Chapter 27: Bewilderment (3)

"He's still breathing!" The royal guard let out a sigh of relief, but his heart was soon aflame with anxiety again.

"Hurry, return to the palace at once! Notify the royal physicians—summon the healers of water and light magic as well! Call for the royal alchemists; anyone who can heal, don't let a single profession slip by. If anything happens to him, we'll all be in serious trouble!"

"And inform the Ye family, and the Seventh Princess..."

...

Clatter—

The teacup fell to the floor, scattering in shards.

"What did you say? Xiaolang was struck by lightning and now his life hangs in the balance?" Long Anqi could hardly believe it, her voice trembling with urgency.

"Yes. Young Master Ye Lang returned alone through the storm and was struck down by lightning on the way. He is now receiving treatment in the palace," the royal guard replied.

At this moment, Long Anqi ignored everything else—she did not care why Ye Lang returned alone, nor did she pause to consider the raging wind and rain outside. She mounted her horse alongside Ye Chengtian and galloped toward the palace.

They were the first of the Ye family to arrive. Soon after, as the news spread, Ye Lanyu, Ye Yi and his wife, and even Hu Niu—despite her illness—hurried through the thunderstorm to reach the palace.

"Chengtian, Anqi, you're here. Don't worry, the physicians are inside treating Ye Lang. According to them, his life is not in danger," said the emperor upon seeing the couple brought to the place where the Thirteenth Young Master was being treated. Beside him stood the Seventh Princess, her cheeks stained with tears.

"What is his current condition? May we go in and see him?" Long Anqi asked, unable to rest easy until she saw her son herself.

"Not yet. Too many people inside would hinder their work. Rest assured—with the royal physicians and the healing priests, even if your son were to die, they could still bring him back," the emperor replied with a gentle smile, clearly trying to lighten the somber mood.

"What on earth happened? Why did he return alone?" Once calm, Long Anqi began to press for answers.

"It was my fault. I shouldn't have left him alone in the room. It's all my mistake," the Seventh Princess said with remorse.

"How could you leave him by himself? You know him well enough—if you can't care for him, you shouldn't have brought him out," Long Anqi rebuked sharply, paying no heed to the princess's tear-streaked face and regretful expression.

"It was my oversight. I forgot that Taiya wasn't with him; I thought she was keeping him company," the Seventh Princess murmured, her eyes glistening anew with tears.

"Taiya... she's not a god; she gets ill as well. Normally, when this happens, Xiaolang wouldn't act out—he’d stay home and clumsily look after her..." As she spoke of Hu Niu, Long Anqi grew absent-minded. Thinking of her son's awkward attempts at care, she almost wanted to laugh, but at such a moment, how could she?

"You needn't be like this. I've said Ye Lang will be fine; before long, the treatment will be complete and you'll have him back—whole and unharmed," the emperor interjected, seeing the atmosphere turn heavy.

"That's right. You two women, what's the matter? My son is destined for good fortune—he'll be fine. Stop fretting, it's bad luck," Ye Chengtian said, gripping Long Anqi's hand. At times like these, a man must give confidence to the women.

"And Anqi, you can't blame others for everything."

"Exactly. It's not the princess's fault. We agreed beforehand that Young Master Ye Lang would stay, and he nodded. Who could have guessed he’d leave?" added a maid, unwilling to see her mistress wronged.

"Let’s not discuss this now. When Ye Lang wakes, we'll know," the Seventh Princess said, aware that no amount of speculation could solve the mystery, for the Thirteenth Young Master was ever an enigma.

Soon after, the royal physicians and healers filed out, announcing good news to those anxiously waiting outside, easing much of the burden on their hearts.

"Young Master Ye Lang's condition is stable. His body has suffered no serious harm, though he may remain unconscious for a while. There's no need to wake him—let him rest."

"May we go in to see him?"

"You may! But be quiet, don't disturb him."

"Understood."

When they entered, they saw the Thirteenth Young Master, his brows faintly furrowed—one could not tell if it was from pain or something else. This strange ache tugged at Long Anqi and the others' hearts.

But thankfully, his life force was intact, allowing them to set their worries aside for the moment. As long as he was safe, everything else could be dealt with in time.

Not long after, Hu Niu, Ye Lanyu, and the others arrived. Seeing the Thirteenth Young Master lying unconscious in bed, Hu Niu's face was a mix of sorrow and anger, a complex expression.

"What did you promise me? You said you'd take good care of the Young Master—how did he end up like this?" Hu Niu stared coldly at the Seventh Princess. If not for fear of disturbing him, she would have been shouting.

Yet her low, icy questioning carried its own weight; her anger was palpable—she was truly furious for his sake.

"I don't know why it happened. Everything was fine, and then he left on his own," the Seventh Princess shook her head.

"I don't care why he left. That's who he is—but you should have looked after him for me. If you can't, don't make promises! If anything happens to him, I won't forgive you!" Hu Niu's voice was still frigid.

Was this too much? In front of so many, a servant speaking so to a princess seemed strange—especially with the emperor present; she clearly held little regard for imperial authority.

Her words made the emperor frown, surprised some, angered others, but only the Seventh Princess herself felt ashamed—ashamed for the Thirteenth Young Master and Hu Niu.

"How dare you! Who do you think you are, to speak to the princess this way?" the princess's maid scolded, seeing Hu Niu only as a servant girl. No matter how much the Young Master cared for her, it did not change her status. A servant daring to challenge a princess—her loyalty left no room for mercy.

However...

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[bookid=116406, bookname="Wind Upon a Strange World"]