Transmigrated into the Villain's Cannon Fodder Ex-Wife (Transmigrated into a Book) - Chapter 17

Lin Chu found the voice downstairs somewhat familiar.

Shen Chen’s casual expression shifted slightly upon hearing the commotion below. He instructed the guard standing at the door, 

“Nie Yun, go take a look.”

The guard clasped his hands in salute and was about to turn away when a table was hurled at him in one piece.

Nie Yun, positioned just in front of Shen Chen and his group, couldn’t afford to dodge. Instead, he drew the sword at his waist and cleaved the table cleanly in two.

The wooden fragments scattered across the floor. A burly man with a dark face stood in the hall below, laughing heartily. 

“Didn’t expect you to have some skills!”

Nie Yun’s expression turned grim. From his vantage point on the second floor, he could see that the guards outside the inn had all been taken down. The inn’s main doors had been forced open, and a group of rugged, bandit-like men now occupied the central hall, glaring menacingly up at the upper floor. Meanwhile, the innkeeper and staff were cowering under the wooden counter like frightened mice.

Shen Chen had brought elite guards with him on his trip to the borderlands—men who were far from ordinary soldiers. Not long ago, they had encountered General Feng Yan’s notoriously arrogant subordinates, a group of drunkards and useless people.

Yet, the bandits before them had effortlessly subdued Shen Chen’s elite cavalry escort…

Nie Yun’s palms were already slick with cold sweat.

“I’d like to see who dares to cause trouble here!” Shen Chen, still youthful and fiery, stepped out of the room in large strides, unable to tolerate the provocation.

The eunuch trailing behind him was so frightened he was nearly in tears. 

“My lord! Please leave this matter to Guard Nie! If anything were to happen to you…”

Before the eunuch could finish, Shen Chen waved him aside with a slap. 

“Shut up!”

Standing on the second-floor corridor, Shen Chen looked down at the group below with an air of superiority.

With his fair complexion and finely chiseled features, Shen Chen was striking without appearing delicate. His hair was tied up in a jade crown, and his brocade robe exuded an undeniable aura of prestige. His very presence made it clear he didn’t belong to the rugged borderlands.

The group below was none other than Yuan San and his companions.

Wang Hu, seeing that it was a pampered-looking young man who had emerged, was about to sneer, but Yuan San stopped him with a glance.

Ordinarily, they all regard Yan Mingge as their leader. In his absence, Yuan San was the one they trusted most.

Yuan San stepped forward and cupped his hands in greeting. 

“My lord, we mean no offense. We only heard that your men took our brother and sister-in-law, so we came to investigate.”

Lin Chu recognized Yuan San’s voice.

Realizing the situation was dire, she was about to step out to explain when she noticed a faint movement near the bed curtains.

Turning around, Lin Chu saw Yan Mingge’s hand twitch. A moment later, his cold, sharp phoenix eyes opened. For a brief moment, confusion flashed in his gaze as he scanned the room, finally settling on Lin Chu.

Lin Chu hurried to the bedside and called out, “Husband.” Her throat, perhaps irritated by the cold wind earlier, sounded hoarse.

Yan Mingge looked at her and slowly raised a hand. Lin Chu hesitated but soon understood his intent. She took his hand and placed it gently against her cheek.

Her face was small, truly no larger than a palm. Despite having been in the borderlands for a while, her skin remained smooth and delicate, like a peeled egg. By contrast, Yan Mingge’s calloused palm felt rough and coarse.

Lin Chu didn’t understand the meaning behind Yan Mingge’s sudden gesture and remained silent for a moment.

Then Yan Mingge spoke. “Don’t worry. I won’t die.”

Hearing those words, Lin Chu’s throat tightened, and she couldn’t find the words to respond.

“I gave him a strong dose of anesthetic. How is he awake already?” The doctor, who had been suturing Yan Mingge’s wounds, muttered in frustration. His accent suggested he wasn’t a local.

The commotion in the room drew Shen Chen’s attention. Abandoning Yuan San and his men, he strode quickly toward the room.

“He’s awake?” Shen Chen asked.

The doctor hesitated before replying, “This general woke up suddenly… but his wound isn’t fully stitched yet.”

Shen Chen frowned deeply at the sight of the bloodied mess on Yan Mingge’s chest. 

“I don’t lack medicine. Use however much anesthetic is necessary. Why hold back?”

The doctor, a former imperial physician, dared not argue. After Shen Chen finished speaking, he cautiously explained, 

“This general has extraordinary willpower. I already used twice the amount of anesthetic as usual…”

Listening to the doctor’s explanation, Lin Chu’s heart ached as she stared at Yan Mingge’s mangled wounds. What kind of torment must he have endured to develop such resistance, rendering even anesthetics ineffective?

“Then use more!” Shen Chen didn’t understand medicine but knew enough to recognize that suturing a wound on a conscious patient was akin to enduring torture.

“No need. Just stitch it as it is,” Yan Mingge interjected, his voice hoarse but resolute.

Shen Chen turned his gaze to Yan Mingge. “So, Lord Yan values his life so little? If that’s the case, rescuing you from Feng Yan’s men seems rather pointless.”

Lin Chu’s heart sank. Did Shen Chen mean more soldiers had arrived at the alley after she left? That would explain the wounds on Yan Mingge’s hands.

But… the alley had shown no signs of a fight.

Never mind. She would ask him when he recovered.

Lost in thought, Lin Chu realized the room had fallen into an eerie silence. Shen Chen’s piercing gaze was fixed on her, a fleeting but unmistakable killing intent in his eyes.

