Liu Shi was so panicked that her entire body was trembling. When stepping over the threshold, her legs couldn’t lift properly, and she nearly tripped, but fortunately, Nanny Luo beside her supported Liu Shi, allowing her to stumble her way to the veranda of the main hall.

Xiao Rongyan stood under the covered walkway. Seeing Second Madam Liu Shi step up the stairs, he bowed deeply to the ground: “Second Madam Bai, please allow me to wait here for news. Once I know Eldest Miss Bai is safe, I will leave.”

If Xiao Rongyan hadn’t brought people today and arranged troops in the front courtyard, they absolutely couldn’t have stopped those bandits at the first gate of Princess Zhenguo’s mansion. Liu Shi was already grateful to Xiao Rongyan, and at this moment, she really couldn’t spare attention for Xiao Rongyan. She choked back tears and nodded, then stepped into the main hall of Qinghui Courtyard.

Lu Ping bowed to Xiao Rongyan: “Master Xiao, please wait in the side room for now!”

Xiao Rongyan nodded and followed Lu Ping to the side room for tea, but he couldn’t sit still in the side room at all. Hearing sounds from the main hall, he stood up and walked to under the eaves, seeing Liu Shi hurrying away again with that Nanny Luo, muttering something about the hundred-year-old ginseng she had fortunately kept, which would surely be useful.

Xiao Rongyan stared at the rain curtain dripping steadily under the eaves, his heart burning with anxiety.

In the main hall.

Bai Qingyan had Physician Hong find an excuse to send away Second Madam Liu Shi, then slowly sat up and spoke slowly: “This severe injury was a trap I set myself, so I could safely return to Shouyang! Physician Hong… if His Highness the Crown Prince comes to ask later, say my injuries are extremely severe and I won’t live more than a few years.”

Physician Hong had already examined Bai Qingyan’s wound. Indeed, it hadn’t injured any vital organs, showing that the archer’s skill was extremely superb.

Bai Jinse bit her teeth hard, knowing this was a trap Bai Qingyan had set made her feel even worse.

If only she were older and smarter, she could help her elder sister instead of making her elder sister resort to such methods…

“This old man understands! Eldest Miss, rest assured. Later, I will certainly speak well with His Highness the Crown Prince! Miss Lu, please help the eldest miss with acupuncture to stop the bleeding. I’ll wash my hands and then extract the arrow for the eldest miss.” Physician Hong said.

“Yes!” Lu Ning’e responded, using scissors heated over fire to cut open Bai Qingyan’s clothing at the chest and back, cleaning the wound with cotton cloth scalded in boiling water, then applying acupuncture to stop bleeding before stepping aside to make room for Physician Hong.

Physician Hong had treated Bai Qingyan’s injuries before and knew her pain tolerance was extremely strong.

Bai Qingyan sat cross-legged with her back to Physician Hong, her head covered in fine, dense beads of sweat.

Physician Hong gripped Bai Qingyan’s shoulder with one hand and grasped the arrow shaft with the other…

Bai Jinse’s throat constricted as she looked up at Physician Hong’s calm gaze, gripping the fine cotton cloth in her hands tightly. Physician Hong had just instructed that as soon as he extracted the arrow, Bai Jinse and Lu Ning’e should press the wound.

“Eldest Miss…” Physician Hong called to Bai Qingyan.

Bai Jinse thought Physician Hong was telling Bai Qingyan to prepare for the arrow extraction, but unexpectedly, as soon as the words fell, Physician Hong steadily and precisely pulled out the arrow.

Only a muffled groan was heard from Bai Qingyan, and fresh blood splattered across Bai Jinse’s face. Lu Ning’e reacted quickly, immediately pressing fine cotton cloth against Bai Qingyan’s wound and pulling out gold needles to stop the bleeding.

Bai Jinse also hurriedly stood up to press the wound, tears falling uncontrollably as she trembled and called to Bai Qingyan: “Elder Sister…”

Bai Qingyan gripped her hem tightly, gritting her teeth hard. The veins on her forehead bulged, and she felt as if her breathing would stop. Cold sweat poured down her forehead…

She hadn’t wanted to worry her family, especially not her young sister, but without doing this… she couldn’t smoothly send Bai Jinzhi to Anping Grand Camp to control Anping’s grand army. Without doing this, she also couldn’t return to Shouyang in one piece.

