More than half of Baili Junyi’s clothes had been destroyed in the fire. There were burn marks all over his body. The most serious wound was on his back. He had probably been smashed by the broken beam just now. His skin and flesh had been burnt. In addition, he had rolled twice on the ground in order to put out the fire. The wound was stained with soil. People could hardly bear to look at it.
Tears rolling down her cheeks like rivers, Shen Ninghua wanted to reach out and touch Baili Junyi, but she could not find a good piece of skin to do it. “Junyi…” Resisting the pain in her heart, she took the golden needle over and inserted it into Baili Junyi’s acupuncture point to help him preserve the vitality in his body.
Baili Jinchuan’s eyes trembled slightly. He did not mind whether Baili Junyi was alive or dead. What he cared about was the expression that Shen Ninghua had just revealed. He had a feeling that if Baili Junyi died, even if Shen Ninghua would not commit suicide because of the two children, she would definitely not reveal any trace of a smile ever again.
Shen Ninghua took out a pill and fed it to Baili Junyi. Feeling that his aura gradually stabilized, she quickly turned to look at the subordinates, who were rushing over.
“Ye Yi, prepare a room and medicinal herbs. I want to treat Junyi.”
“Yes, Master.”
Ye Yi quickly got someone to prepare a stretcher. The men carefully carried Baili Junyi onto the stretcher and carried him away.
Shen Ninghua turned to look at Bai Ruo. “Bai Ruo, take the children and follow us.” She then looked at Qing Que and Hong Ling who had followed Baili Junyi out of the fire. The two of them were seriously injured. She checked their pulse and found that they had been unconscious until now because they had inhaled the smoke. They were not seriously injured, so she had someone carry them up and was about to leave.
Baili Jinchuan pursed his lips tightly. When Shen Ninghua passed by him, he suddenly raised his hand and grabbed her. “Ninghua, I want to tell you that I was not the one who set the fire!” He could not let Shen Ninghua misunderstand, or else she would really fight to the death with him!
Shen Ninghua raised her eyes, which were filled with cold ridicule. “It wasn’t you? Hehe, I don’t believe it!” She flung her arm, shook off Baili Jinchuan’s hand, and quickly left. Among Zhou City, who else could have this ability besides Baili Jinchuan?
In the room, Bi Zhu was carefully holding a basin of water while watching Shen Ninghua clean Baili Junyi’s wound. The bloody scene caused her heart to tremble in shock.
Shen Ninghua’s movements were very steady. She gently and quickly washed away the dirt on Baili Junyi’s wound. However, her forehead was full of sweat. The intense concentration drained her strength.
After cleaning up for more than two hours, the wound was finally cleaned up. After applying the medicinal powder to the wounds and wrapping them up with the gauze, Shen Ninghua swayed in exhaustion. She forced herself to focus. After treating the wounds of Qing Que and Hong Ling, she turned to Bi Zhu.
“Bi Zhu, ask Bai Ruo to bring the two children over. Then you can go and look after Qing Que and Hong Ling.”
“Miss, you should go and rest for a while. I’ll stay here. You have been busy for a long time. You should also take a rest.”
Shen Ninghua shook her head and massaged her forehead tiredly. She waved at her.
Seeing Shen Ninghua’s firm attitude, Bi Zhu knew that she was feeling bad, so she stopped persuading her, afraid that she would upset her. She called Bai Ruo over, put down the two Little Masters, and then quietly left.
Shen Ninghua got up and carried the two children over to Baili Junyi. The two children woke up in a daze. Baby Girl and Big Boy did not suffer any injuries. Qing Que and Hong Ling desperately protected them when the posthouse was caught on fire. When they were rescued, Baili Junyi also desperately protected them and wrapped them with a thick quilt. However, when they came out, they were frightened and had a fever.
Shen Ninghua fed them some medicine, but the effect was not so fast. At this time, they woke up and immediately looked for Shen Ninghua and Baili Junyi subconsciously. When they felt that their parents were all beside them, they cried out in grievance.
“Woo…”
Shen Ninghua hugged them in her arms. Tears welled up in her eyes, but she forced them down. “Junyi, the two children are fine, but they are both afraid. They want you to wake up and protect them. Don’t sleep for too long.”
Baili Junyi’s injuries were too serious. In addition, he suffered from internal injuries before he came back. At this time, the aura in his body was in a big mess. If it were not for Shen Ninghua’s excellent medical skills, he would have…
Although he had been saved, it was still uncertain when he would wake up.
As if they had noticed that their mother was in a bad mood, the two children slowly stopped crying and timidly nestled in Shen Ninghua’s arms. Baby Girl moved forward and grinned at Shen Ninghua. There were still tears on her cheeks, and her little face was unnaturally red because of the fever. However, that smile was clean and clear, without a trace of haze.
Shen Ninghua choked. She bit her lips and put Baby Girl next to Baili Junyi. “Baby, your father loves you the most. Stay with him and talk to him.”
Looking at the tightly wrapped Baili Junyi, Baby Girl did not recognize him for a moment. She looked at him from the side for a long time before she crawled over intimately. She gently pouted at Baili Junyi and delicately giggled, “Puff!”
In the past, whenever she did this, Baili Junyi would happily pick her up and spin her high. That was her favorite game, but now, there was no response from her daddy.
