Song Jinzhao took a deep breath and turned her head to look at Song Shixue.
"Shixue, you do it. Use the smallest round needle to suture, and insert the needle right here."
Song Shixue swallowed nervously. Although she had practiced tens of thousands of times and had actually sutured over a hundred patients at the clinic, this was her first time suturing a blood vessel deep within an abdominal wound.
Seeing that she was a bit nervous, Song Jinzhao spoke up to comfort her, "Just do as I say. You only need two stitches to temporarily stop the bleeding. You can do this."
Song Shixue took a deep breath and nodded vigorously to encourage herself.
"Alright, I'll do the suturing."
Standing to the side, Imperial Physician Xu saw that the sweat on Song Jinzhao's face had already flowed down to her chin, and he thought of Song Shixue's actions just now.
He slowly picked up a piece of gauze and reached out to wipe the sweat from Song Jinzhao's face. Song Jinzhao glanced at him but did not refuse.
Gu Jupu stared at his subordinate's actions in astonishment. He learned so quickly, which made him feel like he was just standing there idle and redundant.
Song Shixue's movements were much slower. She inserted the needle with extreme caution, terrified of piercing the wrong spot.
"Angle it upwards a bit more, and tighten the thread just a little bit."
Song Jinzhao's brows were tightly furrowed, her eyes slightly narrowed, her focus locked on the needle tip, not daring to shift even a fraction.
Song Shixue emptied her mind, focusing all her attention on her hands. The only thing she could hear was Song Jinzhao's commanding voice.
As the needle and thread wove through the blood vessel, after a few stitches, Song Shixue looked up uncertainly at Song Jinzhao. "Sister, I'm done."
"Stay still." Song Jinzhao slowly moved her fingers away. The massive spurting of blood did not resume.
She quickly withdrew her hands from the abdomen, picked up the prepared needle holder from the tray, clamped the smallest round needle, and reinforced the area where Song Shixue had just sutured.
From inserting the needle to finishing the stitch, it only took ten seconds. In the few blinks of an eye from Gu Jupu, Song Jinzhao was already done.
"Knot, cut the thread, let go."
Receiving the order, Song Shixue immediately continued the finishing movements in her hands. It wasn't until she placed the needle holder back on the tray that she realized her entire back was soaked in sweat.
The chill seeped through her skin into her flesh, even making her bones feel cold.
Outside the Duke Zhenguo's mansion, a rather plain carriage stopped at the entrance. Xiao Rongyan, dressed in a white satin robe, stepped down from the carriage with complex feelings.
Deep down, he really didn't want to come, but he had no choice.
Duke Zhenguo had died saving him. If he didn't show up, the Chu family would surely harbor resentment. If Duke of Qing defected to Prince Qi because of this, it would be extremely disadvantageous to him.
Looking at the giant plaque hanging in the center of the Duke Zhenguo's mansion gates, Xiao Rongyan took a deep breath and stepped up the stairs.
The worry-filled gatekeeper looked up and saw Xiao Rongyan arriving, hastily kneeling to pay his respects. "Greetings to His Highness Prince Ying."
Xiao Rongyan deliberately lowered his eyes, wearing a slightly sorrowful expression, his voice carrying a perfectly measured trace of hoarseness.
"Has Duke Zhenguo passed away? I am here to offer my condolences."
The gatekeeper, who had retired from the military camp due to old age, looked up at Xiao Rongyan in shock. He gritted his back teeth, his cheeks trembling with anger.
The Duke wasn't dead yet, what condolences was he offering?
The returning soldiers had said that if Prince Ying hadn't insisted on going hunting, the Duke wouldn't have met with an accident at all. It was all his fault.
Now, coming to mourn before the person was even dead, was he hoping the Duke would die sooner?
Mindful of the other party's status, the gatekeeper clenched his hands hidden in his sleeves, his nails digging into his palms as he forcefully suppressed the anger in his chest.
He lowered his head and said through gritted teeth, "To answer His Highness Prince Ying, my master is not dead yet."
The moisture in Xiao Rongyan's eyes instantly dried up. He stared in astonishment at the top of the gatekeeper's head. "Didn't they say he wouldn't last an hour and that funeral arrangements were already being prepared?"
