Chapter 262 - Pay Your Debts with You for the Rest of Our Life
Back in Suzhou, Zhao Sanlang saw the two hundred thousand fully prepared army and was tempted. If he took the opportunity to subdue the Northern Barbarians, their territory would expand, but the Great Tang had just regained its vitality. If this battle did not end quickly and the civilians submitted, their finances would definitely be dragged down.
Soon, the Imperial Court's decree arrived. The army was to be disbanded, and General Zhao would lead half of the Black Armored Guard prisoners to explore the west.
After Zhao Sanlang received the decree, he originally wanted Lee Cheng to lead half of the Black Armored Guard back. However, the other party refused to accept it and insisted on following him to escort the prisoners to the west.
Zhao Sanlang's face was livid as he shouted angrily, “This is a military order!”
However, Lee Cheng replied righteously, “The war is over. This duke is no longer your deputy commander. In terms of rank, I am a grade higher than you. You cannot order me around.”
Zhao Sanlang was furious. He said, “As you wish!” Then, he stopped caring about him.
The road to the west was not easy. Zhao Sanlang and the others walked very carefully. One day, they stayed in a valley for the night. The area within a hundred miles was uninhabited. It made the valley even quieter. Even the sound of birds could be heard from far away.
“General, I found that there was something unusual about these captives.” A Black Armored Guard came to report.
Zhao Sanlang asked, “What's wrong?”
“They seem to be protecting a young man. We didn't notice him because he was wearing the same uniform as the other soldiers. ” However, during this period of time, I discovered that everyone was very respectful to him. Even when distributing the food, he was the first to take it. Only then did the others dare to move their mouths. “
Zhao Sanlang hurriedly walked out of the tent and came to the place where the captives were held. These captives had their hands tied and their feet heavily shackled. There was no way they could escape.
“Who is it?” Zhao Sanlang asked.
The subordinate pointed to a young man in the middle and said, “It's him.”
“Ask him.” Zhao Sanlang turned around and left. He was wondering if they could still reach the west if the young man was really someone important.
Lee Cheng had not dared to approach Zhao Sanlang for the past few days. The other party ignored him and did not speak to him at all. Therefore, he had been keeping an eye on Zhao Sanlang.
Seeing that he had interrogated a captive, Lee Cheng quietly followed him and hid at the side, watching quietly.
This was a very ordinary-looking young man. Zhao Sanlang looked at him and asked after a long time, “Your name and identity.”
The man looked up with a deep-rooted hatred in his eyes. Zhao Sanlang smiled. Didn't you think about this day when you led the army to invade others?”
A cruel smile appeared on the young man's face. “If it weren't for your Great Tang joining in, this grassland would have been ours.”
“It's not that simple, right? You were able to win in the beginning. It was because the various tribes were unprepared. And they weren't united enough. Even without us, they will still be united to survive. “
The young man spat. “Your Great Tang has vast lands and vast lands. How can you understand how difficult it is for us to survive? All year long, the snow has sealed off the mountains, and we can't even hunt prey. Every winter, we starve to death and freeze many of our people to death. We also fight for survival.”
Zhao Sanlang remained silent. This was a problem that could not be solved in all eternity, and even though he sympathized, his standpoint was different in the end.
The young man continued, “Actually, you don't have to intervene. Once we take over the Northern Barbarians and weaken their strength, it will be a good thing for you. Our people are not belligerent people. We are already very satisfied with taking over the grassland and won't pose any threat to you. Why don't you let us go? With us holding the Northern Barbarians back, the Great Tang will be safer, won't it?”
These words made a lot of sense. The two sides were in a stalemate, so they had no time to think about invading, but the wolves and tigers were all ambitious. Once they were united, they would naturally aim their spearheads at the more prosperous Great Tang.
Seeing that Zhao Sanlang didn't speak, the young man knelt on the ground and took a few steps forward. In a low voice, he said, “I am the Young Patriarch, the only heir to the snowy mountain. If you let me go, our people will be eternally grateful.”
