Bai Yaling came to Huo Jin's room with Yin Na. However, the servant outside Huo Jin's room stopped them. "General Wang has prohibited entry," the servant replied.
"How is Brother Huo Jin? Is the treatment still going on?" Bai Yaling asked.
"Let them come," they heard Wang Hao's voice from inside. The servant followed the command and opened the door for them.
Bai Yaling walked in along with Yin Na when Wang Hao came to them. They saw the curtain hanging around the bed, thus preventing the view of unconscious Huo Jin.
Wang Hao stood in front of them. "The doctor treated his wound. It will take time for him to gain consciousness. There is nothing to be feared of. At the right time, a few soldiers saw him in the forest and brought him here," he informed them.
Yin Na noticed that a servant was squeezing out the excess water from the cloth, who then had put it on Huo Jin's forehead.
"Does Huo Jin have a fever?" Yin Na asked when Wang Hao and Bai Yaling looked at her.
"Yes," Wang Hao replied.
"Can I look after him, Brother Wang?" Yin Na asked for Wang Hao's permission, who did not want her to get worried seeing Huo Jin's state.
"Please, let me do it, Brother Wang," Yin Na requested him.
"Sure, Yin Na," Wang Hao allowed her. He could not stop himself from not fulfilling Yin Na's request.
"Thank you, Brother Wang," Yin Na said. "You can stay with Sister Bai. If anything happens, I will call you," she assured Wang Hao.
"Do not cry to see his state. The wound is deep," Wang Hao told her. "I will not let you stay around her if I find you crying," he warned her.
Yin Na hummed and smiled. "I do not cry easily, Brother Wang," she said with a proud smile and then went towards the bed. Bai Yaling found out how worried her husband was for them.
"Let her do it. If Brother Huo Jin finds out that Sister Yin Na took care of him, he will be happy. He might want to see her as a woman," Bai Yaling told Wang Hai, in a low voice, who tilted his head to peer into her eyes.
"You are right. But," he again shifted his gaze towards Yin Na, "she might cry seeing his state. I don't want that."
Yin Na had taken the seat and pushed the curtain away.
Bai Yaling grasped Wang Hao's hand, who again glanced at her. "That's important too… to make their love stronger," she stated.
"Investigate who did this. It is a serious matter," Bai Yaling then told him.
"Hmm. Let's leave first," Wang Hao said and took her out of the room.
Yin Na asked the servant in Huo Jin's service and asked him what the doctor said about Huo Jin's condition.
"The doctor said that the Young Master will regain consciousness after a day or so," the servant replied.
"Oh. He is out of danger, right?" Yin Na asked concernedly.
"Yes, Miss Yin Na," the servant answered and picked up the vessel filled with water. "I will bring the clean water," he told Yin Na and walked out of the room.
Yin Na pushed the curtain aside and finally looked at Huo Jin. He had this troubled expression on his face, maybe because of the excruciating pain.
Yin Na's heart broke into pieces seeing the blood-stained bandage around his chest. "Who could do this to you?" She murmured and frowned.
She gently put her hand on him when found out how hot it was! She quickly put her other hand on his forehead which panicked her.
"Why is his temperature so high?" She looked behind and saw the same servant with the vessel in his hand.
"Brother, his temperature is so high. Did the doctor not recommend any pill?" She queried him.
"No, Miss Yin Na. The pill can worsen the condition of the Young Master," the servant answered and placed the vessel on the round table. "Only wet strips are the solution to reduce body temperature," he added.
He soaked the piece of cloth into the water, wrung it, and handed it to Yin Na, who gently placed it on Huo Jin's forehead.
"Miss Yin Na, I will bring the vegetable soup mixed with herbs for the Young Master. He must take some sips of it every one hour," he informed her and left for the kitchen.
Yin Na saw the brownish marks on some part of Huo Jin's chest. She recalled the other day they were on his back.
"Did your master use to beat you? Was this the anger you were talking about? It must be tough when no one looked after you," she mumbled and securely covered him from the quilt.
~~~~~~~
A chuckle escaped Sheng Li's mouth when he heard Zhe Yan's words. He did not know that such a young man would impress him this way.
"Can you die for me?" Sheng Li asked him.
Jian Guozhi glanced at him and then at Zhe Yan.
"What if I will use you as my pawn and throw you at Lion's den?" Sheng Li queried him. He wanted to examine the loyalty of Zhe Yan towards him and the Han, before asking him about Lord Lian's activities.
Zhe Yan put stress on his mind.
"Your Majesty, instead of 'pawn', you can use me as your 'loyal'. I will be willing to enter the lion den," Zhe Yan affirmed.
Sheng Li had not expected this answer from him, but it indeed delighted him. "You, surely aren't my loyal Zhe Yan, not at the current moment," Sheng Li said and it confused him.
"May I know, why?" Zhe Yan asked.
"Because my loyal person would never have doubted me," Sheng Li was still upset with his earlier behavior. Somewhere, he saw Hu Jingguo in this young man. He used to see the same words to him, sometimes.
"I never doubted His Majesty," Zhe Yan moved his hands in the air to refuse. "Forgive me," he lowered his eyes. "His Majesty can ask the people in the Fish Market how I told the people to not support Lord Lian. I am truly a person of yours," he tried his best to convince Sheng Li.
"Brother Sheng, Zhe Yan is right. I witnessed how he told them they were foolish to believe Lord Lian," Jian Guozhi stated.
Zhe Yan was astonished to hear that the First Prince was around him and even heard him.
"How old are you?" Sheng Li asked Zhe Yan.
"I will be eighteen this week," Zhe Yan promptly replied, "Your Majesty."
Sheng Li was astonished to see the way Zhe Yan talked to him, so comfortably, without a bit of hesitation. Truly, he saw Hu Jingguo's image in him.
"What do you know about him? Tell us everything!" Sheng Li finally became serious.
"Lian Zoumu is the son of a merchant, who died a few months back because of the punishment given by the Governor. He had an illegal amount of money that he accumulated after not paying taxes.
To avenge his father's death, he decided to abolish the taxation system in his region, and this way he rose," Zhe Yan started to explain to them.
He stopped after a few minutes when Jian Guozhi questioned him, "How do you know so much about him? Even the Governor and other officials do not know about it." He then gazed at Sheng Li.
"The First Brother is right. You know him as if he was so close to you," Sheng Li asserted.
"His Majesty and His Highness are wrong. I went to the adjacent city in search of work last month. I had heard from a few that Lian Zoumu is giving a good amount for labor," Zhe Yan clarified.
"But this is unknown to everyone," Jian Guozhi said with skepticism.
"Because I ended up hearing it, Your Highness," Zhe Yan stated.
"How?"
"I, by chance, have entered the place where he goes in the evening and shared this story to one person," Zhe Yan asserted.
"What?" Sheng Li exclaimed. "Who's the person?" He then asked.
"The portrait of his dead father," Zhe Yan answered.
Sheng Li snickered.
"I am not lying, Your Majesty. I heard it with my ears. Lian Zoumu reminds himself of this incident every single day. I did not think at that time that his growth would increase this way," he stated.
"It is impossible to gain the trust of the people this way," stated Jian Guozhi and looked at Sheng Li. "Someone is behind him, Brother Sheng," he concluded.
"There is no one. I saw–" Zhe Yan stopped when Sheng Li interrupted him in the middle.
"Zhe Yan, you are too young to understand the enemies. The First Prince is right. Lian Zoumu might want revenge for his father's death but without someone's support, he can never reach this level," Sheng Li pronounced with a serious tone.
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