Chapter 104: Stopping the Bleeding “We all cross over together.”
There was a cacophony of voices everywhere, and the wind was shrill and harsh.
The last wisp of thin cloud in the sky was also melted away by the sun. Looking up, I saw the clear blue sky and the bright sun hanging high in the sky.
Everyone, including Gongsun Jia, thought that the independent woman would never give up the idea of asking him to go out with her. Although Gongsun Jia felt depressed, he was also slightly surprised at what else this woman would use to persuade him.
Unexpectedly, the woman bowed, her voice solemn and apologetic, as she spoke, "Sir, I indeed overstepped my bounds today. I...you do have good advice, but I was narrow-minded. Now, after hearing your words, I have come to my senses. I hope you will forgive my ignorance for my offense today. I thank you."
People came and went in a hurry. She jumped on the horse and pulled the reins. The people watching consciously made way for her, leaving only the old and the young in the sedan looking at each other in bewilderment.
Gongsun Jia's expression faded, replaced by a hint of confusion. "What profound and profound words did I say that would broaden her mind?"
The bird made a "hmm" sound for a long while, and finally, it just shook its head.
When he rolled up the carriage curtain, he saw that the girl was gone.
Gongsun Jia felt disappointed. For some reason, when he saw the unwilling yet tenacious little girl just now, he subconsciously thought... If his daughter Ah Xi was still alive... what kind of girl would she have grown up to be?
Thinking of this, he laughed at himself.
What does it mean to be a respected elder? What does it mean to have excellent medical skills? What does it mean to have the ability to bring back the dead?
It's all bullshit.
He couldn't even save his own wife and daughter, so how could he have the face to practice medicine and save people?
Quesheng sensed something was amiss with Gongsun Jia. He leaned dejectedly against the carriage wall, muttering to someone he did not know: "She lifted me up so high, fearing I might fall to my death? She even attributes such righteousness and benevolence to me. How can I, Gongsun, bear the weight of this? Leaving aside righteousness and benevolence, I'm not even worthy of the word hypocrisy... I... am nothing but a coward. After one defeat, my back was broken and my spirit was gone. Now seeing how resilient the younger generation is, I, as an elder, really..."
"I'm so ashamed of myself," the old man said, taking advantage of the situation to persuade him, "Let's go home, sir!"
His sister is still living with his aunt and hasn't been picked up yet.
Gongsun Jia glared at him, "If you keep talking nonsense, I'll send you to Hades' Palace to be tortured for 9981 days and become an animal!"
"……oh."
…
Pass through the north gate and enter the prison.
The young eunuch was quite smart. When the jailer saw Zhu Hao coming, he hurriedly asked his name and did not stop him. It seemed that he had informed him in advance. However, as he walked along, he could see that the prison was heavily guarded and many more people were on duty.
A jailer led Zhu Hao to a damp and gloomy prison. Just as they turned the corner, a strong smell of blood mixed with a damp and moldy smell went straight into Zhu Hao's nose. His heart was in his throat. Before he entered, he had already caught a glimpse of a pool of dark red inside through the wooden pillars of the prison. Looking up, he saw a person lying on a haystack, his face ashen and drenched in sweat. It was Mei Lianqing.
The conditions in prison were very harsh and it was not suitable for the injured to stay for a long time. Unfortunately, Mei Lianqing's illness was not a minor one, but a complete break of one leg starting from the base of the thigh. If he moved a little, blood would gush out.
When the jailer opened the cell door, Zhu Hao hurried forward and saw that the man had already fainted, his breath so weak that it was almost inaudible. Looking at the wound, he found that it was only wrapped in a rotten, yellowed quilt, and blood was still oozing from the bottom, slowly spreading out.
It's not that the bleeding is about to stop, but that the bleeding is about to stop.
At this point, neither the civilian doctors nor the Imperial Medical Bureau doctors had shown up. Zhu Hao prayed repeatedly in his heart, hoping that the Eighth Battalion's men were already on their way to the prison. Whether they were doctors or ordinary doctors, they could at least stop the bleeding first...
I wish you a good mind, yes, stop the bleeding...
However, as she placed her hands on the mattress covering the severed area, Zhu Hao paused. Should she wait a little longer? What if... the doctors, the imperial physician, arrived soon? However, it was still early in the morning, and after what happened last night, were there really any doctors in the city who wouldn't rest or leave the city, but instead open their businesses as usual? Could the imperial physician hidden by Shuanzi be so easy to find?
She had never gambled before, but ever since she met Song Xieqing...
She took a deep breath, made up her mind, and pressed her hands down on the blood-soaked mattress again.
