Chapter 52 Credible "Thank you, Father."
Meeting Qi Jiu was just a minor incident, but after being delayed on the road, Shen Yujiao returned to the villa in the evening. After changing her clothes, she went back to the study to check the accounts. Even though the accounts after April of this year could not be checked, they still had other things to do.
It wasn't until the sun had set and the moon was high in the sky that the news of the Crown Prince's return came from outside. Rubbing her stiff wrists, Shen Yujiao put down her brush and looked up to see Jiang Chen just entering the room.
"Did your investigation go smoothly?"
Jiang Chen didn't answer. He took off his wristband and walked towards her, his steps unsteady. Shen Yujiao was so shocked by this that she immediately stood up and quickly went over to support him. When she touched the warm, wetness on his body, she looked at the red stain on her hand in disbelief.
You're injured!
Before she could speak again, Jiang Chen gripped her wrist tightly and said in a hoarse voice, "Don't alarm anyone, don't call the doctor."
"But, you...you're injured!" Shen Yujiao's voice trembled uncontrollably as she spoke. This was the first time she had ever seen Jiang Chen so badly injured. She had seen Jiang Chen injured before when he was a child, but no matter how serious the injury was, the city kids had never bled so much!
"Help me...to the inner room first, not back to the bedchamber..."
Hearing that Jiang Chen was having some difficulty speaking, Shen Yujiao didn't dare to delay. She helped him around the front hall and into the inner room that had been set up recently for him to stay in the study to settle accounts. She helped Jiang Chen to the bed and saw that his face was pale, his lips were not good, and he was on the verge of fainting.
"Jiang Chen, Jiang Chen," she quickly squatted down and patted Jiang Chen's face, "Don't sleep, wake up, wake up!"
Jiang Chen opened his eyes groggily and took out a small porcelain bottle from his pocket: "This is the medicine the guard gave me. Jiaojiao, can you help me apply the medicine?"
"good......"
Shen Yujiao took the small porcelain bottle from her hand. Looking at the bloodstains on her hands, her hands trembled slightly. She suppressed her emotions and carefully placed the porcelain bottle next to Jiang Chen's pillow. Then she took out a handkerchief and quickly wiped the bloodstains from her hands. She got up and went outside to call for Mu Jin.
"The Crown Prince has just returned and needs to bathe and change. Mu Jin, go and have someone bring water over and place it in the side room behind the study. Have them fill both tubs with water. I want to personally serve His Highness his bath."
"yes."
Mu Jin, with her sharp eyes, immediately noticed the bloodstains on Shen Yujiao's hands. She looked up and met Shen Yujiao's gaze. Her mistress nodded almost imperceptibly and said in a ventriloquism that only the two of them could hear, "Go to the bedchamber later and bring the medicine box over. Don't make a sound, don't let anyone find out. Deliver the water to the side room and don't keep anyone there."
Realizing something might have happened, Mu Jin nodded solemnly and then turned to make arrangements. Shen Yujiao stood at the door of the study, taking a deep breath while looking at the starry sky. She couldn't imagine how Jiang Chen could have been so badly injured. How much pain must Jiang Chen be in right now?
Mu Jin moved swiftly, and two buckets of hot water and several small buckets of warm water were quickly carried into the side room connected to the study. After the maids properly placed the bathing supplies, they left the side room. Once everyone had left, Mu Jin came in carrying a large basin of rose petals.
"Your Highness, what you requested has been brought."
Shen Yujiao reached into the rose petals, lifted them with both hands, and retrieved the medicine box hidden beneath. She rushed back to the inner room and instructed Mu Jin, "Bring me a basin of hot water! And a few more handkerchiefs!"
In less than a quarter of an hour, Jiang Chen had already fainted. Shen Yujiao forced herself to stop looking at his weak face and instead began to change his clothes.
