strictlysupreme Chapter 285 Bone-Scraping Treatment (Part 2)
Chapter 285 Bone-Scraping Treatment (Part 2)
Lu Zhiyuan didn't know what it felt like to fry fish in oil; she only knew she was in great pain. Her skin, blood vessels, and bones felt like they were being roasted over a fire—the discomfort and pain were indescribable.
The Crown Prince stood helplessly beside the bathtub, unsure of what to do. Just as he was at his wit's end, a guard announced that the accompanying imperial physicians had arrived. Lu Zhiyuan, enduring the pain, opened her eyes and weakly asked, "Which two imperial physicians have come?"
"Physician Cui and Physician An," the Crown Prince said. "They are both trained by their uncles, so they are trustworthy and capable."
Lu Zhiyuan nodded and asked Liu Ying to find a towel. She said to the Crown Prince, "In a quarter of an hour, whether I am conscious or not, please have two imperial physicians come in. I have been hit by many hidden weapons. After being soaked in the medicine, the wounds may turn blue or white. There are tools in the medicine box. Have Liu Ying take them to the imperial physicians. No matter what, they must help me remove those hidden weapons."
"What will happen to A-Yuan after it's taken out?"
Lu Zhiyuan smiled with drooping eyelids: "There might be some scars left. If you think they're unsightly, you don't have to see them."
"How could that be?" The Crown Prince squatted down and cupped Lu Zhiyuan's bloodless face in his hands. "Your Highness only wants me to live, to live well. You don't need to worry. Even though I'm covered in scars, I'm still the most perfect person in your heart."
"Men really are always ready with sweet talk." Lu Zhiyuan struggled to stuff the towel into her mouth, then braced herself against the bathtub with both hands, closed her eyes, and sank in.
The fireflies couldn't bear to watch, so they turned away, clasped their hands together, and pleaded for help from all the Buddhas in the sky.
The Crown Prince couldn't bear it, but he was even more worried about Lu Zhiyuan's safety. He stared intently at the water, his hands clenched tightly. That fifteen minutes felt like an eternity. In the instant his hands slipped into the bathtub, he pulled Lu Zhiyuan out of the water.
Hearing the sound of water, Liuying hurried to get clothes. When she saw the scars on Lu Zhiyuan's body, tears welled up in her eyes. Holding the clothes, she didn't know where to put them or where to cover her to ease the lady's pain.
The Crown Prince sighed softly and told Liu Ying to go and make the bed first.
The Crown Prince retrieved the hidden weapon, fearing the imperial physicians might use excessive force and hurt his A-Yuan. The weapon was coated with poison; some was forced away by the medicinal liquid, but some remained on the flesh and bones. To completely remove the toxins, besides continuing to use detoxifying and antidoting drugs, it would also require scraping away flesh and bones.
Each cut felt like it was slicing through the prince's body, scraping at his heart. He bit his lip, forcing himself to calm down. Only with enough calmness could his hand be steady. With a steady hand, A-Yuan would suffer less.
As the hidden weapons on the tray piled up into a small mountain, the prince suddenly breathed a sigh of relief. He closed his eyes, rested for a moment, and only after confirming that nothing had been missed did he apply the medicine and bandages.
When she woke up, it was already dark. She asked the Crown Prince, who was guarding her bedside, and learned that she had been unconscious for nearly two hours.
Where is Lu Yun?
"The imperial physicians have already examined him and he has taken his medicine. Now he is resting in bed, just like you." The Crown Prince picked up the bowl of medicine to replenish his qi and blood: "The imperial physicians said that, in terms of injuries alone, Lu Yun's are more serious than A Yuan's. However, A Yuan's constitution is not as good as Lu Yun's. By the time he is back to his old self, you will still have to stay in bed for half a month."
"Crown Prince, you lied to me." Lu Zhiyuan smiled weakly. "At most, Lu Yun will be able to get out of bed and move around in three days. As for me, I'll have to stay in bed for at least three months."
"It's alright, your Crown Prince brother will stay with you." The Crown Prince patted her head and said softly, "How about we buy this farm? The air here is fresh, perfect for A-Yuan to recuperate."
