My Wife Is The Female Lead In A Scum Alpha Novel - Chapter 69

69

The intricate embroidered curtain of the carriage was first pushed aside by a sandalwood fan handle, revealing half of Ye Youli’s face—languid and casual, yet noble and aloof.

Upon seeing Ruan Zhi, her skirt stained with mud and her clothes soaked through, and the disheveled, dirt-covered Gu Qingci slumped over Ruan Zhi’s back—looking even worse than her—Ye Youli’s brows furrowed tightly.

“Bring them up.” Ye Youli said to the sturdy woman beside her before retracting her fan.

The woman stepped forward to help Ruan Zhi carry Gu Qingci into the carriage, laying her down on the rug in the center. Due to the injuries on her back, Gu Qingci couldn’t lie flat and had to remain prone.

“A Ci!” Ruan Zhi called out to Gu Qingci again.

“Hmm.” Gu Qingci responded weakly, her consciousness teetering on the edge of collapse. But she had to confirm that Ruan Zhi was safe now.

She couldn’t fall asleep.

Hearing Gu Qingci’s response, Ruan Zhi loosened her tightly clenched fingers slightly.

“Thank you, Your Highness. Is there a physician?” Ruan Zhi asked Ye Youli, her voice still trembling, hoarse and weak from exhaustion.

Her legs no longer felt like her own—numb, aching, and heavy as lead.

If she had to take another step off the carriage now, she doubted she could manage it.

“I brought one.” Ye Youli said tersely, motioning for a woman outside the carriage to enter. She was a female physician, carrying a small medicine chest.

The physician examined Gu Qingci, who still had enough awareness to respond to questions about her pain.

“This lady is incredibly fortunate. She has four major wounds, all narrowly missing vital areas—merely flesh injuries. However, she has lost a significant amount of bl00d and is extremely weak. None of her bones are broken, but her internal organs have suffered damage. I have a special pill here that can provide some relief, but she will need acupuncture as soon as possible to dispel the stagnant bl00d, followed by a prescribed decoction.”

After examining her, the female physician spoke, fed Gu Qingci a pill, and began treating her wounds. She applied golden sore medicine to the injuries, disinfecting and bandaging the larger ones.

The more she looked at Gu Qingci’s wounds, the more shocked the woman became. For an ordinary person, injuries this severe would have been fatal long ago. Yet Gu Qingci still retained a sliver of consciousness, her eyes half-lidded—this was something far beyond what an average person could endure.

As her clothes were cut open, revealing the bloody, mangled wounds, Ruan Zhi did not look away. She stared straight at them, her breath catching, her heart aching as if dripping bl00d.

The wounds on her body were treated and covered with a numbing powder. Gu Qingci’s senses dulled, and her consciousness grew increasingly hazy. She truly couldn’t hold on much longer.

“Can she sleep for a while now?” Ruan Zhi asked in a low voice, seeing Gu Qingci struggling to keep her eyes open.

“The lady has taken medicine and is extremely weak. Sleeping for a while to regain strength will be fine.” the female physician replied.

“A Ci, go to sleep.” Ruan Zhi whispered, leaning close to Gu Qingci.

“Sister… is it safe…?” Gu Qingci mouthed the words soundlessly, her gaze fixed on Ruan Zhi.

Ruan Zhi’s heart clenched in pain. Without caring that others were present, she leaned in and kissed Gu Qingci’s forehead, then gently closed her eyes for her.

“It’s safe now. Sleep.” Ruan Zhi murmured into Gu Qingci’s ear. Only then did Gu Qingci’s body seem to receive the command, slipping into unconsciousness.

“There’s one more thing I’m uncertain about. The lady is too weak right now, but based on her pulse and the color of her wounds, it seems she’s been poisoned—a toxin from the Hu people. After being poisoned, the victim becomes weak all over, and their bl00d appears unusually pale. I don’t have the antidote here. We’ll need to find a physician familiar with Hu medicines to prepare one. This poison isn’t immediately life-threatening, but it is troublesome.” the female physician added quietly.

