Ying Wutu was taken into the Fifth Prince’s tent, knowing that Deputy Yan was guarding the entrance.
This tent was of the same standard as that of ordinary soldiers—windproof and warm, with two boxes of clothes in the corner.
This situation didn’t resemble that of a captive at all; it seemed like the Fifth Prince was really being given preferential treatment.
He approached and saw the Fifth Prince lying on the bed, fast asleep, with an empty bowl on the table.
He checked the Fifth Prince’s breathing with his finger.
Still alive.
He withdrew his hand and looked at his broken right finger, which still hurt a lot.
Ying Wutu found a corner of the tent where a brazier was placed. He brought his frostbitten, swollen hands near the fire, gradually warming them up, relieving some of the pain.
Once his hands hurt less, he began to search through the Fifth Prince’s tent.
Ying Xiaowu was not only beautiful but also knowledgeable in pharmacology, often concocting various medicines in the palace. However, he didn’t study lethal weapons but focused on how to become more beautiful, fairer, slimmer, and how to make aphrodisiacs.
He first searched through two boxes.
The left box contained only exquisite clothes, while the right box was full of bottles and jars.
Ying Wutu knew he could find medicine here. He had spent four years in the military camp, training and fighting, and had suffered many injuries, so he was knowledgeable about medicine. He opened each bottle one by one, searching.
In his eyes, most of the medicine bottles were useless. Some had no smell, and he didn’t dare to sniff them too much, as they made his face flush and heart race, likely not good medicine.
Last night, the wicked woman had tricked him into eating a pear laced with medicine, which was given by the Fifth Prince.
Ying Wutu sighed. If only the Fifth Prince had put his energy into developing poison, he could have taken the poison and killed the wicked woman.
His skills were no match for the wicked woman, and he couldn’t assassinate her.
Finally, Ying Wutu found a bottle of wound medicine.
There wasn’t much of it.
But it was better than nothing.
Worried that the guard at the entrance might come in suddenly, he shrank into a corner of the tent, undressed, and applied the wound medicine to the self-inflicted injury on his chest. The wound had worsened, as the wicked woman had kicked him there, causing the wound to reopen.
After applying the medicine to his chest, he looked down at the “Jiang” character. The wound had scabbed over.
He felt another wave of humiliation.
A man can be killed but not humiliated!
He used his nails to scratch the scab, causing it to break and bleed again.
Last night, when the character was carved, it hadn’t bled much.
Ying Wutu suddenly felt a bit of pleasure from scratching the wound. He couldn’t explain why, but he turned and applied the medicine again.
There wasn’t much medicine left. He applied it to a few severe bruises and then bandaged his broken right pinky finger with gauze.
He didn’t know if the broken finger would heal or if he could use it again in the future.
After finishing this, Ying Wutu searched the Fifth Prince’s jewelry box.
Finally, he found a plain silver hairpin. He felt the sharp tip with his fingertip.
Sharp enough.
Although he had a short sword now, the first thing the wicked woman would do when he returned would be to confiscate it, so he needed something for self-defense.
Maybe even to find an opportunity to assassinate her.
At first, Ying Wutu hid the hairpin in his chest, but fearing it might be kicked, he finally hid it in his sleeve, making it easier to take out.
After finishing all this, Ying Wutu sat in the corner of the tent, watching the burning charcoal, hugging his knees and curling up, slowly closing his eyes.
He had been up for a day and a night without sleep.
Having been defeated in battle and captured yesterday, injured, then attempting to escape at night only to be recaptured and beaten half to death, Ying Wutu had spent the latter part of the night in the arms of the wicked woman, too terrified to even blink for fear of being humiliated.
This morning, he got up at dawn to work, now hungry and exhausted, hw desperately needed a moment of rest.
Ying Wutu leaned his head and slowly fell asleep.
But his sleep was restless.
After a short nap, he woke up.
He was startled awake.
Deputy Yan stood at the entrance of the tent, asking coldly, “He’ll wake up soon. Are you going to do nothing?”
Ying Wutu’s eyes suddenly cleared. He decisively shook his head.
