Chapter 140 “Be good, I’ll wipe it for you…”

Chapter 140 "Behave, and I'll clean..."

"Poisoned?"

Upon discovering Tuoba Xiao's fever, Jiang Congyan immediately summoned Zhang Fu to examine him. The man stubbornly insisted he was fine and uninjured, but she didn’t believe him, shooting him a fierce glare.

She had someone quickly prepare a mostly intact tent nearby, laid out a carpet, and helped Tuoba Xiao inside to sit down.

In that short distance, she could clearly feel his movements were much slower than usual, making her even more worried. Her hands trembled as she undid his armor, struggling several times before finally releasing the clasps.

Jiang Congyan was both anxious and distressed, but the exasperating man still had the mind to think of other things, his eyes shining as he looked at her, grabbing her hand and pressing it to his face. "So worried about me?"

She was so angry she almost slapped him.

Pursing her lips, Jiang Congyan gave him a sharp look.

Far from being intimidated, Tuoba Xiao laughed at her.

Zhang Fu arrived with his medicine chest. Since Tuoba Xiao disliked being touched by others, Jiang Congyan personally removed his clothes to check for visible injuries. There were some minor wounds, none too deep, but the most noticeable was an arrow wound on his arm.

The bleeding had stopped, forming a dried, dark red scab.

While blood darkens as it dries, Zhang Fu spotted something wrong upon examination.

"The arrow was poisoned," he said.

"Poisoned?"

"After the arrow grazed the King, the wound wasn’t treated promptly. The fierce fighting afterward caused the toxin to spread through his bloodstream, leading to limb numbness and high fever."

"Can the poison be cured? Is it life-threatening?" Jiang Congyan’s heart skipped a beat as she tightened her fingers.

Zhang Fu carefully checked Tuoba Xiao’s pulse again, examined his pupils and tongue, and finally said, "This poison is likely a mix of toxic herbs from the grasslands. While not instantly lethal, its varied composition means complete recovery will take some time."

Meaning his life wasn’t in danger.

Only then did Jiang Congyan unclench her hands, immediately ordering someone to bring the arrow over.

Though the situation had been urgent, He Zhou had been meticulous. The sneak attack arrow had come too suddenly, aimed directly at Tuoba Xiao. Sensing something suspicious, he had ordered it retrieved immediately—it was indeed a crossbow arrow! No wonder it could strike from such a distance.

While someone like Tuoba Xiao, with his innate strength, could fire an arrow that far, ordinary men lacked such capability. Only a powerful crossbow could achieve that range.

This wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment attack by retreating enemy soldiers—it was a premeditated assassination.

Unfortunately, when He Zhou went to capture the shooter, only the crossbow remained at the scene. Though there were still rebel soldiers and corpses nearby, it was impossible to identify who had fired the shot. The culprit might have died in the chaos or escaped. He Zhou had dispatched men to search, but whether they’d catch anyone was uncertain—the dim light and battlefield disorder had made it the perfect time to slip away unnoticed.

Jiang Congyan handed the arrow to Zhang Fu. "Can this help tailor the antidote?"

Zhang Fu’s eyes lit up with confidence. "Yes."

Developing the antidote would take time, so he first gave Tuoba Xiao two standard detoxification pills and fever-reducing pills to halt the toxin’s spread, then wrote a prescription for medicine.

Most poisons were of three types: heavy metals, toxic plants, or animal venoms. Aside from metals, the other two broke down quickly, making preservation difficult. Over the past year, Zhang Fu had gained considerable knowledge of the grasslands’ herbs and poisonous creatures. With his exceptional medical skills, countering the poison shouldn’t be difficult.

Jiang Congyan told herself this thought.

Even now, remembering that dangerous moment made her heart race.

People said the battlefield was dangerous—but only witnessing it firsthand made her truly understand.

She had assumed that, following the man’s usual path, he would be fine before his fated moment arrived. But now, she realized she was wrong.

