Seeing that it was almost time for the shift change, the gatekeeper sitting behind the side door had already stood up, waiting for his replacement to arrive.
Bowl-sized iron hooves forcefully gripped the ground, splashing the snow and water on the ground four or five meters away.
With bloodshot eyes, Chu Liuyun tightly pulled the reins, the urgent horse's neigh sounding as if it had been strangled.
He stumbled off the horse, his figure more wretched than ever before.
"Thump, thump, thump."
"Thump, thump, thump."
The loud knocking on the door startled the gatekeeper like a clap of thunder.
He opened a crack in the door and looked to the left, only to see a man knocking on the door at the main entrance, his strength so great that it seemed he wanted to kick over the gate of the County Princess's manor.
"Who is it?" The gatekeeper rushed out, his face a little ugly.
No manners at all, is this how you knock on a door?
Hearing the voice, Chu Liuyun suddenly rushed towards the side door, loudly questioning as he rushed in, "Is County Princess Linghui in the manor?"
Seeing clearly that the visitor was the Duke of Qing, the gatekeeper put away the displeasure on his face and reached out to stop him while retreating, "Answering the Duke of Qing, my County Princess is at home, please allow this servant to go and report."
No matter how high your official rank is, you can't force your way in. At any rate, my master is also a County Princess.
Chu Liuyun's strength was so great that the gatekeeper couldn't stop him at all, almost being dragged along.
After entering the door, the County Princess's manor was too big, and Chu Liuyun didn't know where to find Song Jinzhao.
He grabbed the gatekeeper's collar and roared, "I have an urgent matter to find your County Princess, tell her to come out quickly."
Spit sprayed on the gatekeeper's face, and Chu Liuyun, glaring angrily like he wanted to eat someone, scared him silly, and he started to stutter when he spoke.
"The County—the County Princess is in the backyard, please allow this lowly one to go and report."
The servants who saw the two pulling and tugging were shocked and turned to run towards the backyard. Why would the Duke of Qing suddenly attack the door out of nowhere?
"County Princess~" The servant hurried into the courtyard.
Before seeing the person, the voice was heard first. Song Jinzhao had just looked up when the servant rushed into the room, his whole body exuding panic.
"County Princess, the Duke of Qing has forced his way into the manor, and his face looks very ugly."
Chu Liuyun? Song Jinzhao frowned and stood up, "Where is he?"
Servant: "He grabbed the gatekeeper and is heading towards the backyard."
As soon as Song Jinzhao left the courtyard, she saw Chu Liuyun dragging the servant running over from the stone path.
Lanxi, who was following beside her, looked at Chu Liuyun dissatisfiedly. Even if his official rank was high, he couldn't force his way into the backyard of the County Princess's manor.
The moment he saw Song Jinzhao, Chu Liuyun decisively threw the gatekeeper away and rushed to her.
Just as Song Jinzhao was about to ask, she saw Chu Liuyun kneel on the ground without hesitation.
His knees hit the ground with a thump, startling everyone.
"My father is severely injured and his life is hanging by a thread. I beg Miss Song to save my father's life."
A man's knees have gold underneath; he kneels to heaven, earth, and his parents.
Looking at Chu Liuyun's bloodshot eyes, tear-stained face, and the bulging veins on his neck, Song Jinzhao realized that Duke Zhenguo was probably going to die.
She asked in a deep voice, "Where is he injured? Have any other doctors seen him?"
Chu Liuyun spoke rapidly and urgently, wishing he could grab Song Jinzhao away immediately.
"His forehead hit a rock, branches pierced above his collarbone and into his abdomen, and he was buried under the snow for two hours. The imperial physicians from the Imperial Hospital all came, saying that pulling them out would cause massive bleeding and he couldn't be saved."
A trace of disbelief flashed in Song Jinzhao's eyes, and she immediately turned and ran towards the courtyard.
"I'm going to get something. Lanxi, prepare the carriage."
The medicine room was suddenly pushed open by Song Jinzhao, startling Song Shixue who was dispensing medicine inside.
