Chapter 724 Mother-in-Law and Daughter-in-Law (Second Update)

It took four doses of adrenaline for Shangguan Yan to regain her blood pressure and pulse.

"Blood pressure is normal, pulse is normal," the Grand Preceptor said.

"Stretcher," Gu Jiao said.

She put the blood pressure monitor away.

The Grand Preceptor went to the entrance and instructed the disciples of the Grand Preceptor Hall to bring their junior brothers to carry the stretcher.

The king frowned and asked, "Where are we taking him?"

The Imperial Preceptor said, "The Imperial Preceptor Hall cannot treat this."

The king didn't ask why the disease couldn't be cured; he simply frowned and said to Zhang Dequan, "You go too."

"Yes." Zhang Dequan and the disciples of the Imperial Preceptor Hall carried the stretcher over together, mainly carried by the disciples of the Imperial Preceptor Hall.

Xiao Heng watched with deep eyes as Shangguan Yan, covered in blood, was carried out on a stretcher, and his heart inexplicably tightened.

This feeling is so strange.

Gu Jiao had already taken off her gloves, and as she brushed past him, she secretly squeezed his fingers.

A seemingly insignificant little gesture carries a silent comfort.

Then she went out the door and said, "Medicine boy, follow me."

The king's gaze fell on Gu Jiao's young and innocent face, a hint of suspicion flashing in his eyes.

Clearly, Gu Jiao is too young, and it's hard to believe that her medical skills are convincing.

However, the king heard the whole process of Shangguan Yan's rescue. It was indeed Gu Jiao who was in charge. Her voice had the naivety of a young man, but her tone revealed a composure and calmness that was inconsistent with her youth.

The king said to Gu Jiao in a deep voice, "If you can't cure her, you'll bring me your head!"

Gu Jiao glanced at the king: "If you're cured, will you come to thank me with your head?"

The king glared angrily: "You!"

Zhang Dequan risked his life to stop the emperor, stammering, "Your Majesty! Your Majesty! Saving lives is the most important thing! Saving lives is the most important thing!"

Kid, you're really audacious! You even dare to talk back to the king!

And the way they retorted was so utterly speechless...

The Grand Preceptor nodded slightly to the King: "We'll be leaving now. Once the surgery is over, I will immediately send someone to the palace to inform Your Majesty of the results."

A storm was brewing in the king's eyes.

Zhang Dequan coughed lightly: "Hurry, hurry, hurry! Thank you for your help, Grand Preceptor and Young Master Xiao!"

The Imperial Preceptor, along with Gu Jiao and Xiao Heng, led Shangguan Yan into the Imperial Preceptor's Palace carriage.

The roads in Yan were in excellent condition, and there was little bump along the way. With disciples from the Imperial Preceptor's Hall clearing the way and pedestrians giving way, they traveled almost without any obstacles.

Gu Jiao exclaimed, "This is an ancient ambulance!"

The carriage stopped outside the Qilin Hall.

Two disciples from the Imperial Preceptor's Hall quickly and steadily carried the stretcher down.

The group headed straight for the empty room at the end of the right-hand corridor, guarded by two assassins.

Xiao Heng waited in the ward where Gu Yan had once stayed. If Shangguan Yan's surgery was successful, she would also be sent to this ward to recuperate.

“They are all trustworthy people,” the Grand Preceptor said to Gu Jiao.

Gu Jiao understood. She stepped into the room, placed the small medicine box into the recess in the wall, and led the Grand Preceptor and two disciples of the Grand Preceptor Hall who were carrying a stretcher into the operating room.

Upon seeing this scene, the two did not utter a word they should have said. They silently lifted the person onto the operating table, positioned them in a prone position as instructed, and then left at the Grand Preceptor's signal.

Gu Jiao looked around and said, "The equipment is different from last time. Are we going into different operating rooms each time?"

The Grand Preceptor went to the sink, washed his hands carefully, opened the cabinet door, and took out two sets of surgical gowns: "There are indeed several operating rooms in this dimension, depending on the patient's needs."