At that moment, her eyes swept across and fell on something that was sticking out from the side. Zhu Hao's eyes almost collapsed. It was a bloody severed limb. The severed part was jagged and hideous, obviously caused by several blows of a knife. There were even a few scattered pieces of bone debris on the ground... At this moment, a huge rat was busy gnawing on it.
Zhu Hao couldn't hold it in any longer, her stomach churned, and she leaned over to vomit. Fortunately, she hadn't eaten or drunk anything for almost a day, so at most she vomited out some sour water. But what followed was a numbing scalp and a pounding heart, so much so that her legs and feet no longer obeyed her, and she fell to the ground, still trembling.
The jailer hurried forward to chase away the rat and was about to call someone to help Zhu Hao, who was lying on the ground, out of the prison. In a blink of an eye, he saw the woman had stood up by holding the wooden pillar, but her hands and feet were still shaking.
The prison had only a small window, letting in a thin, shallow stream of sunlight. It was currently falling on the woman, her face devoid of any color, her lower lip deeply scarred. At this moment, she straightened her back and spoke softly but firmly, "The prison should have a branding iron... Bring it, and also some clean, soft linen, water, and... Panax notoginseng powder. Hurry, understand?"
The jailer was stunned, knowing that the situation was critical, and hurriedly took the order and left.
Zhu Hao stood quietly for a moment, regulating his breathing and concentrating his mind. A while ago, when he was copying medical classics in Gongsun Mansion, he came across an article on the method of stopping bleeding. Although there are many methods to stop bleeding, such as applying medicine, plugging, and burning... Mei Lianqing's wound is so huge that the only way to stop the bleeding is the extremely painful and dangerous method of burning.
She wasn't entirely sure. Fear surged through her nose and mouth like a tide, making it hard for her to breathe. But now that things had come to this, was she really going to ride all the way here, only to be frightened and return in vain? Besides, there was no time for hesitation.
Zhu Hao moved her legs, which felt like they were filled with lead, and took the first step, then the second. She squatted down in front of Mei Lianqing and sniffed his breath, which was even weaker than before. Zhu Hao tried to call him, but to no avail. She made up her mind and put her hands on the mattress of the broken limb for the umpteenth time. Without any hesitation, Zhu Hao untied the mattress in a few seconds, revealing the broken limb that looked exactly like the one on the ground. She saw the rolled up flesh and jagged bones, which frightened Zhu Hao so much that she felt a dull pain in her legs for no reason.
The jailer had brought back the things she needed and handed the red-hot iron to her with great caution. Zhu Hao took it calmly. The jailer had probably figured out her intention. This method... they often used it when executing people in prison. It could stop bleeding, but it could also be used as a punishment. It wasn't that no one had suggested using this method to stop Lord Mei's bleeding first. The bad thing was that this method was too cruel and few people could withstand it. Besides, the injured person was a Minister of Personnel. Who would have the courage to do it?
Therefore, the three or two jailers could only wait quietly in the cell, waiting for Zhu Hao to send them at any time. There was admiration in their eyes when they looked at Zhu Hao.
When Zhu Hao first took the branding iron, her hands trembled uncontrollably, but after just a moment, she no longer hesitated and placed the red-hot iron on the base of Mei Lianqing's broken leg. Although the jailers had witnessed countless tortures, they could not bear to watch it at this moment. The only sound in the silent cell was the sizzling sound of the branding iron burning the flesh, occasionally mixed with the woman's depressed and disordered breathing, and then a faint cry of pain came out of the throat of the man on the haystack.
Zhu Hao raised his head and met Mei Lianqing's almost dazed eyes. He did not struggle much, perhaps because he had been exhausted for a long time, or because he knew that Zhu Hao was stopping the bleeding for him.
"Put the handkerchief into the lord's mouth." Zhu Hao gave the order as calmly as possible, but the tail end of his voice had already trembled uncontrollably. The jailer hurried forward and stuffed a clean handkerchief into Mei Lianqing's mouth. The faint groan of pain in his throat turned into suppressed sobs.
The reason for stuffing something in his mouth was, firstly, to give him a place to vent his emotions, and secondly, to prevent him from biting his tongue subconsciously to commit suicide due to the extreme pain. Even so, the handkerchief stuffed in his mouth had left a bloodstain.
The haystack under Mei Lianqing was soaked. He clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white and his fingers pinching into his palms. The pain was unbearable and no matter how much strength he had lost, his body couldn't help but twitch and spasm. Seeing this, several jailers rushed forward and restrained him.
