109. Never Able to Deceive Oneself

Yuan Tianci was severely injured, but with Le Qianxue’s intervention, he was well-cared for. She was incredibly generous, feeding him a succession of potent medicinal pills.

After checking his wounds and changing the dressings, there was nothing left for her to do. She sat there quietly, motionless for a long time before finally standing up. Regardless of who was right or wrong, the fact that Yuan Tianci had been injured because of her weighed heavily on her conscience.

She had only just handed her heart over, yet it resulted in such an outcome. Zhan Lianjing was not entirely wrong; he despised betrayal and deception, but his methods were extreme. She should never have drawn close to him in the first place, nor should she have allowed her emotions to become involved.

Yet, how can one control the heart? If she could, she might have lived a carefree life. As these thoughts crossed her mind, her chest tightened, and she found it difficult to breathe. She was clear-headed enough to know her body was not ill; she was merely exhausted. But why did her heart ache so? She checked herself once more and realized the truth: it was heartache, so oppressive that it robbed her of breath.

Taking a few steps, her vision suddenly went dark, and the world began to spin.

In the past, Le Qianxue had slept for three days and three nights due to exhaustion, but this time, she remained in a deep slumber for five days and nights without waking. This terrified Le Yongcheng. The physicians he summoned claimed she had suffered from excessive blood loss and a massive drain on her vitality.

"It has been five days," Le Yongcheng asked, struggling to maintain his patience. "Do you have any way to wake her?"

If anything truly happened to Le Qianxue, he would surely take his sword to the Prince of Zhan’s residence to settle the score. In court, he gave Zhan Lianjing nothing but cold looks. Nearly everyone knew that Le Qianxue had left the Prince of Zhan’s residence covered in blood.

The physician replied, "General Le, I am truly at my wit's end. She cannot even swallow the medicinal decoctions..."

Le Yongcheng waved his hand, irritably dismissing the man. Although Le Qianxue was unconscious, she did not have a fever, which was at least a small mercy. Even Yuan Tianci had already awakened, yet Le Qianxue remained asleep. According to Yuan Tianci, she had simply exhausted too much mental energy refining medicine and just needed a few days of rest; once she woke up, she would be as lively as ever. Le Yongcheng was half-convinced, but his heart remained gripped by anxiety.

As he kept vigil, Huatao arrived to report, "Master, the Third Prince is here, and he has brought the imperial physicians."

Le Yongcheng frowned. He had been seeking doctors for days, and the news had evidently reached the palace. That was why Yu Zhiyang had come. However, Le Yongcheng had investigated thoroughly and knew the old Emperor and Yu Zhiyang were not innocent in these events. What was the meaning of bringing imperial physicians now?

"Find an excuse to send him away," Le Yongcheng said, his face darkening.

Huatao prepared to obey, but Le Yongcheng added, "Wait. Let the physicians in. As for the Third Prince, he is not needed."

Huatao felt this was improper, but considering how distraught Le Yongcheng was over his daughter’s condition, his temper was understandable. As Le Qianxue’s personal maid, she was also furious. She relayed the message to Yu Zhiyang, whose smile faded slightly, though he did not take offense.

"Physicians, you may go in," he said.

The imperial physicians received their orders and entered with their attendants to examine Le Qianxue. Yu Zhiyang stood outside the courtyard and sighed. He had never expected things to turn out this way. Le Qianxue had been unconscious for five full days; he could only imagine the severity of her injuries. Although she was prone to theatrics, this could not be a ruse. Many had seen her left hand bleeding as she left the Prince of Zhan’s residence.

The physician emerged shortly after, and Yu Zhiyang anxiously asked for the status. The physician looked troubled. "The Young Lady’s pulse is extremely weak, as if she were on the brink of death. I must return to the palace to consider a better course of action."

Yu Zhiyang felt a jolt to his senses. How could it be so grave? "Have you diagnosed her correctly? How could it be this severe?"

"The pulse is indeed as I described," the physician replied. "If she wakes within three days, she will be fine. If she does not..." He left the rest unsaid.

Yu Zhiyang’s expression turned grim. Was Le Qianxue not the 'Ghost Doctor'? She had survived after drinking 'Crane’s Top Red' poison before; could she not survive this hurdle? Le Qianxue, if just one Zhan Lianjing could reduce you to this state, then you are not worth my admiration after all.

Despite these thoughts, he remained worried. "Then hurry back!"