"Why does it look like a small first-aid kit?" Gu Jiao muttered.

The Grand Preceptor said calmly, "Now you're starting to wonder? I told you to think about it last time."

Gu Jiao cleaned herself up, changed into a surgical gown, and looked around the state-of-the-art operating room, saying, "This is the first time I've seen this equipment, but I think I know how to use it."

The Imperial Advisor looked at her meaningfully: "So?"

Gu Jiao thought about it seriously for a moment, then suddenly realized, "I really am a genius."

Grand Preceptor: "..."

When the Imperial Advisor saw Gu Jiao take a box of powder out of the cabinet, he asked, "You're not going to use bone cement, are you?"

Gu Jiao said, "No, she's still young and can't use bone cement casually. I'm looking for pedicle screws."

Bone cement is a liquid that can solidify and be injected into the repair site through a puncture. After hardening, it becomes part of the human bone.

However, it is a foreign object after all. Although it has good short-term efficacy, it may cause long-term complications, and may require a second infusion if left untreated for a long time.

The Imperial Advisor asked, "Haven't you considered conservative treatment?"

Gu Jiao opened another cabinet: "Let her lie down for three months? Knowing her personality, I'm afraid she won't be able to stay in bed. Ah, I found it."

The Imperial Advisor glanced at Shangguan Yan, then at Gu Jiao, but didn't ask Gu Jiao how she knew Shangguan Yan's personality.

To be honest, considering all of Shangguan Yan's injuries, she is indeed not suitable for conservative treatment.

Everything is ready.

Gu Jiao and the Imperial Advisor each went to their respective sides of the operating table.

Gu Jiao: "The patient's condition."

Grand Preceptor: "Anesthesia complete. Heart rate and blood pressure are normal."

Gu Jiao: "The surgery begins."

...

Xiao Heng stood quietly in the side room, waiting.

Zhang Dequan also came over; it's unclear whether he volunteered or was sent by the king.

There were many side rooms here, but he didn't stay in any of them. Instead, he walked back and forth in the corridor. He was worried that making too much noise would affect Shangguan Yan's treatment, so he walked very quietly.

They tiptoed around like thieves.

Xiao Heng appeared calmer than him, but his heart was in turmoil.

Having experienced life and death, there is little in the world that can disturb him.

Gu Jiao has successfully escaped danger; his current unease stems from another woman.

But that's strange, isn't it?

He tried to calm himself down. Worrying was useless. What he needed to do now was to find out the whole story, find out who was behind the incident and those who aided and abetted the evildoers.

"Eunuch Zhang."

He called out to Zhang Dequan in the corridor, remembering that the eunuchs in Zhaoyang Palace addressed him in that way.

Zhang Dequan stopped and looked at Xiao Heng.

Xiao Heng had disguised himself and now had an ordinary face, even his phoenix eyes had become almond-shaped.

Zhang Dequan really didn't recognize anything.

"Are you... Xiao Liulang's medicine boy?" Zhang Dequan asked.

"Yes," Xiao Heng said.

"Ah." Seeing that Xiao Heng clearly had something to say, Zhang Dequan glanced at the operating room guarded by assassins and silently took small steps to Xiao Heng's room. "Is there something you need?"

Just as Xiao Heng was about to speak, a young eunuch from the palace stepped forward and said, "Eunuch Zhang, the people from the Commandant's Office have arrived. They want to take Xiao Liulang's medicine boy to the Commandant's Office for questioning."

This is an investigation into the assassination.

Xiao Heng was in disguise, and he would likely be exposed once he entered the Commandant's Mansion. He would probably have to endure some severe torture if he testified that the Han family's heir was the murderer.

Zhang Dequan did not interfere with the Commandant's Office's arrests, after all, the Commandant's Office was also a trusted agency of His Majesty.

Just then, a disciple from the Imperial Preceptor's Hall walked over; it was none other than Ye Qing, the eldest disciple of the Imperial Preceptor's Hall.