Zhao Sanlang glanced at him and said lightly, “So you are the young patriarch. Pardon me.”
The young man lowered his eyes and sighed. “This time, the entire army was wiped out. Our clan won't be able to recover for at least 20 years. ” Our clan doesn't know how miserable it will be, and it might even suffer the retaliation of the Northern Barbarians. I don't understand why you didn't kill us directly, but as long as we live for a day, we will definitely not yield. “
Zhao Sanlang was a kind person. Although he couldn't let them go, his attitude was a bit better. He was about to speak. Suddenly, a strong wind came, accompanied by someone's exclamation, “Be careful!”
A figure quickly blocked in front of him. A small embroidery needle entered his chest. A drop of blood seeped out and disappeared without a trace.
“Lee Cheng!” Zhao Sanlang screamed and kicked the young man. It turned out that he had untied the rope in his hands at some unknown time. He quickly flicked the hidden needle towards Zhao Sanlang.
“Hahaha… what a fool. With you killing so many of our people, how could I shake my tail and beg for mercy? It's a pity that you weren't the one who died. What a pity!”
A group of guards rushed over and pressed him to the ground. They separated his hands and feet, making him unable to move.
Zhao Sanlang held the fallen Lee Cheng and asked anxiously, “Where are you feeling unwell?” Zhao Sanlang could not see the injuries on Lee Cheng's body. Only a small red dot on his chest confirmed that he had been hit, but if it was an ordinary embroidery needle, it would not kill him, right?
However, Lee Cheng fainted. His face quickly turned black, his lips turned purple, and a pungent black blood flowed out from the corner of his mouth.
“Poison?” Zhao Sanlang was anxious. “Where's the antidote? Ask him to take it out!”
The young man was in pain. “There is no antidote. Didn't you lose it when you searched your bodies? Hahaha… You deserve to die!”
“Quick! Pass the message to the military doctor! “
“There's no need to waste any more time. The poison has sealed his throat. He won't live past tonight.”
Zhao Sanlang carried the man to the side and let him lie flat. He said coldly, “Then you better pray that he will be safe. If he dies, your entire family will be buried with him.”
Without waiting for the young man to say anything, Zhao Sanlang continued, “Go to the captive camp and pick up the people. Kill ten people every minute. If you can save him, I can spare their lives. Otherwise, you will see your own clansmen tortured to death with your own eyes!”
At this moment, Zhao Sanlang's hatred soared to the sky. He even blamed himself for wasting his breath with this young man. If Lee Cheng died because of this, he would feel guilty for the rest of his life.
He lowered his head and looked at the unconscious man with red eyes. He said in a low voice, “Why do you think you are doing this? Do you think I will be grateful to you because of this?”
“General, the military doctor is here…” The accompanying military doctor already knew the situation. He strode forward and pushed Zhao Sanlang away. He stuffed a pill into Lee Cheng's mouth and explained, “This is an antidote concocted by the Empress. Although I don't know if it's useful, I can only try it first.”
However, Lee Cheng did not have the ability to swallow it at all. He could not swallow the pill in his mouth. The anxious Zhao Sanlang asked again and again, “What should we do? Why can't we swallow it?”
The military doctor calmly took out the pill and melted it with warm water. He then took out the medicine kit from the medicine box and inserted it into Lee Cheng's mouth. He roughly poured the medicine into Lee Cheng's mouth.
Half of the medicine was consumed and half of it leaked out. As soon as the medicine was fed into Lee Cheng's mouth, he vomited. His blood and food were all over his body.
There was no shortage of servants around him. He quickly changed his clothes and wiped his body clean. The tent was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop. Everyone held their breath and waited for Lee Cheng to open his eyes.
“He… Why isn't he awake yet?” Zhao Sanlang asked anxiously.
The military doctor shook his head. “General, the situation is not good. We still need to know what poison he was poisoned. Also, how did he get poisoned?”
“Check if there is a fine needle in his chest.”
