Di Daughter's Strategy - Chapter 30

Chapter 30

Fang Jinling brought Luo Yi’er back to the mansion in the dead of night. The mansion had already received the news, and it was now brightly lit. Fu Shan, accompanied by a group of people, was waiting at the gate. The horse stopped in front of the mansion gate, and everyone felt a cold wind pass by, leaving only one sentence.
“Summon the imperial physician!”

As soon as the dark guard received the order from Mingjing Temple, he rushed back to notify the head butler, Fu Shan.
Fu Shan had someone go to the palace to summon the imperial physician. Fang Jinling carried Luo Yi’er in his arms and entered the Mo Dan courtyard, ignoring the bowing servants along the way.

He had just placed Luo Yi’er on the bed when the imperial physician arrived at the mansion. He was pulled in by Wei Feng and others into the Mo Dan courtyard.

The imperial physician had thought that the mansion had summoned him in such a hurry because something had happened to Prince Jing. However, when he entered the room, he saw Prince Jing standing by the bedside. Although his clothes were dirty and he exuded a strong cold aura, there was no sign of injury.

Just as he was about to bow, he saw Prince Jing turn around, revealing the person lying on the bed. Before he could see clearly, he heard the prince’s icy words, “What are you still standing there for?”

Wei Feng behind him nudged him, and he instantly snapped back to reality. He knew that he had come to the mansion because of the woman on the bed. Although he had only caught a glimpse, he recognized the unconscious woman as the legitimate daughter of the Marquis Mansion. As for how she got injured…
The imperial physician didn’t dare to think further.

He lowered his head to take her pulse. After a moment, Wei Feng reminded him, “Miss Luo has a wound on her back.”

The imperial physician nodded. After a brief moment, as soon as he released her wrist, he heard Prince Jing’s chilly voice. “What is the diagnosis?”

“Miss Luo was only fainted from smoke inhalation. She will be fine once she wakes up. However… the wound on her back will require a period of rest for proper recovery.”

After he finished speaking, he dared to glance up and saw that Prince Jing’s eyes were dark and menacing. Just one look made him feel a chill run down his spine.

Fang Jinling listened to the imperial physician’s words and finally felt his tense emotions relax. He closed his eyes and then opened them again. The expression in his eyes softened slightly but still remained dark. He looked at Luo Yi’er and said to someone else, “Go with the imperial physician to get the medicine.”

Behind a screen, the servants sensed the cold aura emanating from the prince and stood silently in the outer room, heads bowed. They witnessed the prince’s concern for Miss Luo and understood the status of their future princess.

The dark bed curtains were drawn, and Luo Yi’er lay on the bed, her eyes tightly closed. Her delicate eyebrows were slightly furrowed, indicating that she was still uncomfortable even in her unconscious state. A smudge of dirt on her pale cheek made her look fragile and weak, as if she might break at any touch.

Fang Jinling looked down at her, and his eyes seemed to be filled with turbulent emotions. He raised his hand and gently wiped away the smudge on her cheek. His fingers lingered on her face, and he thought about how she had struggled to shield him from the beam in the fire.

The suppressed emotions in his heart made his voice low and husky, as if it was etched into his bones: “…Luo Yi’er…”

The mansion was busy all night, and it wasn’t until the sky began to brighten that things gradually quieted down.

The news of the Marquis Mansion’s legitimate daughter being injured had already reached the mansion. Linglong was sent back by the prince’s guards on horseback. The large Marquis Mansion was awakened in the middle of the night, and Linglong knelt in Fang Yun Hall, explaining the situation clearly to Madam Chu. Afterward, she returned to Yunxia Courtyard to fetch clothes for Luo Yi’er and quickly headed to the prince’s mansion.

The Marquis Mansion’s patriarch, Luo Yu’an, and the eldest son, Luo Qiheng, also got up in the middle of the night. Before dawn broke, they went to Prince Jing’s mansion to thank him for saving Luo Yi’er’s life and to bring her back to the mansion. After all, Luo Yi’er was still an unmarried girl and shouldn’t stay in the prince’s mansion for long.

At Prince Jing’s mansion, outside the Mo Dan courtyard, Fang Jinling looked at Pansi with a cold and detached gaze, his voice as chilly as the ice in winter. “Why did her room catch fire?”

Pansi’s forehead was covered in cold sweat as she tried to recall the situation. She replied in a trembling voice, “After we servants helped Miss retire for the night, we returned to our quarters. About half an incense stick’s time later, I seemed to hear footsteps on the roof. I was worried about Miss, so I was about to go check on her when I saw her room on fire.”

