Qiuhua was also startled and quickly went out to find a physician upon hearing the words.
The scene was too gruesome. Zhao Qingning couldn’t stop her tears, feeling utterly helpless and unsure where to begin to ease Lu Jinghan’s suffering.
She dared not move him either, as Lu Jinghan seemed on the verge of shattering at any moment, so she had to let him lie on the ground for now.
Fortunately, there was a medical clinic not far from the academy, and the physician was brought over before long.
Zhao Qingning grabbed his sleeve: “Physician, you must save him.”
Even if it weren’t for her own future considerations, she absolutely did not want to see Lu Jinghan die.
When the physician saw the patient’s condition, he was shocked: “This… this… how could he be injured so badly?”
Luckily, he was quite skilled. He quickly took out his medical kit to examine Lu Jinghan. Upon touching his forehead, the physician spoke gravely: “He has a fever. Quickly prepare cold water and cloths.”
Zhao Qingning didn’t hesitate: “Go quickly.”
Qiuhua hurried to carry out the task. As soon as she stepped out the door, she encountered the steward eunuch and immediately told him what she needed.
Before long, the steward eunuch had everything prepared.
Inside the room, the physician applied acupuncture to Lu Jinghan to forcibly sustain his life. When he removed Lu Jinghan’s clothes, he found the skin and flesh had adhered together. Every slight removal caused the wounds to rupture and bleed.
Lu Jinghan convulsed in pain, his breathing faint.
“The skin and flesh have necrotized and must be excised first.” He took out a sharp small knife. The patient had already lost consciousness and couldn’t be given anesthesia—he wouldn’t withstand it. The pain might actually help maintain some awareness.
The sharp knife cut through the necrotic flesh, dark blood flowing out from beneath, quickly followed by the application of medicinal powder. Lu Jinghan’s breathing became rapid, his body twitching slightly from the intense pain.
Meanwhile, Zhao Qingning and Qiuhua wet cloths with water and gradually wiped the blood from his face.
“Oh, young lady, let this servant handle such trivial tasks.”
The steward eunuch peeked in and was nearly scared to death. He hurried forward to take the cloth from Zhao Qingning’s hand, but she snapped fiercely: “Get out!”
She raised her eyes, staring intently at him: “You’d better pray he’s alright, or you’ll be waiting to be buried with him!”
The steward eunuch panicked, kneeling to beg for mercy: “This matter has nothing to do with this servant.”
He… he hadn’t laid a hand himself, he had merely allowed those others to do it.
Besides, it wasn’t that they had actively beaten this Little Wild Seed; it was actually on the orders of a noble.
The physician soon finished removing the necrotic flesh. The steward eunuch eagerly helped carry Lu Jinghan to the bed. Since all his clothes needed to be removed, Zhao Qingning had to wait outside.
“Young lady, why don’t you sit and rest for a while?”
The steward eunuch spoke obsequiously. Zhao Qingning, agitated and unable to sit still, thought of Lu Jinghan’s miserable state and gritted her teeth: “Summon all the others and have them kneel in the courtyard.”
No one dared disobey her words.
Soon, the courtyard was filled with kneeling people.
The steward eunuch knelt at the front, filled with regret.
If only he had warned those scoundrels not to beat him so severely.
It felt like an eternity before the physician emerged, drenched in sweat: “The patient’s wounds have been treated. Use this prescription to prepare medicine for him to decoct and drink; it will help reduce the fever quickly. He may develop a fever again tonight, so be sure to pay close attention. Change his bandages tomorrow.”
Qiuhua quickly took it: “Thank you, physician.”
The physician sighed. He naturally knew the academy was filled with powerful nobles, but still couldn’t help remarking: “Had we been any later, this young master would have died. Excessive blood loss, multiple severe injuries – fortunately his heart and lungs are unharmed, or he’d already be a corpse.”
What kind of deep-seated hatred could drive someone to inflict such brutal injuries?
Hearing this, Zhao Qingning felt fury burning through her. After Qiuhua escorted the physician away, she looked at the kneeling figures on the floor, her voice cold as midwinter’s blade: “Who did this?”
No one uttered a word.
She turned to the guards. “I told you to watch over him properly. Is this how you fulfill your duties?”
The guards hastily knelt to admit their fault, claiming only negligence.
Zhao Qingning swept them with a glance. “I’ll ask once more – who did this?”
Still, complete silence.
