Jingrong pulled out a medicine bottle from his person.

He spun it a few times between his fingertips.

“Muruo gave me quite a few medicines before he died. I distributed some and kept some. This bottle… contains medicinal pills for treating sword wounds. It can invigorate blood circulation, dissolve blood stasis, and clear vital meridians. Whether or not it can save Song Zhi’s life, having him take it certainly won’t do any harm.”

Ji Yinshu looked at the medicine bottle in his hand, and her worried mood immediately relaxed somewhat. She said firmly, “Muruo’s medicine will definitely work!”

After all, he was a divine physician!

Jingrong said, “I’ll make a trip into the city to deliver the medicine.”

“No, you can’t go!” Ji Yinshu immediately grabbed his hand. “Have you forgotten? The reason we left Gaoding was to avoid arousing those people’s suspicions about our identities. If you appear at the Second Prince’s Manor, this matter might…”

Before she finished speaking—

Bai Yin’s voice came from outside the door: “I’ll go.”

He entered from outside.

“Give me the medicine, I’ll deliver it.”

“Brother?”

“Don’t worry, I’ll find a way to get the medicine to him and have him take it without alerting the Second Prince’s attention.” Bai Yin looked at Jingrong. “It’s better for me to go than for you to go.”

Everyone considered this for a moment.

Afterward, Jingrong tossed the medicine bottle in his hand to Bai Yin: “Be careful. Remember, you must leave the city before the city gates close.”

“I know.”

While the sky was still light, Bai Yin took the life-saving medicine and left the bamboo house.

A fine drizzle fell from the sky, accompanied by cold winds that cut into people’s hearts like knives.

Bai Yin wore a rain-shielding bamboo hat. Just as he emerged from the grove, he heard the sound of horse hooves behind him.

He turned around to look and saw Lian Que riding on horseback, leading another horse behind him.

He stopped in front of him.

“Why did you come?”

“To chase after you.”

“…”

Lian Que tossed the horse reins in his hand to him: “You weren’t planning to walk into the city on foot, were you?”

“That was precisely my intention.”

“Walking on your two feet, you might not reach the city gate even by nightfall. Mount up. I’ll go with you. After delivering the medicine, we’ll hurry back out of the city.”

Bai Yin held the horse reins in his hand and looked at Lian Que again: “There’s no need for you to come with me.”

“I’m worried about you.”

“With one more person, I’ll feel uncomfortable.”

“Why are you so long-winded? Mount up. If we delay any longer, it’ll be dark.” Lian Que’s tone carried a commanding quality.

Bai Yin hesitated for a moment, then kicked his foot and swung himself onto the horse.

Lian Que’s eyes, hidden beneath the bamboo hat, dimmed slightly. His tone carried a trace of melancholy as he said, “When you were little, you couldn’t wait to crawl into my bedding every day. Now you find me disagreeable. Boys really do change as they grow up.”

Having said this, he kicked his heels against the horse’s belly. The horse neighed once, then galloped forward.

Listening to these words and watching Lian Que’s dashing figure from behind, Bai Yin felt something was off!

What was this about crawling into bedding?

What about boys changing as they grow up?

He tightened the reins and chased after him.

The two quickly reached the Gaoding city gates.

The city gates were heavily guarded!

Since they were entering the city, and considering Li Cheng’s scolding words at the city gate yesterday, the guards didn’t conduct a strict inspection of the two.

After asking a few simple questions, they let them through.

After entering the city, they found a safe place to tie up the horses, then found an honest and somewhat learned elderly man.

They gave him the medicine.

Bai Yin instructed: “Old sir, please deliver this medicine to the Second Prince’s Manor. Tell them this medicine can treat sword wounds and that they must accept it. But you absolutely cannot say that we asked you to go. Just say… this is your ancestral medicine.”

At the same time, he pressed a silver ingot into the elderly man’s hand!

The old man nodded repeatedly.

