novelaction Chapter 166 Accountability
Chapter 166 Accountability
The doctor said, "Your Highness is too kind. This is my duty as a doctor! Your Highness, rest assured, the arrow in your arm can be easily pulled out without any danger!"
Even so, Zisu still dared not watch the doctor's movements until she heard the doctor's voice: "Princess, it's done, the arrow has been removed!"
Zisu tried to stand up and bow to the doctor, but her left hand was firmly held by Prince Duan, and she couldn't break free, so she had to give up. She sat back down, looked up at the doctor, and sincerely said, "Thank you, thank you so much! If you ever encounter any difficulties in the future, as long as it's reasonable, you can ask me for help! I'm easy to find; you can ask the manager of the Good Days Restaurant to pass on the message!"
It was clear that the doctor today was very dedicated and honest, and seemed like a kind and honest person. Because of this, Zisu couldn't help but make this promise to the doctor.
The doctor bowed and said, "Thank you, Princess, thank you so much!"
And indeed, Baicaotang really needs such a benefactor. If they encounter powerful figures or persecution in the future, they won't be helpless. Baicaotang is a clinic run by the doctor's family in Lishu County. The doctor's surname is Chunyu.
Zisu said, "The prince is still in danger. I'm afraid we'll have to trouble the doctor to stay at the Good Days Restaurant to monitor his condition. Before that, please go home and make arrangements, and tell your family so they won't worry!" She then handed over two hundred-tael silver notes and earnestly said, "These two hundred-tael silver notes are compensation for you. Your presence here to protect the prince will inevitably affect the clinic's business."
"Thank you, Princess. This is too much. Five taels of silver is enough for me!" The doctor quickly waved his hand, refusing to take the silver note. His attitude was very firm, and he even said, "Actually, five taels is too much. If we encounter a poor family, we can accept one tael."
Zisu had no choice but to take out one of the banknotes, put it back in her money pouch, and then handed over the remaining banknote: "Doctor, please accept this! You'll probably have to stay here for the next few days, which will seriously affect the clinic's business. If you don't accept it, I'll feel bad making you stay here."
Otherwise, it would be suspected of abusing power to oppress others.
The doctor then accepted the silver note: "Then I shall gladly accept your kind offer, thank you for your generous reward, Princess! I will go home now and bring back a change of clothes!"
Zisu then said to Dongfang Han, "Please trouble Lord Dongfang to escort the doctor!"
Dongfang Han nodded and saw the doctor out.
Song Mo said, "Princess, are you tired? Why don't you go wash up and get some rest? I'll take care of things here!"
Zisu also felt extremely tired, and her clothes were stained with many bloodstains. She wanted to take a bath and change her clothes. So she leaned down and whispered in Duan Wang's ear, "Your Highness, I'm going to take a bath and change my clothes. I'll be back in a little while. Please let go of my hand."
Having said that, she withdrew her hand again, successfully freeing it from Prince Duan's grasp. She couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. Before, it was merely a temporary measure; now that the arrow had been removed from Prince Duan's body, he should be alright. If she were to continue holding his hand, it would be highly inappropriate. Even if she were no relation to Prince Duan, or even if she were already his wife, it wouldn't be proper. After all, they were in the public eye.
Zisu bowed to Song Mo and said, "Then, thank you for your trouble, sir! I'm going to take a short rest. If Your Highness wakes up or has any questions, please let me know immediately!"
Song Mo: "It's no trouble at all. The Prince and I are close friends, so it's only right that I do something for him. Princess, don't worry, please rest well. I'm here! If anything happens, I will definitely let you know as soon as possible!"
Zisu: "Please send a subordinate back to the capital to report to the Emperor and also to inform my father."
Song Mo: "Okay, I understand. Please rest assured, Princess!"
Zisu then took a bath and changed her clothes. Her clothes were stained with blood, though it was the prince's blood, not that of an enemy. However, she still felt uncomfortable all over.
The Good Days Restaurant prepared a small courtyard just for her, right next to the courtyard where Prince Duan was recuperating. When the manager heard that she wanted to take a bath, he thoughtfully had rose petals prepared.
Lying in the bathtub strewn with rose petals, she couldn't help but sigh deeply. Prince Duan was seriously injured, and all because of protecting her. She wondered how Consort Qin would treat her if she found out. And what would the Emperor think?
Ugh, so annoying! Fortunately, the arrow was successfully removed from Prince Duan's body, and he has survived the worst of the danger. As long as he is properly cared for, he should be out of danger.
After bathing and changing, Zisu did not immediately go to guard Prince Duan, because she was so tired that she barely had the strength to take a step. She dried her hair, took a short nap for half an hour, and then got up and went to the neighboring courtyard to take care of Prince Duan.
Song Mo and Dongfang Han both stood guard in front of Prince Duan's bed.
Zisu: "The prince is still asleep. Please go and rest, gentlemen. I will look after things here."
Song Mo: "Alright, then let's go and rest for a while, and then the two of us will come back to guard the prince tonight."
