Chapter 3: Cutting Meat for Healing Wound

Proofread by Pro Meng Shunde

Bise has hesitated for a long period with the broth in hand. On thinking about the lethal herbs in the broth, she shivers with cold feet and hands and is terribly horrified. She suddenly kneels, clutching the edge of Li's clothes, and cries sorrowfully: "I am not intended to hurt you. It's the Miss Li Shifu who commands me to do so. I am forced to do it."

Forced?

How could a scheming person like Li Shifu need to force someone to do such a thing?

Bise must have been eager to flatter her by doing that.

Li Wanrou's eyes are swift and fierce, and then she says softly: "What has my sister forced you to do? If you do not tell the truth, I will send you directly to old Madam."

The Old Lady has been in the ancestral hall worshiping Buddha since last summer, leaving behind the affairs of the backyard. The First Madam is now actually the boss of the family. Thinking for a while, Bise has to take the responsibility of the whole thing for the time being, saying that: "It is my fault. I said the wrong thing."

"Slap her in the face!" ordered Li.

Bise is stared by the dark eyes. Her heart tightens, eager to defend herself but afraid to offend the second madam. So, she has to keep silent and stand the violent slaps from Fu Rong.

Furong worries that if the first madam hears about it, things will go awful. She looks at Miss Li anxiously, who shows no change in her complexion. It seems Li has changed a lot since she survived the approaching death. The first madam would not put up with them.

The clear and loud slapping makes Li Wanrou's rage gradually diminish. Her eyes also become a little clear. She says faintly: "Bise, you should understand who is you master! My second younger sister takes you in because I trust you and put you in an important position. That's the reason why you can be her spy."

She suddenly changes her tone with a deeper voice: "If I drive you away, what use do you have? Moreover, since you know so many secrets of hers, how can she let you live for long?"

It is said that Li Shifu is a decent fairy beauty, but these years' bloody events Bise dealt with in person have taught her that Li Shifu is spiteful and cruel.

The thought disheartens her, and Bise subconsciously lowers her head and covers her turgid face with her hands, saying: "I only serve you and will be loyal to you."

Li Wanrou waves her hand indifferently, and Bise leaves the room in a hurry. Looking at her back, Fu Rong asks uneasily: "Miss, do you trust her?"

"Of course not. To survive, she would make a wise choice. Besides, her indenture is still in my hands."

Marquis Household carefully selected two servant girls: Fu Rong and Bi Se for her. However, she has to give up one of them, which is a waste of her uncle's effort and good will.

Uncle is her only kinsfolk in this world.

Li Wanrou lowers her eyes and brows to mask her pain. She comforts her aching eyebrows, saying, "Forget it, I am going to sleep. Come and serve me."

Midnight.

A dark shadow flashes quickly. Li Wanrou wakes up with a start with her subconscious vigilance due to years of court life. She looks around carefully.

Suddenly she senses coolness in her neck. Looking down, she sees a sharp dagger clinging tightly to her neck, and from the joint oozes blood streak.

She is almost suffocated by the thick smell of blood.

Li Wanrou feels a pair of cold eyes staring at her. She has no doubt that if she dares to call out, she will die the next moment.

In the dim moonlight she could barely make out his stately facial contour, with a along scar wriggling from neck to chest, broken and bleeding.

There is an arrow on his chest close to his heart, making the nearby area black and blue. The arrow has been poisoned.

However, the man doesn't knit his brows at all. His dark eyes look placid, and the corner of his mouth is pressed. He says in a cold voice: "I will not leave till dawn."

She is afraid that it won't be that easy. The yard is full of spies arranged by First Madam. Once careless, she will be suspected and bear slanders.

Li Wanrou carefully looks at the man before her and finally discerns his face. His wan face becomes paler owing to excessive loss of blood, but there is still an awe-inspiring neatness between his eyebrows. His mouth hangs down slightly, with an awesome air.

His white robe turns red with blood, and a broken arrow is inserted less than a finger away from his heart. It is obviously he is too painful to exert his strength, but this man is terribly calm.

A coolness invades her heart bit by bit. She could hardly breathe as if she were strangled by a big hand.

It is him!

The Crown Prince, Nangong Chengde!

But how could it be him?

In the previous life, Nangong Chengde passed away so early that Li Wanrou's impression of him only rested on hearsay.

It is said that he is long confined to bed due to illness. Despite of his talent, he isn't valued by the Emperor so that Nangong Rongji takes full advantage of his illness later!

But there is no need for him to pretend to be ill to diminish his presence. After all, he is the Crown Prince, the rightful heir, the closest one to the throne.

Why, on earth, should this be?

Her meditation becomes more and more deep. Nangong Chengde also feels confused in his heart.

Usually, an ordinary woman should have been in deep panic, and begging for mercy. However, she is abnormally calm, weighing the advantages and disadvantages, and she even has the time to analyze.

Seeing that Li Wanrou is about to get up, he presses the dagger harder with the clearer blood stain. He warns indifferently: "Don't move any more, or I'll kill you."

"If I get killed, do you think you could get out of this house alive? With the poisoned arrow in your body and excessive loss of blood, do you think you have the ability to walk out of this yard before getting your wound dressed first?" Li Wanrou raises her head, grasps the blade, and pushes it away violently so that she could stand up.

Nangong Chengde sneers: "If I die, you will not live!"

Without looking at Nangong Chengde, who stares at her coldly, Li Wanrou goes out to fetch some alfalfa burclover, and mixes it with some water, and then she also gets a scissor and a silver hairpin.

"Sit down," she says

Nangong Chengde suspiciously looks her up and down. There is no unreasonable assistance. Does she recognize me?

No! No way! She is just a common girl in the deep mansion, and he seldom appears in public.

The head aches more and more seriously. A sudden stun warns Nangong Chengde that he will end up here if he doesn't get medical treatment at once. So he, much unwilling as he is, does as Li Wanrou said.

Li Wanrou raises her eyebrows indifferently, and stretches out to cut the front piece of his clothes. Her eyes cross his stout chest. The flesh is torn open and white bones could be seen.

The bones are dark and toxic.

"What hatred does one have to do such a thing?" sighs Li Wanrou, and she fetches his dagger and puts it on the burning candlelight for a while before thrusting it into his chest and scooping out the poised flesh.

Nangong Chengde's brows gently quiver, but his face is still cold and calm.

As if it is the carrion that is gouged out, and it seems that he is not the one whose heart was almost daggered.

Then Li Wanrou shows some appreciation in her eyes and at the same time she accelerates her action. She uses the silver hairpin to stitch a few needles near his heart. In doing that the blood is narrowly stopped.

She takes some burclover juice and smears it on Nangong Chengde's chest. Seeing that his face turns ruddy, she pulls out the broken arrow with great ease.

The blood splashes over her face. She casually wipes it off and takes a piece of clean cloth to bandage his wound neatly.

She once went to the battlefield with Nangong Rongji in her previous life, and because she could not bear the sufferings and deaths of those soldiers who were seriously ill, she devoted herself to the study of divine medicine. Although she is not proficient in it, she is much better than ordinary doctors.

Nangong Chengde wanted to ask her, but the words out of his mouth become: "I am indebted to you. I will pay you back if there are chances. You can come to me with this jade pendant."

The jade pendant is classy blood jade. It takes a hundred years to find one. And it's engraved with the words "Cheng De", which shows his intention and sincerity.

Li Wanrou takes it pleasantly. It means his commitment, the Crown Prince's commitment. Its value is immeasurable.