Chapter 296 Snatching a Person from the King of Hell!
The carriage did not head towards the palace, but went straight back to the Xiao residence.
The gate of the mansion was already brightly lit, with many people around.
Several imperial physicians, led by the chief physician, awaited the imperial decree.
Madam Xiao, supported by Granny Song, stood at the front, holding prayer beads in her hand. Her expression was calm, but the occasional twirling of the beads betrayed her inner anxiety.
She knew that her grandson's solo intrusion into the Grand Princess's residence, which had prompted the entire Imperial Medical Academy to mobilize, was no small matter.
She only has one grandson in the Xiao family, so nothing can happen to him!
Madam Xiao, standing beside her, was ramrod straight with a furrowed brow.
She was worried about both her son's life and Lu Zhaoruo's safety, wondering if the child had been wronged.
On the other hand, I feel very gratified.
She knew better than anyone that her son was deeply in love with Zhaoruo, but he repeatedly backed down and kept his feelings hidden.
Tonight, his reckless act of breaking into the mansion, disregarding his own life, was the most resolute confession, revealing his deep-seated love to Zhao Ruo and to everyone else without reservation.
This child has finally figured it out and is no longer afraid!
Madam He steadily supported Old Madam Xiao from the side. She sighed softly and whispered to Old Madam Xiao in a tone full of worry and heartache, "Aunt, please take good care of yourself... Ye Ming is a very honest and upright person, but he is too naive."
She paused slightly, her gaze sweeping over the busy imperial physicians, her voice lowered even further, filled with reluctance: "The Grand Princess is such a noble person. Inviting Lady Lu to the residence was merely a matter of exchanging a few intimate words. But look how anxious Ye Ming is... he must be so afraid that Lady Lu might feel even slightly unwell, and he just barged in without a care in the world."
"So many imperial physicians have been alarmed... I wonder how much suffering he endured inside to protect that Lady Lu... It's truly heartbreaking."
She had barely finished speaking.
The sounds of wheels and footsteps came from the alley entrance.
The carriage came to a stop under the protection of the Imperial Guards. Eunuch Zhao stepped down from the carriage first, his gaze sweeping over the crowd in the rain. His expression was solemn, and he did not utter a word.
The carriage curtain was lifted, and when the imperial guards carried Xiao Yeming, who was covered in blood, unconscious, and barely breathing, out of the carriage—
"Nightfall!"
Madam Xiao's face changed drastically. She cried out in pain and rushed to the stretcher. Looking at her son's pale face, she was trembling all over.
She suppressed the surging pain in her heart and turned to the imperial physicians: "Quickly! Imperial physicians, I thank you all! Save him quickly!"
Old Madam Xiao gasped and stumbled, but was fortunately supported by Madam He and Granny Song.
She looked at her grandson's miserable state and clenched her prayer beads tightly.
Just then, Lu Zhaoruo, who had gotten out of the car and was covered in blood, staggered and followed the stretcher.
Madam Xiao's gaze suddenly turned cold, her eyes sweeping between Lu Zhaoruo and her grandson like knives. Her lips were tightly pressed together, suppressing all the blame in her throat.
He immediately noticed her aunt's displeasure, her eyes reddened, tears streamed down her face, and her voice choked with sobs: "Aunt... look at Ye Ming like this... it feels like my heart is being ripped out... how could such a good person..."
She changed the subject slightly, her gaze turning sorrowfully to Lu Zhaoruo, her voice growing even more poignant: "Madam Lu, what exactly happened? Why is Ye Ming so badly injured? But you... you seem to be unharmed. How can this not raise suspicions..."
Lu Zhaoruo's lips were pale, her mind filled with Xiao Yeming's safety. She had no heart to answer and silently stepped forward to follow the stretcher inside.
Upon seeing this, Madam He abruptly released her hand, stepped in front of Lu Zhaoruo, and spread her arms to block her way, her tone urgent and fiery: "Madam Lu, please wait! You must not go in!"
She looked back at the receding stretcher, tears streaming down her face, and said, "Ye Ming's injuries are horrific. The imperial physician needs absolute quiet to treat him! Your blood and energy cannot be disturbed. If you disturb his mind and delay his treatment, wouldn't that... wouldn't that cost him his life!"
Wang Miaoyin, standing nearby, covered her face and wept, saying, "Brother Yeming is already in such a terrible state, why do you have to make things worse for him..."
"Mr. He, step back!"
Madam Xiao turned around and shouted angrily, shoving He Shi aside and firmly grasping Lu Zhaoruo's cold hand: "Zhaoruo, come inside with me! At this moment, only you can calm Ye and keep her mind at ease, so how can you say that you are being disrespectful!"
Old Madam Xiao frowned, as if about to speak...
