noffsinger Chapter 190 The Night Before the Expedition
Chapter 190 The Night Before the Expedition
“When I heard my imperial aunt tell this, she was almost terrified,” Jiang Zhi said. “At first, my imperial aunt thought that she had missed something, which made the emperor suspicious of her.”
“The emperor doesn’t trust anyone. Choosing her was a last resort to keep his two sons in check.” Jiang Zhi stood aside, watching Gu Liang arrange the bottles and jars for her.
"Are these all medicines for injuries?"
"These medicines were prepared for you by Bai Wuyou in advance," Gu Liang said, opening the box.
"This white bottle is for treating cuts from sharp objects, this pink bottle is for treating burns, and this red bottle can relieve your pain during your period."
"What's this for?" Jiang Zhi asked, picking up a delicate little bottle.
"This is for treating internal injuries. If there's really something wrong with your body, you can use it to save your life."
Jiang Zhi opened the bottle cap, took a sniff, and asked, "What's this smell?"
Gu Liang hurriedly snatched the bottle from Jiang Zhi's hand, "You can't just smell this. It's bad for your health if you smell it if you're not injured."
“That’s exactly what Dr. Xiao Bai would do,” Jiang Zhi said, crossing his arms.
"Only this one bottle was made by him."
He closed the lid and put the box away.
"But Langlang, aren't you the one going to war?" Jiang Zhi asked curiously, "Why did you prepare so many wound medicines for me?"
Gu Liang paused for a moment, then said, "Yes, I wasn't by your side while I was away on campaign. I was worried that you would be without help, care, or anyone to worry about you."
Jiang Zhi took a piece of mung bean cake that she had left over and put it to his mouth.
Gu Liang looked at her and took a bite.
She asked, "Is it delicious?"
"good to eat."
"It's made at noon, so of course it's delicious." Jiang Zhi subconsciously felt proud of Xiao Wu Shi, and the few people secretly watching outside the door couldn't help but smile when Wu Shi heard this.
Gu Liang smiled. "Do you still protect me unconditionally like this when we're alone?"
“I always will.” Jiang Zhi hadn’t even finished speaking when she raised her chin. “If anyone dares to spread rumors about you, I’ll be the first to deal with them.”
But will Gu Liang be able to see this kind of protection?
"Langlang, don't worry, I will be fine in Kyoto. Besides, my reputation is not just that of the Princess Consort of Liang."
He took a sip of tea and asked, "Don't you like it when I remind you?"
“It’s not that I don’t like it,” Jiang Zhi said, resting her chin on her hand and eating the half-eaten pastry that Gu Liang had taken a bite out of. “It’s just that I don’t want you to be unhappy. If you say these unhappy things, won’t you be unhappy too?”
Gu Liang stared at her lips, then slowly moved upwards, looking into her eyes, waiting for her to continue.
"I know you're worried about me, but you also need to do what you want to do, Liangliang. Remember, you don't only have me, you also have yourself."
Jiang Zhi reminded him, "You are the most important person to yourself. Before I got close to you, I knew very well that your approach was not the smartest, but I never wanted to interfere with you. Aren't you the same? Some things you have to decide and solve yourself."
Have you wanted to say this for a long time?
“Of course,” Jiang Zhi replied matter-of-factly.
Gu Liang smiled and said, "So you understood everything I did to help you back then?"
“Of course,” Jiang Zhi continued, “but I also expected you would help me.”
"Apart from……"
“Besides what?” he asked.
Of course, it's what the abbot said back then: they were destined to meet but not to be together.
"It's nothing," Jiang Zhi changed the subject. "You must remember, you're a married woman now, you can't risk your life on the battlefield!"
"However, considering the timeline, I've actually helped you postpone your departure."
Gu Liang looked at Jiang Zhi, her eyes sparkling, "Does Zhu Tao not want me to go to war?"
Jiang Zhi teased, "I don't want to become a widow at such a young age, hmm—"
Gu Liang silenced Jiang Zhi with his mouth; he didn't want to hear what he didn't want to say.
These days, the residual poison in Gu Liang's body has not yet dissipated. Bai Wuyou watched him drink the medicine and forced the length of the black thread in his hand to be reduced. The wound that Jiang Zhi had pricked left only a scar.
He was increasingly less interested in hearing Jiang Zhi's flirtatious words; he only wanted to hear Jiang Zhi say sweet things to coax him, and even if it wasn't sweet talk, he would act as if it were.
Jiang Zhi buried herself in his arms. How could she not notice that something was wrong with the person next to her? She couldn't give herself away.
"Is this all you've got?"
“If you say anything I don’t like to hear again,” Gu Liang hugged her tighter, “I’ll use this trick again.”
"I'm going to go find Yu Jiuxia." Jiang Zhi left his embrace, her tone seemingly heartless.
Gu Liang stared intently at her retreating figure, shook his head, and walked towards his desk.
He still had many things to do tonight; before he left the capital, he wanted to ensure that the city was completely safe.
Because his friends and loved ones are here.
He will not allow the same thing to happen again.
When Gu Liang returned to the main room, Jiang Zhi was already asleep.
Only the faint light of a red candle remained in the room.
He slowly approached the bedside, gazing down at Jiang Zhian's sleeping face.
Jiang Zhi had been troubled by many things these days, but she had to pretend to be indifferent in front of him, afraid that he would worry.
But sleep doesn't lie; his brows are furrowed, and it's heartbreaking to see.
Gu Liang stared at her for a long time, then reached out and smoothed the area between her eyebrows with his finger.
He didn't disturb her and turned to leave.
After taking a shower, Gu Liang stood in the dim light, while Jiang Zhi on the large bed turned to face him.
It was warm inside the house tonight, but she wrapped herself up tightly.
Gu Liang walked over and heard a low laugh coming from under the covers.
He lay down beside her.
This was the first time the two of them had properly shared a bed since the ordeal.
Because Gu Liang was injured, Jiang Zhilao was afraid that it would worsen his condition, so he dared not sleep in the same bed with him.
Gu Liang wrapped one arm around Jiang Zhi, listening to Jiang Zhi's breathing go from steady to revealing a slight flaw.
But how could he possibly tell?
Jiang Zhi, who had been pretending to be asleep, finally couldn't hold back any longer.
She escaped from Gu Liang's bed, sat up, and threw the blanket on him.
"Langlang, don't forget the pain once the wound has healed. It's so cold outside, aren't you afraid of catching a cold?"
Gu Liang took the blanket, her gaze lingering.
Jiang Zhi wore a light red undergarment, a color typically worn for a wedding.
Her dark hair slipped down, blending into the crimson hue.
Her little finger twitched, scratching his palm.
Gu Liang recalled the three rules they agreed upon on their wedding night. She wore an elaborate wedding dress and smiled as she signed the agreement with him.