Footsteps on the roof?
Fang Jinling’s expression darkened, and he seemed to have some suspicions. He asked in a low voice: “Besides that, did you notice anything else?”

Pansi now knew that the fire was not an accident. She gradually regained her composure and calmness, thinking for a moment before speaking uncertainly: “At that time, I seemed to hear words like ‘master’ and ‘prince’…”

As she spoke, she lowered her head further, guessing inwardly that her miss had suffered unjustly and that the fire was likely aimed at… Pansi bit her lip and swallowed the rest of her words, keeping her head low and silent.

The room fell into a deathly silence. Fang Jinling lowered his eyes, and after a long moment, spoke in a voice devoid of emotion.
“You go take care of her.”

Pansi bowed and entered the room.
Upon seeing her miss’s pale face, she felt a pang in her heart. Her miss had always been pampered and had never suffered such injuries before.

After Pansi left, the courtyard of Mo Dan fell into a deathly silence. Wei Feng, standing behind Fang Jinling, lowered his head and pressed his lips tightly together, feeling a chill rising in his heart. The back of his shirt was soaked with cold sweat as he thought about Pansi’s words. If she hadn’t misheard, then the events of the night were likely aimed at the prince.

The decision to stay overnight at Mingjing Temple had been made suddenly by the prince, and not many people were aware of it. If those who knew about it had taken advantage of the opportunity to eliminate the prince…

Wei Feng sighed inwardly. Given that Miss Luo had been injured while saving the prince, and considering the prince’s feelings for Miss Luo, he knew that the prince wouldn’t let this matter slide easily.

The sky had already begun to lighten, and the atmosphere in the courtyard was oppressive and heavy. Fang Jinling stood on the steps with his hands behind his back. After a long moment, he raised his deep, dark eyes and said calmly, “Investigate.”

The calmer he was, the more intimidating he became. Wei Feng’s face was serious as he bowed. “Yes.”

Just then, Fu Shan entered the courtyard and bowed from a distance. “Your Highness, the Marquis Mansion’s lord has arrived.”

“Lead them to the front hall.”

The words finally broke the silence in the courtyard. Wei Feng let out an almost imperceptible sigh of relief and retreated silently.

Fang Jinling turned around and looked through the lattice window at the figure on the bed, his eyes lingering on her for a moment. His thumb was about to crush the jade ring he wore. He withdrew his gaze and stepped away.

Luo Yu’an and his son, waiting in the front hall, had solemn expressions. The servants had just served tea, but neither of them had the heart to drink it.

After a moment, Fang Jinling walked in, his eyes heavy with fatigue and a deep coldness emanating from him. Luo Yu’an and his son couldn’t help but frown slightly as they stood up to pay their respects. “Your subject greets Prince Jing.”

Fang Jinling sat down in the sandalwood chair, his hand with the jade ring resting on the armrest. He raised his eyes coldly and said, “Sit.”

After Luo Yu’an sat down, he bowed his head and said, “Thank you, Prince Jing, for saving my daughter. I am eternally grateful.”

Fang Jinling’s eyes remained dark and deep, looking at him without expressionm “You don’t need to thank me, Lord Marquis.”

Luo Yu’an could sense the low mood and suppressed emotions emanating from Fang Jinling, making it hard to breathe. Luo Yu’an’s eyes flickered slightly.
“Prince Jing, I’ve come to take my daughter back to the mansion. It’s not suitable for her to stay in the prince’s mansion for long.”

Fang Jinling’s eyebrows furrowed slightly, and he couldn’t help but grip the armrest. His fingertips touched the cool texture of the wood, and he glanced at Luo Yu’an.
“You don’t need to worry, Lord Marquis. Once she wakes up, I will personally escort her back to the mansion.”

Luo Yu’an wanted to say more, but he saw Fang Jinling’s gaze, which was devoid of any room for discussion. Luo Qiheng, however, understood Fang Jinling’s thoughts better. He stood up and bowed respectfully, “Then we will trouble Prince Jing. My sister has imposed on the prince’s hospitality for a day.”

Luo Qiheng glanced at Fang Jinling, knowing that they could wait until his sister woke up before taking her back. However, a day was already the limit. An unmarried girl staying overnight would damage her reputation.

Fang Jinling was not unaware of this. He just couldn’t rest assured without seeing her wake up himself. His eyes flashed with a hint of darkness, and he said in a low voice.
“Before Youshi (around 5-7 pm), I will ensure she is safely returned to the mansion.”

