Free Web NovelChapter 1021: Chapter 742: Injured Muscles and Broken Bones
The carriage traveled for more than half an hour before finally arriving at the Pei Mansion.
It was Shen Wuzheng who went to knock on the door first. Having returned from his self-study, he had been closest to Pei Xingyuan, so the gatekeeper was familiar with him. Seeing him arrive, they hurried to open the door and then saw Yu Wenye and Shang Ruyi following behind him.
The gatekeeper was so startled that his eyes widened in shock, and after regaining his composure, he immediately knelt to pay his respects.
"G-greetings to His Highness Prince Qin!"
Yu Wenye didn’t stand on ceremony, waved his hand and said, "No need for formalities, just inform your master that we have arrived."
The gatekeeper quickly led them to the guest hall and then scrambled away.
The three of them seated themselves in the guest hall, and someone immediately brought tea and refreshments. Having just had tea at the Divine Tired Pavilion, none of them had any appetite, so they set the refreshments aside and waited quietly. Soon, they heard a commotion outside. A young servant ran past in a panic, a maid shouted, "Master, be careful." Shang Ruyi turned to see a familiar figure stagger towards the entrance of the guest hall, hurriedly letting the maid by his side tighten his belt and put on his boots. After much difficulty, he finally dashed into the guest hall.
It was Pei Xingyuan.
He probably hadn’t expected them to visit today. His clothes were barely dressed and his hair crown was askew, but this seemed not unusual for Pei Xingyuan. In fact, this disheveled look was very "Pei Xingyuan."
His eyes widened with delight as he looked at the familiar figures in the hall. He first glanced at Yu Wenye, then at Shang Ruyi, and finally his gaze fell on Shen Wuzheng.
"You all—"
Pei Xingyuan grinned, tears welling up in his eyes, about to move forward eagerly when Shen Wuzheng said coldly, "Prince Qin is here!"
Hearing this, Pei Xingyuan suddenly seemed to wake from a dream, hastily stopping in his tracks, adjusting his clothes again—though still not quite neat, and respectfully bowed to Yu Wenye and Shang Ruyi: "Greetings to His Highness Prince Qin, greetings to Princess Qin."
Shang Ruyi suppressed a laugh.
Yu Wenye’s eyes also showed a trace of amusement, especially seeing Pei Xingyuan’s carefree yet clearly unharmed appearance, and he lifted his hand, saying, "No need for such courtesy." freewёbnoνel.com
"Thank you, Your Highness."
Pei Xingyuan finally stood up, smiled at Shen Wuzheng and said, "Are you satisfied now?"
Shen Wuzheng glanced at him and said coolly, "Lord Pei is jesting. I followed Prince Qin on a campaign to Taiyuan, endured several bloody battles, and emerged unscathed; yet Lord Pei stayed in Chang An and ended up with injuries. Why should I be satisfied?"
"You—"
Shen Wuzheng usually spoke mildly, but this time he was clearly provoking him. Pei Xingyuan, having never conceded in verbal exchanges, was about to retort when Shang Ruyi quickly intervened, laughing, "Mr. Pei, seeing you unharmed, we are all relieved."
Hearing this, Pei Xingyuan reluctantly let it go, and immediately said, "Thank you, Princess, for your concern."
Yu Wenye sighed, finally cutting to the chase, "What happened to you exactly? First, there was talk of you taking leave for illness, then it was said you were injured. Where are you injured? Who hurt you?"
Pei Xingyuan’s face changed slightly upon hearing this.
Shen Wuzheng and Shang Ruyi were also staring at him intently. Pei Xingyuan coughed lightly and quickly said, "Injured? Me? No way."
"No way?"
"Look at me, I’m perfectly fine."
In order to prove he was uninjured, Pei Xingyuan deliberately shook his leg and twisted his neck, appearing to be fine. But the more he acted this way, the more Shen Wuzheng’s eyebrows knitted together.
Yu Wenye, however, said nothing—just stood up and circled Pei Xingyuan. When he reached behind him, he suddenly gripped Pei Xingyuan’s shoulder and twisted lightly—
"Ouch!"
Though Yu Wenye’s movements were gentle, it seemed to touch a nerve, making Pei Xingyuan cry out and curl up.
The maids who had accompanied him into the room were startled by the scene and rushed in, kneeling to beg, "Please spare my master, Your Highness."
"Yes, Your Highness, our master’s arm was injured and he is still recovering."
"Please forgive him, Your Highness."
In fact, before they even spoke, Yu Wenye had already let go.
Though not a healing expert, Yu Wenye’s knowledge of injuries surpasses that of ordinary doctors due to his years on the battlefield. Upon seeing Pei Xingyuan along the way, relying on others to dress him while claiming no injury, he could barely raise his arm, Yu Wenye deduced his arm was injured, most likely a lingering dislocation.
Thus, a slight squeeze at his shoulder sent Pei Xingyuan reeling.
Yu Wenye frowned and helped steady Pei Xingyuan’s arm to prevent him from collapsing. Though Pei Xingyuan had broken out in a cold sweat, the pain wasn’t debilitating and he quickly caught his breath, gesturing to the maids to leave. "No need for you to speak."
The maids anxiously retreated.
With the atmosphere in the guest hall shifting, Pei Xingyuan looked up to see Shang Ruyi and Shen Wuzheng watching him intently, with Shen Wuzheng’s concern mingling with anger. Yu Wenye, meanwhile, stood with furrowed brows, demanding gravely, "What exactly happened? Explain clearly!"
Shang Ruyi also urged, "Yes, Mr. Pei, who hurt you?"
"..."
"You are an official of the court. If someone truly harmed you, then—"
Inwardly, she contemplated numerous possibilities. Pei Xingyuan was on their side, openly in court affairs. When plagues ran rampant, Yu Mingyue had once intended to end Pei Xingyuan’s life, but they took the loss silently. If this is still happening, Yu Wenye would undoubtedly not let it slide.
Pei Xingyuan meant more to them than merely being an asset.
Seeing the murderous glint in even Shang Ruyi’s eyes, and the rare anger in the usually peaceful Shen Wuzheng, coupled with Yu Wenye’s intense gaze, Pei Xingyuan sighed deeply, oddly tinged with mirth.
He calmly confessed, "Alright, I’ll tell you."
"..."
"Actually—"
There, he seemed to blush slightly, "Honestly, it’s nothing serious. I brought it upon myself."
