Chapter 209

Rong Rong waited until everyone left before asking Lu Youning to apply the medicine; she didn't want to speak even if Lu Linfeng was there.

Rong Rong sat down next to Lu Youning with the medicine bowl in her hand. Lu Youning shook his head and smiled bitterly, "No need for all this trouble, you know it's useless."

Doctor Meng has already examined Lu Youning's injuries. It's not that there's no solution, but the treatment requires a specific ingredient: the legendary Fengchao Sheng Flower, also known as the Phoenix Feather Flower.

It is said to be able to revive the dead and heal the wounded, but unfortunately, only members of the Feng Dynasty imperial family knew about this flower.

Moreover, the Phoenix Feather Flower has not appeared for decades, and everyone says that this flower is probably extinct.

Therefore, there is basically no hope of curing Lu Youning's leg injury.

"Who knows what the future holds?" Rong Rong disagreed. The medicine she applied to Lu Youning's legs every day was to keep them in the best condition.

In case a treatment is found in the future, or if the Phoenix Feather Flower is obtained, Lu Youning's leg will not be left untreated due to the usual delays and neglect.

After all, if a leg that has been paralyzed for a long time is left untreated, it is likely to suffer from muscle atrophy, which can affect blood circulation and lead to skin ulceration.

The thought of such terrible consequences made Rong Rong shudder. She quickly shook her head to shake off the horrifying images in her mind, hurriedly rolled up Lu Youning's trouser leg to his thigh, scooped out a large chunk of ointment, and slapped it onto Lu Youning's leg without any hesitation.

Lu Youning blushed. Although Rong Rong had applied medicine to him before, he was still not used to exposing his legs completely to her.

What he found even more unbelievable was when the quiet little girl he remembered had become like this...

Lu Youning remained silent for a long time, unsure of which word to use, his eyes fixed on Rong Rong.

Rong Rong's smile, her eyes that sparkle like stars, her carefree movements, the occasional tilt of her head, and her curious little eyes.

She was applying medicine to him, but it looked more like she was playing, like a mischievous kitten fiddling with a toy that interested her.

Instantly, the word "cute" popped into Lu Youning's mind.

Yes! How can Rong Rong be so adorable?

Lu Youning seemed to have forgotten about the strict separation between men and women, the ideal of a lady, and the beauty of a woman's quiet demeanor. He felt that Rong Rong's every smile, frown, and gesture could easily stir his heart.

Worldly views, rules, and requirements cannot, and should not, confine Rong Rong.

Rong Rong herself is the definition of beauty. Whatever she does will only make people's hearts flutter. No one is willing or even dares to say no to Rong Rong.

Rong Rong forced Lu Youning to apply medicine every day, and Lu Linfeng would come to Lu Youning's courtyard every day without fail.

After being released from confinement by Chen Mohan, Chen Liehu started going to the Zhenguo Marquis's mansion every day, but unfortunately, he was still turned away.

The Zhenguo Marquis's Mansion and the Anding Marquis's Mansion have fallen out. The once close brothers and comrades-in-arms who fought side by side have turned against each other. The new Zhenguo Marquis and the second son of the Anding Marquis's Mansion have become enemies.

Such rumors were quietly circulating among the high-ranking officials and nobles throughout the capital.

As Chen Liehu faced setbacks at the Zhenguo Marquis's residence every day, yet still went there daily, his actions became increasingly exaggerated, fueling the rumors and making people believe it was true.

The rumors eventually reached the Crown Prince's ears, and he immediately frowned and became serious.

Both the Zhenguo Marquis's Mansion and the Anding Marquis's Mansion are staunch supporters of the Crown Prince, especially Lu Linfeng and Chen Liehu, who have become the Crown Prince's capable subordinates.

Both of them are promising young military talents cultivated by His Majesty the Emperor for the Crown Prince. It is conceivable that they will have a place in the Crown Prince's court in the future.

For the Crown Prince, a good relationship with the two would naturally be more beneficial. Moreover, the Crown Prince also had some connections with Lu Linfeng and Chen Liehu, and setting aside their roles as ruler and subject, they could be considered friends.

