I’ve Got this Cannon Fodder’s Back

144: 143 144: 143 The Third Prince couldn’t hold back Gu Ai.

Not only did he fail, but the prime minister, who was said to be a scholar with a bad back, flung him to the ground with a flick of his sleeve.

Later generations would often remark with surprise that no one expected the prime minister to be so agile—no one had seen how he arrived.

All they knew was that one moment, the little prince was being beaten until he coughed up blood, and the next moment, his figure had swooped up onto the high platform, firmly shielding the little prince in his arms.

The fifteen strokes had just been completed.

According to protocol, the next step was to parade the criminal through the streets.

The executioner, believing he hadn’t struck too hard, was now at a loss, retreating with his hands bound and bowing in fear.

“Chengru… how are you?” Gu Ai had no mind for anything happening on the platform or below it.

He pulled Lu Chengru tightly into his arms, his voice hoarse with urgency, “Where are you hurt?

I’ll take you back.

Hang in there…” His tongue was injured.

Self-inflicted pain wasn’t something the system could block, and as soon as Lu Deng opened his mouth, he couldn’t help but suck in a cold breath.

He wanted to tell him he was fine, but the pain made it hard to speak.

He could only grasp Gu Ai’s sleeve and shake his head silently.

Unaware of the details, Gu Ai’s heart sank as he saw the blood at the corner of Lu Deng’s lips, feeling a chill from head to toe.

The little prince, pale-faced, leaned into his arms.

Despite his pain, he looked up at Gu Ai, forcing out a weak, mangled sound, “I’m fine…” Gu Ai couldn’t bear to hear more.

He gently pressed his palm against Lu Deng’s lips, quickly took off his official robe to wrap him up carefully, and lifted him with a swift motion.

The prime minister, disheveled and out of his uniform, barging into the execution ground to snatch someone without an edict or imperial order was a highly improper act.

Gu Ai had prepared himself to be publicly condemned.

But just as he stood with Lu Deng in his arms, ready to leave, the crowd did not react with the expected dissatisfaction.

Instead, the sight of the prime minister rushing to protect someone elicited a wave of excited cheers.

Gu Ai instinctively paused, and Lu Chengru curled up in his arms with his fingers clutching his collar, looked back in surprise.

“Minister Gu, please understand, though Prince Yi rode his horse wildly, he was only chasing after another horse.

He didn’t knock over too many stalls.

And had he not stopped in time, my child might have been gravely injured or worse!” “Minister Gu, although the little prince made a mistake, he knows it.

He even came back several times to help our business afterward.

Please be lenient and consider forgiving him for his past misdeeds.” “The prince has a kind heart.

He’s just young and was led astray.

We don’t hold it against him, so please don’t punish him further…” “Didn’t the new law say—if the victim doesn’t file a complaint, the punishment can be reduced?

We are the victims, and we no longer blame Prince Yi, so why can’t the public shaming be skipped?” “The prince is already gravely injured!

Please step aside and let the prime minister take him for treatment!” … The crowd’s voices overlapped as they made way for him, and their words reached Gu Ai and Lu Deng clearly.

Meeting Gu Ai’s surprised gaze, Lu Deng’s face flushed, and he shrank deeper into the soft fabric of Gu Ai’s official robe used to wrap him.

He had come to accept the punishment today, hearing the crowd’s chaotic noise below, but he hadn’t expected this to become the discussion topic.

His character persona had shifted according to logic.

After studying under Gu Ai for some time, it was only natural that he had become more sensible and obedient.

Even though he had been sneaking out to do volunteer work, the main system’s evaluation remained stable without deducting any points.

He wasn’t used to leaving mistakes uncorrected.

Even though Gu Ai had already punished him, he couldn’t stop thinking about the trouble he had caused in the streets.

Every time Gu Ai was busy with court duties, he would find an excuse to go out and quietly make amends.

He hadn’t realized that, over time, he had accumulated so much goodwill from the people.

Curled up in Gu Ai’s arms, Lu Deng listened to the voices outside, his face growing redder.

The little prince was in better spirits than expected.

Seeing Lu Chengru bundled up in his arms, Gu Ai’s gaze softened slightly, though he still didn’t dare relax.

He carefully opened a small gap in the robe to let in some air and bowed deeply to the crowd below.

“I have behaved improperly today.

I will accept my punishment… Thank you all for your kindness and for pardoning my student.

I am deeply grateful.” Not daring to accept such a bow, the crowd quickly returned the salute, and the previous clamor gradually quieted down.

It’s only natural for a teacher to feel concerned for his students.

A teacher is like a father, and seeing one’s student suffer on stage, who could remain indifferent?

The crowd quickly understood the prime minister’s urgency, waving their hands and claiming they hadn’t seen anything.

