HomeAfter I Bloom Hundred Flowers DieChapter 526: Fatal Injuries

Chapter 526: Fatal Injuries

After Axi and Zhenzhu worked together to keep Shen Yueshan alive, they were still helpless against his internal injuries.

Having survived numerous injuries both major and minor, Shen Yueshan awoke before Shen Xihe and immediately requested to see Xiao Changfeng.

“Take me back to the Northwest, as quickly as possible…” he told Xiao Changfeng. These words seemed to drain all his strength, making his breathing even more labored.

“Your Highness, who harmed you?” Xiao Changfeng didn’t agree, instead saying, “Your Highness shouldn’t be moved now. I’ve already sent word to the Crown Prince, who will surely arrive in time.”

Shen Yueshan lay with half his face pressed against the pillow, his bloodshot eyes fixed on Xiao Changfeng with an intense, penetrating gaze.

Initially, Xiao Changfeng met his gaze steadily, but eventually lowered his head before those piercing tiger-like eyes, though he didn’t back down: “I’m thinking of Your Highness’s welfare. I’ve already had notices posted throughout Liangzhou seeking renowned physicians.”

“If my father wants to return to the Northwest, then we’ll depart for the Northwest,” Shen Xihe was suddenly standing at the doorway. Though her face showed signs of fatigue, her gaze toward Xiao Changfeng was particularly cold.

“Your Highness mustn’t be willful…”

“Prince Xun, you are only responsible for my safety. You have no right to restrict my father’s or my movements and destinations,” Shen Xihe coldly interrupted him as she walked to Shen Yueshan’s side.

She grasped Shen Yueshan’s hand, her eyes reddening. Her father was truly foolish to have allowed himself to end up in such a state.

“Don’t… cry… Father is… fine…” Shen Yueshan forced the words out between his lips.

She hadn’t expected treating his injuries would leave him so weak. Tears immediately fell as she witnessed how these hidden injuries had left him in such a heartbreaking state.

He always waited until his injuries were fully healed before returning home. In her young heart, her father had been someone who could never be defeated.

“Return… Northwest,” Shen Yueshan said again.

“Alright, Youyou will take Father back to the Northwest,” Shen Xihe took a deep breath and ordered Zhenzhu and Moyu, “Pack our belongings, we leave today.”

“Crown Princess, even if you wish otherwise, you must consider His Highness’s current condition,” Xiao Changfeng strongly objected.

By now, he no longer doubted Shen Yueshan’s injuries. In his view, no fake injury could fool all the physicians in the city. When so many people unanimously declared that the Northwestern King was beyond saving, he believed it.

Precisely because he believed it, he couldn’t let Shen Yueshan return to the Northwest. His message to the Emperor would take at least three days to arrive. Xiao Changfeng naturally understood the Emperor’s desire to control the Northwest.

As a loyal subject, he believed it was natural for the Emperor to want to rule over everything. This was the best opportunity – if the Northwestern King didn’t return to the Northwest, many matters would be left unresolved. The Shen family might fall from grace, and the powerful clans of the Northwest would undergo major upheaval, but since the Emperor and the Northwestern King hadn’t openly broken ties, the Emperor wouldn’t destroy the Shen family and their Northwest followers.

This seemed like the most bloodless way to resolve the standoff.

“Prince Xun, my father was born in the Northwest, grew up in the Northwest, and guards the Northwest,” Shen Xihe turned, her obsidian-bright eyes sharp as frost-covered blades. “This place is just one step from the Northwest. Would you have him carry this regret for life?”

“I had no such intention…”

“Prince Xun, the Northwest’s soil is thick and its land is firm. Not everyone can set foot there,” Shen Xihe’s expression grew increasingly cold. “Perhaps Prince Xun doesn’t know that many people become dizzy and disoriented upon entering the Northwest, some even finding it difficult to walk on Northwestern soil.”

