The Eldest Princess is Always Feigning Poverty and Weakness - Chapter 10

“Your subordinates are incompetent; we beg for your punishment.”

The men in black were highly trained, kneeling in a synchronized, dark mass across the floor. Not a single person dared to lift their head.

Qi Luyao cast a brief glance over them before withdrawing her gaze. Her face was as cold as frost, and she did not utter a word.

The guards remained motionless in their kneeling positions, their eyes cast downward, not daring to look anywhere else.

Despite so many people being present in the courtyard, not a single sound was made. For a moment, it felt as though the very air had stilled; one could have heard a pin drop.

“Incompetent indeed,” Qi Luyao said with a cold, light sneer.

She tossed out those three words with an air of nonchalance. Even though her presence was diminished by her physical weakness, the words carried a weight that made the atmosphere heavy.

In response to those few listless syllables, every man in black set his sword aside and raised his clasped hands above his head. They showed not a hint of disrespect. The three leaders at the front said in raspy voices, “We beg for our Lord’s punishment.”

Qi Luyao had nearly lost her life. Both the Qilin Guards and the Vermilion Bird Army responsible for her protection were beyond excuse.

“Forget it,” Qi Luyao said flatly.

Even after receiving the signal that their lives were spared, the kneeling men showed no reaction. They remained there in awe and fear, awaiting her further commands.

“You lot,” Qi Luyao said after a moment of thought, “do you know what sugar water is?”

The leader in the middle of the front row looked up. He hadn’t expected such an instruction. His face was completely obscured by a mask, and his pitch-black attire made him look like a phantom; only the dark, embroidered pattern of a struggling Qilin on his right shoulder revealed his rank.

“Your subordinate does not know,” he replied like a soulless machine, answering only what was asked.

The one kneeling beside him was dressed identically, except his right shoulder was plain, and his left sleeve bore the dark embroidery of a Vermilion Bird in flight.

“This subordinate shall order men to find some immediately,” the leader of the Vermilion Bird Guard answered.

Qi Luyao sighed and said once more, “Forget it.”

The secret guards felt a wave of humiliation, sensing they appeared even more useless in their Lord’s eyes now.

Having missed out on her sugar water, the bitterness in Qi Luyao’s mouth refused to dissipate. She casually pointed to one of them. “Follow her.”

The chosen guard acknowledged the order. Three others rose with him and vanished instantly from the spot.

Qi Luyao’s personal guards obeyed her commands exclusively. They didn’t need her to explain; they could quickly grasp her intent. They would follow Wen Ningzhou to ensure her safety from a distance, never allowing her to discover them.

Outside, the sky was growing darker. Qi Luyao thought for a moment and added, “Find a physician and prepare some medicinal herbs.”

“Wait for her on the road,” she supplemented. “And make it look natural.”

“As you command,” the guards replied.

Almost the moment they left, their positions were filled by other guards who moved in; no one knew exactly how many remained hidden in the shadows.

Having finished her arrangements, Qi Luyao ignored the rest of them. She lay back on the bed quite peacefully, truly putting on the appearance of a “good patient” waiting for Wen Ningzhou to return.

While she was composed, the subordinates kneeling below were anything but calm.

The leader’s voice was hoarse, sounding like sandpaper rubbing against a rusted iron blade. It was a harsh, jarring sound.

He said bluntly, “This subordinate implores the Lord to allow us to treat your wounds.”

Qi Luyao painfully lifted the quilt and looked down; the blood on her chest was indeed still seeping.

“Come in.”

With those words, the guards let out a collective sigh of relief. Several of them rose and entered the room in sequence. Clearly, some among them were specialized in medicine, carrying tools and supplies with them.

Qi Luyao disliked having people close to her. The secret guards didn’t dare cross her boundaries; they stopped two paces from the bed and waited for her to speak.

The guards were strictly disciplined, having undergone rigorous training to serve Qi Luyao. They never allowed personal emotions to interfere with a mission.

However, when they saw the blood-stained jacket on the floor, the basin of bloody water, and the soaked cloths near the bed, even these cold-hearted men who lived by the blade faltered. They were struck with a profound shock.

Since their Lord had been poisoned and injured, they had been prepared for death. Now that their lives had been spared, their hearts were heavy with guilt.

“This subordinate deserves ten thousand deaths.”

“Enough,” Qi Luyao said, her eyelids heavy. “Give me the medicine.”

After swallowing several pills with water, Qi Luyao frowned. A guard hurriedly offered her some candied fruit. She ate one piece of preserved plum but still found herself thinking about the sugar water.

The internal medicine had been taken, but the external wounds remained. The rotted flesh had to be cleared away before new skin could grow. Wen Ningzhou had exhausted all her courage just taking the projectile out; she wouldn’t have dared to actually cut away the flesh.

Furthermore, Wen Ningzhou hadn’t known that the necrotic tissue needed to be removed. She hadn’t even been able to stop the bleeding; in her panic, she couldn’t account for every detail.

Among the Qilin Guards was a man skilled in medicine whose ancestors had been imperial physicians. His family had been executed during a fit of the Emperor’s rage, but he had escaped and sought refuge with Qi Luyao, who had trained him within the guards.

He took Qi Luyao’s pulse through a layer of gauze and the bed curtain. He then pulled out knives, scissors, and needles from his medical bag, preparing to administer acupuncture.

Once her pulse was taken, Qi Luyao quickly withdrew her hand, refusing to let the guard treat her further.

Consequently, Qi Luyao ended up handling the knife herself to carve out the poisoned, rotted flesh. Throughout the process, the pain was unbearable; she let out a muffled groan but did not scream once.

When the pain became truly too much to bear, she bit down on the cloth Wen Ningzhou had given her for her fever, gritting her teeth until the area was cleaned.

Only the leaders of the Qilin and Vermilion Bird units and the physician remained in the bedroom; the other guards stood watch in the courtyard. Those inside kept their eyes away from the bed curtains.

Instead, their gazes fell on the bloodied clothes on the floor. Once Qi Luyao was finished, the physician took the tray of rotted flesh and tools to the side. When they saw the contents, every face turned grim.

They were truly beyond forgiveness for allowing this to happen.

The medicine Qi Luyao had taken was of such high quality that it was difficult to fall unconscious even under such pain. Next, she unfastened the bandages on her abdomen and arm, applying styptic powder and a specialized salve for healing wounds without scars.

This healing salve was a rare treasure, worth a fortune, but it was nothing to Qi Luyao. she used three whole vials on her injuries.

It could quickly stop bleeding, ease pain, and promote the growth of new skin. It was truly a life-saving medicine.

By the time she finished, Qi Luyao was drenched in a cold sweat. She re-bandaged the wounds using the same clumsy method Wen Ningzhou had used, finishing with a stubborn dead knot.

“Withdraw,” Qi Luyao said wearily.

The guards gathered every item they had brought, leaving no trace behind. They vanished from the courtyard as if they had never existed.

Qi Luyao had no intention of leaving, and they had no objections. They faded into the shadows, appearing only when summoned, completely obedient to her commands while protecting her from the dark.

Once they were gone, Qi Luyao lay on the bed, waiting for Wen Ningzhou to return.

Her mouth was still very bitter.

She still really wanted that sugar water.

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