“Don’t be soft-hearted towards those who insult you,” he warned, staring at her intently.
Before she could reply, he pulled the reins and rode away, stepping over Liang Fu.
I didn’t go soft on Liang Fu, I’m just afraid of your ruthlessness, Ruan Ning thought, not daring to speak.
Chu Yuan held her with one arm, walking towards the city gate. Liang Fu was alive but had been severely beaten. This was the first time he had left a victim alive to avoid frightening her.
Having hardly slept the previous night, he had dreamt of her terrified expression. He didn’t understand her fear, but felt he should be considerate of her emotions.
Moreover, with her in his arms, his irritable mood had calmed considerably, no longer feeling the urgent need to vent through killing.
An hour later, a large group of riders arrived at the city gate, where two sedan chairs were parked, clearly indicating important persons were present.
Chu Yuan reined in his horse but did not dismount. The sedan door opened, and a dignified, tall young man emerged, addressing Chu Yuan, “Prince Ning.”
“Your Highness,” Chu Yuan dismounted and lifted Ruan Ning down from the horse. “I’m taking her back to the palace.”
Ruan Ning remembered that Crown Prince Chu Xiang, a few years older than Chu Yuan, had cared for him for a long time after he entered the palace. Though Chu Yuan was not fond of Chu Xiang and had considered deposing him, he remained a loyal supporter.
Chu Xiang’s gaze was fixed anxiously on Chu Yuan’s injured right shoulder: “How did you get hurt? Has it been treated? Does it still hurt?”
“Careless, bitten by a wolf,” Chu Yuan said with a faint smile. “It’s nothing, don’t worry.”
“Quickly return to the palace, have the Imperial Medical Academy’s chief physician await at Prince Ning’s Bian Xiang Palace.”
Tell them Prince Ning was wounded by a wild wolf,” Chu Xiang instructed a young eunuch, who immediately ran into the city.
Chu Xiang glanced at Ruan Ning, quickly scanning her and finding her acceptable, then turned to Chu Yuan: “Come with me. The Emperor has been worried and hasn’t slept all night, waiting for news about you.”
