The journey finally comes to an end as they arrive at the Li Mansion.
Everyone is surprised to see their master returning so suddenly, especially when he is carrying a woman in his arms.
The Tong elders, who witness Prince Li's arrival, immediately rush forward to assess the situation.
They recognize the woman as Hua MuTan. More importantly, they notice the serious wound on her back, which is covered in blood.
"Uncle Tong, quickly! Call a physician!"
Prince Li doesn't stop walking. He rushes straight into the mansion, carrying TanTan in his arms.
He enters a room surrounded by peony plants outside. Aunt Tong follows closely behind him.
He carefully places Hua MuTan on the bed, making sure she lies on her side with her face turned toward the inner wall. This position allows Aunt Tong to see her back, which is covered in dark red bloodstains.
"This...! What happened, Prince Li?"
"I'll explain later. Just hurry and clean her wound, Aunt Tong. Change her clothes as well. I'll wait outside."
Prince Li then leaves the room and closes the door behind him.
He stands silently outside, trying to make sense of everything that has just happened.
Not long afterward, Uncle Tong arrives with an elderly gentleman. The old man isn't alone. Accompanying him is a beautiful young lady—the same young woman who witnessed Prince Li rushing through the city earlier.
Prince Li is slightly surprised to see them.
He had only intended to call an ordinary physician, not Physician Huang, the Royal Physician, who is also his adoptive father.
How did they find out so quickly?
Prince Li politely greets the elderly physician with a slight bow.
"YiFu..."
He then turns toward the young lady and gives her a somewhat nervous smile.
"Shuang Mei..."
Lady ShuangAi smiles back at him.
"Li Ge, when I saw you entering the city earlier, I knew something must have happened. So I brought Father here to check on the situation."
So that's how they managed to get here so quickly. But the wounded person is Hua MuTan. Should I really let YiFu treat her?
Prince Li hesitates, remembering their past conflicts with Hua MuTan.
"This..."
"Well, where is the patient?" Physician Huang asks impatiently.
At that moment, Aunt Tong has just finished changing TanTan's clothes. She opens the door.
Given the circumstances, Prince Li finally decides to let Physician Huang examine Hua MuTan, followed by Lady ShuangAi.
Both Physician Huang and his daughter are slightly shocked when they see the wound on TanTan's back.
Physician Huang immediately asks his daughter to help him adjust TanTan's clothing so he can properly examine and treat the wound.
As ShuangAi helps expose the injured area, Prince Li turns around, maintaining his manners as a gentleman.
Although they are husband and wife, Prince Li has never seen Hua MuTan's naked body. Even on their wedding night, he refused to share a room with her.
It takes some time to treat TanTan's injury.
Once the treatment is complete, Physician Huang asks Prince Li to accompany him outside, while ShuangAi and Aunt Tong remain behind to help clean up the unconscious TanTan.
"How is she, YiFu?"
"The wound hasn't damaged her bones, but she has lost quite a lot of blood. She should be fine. She just needs plenty of rest, and it will take some time for her to recover."
Physician Huang pauses.
"However..."
"However, what, YiFu?"
"I'm afraid the wound is rather deep. It will leave a considerable scar on her back. What a pity..."
"Is that so?"
Prince Li suddenly feels somewhat responsible.
He knows how much a scar can affect a woman's pride, especially someone as prideful as Hua MuTan.
He can't help imagining that she might use this injury to threaten him into doing whatever she wants in the future.
Prince Li lets out a deep sigh.
Physician Huang seems to understand what is going through his adoptive son's mind. He feels sorry for him, knowing how trapped Prince Li has been in this unwanted marriage.
"What actually happened, Li Er? Did that woman deliberately hurt herself again, just like before?"
He remembers how Hua MuTan once threatened to kill herself in front of the Queen Mother, which eventually forced the King to issue the marriage decree between her and Prince Li.
Physician Huang had also been ordered to treat Hua MuTan at that time, despite his reluctance.
"No, YiFu... This time, things were different. She... she was injured because of me."
Prince Li then recounts everything that happened during their journey.
Meanwhile, inside the room, Aunt Tong can no longer hold back her feelings.
She sits down and pours a cup of tea for ShuangAi.
"This... evil woman! How could she come back and cause trouble for us again?!"
ShuangAi accepts the tea and thanks Aunt Tong. She takes a sip before responding.
"Don't say that, Aunt Tong. She's injured right now..."
"Ah, Ai Er! You're just too kind! Have you forgotten how she cruelly snatched Prince Li away from you? How can you still come here and help your father treat her? I wouldn't blame you if you wanted to hurt her right now. Go ahead!"
"Aunt Tong, you're teasing me! You know I would never do that. Whoever my father treats as a patient becomes my patient, too."
"Ai Er... How can you be so kind-hearted? Ah, if only my Prince Li could have married you! How lively this household would have been! If it weren't for that evil woman, I might already have been helping you raise your children with Prince Li..."
"Aunt Tong... Stop it! Don't say such things. Prince Li and I are nothing more than siblings. Now, let's go outside and let this injured woman rest."
ShuangAi gently pulls Aunt Tong toward the door.
However, before closing it, she takes one last look at TanTan lying unconscious on the bed.
There is a hint of sadness in her eyes.
Outside the room, Physician Huang has just finished listening to Prince Li's account.
"It seems rather suspicious..."
"Do you think so, YiFu?"
"Can we be certain that this isn't another one of Hua MuTan's schemes? You mustn't let your guard down around this woman, Li Er..."
"Do you really think she is crazy enough to deliberately give herself a scar just to control me?"
"I'm not saying that's definitely the case. But considering how she previously sent assassins to attack ShuangAi and tried to harm her, Hua MuTan seems like the kind of woman who would do anything to get what she wants."
