Steam rose from the pot, and the rice porridge emitted an enticing aroma.
Lu Jingze couldn't sit up yet, so Wang Xiuxiu fed him spoonful by spoonful.
The porridge was at just the right temperature when it entered his mouth, giving him an unprecedented sense of satisfaction.
Having escaped the terrifying scene of yesterday, Wang Xiuxiu finally had time to calm down and think about whatever came to mind.
This guy usually acts all domineering and has no say in anything, but now that he's injured, he's as docile as a kitten.
Just as she was lost in thought, a faint sound seemed to come from outside the cave.
The two held their breath and dared not make a sound.
A short while later, the sound rang out again. It didn't sound like human footsteps, but rather like the sound of some small animal scratching at the door with its claws.
Deep inside the cave were some wooden planks and other miscellaneous items. Wang Xiuxiu had blocked the entrance last night, so now the two of them could only rely on their hearing to distinguish things.
Wang Xiuxiu suddenly remembered something, and carefully walked to the edge of the cave, looking out through the crack.
When he saw the situation outside, he instantly revealed an expression of undisguised surprise.
"Sir, it's alright, it's my Songsong!"
Wang Xiuxiu quickly moved some of the wooden planks aside and put it in.
As soon as Songsong came in, she rushed into Wang Xiuxiu's arms.
"Songsong! How did you find this place?!"
After realizing there was danger last night, Wang Xiuxiu immediately released Songsong.
Although the little guy has a keen sense of smell, it couldn't withstand the fact that it had snowed all night yesterday, which had already covered up the two people's traces and scents.
That's why Songsong spent a lot of time braving the snow to come to the door.
The two hid in the cave for most of the day, with Wang Xiuxiu holding Songsong, somewhat worried.
"Sir, the snow is so heavy, are we really not going to find our own way out?"
Lu Jingze gently shook his head. "No need. I sent people to nearby prefectures and counties for help before the incident. They will come back to find us."
Wang Xiuxiu's face was still full of worry. "I'm afraid they'll think we've been killed and stop looking for us."
Lu Jingze smiled slightly and comforted them, "No, they won't dare to leave until they see our bodies."
Hearing this, Wang Xiuxiu felt a little relieved.
Outside the cave, the wind and snow continued to rage, but inside, the fire emitted a warm glow.
Just as Lu Jingze said, just past noon, a series of footsteps suddenly came from outside the cave.
Wang Xiuxiu's heart tightened suddenly. She quickly grabbed the crossbow bolt beside her and looked warily toward the cave entrance.
Lu Jingze only removed the wooden planks after confirming that they were there to find them.
There's someone here!
Wang Xiuxiu called out for help, and only then did the group notice that there was a hole hidden there!
The heavy snow had been falling for a long time, burying the shelter at the entrance of the cave. In addition, there were traces of small animals like pine needles walking by, so the searchers had no idea that the two were hiding there.
The figure outside the cave paused for a moment, then a familiar voice rang out: "Miss Wang, it's us!"
Wang Xiuxiu was stunned for a moment, then recognized the owner of the voice—it was Lu Jingze's personal guard.
The guards entered the cave and, seeing that Lu Jingze was safe and sound, their faces lit up with joy: "We followed the footprints all the way, but they were later covered by snow, so we had to search around here. Is Your Highness alright?"
Wang Xiuxiu nodded: "He was injured, but his life is not in danger for the time being."
The guards breathed a sigh of relief, and one of them said, "Miss Wang, we can't stay here any longer. We must leave as soon as possible. They may still be searching the area."
"Okay, let's go now."
She turned back to Lu Jingze's side and said softly, "Lu Jingze, we're leaving."
Lu Jingze slightly opened his eyes and nodded.
---
Lu Jingze was carried down the mountain, and Wang Xiuxiu followed closely behind, getting into the carriage together to take care of him.
The wheels crunched and groaned on the thick snow, as if telling the story of the hardships they had endured along the way.
Inside the carriage, Lu Jingze remained unconscious, his face as pale as paper, his breathing so weak it was almost inaudible.
Wang Xiuxiu sat beside him, carefully wiping the cold sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief.
After traveling for only a few hours, the group finally arrived at the "Return to Manor" that Lu Jingze had mentioned earlier.
The villa is nestled in a quiet valley, surrounded by snow-covered pine forests, making it exceptionally serene.