Luo Qiheng breathed a slight sigh of relief, “That would be great. Then we won’t trouble Prince Jing further.”

Fang Jinling’s expression remained unchanged, but his words were clear. He would take care of Luo Yi’er, and they would have to wait.
“Take care,”

Fang Jinling nodded slightly. Then he looked at Fu Shan. “Fu Shan, escort Lord Marquis and General Luo out of the mansion.”

Luo Yu’an and Luo Qiheng bowed and left. On the way, they couldn’t help but ask Fu Shan: “Fu Shan, how is my daughter doing now?”

Fu Shan lowered his head and replied respectfully: “You don’t need to worry, Lord Marquis. The imperial physician said that once Miss Luo wakes up, she’ll be fine.” He didn’t mention the injury on her back to avoid worrying them.

After seeing them off, Fu Shan quickly returned to the front hall. He saw the prince sitting there with a dark expression and approached him with a bow. Noticing the prince’s fatigue, he said cautiously, “Your Highness, you’ve been up all night. Perhaps you should rest for a while? We’ll notify you as soon as Miss Luo wakes up.”

“It’s not necessary,” Fang Jinling said curtly. He stood up and walked towards the Mo Dan courtyard.

At that moment, Luo Yi’er was still unconscious. Pansi and Linglong were carefully changing her clothes. As soon as Fang Jinling entered the room, the maids stopped him at the outer room and explained softly that Miss Luo was changing her clothes.

Fang Jinling stopped in his tracks, standing behind the screen. He seemed to hear the muffled sobs from inside, and his eyes darkened.

Pansi and Linglong helped Luo Yi’er sit up and removed her outer garment. They saw the injury on her back, caused by the burning beam that had fallen on her. The wound was red and swollen, with some charred skin, making them both tearful.

The inner garment was stuck to the wound, and they carefully tried to remove it. However, it was still painful for Luo Yi’er, even in her unconscious state. She frowned slightly and let out a weak, pained moan. The sound was heart-wrenching.

Fang Jinling, having trained in martial arts since childhood, had keen hearing. He naturally heard Luo Yi’er’s painful moan. His hand in his sleeve clenched into a fist, and he frowned, asking in a low, dark voice.
“What’s going on?”

Pansi’s voice, tinged with tears, came from inside: “The clothes are stuck to the wound.”

Fang Jinling paused, closing his eyes for a moment. He felt a surge of irritation and heartache. He wanted to go inside and see her for himself but could only listen to the sounds from within.As soon as Pansi finished speaking, she had Linglong support Luo Yi’er while she took the medicinal ointment from another maid and applied it gently to the wound. The movements were so gentle that they were almost imperceptible. Then she helped Luo Yi’er into a clean set of clothes. After all the fuss, everyone was sweating.

A maid carried away the clothes that had been removed, and outside, Fang Jinling saw the tray with clothes stained with dark blood and clenched his fists tightly.

At this moment, Luo Yi’er was frowning, her lips parted slightly, and she let out a pained moan. Her eyelashes were moist with tears. Pan Si heard the sound and her eyes lit up. She quickly turned around and leaned over the bed, seeing that her miss seemed to be showing signs of waking up.

She immediately turned her head and shouted excitedly to Linglong. “Quick, Miss is waking up! Go get the imperial physician…”

Before she could finish her sentence, Fang Jinling strode into the room in a few quick steps. Seeing him, Pan Si was taken aback and quickly stepped aside to make way for him.

Fang Jinling walked to the bedside in two strides, looking down at Luo Yi’er. He saw her eyelashes fluttering, and it seemed like she was about to open her eyes. He turned his head and ordered in a cold, low voice. “Summon the imperial physician.”

Luo Yi’er felt a burning pain on her back and heard voices around her. She furrowed her brow and slowly opened her eyes, seeing the unfamiliar bed curtains above her. Her eyes showed a hint of confusion. The next moment, she saw the man standing by the bed, and when he saw her wake up, he seemed to relax.

Luo Yi’er suddenly remembered being rescued from the fire and being carried by this man. She saw the concern in his eyes, and her mind began to clear up. She wanted to thank him and pay her respects.

However, as she moved, she inadvertently strained her back wound, causing a sharp pain that made her eyes well up with tears. She clenched her jaw and didn’t dare move further. But her hand on the bedside instinctively grasped the man’s clothes.

Fang Jinling’s expression softened slightly when he saw her wake up, but now he frowned, feeling a pang in his heart. When she grabbed his clothes, he felt a flutter in his chest. Then he heard her weak and pitiful voice, “Your Highness, it hurts…”

Tears rolled down her cheeks, and Fang Jinling’s expression turned dark. He turned his head and barked. “Where is the imperial physician?”