The memory of those incidents is still fresh in their minds. Physician Huang has never forgiven Hua MuTan for what she did to his daughter.
"I know, YiFu. Don't worry. I won't let this woman hurt ShuangAi again. I swear on my life that I'll keep her away from ShuangAi."
Prince Li also cannot forgive Hua MuTan for her previous actions.
Physician Huang lets out a deep sigh and looks at Prince Li with sympathy.
"Li Er, this marriage has really brought you so much trouble..."
Just then, the door opens.
Physician Huang stops speaking, expecting his daughter to come out and join them.
Meanwhile, Aunt Tong has been instructed by Prince Li to prepare the medicines according to Physician Huang's prescription.
After politely greeting everyone, she heads straight to the kitchen.
"Father..."
ShuangAi walks toward them.
"Li Ge, MuTan Jie is still unconscious. She might develop a fever tonight, so it's better to have someone watch over her throughout the night."
"I see... Thank you, Shuang Mei. I'm sorry to have troubled you unnecessarily."
"Don't say that. How about you, Li Ge? Are you alright? What exactly happened during your journey?"
Prince Li once again recounts the events, but this time he chooses his words more carefully, especially when describing how TanTan protected him and ended up getting injured in the process.
Seeing ShuangAi standing beside Prince Li, Physician Huang feels both pleased and deeply frustrated.
As a father, he once dreamed of seeing Prince Li and his own daughter, ShuangAi, married to each other.
But that dream has already become a thing of the past.
Deep inside, he still cannot accept the fact that Prince Li can no longer become his son-in-law.
He can't help cursing Hua MuTan in his heart.
Perhaps it would have been better if she had never recovered at all...
However, he immediately dismisses the thought.
He is a physician. His duty is to save lives, not harm his patients.
After hearing the details of the attack, ShuangAi looks genuinely worried.
"It seems MuTan Jie has an unknown enemy. You should assign some additional guards to protect her, Li Ge."
Prince Li and Physician Huang both widen their eyes slightly at her suggestion.
"Ai Er, what makes you think the attackers were targeting Hua MuTan rather than Prince Li?" her father asks curiously.
"I'm sorry, Father. It's only my assumption. Before Li Ge married MuTan Jie, we had never heard of any attacks against him during his journeys. But this time, the attack happened just when Li Ge went to pick up MuTan Jie. I feel that someone might not want her to return here. I could be wrong, but I think it's better to be cautious."
"..."
Both Physician Huang and Prince Li exchange glances.
Just moments ago, they had been considering the possibility that Hua MuTan herself was behind the attack.
Yet here was ShuangAi, innocently suggesting that Hua MuTan might actually be the victim.
"Ai Er, have you forgotten that Hua MuTan once tried to kill you?"
Physician Huang brings up the incident because he feels his daughter is being far too sympathetic toward Hua MuTan.
"Yes, Father... I remember. But I also understand why she did it. Li Ge has always been too kind to me, and that made MuTan Jie misunderstand our relationship. I don't blame her. Actually, it's Li Ge's fault."
ShuangAi gives Prince Li a teasing smile.
What a naive and kind-hearted girl... The woman I cherish more than anything in this world...
Prince Li smiles back at her, but there is sadness hidden in his eyes.
"You can't blame me for that, Shuang Mei. If I had to choose between saving you and saving her, you know very well that I would choose you. You are... you are my precious little sister."
"See?! That's exactly what I'm talking about! Father, don't you see? Li Ge is just using me as an excuse to escape from his own marriage! He simply doesn't want to be tied down by a wife!"
ShuangAi has always felt that her adoptive brother never takes her words seriously. He always treats her like a little girl, which often makes her upset.
"What? That's not what I—"
"Ahem, enough! Ai Er, please behave yourself around Prince Li. I think it's time for us to leave. There's nothing more we can do here."
Physician Huang interrupts them.
He then gives Prince Li a polite bow, and ShuangAi follows his example.
"Thank you for treating her. I'm sorry to have troubled you this time, YiFu."
"Just be careful, Li Er. As Ai Er suggested, you should assign more guards to the household, just in case."
"Thank you for your advice, YiFu. Allow me to escort you both out."
Prince Li accompanies Physician Huang and Lady ShuangAi toward the mansion's main gate.
Meanwhile, from behind the peony bushes, a little girl suddenly emerges, chasing after her red ball.
She is dressed like a noble young lady, but her long trousers give her the appearance of a little tomboy.
The girl looks around and notices that one of the doors has not been properly closed.
She hesitates.
She remembers that this is the room where the evil woman lives.
However, her curiosity grows when she recalls seeing her YiFu come out of that very room just a moment ago.
As far as she knows, the room has been empty for quite some time.
Unable to resist her curiosity, she slowly approaches the door and takes a little peek inside.
She sees TanTan lying on the bed, apparently fast asleep.
Suddenly, she hears TanTan murmuring something.
The little girl is startled.
She thinks the woman has awakened!
Terrified, she turns around and rushes away from the room.
In her haste, she trips over her own feet and falls to the ground.
She quickly gets back up and runs away without even noticing that her jade pendant has fallen near the doorway.
Her little mind is filled with only one thought as she runs.
No... The evil JieJie has come back! Noooo...!
Notes:
WangZi = Prince. However, in Chinese historical fiction, WangYe (王爷) is often a more appropriate formal title when addressing a prince who holds a royal princely title.
YiFu (义父) = Adoptive father.
Mei (妹) = Younger sister. Often used as part of an affectionate form of address.
Jie (姐) = Older sister. Often used by younger girls when addressing an older female.
Ge (哥) = Older brother. An affectionate form of address for an older male.