Chapter 93: Where Are You Going Back To?

Liu Fu spat out the towel in his mouth and clutched Qiao Qingyun’s sleeve with a death grip, his eyes full of pleading.

“Your Ladyship, save the Crown Prince, save the Crown Prince...”

“Save him? His concubine won’t allow it. For all I know, she may one day become the Crown Princess. Don’t call me Your Ladyship. Call me Miss Qiao.”

“No, no... Your Ladyship, please save the Crown Prince.”

Qiao Qingyun said nothing, only quickened her hands. After a while, at last, she saw the red of blood.

“Go. Find someone with the same blood type as Liu Fu and start the transfusion at once. Quickly. And bring some nutrient infusions.”

“Understood.”

Xu Lu and Chun Cheng immediately busied themselves with everything. By the time the blood transfusion began, Liu Fu’s complexion had clearly improved. Though still unconscious, his body was gradually recovering.

“Teacher, the patient’s heartbeat is steady now.”

“Mhm. Good. Keep watching a little longer. Once all the blood in his body has been replaced, there’s no need to stand guard.”

“Yes.”

The few of them went to Yuan Zaichun’s side. His entire complexion had changed, and Qiao Qingyun cast a mocking glance at Bu Shenglian.

“You said we weren’t allowed to save him, did you?”

Bu Shenglian was dumbstruck at once. She had never imagined that Qiao Qingyun was truly treating them, and with the most effective method at that.

Liu Fu recovered in no time, but Yuan Zaichun only grew worse and worse.

“I... I...”

Xu Lu glanced at Yuan Zaichun. “If you don’t trust us, then take him away.”

With that, the group simply left the room, leaving Yuan Zaichun to live or die on his own. After all, even if it came to a reckoning, it was Bu Shenglian who had refused treatment.

Qiao Qingyun lounged in a chair, as though none of this had anything to do with her.

What should have been a matter of grave concern to everyone else was, in front of Qiao Qingyun, something she could take or leave.

At last, before even a quarter hour had passed, Bu Shenglian came rushing down from upstairs and grabbed Qiao Qingyun’s hand.

“Save the Crown Prince!”

“Oh? And why should I save him? It does me no good. Since you don’t trust me, go find the imperial physician.”

As she spoke, Qiao Qingyun glanced at the time. “I’ve already sent someone to fetch him. I’m not treating him.”

“Qiao Qingyun, how can you be so vicious!”

Bu Shenglian trembled all over with fury and pointed at Qiao Qingyun, shouting in rage. The woman only gave a cold laugh.

“You dare compare yourself to me and call me vicious? I don’t even think I’m one-tenth as bad as you. Bu Shenglian, let’s see how this plays out.”

This was the most helpless Bu Shenglian had ever been. Not long after, the imperial physician who had once followed Qiao Qingyun around, eager to learn from her, came hurrying over.

The moment he walked in and saw Qiao Qingyun sitting off to the side, he panicked.

“Imperial Physician, Imperial Physician, please save the Crown Prince!”

Bu Shenglian lunged at him without warning. The physician startled, turned to avoid her, and frowned.

“Who are you?”

“Imperial Physician Li, I never thought I’d run into you again.”

Qiao Qingyun rose with a smile. Imperial Physician Li hurried to her in fear and respect.

“Your Ladyship... no, Miss Qiao, you are here. Why would there still be any need for—”

“There’s no helping it. Miss Bu won’t let me treat the Crown Prince. She even thought I was trying to kill him. Please go back and tell His Majesty that I did my utmost, so that if this is ever brought up later, it won’t all be pinned on me.”

“What?”

At those words, Imperial Physician Li barked sharply, “Absurd! If even Miss Qiao cannot save him, who possibly can?”

But he did not dare waste time. It was plain to see that Qiao Qingyun truly no longer wished to be involved, so he hurried upstairs himself.

After a long while, Imperial Physician Li finally came back down and said to Qiao Qingyun, “Miss Qiao, he has been treated. However, the prince’s body is a little weak, so this...”

“It’s fine. I have nutrient infusions here, though they’re quite expensive. Miss Bu, remember to settle the medical fees for the Crown Prince and for Liu Fu.”

Bu Shenglian’s face went rigid. It was as though one more word and she would explode.

“Miss Qiao, then...”

“You may go now, Imperial Physician. Thank you.”

“How could I dare? How could I dare?”

Imperial Physician Li quickly wiped the sweat from his brow and turned to leave.

“Is Miss Bu staying to look after the Crown Prince, or what?”

Hearing this, Bu Shenglian froze and looked around the clinic. The conditions were indeed decent, but they absolutely could not compare with the Crown Prince’s residence.

After much deliberation, she could only pay the money and have someone look after him.

In the middle of the night, Qiao Qingyun kept watch in the room of the two men. Seeing them both sleeping soundly, she herself was half-reclined in a chair, utterly drained.

“Your Ladyship?”

Liu Fu woke in the dead of night. The moment he opened his eyes, he saw Qiao Qingyun and called out softly.

“Hmm? You’re awake?”

Qiao Qingyun drowsily got to her feet, poured a cup of tea from the table nearby, and brought it to him.

She helped Liu Fu sit up and fed him a mouthful of tea.

“How is it? Does it still hurt?”

Qiao Qingyun deliberately kept her voice low so as not to wake Yuan Zaichun beside them.

“Many thanks for saving my life, Your Ladyship.”

“All right, stop calling me that. It makes me feel strange.”

Naturally, Qiao Qingyun was not joking. Every time she heard that form of address, she felt like going to settle accounts with Bu Shenglian.

Liu Fu lowered his head, his voice heavy and subdued.

“Your Ladyship, the prince truly misses you. There are many places where, without you, nothing feels right. Though His Ladyship does not say it, this subordinate knows.”

“Enough, don’t say any more. Your body won’t recover in a short time. Was someone trying to harm you?”

At that, Liu Fu was indeed distracted. As he spoke, the murderous intent in his eyes became plain.

“I had been on patrol. Suddenly I felt a sharp pain in my foot, and then the agony became unbearable.”

“One after another, people fell. This subordinate only wanted to protect the prince, but even he could not escape death’s door.”

Hearing this account, Qiao Qingyun frowned.

“Who would dare openly scheme against the Crown Prince?”

In this place, apart from the emperor, the Crown Prince held the highest rank among men. Of course, it was inevitable that the other princes would envy him.

But even so, it should not have been enough to cost him his life. Could it have been the imperial consorts?

After thinking it over from every angle, Qiao Qingyun sighed.

“You’ll have to be careful yourselves. Don’t come to me next time. If you die, I’m the one who’ll be held responsible.”

At this, Liu Fu’s eyes held a trace of helplessness. He had words on his lips, but in the end swallowed them back.

Qiao Qingyun had already been away from the Crown Prince’s residence for a long time. To be willing to save them now was already a great act of mercy.

“But, Your Ladyship...”

“Call me Miss Qiao.”

Qiao Qingyun said with faint displeasure. Liu Fu thought for a moment, then pressed his lips together.

“Yes, Miss Qiao.”

“Can you truly not return with the Crown Prince?”

“Return? Return where?”

Though she understood exactly what Liu Fu meant, Qiao Qingyun simply refused to admit it.

“To the Crown Prince’s residence, of course. Miss Bu... has never once shared his bed.”