Chapter 411: Father and Son
Chapter 411: Father and Son
After asking this question, Lu Yuan didn't give Lu Zhaoyan a chance to respond. His eyes darkened, and he collapsed onto Lu Zhaoyan.
The palace guard at the main entrance, alerted by the sound, rushed in and was about to strike Lu Yuan with his palm.
Obviously, he mistook Lu Yuan's sudden collapse as an attack on the Crown Prince.
"Don't hurt him!"
Lu Zhaoyan spoke up.
The palace guard swiftly twisted his wrist, using the back of his hand to press against Lu Yuan's chest, redirecting most of the force back into his own body.
At the same time, he reached out with his other hand to catch the falling Lu Yuan.
Lu Zhaoyan, with a complex expression, looked at Lu Yuan and asked, "What happened to him?"
The palace guard checked Lu Yuan's breathing and listened to his heartbeat, then pinched Lu Yuan's bones, "He's not injured, but it seems like he fainted."
Lu Zhaoyan asked further, "Is there any sign of poisoning?"
The palace guard examined Lu Yuan's fingernails, "It doesn't seem like it, but I'm not an expert in medicine or poison, so there might be something I've overlooked."
"Your Highness! Your Highness! What's going on?"
Manager Jia, seeing the palace guard burst into the room, hurried over to investigate. He was surprised to see Lu Yuan lying in the palace guard's arms.
He asked incredulously, "This is..."
Did the Crown Prince order this boy to be killed?
Well, it was a good kill.
Lu Zhaoyan calmly instructed, "Spread the word. Throw this person out..." Manager Jia, realizing the situation, was shocked as he looked at Lu Zhaoyan, "Spread the word, spread the word, summon the palace physician? Your Highness, are you injured?"
Lu Zhaoyan, with an air of authority, said, "Manager Jia, you're talking too much today."
Manager Jia's face changed, "I spoke out of turn! I'll go summon the palace physician right away!"
It was strange; after serving the Crown Prince for many years, he had never seen the Crown Prince lose his temper with anyone. Even if a servant secretly disobeyed him, he would only lightly gloss over it.
But this Crown Prince, for some reason, always exuded an intangible sense of authority.
Manager Jia hurried off.
Lu Zhaoyan had the palace guard place Lu Yuan on the rattan chair where he usually took his naps.
"Go and stand guard outside."
"Yes."
The palace guard left the study.
Manager Jia, with the palace physician in tow, was about to enter when the palace guard raised his hand to stop them, "His Highness has only summoned the palace physician."
Manager Jia glared at him and reluctantly stepped aside.
Upon entering the study, the palace physician bowed to Lu Zhaoyan, "Your Highness."
Lu Zhaoyan gestured towards Lu Yuan with his eyes.
Understanding, the palace physician set down his medical box and approached Lu Yuan to take his pulse.
After checking his pulse, the palace physician furrowed his brows, turned, and reported to Lu Zhaoyan, "Your Highness, I need to examine this young master's body."
Lu Zhaoyan nodded.
The palace physician unbuttoned Lu Yuan's shirt and checked for any external injuries or signs of poisoning.
Although the palace physician didn't recognize Lu Yuan, anyone who could be in the Crown Prince's study, lying in the Crown Prince's napping spot, was certainly no ordinary person.
After a thorough examination, a quarter of an hour had passed. The palace physician wiped the sweat from his forehead.
It was clear that he had put in a lot of effort.
"What's the diagnosis?" Lu Zhaoyan asked.
The palace physician bowed and breathed lightly, "Your Highness, this young master is not in any immediate danger. He has simply fainted from exhaustion."
"You're saying he fainted from exhaustion in front of me?"
"This... Although it sounds exaggerated, it's true. This young master's pulse shows no signs of internal injuries or poisoning, nor is it a sudden chronic illness. It's just..."
"Go on, speak without hesitation."
"This young master has multiple old injuries on his body, and his hand bones seem to have been broken before."
The palace physician was an experienced doctor, his skills rivaling those of the imperial physicians. When he examined Lu Yuan's bones, he could detect even the slightest callus.
Action: Generally, only broken bones will form calluses, which gradually fade as the injury heals.
Even an experienced doctor would have difficulty identifying the callus on this young master's bones.
The palace physician, who was once an army doctor, was well-versed in treating external injuries.
"I speculate that this young master's hand bones have been broken... and not just once," he said.
Repeated breaks and repeated callus formation, possibly with a slight permanent misalignment, led to the stubborn callus remnants.
This situation is extremely rare.
Lu Zhaoyan's complex gaze once again fell on Lu Yuan's face.
Judging from his carefree and unrestrained appearance, one would never guess that he had endured such hardships.
Repeated breaks, whether from falls or malicious attack?
"When did it break?" Lu Zhaoyan asked.
The palace physician hesitated, "This... please forgive my limited medical skills. I cannot provide an accurate deduction, but based on my many years of medical experience, this young master was injured at a young age."
A young age... Lu Zhaoyan's eyebrows furrowed.
Regardless of who this person is, to repeatedly suffer the pain of broken bones at such a young age—
"Additionally," the palace physician added, noticing that the Crown Prince's expression seemed displeased. He hesitated, unsure if he should continue.
Lu Zhaoyan signaled for him to proceed.
The palace physician took out a medicine bottle from Lu Yuan's body and handed it to Lu Zhaoyan, saying, "If I haven't mistaken, this bottle contains the Nine Flames Pill, originally from Wushan, used to treat frostbite."
"He had frostbite?" Lu Zhaoyan asked, glancing at the sunlight outside. "It's already March."
The palace physician explained, "This isn't an ordinary Nine Flames Pill, but one infused with Crimson Spirit Mushroom, specifically for treating cold illnesses."
"Are you saying he has a cold illness?" Lu Zhaoyan's eyebrows furrowed even more.
Aside from his injuries, he also suffered from a cold illness. How did this boy grow up?
The palace physician continued, "However, it seems that due to the consumption of the Nine Flames Pill, his cold illness has almost healed."
Lu Zhaoyan asked, "So it's not completely cured yet?"
The palace physician didn't dare to make any definite claims. If the illness was cured, the young master shouldn't need to carry the Nine Flames Pill with him at all times.
But his pulse didn't show any signs of a cold illness.
It's unlikely that he's pretending to be sick to gain the Crown Prince's sympathy, is it? This Crown Prince seems kind and benevolent, and he is indeed kind and benevolent.
But kindness aside, the Crown Prince isn't foolish.
Would he fall for such scheming in front of him?
"Go and prepare a prescription," Lu Zhaoyan instructed calmly.
The palace physician was deep in thought when he blurted out, "To poison him?"
Lu Zhaoyan gave him a speechless glare.
The palace physician wished he could slap himself twice. How dare he lose focus in front of the Crown Prince! He deserved to die a thousand times.
"Ahem." He quickly cleared his throat and said with a bow, "I'll go and prepare a calming and energy-supplementing prescription. Additionally, I have something to say, but I'm not sure if I should."
"Say it," Lu Zhaoyan said.
The palace physician spoke with a heavy heart, "As the saying goes, 'A calm mind desires little, a peaceful heart fears not, a tired body rests not, and a harmonious spirit follows.' This young master must not overwork or worry too much, otherwise, even the best prescriptions will be in vain."
"Worry too much?" Lu Zhaoyan was truly puzzled. How could someone who seemed to live a life of ease and luxury suffer from severe pain, cold illness, overwork, and anxiety all at once?
What kind of life did this boy lead before?
(End of Chapter)
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