These seemingly cryptic words made it clear to Xiao Changfeng that Shen Xihe understood his intentions. She was also telling him that not everyone was qualified to guard the Northwest long-term, nor did everyone have the ability to stand on Northwestern soil.

Xiao Changfeng had done everything he could say and do. Shen Xihe had already half-revealed her hand – if he continued to obstruct them, it would likely lead to conflict. When Shen Xihe ordered preparations to take Shen Yueshan back to the Northwestern King’s mansion, he couldn’t stop them. He actually wanted to stay and thoroughly investigate the clues discovered yesterday, but since he was indeed responsible for Shen Xihe’s safety, he could only leave his capable subordinates to investigate.

With half of Liangzhou within the Northwest, traveling from Liangzhou to the Northwestern King’s mansion at a pace Shen Yueshan could handle took them four days.

Xiao Changfeng had indeed sent word to Shen Yun’an, but Shen Xihe had sent an additional letter. He hadn’t left the Northwestern King’s mansion, constantly waiting there for Shen Yueshan. Shen Yun’an, who was to be married in less than a month, met Shen Xihe and the others at the city gate with an anxious expression. This matter had been handled entirely by Shen Yueshan, who hadn’t revealed anything to Shen Yun’an from start to finish.

Shen Xihe couldn’t meet Shen Yun’an’s eyes, which made him and others believe Shen Yueshan’s condition was even worse than they thought.

When Shen Yueshan was carried into the Northwestern King’s mansion, the military physician was immediately summoned. Shen Yueshan’s condition had worsened over the past two days – his hidden injuries had become more apparent under Xie Yunhuai’s medicine. After taking Shen Yueshan’s pulse, the military physician’s hands trembled uncontrollably, as if in disbelief. He checked again, causing all of Shen Yueshan’s attendants who had rushed over upon hearing the news to feel their hearts sink.

“Uncle Sang, how is my father?” Shen Yun’an’s voice carried a tremor he couldn’t detect.

The Northwestern army had a military physician named Sang Yin, who had grown up alongside Shen Yueshan and the others. Due to his love of medicine from childhood and his weak constitution preventing him from joining his brothers on the battlefield, he devoted himself to studying medicine to support his brothers from the rear.

He had also helped ensure Shen Xihe’s survival in her early years. His medical skills were revered throughout the Northwest as those of a divine physician.

In all these years, none of them had ever seen Sang Yin so dispirited. He seemed as if his mouth had been sealed, unable to utter a word, yet his hands couldn’t stop trembling.

“Old Six, say something! How is His Highness?” An impatient general couldn’t help but urge.

Sang Yin seemed to wake from a trance, pushing past everyone to stumble toward his own home, muttering, “There must be a way, there must be a way…”

His reaction left everyone feeling as if they’d been plunged into an ice cavern. Shen Yun’an’s legs even went weak, and he nearly lost his balance, but fortunately, steadied by Mo Yao behind him.

Seeing Shen Yun’an like this, Shen Xihe closed her eyes.

The siblings’ reactions truly made it difficult to imagine what might be behind all this. Geng Liangcheng, standing at the front, flickered his gaze.

Upon returning home, Geng Liangcheng asked his confidant, “Have you found out how His Highness was injured?”

Xiao Changfeng had alarmed all of Liangzhou trying to treat Shen Yueshan’s injuries. They had received news two days ago, and Geng Liangcheng had already sent people to investigate.

“It seems he was injured by the hidden Crown Prince Jiachen,” the confidant reported their findings.

“If so, it doesn’t seem to be false…” A strange look flashed through Geng Liangcheng’s eyes.

“General, should we…”

Before the confidant could finish, Geng Liangcheng raised his hand to interrupt: “His Highness has long established his authority in the Northwest. We cannot act rashly. Though this whole affair seems reasonable, we all know His Highness’s martial abilities. How could Xiao Juexong injure him so severely? We must investigate thoroughly. Other matters must also be carefully planned – the Crown Prince is no ordinary person, and the Crown Princess has brought Prince Xun…”

This was a major matter; every step had to be planned carefully.

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