Even women who travel through time can become prime ministers and nobles.

Chapter 506 The Crisis in Chuzhou is Resolved

In the next room, Lin Yiyu's condition wasn't much better.

His leg injury was severely infected, and the doctor was scraping away the rotten flesh with a knife. Although he was unconscious, he was still trembling with pain, and the cold sweat on his forehead soaked the pillow.

Cui Zhihao lay on the other side, his body covered with whip marks and burns, old wounds and new ones, not a single piece of good flesh. The doctor said that when Lei Zhao tortured him before, his internal organs were damaged. Even if he woke up, he would need long-term recuperation, otherwise he might cough up blood and relapse at any time.

After seeing the condition of the three people, Shen Yanzhou's worries deepened.

He turned to Lin Yongnan and said, "General Lin, I'll leave Chuzhou City to you and Miss Shuyun. Shuyun was trained by Wanxia; she's meticulous and knows how to appease the people. With her help, I'm at ease."

"Your Highness, are you taking them back to the capital?" Lin Yongnan asked.

"Ah."

Shen Yanzhou nodded, his eyes resolute. "The doctors in Chuzhou have limited skills. Going back to the capital to see the imperial physician will give us a better chance of success."

"Have three carriages prepared immediately, the most stable ones, and find a few soldiers with medical knowledge to accompany them, so they can take care of you on the way."

Lin Yongnan agreed, knowing in his heart that only the imperial physicians in the capital could save the lives of these three people.

He turned to make arrangements, and just as he reached the door, he saw Miss Shuyun rushing over—she was wearing a plain dress and looked tired, clearly having not rested all night. Upon seeing Lin Yongnan, she quickly asked, "General Lin, how are Sister Shi and the others?"

"They are still unconscious. His Highness the Crown Prince wants to take them back to the capital for treatment. I'll have to trouble you to take care of things in Chuzhou from now on," Lin Yongnan said.

Shuyun nodded, her eyes full of worry: "I know, I will take good care of the people of Chuzhou. When my sister comes back, I will definitely let her see a good Chuzhou."

She walked to the door of Shi Wanxia's room and saw Shen Yanzhou holding Shi Wanxia's hand, and she felt bad too.

She remembered how Shi Wanxia taught her how to handle government affairs, and how she smiled and said, "Shuyun, you must be able to stand on your own from now on." Tears welled up in her eyes—the Shi sister who always protected her was now lying here, and even waking up had become a luxury.

As evening approached, the carriage was ready. The soldiers carefully lifted Shi Wanxia, ​​Lin Yiyu, and Cui Zhihao onto the carriage, laying thick cotton pads on them, afraid that the bumpy ride would hurt them.

Shen Yanzhou personally stood guard beside Shi Wanxia's carriage, lifted the curtain, looked at her pale face, and instructed the doctor: "If there is any situation on the road, tell me immediately. Don't miss even the slightest movement."

"Your Highness, rest assured, I will take good care of Miss Shi," the physician bowed and replied.

The carriage slowly started moving, and Shen Yanzhou rode alongside on horseback, his gaze fixed on the carriage.

The streets of Chuzhou City receded into the distance as the people stood by the roadside, watching the carriage pass by. Some whispered among themselves, "Was that Miss Shi who saved us? I heard she was badly injured..."

"I hope Miss Shi is safe and sound. Our Chu Prefecture is what it is today, all thanks to her and His Highness the Crown Prince..."

When the voices of the people reached Shen Yanzhou's ears, he felt even worse.

He knew how much Shi Wanxia had sacrificed for Chuzhou—she could have lived a peaceful life in the capital, but she insisted on coming to this war-torn land to protect the people with all her might, and in the end, she was covered in wounds and fell into a coma.

The carriage hadn't gone far when Shi Wanxia suddenly groaned softly in her unconscious state, as if she were in great pain.

Shen Yanzhou quickly reined in his horse, lifted the curtain, and saw that her brows were furrowed even more, and her lips moved as if she were saying something.

He leaned closer to listen and heard her faint voice: "Yaya...don't be afraid...reinforcements...are here..."

