Chapter 288 We must save the child.
Old Liao and his companions were covered in mud and filth, and the inn mistook them for beggars, chasing them away wherever they went.
Zhao Xuan spent fifty taels to book the inn and paid some cleaning fees.
The innkeeper only allowed them to check in because of the money.
After settling in at the inn, Zhao Xuan immediately sent someone to fetch a doctor to treat Yun Jiaoyue.
The doctor focused intently on taking the pulse, then frowned and shook his head.
Zhao Xuan immediately pressed, "Doctor, how is the situation? You must save my... my first son."
"Madam's pulse is slippery yet scattered, which is a sign of being more than a month pregnant. However, the fetus is not yet stable, and the combination of fatigue, hunger, cold, and external dampness has already disturbed the fetus. If she continues to travel and worry, she may miscarry. She must rest in bed and avoid worrying. She should take herbal medicine to strengthen her constitution, and she may recover."
Zhao Xuan's face was gloomy. He pointed at the doctor and said, "Or? I don't want to hear the word 'or.' I want to hear that the child must be safe."
Hearing the commanding tone, the old doctor was displeased. "Young master, I am a doctor, not a miracle doctor. I can only do my best."
"Then you must do everything you can to save it, otherwise you're a quack."
"They actually think I'm a quack, so why did they send someone to invite me here? I'm not treating you anymore, please find someone more skilled." The doctor picked up his medicine box and was about to leave.
The pregnant woman was already bleeding, and this was only the first month of her pregnancy. There were still eight or nine months left in the ten-month pregnancy. If she were to suffer another bump or fall, even Hua Tuo himself would find it difficult to save her. How could he possibly guarantee anything?
The doctor reached the door, but was stopped and dragged back by the guards. "Stop!"
"Get out of my way! If you don't trust my medical skills, why are you forcing me to stay?"
Receiving a look from his master, the guard grabbed him by the collar and threw him back, yelping, "Ouch, ouch..."
The old doctor lost his balance and fell to the ground. He braced himself with his hands, got up, and straightened his disheveled cap and collar.
He shouted angrily in Mandarin with a local accent: "You outsiders, don't push your luck! I have some prestige in Cangwu County. If you dare to do anything to me, my people will not let you get away with it!"
Zhao Xuan said to the guards, "You have shown disrespect to the old doctor. Go down and punish yourselves with ten lashes."
He took a silver ingot out of his sleeve and handed it to the old doctor.
The old doctor, considering the money, decided not to argue with them. He reopened his medicine box, took out silver needles, and applied warm needling to Yun Jiaoyue to stop the blood stasis in her uterus. He then increased the dosage of donkey-hide gelatin and ramie root in the pregnancy-stabilizing medicine.
Meanwhile, Su Wan'er next door had no improvement in her knee injury. She fell and bumped into things several times, getting hurt repeatedly. She lay on the bed crying in pain.
"Waaah... I don't want to be crippled. Is he all better now? Is he all better? Quickly, let Daifu come and take a look at me. My knee hurts so much..."
She called out in her own room, but no one paid any attention. She then called out outside Yun Jiaoyue's room, but was chased away.
Liu Yiyi told her to stop making a fuss, as it would only annoy Zhao Xuan. She suggested that she wait until she had prepared the medicine for Yun Jiaoyue before accompanying her to the clinic on the street.
An hour and a half later, the medicine was ready, and Liu Yiyi brought it up.
Zhao Xuan wanted to feed him himself. He was wearing coarse linen clothes that the inn's guards had bought casually on the street. He had stubble, messy hair, and bloodshot eyes.
Liu Yiyi stood by the bed, a hint of envy and resentful jealousy flashing in her eyes.
The next day, the water level dropped, and Lao Liao notified the exile team to continue their journey.
Zhao Xuan asked Lao Liao to stay a few more days.
Old Liao frowned and argued with him, "We'll arrive at the exile site in ten to fifteen days, just in time for the deadline. If we miss the deadline, who will bear the consequences?"
"I, the King, will take responsibility."
“Lord Liao, Yue’er is carrying the Emperor’s grandson, or perhaps his eldest grandson. If you insist on continuing your journey and something happens to the child on the way, you will all lose your heads.”
"Is it that serious? Taking a boat is not like walking. You can just lie down, close your eyes, and the whole way is over. It doesn't take any effort at all."
"Lord Liao, Yue'er is a frail woman, pregnant, and physically weak, unlike you roughnecks. I said three days from now, and that means three days from now!" Zhao Xuan said forcefully.
Old Liao had no choice; after all, she was pregnant with the emperor's eldest grandson.
"Alright, if you say three days later, then it's three days later. If the higher-ups investigate, you'll bear the consequences. Everyone heard that. I'll notify the other exiles one by one later so they can all be witnesses."
If Zhao Xuan were to become a coward after this incident, and the escorts were to bear the consequences, they could not afford to do so.
Old Liao led his men away.
Su Wan'er, leaning on her crutch, limped after them:
"Zhao Jiu, I heard you stayed at the same inn as the princess and others. Did you see the divine doctor? I want to find the divine doctor to treat my leg. I don't want to become a cripple."
"Although I don't have any money right now, my family does. No matter how much the miracle doctor wants, we'll give it to him."
“This…” Zhao Jiu hesitated, scratched his head, and looked at Lao Liao.
He knew, but he didn't have enough influence. Even the most skilled doctor might not be able to cure the person he brought.
Old Liao glanced at the two of them, his eyes slightly closed, then he turned his head away with his hands behind his back, unable to bear watching.
He then looked at Hu Feng.
Hu Feng patted him on the shoulder, encouraging him to make his own decision.
"The miracle doctor dislikes being disturbed..."
Su Wan'er was overjoyed and excited, and she shook Zhao Jiu's arm tightly, "Do you really know the whereabouts of the divine doctor? Take me to him quickly."
"Alright, if the miracle doctor refuses to treat you, don't pester him, or I'll be in a difficult position."
“I know I will move the miracle doctor with my sincerity.”
Su Wan'er followed him to the inn, asking Hua Murong for treatment.
Hua Murong remembered her; the last time they were at the manor, she had also asked him to heal her leg.
"Has your leg still not healed after all these days?"
"It's not better. I keep getting injured and it's never healed. I've seen other doctors, but I still feel pain. I had no choice but to come to the divine doctor. Please, divine doctor, save me. I beg you. If you can cure me, I will definitely offer a thousand taels of silver as a consultation fee."
Hua Murong, a compassionate healer, softened when he saw the little girl crying like that.
"Get up first, stop crying. Let me take a look at you. I don't need the thousand taels; I'll only charge the consultation fee I'm entitled to."
"Thank you so much, doctor! You are such a kind person."
Su Wan'er sat down, took off her shoes, and rolled up her trouser legs.
Seeing this, Zhao Jiu turned his back and said, "I'll wait for you at the door."
"Hey! Zhao Jiu, wait a minute, could you lend me some silver? I'll pay you back as soon as my family brings it over."
Zhao Jiu took out the money pouch from his waist, took out ten coins, intending to give them to her, but seeing her staring at the money pouch, he inexplicably handed it over, saying, "Here you go."
"Zhao Jiu, thank you, you're such a kind person." Su Wan'er held the money bag in both hands, her eyes brimming with tears of gratitude.
No one cared whether she lived or died, no one cared about her pain.
The man she thought she could rely on for the rest of her life, and her good friend who once risked her life to save her, changed their attitude towards her after her family was likely to fall on hard times. They treated her worse than a stranger.
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