He was about to take the medicine to the Second Prince’s Manor.

However, Lian Que suddenly took the medicine bottle back from the old man’s hand, poured out one pill into his palm, then tucked it into the brocade pouch at his waist.

Bai Yin was puzzled: “What are you doing?”

“Just in case.”

“What do you mean?”

“When doing things, you must have a backup plan. However… I hope we won’t need to use it.” He stuffed the medicine bottle back to the elderly man.

The elderly man followed the instructions and arrived at the Second Prince’s Manor.

A servant boy at the gate asked: “What is your business?”

The old man bowed slightly and said with a smile: “This humble one has a bottle of medicine that specifically treats sword wounds. Hearing that someone in your esteemed manor was injured, I’ve specially come to offer this medicine.”

“Offer medicine? Where is it?”

The old man produced the medicine.

The two servant boys exchanged glances, unable to make a decision for a moment. After staring at the exquisite medicine bottle for quite a while, one of them said: “You keep watch here. I’ll go inside to report to the Prince.”

The servant boy hurried into the manor and reported this matter to Na Yan.

Upon hearing this, Na Yan frowned.

However, thinking that Song Zhi was currently severely injured and unconscious with no viable solutions, if there truly was such a miraculous medicine, there would be no harm in trying it.

“Bring that person in.”

“Yes.”

The old man followed the manor’s guide and was brought before Na Yan.

After all, he was just a common citizen—how could he have ever met such an important person?

His legs trembling, he immediately prostrated himself on the ground: “This humble one pays respects to Your Highness.”

Na Yan was a cautious and careful person. He scrutinized the person kneeling on the ground and asked: “You say you have medicine? That it can treat sword wounds?”

“Yes.”

“Bring it here.”

The old man held the medicine in his palms, raised both hands above his head, and presented it.

Na Yan took it and looked at it.

He opened it and sniffed.

Then he poured out one pill.

He had never seen this medicine before.

Harboring doubts yet unwilling to abandon hope, he handed the medicine to a nearby servant boy and instructed: “Take this to Imperial Physician Jiang to examine. See if this medicine can truly treat sword wounds.”

The servant boy hurriedly took the medicine to find the imperial physician remaining at the manor for verification. Na Yan then interrogated the old man: “Where did this medicine come from?”

The old man kept his head lowered throughout: “This is a secret formula passed down in this humble one’s family. It’s very effective!”

“Ancestral? How did you know that this Prince’s manor had an injured person?”

“Your Highness brought back someone with sword wounds from the lantern festival. Everyone in Gaoding City knows about it. This humble one thought that since there was medicine at home, I would presume… to deliver it to Your Highness, hoping it might be of help.”

“To think there are still such kind-hearted people.” Na Yan sighed. “If this medicine is truly effective, this Prince will certainly reward you handsomely.”

“This humble one thanks Your Highness.” The old man prostrated himself and kowtowed.

“Rise.”

The old man stood up, trembling as he remained standing to the side.

After quite a while, Imperial Physician Jiang arrived.

Na Yan asked: “Can this medicine be used?”

Imperial Physician Jiang looked troubled and shook his head.

“It cannot be used?”

“Your Highness, this humble physician recognizes the medicinal ingredients used in this medicine. However, these ingredients combined together to create these pills… this humble physician has never seen before. Several imperial physicians have also never seen them, and they are not recorded in medical texts! Therefore, we don’t know what effects this medicine has or whether it can treat sword wounds.”

“So it’s useless then?”

“One could say that! Moreover, among the ingredients in these pills is a medicinal material called bikui. This medicine is highly toxic and extremely cold in nature. Once consumed, a person’s heart will stop suddenly within three days, leading to death. Therefore, no medical practitioner has ever added this ingredient to medicine for treating sword wounds.”

As soon as the imperial physician finished speaking, Na Yan slammed his hand forcefully on the desk. He looked at the elderly man with fierce intensity: “Speak! What are your true intentions?”