The owner of the villa was an elderly man in his sixties with a kind face, but his eyes were not without shrewdness.
When he saw Lu Jingze being carried off the carriage, he quickly bowed and stepped forward to greet him.
The old man led everyone into the manor, where a doctor was already waiting in the hall.
As soon as Lu Jingze arrived, the doctor immediately began to examine and treat him.
The old doctor stroked his gray beard, his expression grave, and instructed someone to cut open Lu Jingze's clothes.
As the clothes were cut open, everyone present couldn't help but gasp.
Lu Jingze's body was covered in bruises and wounds, some of which were still bleeding. The arrow wound on his chest was particularly gruesome, with the flesh torn open.
Wang Xiuxiu stood aside, watching the doctor clean Lu Jingze's wounds, apply medicine, and bandage him.
Knowing she couldn't be of much help here, she quietly left and found an empty room to freshen up.
Her clothes were soaked with blood and sweat, her hair was disheveled, and she looked utterly wretched.
After washing up, Wang Xiuxiu changed into clean clothes and was about to go back to check on Lu Jingze when she saw two guards carrying a basin of bloody water out of the house.
The strong smell of blood mixed with the smell of herbs made her frown.
She hurried into the room, where the old doctor was sitting at the table writing a prescription, while Lu Jingze lay on the bed, his face frighteningly pale.
Wang Xiuxiu took a clean handkerchief from the side, moistened it with warm water, and gently wiped the sweat from Lu Jingze's face with gentle and meticulous movements.
Seeing this, the old doctor touched his nose somewhat embarrassedly: "You are so thoughtful. I was so focused on treating the wound that I didn't notice these things."
"It's alright, sir. But how is his injury?"
The old doctor sighed, his tone heavy: "Madam, please don't be offended. The other wounds on your body aren't too serious; they'll heal with some rest. However, the arrow wound in your chest must have been forcibly pulled out, causing severe damage. I've already removed the rotten flesh, but the wound still needs to be dressed every few hours. In this remote and impoverished area, medicinal herbs are limited, so your recovery depends on yourself."
Upon hearing this, Wang Xiuxiu's heart sank, and she no longer bothered to correct his form of address.
Suddenly remembering Lu Jingze's bottle of pills, she hurriedly took out the bottle, poured out a few pills, and handed them to the old doctor: "Sir, do you think these pills might be effective?"
The old doctor took the pill, examined it carefully for a moment, then smelled it. A hint of surprise flashed in his eyes: "It's effective! This pill is excellent; it has a miraculous effect on your injuries!"
"Should we feed him another one now?"
"Hello?" The old doctor looked up in confusion. "These pills are for external use. Why is Madam feeding them to you?"
Wang Xiuxiu was taken aback, then explained, "The master said before that this pill can be taken orally or used externally. I saw that you have already bandaged your wound, so I thought it would be more convenient to take it orally."
Upon hearing this, the old doctor pondered for a moment and nodded: "Since it is what you say, sir, then it must be correct. However, based on my many years of medical experience, external application will be more effective. Bandaging is not a big deal; it can be redone. Since you are seriously injured, sir, and we have such good medicine, let's apply some to the wound."
Wang Xiuxiu nodded in agreement: "Okay, thank you for your help."
The old doctor waved his hand and said with a smile, "It's nothing, it's nothing, you're too kind, madam."
The old doctor treated the wound again, but not trusting others, he personally went to prepare the medicine.
After the old doctor left, only Wang Xiuxiu and two bodyguards remained in the room.
The guards who had been standing by saw that Wang Xiuxiu was looking after their master, so they tactfully retreated to the doorway to stand guard as well.
The two stood outside the door and began to talk in hushed tones.
"Sixth Brother, did you see that the pills Miss Wang took out just now? Were they the Healing Pills?" one of the guards asked in a low voice.
“It’s crystal clear, absolutely!” another guard nodded in agreement.
"How come I remember that the Healing Pill contained a lot of Coptis chinensis and could only be applied externally?"
"Yes, it can only be used externally."
"That Miss Wang said that His Highness said it could be taken internally. After taking this pill, it's really tough on our Prince."
The guard named An Liu rolled his eyes at him and said in a low voice, "What do you know! Which eye of yours saw the prince suffering? I think our prince clearly feels very sweet!"
The two exchanged a smile and said nothing more.
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