Not long after, the guard dispatched by Lan Xi returned to report in a low voice, "That man is staying at the Mingyuan Inn, and he is entirely alone."
Lan Xi lowered her eyes and instructed, "Keep a close watch on him, but do not alert him."
The guard nodded, turned around, and went back to continue tailing him.
An hour later, Song Shixue brought over some food. Just as she opened the food box, Yang Zhong rushed out of the sickroom.
His eyes were filled with excitement and his voice was pitched high. "County Princess, my young master has awakened! Please come quickly and take a look."
Song Jinzhao immediately set down her chopsticks and went inside to examine him.
In the quiet sickroom, the breathing of Yang Zhong and the other two guards sounded exceptionally heavy.
Their eyes were fixed intently on Yang Cenan, terrified that something else might happen to him.
"Who... are you? Why... am I here?"
Yang Cenan looked at Song Jinzhao with a bewildered expression. As he spoke, the opening and closing of his mouth seemed somewhat sluggish.
Yang Zhong shuffled forward on his knees, leaning his head close with a relieved smile on his face.
"This is County Princess Linghui."
"Young Master, we are currently in Suining City. This is a medical clinic."
To his surprise, upon hearing this, Yang Cenan's eyes grew even more confused.
"County Princess... Linghui? Aren't we... on our way to the Wumeng Tribe?"
"How did I get injured? My head hurts, too."
Watching his lips twitch uncontrollably, Song Jinzhao's heart skipped a beat.
Song Shixue bit her lower lip and gently nudged Song Jinzhao's hand.
Sister, something seems wrong.
Song Jinzhao gave a slight nod of her chin.
Suspected memory loss, likely an aftereffect of brain damage.
His facial muscle responses were also off; they looked a bit stiff.
Unaware of the problem yet, Yang Zhong blurted out, "Young Master, don't you remember? We were assassinated by killers at the Caishi Beach. It has already been several days since then."
Yang Cenan slowly narrowed his eyes, saliva continuously dribbling from the corner of his mouth and smearing across his face.
"Assassination? Why don't I remember?"
"Where are my wife and Wei'er?"
Wei'er was Yang Cenan's son, who was only five years old.
The expression on Yang Zhong's face suddenly froze. He stiffly turned his neck to look at Song Jinzhao.
"County Princess, what is wrong with my young master?"
No matter how excited he was, he knew that Yang Cenan's current condition was not right.
His wife and the young master were already dead. How could his master forget such an important thing!
Song Jinzhao extended her index finger. "Look at my hand. Don't move your head, only move your eyes."
The physical pain made Yang Cenan subconsciously obey Song Jinzhao's words.
Her finger slowly moved from side to side, but his gaze always lagged a few seconds behind.
Song Jinzhao: "Raise your hand."
"Wiggle your toes."
"What is your most recent memory?"
After a series of checks, Song Jinzhao spoke frankly: "Temporary memory loss, facial muscle stiffness, and delayed reactions. These are all aftereffects caused by brain damage. It is basically impossible to cure him completely."
It took a long time for Yang Cenan to process this. Before he could even open his mouth, Yang Zhong grew frantic.
His eyes went wide, and his lips trembled as he pressed, "What do you mean? Will my young master always be like this?"
Delayed reactions—this was a massive problem!
Song Jinzhao replied in a somber tone, "Temporary memory loss can slowly be recovered, but nerve damage is often irreversible."
"Through follow-up treatment, he can achieve a certain degree of recovery and improvement, but the chances of a complete cure are slim. I cannot say for sure exactly how much he will recover."
Yang Zhong slumped weakly to the ground on his knees, his mind going completely blank.
After Song Qiming arrived, Song Jinzhao informed him of Yang Cenan's condition. Lan Wenzhang, who was following behind, clutched his chest and relaxed.
"As long as he is alive, that is all that matters. Whatever happens afterward has nothing to do with us anyway."
The gazes of the others fell upon Lan Wenzhang's face, all of them rendered speechless.
Could he not keep such offensive words to himself?
Saying it so openly, he was not even afraid that the people in the sickroom would hear him.
Song Qiming's face darkened as he reprimanded him, "Disaster stems from the mouth. Speak with caution."
The smile on Lan Wenzhang's face froze instantly. As it receded like the tide, he lowered his head in fear, his voice laced with apprehension.
"This humble official misspoke."
Song Qiming turned his head back and stopped looking at him.
Lan Wenzhang temporarily acting as the magistrate of Qingxia County was absolutely not a long-term solution. He had to urge for a replacement.
He would write a memorial to the throne as soon as he went back tonight.
