Chapter 409 – Heartache
Tang Zhen left and returned, he was the first to rush back. But what greeted him made him unable to take another step ahead.
The emperor is…kissing Yaoyao?!
That day at the polo game, he could already see the emperor’s feelings for Yaoyao. At that time, he had wanted to first arrange for their marriage while Yaoyao was still a princess. But now, he felt that… he would never be able to have her.
Today, when the emperor, with disregard for his own safety and life, leaped over to protect her, he had already lost Yaoyao. He would never be able to obtain her heart.
“Ehem!” Tang Zhen bore the ache in his heart and coughed to break them up. If the people behind him saw this, there would probably be unfavorable gossip about Yaoyao.
Only when Mo Rongzhan heard Tang Zhen did he reluctantly relinquish her lips. He lowered his gaze to see those pink lips, a little swollen from his kiss. His course fingers lightly rubbed them. “Yaoyao, I think I’m about to faint.”
Ye Zhen hurriedly grasped him. “Mo Rongzhan, you… What’s wrong?”
“I’m a little tired,” Mo Rongzhan said quietly, resting his head on her shoulder.
Sensing something amiss, Tang Zhen immediately ran over. “What’s wrong with His Majesty?”
Ye Zhen checked Mo Rongzhan’s pulse, quietly saying, “He might have fainted from blood loss. Brother Tang, did you find wooden planks to carry His Majesty back?”
“There’s a soft sedan, just sent over. I’ve also ordered someone to prepare a carriage. We can’t have anyone knowing about His Majesty getting hurt. We’ll send him directly into the Palace of Heavenly Purity in the carriage.” Tang Zhen didn’t dare look at Ye Zhen. He was afraid his heart would ache with every glance.
Ye Zhen lightly nodded, her eyes never straying from Mo Rongzhan. “I’ll go to the Palace of Heavenly Purity as well. Have sent for Imperial Physician Qi?”
Tang Zhen looked at her. “Yes, we’ve sent for her already. Yaoyao, do you want to go to the Lu Mansion first?”
“No, I need to go to the palace,” Ye Zhen said.
The guards arrived in order as well. They were all the most trusted of Mo Rongzhan’s Yu-Lin Guards. They carried him onto the soft sedan, and looked back at Ye Zhen, quietly saying, “Princess, the carriage is on the road outside.”
“Let’s go!” Ye Zhen looked at the unconscious Mo Rongzhan and felt her heart ache. She was suddenly a little afraid. What if lingquan couldn’t cure his wounds?
The carriage was very large, about as big as Mo Rongzhan’s personal one. Ye Zhen followed them in and had them lay Mo Rongzhan on his stomach against the soft cushioning. She found a cup in the carriage, and fed water infused with her lingquan drop by drop into his mouth.
Unfortunately, because Mo Rongzhan was lying on his chest and unconscious, he was unable to swallow any of the water she fed.
Ye Zhen was as anxious as an ant atop a hot pan. She rubbed her ear, then called Tang Zhen, who was sitting outside the carriage box, in. “Hold His Majesty, I’ll feed him some water.”
Tang Zhen nodded, helping hold Mo Rongzhan up, allowing Ye Zhen to feed him water.
Mo Rongzhan, for some reason, perhaps the pain, clenched his thin lips into a tight line. Ye Zhen was unable to feed the water into his mouth.
She considered for a moment, before clenching her teeth and taking a sip of the water. Then, pressing her lips against his, tried to kiss him. The unconscious man seemed to detect this, and because of the familiarity of her scent, finally unclenched his lips.
Ye Zhen fed the water into his mouth, allowing him to successfully drink the lingquan-infused water.
Tang Zhen closed his eyes, hiding the sorrow and pain deep in his eyes. A scene like this was like dragging a dagger across his heart.
Quickly, they returned to the palace. Eunuch Fu had already made preparations, expelling everyone unnecessary from the Palace of Heavenly Purity. Tang Zhen carried Mo Rongzhan on his back, quickly entering his resting quarters.
Qi Jin had long been inside waiting for them, when she saw Mo Rongzhan covered with blood, she was rendered silent with shock.
“Imperial Physician Qi, His Majesty was wounded by the claws of a wild beast. I have already stopped the bleeding of his wounds. Can you take a look….” While Ye Zhen spoke, her face was as white as snow. She was both exhausted and scared today. It was already difficult for her to stay alert up until this moment.
“We might need to help stitch His Majesty’s wounds,” Qi Jin said quietly, “My needlework is not as good as A’Chen’s. I’ll first help clean His Majesty’s wounds. Have someone send for Huangfu Chen.”
Tang Zhen immediately said, “I’ll escort Mister Chen into the palace. I know where he is.”
“Yaoyao, if you still can, help me clean the emperor’s wounds,” Qi Jin said to Ye Zhen.
Ye Zhen immediately nodded. “I can.”
“Let’s start then!” Qi Jin nodded. She didn’t know what kind of danger Ye Zhen had just faced, nor was she aware of the shock she had just experienced. She just knew that Ye Zhen’s medical skills and composure were the most suitable for helping her.
Apart from cleaning the wounds, they also needed to help Mo Rongzhan change his clothes. This was impossible with just the two of them. Eunuch Fu and the rest of the people helped on the said. After ardously cleaning all of the blood on his body, they found that, fortunately, though the wounds on his back looked grisly and frightening, they had already stopped bleeding.