He would not harm his own people.
Even though Ying Xiaowu didn’t treat him as one of his own.
“Get up.” Deputy General Yan then took the short sword from his hand.
Ying Wutu slowly stood up, taking a deep breath, dragging the heavy iron ball on his ankle, and followed Deputy General Yan slowly.
At this moment, the words of that woman echoed in his ears:
[You’ll have a hard time tonight.]
As he walked out of the tent, the wind and snow grew stronger, causing him to shiver uncontrollably.
So cold.
He had no idea what awaited him.
He took his time on the short journey, dragging his feet along the way.
By the time Ying Wutu reached the entrance of Jiang Shouzhu’s tent, he hesitated for a moment before entering.
He walked slowly with his head down and saw the woman writing at her desk. He looked closely and realized she was writing a memorial.
He didn’t dare to speak, just stood at the entrance. Seeing that the wicked woman ignored him, he carefully moved towards the corner of the tent.
The brazier was placed in the corner, and he wanted to warm up.
Although he was wearing luxurious clothes, the Fifth Prince liked to look beautiful even in the cold, disliking the bulkiness of winter clothes. So these clothes weren’t warm. The Fifth Prince was used to it, but Ying Wutu was used to warm military uniforms. He was cold, and he was also injured.
Ying Wutu took a long time to move to the corner, while the woman wrote page after page without once looking up at him.
Ying Wutu slowly squatted down and finally sat on the carpet.
Since the wicked woman hadn’t ordered him to kneel or stand, he chose the most comfortable position—sitting.
He had just sat down, barely touching the thick, warm carpet…
“Come here!”
Jiang Shouzhu commanded without lifting her head.
In the tent, besides Jiang Shouzhu, there was only him.
So, of course, the command was for him.
Ying Wutu gritted his teeth in anger and slowly walked to her side.
Jiang Shouzhu didn’t rush him; she continued writing her memorial.
“Grind the ink.”
When Ying Wutu reached the desk, Jiang Shouzhu gave the next command.
Ying Wutu stood by her side and began grinding the ink, while also stealing glances at her writing. He hadn’t seen much when…
“Stealing a glance at the memorial? Do you not want your eyes anymore?” Jiang Shouzhu hadn’t expected him to be so bold. Indeed, he was a daring little rabbit.
Ying Wutu didn’t dare confront her openly. He turned his head away and no longer looked at the memorial, continuing to grind the ink without stopping.
He had seen half a line; it seemed to be an inventory list. While pondering it, he couldn’t help but think that the wicked woman had beautiful handwriting.
The thought startled him.
He had noticed her beautiful handwriting last night, hadn’t he?
The character on his chest—wasn’t it written by her?
Such strange thoughts.
Finally, Jiang Shouzhu finished writing the long memorial by noon. Once the ink dried, it was sent back to the capital by fast horse.
Ying Wutu had been standing by, grinding the ink. He swayed several times from dizziness, feeling faint from hunger. Yesterday, he hadn’t eaten much—only half a drugged pear. This morning, he had eaten only a small piece of dry bread. Now, he felt like he might faint from hunger.
Jiang Shouzhu stretched her shoulders and commanded Ying Wutu, “Come with me.”
Where now?
Since returning, the wicked woman hadn’t asked a single question about the Fifth Prince’s tent, as if she didn’t care.
How was that possible?
Ying Wutu’s heart was uneasy, but he had to quicken his pace to keep up. The wicked woman didn’t wait for him, striding ahead.
He still dragged the heavy iron ball on his ankle, struggling to keep up.
Until he fell into the snow.
Jiang Shouzhu stopped and turned to look at him.
“Falling on flat ground? You little men can’t even walk properly?” Jiang Shouzhu’s tone carried a mocking smile.
Ying Wutu clenched his fists in anger. He didn’t explain, knowing the wicked woman was being deliberately cruel. He slowly got up and brushed the snow off himself.
“Beg me, and I’ll carry you,” Jiang Shouzhu stood where she was.
Ying Wutu pressed his lips tightly together. He wouldn’t beg.
