Just then, a "thump" was heard from a corner of the yard.
Hearing the sound, everyone in the courtyard looked over and saw a small, snow-white kitten with a small copper bell around its neck. For some reason, it had fallen from the high wall and landed heavily on the ground.
It was meowing incessantly at everyone, seemingly with the same fear in its voice.
Upon seeing it, Qiaohui rushed over, bent down, and gently stroked its little head while carefully examining it.
Suddenly, she exclaimed in surprise, "Hey, isn't this the little pet that our Empress specially sent people all the way from her motherland, Western Qin, to find for the young prince? How did it end up in our courtyard?"
The crowd surrounding it was also dumbfounded, seemingly clueless as to why such a pampered cat would be here.
Only a woman's intermittent voice faintly came through: "Yes, yes, this is the little cat that our Empress raised for the young prince. Whenever the young prince cries and fusses, he immediately stops crying and calms down as soon as he sees it. It is very effective."
"I heard this cat was found in the Qin King's mansion in Western Qin. It originally belonged to His Highness the Qin King, the God of War who was famous throughout the entire Lingkong Continent, but after the Great War in the Northwest..."
Just then, Qiaolan hurriedly turned around to look behind her, but did not see Yi Shangyun's figure. She quickly shushed everyone and warned, "Shh, everyone, shut your mouths! Have you all forgotten what the Third Prince instructed? No one is allowed to mention a single word about the Prince of Qin or Western Qin in front of the young lady."
Upon hearing this, everyone immediately fell silent.
At this moment, the more she looked at it, the more she liked it. Her fingers touched its soft fur and looked at its bright, round eyes. Suddenly, Qiaohui picked up the kitten, lifted it high above her head, and spun it around.
Suddenly, Qiaolan, who was in the crowd, seemed to notice something and reminded Qiaohui, who was lovingly stroking the kitten, "Qiaohui, stop! Quickly check it carefully; this cat seems to be injured!"
"Ah? You're injured? Where are you injured?" Qiaohui said anxiously as she picked it up and carefully examined its entire body from head to toe.
As she carefully parted the long, soft fur covering the kitten, until she reached its hind leg, she suddenly exclaimed, "Oh dear, it really is! This cat is indeed injured. Look at its paw, it's swollen and purple."
"What should we do? What should we do? His Highness loves this cat from Western Qin the most. If we don't have it, what will our Empress do when His Highness throws a tantrum? I heard that this little cat is the only one of its kind in the Western Qin palace!"
A young palace maid suddenly said with concern.
Just as everyone was at a loss, Qiaolan frowned and thought for a moment. She then took out a clean white handkerchief from her body and stepped forward to bandage the wound. Suddenly, a voice came from behind her and stopped her: "Stop!"
Upon hearing the sound, everyone turned around and looked at him. They saw a handsome young man with delicate features, his black hair tied up with a white ribbon, and wearing a blue brocade robe.
Everyone stared in astonishment at the handsome young man before them.
"Why did you suddenly dress like this, young lady? Have you finally figured things out?" After a long while, Qiaolan, who was still tightly clutching the white handkerchief in her hand, asked in surprise and daze.
However, Yi Shangyun, dressed in men's clothing, seemed to have no expression on his face at the moment. He simply stepped over the threshold inside the house, then stepped over the stone steps in front of the door, and walked down quickly, heading straight into the crowd.
Upon seeing this, everyone quickly made way for her. She glanced at the kitten's swollen hind paws and immediately instructed it, "Quickly place its body on the table and stop shaking and playing with it."
"Put it down quickly, put it down quickly..."
"Put it here, put it here..."
"Be gentle, be gentle..."
Immediately, the servants were all in a flurry of activity, but they were also quite clever and careful in helping to quickly place the kitten on the stone table in the corner of the courtyard.
Yi Shangyun seemed to feel a little more at ease, and then looked around at the layout of the courtyard, as if searching for something.
Only then did they realize that although everything here was indeed old and simple, it was spotless and well-organized thanks to the hard work of the maids and servants over the past few days.
Suddenly, she noticed a large lotus pond in the backyard, so she rolled up one of her sleeves and stepped closer to it.
"Miss..." Qiaolan was puzzled and was about to ask when she realized that she should change her form of address. So she said, "Young master, what are you looking for? Let me help you!"
So, following closely behind Qiaolan, apart from Qiaohui who was busy pressing the kitten down on the stone table, all the servants rushed forward, rolled up their sleeves high, and said eagerly, "Young master, we'll all help you!"