A nearby maid replied tremulously: “…We’ve sent someone to fetch him.”

As he felt the slight increase in the grip on his clothes, he was instantly pulled back from his anger. He bent down, looking at Luo Yi’er’s brightening eyes, and gently wiped away the tears from the corner of her eyes with his thumb. His voice was soft and reassuring, “The imperial physician will be here soon.”

His fingertips brushed against her cheek and lingered on her dark, thick hair. He took her hand in his, his expression dark but strangely comforting.

Luo Yi’er was momentarily stunned by his gentle words. As she became more lucid, she realized her impropriety and bit her lip, refraining from saying anything else that might be considered impolite. She fluttered her eyelashes, still feeling some pain, but tried to speak calmly, “Your Highness, I apologize for my rudeness.”

Fang Jinling’s movements paused, and a surge of anger welled up inside him. He looked at her with dark eyes, focusing on her pale lips. In the end, he suppressed his anger, knowing that she was a person who knew etiquette. Even if she seemed distant now, he only had to wait a year before he could hold her in his arms without any reservations.

He didn’t let go of her hand, staring into her eyes with a dark expression: “You can be as rude as you like.”

Luo Yi’er’s fingertips trembled in his palm as they locked eyes. She opened her mouth as if to say something, but just then, the imperial physician finally arrived. Luo Yi’er’s eyes flickered, and she turned her head away, leaving a hint of pink on her ear.

Fang Jinling’s eyes darkened slightly. He released her hand and stood up, allowing the imperial physician to take her pulse.

The imperial physician was about to bow when Fang Jinling waved his hand dismissively. He stood aside, watching darkly as the physician sat down to take Luo Yi’er’s pulse.

Luo Yi’er looked at the imperial physician taking her pulse, biting her lip slightly. There seemed to be some concern and worry on her face. Finally, she fluttered her eyelashes and asked in a soft voice. “Imperial physician, will the wound on my back… leave a scar?”

She spoke the last two words very softly, but it was clear that she was very concerned about it.

She lowered her eyes, her pale lips pressed tightly together. She seemed tense but resigned, which made her look pitiful.

“Miss Luo, don’t worry. The medical woman examined your wound yesterday and said that if you apply the ointment three times a day, and after the scab forms, apply the cream, it will be fine in a month.”
The imperial physician paused and then added, “However, Miss Luo will likely experience some pain for a while before the scab forms.”

Hearing that it wouldn’t leave a scar, Luo Yi’er breathed a sigh of relief almost imperceptibly. Fang Jinling saw this and his eyes flashed with emotion, but Luo Yi’er didn’t notice. She nodded slightly at the imperial physician and said softly, “Thank you, imperial physician.”

At this moment, a maid brought in the medicine, and Luo Yi’er glanced at it before looking away, her brow furrowed slightly. Seeing this, Pan Si stepped forward and asked softly, “Your Highness, does the mansion have candied fruit? Miss Luo dislikes bitter tastes.”

Fang Jinling saw her expression and felt the tension in the air ease slightly. A hint of a smile flickered in his eyes, and he nodded to a servant. Someone immediately went to prepare it.

Luo Yi’er saw the smile in his eyes, and her pale face finally gained a touch of color. She felt embarrassed and lowered her gaze, not daring to look at him. Fang Jinling took the medicine from a maid and said calmly, “I’ll do it.”

Luo Yi’er heard his words and quickly turned to him, which caused her to strain her back wound slightly. She winced in pain, her face turning pale, but she forced a smile and looked at Fang Jinling with gentle eyes.
“Your Highness, I can do it myself.”

“Don’t move,” Fang Jinling ignored her words and sat down on the bedside. He looked down, stirred the medicine gently with a spoon, and then scooped up a spoonful, bringing it to her lips. His movements were unskilled, but they were filled with patience and tenderness.

Luo Yi’er was taken aback, and then she hid a bitter smile in her eyes. This medicine was bitter, and feeding her like this would take forever. However, she blushed slightly and didn’t refuse further. She lowered her gaze and opened her lips slightly to take a small sip.

When the bowl of medicine was finished, the maid finally brought back the candied fruit. Fang Jinling seemed to have found pleasure in feeding her. He picked up a piece of candied fruit and fed it to her personally. Luo Yi’er looked down shyly, and her tongue delicately curled around the fruit, taking it into her mouth.

She didn’t see it, but in that instant, the man above her stared at her tongue, and his eyes darkened slightly.