It was none other than Young Master Xie of the Duke of Zhenguo’s Residence, the Chief of the Imperial City Bureau, Xie Yujin.
Today, he was not wearing his official robes but a form-fitting, practical black outfit with tight sleeves, different from the Xie Yujin she had seen at the Shen family banquet that day.
At this moment, Xie Yujin was enveloped in an aura of coldness, harboring immense hostility toward her. There was no trace of the refined young nobleman from the capital; instead, he resembled a Yama Demon, glaring at her with icy disdain.
“Young Master Xie.” Shen Wan calmly sorted through the words in her mind. “I am here to save him.”
The sword pressed against her neck did not move.
“Jiang the Sixth’s complexion is dark, his lips are purplish-black, and the arrow has struck his heart meridian—already a critical injury. But judging by his appearance, the arrowhead lodged in his body must be laced with a potent poison.”
“I am a disciple of Immortal Doctor Li, skilled in medicine, no less capable than the physicians of the Imperial Medical Academy. Outside, the Crown Prince’s men are searching everywhere for Jiang Lin’s hiding place.”
“You cannot move Jiang the Sixth out of Puhua Temple in a short time, and the physicians you bring from outside may not be able to extract the arrowhead from his body.”
“Even if they can, the poison has already seeped into his bones. Time is running out, and preparing an antidote takes time. Yet, I happen to have the antidote on hand.”
“Did the Crown Prince send you?” Xie Yujin clearly did not believe the words of this woman from the Shen family.
In this lifetime, she was not his savior. It was only natural for him to be wary of her, even to the point of harboring murderous intent.
Communicating with him using ordinary logic would not convince Xie Yujin of her sincerity.
The Xie and Shen families were inherently opposed.
“Yes.” After saying this, Shen Wan walked straight toward Jiang Lin.
Xie Yujin quickly followed behind her, his sharp sword still aimed at her back, his words filled with threat: “Aren’t you afraid I will kill you?”
“Of course I am.” Before her, Jiang Lin, though pushed to his limit, still held his sword pointed at her.
She stepped forward, kicked away the sword in Jiang Lin’s hand, and with a swift chop to the back of his neck, knocked him unconscious.
Jiang Lin let out a muffled groan, his expression one of unwillingness, gritting his teeth as he fell into unconsciousness.
She took out the dagger she always carried with her, cut open Jiang Lin’s clothing, and only then replied to Xie Yujin: “You just asked me if the Crown Prince sent me. If I said no, Young Master Xie would certainly not believe me. If I said yes, wouldn’t you find it strange why there are no Yulin Army soldiers outside, only my two maids?”
His brow furrowed tightly, his gaze sharp as he stared at the young woman before him.
She took out two pills from a porcelain bottle, one for herself and the other for Jiang Lin.
Was she deliberately testing the poison in front of him?
He did not speak, his sword still hovering beside her neck. If she dared to do anything to Jiang Lin, he would not spare her.
Shen Wan was well aware that her life was now in Xie Yujin’s hands.
She continued speaking as if to herself: “When I was studying medicine under Mu Divine Physician, I once accompanied my master down the mountain to Nanjiang. My master originally intended to lend a hand to the soldiers caught in the war, but we unexpectedly encountered a group of bandits who kidnapped us and took us up the mountain.”
“At that time, seventy to eighty percent of the Jiang Family Army soldiers were fighting on the battlefield, defending the borders of the Shang Kingdom with their lives, suffering heavy casualties. When Old Marquis Jiang received the news, he had already lost half an arm. Yet, despite his severe injuries, he led ten thousand men to storm the mountain stronghold, allowing my master and me to escape from the bandits’ lair.”
“Old Marquis Jiang was the savior of both my master and me.” That should be a sufficient explanation.
As Shen Wan recounted the deeds of Old Marquis Jiang, Xie Yujin’s tightly furrowed brows unconsciously relaxed.
Shen Wan continued, “During the Battle of Black Wind Ridge, my master and I entered the military camp and became physicians for the Jiang Family Army. Young Lord Xie, you must have never witnessed Red Flame Crossing the River or Rosy Clouds Imprinting the Sky.”