Lu Zhiyuan glanced at him: "If you buy this farm, where will that old man live? He's lived here his whole life. You can't just kick him out because you're the Crown Prince and you've taken a liking to this place, can you?"
"We didn't drive them away, we just made better arrangements." The Crown Prince explained, "Just as A-Yuan expected, we had barely left when those corpse collectors arrived. The old man saved us, and we can't be ungrateful. Don't worry, A-Yuan, I've already ordered You Yi to make proper arrangements."
“Ah Yuan believes in her brother, the Crown Prince.”
Her body had not yet recovered; the pain from the medicinal soak lingered on her skin and seeped into her very bones. She was in so much pain that she closed her eyes and leaned against the Crown Prince. There were no other beds available, so the Crown Prince gently embraced Lu Zhiyuan and spoke to her for a long time.
"The year I was born, my father and General Xie had just quelled a rebellion. Everyone, inside and outside the palace, regarded my birth as an auspicious sign. Before I was even a month old, my father made me the crown prince. From then on, my existence was about learning how to be a qualified crown prince who would be praised by all the people."
"It must be difficult, right?" Touching her wound, Lu Zhiyuan frowned and moved her head: "Being the eldest daughter of a marquis's family is difficult enough, being the crown prince must be even more difficult."
“Ah Yuan is the only one who asked that question.” The Crown Prince smiled, his eyes filled with both joy and helplessness: “When others hear the words ‘Crown Prince,’ they only envy me for being born well and having good luck.”
Lu Zhiyuan shook her head: "With greater responsibility comes more burden. Do they really think being a crown prince is just about eating, drinking, and having fun?"
"No!" the Crown Prince said with a self-deprecating laugh. "Under the whole heaven, all land belongs to the king. In their eyes, the Crown Prince can not only eat, drink, and be merry, but also control the wealth of the world, and can beat or kill whomever he wants. Unfortunately, the life of the Crown Prince is far more boring than they imagine. Let alone eating, drinking, and being merry, even eating is not as he wishes."
After listening, Lu Zhiyuan remained silent for a long time: "Is the Crown Prince not getting enough to eat?"
For once, the Crown Prince nodded: "Whether it's Father, Mother, or the tutors in the palace, they all believe that the Crown Prince shouldn't be indulging in eating, drinking, and having fun. Before I could even sit up, they would recite classical Chinese texts to me. Before I was three years old, I never ate a full meal, let alone a meal with any flavor. After I turned three, I could eat until I was seven or eight tenths full, and I could even have some snacks between meals. Whether it was food or snacks, they always only had one flavor."
Lu Zhiyuan: "Sweet?"
"It's salty because children can't eat sugar, and they can't eat too much salty stuff. If they eat too much, they'll get thirsty. If they're thirsty, they'll have to drink water, and if they drink water, they'll have to go to the outhouse. If they go to the outhouse, their father will scold them, their mother will teach them, and their teacher will say that they're lazy, cunning, and useless, and can't shoulder the responsibility of the Northern Liang dynasty."
Lu Zhiyuan stuck out her tongue: "Being the Crown Prince is really difficult!"
The Crown Prince sighed, “It’s really not easy! There’s a saying among farmers: ‘Get up earlier than the rooster and go to bed later than the pig.’ I don’t know if they get up early or go to bed late, but I really do get up earlier than the rooster and go to bed later than the pig. There’s so much to learn, just practicing calligraphy takes up a lot of time. If I don’t get up early and go to bed late, how can it be enough? Let me tell you a secret.”
Lu Zhiyuan pricked up her ears. The Crown Prince leaned down, slowly approaching, and whispered, "Does A-Yuan know what initially attracted this prince?"
"what?"
"The skewers that A-Yuan made are sizzling with oil." The Crown Prince smiled, staring at Lu Zhiyuan's pale face due to her injury: "I have never smelled such delicious meat before."
"The dignified Crown Prince is such a glutton!"
"It's a secret, A-Yuan can't tell anyone else." The corner of his lips seemed to brush against Lu Zhiyuan's forehead unintentionally, and Lu Zhiyuan's face turned slightly red.