Yan Mingge lowered the hand that had been resting on Lin Chu’s cheek and clasped her hand tightly, interlocking their fingers. His gaze remained steady on Shen Chen as he said, 

“I owe you my life. I’ll repay that debt someday.”

Shen Chen’s eyes shifted away from Lin Chu, and she immediately felt like she could breathe more easily again.

The royal family was like that—no matter how handsome or pleasant they appeared, they would never hesitate when it came to taking lives.

Shen Chen’s sudden hostility had been because he had inadvertently revealed Yan Mingge’s identity.

No wonder Jiang Wanxue had been so astonished upon learning that Lin Chu knew the truth about Yan Mingge.

Lin Chu had a confused look on her face as she didn’t realize the danger at all, but her heart was filled with emotion. Yan Mingge had protected her.

Why had he done that?

Was it to repay her for saving him?

However, the truth was that their escape from Han Zichen this time owed very little to her efforts. If it hadn’t been for that arrow from Yan Mingge, the soldiers surrounding the house might not have hesitated in the slightest.

“Since the Young Marquis has spoken, there’s no point in me saying more.” Shen Chen returned to his chair, motioning toward the physician with a nod. “Stitch him up.”

Knowing that the patient was fully conscious, the imperial physician’s hands began to tremble involuntarily as he threaded the needle. Wiping the cold sweat from his forehead, he hesitated and said to Yan Mingge, 

“Young General, you should think this through. Stitching the wound in this state will be extremely painful.”

Yan Mingge’s face was pale, but his expression remained composed. A faint smile curled his lips, and his ashen face carried a strange charm. “

I’ve endured countless tortures in the prisons of Kingdom Zhao. This needle is nothing.”

The cold sweat on the imperial physician’s forehead grew heavier. Shen Chen’s earlier words referring to Yan Mingge as the “Young Marquis” had already confirmed most of his suspicions. Now, with Yan Mingge’s statement, his guess was fully validated.

The man before him was indeed the direct descendant of the Yan family, exiled by imperial decree five years ago, forbidden ever to return to the capital.

Downstairs, Yuan San and his group sensed that something was amiss and began to ascend the stairs.

Nie Yun stood blocking the doorway with his sword.

Hot-headed Wang Hu immediately prepared to charge in, but Yuan San stopped him with a shout, though Wang Hu still bellowed, “Let me see my big brother!”

Shen Chen frowned again, and Lin Chu glanced toward the door.

Yan Mingge spoke, “Wang Hu and Yuan San are here?”

“Earlier, I asked Doctor Hu to look for you in the alley, but you weren’t there. Concerned for your safety, he must’ve gone to the barracks to find Yuan and the others,” Lin Chu explained as she placed Yan Mingge’s hand back under the blanket. “Let the physician stitch your wound first; I’ll go out and explain to Brother Yuan and the others.”

Yan Mingge released his grip on Lin Chu’s hand, silently granting permission.

Lin Chu turned and bowed respectfully to Shen Chen. 

“My husband’s brothers are worried about his safety. I hope, my lord, you can overlook their brashness.”

Shen Chen, hearing this, gave her another curious look. He had thought her reckless, but now she seemed far more calm than he had assumed.

He curled his lips slightly. “The guards I brought along were all taken down by those brutes. What else can I do?”

His words had a hint of youthful anger.

Lin Chu dared not treat him lightly. Even if he was a spoiled youth, he was still a prince who could take a life on a whim.

Still, Shen Chen’s tone indicated he wasn’t inclined to pursue the matter further. Lin Chu also knew he had little reason to.

Yuan San and his men were all battle-hardened warriors. If they weren’t so devoted to following Yan Mingge, their military achievements would have easily earned them positions as commanders’ trusted aides.

If the Sixth Prince intended to recruit them, he would naturally want to demonstrate his benevolence.

After all, what ruler hasn’t employed both benevolence and severity throughout history?

As Lin Chu stepped out of the room, the previously agitated group visibly calmed upon seeing her.

“Sister-in-law, Doctor Hu said the soldiers had taken you away. Was Big Brother Yan not with you?” Yuan San asked.

The speed with which they had gathered here proved they had a strong network of informants in Qiang City.

“There’s been a misunderstanding. My husband and I were harmed by traitors, but it was this lord who saved us. The physician is now treating my husband’s wounds,” Lin Chu explained.

The rough men exchanged glances, muttering among themselves.

Yuan San glanced toward the room. “Sister-in-law, can I see Big Brother Yan?”

“I’m not dead yet. You don’t need to rush to prepare a coffin for me,” Yan Mingge’s hoarse voice called from inside.

A wave of relief and joy swept through the group.

“Big Brother Yan is alive!”

“Damn that Feng Yan! First, he has us flogged, and now he’s after Big Brother Yan. If something had happened to him, I’d be the first to make him pay!”

…

The misunderstanding was finally resolved. As expected, Shen Chen didn’t hold a grudge against Yuan San and his men. He even instructed the innkeeper to prepare a meal for them.

The meal was sumptuous, but Yuan San and his group ate with restraint.

When Shen Chen invited them to stay at the inn, they politely declined.

After his wound was stitched, Yan Mingge, exhausted, fell into a deep sleep. His body was drenched in sweat from enduring the pain, mixed with the smell of blood, leaving an unpleasant odor.

Lin Chu went to the kitchen to fetch hot water to clean him up.

When she returned, she saw a carriage pulling up at the inn’s entrance. Shen Chen’s eunuch, Eunuch Bai, personally led people out to greet the arrival.

Emerging from the carriage was none other than Jiang Wanxue, cradling a child in her arms.