Watching Yi Shangyun roll up his sleeves high and bend down to grope haphazardly in the lotus pond, Qiaolan watched for a long time without understanding what he was looking for, so she asked, "What is the young master looking for in the pond?"
Just then, Yi Shangyun paused for a moment, then smiled and scooped a leech out of the pool. It was slightly flattened, at first glance looked like a cylinder, with a greenish-black back, five yellow longitudinal lines, and a flat, grayish-green belly.
She deliberately hid it behind her back, then suddenly raised it in front of Qiaolan's eyes. Qiaolan, completely unprepared, was startled and cried out, "Ah! Young master, what is this? What are you...?"
Yi Shangyun laughed uncontrollably, looking at the ugly, disgusting, and actually quite inconspicuous little thing tightly held in his hand, and said, "This kind of leech is also called a vampire."
As soon as he opened his mouth, everyone around him took out handkerchiefs and turned to cover their mouths and noses, saying with extreme disgust and revulsion, "Ugh, it's a leech, how disgusting!"
Yi Shangyun chuckled to himself and said, "Don't underestimate this seemingly disgusting little thing. It was already recorded in the Shennong's Classic of Materia Medica and has high medicinal value."
"Oh? What use are these leeches that are everywhere in the fields, along the edges of the road, and in the mud of puddles?" Qiaolan asked, puzzled.
Yi Shangyun snorted and said, "Soon, I will let you all see its power with your own eyes, so watch carefully!"
As she spoke, she reached out and placed a leech she had just caught on the kitten's injured paw, while gently stroking the kitten's head with her other hand to ease its tension.
She then slowly explained, "I noticed earlier that this cat isn't just simply injured; it's actually poisoned. Look at its paw; it's swollen and purplish-red, almost necrotic. If it's not treated quickly, it will either have to have its paw amputated or die."
Everyone was stunned, staring intently at the impending miracle.
As soon as the leech touched the kitten's paw, it began to work diligently, its body gradually becoming rounder and rounder, as time passed by...
"No, I need a few more leeches! Qiaohui, gently hold its body down, don't use too much force, I have to go catch a few more..."
Before Yi Shangyun could finish speaking, a group of servants and lackeys shouted in unison, "Leave the catching of leeches to us. Young master, you only need to stay here and take care of this poor little cat's wounds."
Yi Shangyun smiled and nodded gratefully, then carefully instructed, "Thank you all very much. Please be careful and don't let this cunning little beast hurt you!"
"It is our greatest honor to serve you, young master! Rest assured, young master, we will be right back." The servants cheered and disappeared in a flash.
About fifteen minutes later, the second one, the third one...
As several leeches grew larger and larger, the kitten was finally saved.
Seeing this, everyone breathed a long sigh of relief. Yi Shangyun personally applied some herbs to the kitten to completely remove the toxins from its wounds, carefully bandaged it up, and then handed it over to Qiaohui with peace of mind: "Alright, in a couple of days, it will be as lively as before."
She smiled slightly, then suddenly seemed to remember something and asked Qiaohui, "By the way, where did this cat come from? It looks somewhat familiar, like I've seen it somewhere before?"
Upon hearing this, Qiaohui immediately looked into Qiaolan's eyes, and Qiaolan hurriedly stepped forward to explain: "This kind of cat is extremely gentle and cute. It has always been very popular in our Dongning Kingdom. Whether it is high-ranking officials or common people, they all keep it. I'm sure you have seen it somewhere before and it looks familiar to you."
"Hmm, perhaps!" Yi Shangyun frowned and said quietly.
Then, as he turned back towards the house, he instructed Qiaolan and Qiaohui, "Take it down and take good care of it. I suddenly feel a little tired and want to go back to the house to rest for a while. Don't disturb it, and I don't want to see anyone, understand?"
"Understood!" Qiaolan and Qiaohui bowed to them.
Only after seeing Yi Shangyun enter the house did Qiaohui finally breathe a long sigh of relief, patting her chest and saying, "I was so scared, so scared! Luckily you were here, and thankfully she believed you."
Qiaolan stared blankly at Yi Shangyun's departing figure, her face clouded with worry, and said, "In my opinion, if she stays here, something bad is bound to happen sooner or later!"
No sooner had he finished speaking than an uninvited guest appeared at the door.
Upon catching a glimpse of the two figures from afar, the man said with an anxious expression, "Sisters Qiaolan and Qiaohui..."
Who could she be?
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