Red Flame Crossing the River referred to the raging fire that engulfed the entire lush mountain forest, its ferocity so intense it could boil the river water along the banks. The sky, scorched by the crimson flames, turned a deep red.
This alone revealed how severe the losses suffered by the Jiang Family Army were during the Battle of Black Wind Ridge.
“Mountains of bones, rivers of blood—yet even so, the Jiang Family Army never retreated. Now they are accused of defecting and betraying the nation. How could I believe such nonsense? I fear it is only…”
Her voice suddenly trailed off.
This piqued Xie Yujin’s curiosity about Shen Wan.
“What do you fear?”
“Crown Prince.” Before Shen Wan could answer, the voices of Hua Rong and Hua Jing suddenly came from outside the door.
Xie Yujin, who had previously lowered his sword, raised it once more, this time directly pressing it against Shen Wan’s neck.
Meanwhile, Shen Wan successfully extracted the arrowhead from Jiang Lin’s chest.
She retrieved the hook needle and thread concealed beneath her sleeve for suturing wounds and swiftly began stitching Jiang Lin’s wound.
Ignoring the commotion outside the window, her movements were quick and precise.
Her composed demeanor forced Xie Yujin to believe that Shen Wan was indeed a battlefield physician who had experienced war firsthand.
Without extraordinary courage, how could she remain so calm while treating a state criminal in such a perilous situation?
Regardless of whether her intentions to save Jiang Lin were genuine, at this moment, only Shen Wan could save him. Of course…
This was a double-edged sword. He could trust Shen Wan, but he could not trust the Shen family!
Human hearts are unfathomable.
Mo Junli’s voice also echoed outside the sutra repository: “What is your young lady doing inside?”
“Replying to Your Highness, the young lady said she wished to copy some sutras for the old madam to read.”
Bang!
Someone clearly kicked the door of the sutra repository.
At that moment, Shen Wan stood up. Xie Yujin grasped her arm and said, “My apologies, Lady Shen.”
He trapped her in front of him, his long sword pressed horizontally against her slender neck, and swiftly closed the secret chamber’s door.
However, just as the door was about to shut, Shen Wan suddenly seized Xie Yujin’s wrist.
Xie Yujin felt a tingling numbness spread through his arm…
Simultaneously, Mo Junli outside grew suspicious: “Why lock the door to copy sutras? Break it down for me.”
“Yes.” Jiang Xin Gui, deputy general of the Yulin Army, kicked the door open.
Mo Junli strode into the sutra repository, only to find Shen Wan sitting alone in the farthest corner.
She wore a long dress of rice-colored silk with plum blossom patterns, her goose-yellow cloak casually discarded on the floor. Holding a brush, she sat gracefully and elegantly before the desk, occasionally letting strands of ink-black hair fall onto the sutra scrolls without bothering to adjust them. Detached from everything around her, she quietly transcribed the sutras.
When Mo Junli saw this scene, an unusual emotion stirred within him for a fleeting moment.
But as Shen Wan looked up at him, Mo Junli snapped back to reality.
Shen Wan truly was cunning—to capture his attention, she had even pursued him to Puhua Temple.
“Your Highness.” Before Mo Junli could approach her, Shen Wan had already risen and bowed to him.
Mo Junli walked to the round table, where a nearly full page of scripture lay. The handwriting was sharp and imposing, grand in its strokes—unlike what one would expect from a delicate young woman. This surprised Mo Junli somewhat.
“Did you write these characters?” Mo Junli asked.
Shen Wan immediately picked up the scripture and, as if seeking praise, handed it to Mo Junli. “Yes, Cousin Crown Prince, take a look.”
Her overly sweet and affected tone made Mo Junli frown, dampening much of his interest. He reprimanded her, “Speak properly. I ask you a question, and you answer truthfully.”
“I just saw Xie Yujin heading toward the Sutra Pavilion. Did you see him?”
As he spoke, Jiang Xin Gui arrived at the lattice wall, tapping it with the hilt of his sword…