Chapter 42 True Friendship in Adversity
Finally, Zhao Youchen gave up.
He jumped down and lifted the disheveled Mingxiu back up. He had originally planned to stand by and help her, but Xiao Qing cried and insisted that he go down, and wouldn't let anyone near except Mingxiu.
At this moment, Xiao Qing was crying and sniffling, just like a child her age throwing a tantrum.
Helpless, Zhao Youchen had no choice but to go down, but he paced back and forth below, unable to find peace of mind.
He looked down and saw Ying Ying still being pinned down, and his anger couldn't be contained.
"You audacious servant! How dare you bring His Majesty to such a dangerous place?! Are you tired of living?!"
Yingying, who had been anxiously looking up, bowed down and obediently said, "This servant knows his crime. My lowly life is not worth cherishing. I only hope that Your Majesty will be safe."
Mingxiu, having followed He Shu in medicine since childhood, immediately understood what was going on.
She reassured Xiao Qing, "Your Majesty, it's alright, I'm here. Let me see, everything is fine."
Xiao Qing gradually calmed down, but she was still in pain.
Mingxiu let Xiao Qing hug her neck, and then carefully moved the bricks and tiles that were pressing down on her.
She had to pull Xiao Qing up while maintaining their balance so they wouldn't fall, and also keep Xiao Qing from getting too much pain. This process was complicated and lengthy.
Just as Zhao Youchen was about to lose his temper and go up again, Mingxiu finally hugged Xiao Qing and fell backward, placing herself under her so that Xiao Qing could lie more comfortably on top of her.
"Your Majesty, one of your legs is broken, and the other leg is badly abraded. There are medicines in the room. General Zhao will carry you down in a moment, and Mingxiu will stay with you. Is that alright?"
After all that, Xiao Qing was in extreme pain and exhausted. She nodded obediently, and felt Ming Xiu pat the back of her head, which immediately made her nose sting again.
Forget it. Even if Mingxiu is to be sent out of the palace in the future, there's no need to ignore her like this. Doing so won't make either of them any better off.
The more practical problem is that she can't live without Mingxiu now.
"I'm sorry," Xiao Qing said, feeling guilty.
Mingxiu smiled and said, "Your Majesty, I am not very smart, but I know that Your Majesty has worked much harder than I have, and many others have. It is my fault for being useless. I will study hard in the future."
Before Xiao Qing could speak, she turned and called out to Zhao Youchen.
Zhao Youchen quickly came up, and with Mingxiu's guidance and help, he carried the little emperor, who could not be moved easily, and flew down, then went around to the front and entered the house.
"ah!"
Only then did everyone notice that Physician He had been lying on the ground inside the house, with a wound on his forehead caused by a broken tile, which was now bleeding. The ground around him was littered with broken tiles of all sizes.
Mingxiu was shocked and almost cried out "Grandpa!"
It was Xiao Qing who shouted, "Imperial Physician He!"
She calmed down and quickly went over to check He Shu's breathing.
Upon this examination, her expression became somewhat strange.
Fortunately, she kept her head down, so no one could see her.
"Quickly, go and fetch the imperial physician!" Zhao Youchen shouted towards the door.
"We cannot call the imperial physician!" Xiao Qing and Ming Xiu said at the same time.
Zhao Youchen was puzzled and was about to ask when Xiao Qing and Mingxiu said in unison, "What I mean is, Mingxiu (I) am the female healer."
Their teamwork is unmatched.
"His Majesty is seriously injured, and Imperial Physician He is unconscious. Mingxiu's medical skills are limited after all. It would be safer to invite the Imperial Physician."
Xiao Qing had no choice but to resort to her unreasonable and argumentative skills again, waving her hands and hitting Zhao Youchen incessantly.
"I don't want the imperial physician! I want Mingxiu, I want Mingxiu! Get out, get out!"
"But it's Physician He..."
"Get out! Get out!"
