Тонкая нить привязанности

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Upon hearing this, Cui An was extremely anxious and bowed to Han Xiao, saying, "Miss Han, please save the princess."

The maid looked at Han Xiao without speaking, her tightly pursed lips revealing her doubts. Han Xiao didn't know if she doubted his medical skills or whether he was willing to treat her princess. Han Xiao didn't speak, but waved her hand. Cui An quickly pushed the maid and led Han Xiao into the house.

The room was small. The princess lay on the bed, looking much thinner than when they last met, her eyes and cheeks sunken. Han Xiao could tell from her complexion that she was unwell. He took her pulse and found her wrist burning hot, her pulse extremely weak, a clear sign of a long-term illness.

Princess Ruyi was drowsy and barely opened her eyes to look at her, but seemed not to recognize her. Her eyes were unfocused, and then she closed them again. The maidservant said anxiously from the side, "This has been going on for three days. We've given her some fever-reducing medicine, but she hasn't gotten better. Today it's even worse. She barely opens her eyes, and when she does look at me, it's like she doesn't recognize me..."

"What kind of medicine did you give her?" Han Xiao interrupted her and asked.

"Xi'er, quickly show the prescription to Miss Han." Cui An instructed from the side. The maid named Xi'er hurriedly responded and took out a prescription from her bosom and handed it to Han Xiao.

Cui An said, "It's just a common prescription for reducing fever. I served people in the palace and know a little about it. We don't dare to see a doctor in this city, so we got the medicine ourselves..." Cui An was a little uneasy: "This prescription should be correct. It has been used many times in the palace, but I don't know why the princess is still not well."

"You said she was injured in Xia, what kind of injuries, and what medicine did the doctor there prescribe?"

Xi'er moved closer, brushing aside Princess Ruyi's bangs. A scar was clearly visible at the roots of her hair. She then loosened the princess's robe, pulling it slightly to reveal a scar on her collarbone. She said sadly, "That day, the Xia King was extremely cruel. He beat, threw, and kicked the princess. She bled a lot and eventually couldn't move." She seemed to recall that day, trembling slightly, "It's all our fault for being so incompetent. We couldn't protect the princess..."

Han Xiao had no time to listen to her self-reproach. She turned to Cui An and said, "Eunuch Cui, I need to heat up this room, boil some water, and get some cloth. Did any doctor prescribe medicine for the princess in the summer? Do you have any prescriptions?"

"They did prescribe medicine, but they didn't give us the prescription. They just took it back, decocted it, and brought it over. I was initially suspicious, worried that the medicine might be bad, but the King of Xia told the doctor that if the princess died, the doctor would be buried with her, so I figured the medicine must be fine. The princess was in critical condition at the time, so she had no choice but to drink it. After drinking the medicine, the princess's injuries improved a bit, but she was still frightened and heartbroken, so she never fully recovered. During the time we were running away, she had some energy, but she fell ill again on the way here, and that illness has kept her like this ever since."

Han Xiao took her pulse again and nodded: "Then Eunuch Cui, go and prepare what I need. This fever is not caused by catching a cold. It is probably because her original injury has not healed and has left internal injuries. In addition, she has been exhausted from the journey. Just as you said, she is frightened and grieving. She has reached her limit to get this far. Now, I'm afraid her life is in danger."

Upon hearing this, Xi'er and Cui An knelt down with a thud and cried out in unison, "Please, young lady, save our princess!"

Han Xiao didn't look at them. She opened the princess's eyes and examined them closely, saying, "Instead of kneeling before me, you'd better hurry up and do what I need. Heat up this room so I can check the princess's injuries before I can prescribe medicine. You'd better hurry up."

Upon hearing this, Cui An kowtowed and turned to run outside. Xi'er waited by the side for Han Xiao's instructions, but saw Han Xiao pry open the princess's mouth to look at her tongue, and then carefully examine her hands.

A moment later, Cui An brought in two simple charcoal braziers and placed them in the corner of the room as Han Xiao had instructed. Han Xiao asked Xi'er to help her remove Princess Ruyi's clothes. Her fair skin was covered with numerous scars. Xi'er pointed to several locations, including her legs, lower abdomen, and chest, explaining the injuries sustained that day. Han Xiao gently pressed on her chest and abdomen, and Princess Ruyi groaned, seemingly in pain. Xi'er leaned closer and asked, "Princess, Princess, can you hear me?"

