Volume One, Chapter 14: A Quick Touch Should Be Fine, Right?
After the Chen family physician administered the medicinal decoction to Prince Qi Xizhou, he stepped out of the room and immediately saw Hai Qing carrying a black cloth bag slung over his shoulder.
The bag was opened, revealing Xu Zhiyi inside.
Their eyes met.
The Chen family physician felt weak all over.
“I instructed you clearly to bring the young lady here properly. Is this how you usually bring people?”
Xu Zhiyi, hoisted on the shoulder and jostled along the way, felt her stomach churning violently.
Hai Qing grabbed his face, “Taking a carriage was too slow, riding a horse too conspicuous. This was the only method I could think of.”
The physician cupped his hands in respect.
“Please, Miss, do not take this to heart. These men have been following the Third Prince through battles; they can be coarse.”
Xu Zhiyi waved her hand, suppressing the discomfort in her stomach.
“The Third Prince has a fever?”
“How does the lady know?”
Xu Zhiyi glanced at the lit room and said no more, stepping forward.
The incident earlier in the day had caused quite a stir, and with Da Zhuang’s men making a scene, it was likely that by early morning, everyone would know.
She did not want to just marry in and immediately be labeled a jinx!
If the Third Prince truly did not survive, it was just unfortunate for him.
By then, she would be the legitimate princess consort, free from having to endure a man’s temper...
Just thinking of it made her feel it was worth it!
The Chen family physician noticed her strange expression, a faintly sinister smile playing on her lips, and felt uneasy.
He wondered if this Miss Xu was reliable.
He hoped she wouldn’t prick the Third Prince with embroidery needles and kill him outright!
Qi Xizhou was already delirious from the fever; his pale face flushed with an unnatural redness, his phoenix-shaped eyes tightly shut, lips colorless.
Xu Zhiyi sat on a small stool by the bedside.
The physician was horrified to find that she had several... embroidery needles in her hand, though he did not know when she had acquired them.
“Miss, this... might not be appropriate?”
Xu Zhiyi shot him a casual glance and said calmly,
“I have no choice. I’m poor and can’t afford silver needles, so I’ll make do.”
The physician was speechless.
“Well then, why not use mine first?”
“Fine!”
Her decisiveness was striking.
Any doctor had their little quirks.
The physician hated when someone else used his carefully arranged tools.
But he couldn’t just stand by and watch the Third Prince being pricked with embroidery needles.
He gritted his teeth and reluctantly handed over the needle pouch.
Inside were silver needles of various thicknesses and lengths, neatly arranged.
Xu Zhiyi’s fingers slowly brushed over them, then she selected the thickest one.
“Let’s use this one!”
The physician suspected she was settling a personal score.
With a poised hand, she precisely pricked an acupuncture point.
In less than half an hour, she withdrew the needle and sniffed beneath her nose.
“The Third Prince has been poisoned!”
The physician was shocked and hurriedly closed the doors and windows.
“Miss, you mustn’t speak so recklessly. If this gets out, not only will I be doomed, but your life will be in danger too.”
Xu Zhiyi retracted her hand and smiled lightly.
“It seems you know well enough. Then why did you only give him medicine for typhoid?”
She scrutinized the physician with a questioning gaze for a long moment.
“So, it was his order?”
The physician remained silent.
He had said nothing; the lady had deduced it herself.
If their lord blamed anyone, it wouldn’t be him.
“If he doesn’t want to live properly, why summon me in the middle of the night?”
Without waiting for an answer, Xu Zhiyi went to wash her hands.
“Let me guess, this must be your idea, right?”
Qi Xizhou was delirious and, after being framed during the day, would least want to see her now.
Xu Zhiyi knew little about court affairs; the little she did know came from Qin Huaisheng.
The Third Prince wielded military power but was dangerously isolated from the royal family.
His mother, the consort, had died young, leaving him without a strong backing. To survive, he had to be willing to risk death.
But wasn’t he afraid of actually dying?
“Prepare hot water and gut strings. Oh, and some strong liquor—we’ll need it soon.”
Xu Zhiyi rolled up her sleeves to her forearms, seeing the physician’s surprised look.
“A physician must have a benevolent heart! Besides, if he dies, how will I wield power after marrying in?”
Power was a fine thing.
The physician twitched at her words, glanced at Qi Xizhou lying on the bed, and silently lit a candle for him.
Leaning on the tiger’s power!
This lady was clearly planning to use the Third Prince’s status!
Who exactly was she up against?
All he could say was: may they all be lucky.
The physician hesitated, “But if the Third Prince wakes and blames us...”
“Fine, I’ll take responsibility if it goes wrong; if he dies, it’s on you!”
Both the physician and Hai Qing’s eyes twitched.
Miss Xu truly dared to say anything!
“Decide quickly! His body won’t hold much longer!”
When Qi Xizhou gave the order, he probably did not expect to last the night.
During their struggle earlier, Xu Zhiyi had sensed the poisoning.
At first, the poisoned person feels nothing unusual, but gradually the toxin spreads through the bloodstream to every limb and bone.
The relentless fever accelerates the poison’s spread.
Delay by another hour, and even immortals couldn’t save him!
Hai Qing stomped his foot and grabbed the physician.
“What are you still hesitating for? Saving the master is the priority! If he blames us later, I’ll take full responsibility!”
“Alright!”
“Alright!”
Xu Zhiyi and the physician replied almost in unison.
Hai Qing looked puzzled.
The physician bowed, “Miss, I’ll prepare everything myself shortly. Is there anything else you need?”
Xu Zhiyi looked around.
“Can we make the room brighter? And prepare more clean cotton cloth—quickly.”
The previously applied hemostatic powder had little effect; the bedding was soaked with blood.
Xu Zhiyi carefully cut open his clothes, some stuck with blood, which she dampened and peeled away bit by bit.
Qi Xizhou, still unconscious, furrowed his brows and groaned softly.
He had trained in martial arts for years with a well-built, muscular body and defined abs.
Xu Zhiyi couldn’t resist reaching out to touch him.
The physician was speechless.
Hai Qing pretended not to see Xu Zhiyi’s inappropriate touch.
After all, the master would marry her sooner or later; a touch wouldn’t hurt... right?
Qi Xizhou lay prone, his back’s wounds horrifyingly exposed.
Xu Zhiyi seemed oblivious as she threaded the needle, occasionally whispering to Hai Qing,
“Be gentle when wiping.”
Outside the corridor, the medicine pot gurgled.
The physician stood by the stove, glancing into the room now and then.
It was his first time learning that open wounds could be stitched.
Xu Zhiyi’s delicate hands flew swiftly and gently, as if embroidering.
“No more bleeding!”
Hai Qing shouted excitedly.
Catching Xu Zhiyi’s glance, he immediately fell silent and continued wiping the blood around the wound.
It took two hours just to treat the wound.
After replacing the bedding, Hai Qing laid Qi Xizhou back on the bed.
In a daze, Qi Xizhou grasped Xu Zhiyi’s wrist.
“Mother...”
“Mm.”