Upon hearing this, Meng Zhao's eyes widened suddenly. In the next instant, she staggered into the inner room and saw Shen Qing and Jing Jing lying on the simple wooden bed. Their undergarments were soaked in blood, and the basin of water next to them was almost entirely red. Due to excessive blood loss, even their thin lips had lost their color. Only their slightly rising and falling chests proved that there was still a lingering life in their bodies.
Even though Meng Zhao wasn't afraid of blood, seeing this scene made her legs go weak, and she almost knelt down in front of the bed. Looking at the pale face of the person in front of her, she trembled and reached out to touch him, but then, afraid of aggravating his injuries, she withdrew her hand and turned to Zhao Tieshan, who had followed her in, "Did you call a doctor? What did the doctor say? Is there any hope for this injury?"
"We've already consulted two or three doctors, and they all say the injuries are too severe. The arrow wound wasn't treated in time, and with the excessive blood loss, he's now also experiencing fever. The doctors all say... whether he can pull through depends on Lord Shen's own fate."
Meng Zhao's heart clenched instantly, but there was nothing she could do to help. She could only sit by the bed and worry anxiously. Zhao, the head镖师 (bodyguard), took the opportunity to tell Meng Zhao about their experiences over the past few days.
They had been tracking the man all the way from the inn, leaving behind the unique marks of the escort agency along the way. Later, Shen Qinghe arrived with his men and captured the man on the spot. Because the men were familiar with the man's whereabouts, Shen Qinghe kept them behind for detailed questioning, asking them to explain in detail the places the man had been and the people he had met.
"When we finished our errand and were about to return to the post station to meet you, we ran into Lord Wei on the way! He was carrying the injured Lord Shen on his back, covered in blood, and being chased! In a moment of desperation, he took off Lord Shen's outer robe, put it on himself, and deliberately lured away the pursuers so that we could take Lord Shen and escape from Huai'an as quickly as possible."
We dared not delay, nor dared we seek a doctor. We forcibly cut the arrow in half and fled all the way out of Huai'an before daring to seek medical treatment. But Lord Shen remained unconscious, and we didn't know what to do. We could only leave secret marks at the escort agencies along the way. Fortunately, we finally waited for you."
After a moment's thought, Meng Zhao looked up and asked, "When Wei Ze handed the person over to you, did he give you anything else?"
Chief镖师 Zhao hurriedly took out a bundle from the house: "Yes, this is it, we didn't dare to open it."
She knew without even opening it that what they would protect with their lives must be something deadly. She told Zhao, the head镖师 (bodyguard), to leave first, leaving Huang Cui alone in the room, and solemnly handed her the bundle.
"Take Zhao the镖头 and the others and return to the capital immediately. Once you arrive, do not go home. Go directly to Shuntian Prefecture to find Lord Wang Xian. Remember, you must hand him over to him personally; do not let him pass through any other person."
Huang Cui took the bundle and said urgently, "Shopkeeper, what will you and Lord Shen do if we leave?"
"Don't worry," Meng Zhao patted her hand reassuringly, "We're far from Huai'an now, and we won't be able to find you in a short time. I'll leave Xu Renyi here, and once Shen Qinghe wakes up, we'll move to another village. Right now, delivering the supplies is more important, and I don't trust anyone else with that."
Given Shen Qinghe's current condition, he simply cannot withstand any turbulence. If he keeps the evidence with him, and the pursuers come looking for him, both he and the evidence will fall into their hands. It would be better to send the items out. Even if someone comes looking for him, he can use the whereabouts of the items to negotiate.
Huang Cui wanted to persuade him further, but seeing Meng Zhao's resolute expression, she could only nod emphatically and hug the bundle tightly to her chest. "I understand. I will do my best to deliver the things to the capital."
Although everyone was exhausted, since they had decided to leave, they should do so as soon as possible. Meng Zhao personally escorted the group to the courtyard gate and only returned to the courtyard after seeing them set off.
The courtyard that Chief Escort Zhao found was quite secluded, with its own entrance and only an elderly couple inside. When Meng Zhao returned, the woman stepped forward and said, "Madam, if you need any help, please feel free to ask us."
Meng Zhao first thanked them, then handed them a small ingot of silver. The two quickly declined, saying, "No need, no need. We're old acquaintances with Chief Zhao. We're just helping him take care of a friend. We don't need any silver."
Meng Zhao said gently, "Uncle and Aunt, please don't be so polite. There is an injured person in the house, and we will have to trouble you two to help us find a doctor and prepare medicine. If you don't accept our help, I will feel really bad."
After much persuasion, they finally accepted the money. The woman said warmly, "What would you like to eat, madam? I'll make it right away."
Meng Zhao had no appetite, so she told her to just make some rice porridge. She then looked at Xu Renyi, who had been standing guard by her side, and said, "You should go and rest for a while. I reckon Shen Qinghe will definitely get a fever tonight. If I can't stay awake and fall asleep, I'll have to wake you up to take care of him."
Xu Renyi knew there was no need to force himself at this point, so he nodded and said, "Alright, if anything happens, just call me. I'm a light sleeper and I'll wake up as soon as you call me." After saying that, he went to the next room and lay down to sleep fully clothed.
After everything was arranged, Meng Zhao returned to the room and gently sat down beside Shen Qinghe's bed. Soon after, the woman brought in the prepared medicine. Meng Zhao thanked her and took the medicine. She carefully propped up Shen Qinghe's head and shoulders, held his chin with one hand, and began to feed him the medicine with the other.
After only one bite, Shen Qinghe frowned and shook his head to avoid it. The brown medicine dripped down the corner of his mouth. Fortunately, Meng Zhao had put down a cloth beforehand, so the bed was not soiled.
"Shen Qinghe? Shen Qinghe?" Meng Zhao thought he was awake and called out several times, but he didn't open his eyes. He guessed it was because the medicine was really hard to drink and his body was subconsciously resisting it.
But how could he get better without taking the medicine? She hardened her heart, half-embracing him in her arms, holding his chin with one hand and holding the medicine bowl with the other, forcing him to drink the rest of the medicine.
"Cough cough..." Shen Qinghe coughed lightly, his brows furrowing even more. Meng Zhao quickly took out a handkerchief and wiped the medicine stains from his lips and neck while gently comforting him, "Bear with it, you'll feel better after you finish your medicine."
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