After Vice Minister Yu left—
Ji Yunshu said with concern, “Now Prince Yi is winning people’s hearts everywhere. If you want to turn the situation around, it definitely won’t be easy.”
“Don’t worry. This prince knows what to do. You’ve been traveling wearily for so long—you should hurry and rest. Leave the other matters to this prince.”
She truly was tired!
She nodded. “All right. Tomorrow when you enter the palace, I’ll make a trip to Bamboo Brook Garden. There are still portraits for eleven sets of skeletal remains that haven’t been completed. I thought I’d be back within a month, but unexpectedly several months have passed.”
“Though the case is urgent, there’s no need to rush this moment. Rest well, then go.”
“I understand.”
Ji Yunshu nodded in agreement. Just as she was about to leave the hall, suddenly—
Her steps halted.
Her nose wrinkled slightly.
The smell of blood?
She turned back to look at Jingrong, asking with concern, “Are you injured?”
Jingrong denied it. “No.”
She didn’t believe him!
“Let me see.” Ji Yunshu stepped forward to check if he had any injuries. Just as she touched his arm, her fingertips became wet. Looking down, fresh red blood was dripping on her fingertips. Her eyes filled with shock as she quickly said, “It’s this serious—why didn’t you say anything?”
Jingrong’s stubborn pride wasn’t just a day or two old.
He withdrew his arm slightly. “It’s just a minor wound—why make such a fuss? I’ll just apply some medicine in a bit.”
“You’re always like this.”
“I’m really fine.”
Ji Yunshu glared at him, just about to have Lang Bo outside fetch a physician, but he grabbed her hand.
He shook his head slightly. “Don’t let them know.”
Ji Yunshu sighed softly, understanding his meaning.
So—
She pulled him to the back courtyard, brought the medicine box, and planned to dress the wound herself.
Jingrong wanted to act tough again, but his sleeve was already being pushed up by Ji Yunshu. Inside, the white inner garment was stained red over a large area. The clothing had also been slashed open by a sword, faintly revealing the wound inside, though it was all covered in fresh blood.
“Don’t move!” Ji Yunshu said.
He obediently stopped moving, letting her fuss over him.
Ji Yunshu took a pair of scissors and cut away the clothing around the wound. Then using a cloth dampened with water, she gradually cleaned the wound. The gash wasn’t deep—presumably when fighting with Ji Li, it had only been a light graze. But because it hadn’t been treated promptly, and with the journey to and from the palace requiring great effort, the wound had split open.
“Injured this badly, yet you didn’t think to say anything.”
“I was afraid you’d worry.”
“Then all the more reason you should have said something.”
What kind of twisted logic was this!
Ji Yunshu treated his wound while saying, “Places wounded by blades and swords are most susceptible to infection. If left untreated for a long time, bacteria will contaminate the wound. Then it will fester. Once it festers and blood circulation is blocked, the entire arm will need to be amputated. Otherwise it will spread throughout the body. If it becomes severe, it could even cost someone their life.”
“Bacteria?” Jingrong was puzzled. “What are bacteria?”
“That’s not the point. The point is you shouldn’t just leave a wound like this untreated. At best it gets infected, at worst you lose the limb.”
“It’s not as serious as you’re making it sound. This prince doesn’t believe you.”
You don’t believe me?
Ji Yunshu’s hands stopped moving. She raised her head to look at him, then—
Her finger pressed down hard on his wound.
“Ah!”
That’s what you get for not believing!
Jingrong gritted his teeth in pain.
“Ji Yunshu, it hurts.”
“Don’t move.”
“It hurts!”
“Even if it hurts, you’re not allowed to move.”
“You’re trying to harm this prince—harming your own husband.”
She shot him a look. Afterward, her movements became gentler as she carefully bandaged him. Her eyes gradually tightened as she looked at that wound, reddening as she said in a soft tone, “From now on, no matter what, you’re not allowed to hide things from me. Whether it’s a minor injury or a major injury, you cannot hide it.”
Jingrong felt the pain in his hand seemed to disappear. Looking at the woman applying medicine and bandaging him, seeing her face full of tension and worry, his stubborn pride also vanished.
He agreed with a single word. “Okay.”
Worth more than a thousand words.
…
On the other side.
Yuhua Pavilion.
Muruo returned to the capital. The moment he arrived at Yuhua Pavilion, he was surrounded by patients seeking treatment.
“Divine Physician Mo, please examine me—I’ve been feeling unwell lately.”
“Divine Physician Mo, you’re finally back! I’ve been waiting for you to return to treat my son.”
“I was here first—see me first.”
“I was first.”
…
They surrounded him in the center!
Muruo had four conditions for refusing treatment.
Evil intentions—no treatment!
Minor ailments claiming serious illness—no treatment!
Bullying family members—no treatment!
And one more.
Bad mood—no treatment!
And these people all satisfied one of his four refusal conditions, so he wouldn’t treat any of them.
But the crowd wouldn’t let him go, continuing to pester unreasonably.
Making it impossible for him to break free.
Tang Si, however, watched like it was a show for quite a while. Then she grabbed a young apprentice and asked, “Where do you rest?”
The apprentice looked her up and down. “Miss, are you… here to see a physician?”
“Are you blind? I got off the carriage with Muruo.”
“Oh, oh, I’m sorry, miss. I didn’t see. I don’t know… what relation are you to Master?”
“I’m his not-yet-married wife.”
Pfft—
The apprentice was so shocked he nearly spat blood, clutching his chest with a bewildered expression.
“You… you’re Master’s wife? How come I never heard about this?”
Tang Si smiled proudly. “There hasn’t been time to mention it yet. Once your master finishes his work, he’ll naturally tell you. By the way, hurry up and tell me—where can I rest? Where is your master’s room?”
The apprentice numbly raised his finger, pointing upward, stammering out two words: “The… loft.”
“Thanks.”
Tang Si immediately scampered up.
Not treating herself as an outsider at all.
The apprentice stood there stunned for a few seconds, looking at Muruo surrounded by people, then at the future master’s wife who had already gone upstairs. He quickly called out in alarm, “Master said the loft cannot be entered casually.”
He hurried up after her.
Once upstairs, he saw Tang Si happily rummaging through things, touching this, touching that.
“What’s this?” She picked up a medicinal herb and asked.
The apprentice quickly said, “You can’t touch that! This is a fine medicine Master obtained two years ago. If it gets damaged, we’ll all be in big trouble.”
“What about this one?” She picked up another herb.
“You can’t touch that either! This is a medicinal herb dried for a year, specifically for treating headaches.”
“And this one?”
“That one too—Master is most particular about this herb.”
Tang Si bounced around energetically, extremely delighted. This was her first time seeing so many medicinal herbs stored in such an elegant loft—naturally she was a bit excited.
The apprentice really couldn’t take it anymore. He stood in front of her, showing a miserable face, saying, “Master’s wife, I’m begging you—please just calm down for a bit. If you keep this up and damage any herbs, Master will definitely kill me.”
That one call of “Master’s wife” made her heart bloom with joy.
She immediately pulled out a silver ingot and stuffed it into the apprentice’s hands. “For that ‘Master’s wife,’ this is your reward.”
Holding that silver ingot, the apprentice was dumbfounded—this was three months of his wages!
“Thank you, Master’s wife! Master’s wife, you’re so generous.”
His face changed so quickly!
Tang Si patted his shoulder. “From now on, follow Master’s wife. Master’s wife guarantees she won’t shortchange you.”
“Yes, yes, yes! Master’s wife is the best.”
Muruo downstairs had no idea his apprentice had just sold him out like this.
What a waste raising him all these years!