After the stone door shut, Han Yunxi immediately turned to look at Fourth Young Miss Ren, who’d collapsed against the wall, her legs now jelly.
Too scary. I’ve gone through multiple instances of life and death, but none of those were as dangerous as this!
Han Yunxi smiled and thought back to her early days at her own medical academy. The first time she saved a poison victim, she’d reacted the same way. A doctor’s steadiness and calm were trained through multiple instances of life and death. Medical women, especially those with learning and experience, wouldn’t be lacking in any aspect.
Ning Jing hastened to help Fourth Young Miss Ren up and muttered, “Good job, don’t be afraid!”
With someone to hold onto, Fourth Young Miss Ren relaxed slightly and quickly walked towards Han Yunxi. “Princess, His Highness Crown Prince, Academy Head Beiyue, and the rest are searching all over for you!”
Fourth Young Miss Ren almost blabbed out the fact that Academy Head Beiyue already knew about her pregnancy, but stopped just in time. She wasn’t sure why the academy head was hiding such a fact, but she knew that if His Highness Crown Prince ever found out, Academy Head Beiyue would be in big trouble.
“Is Long Feiye doing well?” Han Yunxi asked urgently.
“I heard that His Highness Crown Prince has been in the army during this time and going on solo killing sprees against the enemies. The East Qin army only used three months’ time to subdue the traitors in the south and central regions, then force Western Zhou’s forces to retreat. Besides inner Northern Li, there’s peace all over the kingdom,” Fourth Young Miss Ren replied.
Han Yunxi was asking after Long Feiye, but Fouth Young Miss Ren had told her about the world’s affairs instead. However, wasn’t Long Feiye the world? If he wasn’t doing well, would the world be any better? A helpless smile rose to her face as she realized she must have turned stupid after being locked up for so long. How could Fourth Young Miss Ren know any particulars about Long Feiye’s state? She was asking in vain.
“Three months again, Medical City received many shadow guards and poison guards along with a bunch of high level experts from Celestial Mountain. They’re still hidden in the Poison Sect, probably to look for you,” Fourth Young Miss Ren added.
“Fourth Young Miss Ren, many thanks to you just then,” Han Yunxi said, happy to change the subject. Rather than asking others for information, it was better to find out herself. She dearly wished to see Long Feiye once and know what he was doing right now. She wanted to take his hand and entwine their fingers together, then lean against his shoulder to have a chat. There were people you just couldn’t think about without wanting to cry. They were people you had to keep by your side to feel at ease. Han Yunxi didn’t want to cry while she was pregnant; besides, she didn’t like crying anyways.
“Princess, I already sent word out just then. Don’t worry, Academy Head Beiyue will receive news very soon, and they’ll come searching Medical City quickly!” Fourth Young Miss Ren said in hushed tones.
Han Yunxi and Ning Jing were both astonished. Han Yunxi knew that once the prescription reached a pharmacy, it would be redirected to the obstetrics department to undergo review by a physician. Cloud Realm Continent’s various obstetrics doctors were all under Fourth Young Miss Ren’s command, but Medical City only had two obstetric departments: one within the medical academy and one in its auxiliary maternity ward. Not just anyone could saunter into the Medical Academy as they pleased, so the prescription would be sent to the maternity ward instead. All of the people there were Fourth Young Miss Ren’s workers!
But Han Yunxi still didn’t understand. What did Fourth Young Miss Ren write to pa.s.s by Bai Yanqing’s eyes and spread the intel at the same time?
“What did you write in that prescription?” Han Yunxi asked with surprise.
Fourth Young Miss Ren had Ning Jing and the others draw close before telling them in a low voice. Both Han Yunxi and Ning Jing were impressed as hope filled their hearts. As long as the prescription reached the pharmacy safely, at least Gu Beiyue would be able to tell they were definitely within Medical City bounds. Once they had an area to start with, it’d be much easier to track them down. Moreover, if they recognized the first prescription, that would alert them to any others after it.
Han Yunxi wasn’t sure whether they’d get another chance to talk in private after this, so she quickly told Fourth Young Miss Ren their exact location. Bai Yanqing would never let Su Xiaoyu write another prescription again, so this task would have to fall upon Fourth Young Miss Ren’s shoulders. After seizing the chance to clarify all the details, Han Yunxi still had Fourth Young Miss Ren do a thorough examination on her body to make sure the little fellow in her womb was alright. Fourth Young Miss Ren grew so tense her fingers began to shake.
“It’s fine, don’t worry. Bai Yanqing won’t come in,” Han Yunxi comforted her in low tones.
“Princess...this…” Fourth Young Miss Ren smiled wryly, feeling helpless. “This is His Highness Crown Prince’s child, a baby with the twin bloodlines of East and West Qin! I...I’m not afraid, I’m just nervous.”
Hearing this, Han Yunxi and Ning Jing both fell silent. This child had a very n.o.ble status, so Fourth Young Miss Ren was anxious, but to them the “twin bloodlines of East and West Qin” held too much bitterness and pain that couldn’t be described in words. They couldn’t explain it clearly, nor could they speak of the helplessness they’d each experienced.
Han Yunxi gently caressed her stomach and couldn’t help asking, “I don’t know whether it’s a boy or girl.”
“Princess, have Academy Head Beiyue take your pulse when we return. Perhaps he’ll know,” Fourth Young Miss Ren said hastily.
“How could he know?” Han Yunxi asked helplessly.
“There’s a saying in the obstetrics department that reading the pulse can determine the gender of the baby. However, I’ve never seen such a method even after all these years. But Academy Head Beiyue’s medical skills are so superb that he might be able to pull it off!” Fourth Young Miss Ren grinned.