A few brave men rushed forward to pull the executioner away while the crowd opened up a path for the two of them.

The Third Prince had already found a carriage and hurried over, only to be met with Gu Ai’s indifferent, piercing gaze.

He shivered from head to toe, “Minister Gu, actually…” Gu Ai ignored him, carrying Lu Chengru into the carriage, “Return to the Prime Minister’s residence.” Accustomed to his strict authority, no one dared disobey.

The driver, startled, cracked the whip, and the carriage sped out of the street, heading straight for the Prime Minister’s residence.

… The Third Prince was left on the execution ground and sent ten tearful internal messages to the little prince, who was still playing possum.

It had just rained the day before, and as the carriage sped along, it splashed through the water.

“Sir…” His tongue hurt less now.

Lu Deng carefully tugged on Gu Ai’s sleeve, leaning forward to look at him.

Though the protagonist’s voice messages were filled with meaningless noises, Lu Deng managed to piece together the details.

It seemed that somewhere in all of this, a significant misunderstanding had occurred… Blinking, Lu Deng was about to explain when Gu Ai gently shifted his arm, pulling him closer into his embrace.

“Sir is here.” The prime minister’s voice, though soft, was filled with tension.

His heartbeat still raced, his movements cautious, as if still in fear of what had nearly been lost.

Gu Ai opened his arms as if to embrace him fully but then hesitated, afraid of causing him pain.

Instead, he held him close but with a gentleness that betrayed the storm raging within.

Lu Deng shifted slightly, raising his head from Gu Ai’s chest.

Gu Ai was trembling.

He didn’t dare think about what might have happened next or where things had gone wrong.

He couldn’t focus on whether the Third Prince was friend or foe.

There wasn’t even room in his mind for anything unrelated to Lu Chengru.

The little prince was in his arms, quiet and obedient, just like always.

He still tugged at his sleeve, looking up at him with those deep, dark eyes, seemingly unaffected by pain.

Many sleepless nights were spent reviewing documents.

Whenever he refused to return to bed, the boy would fall asleep on the desk, raising his sleepy eyes just like now.

Those eyes had been the warmest comfort in the long, cold nights.

He had almost lost that warmth.

Gu Ai’s eyes grew even darker, but his hands remained gentle as he stroked Lu Deng’s hair, hiding the slight tremor in his voice, “Chengru, are you in pain?

It’s alright, we’re returning to the residence, and I’ll take care of your wound… Sir didn’t look after you properly, but I won’t let it happen again…” “Sir.” Lu Deng called to him softly, tightening his grip on Gu Ai’s sleeve, pulling him away from the nightmare, “I’m fine, Sir… The Third Prince swapped out the executioners for me.

I’m alright, see?” Worried that Gu Ai wouldn’t believe him, Lu Deng quickly undid his clothes and lay down so he could see for himself.

The executioners had been carefully chosen.

They could control their strength well and could beat a person to death in a few strokes, but they could also deliver ten blows without causing serious harm.

Lu Deng’s skin was pale, so the red marks stood out.

But no matter how closely Gu Ai looked, they were nothing more than faint, reddish welts.

Gu Ai stared in disbelief.

Yet his heart pounding even faster, hesitantly reaching his hand out.

“You can touch it.

It’s nothing at all.” Lying across his lap, Lu Chengru noticed his hesitation, smiled up at him, and guided Gu Ai’s hand to his back.

The boy’s back was not as thin as Gu Ai had imagined.

His shoulder blades were still pronounced, but his back was adorned with smooth, graceful muscles.

His pale skin was cool to the touch, and though the marks of the rods felt rough under Gu Ai’s palm, there were no deep wounds.

“I heard…” Afraid that joy would soon turn to bitter disappointment, Gu Ai didn’t dare allow himself to feel relieved.

He struggled to find his voice, hoarse as he spoke, “They can make it look fine on the surface, but the internal organs are injured, the blood stasis under the skin…” “There’s nothing like that.” Lu Deng grinned, propping himself up with one hand and deftly sitting up.

Their location was still some distance from the Prime Minister’s residence.

Worried that Gu Ai would tire from holding him the whole way, Lu Deng glanced around the carriage for a place to sit.

But Gu Ai’s arms remained firmly around him, showing no intention of letting go.

Meeting the rare, stubborn gaze of the prime minister, Lu Deng blinked and obediently settled back into his arms.

He bit his lip and gathered his courage, “If I tell you, will you promise not to scold me for sneaking out?” Gu Ai was taken aback.

Seeing the little prince’s genuinely cautious expression, as if he were afraid of being reprimanded at any moment, warmth flooded his heart.

He gently pulled Lu Deng closer into his embrace.

“You did it for me.

I understand that.

