War Prisoner Chapter 82

As for Su Yi, after he had received treatment from Wanyan Xia, his condition indeed improved miraculously and he had yet to spit out another mouthful of blood. When he woke up at mid-morning, he felt that his body was feeling much more comfortable than before. The nausea and pain that had plagued him was almost totally gone. Zi Nong and the rest were relieved to see that he was on the mend, and after the medicinal decoction was sent up, Zi Nong served it to him. 

Wanyan Xia smiled and said: “In the end, you are really a general. Your body still has a foundation of strength, if that wasn't the case, with the way you were throwing up blood, you should have died several times over.” With that, he said to Zi Nong: “Since he is not feeling nauseous at this time, quickly go to the kitchen and get some light and thin porridge for him. We don't need a lot of it, it is just to replenish his stomach a little to stave off hunger pangs.”

Zi Nong agreed and left, leaving the few people in the room to have a merry chat. Suddenly she heard the sound of approaching footsteps from beyond the room. The curtains over the doors were quickly lifted by palace maids and Wanyan Xu rushed headlong into the room. Guilt and shame were written all over his face and there were tears clinging to the corner of his eyes. Su Yi was greatly alarmed; just as he was considering what could have happened to cause Wanyan Xu to be in this state, he saw that he had stepped forward and was now clutching his hand in a death-grip. He kept on weeping, but he did not say a word.

Su Yi was growing increasingly anxious, shaking his hand, he said: “Wanyan, what has happened to you?” Seeing that Su Yi was growing distressed, Wanyan Xu was afraid that he would vomit blood again. Only then did he wipe away his tears, and in a voice that still sounded choked up, he said: “Su Su... why did you... confess to the accusations against you? Why did you choose to endure that kind of... grievance that is as great as the Heavens, why... didn’t you tell me? No, that’s not right, that... that’s not your fault... not your fault.” 

Suddenly, he gave himself a fierce slap on his face and said: “It was I, I was the greatest scoundrel, why did I not believe in you, why did I not believe? How can I have the face to stand in front of you again? Su Su, knowing what I’ve done to you, how could I have the face to stay by your side?” As he was speaking he had been slapping himself in the face. His two cheeks were already slightly swollen up. 

Su Yi's bleeding had just been staunched, although the symptoms that had caused him so much discomfort had been largely eradicated, his body was still feeling very feeble. He was totally unable to prevent Wanyan Xu's self-flagellation. To see that his beloved's emotions were already somewhat unstable because of his overt guilt and self-condemnation, Su Yi was both panicked and afraid. He had no alternative but to gather Wanyan Xu into his arms, and now weeping himself, he said: “Don’t be like this Wanyan, don’t be like this, it had nothing to do with you... nothing to do with you... I know that you are good to me... I know... on that rainy night, you brought me medicine and a quilt. On that winter’s day, the reason you sent for me to play the flute was to give me a chance to warm up, all of that.... I know all of that.”

When he said these words, Wanyan Xu began to cry even more fiercely. The dark clouds that he had long kept buried in his heart were finally able to be dispelled, for a long time he stayed like this, burying his head in Su Yi's thin and frail chest. He did not care that as the Emperor, he should be dignified. He did not care that there were many people around them who were watching him, including Wanyan Xia who hated him deeply. In the same fashion, he continued to weep. Su Yi also could not keep his tears from flowing down his face, as if coaxing a child, he slowly patted and stroked him while saying softly: “It’s in the past, Wanyan Xu, it is all in the past... all in the past.” With his feelings so turbulent, he even forgot to ask Wanyan Xu how he had managed to find out the truth about Su Yi having been framed.

Everybody else stood to the side, utterly silent. Shortly after Wanyan Xu's arrival, Wanyan Shuo had also entered the room, to be met with the sight of him and Su Yi holding each other and crying together. He had never before seen his Imperial Father or Su Yi like this; the two of them were looking so fragile. In that moment, he was also at a loss for words and could only stand there quietly and look on. 

Suddenly, he saw that Wanyan Xia had stood up. A bleak smile flitted over his face, and in a low voice he murmured to himself: “The clouds part to reveal a full moon, it is a fine day after the rain pa.s.ses, humph humph, So the two of you have managed to wait for this day to come, as for me...” As he said this, it seemed as though he also could not hold back his tears and he turned and left. Wanyan Shuo was worried, in his heart he was thinking that if this uncle, who was really a miraculous physician, was storming off in anger, then there would be no other recourse for Mother Empress's illness. With that thought, he hurried after Wanyan Xia.

At this point, a palace maid delivered some fine porridge to the room and Zi Nong went up to them carrying a bowl. She said: “Your Majesty, please step aside for a bit. Ask Young Master to have some porridge, he must have been hungry for quite some time.” Before she could finish, she saw that Wanyan Xu's face was again blanketed by an expression of shame, and she promptly came to the realisation that she had said something indiscreet. Just as she was feeling awkward, she saw that Su Yi was pointing at the bowl of porridge on the table. With a hint of a blush on his face, he haltingly mumbled to Wanyan Xu: “I... have no strength... you... will you feed me the porridge?” 

It turned out that Su Yi knew that at this moment his beloved was being engulfed by strong feelings of guilt and self-recrimination, and he also knew that in the short-term, it would be difficult to convince Wanyan Xu that he really did not need to blame himself. Thus, he endured the embarra.s.sment in his heart and asked Wanyan Xu to do something for him, hoping to alleviate some of the guilt he was feeling. He gave a sigh, actually his beloved had done nothing wrong, it was Su Yi who had made the choice that had precipitated all that had happened. If they were to discuss fault, it was Su Yi who had committed more wrongs, if it wasn't for the fact that he had unequivocally confessed to plotting a rebellion, how would Wanyan Xu have believed in that lie so easily?

Wanyan Xu was overjoyed at the unexpected request and in his eagerness, he voiced his agreement repeatedly: “Yes yes yes, I will feed it to you right now, I will feed you now.” He stood up, re-seated himself on the bed and took Su Yi, whose face was now flushed scarlet, into his embrace. Scooping out a small spoonful of porridge from the bowl, he placed it gently in Su Yi's lips.

Faced with Zi Nong and the rest, who were looking on with mirth in their eyes, Su Yi refused to open his mouth no matter what Wanyan Xu said. Wanyan Xu was stumped at his behaviour for a while but he soon came to understand the problem. Looking at his most trusted and favoured attendants, with no change to his expression, he said: “Ke ke [2]... All of you go out... go on, go out. Without my express orders, you are not to... come in, even to wait on us.”

Zi Nong and the rest nodded and said: “Yes, Your Majesty.”But after sticking out their tongues impishly, they said: “But Your Majesty, Young Master’s body is still weak, there are some things... that should only be done after a longer period of patient waiting.” So saying, they paid no mind to the fierce, skin-flaying glare that Wanyan Xu turned on them, and giggled as they departed the room. After that, the only people who remained in the room were a pair of lovers. After having been given a new lease on life after surviving a calamity, they are now entangled together in an embrace.