Chapter Forty-Four Emergency Rescue

  "Princess..." Chang An and Shan Tao rushed in front of Qing Sang, shouting anxiously.

  A large group of guards holding torches looked at the situation in front of them.

  "Hurry up and search everywhere, see if there are any more assassins!" He Yan anxiously deployed.

  "Princess, are you alright?" He Yan arranged for the guards on this side and hurriedly squatted down to check.

  In the firelight, Qing Sang saw that He Yan's face was filled with astonishment.

  "Is there a royal physician accompanying us? Quickly save Cao Xiang!" Qing Sang cried out anxiously.

  He Yan came back to his senses and shouted at a guard: "Quickly go call for Doctor Chu! Hurry up!"

  Soon, Chu Taoyi, carrying a medical box and wearing a doctor's hat, ran to Qingsang in a hurry, panting, and knelt down to pay his respects.

  Qing Sang suddenly became furious and shouted: "What are you still doing here? Take a look quickly!"

  Zhu Taiyi crawled over on his knees, reached out to examine Cao Xiang's injuries. He saw that Cao Xiang's back was a bright red all over, and her white clothes had been stained red with blood.

  "I first gave Miss Cao Xiang a shot to stop the bleeding, and then took her back to the residence to treat her wound." Doctor Chu reported to Qing Sang.

  "Thanks for your trouble, Imperial Physician." Qing Sang nodded and said. With the Imperial Physician's help, Cao Xiang was laid flat on the ground.

  "Princess, let me hold Grass Fragrance sister instead." Shan Tao begged with a sobbing tone.

  Qing Sang shook his head and said firmly: "No need, I can handle it."

  Dr. Chu opened the medicine box, took out a silver needle and inserted it into several acupoints on Cao Xiang's body. Slowly but surely, the fresh blood stopped flowing from the wound. Qing Sang looked at Dr. Chu and asked, "How is Cao Xiang?"

  "Your Highness, Cǎo Xiāng has lost too much blood. Although the bleeding has stopped for now, she still needs to return to her quarters and have her wound examined before we can determine the next course of action."

  Qing Sang hastily ordered someone to carefully carry Cao Xiang back.

  Shan Tao quickly stepped forward to support Qing Sang who was swaying slightly, while Chang An also handed over a wet handkerchief.

  Qing Sang looked at Chang An with some confusion, seeing Chang An staring at his own hand. He lowered his head to take a look and found that his hands were covered in blood. Not just his hands, but also his clothes were stained with the bloody scent of grass.

  Seeing so much blood, Qing Sang was really afraid that Cao Xiang wouldn't make it, and with trembling hands she grabbed a handkerchief to wipe him down hastily, then quickly followed the people in front.

  Qing Sang ordered the eunuch to carry Cao Xiang into the carriage, and Zhu Taiyi also followed in immediately. Shan Tao sat outside the carriage, ready to hand over water and towels at any time. Although it was unclear who was giving and receiving, Zhu Taiyi didn't care about that now. Qing Sang helped Zhu Taiyi tear open Cao Xiang's clothes from behind, revealing a deep and mysterious wound on his back. It seemed that the black-clothed man had attacked Cao Xiang from behind, striking with great ferocity, likely intending to take Cao Xiang's life with one blow.

  "The young lady's luck is great, this knife has stabbed extremely deep, if it had entered another half part, it would have reached the heart, at that time even Hua Tuo would be helpless." said Chu Taoyi.

  "What about now?" Qing Sang hastily asked.

  "I have used the best hemostatic medicine for her, and the bleeding has stopped now. However, she lost too much blood, whether she can pull through depends on Cao Xiang's luck." Doctor Chu nodded.

  "I'll stay with her tonight, Doctor Tai, please don't go far, so you can diagnose and treat her at any time." Qing Sang instructed.

  Chu Taizhen hastily agreed. After applying the herbal medicine and bandaging the wound, Chu Taizhen went out of the carriage. Shantao quickly brought in a basin of water.

  Qingsang ignored the objections of Shan Tao, personally helped Cao Xiang wash off the bloodstains on her back, and changed her into clean clothes. Only then did he sit in one corner of the carriage, leaving the largest space for Cao Xiang who was lying down.

  Shan Tao was also very distressed at this time, first because of Qing Sang's worried face and secondly because he was concerned about Cao Xiang's injury. He got off the carriage to let Chang An change into a clean basin of water and then helped Qing Sang wash up again.

  After washing up, Qing Sang looked at Cao Xiang and seemed to be fine for the time being. Just as he was about to sit down and rest his eyes, he heard a commotion outside, as if someone was begging for mercy again.

  "Mountain Peach, go and see what's happening outside?" Qing Sang instructed.

  Shan Tao hastily lifted the curtain and went out.

  After a moment, Shan Tao returned to report: "Your Highness, General He is punishing the guards for dereliction of duty. They were playing and neglecting their posts, putting you in harm's way."

  Qing Sang said wearily: "Help me take a look."

  The two walked up to He Yan, where they saw five shirtless guards kneeling on the ground, while another five guards were holding whips and administering punishment.

