Chapter 128: Brother Chu is dead!

Shen Zhao had just arrived at the military camp with Xie Yuheng. Before she could even dismount, her vision went black, and she tumbled from her horse.

Damn it all! All she had done was come to the camp without eating breakfast. Since when had Chu Mu’s body become so frail that she would faint at the slightest provocation?

Someone, catch her!

Xie Yuheng, who had just dismounted nearby, reacted with lightning speed, catching Shen Zhao just before she could plunge headfirst into the dirt.

He shouted in a panic, "Brother Chu... Brother Chu, what’s wrong? Someone! Come quickly, fetch the military physician!"

Shen Zhao could clearly feel Xie Yuheng lifting her into his arms and heard his frantic cries.

*Am I not unconscious?* she wondered. *Why can I still feel everything, hear everything? What on earth is going on?*

Her consciousness remained sharp, yet she could not open her eyes. Her body felt as if it no longer belonged to her; no matter how she struggled, she could not move a single inch.

She could feel Xie Yuheng sprinting with her in his arms. She felt the wind whipping across her cheeks and brushing past her hair and ears. She could even smell the scent of sweat radiating from him.

Xie Yuheng laid Chu Mu down on the cot inside the tent. "Brother Chu... Brother Chu, wake up! You must not be in any danger. Who could have poisoned Brother Chu right under my nose? If I catch them, I will show them no mercy!"

"That’s it, poison! The camp physician certainly won't be able to cure this," Shen Zhao heard Xie Yuheng muttering anxiously to himself by her side.

"Someone come here!" Xie Yuheng bellowed toward the tent entrance.

"Subordinate is here, General."

"Go, take my jade token and head to the palace to fetch an Imperial Physician," Xie Yuheng commanded, unfastening the jade pendant from his waist and handing it to the young soldier. "Be quick! Not a moment can be wasted."

Just then, several others crowded into the tent. Zhang Liang intercepted the young soldier as he was about to leave. "Give me the token; I will go fetch the physician."

He had heard that the General had fainted for no apparent reason, and his heart had skipped a beat. He did not trust this young soldier with such a vital task. As the General’s trusted aide, such an important matter could only be handled by one of them.

Zhang Liang took the token and, without a second’s delay, bolted from the tent toward the stables.

Shen Tianci, dragging his severely injured body, moved to the side of the bed, his thick brows knitted tightly together. He asked, "Young General Xie, what has happened to General Chu?"

Xie Yuheng could not explain it either. Frantic with worry, he cried out, "He was perfectly fine during the morning court session, and he was fine on the way here. But the moment we arrived at the camp, he just..."

Xie Yuheng suddenly thought of something, his eyes brightening. "Wait! On the way here, Brother Chu saved Chen Dingtian’s daughter. Could she have poisoned him while he was distracted? That bastard Chen Dingtian! To think he would stoop to such despicable tactics to harm Brother Chu."

Shen Tianci did not know the details of the journey, but seeing Xie Yuheng’s teeth-gnashing fury, he too concluded that it must have been Chen Dingtian’s daughter who had poisoned General Chu.

After all, if something happened to Brother Chu, those two old scoundrels would be the only ones to benefit.

Far away in Lin-hai, Chen Dingtian suddenly sneezed. *Could it be that I've caught a chill from the sea breeze these past few days?*

As he was pondering this, the tent flap was lifted from the outside. Lady Chen entered with a bowl of hot soup, her voice filled with worry: "Dingtian, Yiyi has returned to the capital alone. I cannot stop worrying. I would like to return to the capital in a couple of days."

"That will do. Let Mang’er go with you. It is time to finalize the marriage between Yiyi and the Third Prince."

Lady Chen’s eyes flickered, but she did not respond.

Back at the capital's military camp, a roar shattered the silence.

"Say that again! What is wrong with Brother Chu?" Xie Yuheng gripped the Imperial Physician by the collar, his eyes wide with rage.

The physician gulped. *Woe is me, who did I offend? I am merely stating the General's condition, and this young master looks like he wants to eat me alive.*

He stammered, "G-General Chu... he... he has no pulse..."

Based on his years of medical experience, General Chu was dead. Yet, the General still had a heartbeat, his limbs were warm, and there was no sign of the rigidity typical of a corpse. It was truly bizarre. But he could not have misread the pulse; he had checked at least ten times. General Chu truly had no pulse.

With a loud clatter, Xie Yuheng released the physician’s collar and looked at Shen Tianci, his expression blank. He murmured, "He... he said Brother Chu is dead!"

"He said Brother Chu is dead!" Xie Yuheng repeated, his voice filled with disbelief. "That bastard Chen Dingtian! He truly used such a vicious method to strike Brother Chu down! How dare he kill him? Does he really think this Southern Chu belongs to his Chen family? I am going to the palace to see the Emperor and seek justice for Brother Chu. I will not let him die in such an unjust way!"

Shen Zhao screamed in her heart: *Don't go! I'm not dead! Save me! Believe me, I'm still alive!*

*Damn it all, what is happening? Why do I have no pulse? It must be that this physician is incompetent! His shallow knowledge is going to kill me! Get another doctor! I can still be saved, I really can!*

Shen Tianci grabbed Xie Yuheng just as he was about to storm out. "Young General Xie, calm down. Let the physician examine him again. It must be some kind of poison that causes suspended animation. General Chu still has a heartbeat and is breathing; he doesn't look dead."

Xie Yuheng suppressed the overwhelming hatred in his heart and threatened the physician: "You had better examine Brother Chu properly. If he dies on your watch, I will flay you alive."

The physician scrambled toward Shen Zhao's bed, his hands trembling as he began another examination. Cold sweat poured down his forehead, soaking his robes. The more anxious he became, the less he could figure out what was wrong. Aside from the lack of a pulse, General Chu appeared to be a perfectly healthy, robust man. He had never seen such a poison.

"Young Master Xie, my medical skills are inadequate. Please, I beg you to bring those imperial physicians from the Academy who specialize in toxicology. I fear... I fear that if we wait too long, General Chu’s life will truly be in danger."

It wasn't that he wanted to push his colleagues into the line of fire of the young master’s wrath; it was that he truly could not treat him. The General was a commander-in-chief; if he died on his watch, he would face not only the rage of the young master but the fury of the Emperor as well.

"Fine! I will fetch them myself this time!" Xie Yuheng grabbed Shen Tianci. "I will have Deputy Generals Zhang and Han guard the tent. You stay here and watch over Brother Chu. You must ensure he holds on until I return with the doctors. Brother Chu cannot die, and I will not let him!"

With that, he turned and rushed out of the tent.

Hearing this, Shen Zhao was deeply moved. *Don't worry, you brat. I won't die that easily.*

"Rest assured, Young General Xie. I will keep a close watch on General Chu. After all, besides being the commander of the army, he is also my cousin’s husband. I won't let her become a widow at such a young age. Go quickly!"

Xie Yuheng galloped toward the stables without a moment's pause; the crowd saw nothing but a blur as he charged out of the camp.

Shen Tianci approached the bedside, his face etched with worry. "Chu, you had better not die. Although you are truly infuriating, I still hope you live. Even if you aren't a model husband, you are a responsible general. The Capital Army still needs you to lead them. You must live."

Meanwhile, at the Pang Estate...