How could I blame you?” If nothing had happened, who would willingly run off to be punished?

As an official responsible for upholding the law, those attacking him were fixated on this minor incident because any hint of favoritism would open a crack in the new legal system.

From then on, anyone wanting to defy the law would have a precedent to follow.

The little prince was proud and stubborn, unwilling to bow to anyone.

Yet he had gone alone to face punishment under the eyes of the public, all for him—for the integrity of the new law, for the respect of the people, to show that even the family of law enforcers would be punished equally.

This whole affair had started because of him, and the enemies had turned it into a weapon against him.

No matter how irrational it was, there was no way he could blame Lu Chengru for being dragged into this.

Rehashing the past was meaningless now.

Gu Ai had long made up his mind, and all that mattered now was whether Lu Deng was injured.

Stroking the head resting on his shoulder, he was about to ask again when the little prince cautiously peeked out, “I also tied up all the guards…” Gu Ai: “…” It seemed that the elite soldiers left by the previous emperor were not very reliable after all.

The little prince had more vigor than expected, so it seemed his injuries weren’t severe.

Gu Ai, still uncertain of the details, was at least somewhat relieved.

The soft, cool body nestled in his arms, reluctant to show itself, easily softened his heart.

Meeting those bright, nervous eyes, Gu Ai took a deep breath, trying to appear stern.

But as his hand brushed over the warm, hard marks, his heart softened once more.

“If you tied them up, it’s their fault for not training properly, not yours.” Not punished by copying books!

Lu Chengru’s eyes sparkled, and in an instant, his whole head popped up as he happily threw himself into Gu Ai’s arms, “Thank you, Sir!” Gu Ai’s heart melted completely.

He opened his arms to hug him tightly, letting out a soft sigh as his hand gently rubbed the red marks on his back, “Alright, now tell me, what exactly hurts?

Where are you injured?” He had barely finished asking when the little prince turned bright red, gripping Gu Ai’s sleeve and awkwardly pressing his lips together.

Everything else was fine, but this was something that couldn’t be brushed aside.

Gu Ai had made up his mind not to let him evade the question, lowering his head and waiting for an answer.

After stammering for a while, Lu Chengru finally gave in to the prime minister’s unrelenting gaze and spoke in a trembling voice, “I bit my tongue…” This answer was so unexpected that Gu Ai was momentarily stunned.

He blinked before hesitantly asking, “You bit… what?” “My tongue.” Lu Chengru’s face burned, and after a long pause, he continued in a soft voice, “I bit it… and it still hurts.” Gu Ai stared at him, dumbfounded.

Looking into the dark, anxious eyes, he suddenly grabbed Lu Chengru’s wrist and checked his pulse, feeling it for a long time.

Though Gu Ai was a scholar, he had a basic understanding of medicine and could feel the strong, steady pulse under his fingers.

Lu Chengru tugged lightly on his sleeve, pointing to his mouth in emphasis.

After a long silence, Gu Ai finally sighed, chuckling as he pulled him into a tight embrace, releasing a long breath of relief.

… Outside, the noise gradually quieted.

The carriage had left the bustling market and entered a cleaner street.

They were nearing the Prime Minister’s residence.

With the tension finally easing, Gu Ai felt the exhaustion of a narrow escape wash over him.

Leaning back in the carriage, he relaxed, gently holding the little prince’s slender shoulders and lifting his chin, “Let me see.

How badly did you bite your tongue?

Does it still hurt?” Lu Deng’s face was still red.

After a moment of hesitation, he couldn’t resist the prime minister’s authoritative command and obediently stuck out his tongue.

The wound on his tongue couldn’t be touched.

Even the slightest pressure caused sharp pain.

Gu Ai, one arm wrapped around his back to support him, leaned in to inspect the wound, “Does it hurt a lot?” Not too much.

Lu Deng’s heart raced under Gu Ai’s intense gaze, and he had already forgotten the pain in his tongue.

Flushing deeply, he shook his head vigorously.

Gu Ai raised an eyebrow, smiling at him, about to tease him, when the carriage suddenly jolted to a stop.

Hurried footsteps echoed outside, and before they could react, the old imperial physician, having rushed over, swung open the carriage door.

“What have you two been doing by still staying inside?

How badly is the prince injured?

Hurry and bring him down so I can check…” The old physician’s words came to an abrupt halt.

Inside the dim carriage, the prime minister wasn’t wearing his official robe, only a plain white inner garment.

The little prince had even taken off his upper clothing, exposing his slim, bareback with a few red marks across it.

It was unknown what they had been doing, but they were now embracing in broad daylight.

As their eyes met the physician, both looked equally startled and bewildered.

The old physician, having seen much in his years, clicked his tongue and took a step back.

Then, he quietly closed the carriage door for them.