Chapter 253 - 251. I Am Useless

Third-person POV

"Sh-Shang Tang, you are back?" Naran's face paled.

Di Shang didn't pay heed to Naran's question as his eyes stayed on his wife's figure on the bed. Meiyun was only wearing a white silky Du Dou with least to no embroidery adorn the Du Dou.

(A/N: Du Dou is a Chinese traditional undergarment. Search Google for further information about Du Dou.)

The temperature in the room was increased to make Meiyun more comfortable and cozy, especially when Naran had to take off all of Meiyun's clothes when she wiped her body. There were bruises here and there all over Meiyun's body that it was too painful for anyone to see. Moreover, Meiyun's past scars made her overall appearance more pitiful to look at.

Di Shang walked to the side of the bed and fell on his knees. His full of calluses hand softly brushed over Meiyun's ghastly pale face. What terrifies him more was the smile on Meiyun's lips.

Although the smile wasn't wide nor showing any tooth like how Meiyun usually smile, the small curve on the corner of her lips made obvious that she was pleased with whatever she was seeing right now. But in Di Shang's eyes, her gentle smile indicated she was meeting the Heibai Wuchang, the underworld guards.

(A/N: The Heibai Wuchang, the 'Black Guard' and the 'White Guard' of the underworld, appear at the deathbeds of the recently deceased to guide their souls to the realm of the dead.)

Meiyun was too kind for her own good, she would definitely ascend to heaven after passing the trials from the demon kings. That's why she was smiling so happily, it was because she finally met the long dreamed peace that Meiyun never get in her life, Di Shang thought so.

He still couldn't believe that Meiyun was only sleeping even when a soft breath from Meiyun's lips grazed over his finger. Her face was as pale as the white sheet, probably because of her low amount of blood and hadn't bathed in the sun for a couple of months.

"Mother, why is Meiyun so pale?" Di Shang asked but his voice came out as a whisper.

"Shang Tang, mother will explain to you later," Naran replied to Di Shang and proceeded to clean Meiyun's body.

"How did it happen?" Di Shang asked once again as if he didn't hear what Naran just said.

"Shang Tang, mother understand that you are shocked and sad but please wait until mother finished cleaning Meiyun so we can put a fresh medicine on her wound." Naran patiently explained although she was deeply aware that her son was not listening to any of her words.

But at least, Naran's voice could make Di Shang's state of mind more stable, if not, the dead silence would cause Di Shang to be more over-thinking than he should be.

"Who did this?" Di Shang ignored Naran.

"I will tell in a second. Firstly, we need to tend to Meiyun. Please understand this Shang Tang, this is for her too." Naran looked directly at Di Shang's glassy eyes.

Di Shang glanced at his mother and nodded his head then turned back his head to look at his beloved wife.

"Let me help too." Di Shang stretched out his hand to take the towel from Naran's hand.

Without any hesitation, Naran passed him the towel and rose from her seat to grab the ground herbs. She trust Di Shang with cleaning Meiyun because she knew that he wouldn't do anything to hurt Meiyun. She inspected Di Shang's hand to see if he did the right thing.

The towel brushed over Meiyun's skin as gentle as a feather. One could see the love and care that Di Shang had for Meiyun. Such a bulky man, added with his fierce face, to exert strength lesser than a baby was truly remarkable.

"Shang Tang, wipe her shoulders and turn her to the side to wipe her back. Be gentle, the wound in her heart hasn't healed yet." Naran sat beside Di Shang and started to smear the ground herbs on Meiyun's clean wound.

Di Shang's hand froze when he heard a wound in her 'heart'. As far as he knows, even a little hole as small as a needle could be deadly if it was inflicted in or on the heart. How did Meiyun survive? He didn't know that answer yet but he thanked the gods for letting Meiyun survive from such a deadly wound.

"En," Di Shang obediently followed his mother's order.

After a few minutes, Meiyun's wounds were evenly smeared with the grounded herbs. Physician Tu entered the room only after Naran opened the door from inside. When Physician Tu walked into the inner room with Naran guiding him, he was surprised to see Di Shang sitting in a complete silence at the side of the bed.

Weather hadn't warmed up that much, there was still lingering coldness from the winter. Sitting on the wooden even if the temperature of the room was increased could still make one catch a cold.

Physician Tu ignored the menacing aura that exuded from Di Shang's body and proceeded to do a check-up on Meiyun. Although Meiyun was healing at a slower pace than average which was very worrying, her wounds consistently closing up especially the one in her heart which was relieving.

The fact that Meiyun was still alive was a miracle and as a person that passionate about studying new things about medical fields, Physician Tu dying to know what the cause behind Meiyun's miraculous revival.

It didn't take Physician Tu long to check Meiyun's pulse and wound. Soon after he explained about Meiyun's current condition to both Di Shang and Naran, he left the Di residence and went to visit Royal Medical Intuition which all talented physicians in Da Qi gathered together to solve, find, and research about medicine and illness.

After Physician Tu left, Naran gave Di Shang a meaningful glance and sat on one of the seats around the round table in the outer room. Di Shang sat across her and rested his forehead on his palm.

"Where should I start?" Naran asked while pouring a tea into Di Shang and her cup.

"Who did this?" Di Shang gave his first question.

"The wounds were inflicted by Bataar, a Count in Bei Zhou also a former prince, and his subordinates. The whole thing was planned by Wei Yunru from the Wei family and Murong Qing from the Murong family. For your information, the Wei family was executed about a month ago as well as Murong Qing's family except herself." Naran calmly explained.

"Why she isn't dead?" Di Shang's knuckles created cracking sounds from clenching his fists too hard.

Naran sighed pitifully as the people that she found a liking had a very miserable fate, "Long story short…"

.

.

(A/N: Too lazy to say it again.)

"So please don't blame on Her Majesty Empress or His Majesty Emperor too much for what happened to Meiyun. She did it on her own accord so we shouldn't blame any side. The Royal Family personally apologized when they heard that the infant in Meiyun's stomach…died." Naran teared up when she remembered the time where Physician Tu told them about Meiyun's miscarriage.

But little did she know, Di Shang knew nothing about Meiyun's pregnancy. He immediately rose from his seat and caused the chair to fall over.

"Wh-what did you just say? In-infant?....Meiyun is pregnant?!" Di Shang spoke with his eyes wide open.

Naran scolded herself within her heart but she deeply aware that she couldn't hide this fact for forever. It would be better if she told Di Shang as soon as possible.

"Not is but was. We believed that the baby sacrificed itself for the mother. That is why Meiyun is still alive till now." Naran sighed.

The news was too shocking for Di Shang to receive, "Do-does she knew?"

"En, she knew everything and still went on her way." Naran turned away as she couldn't bring herself to look at Di Shang's face.

Di Shang fell on his knees as tears rolled down his cheeks. He covered his face with his palms and cried silently. Naran quickly rose from her seat and rushed to Di Shang's side. She hugged him tightly hoping that it could give Di Shang at least a tiny bit of comfort.

"Not only I failed as a husband….even as a father….I am useless." Di Shang sobbed.

"No…it is not your fault. It is not Meiyun's fault. We have to be thankful that Meiyun is still alive. Do you hear me, Shang Tang?" Naran leaned her forehead on Di Shang's head.

But Di Shang never answered her question.