Han Xiao carefully examined the wound and said, "She does have internal injuries. These injuries have been dragging on for so long, and it will take time and proper care for her to fully recover. You can't go anywhere anymore; let her stay put for now. She vomits after taking the medicine, is that right?"

"Yes, yes, I've been vomiting up everything I drink these past two days, let alone eating."

"Then she can't take any more medicine, but her fever has to come down today," Han Xiao pondered.

Xi'er became anxious: "How can you get better if you don't take your medicine?"

"What kind of smooth material do you have? Something that can scrape your skin without causing injury?" Han asked with a smile.

"Cosmetics or similar products?"

"No, it's like a round plate made of cow horn."

"No, that's not possible." Xi'er thought hard: "Would bowls and spoons work? I'll go get them for the young lady to see." She ran out quickly and returned with a few bowls and spoons in a short while. Han Xiao touched them and found that the rough edges were cracked, so she shook her head.

Xi'er bit her lip: "We fled all the way here, without taking anything with us."

Han Xiao pinched several spots on the princess's skin, which quickly turned purple. Xi'er cried out, "What are you doing?"

"We're saving her." Han Xiao's hands were steady as she said, "Go get some oil, mugwort, and ginger slices. Cut the ginger into large slices, not too thick. You should have these, right? How's the water that Eunuch Cui boiled earlier? Go and check on it."

Xi'er asked blankly, "What does the young lady want to cook?"

"Nothing needs to be cooked, it'll cure the illness." Seeing her lost in thought, Han Xiao glared at her and shouted, "Go now!"

"Oh, oh." Xi'er came to her senses and quickly ran outside. She returned shortly with everything Han Xiao had asked for, panting, "We don't have any mugwort, Uncle Ma went outside to buy some..." Before she could finish, she saw Han Xiao taking a large jade Buddha pendant from Princess Ruyi's neck and cried out, "What are you doing? We'll pay the consultation fee ourselves. That jade Buddha pendant is a keepsake from the princess's mother; don't take it!"

Han Xiao glanced at her in surprise, then at the jade Buddha in her hand: "I'm not afraid you won't pay the consultation fee." Once she returns to Nie Chengyan's side, someone will help her collect any debts.

Xi'er pursed her lips. Han Xiao told her to place the things by the bedside and then asked her to help turn Princess Ruyi over. Han Xiao now possessed the authority of a doctor, and Xi'er dared not say a word, doing everything she was told. At this moment, a large basin of hot water and cloths were brought in, and Xi'er busied herself with setting them away. When Han Xiao dipped the jade piece in the oil, Xi'er wanted to speak again, but hesitated and then remained silent.

She watched as Han Xiao scraped the princess's skin with jade, and soon the skin turned purple. Xi'er gritted her teeth in heartache, but she knew this was to save a life, so she remained silent. Han Xiao carefully scraped several areas, leaving them all purplish-black. After the mugwort was brought, she placed ginger slices on the acupoints, lit the mugwort, and burned it over the ginger slices. Once everything was done, she wrapped Princess Ruyi tightly in two layers of blankets, and she miraculously woke up, opening her eyes.

Xi'er cried out in surprise, "Princess, Princess, can you hear me?"

“Xi’er…” Princess Ruyi’s voice was like the sound of withered leaves being crushed, hoarse and weak.

Xi'er burst into tears of joy: "Princess, you're finally awake! You scared me to death!"

"She's not feeling well yet." Han Xiao took her pulse again and said, "I'll write a prescription. You can get the medicine according to the prescription. Once her fever goes down, she can drink it."

Princess Ruyi heard Han Xiao's voice, turned her head and glanced at her quickly, then turned back, pursing her lips and remaining silent. Xi'er knew her princess's thoughts. Once a golden branch and jade leaf, high and mighty, she had fallen to such a state today, and it was even her rival who had saved her. Given the princess's stubborn and proud personality, she naturally couldn't bear it.

Han Xiao didn't care about the reactions of the mistress and servant. She went out of the house, found Cui An, asked for paper and pen, and wrote a prescription for him. Cui An took it seriously, looked at it carefully, bowed his head and thanked Han Xiao repeatedly, intending to go to the herbal medicine shop to get the medicine himself.

Han Xiao was worried about Nie Chengyan and was about to ask when she could send a message to Nie Chengyan to let him know she was safe, when she heard a rapid knocking on the courtyard gate. The middle-aged coachman surnamed Ma opened the gate, and a fair-skinned young man stumbled in, shouting urgently, "I saw Xia Liao's men! There was a general I've seen in the palace. I was keeping watch at the alley entrance just now and saw him walk by. He was dressed in ordinary people's clothes, so he must be here to search for the princess. It seems this place is not safe anymore; we have to find another place quickly."

