Chapter 339 I will never forgive myself

At this moment, Lu Yuan, who had been silent all along, spoke up, "Doctor Xue, please go ahead. We will take care of things here."

Xie Qi chimed in, "Yes, how will we know if we don't try? Let's not waste time here. Just tell the Crown Prince what you need and he'll send someone to prepare it."

Xiao Xuanyou paused for a moment, but did not deny Xie Qi's words.

So Doctor Xue didn't stand on ceremony and immediately drew up a list.

Xiao Xuanyou sent people down to prepare, and also ordered that the most skilled martial artists in the Eastern Palace be transferred to Changshan Villa.

The imperial physicians began to administer acupuncture and bloodletting to Shen Ci'an in an effort to slow the spread of the poison in his body.

The ginseng soup that Prince Gong had prepared was also served. Jiang Zhi took it and tried to feed it to Shen Ci'an, but he kept his lips tightly closed and couldn't drink anything at all.

With her life at stake, Jiang Zhi disregarded the other men around her and drank a sip herself, passing it to him through her lips.

Noticing Shen Ci'an's increasingly cold body and his heartbeat so faint it was almost imperceptible, her heart sank little by little.

Only today did she realize that the Master had arranged everything all along.

Alone, he confronted Xiao Yunheng. Facing Xiao Yunheng's skepticism, he directly took poison. Without telling anyone, he went to Changshan alone and used his own death to deliver the final blow.

She felt as if her heart was being slowly sliced ​​apart, making it hard to breathe, and tears streamed down her face uncontrollably.

If her teacher were to die, she would never forgive herself.

"Lord Shen is not fit to move in his current condition. Although my Changshan Villa is simple, it is fully equipped. Please feel free to ask for anything you need. Madam Shen, rest assured, I will not let Lord Shen suffer such torment in vain. I will take the Prince of Xiang to His Majesty and beg him to punish him!"

Prince Gong suppressed his anger.

Although he had long neglected worldly affairs and lived a secluded life farming at the foot of Changshan Mountain, all of this was merely to dispel the emperor's suspicions and maintain the stability of the court. It did not mean that he was a person who did not compete or fight.

Now someone has poisoned a high-ranking official in his villa, which is tantamount to throwing his face on the ground and trampling on it.

If we don't teach them a lesson, they'll really think that Prince Gong is easy to bully!

Before long, Prince Gong changed into his court robes and led the bound Xiao Yunheng into the city to meet the emperor.

Before leaving, he left behind his trusted confidant, instructing him to do his best to meet any needs Lord Shen might have.

The room was unusually quiet.

Xiao Xuanyou went out to take charge of the overall situation and ordered his subordinates to cooperate with Doctor Xue in making medicine.

Jiang Zhi noticed that cold sweat was starting to appear on Lu Yuan's forehead.

Constantly expending one's internal energy to save others is extremely dangerous and requires utmost caution; otherwise, it is highly likely that one's qi and blood will become disordered, resulting in mutual destruction.

"Lord Lu, are you alright?" Jiang Zhi asked him with concern, her brows furrowed. Seeing his chapped lips, she poured him a cup of tea from the table.

Lu Yuan thanked him, took the drink with one hand, and finished it in one gulp.

Jiang Zhi poured Xie Qi another cup.

Then he took out a handkerchief and wiped the cold sweat from their foreheads.

Time keeps passing by.

Even though Lu Yuan and Xie Qi both possessed high internal strength and were physically robust, they could not withstand the continuous wear and tear over a long period of time.

Soon, their faces grew paler and paler, and their backs were no longer as straight as when they first arrived.

Jiang Zhi's worries grew heavier and heavier.

There are still nearly ten hours left until the twelve hours mentioned by Doctor Xue. If Lu Yuan and Xie Qi run out of internal energy and cannot hold on, what will happen to the Master?

Fortunately, Xiao Xuanyou's men arrived quickly.

They took over Lu Yuan and Xie Qi's work, allowing the two to rest temporarily.

Lu Yuan got up and took a few steps, then placed one hand on the table to calm his slightly disordered breathing.

Xie Qi staggered and fell towards Jiang Zhi, but Jiang Zhi caught him quickly.

