Volume 1, Chapter 18: Wounded and Unconscious
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Zhu Shuang’s warhorse screamed beneath him, its hooves kicking up a gale as he charged straight into the enemy ranks at the forefront.
The saber in his hand gleamed with icy light. Like a merciless god of death, every stroke he delivered was accompanied by the collapse of another bandit.
Before long, blood had stained his armor crimson, mingling with that of his enemies in a gruesome and almost garish display. Yet this only awakened an even greater ferocity and resolve within Zhu Shuang. The gaze he cast upon his foes resembled that of a bloodthirsty beast, ready to devour its prey.
No one knew that this was Zhu Shuang’s first time killing a man. The blood and pain were hastening his growth.
Everything was witnessed by the Imperial Guards around him. Their morale soared, and they shouted in unison, “Mighty Qin King! Mighty Great Ming!”
“Kill!” Zhu Shuang roared, charging forward once more, alone with his horse.
The Imperial Guards beside him, along with Qin Yi, immediately spurred their mounts and followed.
Like a sharp sword, they plunged fiercely into the enemy formation.
Thus, the two sides once again engaged in a relentless struggle to the death—
One side fought for money and profit;
The other fought for survival.
“Is this all you worthless vermin can do?”
“You think you are worthy of capturing me alive?”
With a single clean stroke, Zhu Shuang severed the head of a lowly wretch. He stared at the bandits with arrogant contempt.
“Brothers! Follow me and wipe out these Japanese pirates! Hold on! My Qin King Guard will arrive any moment!” Seeing the exhaustion beginning to show on everyone’s faces, Zhu Shuang rallied them once more.
By now, more than half of the surviving Imperial Guards had fallen. Those who remained were surrounded by several enemies each. Qin Yi was no exception, and he could not get within even a step of Zhu Shuang.
As Zhu Shuang shouted, a sinister-looking bandit crept up from behind, knife in hand, his face twisted with malice.
“Your Highness, look out behind you!”
When Qin Yi saw what was happening, his heart nearly split apart. Ignoring the danger around him, he tried to rush toward the Qin King but could not break through. He could only cry out in warning.
The blade was already descending toward Zhu Shuang’s head.
But at the instant it fell, Zhu Shuang suddenly twisted his body aside. The blow struck directly into his shoulder.
Immediately afterward, Zhu Shuang drew his saber back and slashed toward the man’s throat.
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However, the wound to his shoulder seriously hampered Zhu Shuang’s movements. Just as he raised his saber to strike down another bandit, someone behind him hacked into his back.
Zhu Shuang paid no attention to it.
For every enemy he killed, his elder brother Zhu Biao gained another chance to survive.
It was nothing more than exchanging one slash for another.
He continued to swing his saber again and again. His blade cleaved straight through the weapon the bandit raised to block him, snapping it in two.
The next instant, another head fell to the ground.
Zhu Shuang spat out a mouthful of blood. His cold face held not the slightest trace of emotion. He had utterly transformed into a machine of slaughter.
As time passed and the bandits still failed to defeat these several dozen men, their fear and desperation grew ever more intense.
Suddenly, the earth began to tremble.
“Boom! Boom!”
The heavy thunder of galloping hooves approached from afar, rapidly drawing near. Cavalry units emerged in succession from the distance, clad in frost-cold armor and filled with fury and killing intent. They raised their voices and roared, “Kill!”
“Damn it! Run, run!” When the bandits saw the reinforcements arrive, they immediately fell into chaos.
“Hahaha! They’re here—finally!” Seeing that the Qin King Guard had arrived at last, Zhu Shuang issued his orders in a hoarse voice. “Everyone, do not pursue them. Protect His Highness the Crown Prince!”
Before long, Qin Er led his men and horses to Zhu Shuang’s side. In a hoarse, icy voice, Zhu Shuang commanded, “Kill them all. Leave no survivors!”
When Zhu Biao saw the Qin King Guard arrive, he hurriedly leaped down from the carriage.
During the battle, Zhu Biao had remained inside the carriage, staring intently at Zhu Shuang and praying in silence.
