Chapter 464 – There’s no reason to take this lying down!
In the yamen.
Mo Ruo was helping Wei Yi stem the flow of blood. One bloody basin after another was brought out from the room. Standing by the bedside, Ji Yunshu looked anxiously at Wei Yi, who was as pale as a sheet of paper. Even unconscious, Wei Yi’s brows were faintly knitted together. The scene was heart-wrenching.
She was scared silly by him. A stream of self-reproach came from her lips. “It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have brought him there. It’s all my fault…”
Her eyes were rimmed with red, both hands tightly clenched, her fingernails digging deeply into her palms. A string of large, pearly tears slowly slid down her cheeks. Guilt and worry gnawed at her, making her feel like she would rather be dead.
Outside the room.
Tang Si sat in the corridor, polishing her precious silver whip with the edge of her clothes and glanced towards the room every few minutes. She asked the nearby Shi Zijin, “Who on earth are you people? Why would there be assassins after you, clearly out for your lives?”
No response.
“I heard that this Anfu yamen’s magistrate had been arrested for corruption; how did you get into the yamen? Unless you are officials too?”
No response.
“Hey, I’m talking to you!”
There was still no response.
Tang Si gave a little huff of anger. “Weirdos, every last one of you. I even helped you! I didn’t get a word of thanks and even get ignored.”
Shi Zijin gave her a look and sighed. “You better leave quickly.”
“Oh? You speak? I almost thought you were mute!” She waved the whip in her hands and walked towards Shi Zijin, revealing a mischievous glint in her eyes. “This miss has discovered that you people of the Central Plains [1. See map] are much more interesting than we Houliao. No way am I going to leave now! I intend to stay here; I can also help you guys in case there are people that want to kill you again.”
“No need!”
“Of course there’s a need! Just now, if it weren’t for me, that Jianghu expert would have died. He owes me a life – no matter what, I must claim it back. If I leave now, won’t I be shortchanged? Moreover…” As she spoke, she drew out the wooden plaque she had swiped off Ji Yunshu and swung it on her finger with a cheeky grin. “There are too many interesting things in the Central Plains – I can’t bear to leave!”
Shi Zijin glanced at the little miss and adjusted the sword in his arms, not bothering to reply. Bored out of her mind, Tang Si bounced into the room to see Mo Ruo seated by the bed with a serious expression. He was administering acupuncture while helping Wei Yi stem the flow of blood.
After almost an hour, the blood from the wound finally started coagulating. However, Wei Yi’s face was deathly pale due to an excessive loss of blood. Mo Ruo wiped his hands and stuffed a pill into Wei Yi’s mouth before sitting down at the table to write a prescription. He passed it to one of the yamen’s maids. “Quickly go fill this prescription and boil it at medium-high heat.”
“Understood.” The maid then left for the pharmacy.
Ji Yunshu sat by the bedside, not daring to touch Wei Yi for fear of hurting him. Her heart tightened as she looked at the bedsheets soaked in blood.
“Wei Yi?” She gently called out to no avail before turning to ask Mo Ruo, “How is he now?”
“His situation is not good.”
“Not good? What do you mean by ‘not good’?” She was a little agitated.
“If the arrow had struck just a little more to the side, it would have directly hit his heart. He has lost a massive amount of blood and his cardiac pulse [2. One of the five ‘pulses’ defined in Traditional Chinese Medicine… don’t ask me what the equivalent is in western medicine T.T ] has been injured. So, we have to just wait and see.”
Hearing that, she bit her lips forcefully, hard enough that there was a trace of blood.
“It was me. All my fault. I shouldn’t have brought him out. If something really happens to him, I won’t forgive myself as long as I live.” She gently held Wei Yi’s hand. “Why were you so silly? Why would you save me?”
Mo Ruo sent a few looks her way, leisurely pouring himself a cup of tea. Only after he finished drinking, did he reply, “Relax, this brat is a lucky one. He won’t die. I didn’t get this reputation of divine doctor for nothing. I was just joking with you to lighten the atmosphere.”
Joking my ass! Do you think that this is very funny?
Ji Yunshu felt as if she had just been on a roller coaster ride. She didn’t bother quibbling with him, but instead let out a few tears of relief, smiling weakly as she sniffled.
On the other hand, Mo Ruo patted his robes and stood up before packing his medicine chest. “I’m going to take a look at Jing Rong.”
Only then did she remember that he was also injured. “His hand…”
“I know. You take good care of Wei Yi, I’ll take care of Jing Rong.” With that, he went out.
Tang Si followed him, asking with wide eyes, “You’re really a doctor?”
Mo Ruo narrowed his eyes at her. “Why? Do I not look like one?”
She shook her head and frowned. “Nope. You just look like a Jianghu expert.”
Mo Ruo was unperturbed. “Little miss, you better go. If you tarry too long, you might invite disaster upon yourself.” He walked faster as he spoke.
Tang Si was like a piece of sticky candy. She ran to catch up to him and elbowed him in the arm. “I’m the one who saved your life. How can you chase your savior away?”
“…”
“Hey, who are you guys, really? Are you really officials? Or some kind of Jianghu heroes? Or…did you kill someone and are running for your lives?”
“Oh, we certainly killed someone; we’re all cold-blooded murderers. So you better leave quickly or you’d be dead before you know it.”
“Are you trying to scare me away?” Tang Si was adamant. “Do you think this miss is a naive little girl that would be scared away by just a few words from you? I think that you are a bunch of chivalrous heroes. So this miss has decided to wander the world with you.” She stuck out her chin and struck a pose, imitating a heroic wandering swordswoman.
From the start, Mo Ruo’s expression remained chillingly polite. Just before they reached Jing Rong’s room, he stopped and turned to Tang Si, saying sternly, “Don’t follow me anymore.”
“Why?”
Mo Ruo ignored her and strode into Jing Rong’s room. Tang Si wanted to follow, but a shadow suddenly jumped in front of her to block her way!
“Miss, please do not advance further.” Shi Ziran was not as good-tempered as Mo Ruo. Tang Si knew that she was not his match and could only stare plaintively at Mo Ruo’s departing back.
In Jing Rong’s room.
He stood in front of the window, looking into the distance. His hands were clasped behind his back, hidden in his sleeves. On the ground were a few drops of dried blood.
Mo Ruo immediately opened his medicine chest once he entered. “Come here.”
In response, Jing Rong turned walked slowly over, sitting down obediently. He lifted his injured hand and thrust it at Mo Ruo. His broad palm had been deeply sliced by the sharp arrowhead. Although it had already stopped bleeding, the viscosity of the blood suggested that there could be a risk of scar formation. [1. Scar formation is a totally normal and good thing! They’re probably worried about scar tissue that may impede muscle repair… but in reality this has nothing to do with the viscosity of the blood.] Mo Ruo chided him as he applied the medicine, “I say, you… why must you still stay so stoic even when you’re injured? So what if you’re a prince? You’re not a god; it’s unavoidable that you’ll get hurt. If I weren’t by your side, would you really have waited till the wound had stopped bleeding to be checked over by a doctor?”
“It’s just a flesh wound.”
“Flesh wound?” Mo Ruo glared at him. “Jing Rong, oh Jing Rong, can you just change that stubborn nature of yours a little?”
“No.”
“Fine. Whatever you say.” Mo Ruo deliberately applied the medicine a little more forcefully. Seeing him clench his hand minutely and wrinkle his brow, Mo Ruo sniggered.
After he wrapped the wound securely, Mo Ruo said sternly, “There’s no reason to take this incident lying down, is there?”
1. Diagram of central plains I put it in discord cause the site didn’t let me attach it to the chapter ):