Normally, she probably wouldn't be so bold. If she accidentally tugged at Jiang Chen's clothes during a playful fight, she would blush and shyly avoid him. But now, looking at the bloodstains on the bed, she just wanted to be gentler and faster.
Because Jiang Chen was dressed in all black for convenience, Shen Yujiao had not been able to see how much blood he had lost since he entered the room. But as she unbuttoned his clothes, she saw a long wound between Jiang Chen's ribs and waist. The wound was now slightly turned outwards, and the flesh was a bloody mess.
Holding Jiang Chen's blood-soaked clothes in her hands, Shen Yujiao couldn't help but sob, "Bastard!" What kind of deadly attack could have caused him to be so badly injured?
As soon as Mu Jin brought over the hot water, she saw this scene and couldn't help but take two steps back, almost dropping the copper basin in her hands.
"Quickly rinse the handkerchief in the hot water and hand it to me!"
Shen Yujiao's command brought her back to her senses quickly. Mu Jin quickly dipped the handkerchief into the water, wrung it out until it was half dry, and handed it to Shen Yujiao. Shen Yujiao took the handkerchief, cleaned the bloodstains on his body first, and then she could clearly see the exact location of the wound.
Bloodstained handkerchiefs were soaked in water, and basins of bloody water were carried to the side room. With Mu Jin's help, Shen Yujiao finally bandaged Jiang Chen's wound. She gently draped a thin blanket over Jiang Chen and looked at his pained expression even in his sleep, as dark shadows flashed before her eyes.
Shen Yujiao collapsed weakly beside Jiang Chen's bed. The emotions she had been suppressing for so long finally burst forth. She curled up on the footstool, hugging her knees, crying until her tears dried but daring not to make a sound. She gripped her clothes tightly with both hands, her heart filled with fear and unease.
Such a severe injury would require surgery to stitch it up in the hospital, but Jiang Chen told her to just bandage it with some medicinal powder. In this hot weather, she really couldn't bear to think about that one in ten thousand possibility.
But Jiang Chen's words were not without reason. This trip to Jiangnan was a private matter, and they did not bring the imperial physician with them. If they were to invite a doctor from outside now, firstly, the news would not be kept secret, and secondly, they might not trust Jiangnan under such circumstances.
"Untrustworthy..." A thought flashed through Shen Yujiao's mind. She stared blankly at the account books. "Yes, then why not just find someone trustworthy?"
As soon as Mu Jin entered, she saw their prince huddled there, staring blankly at something. She felt a little flustered and quickly went forward to help him up, but Shen Yujiao suddenly grabbed her: "You stay here and guard the Crown Prince. I'm going to the Duke of Cheng's residence."
Without waiting for Mu Jin's reply, she turned and went back to her bedchamber, quickly changed into men's clothing, and rode her horse to the Duke of Cheng's mansion under the cover of night when there were few people on the road. Fortunately, the gatekeeper had been instructed and she was immediately invited to the front hall where the last meeting had been held.
"Please wait a moment, young master. I will go and report to the Duke right away."
A maidservant served Shen Yujiao tea. She turned to look at the covered bowl and felt that she was indeed very thirsty after rushing all the way. However, she was too weak to use her hands. She sat there, her mind in turmoil.
"Sixth Young Master, is there something you need for your visit so late at night?"
Duke Cheng must still be awake, even though it is already late at night. Yet he is dressed neatly and arrived so quickly. When Shen Yujiao saw him, she suddenly felt a surge of emotion and wanted to cry. She forced back the bitterness in her eyes, stood up and bowed to Duke Cheng.
"I have come here to ask for the assistance of the renowned physician in your household."
"Are you injured?" His voice suddenly became urgent.
Shen Yujiao's eyes were red and swollen. She stared at the ground and shook her head: "It wasn't me."
If it's not Shen Yujiao, then it can only be His Highness the Crown Prince! Realizing this, the Duke of Cheng firmly grasped his daughter's shoulders with both hands and asked, "What do you want?"