The gatekeeper closed his eyes and suppressed his anger once more. "The Young Duke went to the county princess's manor to invite County Princess Linghui over to save him. He is currently being treated."
Xiao Rongyan was stunned for quite a while, his tone rising in disbelief. "Song Jinzhao?"
The gatekeeper nodded.
Xiao Rongyan blinked, quickly bypassed the gatekeeper, and walked inside. When he was led into the courtyard where Duke Zhenguo was located, he found it packed with people.
Looking up at the room, the doors were tightly shut, and nothing could be seen.
Whether it was the Chu family or the imperial physicians, everyone's attention was entirely on the room at this moment. The first to notice Xiao Rongyan's entrance was actually a maid standing in the courtyard. Only after hearing the noise did the others turn around and see him.
Chu Liuyun's pitch-black pupils swept over the spotless white satin robe on his body, the coldness in his eyes deepening.
My father is lying in bed with his life hanging in the balance, yet you know how to enjoy yourself, even taking the time to change into a fresh set of clothes before coming over.
Standing in the snow for just a short while, you felt cold and got frozen, didn't you!
Xiao Rongyan drooped his brows and eyes, walking up to Chu Liuyun with a worried expression and asked, "I heard that County Princess Linghui is currently treating Duke Zhenguo. How is the situation?"
"Still in surgery." Chu Liuyun turned indifferently to look at the room's door, dropping these words and ignoring him thereafter.
Seeing his cold attitude, Xiao Rongyan felt slighted, furrowing his brows in dissatisfaction.
Even if Duke Zhenguo was injured because he saved him, the thunder and the rain are all the grace of the sovereign. Trading a subject's life for a prince's life should make the Chu family feel honored. Harboring resentment—did they intend to disrespect the royal family?
"Imperial Physician Long, you tell me."
The imperial physician standing in the crowd closed his eyes in agony and stepped forward. Why did he have to be the one called out? What terrible luck.
"County Princess Linghui is going to cut open his abdomen to remove the tree branch lodged in Duke Zhenguo's body. Director Gu and Imperial Physician Xu are standing guard inside. No one else is allowed to enter, so this humble official does not know the current situation either."
Xiao Rongyan said displeased, "Can Song Jinzhao's medical skills really surpass those of the imperial physicians from the Imperial Hospital? I think she has too high an opinion of herself and is treating Duke Zhenguo's life as a joke."
"..."
Everyone kept their mouths shut tight, not knowing how to respond. Even the imperial physicians who initially questioned Song Jinzhao's medical skills did not speak up to agree.
It was a fact that the imperial physicians couldn't cure Ye Liangyu's leg, but County Princess Linghui had cured it.
It was also a fact that the entire Imperial Hospital had issued a death notice for Duke Zhenguo, yet County Princess Linghui said there was hope to save him.
Regardless of what the final outcome would be, at least after so long, Duke Zhenguo was still alive. Being treated meant there was still hope, which was definitely better than not treating him and letting him die.
They were saving a life inside. Saying Song Jinzhao's medical skills were lacking now was already too late. They could only leave it to fate and pin all their hopes on her.
With no one answering, Xiao Rongyan grew even angrier. Did they even respect him as a prince at all? Even the imperial physicians were ignoring him.
Inside the room, Song Jinzhao sutured the finger-deep wound layer by layer. Gu Jupu asked uncertainly, "County Princess, if the wounds inside the flesh are sewn up with thread, will we have to use a knife to cut open the outer flesh to remove the inner threads after the wound heals?"
Song Jinzhao's hand movements did not stop as she calmly replied, "No need. I am using catgut sutures made from sheep intestines. They can be absorbed naturally and do not need to be removed."
Gu Jupu let out a soft sound of sudden realization, though he blinked, still a bit confused.
Faced with this novel surgery today, there were many things he hadn't figured out. With a thousand questions in his mind, he didn't even know which one to ponder first.
Even when the outermost flesh was completely sutured, Song Jinzhao's expression did not show the slightest sign of relaxation.
This was only passing the first hurdle.
Next was whether the patient could wake up or not.
Would the wound become infected?
Would being unconscious from blood loss for so long leave any lasting complications?
These were all still unknowns, and it was too early to let my guard down.
