Chapter Seventeen: The Abbess Sisters Skilled in Medicine

Seeing his own prince also climb up onto the wall, Little Xuan was so frightened that his legs trembled. Fortunately, his master did not lie on the wall as Miss Qin Er had done earlier, but stood steadily, looking composed.

Chu Liuchen stood atop the courtyard wall, his gaze falling upon a droplet of blood on the wall. His handsome brows furrowed slightly, then moved to another droplet ahead. Drop by drop, the trail led from the top of the wall to the tree, even along the trunk to a certain spot, where it vanished; there, the mark of a carriage axle was visible, indicating someone had left by carriage.

With a lift of his striking eyes, he looked into the distance, catching only a faint glimpse of a departing carriage. Truly a clever little girl—she had thought to use such a method to escape. There was nothing more to see here. With a shift of his feet, he leapt lightly from the wall. This time, Little Xuan was so terrified that he fell to the ground, watching helplessly as his master dropped from the high wall, then reached out to steady himself with one hand and pressed the other to his chest, coughing violently.

“My lord, are you all right, my lord?” Little Xuan scrambled over and helped to support Chu Liuchen.

“It’s nothing. Let us return,” Chu Liuchen said calmly after a few coughs, slowly straightening, but his feet remained unmoved.

“My lord, shall I fetch a chair for you?” Little Xuan asked.

Chu Liuchen nodded, pointing toward the swing frame. Little Xuan hastily helped him to sit upon it. When not in motion, the swing could serve well enough as a chair.

“My lord, please wait here a moment, I’ll be right back!” Once certain his master was settled, Little Xuan dashed off to fetch a chair.

The beautiful youth closed his eyes, long lashes fluttering twice. The thin corners of his lips curved in a faint, languid smile, his posture exuding a touch of frailty, yet it was not the cold, expressionless visage Little Xuan had seen before.

Jingxin Nunnery was not far from the Ningyuan General’s Mansion; most of an hour’s journey brought them there. After learning Qin Wanru’s purpose, the abbess instructed a young nun to fetch the Phoenix-glazed Glass Lamp left by Old Madam Qin.

“Thank you, Reverend!” Seeing the lamp, Qin Wanru finally let out a sigh of relief—the golden ticket had been found!

“It is nothing. Such an object could never be left here carelessly,” the abbess replied kindly. She was a nun of fifty or sixty, her manner gentle and serene. With a smile, she pushed the bundle containing the lamp toward Qin Wanru. “Second Miss Qin, please see if this is the one?”

“This is indeed the one. Thank you, Reverend!” Qin Wanru replied gratefully.

Seeing the small girl lift her bright, clear eyes and put on a steady, grown-up air, the abbess could not help but smile. Familiar with Old Madam Qin, she was not unacquainted with Qin Wanru either, and so she reached out to gently stroke the girl’s soft hair.

“I heard something happened at the general’s mansion. Is the old madam in good health?” The news of the smashed bridal sedan had spread far and wide, reaching even the secluded Jingxin Nunnery—evidence enough of how quickly it had circulated. The speed of the gossip was no doubt aided by the many witnesses present; or perhaps it was that Qi Tianyu had purposely gathered a crowd for the wedding, intending to disgrace Qin Wanru, but in the end, it was Qin Yuru who became a laughingstock.

“Is everyone talking about it outside?” Qin Wanru asked curiously. She truly wanted to know how people were reacting but could hardly go out to inquire herself. Since even the abbess had heard, she took the opportunity to ask.

Besides, she knew the matter was far from over. How could that mother and daughter pair be content to shoulder all the blame?

“Yes,” the abbess replied gently. “It’s said the Second Miss smashed the Qi family’s bridal sedan yesterday in a fit of rage because Eldest Miss Qin coveted higher status in the capital and wished to abandon her childhood betrothed, Young Master Qi. Who would have thought that someone as gentle as Eldest Miss Qin would have such a temperament?”

She sighed, her gaze falling to Qin Wanru’s injured arm. “Second Miss, were you wounded by a wicked servant yesterday? Allow me to have a look—was it serious?”

“Thank you, Reverend,” Qin Wanru replied politely.

The abbess was known throughout Jiangzhou Prefecture for her skill in medicine; whenever a pilgrim at the nunnery fell ill, or villagers nearby needed help, they would come to her, and her reputation was excellent. But Qin Wanru knew that the most skilled healer in Jingxin Nunnery was not the abbess, but her junior, Reverend Mingqiu. Qin Wanru knew this because Mingqiu was very fond of her and had often expressed to the old madam her wish to make Qin Wanru her disciple and pass on her medical skills.

Each time, however, the old madam declined politely.

“Second Miss, come with me,” the abbess said, rising and leading the way inside. Qin Wanru followed. Once within, she removed her outer garment, revealing the wound beneath.

The abbess gently unraveled the layers of cotton bandage, placing them aside. When she saw the medicinal powder on Qin Wanru’s wound, her expression darkened.