"Change it." Zhu Hao handed the branding iron, which was gradually losing its red color, to the jailer on the other side, and then took a new iron that had just been fished out of the charcoal fire. Mei Lianqing raised his eyes and took a look. He actually closed his eyes, his face was twisted, and there were tears in the corners of his eyes. He had lost his former elegance and handsomeness.
Zhu Hao took the opportunity to glance at him, fearing that Mei Lianqing was unconscious. She suppressed the trembling in her hands and spoke to him, "Your Excellency, it is a pity that you did not see A Yin last night. A Yin led 5,000 soldiers into the palace with great heroism. It was also thanks to A Yin that we managed to turn the tables. Now, Shuanzi has been executed, and His Majesty and a group of ministers are still in the palace to discuss state affairs... His Majesty is also waiting for you, Your Excellency. A Yin has also received the imperial decree as he wished, and has been appointed as the general and rushed to Xiayang..."
After hearing this, Mei Lianqing, although unable to speak, raised the corners of his mouth slightly. Zhu Hao was relieved to see that he was still awake, but he was shocked to find that his strength was running out, his body was unstable, and his arms were shaking so badly that he could hardly support himself.
The stench of scorched flesh filled the air of a medium-sized cell. Zhu Hao wanted to vomit and even cry, but she suppressed it. Sweat continued to roll down her forehead, seeping into her eyes and stinging her, causing her to blink frequently. The jailer on the side saw this and hurriedly fetched a handkerchief to wipe her sweat. Zhu Hao smiled faintly, "...Thank you."
The sound has gradually become weaker, like a candle in the wind, about to burn out.
She didn't allow herself to breathe at all, and forced herself to straighten the root of her tongue. Without stopping her hands, she hurriedly continued, "Marquis Cangping... Ayin is feeling very difficult. Your Excellency is Ayin's brother. If you could comfort Ayin and ask her some questions, that would be very kind. But Ayin..."
She finally stopped and met Mei Lianqing's slowly opening eyes, saying word for word, "My Lord must live. Yin cannot live without his brother, and my wife and unborn child cannot live without their husband and father."
After he finished speaking, the bleeding on the stump had completely stopped. It only looked charred and red, and looked hideous and terrifying. Zhu Hao still did not dare to be careless. He took out some Panax notoginseng powder, which had anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects, and sprinkled it carefully on the wound. After that, he pulled off some linen to wrap the wound.
Zhu Hao frowned and tilted her head. The beads of sweat on her forehead were about to roll into her eyes again. Before they fell, someone on the side gently placed a handkerchief on her forehead and gently rubbed it to wipe away the sweat. Zhu Hao whispered again, "Thank you."
"Pianpian, thank you for your hard work."
Her whole body paused, and her breathing also stopped. She turned around and saw a tall, dusty man standing on the side, holding a towel in his hand to wipe her sweat. There was a smile on his lips, and his eyes were only focused on her. She didn't know when he stood there, and she didn't even notice.
Zhu Hao's eyebrows curved, and he no longer looked at him. He just kept busy with the work in his hands. After wrapping it three or two times, a hand suddenly jumped out and grabbed the linen cloth from Zhu Hao, muttering: "Hey? Why wrap it like this? Now that the bleeding has stopped, it's better to wrap it loosely. If it's too tight, it will not help the scab to form. Just wrap the Sanqi powder on it properly..."
Gongsun Jia saw the girl pause as if in a trance, and he angrily said, "Are you listening? Watch carefully and learn carefully!"
Zhu Hao jumped up, but her legs and feet were already numb. She stumbled and almost fell into the haystack. Fortunately, Song Xieqing was quick enough to hold her in his arms.
She actually... Although she wanted to cry since just now, when she saw the hideous and bloody severed limbs, or even earlier... she just held it back. Over time, she gradually forgot about it. At this moment, when she saw Song Xieqing and Gongsun Jia, an indescribable emotion suddenly rose from the bottom of her heart. She could not suppress it and it was completely out of her control. She sobbed softly at first, and the next moment, she burst into tears.
She threw herself into Song Xieqing's arms, grabbed his shirt, and wiped her tears on his collar, like a lost child who finally returned home and found someone to lean on, letting out all her grievances. Song Xieqing stroked her hair, completely ignoring the presence of others, and just kneaded her in his arms, coaxing her gently, "Pianpian, it's okay."
He said she had done a great job, and in his eyes, no one could surpass her... After all, the imperial tutor was the imperial tutor, and the top scholar was the top scholar. He poured out his words of comfort like a river, wanting to heap all the praises on her. But there was someone else beside him, and he... wasn't he ashamed? Zhu Hao was so angry that he hit him.