After Lu Ning’e applied acupuncture, she and Bai Jinse pressed the wound together for quite a while until the bleeding gradually stopped… Lu Ning’e took the medicinal powder Physician Hong had prepared and sprinkled it on Bai Qingyan’s wound, then bandaged it.

Outside the screen, Physician Hong wiped the fresh blood from his hands with a handkerchief, carefully examining the feathered arrow that had pierced through Bai Qingyan. He discovered this was indeed an arrow from Nandu’s army, showing that the eldest miss had prepared very thoroughly.

Physician Hong planned that if the Crown Prince came later, he would show this arrow to the Crown Prince, which could serve as evidence.

“How is she? How is Princess Zhenguo?!” The Crown Prince asked loudly as he stepped through the main gate of Qinghui Courtyard.

Originally, the guards had planned to have the Crown Prince wait in the main hall, but the Crown Prince said nothing and headed straight for the back quarters. Who dared stop the Crown Prince? The Bai family guards could only follow the Crown Prince to Qinghui Courtyard.

Hearing the voice, Xiao Rongyan came out from the side room and bowed deeply to the Crown Prince: “Your Highness…”

The blood on Xiao Rongyan’s body mixed with rainwater had stained a large area red, shocking to behold. The Crown Prince’s throat constricted.

“Your Highness, rest assured. Physician Hong is treating her inside!”

Hearing the voice, Physician Hong came out from the main hall of Qinghui Courtyard carrying the feathered arrow, bowing deeply to the Crown Prince.

The Crown Prince hurried forward to help Physician Hong up: “Physician Hong, how is Princess Zhenguo?”

“Replying to Your Highness, Princess Zhenguo’s injuries this time are extremely severe. Princess Zhenguo’s health had just improved somewhat during this period, but this arrow… injured Princess Zhenguo’s heart and lungs. Even if she can survive this time… I fear she only has three to five years left to live.” When Physician Hong said these words, his eyes reddened, and he gritted his teeth as he handed the feathered arrow to the Crown Prince, then knelt and kowtowed. “Your Highness, please be sure to seek justice for our eldest miss!”

From inside the room came Chun Tao’s uncontrollable sobbing. The Crown Prince’s throat constricted as he looked down at the feathered arrow in his hands, gripping it tightly. Originally, this was what Liu Ruofu had used to try to kill him!

If Princess Zhenguo hadn’t been there to protect him, the one with injured heart and lungs would have been him.

“Physician Hong, is there truly nothing even you can do?” The Crown Prince bent down to help Physician Hong up.

Physician Hong shook his head, tears glittering: “Your Highness knows that years ago, when the eldest miss returned severely wounded, her dantian was injured and left her with chronic illness. This time… It’s even her internal organs. Not to mention me… even if my master were alive, I fear he would be… powerless! If the eldest miss can survive these three days and recuperate well without overexertion, perhaps… she might live a bit longer.”

The Crown Prince stared at the feathered arrow in his hands with hatred, listening to the pattering rain for a long while before saying: “Princess Zhenguo suffered this calamity because she saved me. I… absolutely will not let the assassin off so easily!”

The Crown Prince looked up at Physician Hong: “Physician Hong, whatever medicinal materials you need, feel free to send someone to the Crown Prince’s mansion! As long as it can save Princess Zhenguo’s life!”

“This old man thanks Your Highness on behalf of the eldest miss!” Physician Hong put on an appearance of grateful tears.

The Crown Prince turned to look at Xiao Rongyan: “Rongyan, please take extra care of Princess Zhenguo. I… must personally capture this assassin and seek justice for Princess Zhenguo!”

Xiao Rongyan bowed deeply to the Crown Prince: “Your Highness, rest assured!”

The Crown Prince, mindful of propriety, didn’t enter Bai Qingyan’s boudoir and turned to leave again in the rain.