Cui An's expression tightened, and he grabbed the young man, demanding, "Xiao Mi Zi, did you see that clearly?"

“I’ve seen him clearly, there’s no mistake. That man has a scar on his face. He’s the one who beat me up in the palace that day. I recognize him, there’s no mistake. Eunuch Cui, let’s quickly find another place.”

Just as Xiaomizi finished speaking, the courtyard gate was kicked open with a loud bang, and a burly man with a scar on his face led several people in. The man shouted, "Trying to leave? Too late."

Uncle Ma grabbed a wooden stick from the corner of the courtyard wall and blocked Han Xiao and the others. Cui An pushed Xiao Mizi and Han Xiao hard and whispered, "Go inside."

Han Xiao, of course, knew that the situation was not good, so he quickly turned around and rushed back into the house. Xi'er, who was inside, naturally heard the commotion. She was pacing around anxiously. When she saw them come in, she hurriedly pulled Xiaomizi and said, "Grandpa Mi, what should we do?"

Xiaomizi didn't know what to do either, but Han Xiao said, "Make sure the princess is dressed properly and wrapped in a blanket so she doesn't catch a cold. Pack anything she needs. We'll see what happens outside. If there's a chance to escape, carry the princess on your back and go to the Xilai Inn on East Street to find Lord Nie. Since Xia's soldiers have already discovered us, we shouldn't even think about hiding. Saving our lives is the most important thing."

Xi'er was still a little stunned, and Han Xiao nudged her, "Quickly." She went to help Princess Ruyi herself. Although the princess spoke with difficulty, she said clearly, "I will not see Brother Nie." Han Xiao was stunned. The princess repeated, "In my condition, I cannot see Brother Nie."

Han Xiao worked quickly and efficiently to tidy her up, wrapped her in a blanket, and said, "Then it would be good to see King Xia if we don't see Brother Nie."

“You…you…” Princess Ruyi was furious.

"What do you mean, 'you'? Save your energy. You can't scold anyone in your current state. Your loyal servants are risking their lives for you, but you're only concerned about your own face and dignity." Han Xiao didn't hold back at all.

Princess Ruyi pursed her lips and remained silent. Xi'er was about to speak up when Han Xiao glared at her and said, "You shut up too. Don't talk nonsense right now." Xi'er shrank back at her rebuke.

Han Xiao ran to the door and looked outside. A fight had already broken out. Four people were facing off against Cui An and Uncle Ma. The scarred general stood with his arms crossed, leading the remaining three people to watch from the side. They were obviously very confident in taking down these fugitives. At this moment, it was like a cat playing with mice. They would watch them struggle to the death before taking the final victory.

Cui An and his men were indeed putting up a desperate struggle; two against four was already a challenge, let alone with four more waiting nearby. But surrendering was out of the question. Xiao Mi Zi, watching from inside, was trembling. Han Xiao nudged him, asking, "Do you know martial arts?"

"No," he answered, his voice trembling.

"So, are you fast?"

"generally."

"Do you have the strength?"

"A little bit."

Han Xiao frowned and asked Xi'er, "Then which of you two will carry the princess?"

“I’ll do it.” Xi’er glanced at Xiaomizi with disdain: “I’m stronger than Grandpa Mi, and I can run faster than him.”

"Alright. We can't just sit here and wait to die. Listen up, find City Lord Nie at the Xilai Inn on East Street. We'll break out in a bit, run if you can, and everyone meet up at the inn."

Xi'er and Xiaomizi nodded. Xi'er carried Princess Ruyi on her back, and Han Xiao tore off the carrying sheet and tied her securely. Xiaomizi wandered around the room, finally taking down a piece of wood from the bedpost and using it as a stick. Han Xiao glanced outside again, wrapped a cloth around her hand, picked up the charcoal brazier, and Xi'er followed behind her with the princess on her back. Xiaomizi peeked through the door, nodded sharply, pulled open the door, roared, and charged out with the stick. But as soon as he rushed out, he was hit squarely by a stone kicked by the scarred general, and fell to the ground with a cry of pain.

Han Xiao rushed out after Xiao Mizi, not caring what was wrong with him. She mustered all her strength and threw a basin of burning charcoal towards the general. The men, clearly not expecting such a weapon, cried out and scattered. In that instant, Xi'er carried the princess on her back and rushed out. Han Xiao, disregarding everyone else, also ran outside. She knew she couldn't do anything here; only by finding Nie Chengyan could she possibly save these people.