"In Jiangnan, the only trustworthy family in the Eastern Palace is the Shen family. Now that His Highness is injured, he may develop a high fever in the middle of the night. The villa needs a doctor, a doctor who is proficient in medicine and can keep a close watch on things."
"Alright, I'll immediately send someone to fetch Dr. Xu, the most skilled physician in the household. Please wait here for a moment, and the household will arrange a carriage to take you away together."
Upon hearing this, Shen Yujiao looked up and watched the Duke of Cheng's hurried departure. She slowly curtsied and said, "Thank you, Father."
The step he was about to take froze on the spot. Duke Cheng opened his mouth but didn't know what to say. He didn't dare to turn around, just waved his hand stiffly, and then strode away from the front hall.
The Duke of Cheng's mansion acted swiftly. Before long, an old man arrived accompanied by a young apprentice. Upon seeing this, Shen Yujiao bowed deeply to him, saying, "Thank you for your trouble."
"I am ready. Young master, please lead the way."
Upon hearing this, Shen Yujiao did not delay any longer. She turned around and nodded to the Duke of Cheng, then led her people out through the side gate. The carriage traveled stealthily back to the villa under the cover of night. After getting off the carriage, Shen Yujiao led Doctor Xu into the study.
"Oh dear, you should have found someone to treat this injury sooner. If you're not careful, it could easily lead to heat poisoning. Luckily, you know to apply medicine and bandage it, but this method is only for emergency use."
Doctor Xu's movements were extremely swift and efficient. With the help of the apprentice beside him, he treated the wounds decisively. Seeing that he was not flustered at all, Shen Yujiao's anxious heart finally calmed down a bit.
After handing the study over to Doctor Xu, she turned and returned to her bedchamber, ordering someone to summon Zhu Yu: "Do you have a way to get the secret guards out to see me?"
Because they were going to the Duke of Cheng's residence in the morning, neither Zhu Yu nor Mu Jin accompanied them today. Therefore, when the Crown Princess asked, Zhu Yu immediately thought of the Crown Prince and wondered if something had happened to him. However, the Crown Prince went to his study after returning home in the evening, and it seemed that nothing had happened.
"If the Crown Princess wishes to see the secret guards, this servant can summon them immediately."
At Shen Yujiao's nod, Zhu Yu turned his back and gestured towards the shadows. Almost instantly, a man in black appeared in front of Shen Yujiao. She was slightly startled by the skill of the ancient guard, but still calmly asked, "Why was the Crown Prince injured today?"
"In response to Your Highness, it was all my dereliction of duty. At the old residence of the He family, we were ambushed. Although we did our best to cover Your Highness's escape, Your Highness was still hit by an arrow."
An arrow! Such a deep and long wound was inflicted by an arrow! This shows how skilled the archer was!
"What are you investigating at the He residence?"
"Your Highness, I do not know exactly what Your Highness wants to investigate. You only led us to search inside and out."
Shen Yujiao also knew about what happened to the He family back then, but more than ten years had passed. With so much time gone by, what could Jiang Chen possibly find out by going to an old house?
Knowing she wouldn't get anything out of the guard, Shen Yujiao waved him away and then led Zhu Yu back to the study.
At this moment, Doctor Xu had already re-bandaged Jiang Chen's wound. Seeing Shen Yujiao return, he instructed, "Keep an eye on him. If he doesn't develop a fever in the latter half of the night, that's fine. But if he does develop a fever, immediately have someone call me."
"Yes, thank you, doctor."
Shen Yujiao respectfully ushered the old man away and instructed Zhu Yu to arrange a good place for him to stay. After everyone had left, Shen Yujiao sat down by the bed. She slowly took Jiang Chen's hand and looked at him lying on the bed in pain. She felt her heart being gripped tightly, and the pain was so intense that she could hardly breathe.
At this moment, she finally understood why Jiang Chen's eyes shone with an unusual light when she woke up from her coma. It was because he was thanking God for bringing her back.
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