  When he saw Qing Sang, He Yan only looked at her inquiringly, neither bowing nor speaking.

  Qing Sang smiled self-deprecatingly and stepped forward to perform a kneeling bow. Anyway, he was the real prince consort, while she was just a fake princess.

  He Yan finally returned the courtesy.

  Qing Sang said: "They are all unintentional mistakes. I took advantage of their unpreparedness and went to the other side. General, you don't have to blame them."

  He Yan said, "In our dynasty, military discipline has always been strict and rewards and punishments have been clear-cut. Whether it was unintentional or intentional, a small mistake almost led to a great disaster. If we don't punish him, how can we maintain military discipline?"

  Qing Sang retorted, "They are just ordinary people, and it's inevitable that they would miss something. How could I be blamed for deliberately avoiding them? If something happens, isn't it my responsibility? Is the general planning to punish me along with them?"

  He Yan's eyes narrowed slightly as he coldly smiled and said, "The princess still has a good tongue!"

  Qing Sang knew he had recognized himself, and softly said: "I am about to get married, the joy is near, I don't want to see this bloodshed again, I hope General will spare me."

  He Yan stared at her for a long time before saying, "Alright, since the princess has spoken, I'll spare you this time. Don't think it will happen again."

  The punished 'guards' quickly kowtowed and thanked Qing Sang and He Yan.

  After the guards withdrew, there were only Qing Sang, He Yan and Shan Tao left here.

  Qingsang ordered Peach to wait on one side, and when there were only the two of them, Qingsang said: "General, just speak directly."

  He Yan forced a smile and said: "The princess is indeed clever. Please tell me what happened just now, Your Highness?"

  Qingsang saw him and didn't directly ask her how she became a princess, but asked about what had just happened, breathed a sigh of relief, and carefully told the story.

  "So you're saying you don't know who just saved you?" He Yan asked with a furrowed brow.

  "Uh-huh." Qingsang nodded.

  He Yan bowed his head in contemplation for a moment, then raised it to see Qing Sang staring blankly at him. He said, "Princess, please return to the carriage and rest first. I will strengthen our defenses and ensure this incident does not happen again."

  Qing Sang did not immediately turn around and leave, but instead said: "General He, I have a question to ask, I don't know if the general is willing to answer?"

  He Yan, who was deep in thought, looked up at her in surprise and replied, "As you ask, Princess."

  "What does 'water caltrop' mean?" Qing Sang asked.

  He Yan's face flashed a hint of panic, but quickly regained calmness and said lightly: "Water chestnut is just another name for water caltrop."

  Although He Yan's flustered expression flashed by in an instant, it still didn't escape Qing Sang's eyes. Qing Sang gazed straight at him and asked back, "Is that so? It seems the general is quite familiar with the people of Nanzhou. I've heard only people from Nanzhou call water caltrops 'water chestnuts'."

  He Yan's face sank, and he said coldly: "This general has followed his grandfather and father to conquer the southern border, so I know a thing or two. The princess should rest early!" After finishing speaking, he turned around and left, no longer paying attention to Qing Sang.

  But Qing Sang still didn't let go of the pain in his eyes.

  The disappointed Seishiro returned to his car with his curiosity unsatisfied.

  Every half hour, Dr. Chu would come to check on Cao Xiang. In the first half of the night, Cao Xiang's injury was relatively stable, and he slept soundly. However, in the second half of the night, he suddenly developed a high fever, which was scorching hot and frightening.

  Chu Taoyi could only stay in the car and observe at all times.

  Constantly changing cold towels to bring down the fever, by dawn, Cao Xiang's fever had finally subsided.

  "Thank goodness, nothing's wrong after all." Qing Sang was overjoyed and cried, watching Cao Xiang sleep restlessly with a fever all night, suffering from the heat, she really feared that she wouldn't pull through.

  "The young lady Cao Xiang has good fortune and is personally taken care of by the princess, so she will naturally pull through." Doctor Chu wiped the sweat from his forehead and flattered.

  Qing Sang smiled and said with some flattery: "Thanks to the superb medical skills of Dr. Chu, His Majesty is willing to let Dr. Chu leave the palace."

  Chu Taizhen suddenly said: "It was I who volunteered. The princess is going to be married off to the northern barbarians, and a royal physician must follow her on the journey, so I recommended myself."

  "Why?" Qing Sang Qi asked.

  "Because... I want to repay the princess for saving my life that day." said Chǔ Tàiyī.

  Qing Sang looked at him with a puzzled expression, and suddenly a scene before the crown prince's death flashed through his mind. He exclaimed: "Chu Lianyu?"

  "It's really me." Chu Lianyu saw Qing Sang remember him and replied excitedly.

  "But..." Qingsang wanted to ask: How did you know I became a princess, but she still had some reservations and didn't dare to ask.

  Chu Lianyu guessed her doubts and took the initiative to say: "The princess took the fake death medicine that day, which was prepared by me."

  "What!" Qingsang's eyes widened as she stared at him.