“Could it be something’s happened to Situ Haonan?”
The moment Yingzi said this, Yelu Qianqian finally lost control, covering her eyes with both hands and bursting into sobs.
Situ Haonan—things were very, very bad.
She didn’t know what to do anymore.
She’d been searching for Ziqing on his behalf this whole time, atoning on his behalf, and truthfully she was so, so tired. But there had always been something sustaining her—no matter how hard, how exhausting, she could bear it.
That support, that hope, was the belief that Situ Haonan would wake.
But now…
“What exactly happened!” Yingzi asked anxiously. Yelu Qianqian cried easily, but somehow she never came across as annoying—rather, people couldn’t help but feel for her from the bottom of their hearts.
She was the most pampered princess on the entire Longyuan continent, the one with the greatest power and highest standing among the royal family—she had no obligation to go through any of this with them.
And yet she’d turned down countless suitors, insisting instead on trailing after Situ Haonan like a devoted shadow. She should have been consumed with hatred for Da Zhou, and yet here she was, enduring such hardship, sharing in every trial.
If this were purely friendship, that would be far too implausible.
But if it was purely because she loved someone, that was absolutely true.
“What happened, don’t cry, don’t cry, just tell me properly—didn’t you say before he was about to wake soon?” Yingzi was at a loss for what to do; if not for concerns of propriety, he’d have loved nothing more than to pull Qianqian into his arms to comfort her.
The last time Yelu Qianqian had gone back to see Situ Haonan, she’d returned overjoyed, reporting that his wound was healing and he’d wake soon!
Yingzi had felt genuinely fortunate—though Prince Yao hadn’t woken as quickly, at least Situ Haonan had, and everyone would finally learn the truth of what had happened.
So why had things turned out like this now?
Once Yelu Qianqian started crying, nothing could stop her. She couldn’t even hear what Yingzi was saying, sobbing and wailing uncontrollably, melting even Yingzi’s iron heart completely!
Just as Yingzi stood there at a loss, Xuanyuan Lige gently cupped Yelu Qianqian’s head with a large hand and drew her tenderly into his embrace.
Yingzi’s heart lurched with alarm—though he knew he shouldn’t think it, he couldn’t help wanting to say: Xuanyuan Lige, Princess Qianqian already belongs to someone, you can’t take advantage of her while she’s vulnerable!
But to his surprise, it was exactly this gesture from Xuanyuan Lige that gradually calmed Yelu Qianqian’s sobbing.
Nestled in Xuanyuan Lige’s embrace, breathing in the faint scent of medicinal herbs on the man, she suddenly felt a sense of safety—nothing romantic about it, nothing to do with gender at all, just warm, so very warm, warm enough that it unconsciously reminded her of her own brother’s embrace.
The crying stopped, and she gradually calmed—but that warmth only made her tears well up all the more.
It felt like her brother had come back, that there was nothing left to fear, nothing left to worry about.
Xuanyuan Lige gently patted Yelu Qianqian’s back, and once she had fully calmed down, he released her, saying flatly, “Princess Qianqian, don’t be afraid. Whatever it is, tell us—we’re here.”
Only then did Yelu Qianqian recover from that warmth. She looked up at Xuanyuan Lige and said through her tears, “It’s Haonan. The physicians say Haonan might never wake up…”
At these words, Yingzi was struck with shock. “How could that be!”
Situ Haonan’s wound hadn’t been as severe as Prince Yao’s—though both had strained themselves greatly in the great tornado, Situ Haonan’s injury was to his internal energy, while Prince Yao’s was to his vital energy!
If even Prince Yao’s vital energy could be nursed back, if he could be saved and woken, how could Situ Haonan possibly fail to wake?
Physician Beiqiu had said before that Situ Haonan would surely wake within the year!
“Was this Physician Beiqiu’s conclusion?” Xuanyuan Lige was puzzled too. He knew a fair bit about Physician Beiqiu—the man was quite accomplished in both medical skill and ethics.
Yelu Qianqian covered her mouth, nodding.
“Didn’t he say before that he could be saved and woken? Why now suddenly…” Yingzi choked with frustration.
But Yelu Qianqian couldn’t help crying again. “It’s not just Physician Beiqiu who reached this conclusion—even Physician Sha Qiuzi… wuwu, they held a consultation not long ago and reached the same conclusion. That’s exactly why my father called me back this time!”
If Physician Beiqiu’s word alone might not have been fully convincing, Physician Sha Qiuzi’s diagnosis was more than enough to be believed—no wonder Yelu Qianqian, who hadn’t cried in so long, was now crying this hard.
Yingzi didn’t know what to say, his brow furrowed tightly.
Yet Xuanyuan Lige remained perfectly calm. He had never truly concerned himself with Situ Haonan’s or Jun Beiyue’s conditions.
What concerned him was Ziqing’s whereabouts.
But this little girl, Yelu Qianqian, moved him. He admired someone this genuine, respected a girl willing to set aside her royal status and give everything for the one she loved.
“Princess Qianqian, did Physician Beiqiu and Sha Qiuzi say why Situ Haonan isn’t waking?” Xuanyuan Lige asked seriously.
“They said… they said even though his heart meridian was protected, his brain meridian had actually been damaged all along without anyone noticing, and now it’s too late. They said Haonan will…” Yelu Qianqian choked, unable to continue.
Xuanyuan Lige said flatly, “Brain-meridian death?”
Yelu Qianqian nodded through her tears. “Mm. They say Haonan will become a living corpse—his body won’t die, but he’ll live forever trapped in sleep.”
Yingzi sighed heavily. Yelu Qianqian, unable to hold back any longer, covered her mouth to keep from crying aloud, but eventually broke down sobbing anyway.
Xuanyuan Lige watched her forcing herself to hold back, a pang of tenderness crossing his heart. He smiled faintly. “Princess Qianqian, unless I’m mistaken, Physician Beiqiu and Sha Qiuzi aren’t especially skilled when it comes to brain meridians. If Situ Haonan truly has suffered brain-meridian death, then regardless of anything else, Physician Beiqiu wouldn’t have noticed any earlier signs of consciousness returning. I suspect there’s something suspicious going on here.”
At these words, Yelu Qianqian’s hands dropped abruptly, staring at Xuanyuan Lige in stunned silence, while Yingzi was equally shocked. “Master Xuanyuan, you… you understand medicine?”
Xuanyuan Lige smiled faintly. “Perhaps long illness makes one a physician.”
In truth, his medical skill had always been considerable—it was only that a healer could never heal himself.
He had practiced medicine under a false identity for years, quiet and unassuming, saving countless of Longyuan’s poor and suffering without regard for borders. Yet in the end, he could never save himself.
Long illness making one a physician was reasonable enough—but what Xuanyuan Lige had just said was clearly a direct challenge to Physician Beiqiu and Sha Qiuzi’s diagnosis.
This left both Yelu Qianqian and Yingzi thoroughly astonished. Xuanyuan Lige wasn’t a man given to empty boasting—could his medical skill really surpass that of Beiqiu and Sha Qiuzi?
Looking at Yelu Qianqian’s stunned, tear-filled face, a warm smile rose unconsciously to Xuanyuan Lige’s pale lips. “Princess Qianqian, let’s head to Hamabachu together. I can’t yet guarantee Situ Haonan will definitely wake, but I can guarantee this diagnosis is suspicious.”
…