The physician rushed back to the palace, not daring to delay. The entire Imperial Medical Academy was thrown into a flurry of activity. The news of her condition inevitably reached the Prince of Zhan’s residence. Haoyue and Zhui Xing held their tongues; they had seen how stubborn Le Qianxue was that day and had seen her bleeding as she walked away. However, the relationship between Zhan Lianjing and Le Qianxue had shattered. In this situation, they dared not speak of it before him, lest they invite trouble upon themselves.

Yet that evening, when Haoyue went to find Zhan Lianjing for business, she discovered he was nowhere to be found. She thought little of it, as her master could go where he pleased. She never imagined that Zhan Lianjing had gone to the General’s residence.

Why he had come, he himself did not know. The moment he donned his mask, he had found himself drawn here. He waited a long time until Le Yongcheng went to rest, leaving only Huatao on night watch. She was easily dealt with; a light strike to her acupoints sent her into a faint.

Through the thin curtains, Zhan Lianjing saw Le Qianxue lying quietly. The candlelight in the room was too dim for him to clearly see her features. As he drew closer, he could barely make out her pale, bluish complexion and her faint, shallow breathing. She truly looked like someone on the verge of death.

Zhan Lianjing stopped, refusing to step closer. He snapped back to his senses. Why had he come? Why did he care to see her? Whether she lived or died no longer had anything to do with him. As she had said, a single sword stroke had severed everything between them. *How heartless,* he thought. *This woman.*

Zhan Lianjing turned away, restraining himself from glancing back, and departed. Yet, he was destined to spend a restless night.

Strangely enough, the day after Zhan Lianjing’s visit, Le Qianxue woke up. Le Yongcheng was overjoyed; she had truly snatched her life back from the jaws of death. Just as he was about to express his deep relief, Le Qianxue said, completely unfazed, "I'm hungry. Huatao, go get me something to eat."

Le Yongcheng froze, watching as she sat up, full of vigor, complaining about how she hadn't bathed in days. After she washed and dressed, all traces of her previous pallor were gone. The bandages on her left hand were removed, revealing that the wounds had already scarred over, healing with astonishing speed.

Seeing the spread of food prepared by the kitchen, she beckoned to her father. "Dad, don't just sit there. Come and eat."

Le Yongcheng, who had spent days in agony and worry, was stunned. He shuffled over slowly and saw that her complexion was indeed rosy once more. He huffed, "You scared me to death! Why did you stay unconscious for so many days? Just to worry your father?"

Le Qianxue, still chewing, stared at him with wide, innocent eyes. After swallowing, she said, "Dad, I didn't know you were so sentimental, staying by my side for so long. But didn't Tianci tell you? He should have been awake..."

Le Yongcheng glared at her. "It’s a debt I owe, having a daughter like you. Tianci did tell me not to worry, but the doctors said your pulse was failing. How could I not worry?"

Le Qianxue felt a pang of guilt, knowing her collapse had been sudden. Fortunately, it had happened at the General’s residence, where she was safe. "I was just practicing internal regulation," she explained. "My pulse was weak, but I was in no real danger."

"Internal regulation? That’s something only martial arts masters do," Le Yongcheng stared at her. "It seems you’ve grown up, and you have so many secrets kept from me."

Le Yongcheng was an emotional man, and he felt a sudden sense of sorrow. Le Qianxue’s hand stiffened. It wasn't because she was a martial arts master—she possessed no such internal power. It was merely a metabolic technique innate to the Tang Sect, something Yuan Tianci also knew. He had even complained about how unfair the heavens were.

"Dad," she said quickly, "you’re so busy with official duties, we rarely get a chance to talk."

Le Yongcheng waved his hand. "Fine, fine. Say no more... let me wallow in my sadness for a bit."

Le Qianxue twitched her lips. Before the two could speak further, Uncle Zeng rushed in. "Master, someone from the palace has arrived. They say the Emperor will be coming to the General’s residence shortly. You should prepare."

Le Yongcheng and Le Qianxue exchanged a stunned look. "The Emperor is truly worried about your health," Le Yongcheng said. "He sent people several times, and the entire medical academy has been trembling with fear—two physicians have already been beheaded. The Third Prince came yesterday, and seeing you in that state, his brows were knotted. When the physician spoke those dire words last night, the Third Prince went to report to the palace. The Emperor must have been too worried to stay away and has decided to visit you himself."