Chapter 143 Treating Wounds
Deep in the alley, He Ling used system tools to hide behind a pile of wooden crates and miscellaneous items, preventing anyone from noticing her.
She covered her mouth tightly with both hands, her eyes wide open in terror.
Oh no, oh no, how could this happen?
Didn't the system say it was just a minor interference tool? Didn't it say it could create a small accident that would give her a chance to get close to the Emperor?
This is no small accident; it could have been fatal.
What should she do? She didn't mean to harm anyone. The system is really messing with her.
He Ling was extremely flustered. She just wanted to complete that damned strategy mission and get the points, but she never expected things to develop to this point.
She watched as Jiang Huan embraced Huo Lin's falling body, and trembled with fear.
"Return to the palace immediately!"
Wang Degui's shrill, altered roar served as a signal, and after the initial shock, the guards unleashed unprecedented efficiency.
Some rushed towards the direction from which the crossbow bolts came, while others quickly retreated, using their bodies as shields to protect Huo Lin and Jiang Huan.
Huo Lin was carefully lifted onto the carriage, with Jiang Huan following closely behind.
Inside the carriage, Huo Lin's eyes were closed, his brows were furrowed, and his breathing was weak and rapid.
Jiang Huan's tears fell silently like beads from a broken string, landing on Huo Lin's blood-stained clothes and spreading dark stains.
Don't cry...
[I...can't faint, she'll be scared...]
The faint, intermittent whispers reached Jiang Huan's ears, causing her tears to flow even more profusely.
She grasped Huo Lin's hand, pressed it tightly against her cheek, and her voice choked with emotion.
"Huo Lin, you're not allowed to sleep. I'm here. Hang in there, everything will be alright."
Like an arrow released from a bow, the carriage sped madly toward the palace under the protection of the secret guards.
The outline of the palace rapidly magnified in the night, and the imperial guards at the gate immediately let the carriage pass upon seeing the unique markings on it.
Without stopping, the carriage headed straight for the Hall of Mental Cultivation.
As soon as he arrived, Wang Degui quickly sent someone to summon the imperial physician, and Huo Lin was carefully carried onto the dragon bed.
His eyes were closed, his face was ashen, and the arrow wound that had pierced through him was still bleeding, staining his pale blue robe red—a shocking sight.
Upon receiving the news, the Imperial Hospital staff dared not delay and quickly arrived at the Hall of Mental Cultivation.
When they saw Huo Lishi on the bed, their expressions immediately turned serious.
"Quickly, prepare hot water, and have someone else cut open the clothes to check the injuries," Physician Chang commanded swiftly in a calm voice.
The palace maids and eunuchs busily brought hot water and prepared clean cloths.
Jiang Huan was half-forced by the nanny and palace maids to the side to clean the bloodstains on her hands. The cold water washed away the dark red on her fingertips, and the glaring color made her heart tremble.
She quickly washed herself, ignoring her soaked sleeves, and immediately rushed back to the bedside, stubbornly staying by Huo Lin's side.
It's so noisy.
[The assassin... Where is Jiang Huan...?]
How is she...?
Huo Lin's consciousness sank into boundless darkness, with only occasional moments of clarity, when all that remained was his longing for Jiang Huan.
Jiang Huan felt a pang of pain in her heart, but she took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down.
The imperial physician had already brought scissors and cut open the clothes.
The wound was exposed, and the flesh where the arrow had penetrated was an eerie dark green.
Upon seeing this, Physician Chang gasped, "This poison is extremely potent and cunning. It must be removed immediately, all the poisoned flesh scraped away, and we must fetch wound medicine and the Hundred-Cure Pill."
Jiang Huan heard everything clearly from the side. She looked at Imperial Physician Chang, her voice trembling with suppressed emotion, yet unusually clear and powerful.
"Doctor Chang, just do what needs to be done, don't worry too much."
Seeing the determination in Jiang Huan's eyes, and the strength that emanated from her pale face, Physician Chang felt reassured.
"Your Majesty, the process will be extremely painful, and His Majesty is currently..."
"It's alright." Jiang Huan interrupted him, holding Huo Lin's hand tightly. "He'll hold on."
Huo Lin's injuries cannot be delayed and must be treated as soon as possible.
She believed in Huo Lin, and she believed that Huo Lin's affection for her was enough to make Huo Lin persevere.
[I heard her voice; she said I could hold on.]
"Then I must hold on; I can't let her worry."
Huo Lin struggled to muster a sliver of consciousness, his weak voice carrying an indomitable spirit.
Tears welled in Jiang Huan's eyes. She gave Huo Lin a deep look before making way for the imperial physician.
The imperial physician first gave Huo Lin a Hundred-Antidote Pill, a specially formulated antidote from the palace that can neutralize most poisons, but it is made with precious ingredients and is extremely difficult to produce.
Then Physician Chang began to treat him. The immense pain caused Huo Lin's body to convulse violently, and a painful groan escaped his throat.
Jiang Huan stood to the side watching the imperial physician cut flesh to remove the arrow. The knife was clearly cutting into Huo Lin's body, but Jiang Huan felt as if her heart had also been torn open.
After an unknown amount of time, the arrow was finally carefully removed, stained with venom and flesh.
The imperial physicians quickly rinsed the wound with strong liquor, applied wound medicine, and then carefully wrapped it with clean white gauze.
Huo Lin was already drenched in cold sweat, his pale face was full of exhaustion, but the horrifying bluish-purple color on his lips had faded, and his breathing had become steady.
"Your Majesty," Imperial Physician Chang said wearily, wiping the sweat from his brow, his voice hoarse, "the arrowhead poison has been completely removed, and the medicine has been applied. Fortunately, the poison did not reach the heart, but..."
"But what?" Jiang Huan's heart immediately jumped again.
"This poison is potent. Although it has been neutralized, the toxins may affect your mental state. You will need careful treatment and rest. You must not make any further mistakes."
Jiang Huan's heart sank, but she forced herself to remain calm: "I understand, thank you all, imperial physicians."
"Wang Degui, take the imperial physicians to rest and be ready to respond at any time."
The hall finally quieted down, and the palace servants retreated to the outer room, leaving Jiang Huan and Huo Lin, who was still unconscious.
Jiang Huan sat back down on the edge of the bed and took Huo Lin's hand.
Huo Lin's body temperature seemed to have risen a bit, and it was no longer as cold as before.
This warmth finally gave her heart, which had been hanging in mid-air, a little bit of a sense of grounding.
"What an idiot."
He's usually so cautious and steady, so why is he so impulsive at this crucial moment?
If that arrow had been just a few fractions off...
The moment the thought crossed Jiang Huan's mind, she abruptly cut it off.
She dared not think about it, nor did she want to. She simply gripped his hand tighter, as if that would confirm his presence.
After an unknown amount of time, the candle flame burst open. Jiang Huan blinked her sore eyes and realized that her eyelids were so heavy that she could hardly lift them.
She forced herself to look at Huo Lin again, and seeing that his breathing was steady and his complexion was much better than before, she was finally relieved.
In the end, exhaustion triumphed over perseverance.
Jiang Huan lay down by the bed and fell into a deep sleep without realizing it.
She was still holding Huo Lin's hand tightly, as if afraid that if she let go, he would disappear.
As the candlelight in the hall dimmed, it cast the shadows of the two people on the wall, merging them into one, indistinguishable from one another.
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