Song Jinzhao ran to the corner, opened the box, and quickly checked the items inside.
"What's wrong, Sister?" The uninformed Song Shixue was a bit confused.
Song Jinzhao picked up the box and said to her, "Duke Zhenguo is severely injured. Come with me to the Duke Zhenguo's manor immediately."
Song Shixue raised her eyebrows, quickly put down the medicine in her hand, put on her medicine box, and followed Song Jinzhao.
The door next to them was pushed open, and Song Anhao came out rubbing his eyes, "Eldest Sister, Second Sister."
Song Jinzhao turned her head and stopped, "Eldest Sister and Second Sister have to go out to handle some matters. Stay at home and be good."
"Lanxi, watch over the Second Young Master."
Seeing Song Jinzhao holding a large box, Chu Liuyun reached out to take it, but Song Jinzhao dodged him.
"I'll do it myself, you go drive the carriage." The things inside couldn't be dropped, and she wasn't relieved letting Chu Liuyun hold them.
After the two sisters got on the carriage, the driver who was about to get on was pulled down by Chu Liuyun, "I'll do it."
He abandoned his own horse and drove the carriage of the County Princess's manor madly towards the Duke Zhenguo's manor.
The carriage bumped up and down. Song Jinzhao and Song Shixue propped their right hands against the wall of the carriage without saying a word.
Fortunately, the distance from Duke Zhenguo's manor to the County Princess's manor wasn't too far, and with Chu Liuyun driving like his life depended on it, Duke Zhenguo wasn't dead yet by the time they arrived.
The room full of imperial physicians looked at the seventeen-year-old Song Jinzhao, accompanied by the even younger Song Shixue, with even more suspicion in their eyes.
Even Director Gu said he couldn't be saved, and she could bring Duke Zhenguo back to life? She didn't look like it at all.
The Duke of Qing must have gone mad from desperation.
Seeing Chu Liuyun bring Song Jinzhao over, Gu Jupu decisively stepped aside.
Song Jinzhao scanned Duke Zhenguo from head to toe, squatted down, and carefully examined the two branches stuck in him.
"How long has it been since the injury?"
Chu Liuyun's voice was tense: "It's been almost six hours."
Song Jinzhao looked up at Duke Zhenguo, whose eyelashes were trembling slightly and whose forehead was constantly sweating.
It was a miracle that he wasn't dead after so long.
The people of Duke Zhenguo's manor looked at the young Song Jinzhao and couldn't help but suspect that the Duke of Qing had found the wrong person.
Before Gu Jupu could speak, another imperial physician standing in the crowd couldn't wait to ask, "What method does County Princess Linghui have to save Duke Zhenguo?"
Song Jinzhao didn't even turn her head as she continued to examine him, saying indifferently, "The person isn't dead yet, so where does the talk of saving him come from?"
The imperial physician who was cut off was about to continue when Gu Jupu glared at him fiercely, "Shut up, no one will think you're mute if you don't speak."
Song Jinzhao glanced at Gu Jupu, whose hair and beard were white, out of the corner of her eye. The other imperial physicians didn't dare to make a sound upon seeing this, and even the other people standing in the room didn't dare to speak, making the room exceptionally quiet.
"Scissors."
Song Shixue quickly handed over the scissors.
Song Jinzhao carefully cut open the clothes around the wound.
Although the branches blocked the wound, so much time had passed, and a lot of blood had flowed out intermittently. If they weren't pulled out soon, he wouldn't be saved.
Without ultrasound or X-rays, it was impossible to accurately judge the injury. This surgery was extremely risky, and he might not survive the operating table.
Song Jinzhao stood up calmly and looked at Chu Liuyun, "I'm going to cut him open and take out the branches now. The success rate is very low. Do you want to do it?"
Chu Liuyun clenched his fists, his eyes trembling involuntarily, "Is there hope?"
Song Jinzhao: "There is hope, but you must be prepared for the patient to die at any time."