Ruan Zhi froze, her fingers tightening again.

“There are many dead men in the forest. They might have the antidote on them.” Ruan Zhi said after a moment of thought.

Ye Youli narrowed her eyes—many dead men? So, all those who had attacked Gu Qingci were dead. Otherwise, the two of them wouldn’t have made it out like this.

“Also, Your Highness, could you arrange for someone to retrieve A Ci’s horse from the forest? It’s injured. That horse doesn’t usually take to strangers, but if someone brings my handkerchief and speaks to it gently, it should understand.” Just as Ye Youli was about to issue orders, Ruan Zhi spoke again, pulling a handkerchief from her sleeve.

Ye Youli sent someone to handle the matter.

“Those people will be dealt with by me. The horse will also be brought back to you. You saw that group earlier—I suspect they’re part of the same gang. Given the current situation, you should come back to my residence with me first, and we’ll discuss further.”

After speaking, Ye Youli sighed softly in her heart.

Under such circumstances, whatever Ye Youli wanted to say, she held back.

When she heard that Gu Qingci might be in trouble and Ruan Zhi had ridden off alone on horseback, she thought this woman had gone mad.

If something really happened, what could a single omega accomplish?

It would just be throwing another life away!

She had assumed Ruan Zhi was as rational as she was, never expecting her to do something so reckless at a critical moment.

Ye Youli had come in person, prepared for the worst—either to negotiate a deal or to retrieve Ruan Zhi’s body.

Unexpectedly, both Ruan Zhi and Gu Qingci were incredibly lucky and had managed to come out alive.

“Thank you, Your Highness. Your kindness to the two of us, Ruan Zhi will never forget.” Ruan Zhi said, bowing to Ye Youli.

Though this person appeared lazy and prone to temper tantrums, she was reliable when it mattered.

Of course, Ruan Zhi also knew this was under the premise that she and Gu Qingci were “valuable.”

Given Gu Qingci’s injuries, it was unwise for them to go anywhere else. If they encountered another ambush or sneak attack, they would be defenseless. It was better to take shelter under Ye Youli’s influence for now.

Ruan Zhi would naturally repay this favor later.

Ye Youli issued orders, and more than half of the guards left the group, heading into the woods.

Ye Youli’s carriage did not hurry away. While waiting, the female physician performed acupuncture on Gu Qingci, who spat out a mouthful of bl00d while unconscious.

“This is stagnant bl00d. It’s better to expel it.” the physician explained.

Ruan Zhi felt slightly relieved.

Soon, four of Ye Youli’s guards returned, panting as they carried Chi Huo.

By now, Chi Huo was in a similar state to Gu Qingci—too weak to act up, only whimpering softly.

Outside, the sky had darkened, so Ye Youli had the carriage depart first.

As for Chi Huo, carrying it with just four people was still too heavy; they would need to wait for a cargo cart to transport it.

Ye Youli and the others returned to her residence first.

Ye Youli’s residence was located near the Forbidden Park, outside the imperial city. The place was secluded, with an extremely large compound that included a garden, a lakeside pavilion, and other features.

Even outside the imperial city, such a spacious residence was exceptionally rare.

After the carriage entered the courtyard and came to a stop, Ye Youli stepped out first.

Ruan Zhi moved to the carriage door, but the moment her feet touched the ground, she staggered, her arm steadied by Ye Youli.

“Thank you.” Ruan Zhi said, frustrated with her own frail constitution for being so weak.

Aside from her legs, the blisters on the soles of her feet had already burst, and stepping on the ground sent sharp pains shooting through her.

“Why endure this?” Ye Youli shook her head, uttering only those two words before waving her hand to summon servants carrying a sedan chair. She helped Ruan Zhi onto it.

“She will naturally have someone to carry her. Go settle in the courtyard I’ve arranged for you first.” Ye Youli said.

Ye Youli had assigned them a courtyard, arranged for servants to attend to them, and even summoned Lian Rui over.

