Chapter 113: Xie Yan Appears at Her Funeral in a Past Life!

Qing Yun beside him slowly shook his head, his expression full of worry.

Shen Shuangning also furrowed her brows: "Has his condition improved at all?"

After news of Xiao Jingyuan's injury spread, the palace had already sent an imperial physician to treat him. But the mountain's cold, damp climate is ultimately not a good place to recuperate.

But for now, all we can do is wait for him to wake before we can move him back to the Prince's Manor to recover.

Qing Yun let out a heavy sigh, his tone helpless: "If we can't get the medicine down, how could he possibly improve?"

As soon as he finished speaking, a servant outside entered with a bowl of medicine.

All the servants in Xiao Jingyuan's camp tent are men.

Shen Shuangning reached out her hand to the servant and said, "Give it to me."

Xiao Jingyuan ended up gravely injured because he was trying to save her; she couldn't just stand by and do nothing.

The servant hesitated, looking toward Qing Yun, who, seeing his cluelessness, flared up: "Just give it!"

Only then did the servant hold out the medicine bowl and hand it over.

Qing Yun, standing beside him, said to the unconscious Xiao Jingyuan: "Heir Apparent, Fourth Miss has come to see you—please drink the medicine and wake up soon, so she can rest easy returning to the Duke's Manor."

After Qing Yun finished speaking, Shen Shuangning scooped a spoonful of the decoction and carefully fed it to the man's lips.

Amazingly, no matter who had tried to feed him the medicine before, it only came back out—but as soon as Shen Shuangning arrived, he obediently swallowed it down!

In just a moment, the bowl of medicine was empty.

Shen Shuangning took a handkerchief and gently wiped away the medicine residue at the corner of his mouth.

Qing Yun smiled: "Still, Fourth Miss's presence is what works."

Shen Shuangning didn't respond, merely lowering her gaze to look at the person on the bed.

Qing Yun again asked with concern: "How are your injuries, Fourth Miss?"

Shen Shuangning's cheeks still bore a few minor abrasions, and elsewhere on her body were mostly superficial wounds; the somewhat more serious one was the injury on her knee. Fortunately, she had already applied medicine, and it had now eased considerably.

But after applying the medicine, she had also recovered.

Shen Shuangning replied: "I'm fine now. With me here, you all can go rest."

"Then we'll trouble Fourth Miss."

Saying that, Qing Yun led the servants inside the tent out, and the spacious camp tent was left with only Shen Shuangning quietly staying beside Xiao Jingyuan.

Shen Shuangning sat at the bedside, propping her chin with her hand, slowly yawned, and actually felt a bit sleepy.

All around was utterly still; a waft of faint magnolia fragrance curled around Xiao Jingyuan's nose, his eyelashes trembling slightly as if he were about to wake.

But when he "opened his eyes," what lay before him was a blinding expanse of plain white.

Faintly from his ears came rising and falling wails of grief; as the sorrowful sound grew clearer, the scene before him unfolded slowly like spreading ink in water—

—it was actually the funeral of Shen Shuangning at the Yan Prince's Manor!

Xiao Jingyuan's heart instantly felt as if cut by a knife, the pain so great he could not breathe. Although he knew this was a past event that had already occurred, he still lacked the courage to face this scene.

Yet before he could struggle to escape the dream of his previous life, uninvited guests arrived at the funeral.

"Where do you come from, daring to barge into the Prince's Manor? The Crown Princess's funeral—how can you behave so rudely!" the steward shouted angrily, blocking the newcomers' path.

"Get out of my way! I am the Crown Princess's own elder brother, here to take one last look at her—what's wrong with that?" the newcomer said, repressing his anger, his voice coming from ahead.

"Shen… Shen Eldest Son?" someone among the mourners exclaimed in shock.

Everyone was stunned—Shen Xiuci wasn't dead? How could he appear?

And who is that man in a cyan Daoist robe standing beside him? He looks somewhat familiar!