Before Han Xiao could even reach the door, she was kicked hard in the back. She cried out in pain, fell to the ground, and rolled over. Looking up, she saw that Xi'er was nowhere to be seen in the courtyard, and two of the other party were also missing, presumably having gone after her. But the most important thing right now was that scarred general standing angrily in front of her.

"You bitch, you dare to throw fire at me."

Han Xiao gritted her teeth and remained silent. The scarred general slapped her across the face. Han Xiao covered her head and cowered. The slap landed on her arm and stung painfully.

"Still dare to dodge?" he roared. "I'll beat you to death!" He kicked again, hitting Han Xiao on the shoulder, then grabbed her and lifted her up, his fist about to strike her. Suddenly, Han Xiao flung sand into his eyes and punched him in the eye with her right fist. The general, caught off guard, screamed and released his grip, rubbing his eyes. Han Xiao landed on the ground and seized the opportunity to kick the scarred general hard in the groin. The general screamed again, his hands now covering his groin. This double ordeal enraged him.

Han Xiao finished her attack in one go and ran, but after only a few steps, she was blocked by another Xia soldier. Seeing that the general had been attacked by this woman, the man became wary of her and drew his broadsword, pointing it directly at her. Knowing she couldn't win, Han Xiao could only retreat step by step until her back was pressed against the wall, with nowhere left to go.

The scarred general, having recovered his strength, hated Han Xiao to the extreme. He drew his sword and thrust it straight at Han Xiao, saying, "I'll kill you, you filthy woman."

The sword came incredibly fast, and Han Xiao had no way to dodge it. He could only instinctively close his eyes, but instead of feeling any pain, he heard a crisp clang, as if something had struck the sword. When Han Xiao opened his eyes, he saw a woman standing in front of him.

The woman stood with her hands on her hips, her back to the scarred general, and shouted, "You dare bully my friend? I'll beat you to death!"

Han Xiao couldn't see her face, but her voice sounded somewhat familiar. The scarred general cursed and thrust his sword again, knowing he'd encountered a skilled fighter, and naturally intended to kill. The woman, however, was fearless, standing motionless in front of Han Xiao. She raised her hand and swung at the sword, flicking her fingertips against it. Taking a step forward, her arm slid nimbly along the blade to the scarred general's wrist, twisting and pushing, and then striking him in the chest with a palm strike. The scarred general fell to the ground with a thud.

The woman, having landed a blow, did not pursue. Instead, she took a step back and continued to block Han Xiao's path. Han Xiao suddenly remembered and exclaimed, "Third Madam Long!"

It was Feng Ning who arrived. Hearing Han Xiao call out, she turned around and smiled at her: "It's me, we meet again. I've come just in time, haven't I?"

The Mystery of Fengning

Before Han Xiao could greet her, he pointed behind Feng Ning and shouted, "Watch out!"

Without turning her head, Feng Ning seemed to have eyes in the back of her head. She turned her feet, bent over, and dodged the sudden horizontal slash from the soldier beside her. The sharp blade flashed silver light and slashed past Feng Ning's face. Han Xiao was stunned. She had seen many fights and many people had used Feng Ning's movements, but she had never seen such graceful and beautiful movements.

In the blink of an eye, Feng Ning had grabbed the soldier's wrist and pushed him in the direction of the swinging knife. The soldier lost control, and the knife slashed towards his own neck. The soldier screamed in terror, but before the scream subsided, the knife stopped just short of his neck, the sharp blade drawing blood. The soldier's legs trembled with fear, and his crotch was soaked. Feng Ning curled his lip in disdain and struck the soldier on the side of the neck, knocking him unconscious.

Han Xiao blinked, unable to see how the knife was placed against the soldier's neck. In the blink of an eye, she saw that the four people who had been fighting with Cui An and the others had realized something was wrong and abandoned their fight, heading straight for Feng Ning. The scarred general had also gotten up and pounced on her menacingly.

This time, without Han Xiao's prompting, Feng Ning shouted, "Get back a bit!" Han Xiao responded and slowly moved to the side, hugging the wall. Feng Ning was already locked in combat with the five men, amidst the flashing blades, she was the only one fighting unarmed, making Han Xiao sweat with worry. Just as she was feeling anxious, two more people rushed in through the door, seemingly the two who had chased after the princess earlier. Now it was seven against one, and Han Xiao was furious. These shameless Xia soldiers! She glanced at Cui An and Uncle Ma, both sitting on the ground clutching their wounds, clearly having fought with all their might. Xiao Mi Zi was trembling and cowering behind them; it seemed they couldn't help her.

