Part 3, Chapter 8

It’s always family

Ch 8 

Jiangou watched his brother leave. He knew it wasn’t over, but at least there was a reprieve. The guard stood and thrust the bowl at him.

“Eat,” he ordered and left.

Jiangou looked at the food. It was disgusting. He wanted the ginger soup Madam Lai always made for him when he felt poorly. He was also hungry, he sighed and took a small sip.

The pain was instantaneous. 

He screamed and screamed. Through the agony Jiangou thrust his arm into his robe before remembering his right hand was gone. Twisting he pushed his other hand into the hidden pocket and withdrew the single golden pill he had had made by the God of Medicine. It wouldn’t cure most poisons, but it would suppress them long enough for him to find someone who could help him, Or at least take revenge for him. The paranoia he had felt as the Emperor hadn’t been wholly undeserved it seemed. Every nerve ending screaming at him Jiangou swallowed the pill.

Jiangou barely heard the footsteps of the guards over his own pounding heart as he lay helpless on the cold, stone floor of his cell. One of the guards poked him with a toe, while the other bent to check his breath.

“Easiest money I ever made,” the standing guard said. “Best part is I got paid twice.”

“What are you talking about,” said the guard crouched next to him, the man was trying to pull him up onto his shoulder, “Give me some help here,” he growled. “He’s not dead, we need to get him to a healer.”

“I don’t think so. The Empress and the Dowager Empress both gave me good money to make sure he ‘escaped’.”

The guard holding Jiangou started to speak, but the sound was cut off abruptly. Jiangou felt something hot and wet on his face before the support under him collapsed and melted away.

“Time to go, your Lordship,” the first man said, hauling Jiangou over his shoulder like a sack of rice.

Jiangou was already feeling the pain ebb and a slight amount of strength returned to his limbs. They had gone halfway up the hallway when Jiangou hit his attempted murderer in the throat with a magically amplified blow. Part of him wanted to say something witty, but he was too focused on putting one foot in front of the other, desperate to find help. Step by step he started the agonizing trip to Jianyu’s room. He only hoped his brother would help him one more time.

Author's Note

Sorry for the delay, I forgot to feed the chickens last night and had 10 unhappy hens on the doorstep this morning