“Then find him in secret, make sure no one else knows,” Han Yunxi smiled back.
After being locked up in a tiny black room for the past three months without anyone to talk to, not even her baby in secret, this was the sole day they could afford to talk about such happiness and share it around. Even the strongest woman would have fears after growing pregnant. What was more nerve-wrecking than giving birth to a whole new life? Although they could only chat briefly, Han Yunxi felt much better now.
She said, “Whether it’s a boy or girl, Long Feiye will like it all the same.”
Ning Jing couldn’t help growing absentminded at those words. Tang Li must dote on little Tang Tang a lot too. She’s going to be our only child in this lifetime![1]
Fourth Young Miss Ren finished a careful examination before giving Han Yunxi a rea.s.suring report. “Princess, before the medicine arrives, you just need to remain lying down to prevent any issues.”
“Great!” Han Yunxi nodded.
Fourth Young Miss Ren and Ning Jing didn’t dare to dawdle long. The former took out needles from Han Yunxi’s medical pouch to fake an acupuncture treatment while Ning Jing went to knock on the door. Bai Yanqing went inside to look around the room before noting that Han Yunxi was still staring expressionlessly at the ceiling. He tossed her a ruthless line. “La.s.s, your baby’s life can support multiple other lives here. Heheh, don’t make the baby carry the burden of lost lives before it’s even born. It might not even get to reincarnate with all those sins!”
Han Yunxi glared at him, leaving Bai Yanqing highly satisfied as he left with a laugh. He left Fourth Young Miss Ren here, but divided Ning Jing and Su Xiaoyu into two different separate rooms. Bai Yanqing was waiting for the next few months to pa.s.s. Han Yunxi’s group was waiting too--for someone to deliver the medicine back. The ingredients that Fourth Young Miss Ren had requested were only located in Medical City proper and hard to find in the wild!
The region around Medical City had been all but overtaken by the Poison Sect, so all of the plants there were poisonous. Thus, the fastest way to find all the ingredients was to visit a pharmacy. As long as the medicine arrived, that meant the prescription would have undergone inspection by the maternity ward’s obstetrics department.
Waiting always felt like forever. After some hesitation, Han Yunxi had Fourth Young Miss Ren hurry them up. Would the guard try to backtrack and ask Bai Yanqing for advice once he found out all prescriptions had to be approved by the obstetrics department? If that was the case, they would be in more peril.
“Just tell him that my condition’s changed and I need to take the medicine as soon as possible,” Han Yunxi muttered.
Fourth Young Miss Ren took a deep breath and went to knock on the door. It wasn’t Bai Yanqing who opened up, but a guard. Feigning a face full of panic, Fourth Young Miss Ren cried, “I want to see Senior Bai!”
At this moment, Hao San just happened to walk by. He had already obtained Su Xiaoyu’s prescription and had returned from Bai Yanqing’s side.
“What are you doing?” Hao San asked irritably.
“Why isn’t my medicine here yet? Please tell Senior Bai that the princess’s condition is deteriorating. She needs to take the medicine fast! Can you tell the person in charge to hurry up?” Fourth Young Miss Ren asked.
“What’s with all the fuss? Just wait!” Hao San said unhappily.
“The princess is in no rush, but...but none of us want to die! If we can’t keep the baby…” Fourth Young Miss Ren said before dissolving into tears.
“Lock her up inside!” Hao San ordered impatiently. Despite this, he soon had the guard to rush the one in charge of picking up the ingredients once Fourth Young Miss Ren was locked away. “No matter what, hurry and get that medicine back. If we anger the master, none of us will have an easy time of it!”
Hao San only a.s.sumed that everything would be fine now that his master had personally inspected the prescription and had it copied down by someone else. He had no idea that because he sent someone to urge them on, the guard hesitating at the pharmacy dropped all pretense and delivered the prescription straight to the maternity ward. Soon enough, Fourth Young Miss Ren was called out of the secret room and brought to a different chamber. When she saw the table full of ingredients, she already yelled out in celebration. Of course, she endured quite well. She knew that the prescription must be already on its way to Academy Head Beiyue.
By now, Gu Beiyue had left Tianan’s capital city and was by the entrance of the Medicine Requesting Cave. The long-time-no-see Gu Qishao was by his side along with Tang Li. Gu Qishao had received Pill Furnace Master’s secret message that the body for the Moye sword was just about done. He was just waiting for the wielder of the sword to “edge the knife”--getting rid of its impurities to reveal the sharpness within. If the wielder of the sword could do this personally, then he or she would develop a better feel for the weapon. Moreover, a treasure sword crafted from the body of the Earthly Fire Kun Furnace was extraordinary. Neither Pill Furnace Master nor the blacksmith Ye Xiao could edge it with their own skills.
Gu Qishao told Long Feiye and Gu Beiyue as soon as he received the news, then Gu Beiyue told Tang Li. Gu Beiyue was quite tenderhearted and knew that Tang Li had been searching for His Highness for three whole months. This would be a good chance for them to meet.
“Long Feiye wouldn’t not come, right?” Gu Qishao asked angrily. He had been running around the world like a maniac these days and was often short-tempered. He had no idea whether he’d smiled at all in the past few months.
“He will! My big bro will definitely come!” Tang Li was certain. He believed his brother wasn’t someone who shrank back or a weakling! Long Feiye might not have spoken a word in the past three months, but he never stopped writing secret orders to his shadow guards. He was arranging them to search for his sister-in-law"s whereabouts while solo killing against his enemies.
He was so strong that he’d never flinch from this.
As expected, they soon heard the sound of hoofbeats. Long Feiye galloped over on his steed, dressed from head to toe in black. His expression was handsome but icy, his entire form emanating a chilly aura…