Upon receiving the news, Mei Shu rushed back from the Inner Palace Bureau and was leading Dan Ying and others in.
"His Majesty……"
"Get out of here!" Xiao Qing instinctively grabbed a hard object from Zhao Youchen and threw it at him.
Of course, it wasn't directed at anyone.
The thing crashed against the wall with a "bang," shattering into pieces all over the floor.
Mei Shu was startled. When she saw Ming Xiu squatting on the ground next to her, treating the wound on Physician He's forehead, her heart skipped a beat, her brows furrowed, and her lips pursed into a thin line.
"Your Majesty..." Your health is of utmost importance.
"I'm telling you all to get out! Get out!"
How can she be so stubborn! Xiao Qing was already in a bad state, and after this outburst of yelling, she became even more agitated.
Zhao Youchen didn't say anything more. He carefully placed Xiao Qing on the bed and then turned and left.
Mei Shu gritted her teeth and led Dan Ying and the others out.
At this moment, Mingxiu had already bandaged Doctor He's wound. She rushed over, closed the door, and then kicked Doctor He.
"Get up! I can't handle this by myself!"
Xiao Qing turned her head on the bed and looked at them in surprise. She saw Physician He rubbing his head and getting up with a slight tremor, muttering to himself, "The old man has a hard life."
The two of them treated Xiao Qing's wounds together, applied medicine to the fractured area, and fixed it with a splint.
Mingxiu handled most of the procedures, while Physician He provided guidance from the sidelines.
Xiao Qing was able to endure the pain and quietly watched Mingxiu go from being flustered at the beginning to becoming skilled and fluent later on. He thought to himself: Mingxiu will definitely become a good doctor.
Mingxiu wiped the sweat from her forehead with her sleeve, and breathed a sigh of relief. She unconsciously went limp and sat down on the ground.
Physician He shook his head. "A doctor should be calm and composed, with accurate eyes and steady hands. You should know that a doctor's attitude can also affect the patient's mood and condition. You still need to practice more."
As soon as he finished speaking, he thought of the situation of the grandfather and grandson, and couldn't help but feel sad. He turned away with a dejected expression.
Without personal freedom, how can one exercise? He had no choice but to abandon his dream of practicing medicine throughout the land, and dragged his old and frail body to eke out a living.
Mingxiu lay down by the bed, silent.
Compared to when she first entered the palace, Mingxiu's skin was fairer and smoother. But the lively and spirited look that she once had when she pretended to be dull was now gradually gone.
Only a few days have passed?
"Doctor He, if you want to..."
He Shu turned around, put a finger to her lips, and shook her head gently with a look of pity. "Your Majesty's intentions are good. But I also know that the Grand Tutor's actions are also motivated by a desire to protect my grandmother and granddaughter. If he were to truly resign and return to his hometown, he might not be able to practice medicine throughout the land, but instead be blackmailed by those with ulterior motives. At that time, I would not fear death, but I would not be able to forget Xiu'er..."
The old doctor had thought about these things. Life can never be perfect; peace and tranquility are enough to bring contentment.
Xiao Qing lowered her eyes, thinking that she must find a way to give them a free life as well.
Before that, she said, "There's always a way out. Please take care of yourself, He Taiyi. I will protect her."
He Shu was stunned for a moment, then lifted his robe and knelt down, bowing his head deeply.
"Your Majesty's grace."
Xiao Qing thought for a moment, "This place is uninhabitable. Physician He, you should go back to your room and faint."
She then looked at Mingxiu, "Mingxiu, by my side, you don't need to learn the palace rules too thoroughly; self-preservation is enough. I can hardly protect myself, so I dare not make any promises lightly, but..."
Mingxiu looked at His Majesty, who was clearly younger than her but had already weathered many storms and had a resolute expression, and quickly reached out her hand.
"Your Majesty, please don't say these things. Mingxiu knows everything. Just don't push Mingxiu away again."
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