"General Xie, how are you? Are you alright?"

Xie Qi rubbed his temples. "It's nothing, just a little dizzy. Zhizhi, help me sit down for a bit and I'll feel better."

Jiang Zhi, unsuspecting, helped Xie Qi, who was practically hanging on her, to sit down at the table and poured him a cup of tea.

"Imperial Physician, what impact will General Xie and Lord Lu's depletion of internal energy have on their bodies?" Jiang Zhi asked, frowning.

Although saving lives was the priority at the moment, Jiang Zhi was also extremely worried when she saw the two people's pale faces.

After wiping the blood off his hands, the imperial physician took the pulses of both Lu Yuan and Xie Qi.

"Princess Qinghe, rest assured, General Xie and Lord Lu have only exhausted their internal energy, without any damage to their internal organs. They just need to recuperate properly, and once their qi and blood are replenished, their internal energy will gradually recover."

Jiang Zhi finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Xie Qi used her wide sleeve to gently squeeze her hand reassuringly, "Zhizhi, don't worry, we will definitely protect him. You look terrible, go and rest first."

Xiao Xuanyou and Lu Yuan also noticed that Jiang Zhi's complexion was unusually poor, with tear stains still clinging to her cheeks, her lips cracked, and her hair disheveled. She looked wretched and pitiful, like a homeless stray cat.

“Enter Shadow Moon, help your master down to wash up and rest,” Xiao Xuanyou said.

Jiang Zhi stubbornly shook her head, "No, I must stay with my teacher. I can't abandon him again."

Lu Yuan briefly regained his composure, walked up to Jiang Zhi, and felt his heart clench as he looked at her disheveled and frightened appearance.

But with so many people around, he didn't say anything. He only said to the confidant left behind by Prince Gong, "Please have the servants bring some food to Madam Shen. She is weak and can't last twelve hours. Also, prepare a few clean rooms. The Crown Prince and we will probably have to stay in the other courtyard tonight."

"Yes, I'll take care of it right away." Prince Gong's confidant quickly accepted the order and went to prepare.

As night fell, Xiao Xuanyou went directly to the medicine shop to keep an eye on Doctor Xue.

Lu Yuan and Xie Qi tried to persuade Jiang Zhi to go to the guest room to rest, but Jiang Zhi refused no matter what, insisting on watching Shen Ci'an.

Xie Qi said, "Zhizhi, there's no point in you staying here. Our shifts are all men, so it's not appropriate for you to stay here. It won't be good for your reputation if word gets out."

“General Xie is right,” Lu Yuan nodded, unusually agreeing with Xie Qi’s statement. “If you collapse from exhaustion, we will have to take care of you, which will not be of any benefit to Lord Shen.”

“But what if Master…” Jiang Zhi hesitated, biting her lower lip.

She knew what they were talking about.

But she was afraid that something might happen to Shen Ci'an and she wouldn't be by his side.

Lu Yuan grasped her hand. "Leave it to me and Xie Qi. We'll take turns keeping an eye on Shen Ci'an and make sure nothing happens to him."

“That’s right, Zhizhi. If anything happens to Lord Shen, Lu Yuan and I will offer our heads to you.” Xie Qi echoed.

He didn't want Zhizhi to worry and harm her health for Shen Ci'an's sake.

After the two men repeatedly assured her, Jiang Zhi finally left the house, turning back every few steps.

She went to check on the place where Dr. Xue made medicine, and Xiao Xuanyou said that he would keep watch there and that she didn't need to worry.

Jiang Zhi could only barely suppress her anxiety and returned to her room.

But I still tossed and turned and couldn't fall asleep.

The next day, as dawn was breaking, Ru Ying came to report that Lord Shen's condition had remained stable and had not worsened, and Jiang Zhi finally managed to fall asleep.

But she didn't sleep long before she woke up again and saw that it was already dawn, so she got up and went to exchange shifts with Lu Yuan and Xie Qi.

They took turns keeping watch all night, and then had to expend their inner strength to save people; they must have been exhausted.

As time passed, Jiang Zhi grew increasingly anxious.

It wasn't until darkness fell again that the Crown Prince finally brought good news.

Doctor Xue's antidote is ready.