Yet in the end, he could only watch helplessly as the bandits struck Zhu Shuang again and again. Zhu Biao’s eyes nearly split with anguish, and tears slipped down his cheeks without his realizing it.
But he was the Crown Prince. If he left the carriage, even more people would die for his sake.
At that moment, Zhu Biao wished desperately for more soldiers—or that he were nothing more than Zhu Shuang’s elder brother.
Seeing Zhu Shuang covered in blood and leaning against Qin Er, Zhu Biao was terrified.
His legs went weak. Ignoring the soldiers trying to support him, he staggered toward Zhu Shuang on all fours, shouting, “Second Brother! Second Brother! Don’t frighten your elder brother!”
Tears streamed down Zhu Biao’s face. Zhu Shuang turned to see that his brother was unharmed, though he had been reduced to a tearful wreck. He smiled and said hoarsely, “Big Brother, I’m fine. As long as you’re safe, that’s all that matters.”
His voice grew weaker and weaker. By the time he finished speaking, everything went black before his eyes, and he collapsed into Qin Er’s arms.
Biting his lip, Zhu Biao forced himself to remain calm. He ordered Qin Er to return to the palace at full speed and send word ahead so that the imperial physicians could prepare.
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Zhu Biao then worked with Qin Yi to carry Zhu Shuang into the carriage, and they raced toward Yingtian Prefecture.
They reached the city in little more than half an hour. The surviving Brocade Guards cleared the way as they charged into the city. Along the route, the common people dared not linger and hurriedly moved aside.
Meanwhile, in the imperial palace, Zhu Yuanzhang, Empress Ma, and a host of imperial physicians anxiously awaited the report Qin Er had sent.
Zhu Yuanzhang stood at the end of Five-Dragon Bridge, his face filled with anger and anguish. Empress Ma watched anxiously through tear-filled eyes, worried for her son.
Not long afterward, amid the chaotic clatter of hooves and carriage wheels, a carriage stormed into the palace.
Seeing people in the distance, Zhu Biao immediately shouted, “Imperial physicians! Where are the imperial physicians? Hurry and save my second brother!”
The physicians dared not delay. Carrying their medical chests, they instinctively followed the palace attendants as they ran toward the carriage.
The horses screamed as the carriage came to a halt. Zhu Biao collapsed to the ground after leaping down. The guards climbed onto the carriage and carefully carried the unconscious Zhu Shuang into the hall.
Inside, the imperial physicians urgently treated Zhu Shuang’s wounds while everyone else waited outside.
Zhu Biao suddenly fell to his knees before Zhu Yuanzhang and Empress Ma. With tears streaming down his face, he sobbed,
“Father, Mother, Second Brother fought bravely against the enemy and never retreated. He protected his elder brother, the Crown Prince.
“But I—I, as his elder brother, could not protect my own brother! I could only stand there and watch. Watch as those bandits hacked at Second Brother again and again.”
“Ah—ah…”
Empress Ma forced back the tears in her phoenix eyes and bent down to help Zhu Biao up.
“Biao’er, none of this is your fault. None of it! Do not blame yourself. Second Brother did well, and so did you. He will surely survive this ordeal safely.”
“Your mother is right, Biao’er. This is not your fault. Do not blame yourself. As the Qin King and your younger brother, protecting you, his elder brother, is his duty.
“You were right not to charge into battle with them. You are the Crown Prince of Great Ming. Remember this: only by fulfilling your duties as Crown Prince can you better protect your younger brothers.”
Zhu Yuanzhang did not dare look at the mother and son. With his hands clasped behind his back, he stared blankly at the tightly closed hall doors and spoke slowly, though it sounded more as if he were trying to convince himself.
His son was wounded and hovering between life and death. This was the first time Zhu Yuanzhang had ever faced such a thing.
Perhaps this was simply the fate of the Zhu family—
Endless wars.
Endless slaughter.
Before long, the tightly closed doors of the hall slowly opened. The entire family turned as one toward the imperial physician who emerged.
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