Han Xiao looked around and saw a thick wooden stick by the wall. She grabbed it, took two steps forward, and called out to Feng Ning, "Third Madam Long, here you go."

One of the Xia soldiers attacking Feng Ning from behind turned and glared at Han Xiao, seemingly annoyed that she was interfering. Knowing Han Xiao was unskilled in martial arts, he paid her no heed and turned back to continue attacking Feng Ning. Han Xiao was furious. Bullying a woman and daring to glare at her? She gritted her teeth, steeled her resolve, and as the Xia soldier slashed at Feng Ning with his knife, she swung her staff with all her might, striking the Xia soldier on the back of the neck. The Xia soldier cried out but didn't fall. He turned and glared at Han Xiao again. Han Xiao, her brows furrowed, was about to strike him again when Feng Ning kicked him away. She then grabbed the staff in Han Xiao's hand. Without her noticing, the staff swung left and right, and Han Xiao, without knowing why, let go. The staff flew from her hand in an instant.

Feng Ning grinned and said to Han Xiao, "Thank you." She turned and swung her staff to block the three knives that came at her. She pushed them away, kicked one of them away, twirled her staff, and spun it around, performing a beautiful flourish. The tip of the staff pierced the chest and abdomen of a Xia soldier, who screamed and was sent flying to the side.

Han Xiao handed over the stick, not daring to cause trouble, and quickly retreated. In just a moment, she saw Xia Bing, who had been sent flying far away, crash into the wall. Han Xiao looked at her hands; the stick couldn't knock anyone out in her hands, but in Feng Ning's hands, it seemed to be imbued with divine power.

The outcome of the battle was soon revealed. Feng Ning wielded her long staff with divine assistance. Although fighting seven men at once was somewhat troublesome, she ultimately routed them. Even the most skilled among them, the scarred general, couldn't hold out and turned to flee. Seeing this, the six soldiers helped each other up and dragged each other away, scrambling and stumbling.

Feng Ning watched them leave without chasing after them. She turned to look at Han Xiao, then glanced at Cui An and Uncle Ma, who had already helped each other to their feet. She reached out and pulled Han Xiao to her side, asking, "What are you doing here? Where is your stern-faced, wheelchair-bound master?"

Han Xiao didn't know how to explain the situation, but Cui An and Uncle Ma led Xiao Mizi over and bowed, saying, "Thank you for saving my life, Miss."

Feng Ning nodded steadily, but said, "You're welcome. Anyway, I'm saving Miss Han, so saving you is just a side thing." Cui An and the other two were stunned, and Han Xiao was also a little dumbfounded. This Madam Long was really outspoken.

Feng Ning asked again, "Miss Han, is it your enemy?" Before Han Xiao could answer, she had already discerned something from Han Xiao's expression, so she quickly followed up with, "Is it Lord Nie's enemy?"

Han Xiao couldn't say to Cui An and the others that he was implicated, so he could only say, "I don't know them."

Feng Ning, however, saw through it and pointed at Cui An and the others: "Oh, so they are their enemies." Cui An and the others looked embarrassed, but then said urgently: "Miss, my master is in trouble, and we are going to find her. I wonder if you could help us?" Such a skilled helper is hard to find even with a lantern.

Han Xiao said unhappily, "I've already told you, go to my master and let him decide how to help you. Now that your whereabouts have been exposed, what is there to worry about? Xi'er carried the princess away and ran away. I saw that the two people who chased after her turned back, so they probably didn't catch up. Xi'er may have already arrived at the inn. Don't waste your time here, you should come back with me quickly."

Hearing Han Xiao say this, Feng Ning happily pulled her along, saying, "Yes, yes, hurry up, I'll go back with you. I'm hungry and tired. Let your master take care of my meals and then my lodging."

She pulled Han Xiao away, and Cui An and the other two didn't dare to stop her. After thinking for a moment, they followed. Han Xiao was new to the city and didn't know how to get to East Street, but Cui An and the others had already figured out the city's roads, so they ran ahead to lead the way, with Feng Ning pulling Han Xiao behind them.

Han Xiao recounted his ordeal to Feng Ning in detail, then asked, "Third Madam Long, how did you come to be here? Where is Third Master Long?"

Feng Ning, however, gave an irrelevant answer: "I saw some knotted strips of cloth, and I thought they were some kind of code, so I followed them all the way, only to find that you were in danger."