She seemed to be a little confused and turned to look at Shen Ninghua doubtfully.
Shen Ninghua felt a lump in her throat and gently stroke her little head. “Daddy is tired and is resting. You should accompany him more. Then, he will hug you and spin you around.”
Baby Girl did not understand, but she crawled forward and snuggled up to Baili Junyi. She leaned against his arm and soon fell asleep.
On the other side of the posthouse, after Shen Ninghua left, Baili Jinchuan had been standing at the entrance of the posthouse. There was a faint trace of blood seeping through his clenched fists. The image of Shen Ninghua’s eyes lingered in his mind. She glared at him as if he was her archenemy. It made him feel a little irritable from the bottom of his heart. As he tried to suppress the anger, he felt that the hem of his clothes had been grabbed from below.
Baili Jinchuan frowned impatiently and looked down.
Zhou Jingshu felt that she was about to die. Her chest was so painful that it almost exploded. However, there were so many people coming and going, but no one could save her. Even the servants were driven away by Shen Ninghua. Was she going to die from pain? When the intense pain passed, she finally saw Baili Jinchuan who was not far away. She struggled all the way and grabbed the hem of his clothes tightly.
“Your Highness… Your Highness, save me…”
Baili Jinchuan suddenly narrowed his eyes. An irritable look flashed through his eyes. Then he suddenly raised his foot and kicked Zhou Jingshu in the chest, sending her away. “Get lost!”
Zhou Jingshu’s vision went black. She spat out a mouthful of blood and fainted from the pain.
Baili Jinchuan took a few deep breaths and suppressed his killing intent. He barked, “Throw Zhou Jingshu back to the Zhou Family!”
Zhou Ziqing was a very capable pawn, but it was a pity that this pawn was useless now, and he didn’t know if there was still a chance for him to recover. This Zhou Jingshu was completely a useless piece of trash. He originally thought that she was good-looking and might be of use in the future. But now, it seemed that she was just a stinky bug with nothing but a pretty face. He felt utter disgust when he even looked at her!
After Zhou Jingshu was sent back to the Zhou Family, Zhou Ziqing glanced at her. Knowing what had happened, he had someone throw her back into the courtyard.
It just so happened that Zhou Da was at the side. After hearing what had happened, he felt a chill down his spine. Miss Zhou was way too foolishly bold! Who did she think she was to go up against Shen Ninghua?! No matter how much she liked Prefectural Prince Yi, she shouldn’t openly provoke Shen Ninghua like this. Shen Ninghua was out of her league!
However, when he saw a beautiful girl ended up like this, he felt some pity. “Patriarch, Miss Zhou seems to be in a terrible situation. It’s better to call a doctor over to take a look.”
Zhou Ziqing was expressionless. The usual warm smile on his face disappeared without a trace. “There is no profit in curing a useless person.”
He used to look down on Zhou Jingshu for her ignorance, but he never thought about why she would become like this today. In Zhou City, the Zhou Family was so powerful and influential that he was like a king in this city. As the only young lady in the family, Zhou Jingshu enjoyed a lavish and comfortable life, and she had no opponent.
Zhou Ziqing had hired teachers to teach her lessons to enhance her reputation and virtue. However, her vanity kept growing as people lavished praises for her. On normal days, she could act appropriately according to Zhou Ziqing’s teachings as she didn’t encounter any problems. However, when she encountered some troubles, her arrogance and smugness would be revealed.
Zhou Da’s expression changed, and his heart was filled with regret. This beautiful woman was doomed to fall from grace.
A subordinate entered to report the news. “Patriarch, Prefectural Prince Yi was severely burned when he tried to save his two children. He is still unconscious.”
Zhou Ziqing’s eyes lit up. “Is it true?”
“Yes, it is.”
Zhou Ziqing laughed. “Today is my day! Haha! Today is my day!”
Zhou Da couldn’t keep up with Zhou Ziqing’s thoughts. Seeing him laughing, he grinned as well. “Patriarch, is there a turning point in this matter?”
Zhou Ziqing looked especially relaxed. “Prefectural Prince Yi is seriously injured and in a coma. Princess Zhaohua has to look after her two children and the unconscious husband. Do you think she still has the time and effort left to care about Zhou City? This is the perfect turning point!”
It dawned upon Zhou Da now. “You’re right! No matter how smart and shrewd she is, she’s still a woman. What else can she do now that her husband is unconscious and her young children need her attention?”
“Yes. When the mountain exploded and the silver was exposed, Prefectural Prince Yi immediately sent someone to report to the capital, claiming that it was an auspicious sign from heaven. Haha, now it seems that I really have to thank him. If he investigated everything thoroughly before reporting, I couldn’t tell what the result would be like. Since he said that it was an auspicious sign from heaven, let it be.”
Zhou Da’s eyes lit up. “Are you saying that you want to suppress this matter by giving up the silver?”
“We’re within Zhou City’s range. How hard can it be to suppress some news?” Zhou Ziqing’s eyes were filled with extreme confidence.
“In the past, I had to be cautious because of Prefectural Prince Yi’s interference. Now that he’s unconscious, what am I afraid of? Even the heavens are helping me. They are helping me and my family!”