“Let her examine you too. Find out where you’re injured so the medicine can work faster.” Ye Youli said once they reached the courtyard, instructing the female physician from earlier to tend to Ruan Zhi’s wounds.

Ruan Zhi’s legs and feet were in too much pain, so she had no choice but to let the physician examine her and prescribe an ointment.

“Rest for now. I’ll come to inform you if there’s any news from over there. If you need anything, send Lian Rui to fetch me.” Ye Youli told Ruan Zhi.

Ruan Zhi expressed her gratitude to Ye Youli once more.

After Ye Youli left, Lian Rui applied medicine to Ruan Zhi’s feet, her tears falling uncontrollably.

“Don’t cry. These minor injuries of mine are nothing. But my lord, she…” Ruan Zhi’s voice choked up as she spoke.

If her scraped and blistered wounds hurt this much, how much worse must it be for Gu Qingci, whose flesh had been torn open, revealing bone?!

Just thinking about it makes it hard to breathe.

“Later, bring some hot water in. Then go check if Chihuo has returned. Ask the kitchen if they have any carrots and feed it a few.” Ruan Zhi suppressed her useless emotions and said softly.

Lian Rui quickly nodded, wiping her tears.

After Lian Rui brought in the hot water and left, Ruan Zhi took a moment to steady herself, then gritted her teeth against the pain as she got up to use the hot towel to clean Gu Qingci.

The major wounds had already been bandaged, but there were still many smaller ones, along with a few scrapes on her face.

Ruan Zhi carefully and gently wiped Gu Qingci clean, washed her hair, applied medicine to the minor wounds, and changed her into fresh undergarments.

With the injuries on her back, Gu Qingci could only lie on her side for now.

Compared to her usual strong breathing, Gu Qingci’s breaths now seemed faint and weak—so quiet that one had to lean in close to even notice them.

Worried about her, Ruan Zhi frequently checked her breathing with a finger.

After a while, Lian Rui came in with food and medicine.

“Madam, Chihuo has been brought back, and its wounds have been treated with golden sore ointment. I found some carrots for it, and it ate three.” Lian Rui reported to Ruan Zhi.

Ruan Zhi felt slightly relieved.

She didn’t eat anything herself but first helped Gu Qingci sit up to feed her the medicine.

Without the instinct to swallow, two spoonfuls spilled out.

Frowning, Ruan Zhi had no choice but to pass the medicine mouth-to-mouth, using her tongue to part Gu Qingci’s teeth and deliver the medicine inside.

Fed this way, Gu Qingci did show some awareness and swallowed.

With great effort, they managed to make Gu Qingci finish the medicine.

Perhaps because she was uncomfortable, Gu Qingci let out a couple of groans, which Ruan Zhi softly soothed.

“Madam, you should also eat something and drink some ginger soup to avoid catching a cold. Wash up and change into clean clothes so you can rest properly.” Lian Rui, worried about Ruan Zhi, urged her, who had been squatting by Gu Qingci’s side all this time.

Only then did Ruan Zhi belatedly realize how disheveled she looked.

Her clothes had dried from her body heat, but the mud stains on the hem of her skirt remained.

If she wanted to care for Gu Qingci up close, she couldn’t stay in such a sorry state.

After making sure Gu Qingci was sleeping soundly, Ruan Zhi hurried off to wash up. She cleaned herself quickly, her hair still damp, and rushed back to the bedroom.

While Lian Rui helped her dry her hair, Ruan Zhi drank some ginger soup and ate a little something before returning to Gu Qingci’s side to care for her, feeding her some sugar water for nourishment.

Outside, Ye Youli hadn’t rested either. Her guards returned to report.

“There was another team searching alongside us. We found ten bodies, and they found three. The ten bodies have been placed in the mortuary for now. These are the items we found on those people—everything’s here.” the guard said, placing down a bundle and unwrapping it for Ye Youli to see.

Ye Youli glanced at it, her eyes widening slightly before quickly regaining her composure.

After giving the guards some instructions, Ye Youli waved them off.