There were too many patrolling soldiers around, and too many watchful eyes.
“Got a temper”, Jiang Shouzhu commented, glancing at his ankle. She said nothing more and continued walking.
Ying Wutu knew his ankle was raw and bleeding.
Dragging a twenty-pound iron ball around had worn the skin on his ankle.
Finally, Jiang Shouzhu reached the entrance of the main tent, where someone lifted the curtain for her to enter.
But Ying Wutu was still standing at the entrance.
Jiang Shouzhu turned around and commanded, “Come in.”
Ying Wutu furrowed his brows in pain, knowing his ankle was bleeding. As he walked into the main tent, he grew even more nervous.
Inside, the tent was filled with a banquet, with Jiang’s soldiers all around.
“A celebration feast. How could it be complete without you, my old enemy?” Jiang Shouzhu sat down at the main seat, seeing Ying Wutu still standing at the entrance, she waved him over, “Come, sit beside me.”
Ying Wutu wanted to turn and run.
He knew this was a banquet, though not meant to celebrate him; he certainly wasn’t there to eat.
That meant he could only be the one being “eaten.”
So this was what she meant last night when she said he would have a hard time.
“Quickly! If you don’t want to sit at my table, I’ll place you on theirs,” Jiang Shouzhu teased, and the soldiers joined in the heckling.
Being placed on the table to be enjoyed by them one by one?
That threat terrified him.
He couldn’t bear so many women’s eyes staring at him, as if they wanted to devour him alive.
He had no choice but to hide by Jiang Shouzhu’s side, seeking shelter from her shadow to fend off those ravenous gazes.
There was no extra stool by Jiang Shouzhu’s seat, so Ying Wutu sat on the ground.
Luckily, the carpet was thick, and it wasn’t cold to sit on.
He hunched his shoulders and lowered his head, but those eyes still swept over him like a tidal wave.
He wanted to hide, but there was nowhere to go. Instinctively, he clutched a piece of her garment for a semblance of safety.
It was his only source of security.
Though he was holding onto his enemy, it was better than holding nothing.
Jiang Shouzhu seemed not to notice his small actions. She raised her cup, “Today is our victory feast, celebrating our defeat of the Ying Kingdom and reclaiming the land for the emperor. The first toast is to the emperor!”
The soldiers followed suit, “To the emperor!”
Everyone drank their cup of wine.
Jiang Shouzhu glanced at the trembling “quail” beside her, then at her empty cup.
Ying Wutu understood what she meant. He was too afraid of that threat, too terrified of being placed on the table.
These women in the military camp were like wolves and tigers.
He couldn’t even imagine it.
So, with trembling hands, he picked up the wine jug and poured her a cup of wine.
At this moment, he still lamented in his heart. If only the Fifth Prince had poison, he could have taken the opportunity to poison the wicked woman.
Unfortunately, that big box of bottles and jars was full of useless things.
“The second cup…” Jiang Shouzhu’s tone shifted, and so did her gaze, “is for our enemy—General Ying! If it weren’t for him, how could this war have dragged on from summer to winter? Now, with just a month left until the New Year, we still haven’t been able to go home. General Ying, for such a great deed, how should you explain it to the sisters? Everyone has seen it, our General Ying is actually a man, deceiving us all. Truly a hero among men! Since you are such a hero, you must drink this second cup.”
Jiang Shouzhu looked towards the entrance, and Deputy Yan brought in a large vat with two others.
It was filled with wine.
Ying Wutu didn’t dare blink.
Wasn’t that the large water vat from beside the kitchen?
“Go drink it.” Jiang Shouzhu patted his shoulder encouragingly, then pulled back the piece of her garment he had been clutching, smoothing out the wrinkles.
The room was filled with jeering laughter.
Ying Wutu walked towards the center of the room, looking back with every step.
The women’s eyes scanned him inch by inch, seeing his bloodied ankle, his slender waist and hips, his tightly wrapped neck, and his bruised face and teary eyes.
He felt wronged and scared, but he couldn’t beg for mercy, as no one would save him.