"Here are the herbs that Master left at home..." Quesheng hurried in from outside, handing a basket of things to Gongsun Jia. He said to Zhu Hao with a smile, "Master and I were stopped outside the prison just now. Fortunately, we ran into the Imperial Master. Otherwise, we really don't know how to get in. The jailer just thought it was a death order issued by Miss Zhu, and my master was so anxious that he rolled up his sleeves and prepared to fight those sword-wielding jailers... Oh, all the doctors hired by the guards were scolded by Master, and they are now standing outside..."
Gongsun Jia's movements were as swift as the wind, and she applied a layer of an unknown yellow-brown ointment to the wound. Then, she said in a drawn-out voice, "If you keep talking nonsense, you'll be kicked out!"
Quesheng lowered his head: "Yes..."
Mei Lianqing had recovered considerably by this time, the handkerchief in his mouth gone. His eyes warmed as he looked at everyone, wishing he could bow and thank them, but he had no choice as he was already half-crippled. "Thank you very much, everyone. Without your help, His Highness and I would have been...
"I don't know how Your Highness is doing, but as for your life, you should just thank Miss Zhu. If you were a step later, Master Mei would have become a dried corpse." Gongsun Jia glanced at Zhu Hao, who was still buried in Song Xieqing's arms, and paused slightly. "The burnt area has some erosion. I think you didn't hold the iron steady..."
He suddenly changed the subject and softened his tone, "Well, but... for the first time, it's passable. It just so happens that I'm still in need of an apprentice. Although Miss Zhu's talent is mediocre... she can make do..."
Upon hearing this, Zhu Hao hurriedly emerged from Song Xieqing's arms, her eyebrows and lips raised with joy, and she immediately bowed deeply, "Master, please accept my disciple's greetings!"
Gongsun Jia's mouth twitched, "Hey, girl... Never mind, I'm too lazy to say more."
"I'm here to take care of her. You can take her back to the mansion to rest." After saying this, he glanced at Song Xieqing, then turned his gaze to Zhu Hao's still trembling hands, "She's quite frightened."
Zhu Hao was naturally reluctant. Just as she was about to go closer to observe, her body suddenly felt lighter. She was carried on Song Xieqing's shoulders. He said, "Pianpian, you've done a great job. Leave the rest to us."
He knew Zhu had a bad temper. How could a little beast used to running around recklessly be willing to be restrained? Therefore, Song Xieqing pretended to be angry and said in a low voice, "Besides, I still have something to settle with my wife."
Zhu Hao was really frightened. Thinking of the jade token she had stolen from him, she felt guilty for a moment and leaned on Song Xieqing's shoulder, not daring to move.
Seeing her like a small animal with smooth fur, Song Xieqing chuckled softly.
There were many jailers guarding the road. Zhu Hao secretly pinched his ribs, signaling Song Xieqing to put her down and said that she would go home with him obediently.
Song Xieqing said, "Yes, sir." and gently put the person down.
As soon as Zhu Haofang found her footing, she saw Song Xieqing's figure sway inexplicably. She frowned slightly, pulled his sleeve and asked, "Where do you feel uncomfortable?"
There was a hint of emotion in Song Xieqing's eyes, which was unclear to Zhu Hao. He only heard him say softly, "It's okay."
Zhu Hao naturally refused to let him go and kept asking him questions. Song Xieqing answered all the questions without a single flaw, saying that he had not rested day or night and was a little tired.
The prison road was deep and winding, with huge rats running around from time to time. Zhu Hao couldn't help but think of the horrifying scenes just now. She turned her head and retched again. Song Xieqing didn't ask much, but just stroked her back to help her breathe. Seeing a pool of dirty water in front of the road, Song Xieqing put his arm around her waist and planned to carry her over.
Zhu Hao's hand pressed against him, and his fingertips passed through Song Xieqing's fingers and interlocked with his.
She remembered many years ago when she was seriously ill and had a bad temper with him. On that day, she planned to sneak out to attend the wedding banquet of Li Yuan's parents. When she walked out of the room, a big puddle was blocking her way. He had a cold face, lifted her up with one hand without saying a word, and carried her across the puddle.
Nowadays, it is no longer necessary.
Zhu Hao raised her head and smiled at him, "Song Xieqing, you are not alone anymore, and neither am I."
Song Xieqing looked down and saw his wife holding his hand tightly. Her eyes sparkled as she led him forward. "From now on, no matter what happens, we'll get through it together."
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