"Xuanyue, go out and tell Night Owl to bring troops to surround Prince Cheng's Manor. I want to see where all these people in the dungeon came from."
"Yes, Master," Xuanyue replied.
He hesitated and added, "Master, Prince Cheng cannot be moved against now."
Ming Li glanced at him, "I know. Although I can't move against him directly, I can still cut off his left and right arms."
With that, he carried Ning Huaiyu out of the dungeon.
[West Slope, Yunxi Village]
"He's so good-looking. No wonder Ming Li rushed off even during New Year,"
Ming Xi said, sitting in Ling Cang's arms and looking at Ning Huaiyu, whom Ming Li was holding in the Qiankun Mirror.
Ling Cang: "Not as good-looking as Xi'er."
Ming Xi turned to look at him, cupping his face and giving it a good rub,
"Dad says that's private bias—thinking your own are always best, and others' are never as good as your own."
Ling Cang held his hand, his expression extremely serious as he leaned closer, "I like hearing that."
Ming Xi pushed his approaching mouth away, "Oh, stop fooling around."
Ling Cang's hand slipped under his clothes, rubbing his belly.
Ming Xi, ticklish, tried to escape but was caught, tried to crawl away and was caught again.
After several rounds, he was sweating profusely.
He lay obediently in Ling Cang's arms, being kissed relentlessly.
He smiled, squinting his eyes at the wolfish Ling Cang.
"Ling Cang, we still have to stay up for the New Year vigil."
"We will. I guarantee you'll be awake until dawn," Ling Cang said, stripping off his clothes and kissing him.
They frolicked all night. Ling Cang only let Ming Xi sleep when dawn was nearly breaking.
[Capital City, Cao Residence]
Ming Li hurriedly carried Huaiyu to the Cao residence.
Cao Jun and Shu ge'er, having stayed up for the vigil, were also awake.
Hearing the servant's report, they rushed out to see.
Ming Li had already placed the person on his own bed. "Summon the imperial physician!"
The servant, hearing this, rushed to the palace to fetch the physician. This person must be someone His Majesty valued greatly. Aside from the Master and Lord, His Majesty had never been this close to anyone else.
"Are you injured?"
Shu ge'er asked anxiously upon entering and seeing the blood on Ming Li's clothes, pulling him over to check him up and down.
"Daddy, it's Huaiyu's blood. I'm not hurt," Ming Li quickly reassured him.
Only then did Shu ge'er turn his gaze to Ning Huaiyu lying on the bed. His face was pale as paper, eyes tightly shut, lying quietly. The flower mark between his eyebrows was particularly striking.
"He must have suffered a lot," Shu ge'er said.
A ge'er's flower mark is usually hidden. If exposed, it would be seen as inauspicious. A beautiful ge'er like him must have endured many hardships.
Ming Li listened and nodded repeatedly. "Exactly!"
Cao Jun nudged him, saying with a slight threat, "Don't push your luck."
"Your Majesty, Physician Liu has arrived," a servant reported.
Ming Li hurriedly said, "Physician Liu, please come in quickly."
Physician Liu entered hurriedly with his medicine chest, bowed to Ming Li , and immediately went to the bedside to examine Ning Huaiyu. He first lifted Ning Huaiyu's eyelids to look, then felt his pulse, his brows furrowed, his expression grave.
Shuge'er asked anxiously from the side, "Physician, how is he?"
Physician Liu shook his head and said slowly, "This young gentleman's pulse is weak, his qi and blood severely depleted. It seems to be due to long-term exhaustion and lack of proper care. Coupled with these severe injuries, he will need careful recuperation for some time."
Hearing this, Ming Li looked even more worried. "Physician Liu, you must cure him. Whatever precious medicines are needed, just ask. If we don't have them, I will find a way."
Physician Liu clasped his hands. "Your Majesty, rest assured. I will do my utmost."
With that, he opened his medicine chest and began writing a prescription.
"He has whip marks. I will prescribe some topical ointment. It must be applied daily to avoid scarring. Internal recuperation can only be done slowly through nurturing. It cannot be rushed."
"Physician Liu, rest assured. Just prescribe according to your methods," Shu ge'er said.
Physician Liu nodded. As soon as the prescription was written, Shu ge'er handed it to a servant to fetch the medicine and decoct it. The room was bustling with activity. Outside, the sky was gradually turning blue.
By the time Ning Huaiyu woke up, it was already afternoon. He felt the whole body painful, had slept deeply, and found it hard to wake up. He only felt someone touching his arm with something cool, which finally awaken him.
Turning his head, he saw an extremely handsome middle-aged ge'er, probably in his thirties. Dressed in luxurious clothes, his fingers were scooping ointment and gently applying it to his wounds.
Shu ge'er looked up and saw the lying person awake and examining him.
He smiled and said, "Awake?"
Ning Huaiyu nodded and struggled to sit up.
Shu ge'er quickly stopped him, "Don't move. You're covered in wounds. For these few days, just lie down and rest. You can only get up and move around after the wounds have healed."
Ning Huaiyu, hearing this, stopped struggling and looked around. "Where is this?"
Could it be the Cao residence? Before losing consciousness, Ming Li had said he would take him to the Cao family.
Shu ge'er smiled, looking at him. "It's Ming Li 's home. My husband's surname is Cao."
Although he was already at the Cao residence, he was still startled. Ming Li had actually brought an assassin home just like that.
Shu ge'er held the ointment and gently applied it for him.
"Rest assured and recuperate here. No one dares to hurt you. That silly boy of mine... he likes you. But don't feel pressured. Mutual affection is needed for a lasting relationship. If you don't like him, just ignore him. I'll adopt you as my son. If you do like him, then his father and I would be very happy."
"Rest assured, although he is an emperor, his ways are like his father's—he is a devoted person."
"If you don't want to, it's also fine."
"Our family has three sons; one more doesn't matter," Shu ge'er said.
If Ming Li knew, he would surely regret bringing him to the Cao residence, giving his daddy a chance to undermine him.
Ning Huaiyu stared blankly at Shu ge'er. He had thought he would be accused of seducing Ming Li , that his lowly status made him unworthy of Ming Li . He never expected him to be so considerate of him.
The Cao residence in the capital, the wealthiest family in Qing. The family head was a devoted man who had only married one ge'er. The ge'er and young ladies of Qing all envied this; he was among them. Back then, he had thought he must meet this ge'er to see what he was like, to have made the Cao family head cherish him so.
Now that he had met him, he realized this ge'er was so good-looking and so kind.
"What are you talking about?" Cao Jun lifted the curtain and entered the room.
Shu ge'er glared at him, "ge'er matters. Don't ask."
Cao Jun sat on a stool.
"Alright, alright, won't ask, won't ask. What would you like to eat for lunch? I'll have the chef prepare it."
Shu ge'er: "I want lotus root and pork rib soup, and red date cake."
He then looked at the person on the bed. "What would Huaiyu like to eat?"
Ning Huaiyu smiled sweetly, "I'd like pear and rock sugar soup."
Shu ge'er looked at Cao Jun, "Just these, plus some home-style dishes."
Cao Jun nodded, glanced at Ning Huaiyu, and said, "Recuperate well. Ming Li will handle everything else."
Then he stood up.
"Wife, I'm going out."
Shu ge'er waved his hand, "Go on!"
"Prince Cheng may appear indifferent to fame and fortune, but behind the scenes, he trains death warriors, recruits talented people, and even abducts good women to serve as prostitutes to gather information for him. Ming Li ... could he be in danger?" Ning Huaiyu said.
Shu ge'er patted his hand: "Don't worry. He knows what he's doing."
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