Font Size:
It wasn’t because the injury looked terrifying, but because this man, despite suffering such severe wounds—his entire back soaked in blood—hadn’t uttered a single groan. Not only that, he had killed the Wolf King with a single strike. This man was truly fearsome.
Shang Ruoyi applied the medicine to his wounds. The liquid was cool and soothing, and He Jingheng immediately felt the pain lessen.
“What kind of herbal medicine is this?”
Shang Ruoyi smiled faintly. “A secret family recipe, passed down only to women, not men.”
He Jingheng: “…”
He felt he had asked for nothing.
She placed her hand on his left knee and applied slight pressure. A muffled groan of pain escaped his lips.
“What are you doing?” He Jingheng suddenly grabbed her wrist, beads of sweat dripping from his forehead. Was this woman trying to retaliate against him?
“Your leg broke again before the first fracture had fully healed. If it’s not set properly, you might end up permanently disabled.” Shang Ruoyi paused for a moment, a faint smile appearing on her face. “If the Heir Apparent doesn’t care, then neither do I.” After all, they would eventually divorce. The only reason she was willing to treat his injuries now was that she didn’t want to see a loyal and righteous man die unjustly on the path of exile, nor did she want the corrupt emperor and treacherous officials to gloat over his suffering.
“You know how to set bones?” He Jingheng looked at her in surprise.
“I do, but I’m not very skilled. If it hurts, don’t blame me,” she said softly. “It’s going to be painful—you’ll need to endure it.”
Holding his leg with one hand and his knee with the other, she gave a quick twist. With a sharp *crack*, the dislocated bone snapped back into place.
He Jingheng raised an eyebrow. Wasn’t this supposed to hurt?
He hadn’t even felt any pain before the bone was set.
And she claimed she wasn’t skilled?
This woman was full of mysteries.
Early the next morning, as soon as the city gates opened, they were escorted by the guards toward the exit.
The second branch of the He family hadn’t eaten for a full day and night and were already starving.
Being forced to march at dawn only made them feel even more dizzy and weak.
Though the Old Princess disliked Madam Zhang, she still cared for her son, grandson, and granddaughter-in-law.
She was somewhat displeased with Shang Ruoyi’s actions the previous day.
“Ruoyi, if the guards distribute food today, don’t forget your uncle’s family,” the Old Princess said sternly. “They haven’t eaten for a day and night—how can they keep up? If they fall behind, they’ll surely suffer beatings.”
Shang Ruoyi nodded with a smile. “I did offer yesterday, but you heard what Second Aunt said. If something happened because of the food, I wouldn’t be able to take responsibility.”
Hearing this, the Old Princess couldn’t help but resent Madam Zhang. If not for her, her son and grandson wouldn’t be starving now.
Madam Lin, who had eaten Shang Ruoyi’s roasted meat the day before, found herself softening toward her. The saying “a guest is polite because of the host’s food” held true—her attitude was noticeably friendlier today.
Madam Zhang, on the other hand, shot Shang Ruoyi a glare from afar.
Shang Ruoyi wasn’t bothered.
No matter how much they glared, she wouldn’t lose a piece of flesh. But she had plenty of ways to ensure they went without meat.
After leaving the ruined temple, Shang Ruoyi gathered a few dry branches from the ground and used them to brace He Jingheng’s newly set leg.
He Yunyi, who had been following her, witnessed everything and grew even more impressed with her sister-in-law.
She could cook, she was courageous—when the wolves attacked the day before, He Yunyi had seen with her own eyes how Shang Ruoyi had shielded them.
Now she even knew medicine.
Her sister-in-law was truly remarkable!
Unbeknownst to Shang Ruoyi, she had unwittingly gained a devoted admirer.
When the group arrived at the city gates, the officials exchanged greetings with the guards before leading the prisoners inside.
As the He family passed through the gates, the guards tightened their grip on their swords, eyes burning with fury.
He Jingheng cast them a fleeting glance before lowering his gaze.
Once they had moved on, one soldier approached and said grimly, “The Heir Apparent is gravely wounded.”
“That damned emperor!”
“Captain, why don’t we take out those officials and rescue the Heir Apparent? Let’s revolt!”
Before he could finish, a sharp slap landed on his head. “Silence!”
“But Captain! The Heir Apparent is in such a state. If this continues, he’ll lose his life!”
The man replied coldly, “Do you think I don’t want to revolt? With what? Didn’t you see the Heir Apparent’s signal just now? He told us not to act rashly!”
“But—”
“Enough! We’ll wait for word from the Cloud Guard.”
After obtaining the travel documents, they prepared to leave the city.
Beyond the walls lay a vast mountain range—they would need to skirt around it to reach the next town.
Shang Ruoyi glanced at everyone’s shoes. Accustomed to carriages and palanquins in the capital, their thin soles were ill-suited for mountain terrain.
Approaching one of the officials, she smiled and said, “Master, I see some stalls ahead. We’ll need plenty of seasonings for cooking along the way. Perhaps we could purchase some?”
Just as the official was about to refuse, she deftly slipped a gold bracelet into his hand. “This was left to me by my father for emergencies. Please accept it.”
Hmm, quite a weighty offering!
The official’s expression softened. “And the silver for the seasonings…?”
“Naturally, I’ll cover that,” Shang Ruoyi continued smoothly. “Though, I’d also like to buy a few other things, if that’s permissible?”
After a moment’s thought, the official replied, “That can be arranged, but don’t overdo it.”
“Of course.”
He removed her fetters and handed her a long robe to conceal her prisoner’s garb. “You have one incense stick’s worth of time.”
Seizing the opportunity, Shang Ruoyi hurried toward the marketplace.
At the spice stall, she bought every seasoning useful for cooking.
Next, she visited a tailor’s shop for fabric, needles, thread, and cotton padding.
A cobbler supplied her with shoe soles and uppers.
From a seed merchant, she purchased varieties of vegetable and fruit seeds to cultivate in her Space.
Passing a steamed bun vendor, she stocked up on meat-filled buns.
Surveying the large bundle, she ducked into an alleyway. When no one was looking, she stored everything in her Space except the spices and a small pouch.
This way, she could discreetly retrieve items as if from the pouch rather than conjuring clothes and shoes from thin air.
As time ran short, she rushed back toward the city gates.
The waiting officials grew restless. “That He woman—has she fled?”
“She wouldn’t dare,” one said darkly. “If she runs, we’ll make the He family pay.”
Madam Zhang turned pale, her voice trembling as she spoke to He Ning’an, “Has that jinx abandoned us and run off on her own? I always knew she was no good. If she’s really fled, what are we supposed to do?”
Zhao Yiniang immediately chimed in, “That little wretch must have escaped by herself. That ungrateful wretch wouldn’t care whether we live or die!”
No sooner had the words left her mouth than a broken branch shot down and embedded itself in the ground mere inches from her feet.
It sank three inches deep into the earth.
“If you keep spouting nonsense, next time this branch won’t be sticking into the ground,” He Jingheng’s voice rang coldly in their ears.