“No one will confess?” She rose to her feet. “Qiuhua, prepare to enter the palace.”
The eunuch steward trembled in terror. “Have mercy, young mistress!”
As Virtue and Abundance Academy operated under imperial authority, generally even officials’ children couldn’t decide others’ fates – at most they could administer punishment.
But Zhao Qingning was different. If she brought complaints to the palace, even the academy’s instructors would be dismissed, let alone servants like them – it would mean certain death.
Zhao Qingning paused her steps. “I’ll give you the time it takes to drink one cup of tea to find me the perpetrators.”
The eunuch steward kowtowed repeatedly. Soon, five or six eunuchs knelt before her.
They too begged incessantly: “Spare us, noble mistress! We were forced into this! It was the young master from Weiyuan Marquis Manor who ordered us to teach the Little Wild Seed a lesson.”
They were merely servants who had to follow orders.
Only during the beating had they gotten overly excited and forgotten restraint, striking too harshly.
Zhao Qingning clenched her fists.
Chen! Jin! Bao!
Ever since she began protecting Lu Jinghan, other academy classmates had actually stopped daring to bully him, though they kept their distance from her – after all, her mother was the Eldest Princess, someone they couldn’t afford to offend.
She had been negligent. Originally thinking Chen Jinbao was just a child who’d calm down after some coaxing despite his tantrums, she never expected he would attack Lu Jinghan.
And these servants, believing she wouldn’t confront Chen Jinbao over a wild child, had beaten him so severely.
Zhao Qingning let out a cold laugh and turned to leave, then suddenly halted. “Those who laid hands shall receive one hundred cane strikes. The steward gets twenty. Qiuhua, summon the Imperial Guards.”
“This servant understands.”
The eunuch steward bitterly regretted his actions, gaining new understanding of the Little Wild Seed’s importance.
Soon, the sound of cane strikes echoed from the rear courtyard.
Main Hall.
Class had ended. The instructor had just left, and students gathered in cheerful conversation.
Suddenly someone spotted Zhao Qingning and started. “Wasn’t she on leave for several days? Why has she returned already?”
The crowd fell silent, watching her enter the main hall, not daring to utter a word.
“Young master, your tea.”
A servant presented warm tea. Just as Chen Jinbao reached for it, a hand shot out from beside him and snatched the cup away.
The next moment, warm tea splashed mercilessly across his face, tea leaves sticking to his forehead.
“What are you doing?”
Chen Jinbao sprang to his feet, but as he spoke, the person before him grabbed the cup and threw its contents at his face.
He was enraged beyond measure.
Other students gasped in shock, instinctively clearing space while keeping their distance.
Chen Jinbao roared: “Zhao Qingning, have you gone mad?!”
How dare she throw water at him?
Zhao Qingning stared coldly at him. “Why did you hit Xiao Jiu? What were you scheming? I thought you were just spoiled, but I never expected you to be so vicious as to try to kill someone!”
She had originally considered saving him, but now it seemed his tragic fate in the book was entirely deserved!
Hearing this, Chen Jinbao’s eyes darkened. “Xiao Jiu? You mean that Little Wild Seed, right?”
He sneered, “You call me vicious? Don’t forget who brought him here in the first place. You’re the real culprit.”
Zhao Qingning was breathing heavily, her eyes slightly reddened.
This was indeed the original host’s doing, and she couldn’t refute it. All she could do was try her best to make up for the original host’s mistakes.
Seeing her silence, Chen Jinbao felt he had the upper hand. “You’re shouting at me over some wild brat? Have you forgotten who brought you pastries? Yet you’re mingling with that Little Wild Seed. If you still want to be friends with me, then apologize!”
“I was the one who ordered people to beat that Little Wild Seed, so what? I really regret not having them kill him outright!”
Zhao Qingning was so furious she felt dizzy. Struggling to maintain her composure, she took a step back and glared at the person before her.
“I don’t have cold-blooded friends like you. From today onward, the bond between us is shattered like this cup.”
She smashed the cup on the table to pieces and said coldly, “If you dare lay a hand on Xiao Jiu again, I will definitely retaliate. Don’t test me—see if I have the capability or not!”
She scanned the others in the hall. “The same goes for all of you. I mean every word.”
With that, she turned and left.
None of the others dared meet her gaze.
Only Chen Jinbao was left in impotent rage: “Zhao Qingning, stop right there! You’ll regret this!”