Eunuch Zhao stepped forward steadily, his figure perfectly separating the line of sight between Old Madam Xiao, Madam He, and Lu Zhaoruo: "What Madam Xiao said makes sense. Although General Xiao's injuries are serious, his mind is only on Madam Lu. If we forcibly prevent Madam Lu from entering the room, causing the General to be unsettled and his blood to rush to his head, we will miss the golden opportunity for treatment. When I return to the palace, I will really have no way to explain to the Emperor."
After saying this, he stepped aside to make way, gave Lu Zhaoruo a slight nod, and his tone became urging: "Madam Lu, please come in quickly. General Xiao needs you. I also need to return to the palace immediately to report to the Emperor."
Lu Zhaoruo glanced gratefully at Eunuch Zhao, then without further hesitation, quickly lowered her head and passed through the crowd, disappearing into the depths of the mansion's corridors in the direction of the stretcher.
Eunuch Zhao watched her enter, then turned to Madam Xiao and bowed slightly, saying, "Madam Xiao, this old servant takes his leave."
Having said that, without waiting for a reply, he turned and led the eunuch away, stepping into the night and drizzling rain.
As Old Madam Xiao watched Eunuch Zhao's departing figure, her face was so gloomy it could drip water. In the end, she only managed to squeeze out a cold snort from her throat before turning back to the mansion without saying a word, supported by Granny Song.
Madam He quickly helped her aunt up and whispered to Wang Miaoyin, who was still sobbing beside her, "What's the use of crying! Go back!"
Wang Miaoyin was so frightened by her mother's scolding that she fell silent and could only timidly follow her inside.
Madam Xiao remained standing there, gazing in the direction where her son and Lu Zhaoruo had disappeared, her eyes filled with the worries of a mother.
She took a deep breath and instructed those around her, "Disperse, everyone. Keep to your duties and do not disturb the imperial physician's treatment."
After saying that, he resolutely walked into the mansion.
Quiet room.
The imperial guards carefully placed the unconscious Xiao Yeming on a sickbed that had already been covered with a clean white cloth, then quickly bowed and withdrew, leaving the space to the imperial physician.
As soon as the door closed, the air inside instantly became so heavy it was almost viscous.
Imperial Physician Yang, with a solemn expression, immediately stepped forward to take Xiao Ye's pulse. When his fingertips touched Xiao Ye's wrist, his face suddenly darkened.
Xiao Yeming's face was ashen, and his breathing was so weak it was almost imperceptible; he was on the verge of death.
He quickly examined the injuries to his back and buttocks, and saw that the fragments of his robe were deeply embedded in his flesh, a mess, and blood was still seeping out.
"A weak and shallow pulse is a sign of impending collapse due to the depletion of qi and blood!"
In a low, urgent voice, Imperial Physician Yang said, "Quickly! First, use the wound medicine Baijiang Dan to stop the bleeding! Then immediately administer the Ginseng and Aconite Decoction to keep him alive!"
At the command, the atmosphere inside the room became increasingly tense.
Physician He immediately took out a white jade bottle and precisely sprinkled the snow-white powder of Baijiang Dan (a traditional Chinese medicine) onto the deepest part of the wound to stop the bleeding.
Physician Wang then pried open Xiao Ye's closed jaw and carefully poured in a thick, dark ginseng and aconite soup to strengthen his body and replenish his vital energy.
Yang, the Imperial Physician, then carefully cut away the clothing stuck to the wound with golden scissors.
As the fabric was peeled away, the bruised, swollen, and almost necrotic flesh beneath was revealed. He couldn't help but gasp: "The blood under the skin is congealed, swollen and hard as a rock. Just how much has he suffered...?"
Lu Zhaoruo, who had been suppressing her grief and staying by the bedside, raised her head upon hearing this, tears welling in her eyes. Her voice was hoarse but clear as she replied, "Thirty strokes... a full thirty strokes of the water and fire rod... the last two strokes were even on his knees..."
Her words struck like a heavy hammer against the hearts of every imperial physician.
Dean Yang closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened his eyes again, his gaze was even more sorrowful.
He gestured for Physician Zhong to examine his legs.
After examining the completely deformed knees, Physician Zhong said in a trembling voice, "Academician Yang... the knee bones are completely shattered, and the tendons and veins are severed!"
Looking at the horrific scene, Physician Wang exclaimed, "Thirty strokes of the cane! With bones and muscles so badly damaged, General Xiao has managed to endure until now, all thanks to his indomitable spirit! Truly the spirit of a tiger general!"
With a furrowed brow, Imperial Physician Yang resolutely declared, "Silver needles! Unblock the meridians and remove blood stasis; we'll snatch lives from the jaws of death!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