At this time, the blood on his chest had been wiped clean. There was not even a scar left. There was no way to find where the needle was. Everyone was sweating profusely. In the end, the military doctor thought of something. He took the magnet out of the medicine box and moved it slowly on Lee Cheng's chest.
Not long after, the magnet really sucked out a needle as thin as a cow's hair. The military doctor stroked his beard and sighed. “As expected, the Empress is very knowledgeable and capable.”
The military doctor wrapped the poison needle in cloth and placed it in clear water, “It would be best if we could find out the type of poison. If we don't know, we can only try it bit by bit. I'm afraid I won't be able to make it in time.”
A shrill scream came from outside. Zhao Sanlang frowned but did not make a sound. Everyone in the tent was used to seeing life and death and was immune to this kind of sound.
A few breaths later, the sound stopped. A deputy walked in and reported, “General, that person fainted and did not speak.”
“Wake him up. Continue. If this method doesn't work, then change it. Find a few good disciplinary officers.” Zhao Sanlang said coldly.
That night, the entire camp was filled with inhuman screams. Blood and flesh splashed all over the ground. The young patriarch was also tortured to the point of losing his human appearance. But no matter what, he only had one sentence. “This poison is unsolvable. I don't know what it is either. “
“General, I'm afraid he really doesn't know.” The deputy said worriedly.
Zhao Sanlang did not sleep the whole night. There were dark circles under his eyes. He was exhausted. “Go and ask him where the poison came from.”
“I have already asked. He said that it was given to him by an elder of his family. He used it to protect himself. There is also an antidote. It is just that… I am afraid that during the body search…”
Zhao Sanlang waved his hand. “Then send someone back to look for him. There are only a few places to look carefully, inch by inch.”
“Yes.”
At dawn, the military doctor fed Lee Cheng another dose of medicine. This time, the medicine he spat out was less. Lee Cheng's face could be seen with the naked eye. His lips were not as green as before, but he could not wake up.
The military doctor pulled Zhao Sanlang to the side and suggested, “General, let's send County Prince back to Ye City first. I heard from the Empress that a coma patient can make people close to him talk in his ear. It would be best if it can arouse his attachment to the mortal world. Furthermore, the Empress' medical skills are godly, so there must be a better way.”
Zhao Sanlang nodded. “I will arrange everything. How is the poison research going?”
“It is still under development. Ah, General, don't have too much hope. Most of the military doctors in the army are only good at external injuries. They do not have the detoxification technique. You can send someone to look for famous doctors in this area. Perhaps it will be faster.”
When the person left, Zhao Sanlang sat beside Lee Cheng. He looked at Zhao Sanlang and whispered, “You look so ugly now. Back then, I sent you to get beaten up every day. You look better than you do now, “the military doctor said. “I want people close to you to talk more to you, but I want to… You are a cold and heartless guy. You probably don't have anyone close to you anymore. I don't know if it is enough to wake you up, but you said that you have been happy with me for many years. I have to. If you can wake me up, I will wake you up. If you can wake up, then I will believe you, or else it will be a lie.
I, Zhao Sanlang, have the most experience dealing with liars. Even if you wake up in the future, don't even think about getting close to me in this lifetime. We will never get close to each other. Of course, Even if you wake up, I won't respond to you. I am not the Emperor, I will not give myself to you just because I saved my life. However, there is something that I must confess to you. I said that I like women to lie to you, other than when I was young, I was happy with County Princess Huizhu. That is your mother. I have never been moved by anyone in these years. Whether it was a man or a woman was not important at all.
But I really don't like you. What do you have to make people like you? You are always gloomy like a pervert, and you like to beat people up. I am not stupid. How could I like someone like you? Even if I like men, I will find someone gentle and kind. You can care about me every day, talk to me. Love and affection are the life that a husband and wife should have. Could it be that from now on, you're going to stare at each other every day and fight whenever you don't agree? “
Zhao Sanlang thought about that scene and suddenly laughed,” Hey, don't say that. That kind of life is not boring anymore. Even if you are upset, who would be willing to fight every day? If you want to fight, it would be on the bed… Cough, forget it. No matter what I say or do with you, it is impossible. “
Zhao Sanlang got up and walked away. He did not notice that the moment he turned around, the person on the bed moved his fingers.