She had her maids pick out what looked like medicine bottles and jars from the items, bundling them separately. She then took them to have the female physician check if any of the medicines contained an antidote.

Just as she reached the doorway, a very small figure appeared, hiding behind a pillar in the corridor outside, revealing half of her face—a round, cherubic face with dark, obsidian-like eyes fixed intently on Ye Youli’s direction.

Ye Youli paused, signaling her maid to stop, and slowly approached the figure.

The half-exposed face retreated, leaving only a small bun of hair visible.

Ye Youli’s expression softened.

“Ah Ran, what are you doing here? It’s late—aren’t you sleepy?” Ye Youli walked over and crouched behind the pillar, asking gently in an uncharacteristically tender and careful tone.

The figure behind the pillar remained silent, and Ye Youli didn’t mind.

“Do you want to hear a story? Go wash up and lie down, and I’ll come tell you a story later, alright?” Ye Youli said softly, her tone carrying a hint of coaxing.

The figure peeked half an eye at Ye Youli from behind the pillar before hiding again, then slowly retreated.

Watching the small figure leave, Ye Youli let out a faint sigh.

Ye Youli first summoned the female physician to examine the assortment of bottles and jars.

“There shouldn’t be any here—these are all familiar medicines. That antidote is said to be extremely difficult to concoct. In the capital, only Lady Wen’s household would have the capability.” the female physician said after inspecting them.

Ye Youli pondered for a moment before dismissing the physician.

It was too late at night, and Ruan Zhi was also resting. Ye Youli simply sent someone to inform her and then headed to another courtyard. Inside, the child from earlier had already washed up and was lying in bed, hair loose, with dark, obsidian-like eyes staring vacantly into space—until Ye Youli arrived, when they finally focused.

Ye Youli walked over and sat by the bed, telling the child a story.

After beginning the tale, the child stretched out a chubby little hand. Ye Youli instinctively extended her own, and the child’s small index finger began tracing characters on her palm.

“You want to hear the story of the top military scholar?” Ye Youli asked.

The child pressed their lips together, appearing aloof.

“Alright, I’ll tell it again.” Ye Youli said.

The top military scholar, of course, was Gu Qingci.

Ye Youli hadn’t expected the child to be so fascinated by Gu Qingci’s “exploits” wanting to hear them over and over again.

Meanwhile, Ruan Zhi stayed with Gu Qingci as she rested.

As instructed by the physician, she kept an eye on Gu Qingci’s temperature throughout the night, sleeping lightly.

Fortunately, Gu Qingci’s temperature remained normal all night, and she slept soundly until dawn.

Ruan Zhi had barely slept all night.

In the morning, Lian Rui brought some food, but Gu Qingci was still asleep.

Ruan Zhi wanted to wake her, but Gu Qingci let out a few low groans, her voice still sounding unwell.

Unable to bear it, Ruan Zhi didn’t wake her again.

She freshened up and ate a little something first. Soon after, the physician from Ye Youli’s residence came to examine Gu Qingci and change her bandages.

“The lady’s body shows no other symptoms, and her pulse is improving. She’s likely just too drained and needs more rest. It’s fine to let her sleep a while longer.” the physician told Ruan Zhi.

Since Gu Qingci didn’t wake, Ruan Zhi fed her the medicine as she had the day before.

After administering the medicine, she gave her some sugar water.

Gu Qingci continued to sleep. Not long after, Ye Youli arrived, bringing with her a royal physician.

It was the second uncle of the Wenren family, Wen Renyi, who had treated Gu Qingci’s injuries before.

“I’ve already reported the matter to His Majesty. Physician Wen will examine General Gu again and submit a report to His Majesty.” Ye Youli said to Ruan Zhi.

Gu Qingci was supposed to train the Flying Dragon Guards in the imperial hunting grounds every day, so her absence required leave. Given the gravity of the situation, it naturally had to be reported to Emperor Changping.

Wen Renyi’s uncle took Gu Qingci’s pulse and examined her.