Though not strikingly handsome and his attire not particularly splendid, he possesses a unique, outstanding aura—his spirit lofty and clear, his presence deep and mountain‑like—making him noticeable at a glance.

Xiao Jingyuan stood before the memorial hall, lifted his gaze, and upon seeing this person, his pupils contracted sharply!

Amid the crowd's uncertainty, someone stared at the robed man for a while, then hesitantly spoke, voice full of confusion: "Isn't… isn't that the Eldest Son of the Yongning Marquis Manor, Xie Yan?"

The Eldest Son, Xie Yan!

Suddenly, fragmented muttering came from beside her; Shen Shuangning jerked her eyes open, only to realize she had unknowingly fallen asleep.

She immediately turned her head to look at Xiao Jingyuan on the bed, seeing his forehead covered in cold sweat, his brows tightly knit—as if he were enduring immense pain.

His pale lips twitched faintly, uttering indistinct sounds, unclear what he was saying.

Seeing this, Shen Shuangning hurriedly rose and went over, bending down to check his condition.

"Xiao Jingyuan?" she called softly.

But the man on the bed still showed no response, as if trapped in a nightmare, unable to break free.

Shen Shuangning used a handkerchief to wipe the cold sweat from his forehead, and just then Xiao Jingyuan suddenly opened his eyes.

Shen Shuangning's motion paused; she was a little startled.

"Xiao……"

She had just begun to call his name, but before the words could fully leave her mouth, he suddenly grabbed her and pulled her into his embrace.

Shen Shuangning gasped, fearing she might press on his wound, and quickly tried to prop herself up.

Xiao Jingyuan, however, refused to let go, his voice trembling uncontrollably, full of pleading: "Don't go, don't leave me……"

Shen Shuangning also worried that if she struggled, it would only tug at his injury and hurt him more, so she reluctantly stayed still, letting him hold her without moving.

Qing Yun heard the commotion inside and initially thought something had happened.

He hurriedly lifted the curtain and rushed in.

Who would have thought that, upon looking up, he would see his own Heir Apparent clutching Fourth Miss Shen and refusing to let go!

Seeing Shen Shuangning enter, she was about to ask him to come over and lend a hand, but instead he covered his face and turned away!

"……"

Shen Shuangning lifted her gaze at the man whose eyes had closed again at some point, her brows knitting, her tone displeased: "Xiao Jingyuan, you're doing this on purpose, aren't you?"

Inside the tent it was utterly silent, with no response at all.

Shen Shuangning stared at him doubtfully, only then realizing he had fainted again—no, perhaps it should be said, he hadn't truly awakened at all just now.

Only the two arms encircling her had not yet loosened, though their grip had grown much weaker.

Shen Shuangning then slowly rose from his body, becoming ever more convinced that he had merely been having a nightmare and had not truly awakened.

Over the next few days, Shen Shuangning continued to stay in the camp to care for him. The medicine was fed to him without missing a dose, and there were signs of improvement, yet this person still did not wake up.

Not only did he not wake, he was often tormented by nightmares, his long brows tightly knotted even in his stupor; only when Shen Shuangning was present did it ease somewhat.

Seeing him like this, Shen Shuangning grew somewhat troubled, murmuring, "Xiao Jingyuan, what have you been dreaming about?"

Emperor Xuanwen worried about Xiao Jingyuan's condition, sending two experienced imperial physicians and issuing a death order: he must wake soon, otherwise they would lose their heads.

Now the rebel factions roam everywhere, the world outside is already in chaos, the Embroidered Uniform Guard is leaderless, and the Yongning Marquis's mansion is precisely in need of Xiao Jingyuan; he simply cannot remain unconscious like this.

"The heir apparent suffered a vital injury; merely preserving his life is already a blessing from heaven. Fortunately he has been taking the medicine these days, otherwise his life might have already been snatched by King Yama."

The senior imperial physician twirled his beard, his tone easing slightly, but then his words turned grave: "However, the first few days were the most perilous; if he can pull through this stage, he may yet awaken. But if there is still no improvement after another two days, then..."

