Chapter 43: He and Su Yingxue Were Now Grasshoppers Tied Together on the Same Boat
While the Imperial Physician hesitated, Chu Xingchen could wait no longer. Over the years, he had studied medical principles extensively, and handling a mere arrow wound was well within his capabilities.
He knew the best course of action now was to remove the arrow, suck out the poisoned blood for Her Highness the Eldest Princess, and then employ other methods to expel the toxins from her body.
But the Imperial Physician was clearly still hesitating. At this moment, time was life. He had to take the gamble. Chu Xingchen stared coldly at the unconscious Su Yingxue before him.
He and Su Yingxue were now grasshoppers tied together on the same boat. The Imperial Physician had a family and responsibilities, so naturally, he had much to consider. Chu Xingchen did not. He was alone in this world. If he lost the gamble, he might still face physical suffering, enduring endless torture and humiliation.
But Chu Xingchen knew that, after all, he was the Hostage Prince of Da Qi. Even if the truth came to light and the Dasheng Monarch vented his anger on him, he would not actually take his life.
Under the alliance between the two nations, unless Da Qi tore up the treaty and reignited the war, Dasheng would not truly execute him, the Hostage Prince of Da Qi.
Otherwise, how would other nations view Dasheng and its Monarch Su Qinhuai if Dasheng, which prided itself as a land of propriety and righteousness, committed such an act?
Thus, in matters of state, even if Su Qinhuai doted on his youngest sister, he would not jeopardize the foundation of Dasheng over the death of a mere Eldest Princess. This was the way of monarchs: calm, clear-headed, and ruthless. It was not just ruthlessness but also responsibility.
A ruler bore the expectations and ancestral teachings of generations of emperors. In making decisions, he carried the weight of Dasheng’s millions of common people and court officials. The ruler was the reliance of the people, the loyalty of the ministers, and the hope of the nation.
To wear the crown, one must bear its weight. What could compare, in the heart of a ruler, to the stability of the nation, peace along the borders without war, the safety and contentment of the people, unity between ruler and subjects, and tranquility across the land?
Moreover, even if it came to that, the Chu Xingchen of today was no longer the helpless, bullied, and humiliated child of the past. He had Shadow Guards and Spies infiltrated into the Imperial Palace.
Dasheng prided itself as a land of propriety and righteousness, a centuries-old capital with deeply ingrained arrogance and a self-proclaimed noble bloodline. Because of this, the Dasheng Monarch, noble families, court officials, common people, and soldiers all underestimated their enemies. They believed their centuries-old capital was thriving and prosperous.
They had soundly defeated Da Qi in their last conflict and looked down upon Da Qi and its people with contempt. They were overly confident in Dasheng’s national strength and defense, blind to the fact that beneath Dasheng’s extravagant and luxurious exterior—
The nation’s power had been repeatedly weakened by the prolonged struggle between the influential noble families and the imperial authority. Those of humble background had no path to serve their country, and the imperial examinations were virtually useless.
Su Qinhuai, overestimating and blindly confident in his nation’s strength, failed to notice that neighboring countries around Dasheng were gradually rising. Spies from various nations were quietly infiltrating Dasheng’s territories, cities, Imperial Palace, court, noble politicians, and ordinary citizens like flowing sand.
Perhaps Dasheng was indeed powerful in the past, but if things continued this way, the future remained uncertain.
Over the past two years, Chu Xingchen had long since connected with Da Qi’s Spy Network. He now possessed martial skills and inner force, was well-versed in medical and toxicology principles, and thoroughly familiar with the Six Arts and the art of political strategy. The Chu Xingchen of today was already the sharpest blade in Da Qi’s Spy Network.
If Su Qinhuai truly decided to take his life, then he and his spy network had a thousand, ten thousand ways to help him escape unscathed, or to infiltrate the Dasheng Imperial Palace or among the noble families and court officials under another identity. After all, the current Chu Xingchen was already far from what he used to be.
After some thought, Chu Xingchen bypassed the Imperial Physician and approached Su Yingxue. His voice was hoarse as he whispered, “Why not let me remove the arrow? You guide me, and after I pull it out, I’ll trouble the Imperial Physician to administer the detoxification and stop the bleeding.”
After Chu Xingchen finished speaking, the Imperial Physician still hesitated and did not move. Seeing this, Chu Xingchen lowered his voice and persuaded, “This poison is strange. Even after prolonged examination, its nature remains unknown, which shows how tricky it is. If the poison spreads throughout the body with the blood, I’m afraid even a deity reborn would find it difficult to save her.”
“Why not take a gamble? After all, I’m the one pulling the arrow. If His Majesty holds anyone accountable, I’ll be the first to bear the blame. What does the Imperial Physician think?” Chu Xingchen looked at the physician with genuine sincerity. In truth, he spoke this way because he possessed the Detoxification Pill given to him by the medical sage of Medicine Immortal Valley.
Most poisons in this world could be neutralized after taking the Medicine Immortal Valley’s Detoxification Pill. Even for potent toxins in small amounts, if the pill couldn’t completely eliminate the toxicity, it could still dilute the poison and alleviate the residual effects, making it a truly miraculous medicine. He had only managed to obtain a small bottle by chance. Additionally, ordinary hemostatic medicine might prove ineffective due to the poisoning, but he had hemostatic powder personally crafted by the Valley Master of Medicine Immortal Valley.
In other words, even if the Imperial Physician couldn’t save her, he could still manage to do so. However, as a Hostage Prince, Chu Xingchen needed to appear mediocre and unremarkable, avoiding drawing attention. A person who was looked down upon could act most freely, while one who attracted notice would find it difficult to be an effective Spy.
Upon hearing this, the Imperial Physician pondered for a moment and then nodded in agreement. Following his guidance, Chu Xingchen exerted force and pulled out the arrow. The moment the arrow was removed, dark, poisoned blood spurted out, gushing forth like a spring. The Imperial Physician tried every means to drain the poisoned blood but found himself at a loss when the dark blood slowly turned red.
It seemed the arrow had been tampered with in some special way—the poison was hard to neutralize, and the bleeding simply wouldn’t stop.
The bright red blood continued to spurt, thoroughly soaking the riding attire and bedding. The Imperial Physician tried acupuncture and applied medicine, but nothing could stop the bleeding. Soon, Su Yingxue winced in pain. At this moment, her left shoulder hurt intensely, and the excessive blood loss had left her face paler than paper.
Seeing this, beads of sweat the size of beans fell from the Imperial Physician’s forehead, and even his hands trembled slightly as he performed acupuncture. If things continued this way, there would be no need for detoxification or treatment—if the bleeding didn’t stop soon, Su Yingxue would quickly die from blood loss. Just then, Qiushuang entered, carrying a bowl of herbal decoction prepared according to the Imperial Physician’s prescription.
The decoction was scalding hot. Qiushuang set it on the table to cool and tried to help Su Yingxue sit up, preparing to feed her the medicine once it had cooled.
Chu Xingchen thought for a moment and walked over, pretending to be casual. He sniffed the decoction’s scent, analyzed its components, and then discreetly added the hemostatic powder to the medicine.
After Su Yingxue drank the bowl of decoction and a long while had passed, the bleeding finally stopped.
Seeing this, the Imperial Physician assumed his decoction and acupuncture had taken effect and wiped the sweat from his forehead with some relief.
The bleeding had stopped, resolving one major problem. Now, the pressing dilemma was how to neutralize the poison. This venom was insidious—colorless and odorless. Without any discernible traits, it was nearly impossible to identify its components. If the poison couldn’t be identified, how could one replicate it or find an antidote?