It was already evening.
Zisu: "You all rest for a bit, then have dinner before coming back to guard the Prince!"
"Okay, then you'll have to work hard for us. We'll come and relieve you after dinner!" Dongfang Han said.
"It's no trouble at all, it's what I should do." Zisu waved her hand, watching the two leave the ward. Then she bent down and planted a kiss on Prince Duan's forehead. She whispered affectionately in his ear, "Your Highness, you must be strong, you must be alright! If something were to happen to you, what would I do? In that case, I would never be happy or joyful in my life!"
In the dim, dark world, Prince Duan struggled relentlessly, fighting between life and death. Just when he was about to give up, he heard Zisu's gentle voice, so beautiful and so affectionate. Suddenly, he finally broke free from the darkness and opened his eyes.
Zisu had been watching him closely. The moment he opened his eyes, she noticed it and was both surprised and delighted. She quickly shouted, "Doctor, the prince is awake! Come and see him!"
Doctor Chunyu lived next door, and as soon as Zisu called out, he came over immediately: "Really? He woke up so quickly! I originally thought he wouldn't wake up until tomorrow morning at the earliest! He woke up so quickly, it seems that the prince has a very good constitution! It's good that he's awake, it means that his life is no longer in danger!"
This was the first time he had ever seen such a tenacious patient. He felt a mixture of joy and excitement. After all, the patient was Prince Duan; if anything were to happen to him, his own life would be in danger. And who knows, his entire family might also be implicated.
Dongfang Han and Song Mo also lived in the same courtyard as Prince Duan. Upon hearing Zisu's shout, the two rushed in quickly.
The doctor, his hands trembling, carefully examined Prince Duan and couldn't help but beam with joy: "Alright, Your Highness is fine! With proper care, you can fully recover without any aftereffects!"
Zisu: "Thank you, doctor. Please stay one more day. If the prince's condition stabilizes after one day, you can go home."
The imperial physician sent by the emperor will surely arrive in a day.
The doctor said, "Princess, please rest assured, I will stay here for the next few days until His Highness leaves Lishu County!" He was joking; now that His Highness was out of danger, he had even more reason to stay. He believed that from now on, Baicaotang's reputation would soar, and they wouldn't have to worry about being suppressed by Heshitang anymore!
Zisu: "Alright, then I'll leave it to you!"
"Zisu, are you alright? Are you hurt?" Prince Duan had just woken up and couldn't speak much yet. With each word he uttered, cold sweat rolled down his forehead.
Seeing this, Zisu felt a pang of heartache and said gently, "Don't worry, don't rush to speak. I'm fine, I'm not hurt! I'll stay here and watch over you!"
Prince Duan said weakly, "You, you really won't leave? You'll, you'll stay by my side?"
Zisu nodded with tears in her eyes: "Yes, I won't go anywhere. I will always stay by your side!"
Prince Duan smiled with relief: "No, no! You can't guard me all the time. Tonight, let Dongfang and Song Mo keep watch, and you can go and get some rest!"
Dongfang Han: "Your Highness, please rest assured, Song Mo and I will take turns on duty tonight, and the princess will not be allowed to stay up all night!"
Prince Duan's gaze swept between Dongfang Han and Song Mo: "Are you two alright?"
“We’re fine, we’re doing well, you can focus on recovering!” Dongfang Han said.
Prince Duan: "Good brothers, I'm sorry to have troubled you. You've worked hard!"
Song Mo: "It's not hard work. We're all brothers, there's no need to worry about being implicated. Just focus on getting better and don't talk so much. If you have anything to say, wait until your injuries are a bit better before you say anything!"
"Yes, those people are after Zisu. Please keep a close eye on her and don't let anyone take advantage of her!" After saying this, Prince Duan closed his eyes, large beads of cold sweat on his forehead.
Zisu took out her handkerchief and wiped the sweat from his forehead, her heart surging with emotion.
Who exactly is the person who wants to harm her?!
She went out and beckoned to one of Prince Duan's guards: "Please ride back to Wuliping quickly and tell Shen Laihui and Xia Tian about my assassination attempt. Tell them to be on high alert so that no one will harm my brothers!"
The guard replied, "Yes, Your Highness, I will go right away!" He then quickly accepted the order and left.
Brother, cousin, how are you? Mom and Dad, how are you? I hope you are all well, please don't let anything happen to you!
The emperor's men arrived the following evening.
There were thirty guards, twenty of whom were from the Imperial Guards, and ten from the Golden Guards, as well as three imperial physicians. Of these three physicians, one was in his thirties, one in his forties, and the other in his fifties.
The Emperor considered the differences in age and medical expertise among the imperial physicians. The physicians, being of different ages, possessed varying levels of medical knowledge, which would allow them to complement each other.
In addition, Shangguan Mufeng and Madam Yu also came! What surprised Zisu the most was that Consort Qin also came!
Upon seeing her son, Consort Qin rushed over, her heart filled with love, crying and shouting.