She was a wildcard herself—any smallest change could throw someone’s fate off course. His fate might’ve veered off track long before now.

Moreover, even if his life wasn’t in danger, did that mean he’d walk away unscathed?

Zhang Fu had only bandaged the wound on Tuo Baxiao’s arm. The blood and filth caked on him hadn’t been washed off, and his face was still a mess, yet he wouldn’t let anyone near him.

As soon as everyone left, the man was at it again, yanking her into his arms.

Poisoned or not, the brute still had strength Jiang Congyan couldn’t resist.

Pinned against him, she felt him bury his face in her neck, drawing in a deep breath. Only after inhaling her familiar scent did he finally calm down a little.

Then he was on her—mouth at her neck, teeth at her earlobes, then moving to her lips—while his free hand wandered, trying to sneak under her clothes.

Jiang Congyan was equal parts flustered and furious, pushing at him repeatedly.

"Cut it out! Zhang Fu said no moving around," she managed to say during a brief pause.

"I’m not moving around, I’m just kissing you," the man mumbled, all faux innocence.

"..."

She couldn’t take it anymore. Pinching the back of his unruly hand, she twisted hard. "Smell yourself—you stink to high heaven!"

Tuo Baxiao stiffened, finally stopping.

He sniffed, as if his sense of smell had just returned, hit by the rancid reek of sweat, blood, and mud stewed together.

It was already May, and this summer was unusually hot. After days of nonstop fighting, he hadn’t had time to clean himself. His clothes had been soaked in sweat, dried, then soaked again—not to mention the blood splattered on them.

When she first saw him, fresh from that dangerous moment, Jiang Congyan hadn’t paid attention to it. But now that things had settled, especially after removing his armor, the smell became unmistakable. She’d only held her tongue so far because he was hurt. Yet the man had no self-awareness at all, still itching for *that* against doctor’s orders.

Tuo Baxiao stared at her conflictedly for a moment, then lifted his arm to sniff. Even someone as unbothered as him had to admit the odor was terrible.

He wanted to hold her, but he knew how much she valued cleanliness.

He ground out, "I’ll go wash."

He braced his arms to stand, but the poison-induced numbness made his movements sluggish. His head spun, and his body swayed unsteadily.

Jiang Congyan quickly pressed a hand to his shoulder. "And just where do you think you’re going? The poison’s still in you—quit pushing your luck."

The man who was always so rugged, so unbreakable now had fever-flushed cheeks and pale lips. His green eyes, fixed on her, even held a hint of vulnerability.

Aside from that one night, she had never seen him like this.

"Be good. Let me clean you up," she said softly.

The man’s eyes lit up.

Tuo Baxiao was more than happy to accept her care, especially when she used such a gentle, coaxing tone. He felt like he was floating on clouds, light-headed, his soul damn near leaving his body.

Jiang Congyan had A Fei boil a pot of water and bring it to the tent. She let the curtain down, leaving only a small gap for light.

Tuo Baxiao sat on the carpet, limbs sprawled out.

Jiang Congyan knelt beside him, under the man’s intense gaze as she soaked a towel in hot water, wrung it out tightly, then turned to start wiping his forehead and cheeks first.

"Close your eyes," she instructed.

The man obediently complied.

Her movements were gentle and meticulous, even carefully cleaning the creases of his eyelids. Some dried bloodstains took several wipes before they were finally removed, revealing his originally handsome face.

After finishing his face, she moved downward to wipe his neck and chest. Though there was less blood here, these areas were coated in dust.

Tuo Baxiao felt her hands gliding lightly over his body—across his chest, down his back, along his waist, and then further...

His throat moved, his body tensing slightly, but unlike before, he didn’t act out. Instead, an unexpected calm settled over him, and he grew drowsy.

The man was truly filthy. By the time she finished the first round, the water was completely murky. Jiang Congyan brought a fresh basin, and only after the second round did he finally look clean.

