255 Comfort
Lo Pingsha brought hot water to let Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan wash the blood off their bodies. They also changed into clean clothes.
Meng Xizhou brought the Eagle Guards to the Octagon Pavilion. They were more or less injured. Fortunately, there were still many of them who were well.
Meng Xizhou knelt on one knee. “I did not protect Your Highness well. It was my fault. I deserve to die. Your Highness, please punish me!”
The other Eagle Guards also knelt on one knee and asked Duke Lang to punish them.
Xiao Juan told them to get up.
“I’m also responsible for this matter. I underestimated the situation. If I take it seriously, I’ll be punished like you.”
Meng Xizhou hurriedly said, “Your Highness, don’t say that!”
Xiao Juan said, “Take this as a lesson for us. Remember it as a warning in the future.”
“Yes, Your Highness”
After Meng Xizhou and the others left, Yu Niaoniao asked softly.
“Did you really misjudge the situation?”
Xiao Juan looked down at her. “What do you mean?”
Yu Niaoniao grabbed a handful of peanuts and muttered as she peeled them.
“From what I know of you, you’re not the kind of person who makes mistakes easily. Since you knew that there was a problem with the Eastern Expedition, you would have definitely raised your guard. You won’t let your opponent find an opportunity easily.”
“Du Tao said that he wanted to bring you to see General Tang. You could have brought a few more people in.”
“Or let Meng Xizhou visit General Tang in your place.”
“You didn’t have to take the risk yourself.”
Xiao Juan said with interest, “What else?”
“You did whatever Du Tao said. It looks like you deliberately slipped into the trap he set. It doesn’t make sense.”
Yu Niaoniao shook her head and threw the peeled peanuts into her mouth to chew.
Xiao Juan said, “I did deliberately expose myself. Otherwise, it will be difficult for me to find out the truth about the Eastern Expedition in a short time.”
Yu Niaoniao shook her head.
“I understand. This is what it means to enter the tiger’s den to nab the cub! But you took too much risk this time and almost lost yourself. Fortunately, Dang Gui and I arrived in time. Otherwise, you and Prince Min would have been trapped in the secret passage for who knows how long.”
Xiao Juan said indulgently, “Yes, it’s all thanks to you this time.”
What he didn’t say was that he left marks on the walls when he didn’t pass a fork in the secret passage. If he really couldn’t find an exit, he could still retrace his steps back to the barracks.
However, there would inevitably be a fierce battle. With his superb martial arts, he might be able to rush out of the military camp alive, but not Prince Min.
Yu Niaoniao pushed the peanuts beside her toward Xiao Juan and said proudly.
“I saved your life. You have to repay me, right? I don’t want much. Just peel the peanuts for me.”
Xiao Juan agreed.
He reached out with his well-defined fingers, pinched the peanuts, and began to seriously peel them for her.
Yu Niaoniao looked at his cold side profile and could not help but think of his terrifying appearance when he suddenly lost his mind and only knew how to kill.
She couldn’t help but ask.
“Why did your personality suddenly change?”
Xiao Juan stopped peeling peanuts.
Yu Niaoniao was afraid that these words would touch his minefield. She said hurriedly.
“If it’s not convenient for you to say, forget it. Forget I asked.”
Xiao Juan asked, “Reach out?”
Yu Niaoniao obediently extended her hands.
Xiao Juan placed the peeled peanuts in her palm and said calmly.
“It’s not inconvenient. If you want to know, I’ll tell you.”
Yu Niaoniao immediately pricked up her ears and waited for the rest.
Xiao Juan seemed to be thinking about what to say.
“My mother enjoyed watching the beast fight show in the past. I suppose you know what a beast fight is?”
“Two beasts would be locked in the same cage and forced to kill each other.”
“At one point, I made my mother angry. She ordered someone to lock me in a cage to let me fight those beasts. If I wanted to live, I had to fight the beasts. There was only one thought in my mind then.”
“Kill them all.”
“Ever since then, I had a problem. As long as I kill more people, I’m prone to losing control of my emotions.”
At this point, the memories that had already faded in his mind became clear again.
When he was young, he finally survived. He lay on the ground, covered in injuries, almost on his last breath. Someone opened the door, walked into the cage, and dragged him out roughly.
Until then, his mouth still repeated one word—
“Kill!”
Yu Niaoniao was stunned.
She couldn’t imagine that cruel scene. She felt as if her entire heart was being gripped tightly. It hurt.
She really did not understand why Princess Ni Yang would abuse her son like this.
Seeing that her eyes were red, Xiao Juan reached out and rubbed her head to comfort her.
“It’s fine. It’s all in the past.”
Yu Niaoniao sniffed and said in a low voice.
“You’re the one suffering. I should be the one comforting you. Why are you comforting me?”
Xiao Juan asked smoothly.
“Okay, how do you want to comfort me?”
Yu Niaoniao handed over the peanuts in her hand. “Here you go. Eat more delicious food and you won’t feel bad.”
Xiao Juan said helplessly, “I peeled these peanuts for you just now.”
Yu Niaoniao said, “We’re husband and wife. Why are we so clear? What’s yours is mine, and what’s mine is still mine. Take it and eat it. Don’t stand on ceremony with me!”
Xiao Juan could only reach out to take the peanuts and eat them.
He did not know if it was an illusion, but these peanuts were even more fragrant than the peanuts he had eaten before.
Even the discomfort left behind by his childhood memories was dispelled.
Xiao Juan could not help but soften his voice.
“Thank you for this.”
Yu Niaoniao thought that he was talking about her and Dang Gui saving him from the secret passage, so she waved her hand and said indifferently.
“You’ve already thanked me. You don’t have to thank me again.”
However, Xiao Juan said, “Fortunately, you stopped me in time and didn’t let me attack Little Lo.”
Only then did Yu Niaoniao know that he was talking about his emotional loss.
Thinking of the scene at that time, she was still a little afraid. If it happened again, she was not sure if she would have the courage to go forward and hold Xiao Juan back.
Yu Niaoniao felt that this could not continue. What if he really lost control of his emotions one day and even she could not stop him?
As the saying went, the person who created the problem had to be the one solving it.
Xiao Juan’s worry was caused by Princess Ni Yang. It was best to start with her.
However, with their bad relationship, it was almost impossible to get Princess Ni Yang to help treat his illness.
Forget it. It was too early to say anything.
She would think of something when they returned to the Imperial Capital.
….
The next day, a funeral was held in the camp of the Eastern Expedition Army.
The soldiers lined up neatly and escorted Tang Pei’s coffin out of the military camp.