Shen Shuangning's heart tightened, and she hurriedly asked, "What then?"

The physician sighed heavily: "That would likely mean... he would be bedridden for the rest of his life, a living dead person who never wakes."

Shen Shuangning felt that simply waiting like this was no solution, and thus recalled the "divine doctor" of Miao Shou Tang.

She made a swift decision, sending someone to summon Mu Yu, only to learn that Mu Yu had already returned home to visit family half a month earlier.

That very night, Xiao Jingyuan burned with fever, his condition critical; he could not even keep the medicine down, and even vomited blood.

The physicians and attendants flustered, trying every method, yet saw no effect, momentarily at a loss what to do.

Just as everyone panicked, a soft voice from the side suddenly spoke, tinged with solemnity: "If we can get his fever to break, will he be alright?"

The crowd turned toward the sound and saw Shen Shuangning standing beside the bed, brows furrowed.

These past days she had also devoted herself wholeheartedly to guarding Xiao Jingyuan, her cheeks appearing to have grown somewhat thinner.

The senior physician wiped sweat from his forehead while urgently saying, "Right now the most pressing matter is to reduce his fever; otherwise, if he keeps burning like this, he may damage his five viscera and six bowels, and even immortals would struggle to save him then!"

Another physician despaired: "At present, the heir refuses to take medicine; even if we pour it in, he will vomit it out—there's nothing we can do! Moreover, his pulse is strange beyond compare; I have never seen anything like it..."

Shen Shuangning hastily interjected, "What if we soak him in cold water—would that work?"

The physician shook his head vehemently: "No, no! Since the heir's fundamental injury is already present, applying cold water now might cause his qi and blood to surge backward, making things worse!"

Shen Shuangning steeled herself and said, "Then let me do it."

Everyone inside the tent stared, bewildered—what did she mean?

Shen Shuangning gave no further explanation, only calling out loudly to Qingyun: "Go fetch a bucket of cold water."

She then turned to the others and said, "You all step out first."

Though everyone was full of doubt, they had no choice and filed out one by one.

Qingyun quickly filled a bathtub with cold water; he seemed to faintly guess what she intended, wanting to speak but holding back, ultimately saying nothing and silently withdrawing to stand guard outside the tent.

Inside the tent, with no one else present, Shen Shuangning shed her layers of outer garments, leaving only a thin inner robe, then gritted her teeth, lifted her leg and stepped into the tub, slowly squatting down, nearly immersing her entire body,

The spring water carried a bone‑chilling cold; the moment it touched her skin, it made her shiver instantly.

Shen Shuangning clenched her teeth, enduring the piercing cold, allowing the chill to seep gradually into her limbs and bones.

Before long, her lips turned purple from the cold, her body trembling uncontrollably, yet she remained still.

Only when she felt her whole body turned icy cold did she suddenly rise from the tub, shake off the water droplets haphazardly, and barefoot hurry toward the man on the bed.

Xiao Jingyuan originally wore only an inner robe, and the physicians had earlier opened his upper garment during treatment, leaving his solid chest fully exposed.

If one ignored those gruesome wounds and the pathological flush, this well‑defined physique would be quite pleasing to the eye.

Shen Shuangning drew a deep breath, then bent over and slowly climbed onto the bed, lying down beside Xiao Jingyuan.

She turned her head to look at the man within arm's reach, her gaze complex, her lips moving slightly: "Xiao Jingyuan, after today we owe each other nothing."

In his dazed consciousness, Xiao Jingyuan felt a soft, icy mass suddenly press against him, bearing a cool, unique fragrance like a sudden breeze slipping into midsummer, dispelling some of the scorching heat.

It eased his tense nerves somewhat, and his perpetually furrowed brows relaxed a little.

But soon, that coolness departed from him.

Xiao Jingyuan unconsciously furrowed his brow, a muffled groan escaping his throat, and the rise and fall of his chest suddenly became rapid—