“The external injuries aren’t serious. They’ll heal quickly and won’t leave any lasting effects. However, the poison is from the Hu people. Even they don’t have an antidote, and each batch they concoct varies slightly, making it difficult to counteract.” Wen Renyi’s uncle said, shaking his head.

“I beg Physician Wen to help my wife detoxify. Ruan Zhi will be eternally grateful!” Ruan Zhi bowed deeply.

“Madam Zhilan, don’t worry. I’ll do my best, but it will take some time.” Wen Renyi’s uncle said.

“What if the antidote can’t be found? What then?” Ye Youli asked.

“If the antidote can’t be found, General Gu’s body will remain very weak, unable to exert any strength.” Wen Renyi’s uncle replied.

Ruan Zhi took a sharp breath but forced herself to stay calm.

“I’ll trouble Physician Wen to spare no effort. If you can detoxify my wife, the Wenren family will have the full support of Ruan Zhi and my wife in any matter in the future. Here are some silver notes. Please use them to purchase whatever medicinal ingredients are needed.” Ruan Zhi said, turning to fetch a box of silver notes for Wen Renyi’s uncle.

“I couldn’t possibly accept. Treating General Gu is also a task assigned to me by His Majesty. How could I take Madam Zhilan’s silver?” Wen Renyi’s uncle declined.

“I’m not just asking for your help, Physician Wenren, but for the entire Wenren family to assist. I beg you!” Ruan Zhi bowed again and handed over the silver notes to Wen Renyi’s uncle.

Wen Renyi’s second uncle was stunned, not expecting Ruan Zhi to be so generous.

“Take it. Since this poison is so difficult to cure, and you alone will have trouble solving it, then find more people to help. Take a few of the poisoned blades back with you to study.” Ye Youli said.

Wen Renyi’s second uncle had no choice but to accept. He left behind a box of the Wenren family’s internal injury medicine pills before departing.

Ye Youli saw him out, while Ruan Zhi stood by Gu Qingci’s side, her expression dazed.

She didn’t know how Gu Qingci would react upon waking and learning that she could no longer exert strength.

Without an antidote, she would no longer be able to continue as a military officer.

The spirited, ever-optimistic young general would cease to exist!

Ruan Zhi leaned down and kissed Gu Qingci’s forehead.

Her heartbroken gaze turned resolute.

No matter what, Gu Qingci was still alive.

Even if she had to search the entire country for physicians and doctors, she would find a way to cure Gu Qingci’s poison.

If, by some misfortune, no antidote could be formulated and Gu Qingci became despondent because of it, she would find a way to make her happy.

Gu Qingci slept until noon without waking. The midday medicine was still administered by Ruan Zhi, mouth-to-mouth.

Halfway through, Gu Qingci awoke.

She had slept for a long, long time. At first, it was a deep, dreamless slumber, but later, she could sense the familiar scent and warmth beside her, which brought her comfort.

The bitterness assaulted her taste buds, accompanied by a hint of sweetness.

The taste roused her.

Her body’s awareness began with the sensation in her mouth.

A soft tongue pushed the bitter medicine deeper.

When she opened her eyes, she was met with thick lashes and delicate, snow-white skin.

Gu Qingci wanted to pretend to still be asleep and continue being fed the medicine, but she couldn’t suppress a cough. Her chest ached, but she couldn’t cough properly, letting out only a soft whimper.

Ruan Zhi noticed and held the person close.

“Where does it hurt?” Ruan Zhi asked anxiously.

“I’ll call the physician.” Ruan Zhi said, seeing Gu Qingci struggling to speak.

Gu Qingci grabbed Ruan Zhi’s sleeve and shook her head.

“Sister, medicine…” Gu Qingci said, trying to use as few words as possible.

Ruan Zhi picked up the medicine bowl again and was about to feed Gu Qingci with the spoon inside.

“Like before.” Gu Qingci said.

“…” Ruan Zhi looked at Gu Qingci—injured, bloodless, her face pale, but her eyes still bright and eager, pitifully pleading.

Doing it like that now that she was conscious was truly…

Ah, what could she do?

Ruan Zhi took a sip and passed it to her.