Shen Yanzhou's heart clenched instantly, and his eyes reddened in a flash.

He held her hand, his voice choked with emotion: "Wanxia, ​​Yaya is safe, reinforcements have arrived, Chuzhou is alright, don't worry, get some sleep, and when you wake up, we'll go back to the capital and never be apart again..."

The carriage continued onward, and night gradually fell, with only the sounds of hooves and wheels echoing on the silent road.

Shen Yanzhou rode his horse and stood guard beside the carriage, with only one thought in his mind—he must bring Shi Wanxia back to the capital and make sure she woke up safely. Even if it cost him everything, he would never let her suffer any more harm.

Meanwhile, in Chuzhou City, Lin Yongnan and Shuyun were arranging for the people to rebuild their homes. The flags on the city walls had been replaced with new ones, and the bloodstains on the streets had been cleaned up. However, the lives lost and the pain left in people's hearts could not be healed in a short time.

This victory was ultimately achieved at the cost of too many people's sacrifices, and the efforts of Shi Wanxia and her team will forever be etched in the hearts of the people of Chuzhou.

"Giddy up! Giddy up—!"

Horseshoes slammed heavily onto the official road, sending up pebbles and dust that traced a cold arc in the twilight.

Shen Yanzhou's hands, gripping the reins, were bulging with veins, his knuckles so white they almost embedded in the horse's mane. His horse, "Ta Xue," was soaked in sweat, each breath heavy and labored, yet he refused to loosen his grip, whipping the reins again and again, leaving his entourage half a mile behind.

"Your Highness! If we keep going like this, the horse won't be able to keep up!"

Lin Zhong, the head of the accompanying guards, roared from behind, his voice shattered by the raging wind.

Shen Yanzhou didn't turn around, a hoarse voice rolling out: "Even if you can't hold on, you have to—Shi Wanxia... she can't hold on anymore!"

The moment he finished speaking, he caught a glimpse of the carriage curtain being lifted by the wind out of the corner of his eye.

Inside the specially made, soft carriage, Shi Wanxia leaned against the cushions, her face as white as a sheet of rice paper soaked in snow. Her eyes, which were usually so bright they could reflect starlight, were tightly closed, her lips were chapped and peeling, and there was a trace of blood at the corner of her mouth.

In just half a day, her breathing became so weak it was like a thread.

Shen Yanzhou felt as if his heart was being gripped by an icy hand, the pain almost suffocating him.

This girl, despite her frail physique, possessed a rare combination of courage and resourcefulness that made all the officials in the court feel inferior.

Yet this extraordinary woman is now lying in the carriage, unable even to open her eyes to look at him.

"How is Young Master Cui doing?"

Shen Yanzhou suddenly spoke, his voice trembling uncontrollably.

Lin Zhong caught up, his face full of distress: "Lord Cui... the situation is even worse. His injuries hadn't healed yet, and he was given a bone-softening drug by Rongyang King's men, who also subjected him to torture."

“When I went to check on him just now, he fainted three times. Each time he woke up, he was in so much pain that his whole body was convulsing, but he didn’t even utter a sound.”

Shen Yanzhou slammed his fist on the saddle with a thud, his eyes swirling with anger and heartache.

Although Cui Zhihao was born into the Cui clan of Qinghe, he had long ago voluntarily left the clan for the sake of Miss Shi.

But his inherent loyalty and integrity were stronger than that of any other scion of a noble family.

In order to deliver the evidence of Rongyang King's collusion with the enemy and his intention to rebel, he exposed his whereabouts and was captured by Rongyang King's men.

Shen Yanzhou had seen those instruments of torture—red-hot branding irons, barbed whips, nail plates that could pierce finger bones…

Cui Zhihao endured it for three days and three nights, even when he was tortured to the point of having his skin torn and his bones broken, he did not utter a single word.

Even when Lin Yiyu and Shi Wanxia sneaked in to rescue him, he was still clutching the blood-soaked incriminating evidence tightly in his arms, his fingernails digging into the paper from gripping it so tightly.