Chapter 244: His Eyes Resemble Gu Huaizhi’s

As this thought arose, Su Wan couldn’t help but take another look, and it really did resemble him.

When she had observed him earlier, his eyes had been closed, so Su Wan hadn’t noticed.

Because of this realization, Su Wan no longer felt afraid of Prince Changxing.

Carrying the medicine box over, she used scissors to cut away the white cloth, revealing a gruesome wound, as if a long sword had slashed down directly, deep enough to expose the bone.

The wound extended from the shoulder almost to the elbow. Upon closer inspection, the deep black fabric of his clothing, soaked with dried blood, had turned stiff.

“I’ll cut off this entire sleeve first. Could you change into another garment afterward?” she asked.

The Prince of Changxing responded with a faint “Hmm” and closed his eyes.

As Su Wan cut off the sleeve and tore away the white cloth, the scabbed wound was torn open again, and fresh blood gushed out, flowing steadily.

Such a deep wound would heal very slowly with ordinary bandaging methods, and it was difficult to stop the bleeding effectively.

Su Wan thought for a moment, then retrieved the needle she had asked the blacksmith to forge, along with some mulberry bark thread. Catching the scent of strong liquor in the carriage, she found a bottle of shao daozi^[1]Shaodaozi (燒刀子) is a type of strong Chinese liquor, often associated with Northern China. It is known for its high alcohol content and sharp, fiery taste, which is why it is sometimes likened … Continue reading from the cabinet on the carriage wall. She poured some into a bowl, first cleaning the bowl with the alcohol, then soaking the needle and mulberry bark thread in it.

She began cleaning the wound, applying Shexian Ointment^[2]Shexian Ointment (蛇衔膏) is a traditional Chinese medicinal preparation used to treat conditions such as abscesses, traumatic injuries with blood stasis, postpartum blood accumulation, and … Continue reading externally to reduce inflammation, and proceeded to suture Prince Changxing’s wound.

As the needle pierced his skin, Prince Changxing’s eyes shot open abruptly, the veins on his forehead pulsing intensely.

“Bear with it. Suturing the wound will help it heal better,” Su Wan said, pressing down on his twitching muscles to steady his arm. She urged Prince Changxing to relax, adding, “It’ll be over soon. If you can’t handle the pain, you can have some liquor.”

With no anesthetic available, this was the only solution Su Wan could offer.

“No need,” Prince Changxing replied, lowering his gaze. He watched as the fine mulberry bark thread stitched his torn flesh together, much like sewing fabric. This suturing technique was something he had heard military doctors mention in the barracks, but he hadn’t expected to witness it firsthand one day. “Your medical skills are quite impressive,” he remarked.

Su Wan paused for a moment, then calmly replied, “Not too bad.”

Prince Changxing said no more, but a plan formed in his mind. If this wound healed quickly, he would ask Su Wan to treat his son’s illness.

Su Wan’s movements were swift, and before long, she finished suturing the wound.

By then, he had already been in so much pain that he had gone numb. Toward the end, he could barely feel anything, as if his entire arm no longer belonged to him.

The carriage entered the capital, and Su Wan instructed them to stop at the horse market. After expressing her thanks, she departed.

Prince Changxing lifted the curtain of the carriage window and gazed at the backs of the master and servant duo. “Qin Luo, have you found out their identities?”

Qin Luo replied respectfully, “Master, they seem to be people of Great Zhou.”

“Great Zhou?” Prince Changxing frowned, instinctively sensing that Su Wan was somehow connected to the royal family of Xiliang.

The Empress had lived in Great Zhou for over a decade.

The carriage came to a stop in front of the Prince of Changxing’s residence, and by then, the rain had ceased.

Qin Luo knocked on the gate.

The gatekeeper, upon seeing Prince Changxing, exclaimed in surprise and delight, “Your Highness, you’ve returned!”

The gatekeeper quickly added, “I’ll go inform the Princess Consort right away!”

Prince Changxing frowned deeply as he watched the gatekeeper run off, loudly shouting, “Princess Consort! His Highness has returned!”

Just as Prince Changxing stepped into the main hall, he saw a woman hurrying over. As she approached him, she nearly slipped on the wet floor.

He reached out, grasping her arm to steady her before letting go.

“Your Highness, you’re back! Finally, you’re back!” Lady Liu’s almond-shaped eyes filled with tears, her expression a mix of surprise and joy as she looked at Prince Changxing. However, the moment she noticed his wound, her face instantly turned pale. “How did you get injured?”

The Prince of Changxing frowned. “It’s nothing serious.”

Lady Liu nodded. “I’ll send a request card to summon the imperial doctor to tend to your wound.”

“No need.” The Prince of Changxing strode toward the front courtyard. “I’ll change into a fresh set of clothes and head to the palace to report.”

“Alright, I’ll prepare dinner. Zhen’er will be so happy to know you’re back,” Lady Liu said as she followed behind him, mentioning Yun Zhen’s condition. “Last month, his condition suddenly worsened, and he was nearly beyond saving. Fortunately, Master Mingjue’s exceptional medical skills turned things around and brought Zhen’er back from the brink.”

Prince Changxing paused mid-step, suddenly recalling Su Wan. He decided to first investigate her background thoroughly before having her treat Yun Zhen.