Chapter 71: I Want to Live

“Otherwise, what did you think? My lady was forced to marry the Crown Prince in the first place, all to protect the General’s Mansion, and to keep all of you safe as well. I truly don’t know what happened last night—just tell me already!” Hong Ying’s look of astonishment left Qing Luo thoroughly dissatisfied. Now, the only thing she could do was find a way to help Qiao Qingyun suffer less, so that no one could find fault with her later.

“Last night… last night Her Grace drank too much, and then… then my brother came to take her home. Maybe… maybe the Crown Prince wanted to… favor her…”

“What did you say? Why did Zhong Shi come?”

Qing Luo had long known Zhong Shi’s feelings for Qiao Qingyun, which was why she had always tried to prevent Zhong Shi and Yuan Zaichun from meeting face-to-face, partly to protect Qiao Qingyun as well. Now, it seemed certain—whatever happened last night must have been because Zhong Shi did something inappropriate, causing Yuan Zaichun to react this way.

As it turned out, Qing Luo’s suspicions were correct.

“What does this have to do with my brother?” Hong Ying asked, still confused. Qing Luo frowned. “For the time being, to ensure my lady’s safety, Zhong Shi should stay out of sight and focus on his recovery.”

With that, Qing Luo turned on her heel and strode off toward the laundry room, eager to find some hot water.

After much effort, she helped Qiao Qingyun change into fresh clothes and wash herself. Only then did Qiao Qingyun manage to steady her emotions, suppressing the anger that had burned within her.

“Greetings to the Crown Princess.”

Suddenly, Liu Fu’s voice sounded from outside the door. Qiao Qingyun hesitated, glancing at Qing Luo, who quickly replied, “Her Grace is unwell and has already retired. Is there something Deputy Liu needs?”

“Her Grace has retired? His Highness wishes for her to join him for a meal in the main hall. Young Master Feng will be present as well.”

At these words, Qiao Qingyun thought for a moment. “I understand. You may go.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

Liu Fu sighed with relief. If Qiao Qingyun refused this time, who knew how angry Yuan Zaichun might become?

“Are you really going to go, Your Grace?” Qing Luo asked anxiously as she helped Qiao Qingyun with her hairpin. The woman touched her coiled hair and replied, “Do you have any other ideas?”

“But…”

“If you wish for peace, you must understand what it means to bow your head when you live beneath someone else’s roof.”

Qiao Qingyun had long since seen things clearly: if she wanted to survive, she had no choice but to placate the Crown Prince.

When the appointed time came, she rose slowly and, with Qing Luo in tow, made her way to the main hall. As expected, Yuan Zaichun had not deceived her—Feng Ke was there.

“Greetings, Your Highness.”

Qiao Qingyun knelt respectfully on the floor. Yuan Zaichun nodded. “Rise.”

“Thank you, Your Highness.”

Feng Ke did not salute Qiao Qingyun. After all, he was already seated beside Yuan Zaichun; standing would only have seemed improper.

“Crown Princess, you haven’t visited the clinic in several days. It’s thrown into utter chaos.”

“What?” Qiao Qingyun’s eyes widened. She quickly asked, “Did something happen to Xu and Chun Cheng?”

“That’s right. With patients increasing by the day, they’ve had to rely on medicinal decoctions to keep them alive. Now, all they can do is wait for you to return and perform surgery.”

“Why didn’t they come find me?”

Qiao Qingyun frowned deeply. The question made Feng Ke chuckle.

“You are the Crown Princess—they are mere commoners. How could they possibly get an audience with you? Last time, they went to the Hundred Flowers Pavilion to find me, so I was sent to deliver the message.”

With this, Qiao Qingyun’s expression grew grave. “Did they say what the illness was?”

“No, only that one of the patients is coughing up blood—constantly vomiting blood, in fact. There’s nothing they can do but keep transfusing blood to keep her alive.”

“What!”

Without another word, Qiao Qingyun sprang to her feet and rushed out.

“Qing Luo, come with me!”

Startled, Qing Luo bowed hastily to Yuan Zaichun, then hurried after Qiao Qingyun. The pace of their flight left no trace of a noblewoman’s decorum.

“Well, Brother Yuan, shall we go have a look?” Feng Ke asked. He knew Yuan Zaichun disapproved of Qiao Qingyun running a clinic outside, so this was, in a way, helping her with a troublesome matter.

Yuan Zaichun set down his chopsticks, glanced at Feng Ke, and nodded. “Let’s go.”

The two men did not choose a sedan chair but walked instead.

Qiao Qingyun, dressed in splendid silks, charged into the Taihe Clinic with the urgency of a storm, startling Chun Cheng and Xu Lu as soon as she entered.

“Teacher!”

The two rose at once. The clinic was already filled with patients. As some caught sight of Qiao Qingyun, breathless from her run, they looked on in surprise.

“The patient who’s been vomiting blood—where is she? Why didn’t you tell me sooner? Quickly, which room?”

“In… in Room Two.”

Qiao Qingyun wasted no time. She glanced at a nearby attendant. “Come with me. Bring me a triple-lumen tube, prepare the operating room immediately, and make sure everything is sterilized first.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

The attendant moved swiftly, following her inside. Qiao Qingyun changed into her white coat, pulled out all the pins from her hair, letting it fall loosely behind her, donned gloves, and rushed upstairs.

“How do you feel today?” she asked as soon as she entered, the metallic tang of blood filling her nose and making her frown.

On the bed lay a woman in her thirties. On the floor beside her, a basin already half-filled with blood.

“Doctor, I’m… I’m in so much pain. Please… please let me die.”

The woman was already at the end of her hope. Qiao Qingyun turned to the attendant. “There’s no time to move her to the operating room. We’ll do it here. Give me that triple-lumen tube—and hold her down.”

Moving quickly, Qiao Qingyun approached the patient. “If you have any will to live, and for the sake of those you love and those who love you, cooperate with me. It may be painful, but I hope you can survive.”

Her eyes, clear as spring water, met the patient’s desperate gaze. The woman nodded, as though seizing a lifeline. “I want to live.”

“Good. Prepare the air pump, and confirm—it’s gastric bleeding, isn’t it?”

The others confirmed and handed her everything she needed.

Qiao Qingyun grasped the woman’s chin, then gently inserted the triple-lumen tube through her nose.

“No, I can’t… it hurts too much.”

“Swallow—just swallow, don’t be afraid, hurry.”

With Qiao Qingyun’s guidance, the woman obeyed, swallowing the tube. Once it was in place, Qiao Qingyun quickly began to inflate it.

Soon, she felt resistance, and stopped.

“This should temporarily stop the bleeding.”