The Crown Prince would not allow the two to fall out.

On that day, he hosted a banquet and invited the two men to his residence for a gathering.

The three sat in the courtyard, drinking and enjoying the scenery. The Crown Prince observed the two men without making a sound and found that they were not as hostile as the outside world said.

Of course, things weren't entirely harmonious either; the two naturally had some disagreements, and their relationship was quite delicate.

Now the crown prince was even more curious: what could cause two brothers who had risked their lives to have a conflict?

He could see the urgency and anger on Chen Liehu's face, as if he needed something from him, while Lu Linfeng remained as steady as a mountain, completely unwilling to pay any attention to Chen Liehu.

"Zhongming, have you encountered any difficulties? Why don't you tell me and I'll think of a solution for you?" The Crown Prince put down his wine cup and looked at Chen Liehu with a smile.

Chen Liehu choked up for a moment, then waved his hands repeatedly, "It's nothing, it's nothing! Thank you for your concern, Your Highness."

Subconsciously, Chen Liehu didn't want the Crown Prince to know about Rong Rong.

"Nothing wrong?" The Crown Prince chuckled. "But I heard that Zhongming goes to the Marquis of Zhenguo's residence every day, but Ling Yue refuses to let him in?"

"Since you're all here today, let's lay everything out in the open, and I'll take care of it for you."

"But what did Zhongming do to offend Ling Yue?"

The Crown Prince looked at Lu Linfeng questioningly. Today, he was going to act as a peacemaker and made it clear to the two of them that he did not want any conflict between them.

The crown prince appeared gentle, but his imposing aura and sharp gaze carried a hidden warning.

That was a warning from the ruler to his subordinates.

The two were warned to be mindful of their boundaries, avoid fighting each other, and especially not to ruin the important business.

In fact, the Crown Prince was already showing them a great deal of respect by inviting them over for a chat.

Lu Linfeng understood the Crown Prince's meaning. His heart skipped a beat, but he said angrily, "Zhongming knew that my elder brother was upset, yet he still insisted on coming to ask him for advice. Such rudeness and selfishness are not welcome in the Zhenguo Marquis's mansion!"

Lu Linfeng snorted coldly. Everyone knew that he had a very good relationship with his elder brother, and that Lu Youning was greatly affected by the accident.

In this situation, Chen Liehu's insistence on seeking Lu Youning's advice on martial arts and military strategy was rather tactless and excessively dull.

To outsiders, it looked as if Chen Liehu was deliberately provoking Lu Youning. If Lu Youning were even more extreme, he would think that Lu Linfeng had deliberately sent Chen Liehu to humiliate him.

"Isn't this rubbing salt into my brother's wounds? Damaging our brotherly relationship?" Lu Linfeng said expressionlessly.

The Crown Prince understood somewhat. This was indeed easy for Lu Youning to misunderstand. No wonder Lu Linfeng, who had long understood Chen Liehu's temperament and had never taken Chen Liehu's recklessness to heart, suddenly turned hostile and took it seriously.

The Crown Prince looked at Chen Liehu disapprovingly, and Chen Liehu's face turned red with embarrassment. "What nonsense are you talking about?"

"Wasn't it you who kept making a fuss about wanting to see my older brother?" Lu Linfeng's eyes shot out like arrows, coldly targeting Chen Liehu, emphasizing the word "see".

"I..." Chen Liehu wanted to retort, but suddenly met Lu Linfeng's eyes, and a flash of inspiration struck him, and he realized what was going on.

"I was just trying to distract Brother Lu." After saying that, Chen Liehu slapped himself. "It's my fault!"

"It was my oversight!"

Chen Liehu lowered his head guiltily, secretly wiping the cold sweat from his forehead. He seemed to be annoyed by his own stupidity, but in reality, he was afraid that he had almost let something slip.

He was making a scene, insisting on going to the Zhenguo Marquis's residence to see someone, but he wanted to see Rong Rong, not Lu Youning.