Now that Gu Qingci was awake, she naturally wouldn’t stay still, actively drawing the medicine in.

She even caught Ruan Zhi’s tongue and sucked on it.

Her body was too weak, and even the strength of her kisses was much feebler.

Ruan Zhi was both embarrassed and heartbroken.

“Sister, a few more feedings like this, and I’ll be better.” Gu Qingci said softly after finishing the medicine, resting her chin on Ruan Zhi’s shoulder.

“The physician said you’ve lost too much bl00d and are very weak now. You can have some liquid food—you haven’t eaten anything since yesterday. Aren’t you hungry?” Ruan Zhi asked helplessly, stroking her head.

“Hungry.” Gu Qingci said, her stomach empty.

Ruan Zhi brought over some porridge.

With this kind of food, Gu Qingci didn’t insist on Ruan Zhi feeding her mouth-to-mouth and obediently opened her mouth to be fed.

Someone who usually had a big appetite could only manage a few bites now before losing interest.

After eating a little, Gu Qingci seemed a bit more energetic.

“Sister, what you did yesterday was too risky. In the future, it’s better to spend more silver than to do something like that again.” Gu Qingci said softly, thinking back to yesterday’s events.

“I know. He was the only one around at the time. If we had waited any longer and he had called for backup, it would have been nearly impossible to escape. What’s done is done—no use dwelling on it now.” said Ruan Zhi.

Gu Qingci still wanted to talk to Ruan Zhi when a knock came from the outer door.

Lian Rui reported that Ye Youli had arrived.

“Where… is this?” Only then did Gu Qingci realize something was off—the surroundings were completely unfamiliar.

“We’re at Prince You’s residence. We didn’t know what other tricks they might have, and we didn’t have many guards available, so we came here first.” Ruan Zhi explained.

Gu Qingci paused, fragments of yesterday flashing through her mind.

It was Ye Youli who had taken them in.

Originally, Gu Qingci had intended to remain neutral.

Even though Ye Youli had tried to recruit her before, knowing she was the female lead in the original plot, Gu Qingci hadn’t wanted to get involved.

But now, the Third Prince had gone too far—this was a feud of life and death.

They were forcing her to pick a side, to destroy him!

As the saying goes, the enemy of my enemy is my friend.

Compared to the others, Ye Youli seemed like a decent ally.

As Gu Qingci mulled this over, Ye Youli entered.

“Thank you, Prince You, for your life-saving grace.” Gu Qingci said, cupping her hands in salute upon seeing Ye Youli.

“Now that General Gu is awake, let’s get down to business. After I reported yesterday’s incident to His Majesty, he was furious and ordered an investigation. Based on the items found on the attackers, they were likely Tiger Guard soldiers. Twelve Tiger Guards, plus Dou Qiang. General Gu, do you understand the implications of this?” Ye Youli cut straight to the point.

“Tiger Guard? The elite troops under the command of the Swift Cavalry General!” Gu Qingci was stunned.

“Exactly. The Tiger Guard are warriors who can stand against ten. Sending twelve of them after you means they set up a kill zone. Unfortunately for them, they still underestimated you.”

“These elite soldiers are directly under the command of Swift Cavalry General Xu Dace, the Third Prince’s uncle. In other words, the mastermind behind this ambush was Xu Dace. The Xu family once played a pivotal role in supporting His Majesty’s ascension, and Xu Dace even saved His Majesty’s life. More importantly, Xu Dace is stationed in the northwest, guarding the border—he is not someone who can be easily touched. Even if this leads back to the Tiger Guard, they’ll likely just scapegoat someone and sweep it under the rug.” Ye Youli explained.

Listening to Ye Youli’s words, Gu Qingci frowned.

The Third Prince wasn’t just acting alone—behind him stood a web of entrenched power.

They wanted her dead so badly.

But how could she die so easily?!

“Even if Xu Dace were exposed for treason and colluding with the enemy, would he still go unpunished? What if someone could replace Xu Dace in guarding the northwest?” Gu Qingci said slowly.