Nearly half of the captives outside had been killed, but there was still no antidote. Zhao Sanlang didn't plan to continue grinding. He ordered everyone to be killed on the spot and then brought the Black Armored Guard back to Ye City.
The deputy asked worriedly, “General, it is against the law for you to kill the captives on your own. This matter is going against the imperial decree. You…”
Zhao Sanlang waved his hand casually. “There is no need to say anything. When I return to Ye City, I will take my own punishment. Even if there is no such crime, if County Prince dies in the army, I can't get away with it, either. It is just another crime. “
“But County Prince's injury was an accident. His Majesty will understand.”
Zhao Sanlang smiled bitterly. “His Majesty is wise, but I am not at ease. It is not a question of who to blame.”
The team went on for three days. The people sent by Zhao Sanlang came back. They found two doctors that were good at detoxification, but their medical skills were not very good. They followed the army for a few days and were unable to successfully develop an antidote.
The atmosphere in the team became increasingly gloomy until Ye City appeared in front of them. Only then did everyone heave a sigh of relief, but at the same time, they felt a little sad because County Prince still did not wake up.
Zhao Sanlang accompanied Lee Cheng in the carriage, holding his hand and giving him a massage. He said in a low voice, “Lee Cheng, we are going back to Ye City. Don't you want to take a look at this place where you grew up? Look at me again. I have violated the Imperial Decree. I will be punished soon. If you wake up, you will be punished. My crime will be lighter, and you are a duke. If you ask for my favor, perhaps I can still be saved. Don't you want to save me again? Two, three, three times and I'll have to pay my debts with you for the rest of my life. “At least you can ask me not to marry for the rest of my life. I will definitely agree.”
Tang Yue waited at the city gate. When he saw that someone had come, he immediately went up to greet them. Everyone hurriedly bowed and he jumped into the carriage without saying anything.
In the carriage, Lee Cheng was lying flat on his back. His face was sunken and his body was skinny. His eyes were closed as if he had lost his life.
Zhao Sanlang explained, “Empress, according to what the military doctor said, the poison in County Prince's body is always not clean. Because we can't find the correct formula, every time we use the medicine, it can only delay his death, but he can't wake up.”
Tang Yue nodded at Zhao Sanlang, patted his shoulder and said, “Thank you for your hard work. You don't need to feel burdened. We know what happened, so we don't blame you.”
Zhao Sanlang finally broke down. He covered his face and said, “Why don't you blame me? If I didn't waste my breath, If I hadn't been careless, I wouldn't have been ambushed. If I had been poisoned, I would have died, but… “
Tang Yue sighed. He didn't know how to persuade him. At this moment, only Lee Cheng's healthy life was the best salvation for Zhao Sanlang.
Tang Yue was a surgeon, and he was not good at detoxification. Fortunately, he had been learning from many experts in the apricot forest, and his skills in TCM were getting better. The entire Imperial Medical Office had been treating Lee Cheng for a few days, but his condition had improved.
On the tenth day, When Tang Yue checked Lee Cheng's body, he found that his fingers were moving. He was surprised and was about to call for help when he saw Lee Cheng open his eyes. He asked in a low and hoarse voice, “Where is… where is Zhao Sanlang?”
Tang Yue finally heaved a sigh of relief. “It's good that you woke up. Zhao Sanlang is in prison. Your mother wants him to pay with his life. He doesn't want to come out himself. When you are done, go and fetch him yourself.”
Lee Cheng closed his eyes again. Scenes flashed through his mind. In the end, he only remembered what Zhao Sanlang said to him. “I can only repay my debt with you for the rest of my life…”
“Okay.”
The outside world ended.
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