Chapter 370

First Volume, Chapter 370: Calm Before the Storm

Upon learning of this, Qin Tianhu did not delay a moment and rushed back to the mansion at top speed, only to find the back courtyard locked from the inside, with no one allowed to enter; unable to do otherwise, everyone waited in the main hall.

When Qin Feng returned to the back courtyard, he did not lose himself in despair.

Instead, he cleared out all extra items from Xiao Xiangxiang's room, leaving only a bed and a set of table and chairs.

He then thoroughly cleaned the room inside and out, and sent someone to the Tianji Camp Workshop to fetch some sterile cloth.

The so-called sterile cloth was simply cloth boiled in water.

He covered the entire room with the sterile cloth, creating a makeshift sterile chamber, then placed Xiao Xiangxiang on the bed.

Looking at Xiao Xiangxiang's pale, bloodless face, Qin Feng sat beside the bed and tightly gripped her hand.

His mind was empty; he simply sat there, staring.

He sat like this for two hours.

At nightfall, the main hall was in heated discussion.

Liu Hongyan had some authority to mobilize the Brocade Guard, so she learned the full story from the courier.

Qin Tianhu frowned deeply: "I never expected the BeidiSpies to have grown this reckless—they sent the Night Owls to ambush Feng'er on the road."

Shen Qingci sighed softly, her face filled with worry: "The issue now isn't the assassination itself—it's Xiao Xiangxiang. Though she's just a maid, she's indispensable to Feng'er. Now that she's this badly injured, we don't even know if she'll wake up… Sigh. In any case, Feng'er has surely suffered a heavy blow."

Liu Hongyan's eyes were filled with sorrow: "Feng'er has always been deeply emotional. If anyone close to him is hurt, he reacts like this. But… how did the BeidiSpies know Feng'er's movements so precisely? How did they time the assassination so accurately? Could there be a traitor in the Tianji Camp?"

Qin Tianhu waved his hand, signaling Liu Hongyan not to suspect further: "The Night Owls are no less skilled than the Black Guard. Their methods are extremely sophisticated—they've likely been surveilling Feng'er for some time, so naturally they knew his exact movements."

"Sigh! Right now, I'm most afraid Feng'er will do something reckless."

At that moment, footsteps approached.

Everyone turned toward the sound and saw Qin Feng standing outside the DaTang entrance, as if he had appeared out of nowhere.

Amid everyone's anxious gazes, Qin Feng walked into the DaTang, plopped himself onto a chair, clutched his stomach, and let out a long breath: "I'm starving! Second Sister, hurry and get me something to eat! Am I still your brother? Don't you care about me at all?"

"Elder Sister, is this how you welcome me back? Not even a single fruit?"

"Father, we haven't seen each other in days—when I finally show up, you don't even say a word? Am I still your son?"

Everyone froze for a moment, then exhaled in relief, smiles breaking across their faces as they hurried off to prepare dinner.

Qin Tianhu sat in the seat of honor, deliberately acting relaxed to comfort Qin Feng: "Feng'er, as long as you're unharmed, I'm at ease."

Qin Feng had returned to his usual carefree self, sprawled lazily in the chair: "Harmed? What harm could there be? Do you really think a few BeidiSpies could knock me down? Father, you underestimate me too much."

Seeing Qin Feng had returned to normal, as carefree and oblivious as ever.

Qin Tianhu should have been relieved, but now he felt uneasy, fearing this calm was merely the quiet before the storm: "Feng'er, how is Xiangxiang?"

Qin Feng shrugged, appearing utterly relaxed: "Hard."

Qin Tianhu's brow furrowed instantly: "How hard? Let me go straight to the Imperial Audience and request the Imperial Physicians to treat Xiangxiang."

Qin Feng waved his hand, telling Qin Tianhu not to bother: "It's useless—that wound…"

Originally, Qin Feng wanted to say that in his own era, such a wound wouldn't even be worth mentioning—any small clinic capable of suturing and disinfecting could easily treat it.

But in this era, it was a fatal injury.

Fortunately, Qin Feng caught himself in time, swallowed the words, and changed course: "The wound itself is secondary—it's the inflammation. The Imperial Physicians may be skilled, but they're helpless against this kind of injury. On the way back, Xiangxiang alternated between consciousness and delirium; every time she woke up, I rushed to feed her liquid food. Now, she's lost the ability to swallow."

To Qin Tianhu, Xiao Xiangxiang was already as good as dead.

After all, if she couldn't swallow, she'd starve to death even if she didn't die from illness.

But Qin Feng wasn't worried—he had already sent word to the Tianji Camp on his way to Beijing, gathering the remaining skilled craftsmen to forge needles and prepare for intravenous fluid delivery to Xiao Xiangxiang.

For craftsmen, forging needles wasn't difficult—many imperial luxury items were just as finely crafted as needles. The IV tubing could be replaced with sterilized intestinal membranes or fascia; glucose for the fluid could be extracted and purified by boiling and mixing with salt… all of this was easy for Qin Feng.

Moreover, direct gastric tube insertion was also possible.

In short, feeding wouldn't be a problem—the key was still the inflammation.

If the inflammation could be cured, Xiao Xiangxiang would survive; if it worsened unchecked, even Qin Feng would be powerless to save her.

Qin Tianhu sighed—he knew well that if Qin Feng couldn't save Xiao Xiangxiang, then no one could.

"Feng'er, if you need anything, just tell me."

Qin Feng nodded but didn't respond; instead, he asked directly: "Did the Emperor mention anything today about the BeidiSpies?"

Qin Tianhu thought back: "He didn't mention anything."

"What about yesterday?" Qin Feng asked.

Qin Tianhu gave a bitter smile: "He hasn't mentioned them all month. Why are you asking?"

Qin Feng shrugged: "Oh, nothing. Just curious."

Though Qin Feng appeared calm on the surface, his heart was heavy—if the Liang Emperor hadn't ordered the assassination of Chen Si, the BeidiSpies wouldn't have retaliated so fiercely.

Now, he himself had suffered great loss, yet the Liang Emperor didn't even acknowledge it.

Clearly, in the Liang Emperor's eyes, no matter how capable Qin Feng was, he was still just a disposable pawn.

It didn't matter—he had long prepared himself for this. He and the Liang Emperor had always merely exchanged needs.

At that moment, the Tianji Camp Guards stationed in Jingdu pushed open the door.

"Young Master, word has arrived from Jiangnan Tangqi."

Qin Feng took the military dispatch casually, only to find it wasn't from Tangqi—it was from the Brocade Guard.

It clearly listed over a hundred BeidiSpies recently uncovered.

Qin Feng handed the dispatch to the Tianji Camp Guards: "Just arrest them according to the list. Remember—not a single one escapes."

"Wait!" Qin Tianhu called out, snatching the dispatch and scanning it, his brow tightening.

"Feng'er, many of these people are Jingdu officials—if we…"

Before Qin Tianhu could finish, Qin Feng cut in bluntly: "Don't say officials—even Imperial Grandsons and nobles, arrest them all!"

"The Emperor has not yet revoked my authority to Zhengyi the official conduct—I still have this power!"