Zisu frowned slightly and couldn't help but whisper something to the old imperial physician. The old physician then said, "Your Highness, the Prince is weak and needs rest. Your crying and fussing won't do him any good!"
Upon hearing this, Consort Qin glared at Zisu, but wisely refrained from crying or making a scene. However, she suddenly remembered something and pulled Zisu out of the ward.
"Tell me, why are you with my son?" Consort Qin pulled Zisu behind a flower bush in a corner of the courtyard and began to interrogate her.
Zisu: "The Prince, Lord Dongfang, and Lord Song went hunting at Wuliping. They were returning to the capital yesterday, and I was also returning to the capital, so I went with them!"
Consort Qin: "Then why weren't you injured? Was it because my son was protecting you that he got hurt?"
Zisu couldn't avoid the question, so she could only nod: "Yes, that's right. Your Highness was injured while protecting me! I'm sorry, I've dragged Your Highness into this."
Upon hearing this, Consort Qin roared, "As expected of you, you jinx! You're a jinx! First, you caused your father to fall off a cliff, then you caused the Marquis of Changning's family to lose their title, and later you caused your mother, your brother, your uncle's family, and the Jiang family to be exiled to the Northwest. Whoever is close to you, you bring them misfortune, and now you've even brought misfortune upon my son!"
These are words that strike at the heart!
Zisu was immediately furious. She was not someone to be trifled with, and not someone anyone could just bully!
"I said, you old woman, that's enough! Why do you call me a jinx, a harbinger of disaster?!" Zisu was furious, glaring at Consort Qin with wide eyes: "This whole thing, to be honest, was actually caused by your son! This assassination attempt was aimed at me, and the mastermind behind it is most likely a woman who likes your son!"
Consort Qin: "You jinx, don't you dare make false accusations!"
Zisu: "I can bet you, if the mastermind behind this is one of those women who like your son, then what are you going to do?!"
Consort Qin: "If what you say is true, I can kneel down and admit my mistake! However, if what you say is not true, then from now on you are not allowed to bother my son anymore. Furthermore, you must kneel down and admit your mistake to me, and in front of at least a hundred people, shout three times in the street that you are a jinx!"
Zisu readily nodded: "Okay, it's your way! You're a man of your word, or you'll be a little dog!"
Shangguan Mufeng strode over and coldly looked at Consort Qin: "What right do you have to call my daughter a jinx? If I hadn't saved your son back then, he would have been dead long ago! If I hadn't saved your son back then, how would you have had the chance to insult my daughter?! You are ungrateful and no different from a heartless wretch!"
Madam Yu continued, "Furthermore, it's always been your son who's been harassing my daughter, not my daughter! You're turning the tables on her, you're no different from an ignorant village woman!"
Consort Qin was furious, but dared not roar any louder lest her son hear. She knew perfectly well that it was her son who was harassing Zisu, not the other way around. Otherwise, her son wouldn't be so desperate to marry Zisu!
"Anyway, my son's injury this time was all caused by your daughter!" Consort Qin was at a loss for words, but she gritted her teeth and made up her mind.
Yu: "You're talking nonsense! I haven't even said that your son caused my daughter to be frightened!" In her anger, she swore.
Consort Qin: "You, you actually used foul language, you uncultured and stupid woman!" Her voice was sharp and shrill, probably loud enough for everyone in the restaurant to hear.
Zisu frowned slightly, her eyes wide as she looked at Consort Qin: "Please keep your voice down. The Prince is not completely out of danger yet. Your shouting is making him lose face! Don't worry, I won't bother your son. As for chasing after men, even if I never get married in this lifetime, I will never do that!"
Just as Consort Qin was about to retort, Dongfang Han walked over, frowning as he looked at her: "The Prince has woken up. He said you should return to the capital; he doesn't want to see you!"
The prince said he didn't want to see such a disgraceful mother!
Upon hearing this, Consort Qin was immediately startled and stood there dumbfounded.
Zisu walked over and took her parents' hands: "Father, Mother, let's go to my courtyard and rest for a while!"
Shangguan Mufeng and Madam Yu nodded, and the three of them went out.
Consort Qin was extremely embarrassed; being disliked by her son like this made her lose all face.
The old imperial physician also came over and said to her, "You should go back. The Prince doesn't want to see you. If you insist on staying, it will be bad for the Prince's wound healing. He can't get too agitated, or the wound will reopen! For the Prince's sake, please, Your Highness, return to the capital now!"
Consort Qin was furious and couldn't help but shout again, "You're talking nonsense! I'm his own mother! How could he not want to see me? At this time, he's seriously injured. Shouldn't I be the person he wants to see most?"
The old physician wasn't afraid of her and said coldly, "If you hadn't caused trouble and hadn't insulted Princess Yulin, perhaps the Prince would have wanted to see you! However, you came here and treated Princess Yulin like that without even asking what happened. How is that any different from what a shrew would do? If I were the Prince, I wouldn't want to see a mother like that either!"
Consort Qin was speechless and could not utter a single word.
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