Ye Qing said calmly to the eunuch, "This is the Imperial Preceptor's Hall. We'll talk about this when the Imperial Preceptor comes out."

The young eunuch opened his mouth: "But what about the Commandant's Mansion..."

Ye Qing flicked his long sleeves, exuding an aura of authority: "The Commandant's Office has no right to arrest people in the Imperial Preceptor's Hall!"

The little eunuch trembled with fear: "Yes! I'll go and tell them right away!"

After the young eunuch left quickly, Ye Qing greeted Zhang Dequan, then looked at Xiao Heng, his tone and expression much more polite than before: "You must be Young Master Xiao's medicine boy. My name is Ye Qing, and I am the eldest disciple of the Imperial Preceptor's Hall. The Imperial Preceptor has prepared some medicinal herbs for Young Master Xiao; please come with me to get them."

Xiao Heng nodded and left the Qilin Hall with Ye Qing.

Ye Qing said, "The junior brothers have placed the herbs in the library, right in front."

Xiao Heng said, "Thank you for your trouble."

The two walked together toward the library.

Ye Qing suddenly sighed and said, "Such a big thing happened to the former Crown Princess, and the entire palace is in an uproar. Although the former Crown Princess has been deposed and reduced to a commoner, she was still raised by several empresses. Before dawn, the empresses requested permission to go to the Imperial Ancestral Temple to worship their ancestors and pray for the former Crown Princess. Prince Han, as the deputy commander of the Imperial Guard, was also in the procession."

Xiao Heng's eyes flickered as he looked at Ye Qing: "Has Prince Han been at the Imperial Ancestral Temple the whole time?"

Ye Qing nodded and said, "Yes, the Imperial Ancestral Temple is in the outer court, which is what people call the front palace. When the empresses want to leave the inner palace, they naturally need to be escorted by the Imperial Guards. The empresses prayed until noon, and then Han Shizi's Imperial Guards escorted the empresses back to the inner palace before leaving."

They were clearly assassinated at 9:00 AM.

He had already entered the palace at midnight.

If Han Ye remained at the Imperial Ancestral Temple throughout the entire incident, then he would have a perfect alibi.

If he had been taken away by the officers of the Commandant's Office and had testified against Han Ye in front of all the officials, he would have been judged to have been framed.

Gu Jiao and Han Ye exchanged blows; the Han Ye in the woods was the real one.

Han Ye in the Imperial Ancestral Temple was a double, and like him, he used the art of disguise.

No wonder Han Ye dared to personally assassinate the physician invited by the king.

If we succeed, that would be best.

If they fail to succeed, they will testify against Han Ye, thus falling into this pre-dug pit.

The result might be that not only will the Han family not be brought down, but the Crown Princess's injuries could also become a setup to frame the Han family and the Crown Prince.

What a brilliant scheme!

But why did Ye Qing tell him all this?

Was it unintentional or intentional?

"We're here," Ye Qing said to Xiao Heng. "Let's go in."

Xiao Heng and Ye Qing entered the library together.

The library was quiet, which complemented Ye Qing's peaceful temperament.

Ye Qing seemed like an easy-going young man, but he also had a polite distance that prevented people from getting too close.

The disciples bowed to him one by one, saying, "Senior Brother."

Ye Qing nodded politely.

Ye Qing led Xiao Heng through rows of bookshelves to his desk, looked at a medicine basket on the table, and said, "Ah, it's here."

“I’ll do it,” Xiao Heng said.

Xiao Heng stepped forward, picked up the heavy medicine basket, but perhaps because he was too strong, he accidentally knocked over a scroll next to him.

Xiao Heng bowed and picked up the scroll: "I'm sorry."

Ye Qing took it, unfolded it, and smiled, "It's alright, this is a portrait of the eldest grandson of the emperor, painted three years ago."

The eldest grandson of the emperor.

A subtle feeling swept through Xiao Heng's heart, and he subconsciously looked at the portrait.

When he saw the boy in the portrait and the familiar beauty mark under the boy's right eye, he was stunned.

(End of this chapter)