverage, I’ll let you enjoy it yourselves.”
In the blink of an eye, Yu Zhen’s figure flickered, and he vanished like the wind. All that was left in the servant’s hand was empty air, while the wine jug was now securely in Yu Zhen’s grasp, its spout positioned teasingly close to the lips of the middle-aged man. Yu Zhen grinned mischievously as he wrapped his arm around the man’s neck. “Would you like me to feed you, Lord?”
“Release Lord Li immediately. Are you, are you daring enough to challenge authority today?!” The middle-aged man beside him trembled with fear, while Lord Li’s eyes bulged in shock.
Yu Zhen felt quite pleased with himself. It was just a little scare tactic.
Releasing his grip, he casually tossed the poisoned wine to the ground, spilling white foam everywhere. The two officials scrambled away in panic. His hands were still bound by iron chains? Yet they dared to come and make a fool of themselves in front of him. Truly disappointing.
“Off you go!” he sighed, then turned and said, “Yue Lan, I want to take a shower!”
“Shower…?” Yue Lan pondered for a moment. “Do you mean to bathe? But you’ve just had medication, I can only cleanse you, not bathe you.”
“Is there a difference?”
Yue Lan had warm water brought in and removed the robe he casually draped over himself, while three maidservants wiped him down with wet cloths.
Yu Zhen felt embarrassed for a moment, blushing as he allowed the maids to clean him. He stared at his scar-covered body, the sight of those horrifying scars, though not as severe as those he’d received on the battlefield, still unsettled him.
Just as he’d been washing for a few minutes, suddenly the three maidservants bowed and hastily left the room. “Finished already?” Yu Zhen watched as Yue Lan silently carried away the washing basin, then curiously followed their departing figures.
“Oh? You’re quite proactive today.” A deep voice sounded from the doorway.
Yu Zhen was startled. In the past, he might have boasted about his scars, but now they were too embarrassing to mention. He quickly turned to find his clothes. “Who?! Haven’t you caused enough trouble just now?”
But before he could even pick up his clothes from the bed, a pair of large hands reached around his waist, unexpectedly embracing his naked body from behind.
Huge shoutout to @denkoumaru on Discord for commissioning this! The chapter will be posted regularly, show your support for Ciacia at Kofi.
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