There were still some minor untreated wounds on his body. The man usually paid no mind to such small injuries, believing they’d heal on their own in a couple of days. But she carefully disinfected them, applied medicine, and finally dressed him in a set of clean, soft clothes.

She looked him over and nodded in satisfaction—transformed from a dirty, beaten-up doll into a handsome, dignified one.

Having finally completed all this, Jiang Congyan was a little tired herself.

But she hadn’t yet cleaned up.

Though not as filthy as the man, she had been on the move all night and was covered in dust. Not to mention the bloodstains from his earlier embrace—the smell of blood still lingered—and she was sweaty and uncomfortable.

Seeing the man lying quietly on the carpet with his eyes closed, apparently asleep, she thought for a moment before asking A Fei to bring another basin of hot water. Slowly, she started washing up with her back to him.

Her movements were light, but the man still heard.

He opened his eyes and, tilting his head slightly, caught sight of soft, flawless skin, pale as snow.

The tent was unlit, leaving only a few slivers of daylight filtering through the gaps. The dimmer it was, the more striking her fair skin appeared.

She continued, her breasts swaying gently with her movements.

When a large hand suddenly touched the small of her back, Jiang Congyan startled and instinctively turned around.

"What are you doing?" she chided, then realized her current state and hastily covered herself with the towel before turning away again.

Though they had seen each other naked many times, outside of those moments, she still felt awkward being so bare before him.

Tuo Baxiao squinted, momentarily dazed, but said nothing, simply watching her.

Feeling intensely self-conscious, having already started, she couldn’t just stop midway, so she hurriedly finished and covered up. Then she finally turned back to look at him.

At that moment, A Fei’s soft voice came from outside the tent, "My lady, would you like some food?"

Jiang Congyan stood up.

The man grabbed her hand.

She reassured him, "I’m just going to get some food. I won’t leave."

Stepping outside, she found not only A Fei but also Zhang Zheng, Lan Zhu, and Ruo Lan waiting.

"How is the prince?" Lan Zhu asked in a hushed voice.

"He just needs a few days’ rest," Jiang Congyan replied.

"Those rebels and surrendered soldiers..."

Earlier, Tuo Baxiao had issued an order. Jiang Congyan had intended to dissuade him but was interrupted. If they truly followed his command, far too many would die.

"First, compile a list of the tribes involved in the rebellion and the specific names. The surrendered soldiers will be detained for now." Jiang Congyan made her decision.

Others might not dare to defy Tuo Baxiao's orders, but everyone knew she had the authority, so no one questioned her.

After saying a few words, Jiang Congyan returned to the tent.

A Fei followed her inside, carrying a tray with a steaming bowl of rice porridge and a plate of meat pies.

She set the food down, then took the dirty clothes and washbasin away.

"You haven’t eaten properly in days. Have something first."

Tuo Baxiao said, "I want water."

Jiang Congyan poured him a bowl, but one wasn’t enough—he gulped down four bowls before finally feeling satisfied.

She then served him porridge, blowing on it to cool it.

He was clearly starving, polishing off two bowls of porridge and five meat pies.

Jiang Congyan ate some as well.

Not long after they ate, Zhang Fu arrived with medicine.

After drinking it, Tuo Baxiao frowned.

The medicine tasted strange—not just bitter, but also sour and astringent, making it hard to swallow.

Seeing his expression, Jiang Congyan couldn’t help laughing at him, handing him a cup of water to rinse his mouth.

"Now you know how awful medicine tastes. Try not to get hurt so much next time."

After days of fighting without rest, being poisoned, and maybe feeling the medicine’s effects, he finally gave in, his eyelids growing heavy.

"Get some rest," Jiang Congyan murmured.

But he pulled her close with one arm, his big body surrounding hers. "Sleep with me."

She’d meant to deal with the aftermath, but knowing Ruo Lan and Zhang Zheng could handle things, she gave in, settling into his arms.

"Okay, I’ll stay right here. I’m not going anywhere."