Jiang Xingyan brought Xiao Chonghua to the training ground.
Watching the gleeful, mischievous grins of the camp commanders, Xiao Chonghua’s heart sank straight down.
He couldn’t help but feel like the entire military camp had been set up as a trap, just waiting for him to stick his neck in.
He forced a stiff, faint smile and said, “I came in a hurry today and didn’t bring my hunting clothes. Wearing my regular robes, I’m afraid I won’t be able to ride or practice. How about we wait until tomorrow, after I’ve properly dressed, before I start training?”
The smile at the corner of Jiang Xingyan’s lips seemed to say: I knew you’d pull something like this.
Clap, clap!
She clapped her hands twice.
The young eunuch serving the Third Prince’s palace hurried over, holding all the necessary gear.
“Your Highness, here are your hunting clothes.”
Xiao Chonghua gritted his teeth secretly. “You’re really efficient, aren’t you?”
Jiang Xingyan nodded repeatedly. “The Third Prince is praising me, Huo.”
Xiao Chonghua: …
How had he never noticed before that “Huo Ci” was so infuriating?
The vanguard camp commander dismounted, strode over to Xiao Chonghua, cupped his hands in salute, and spoke in a respectful but excited tone:
“Third Prince, please change into your clothes as quickly as possible. We have a lot of training tasks today!”
Jiang Xingyan watched Xiao Chonghua head into the training ground with a dark expression, feeling quite lighthearted.
He’s been spying on me for so long; he has to pay some price for it.
She looked at the spirited soldiers and secretly tried to muster her energy, but still found no strength at all.
Just as she was about to invite Imperial Physician Sun for another examination, the guards at the gate brought him and Sun Yaxiang over to her.
“General, Imperial Physician Sun is here to see you.”
Jiang Xingyan spun around, surprised and delighted. “Imperial Physician Sun, it seems we share a telepathic connection—hmm? What’s wrong?”
She immediately noticed that Imperial Physician Sun’s eyes were red, as if he had been crying.
“Did someone bully you, Imperial Physician Sun? I will definitely stand up for you!”
Sun Miao struggled to hold back the emotions that “Huo Ci” kept stirring up in him. He glanced back at Sun Yaxiang, who was looking down, and before he could even speak, he started to kneel.
Jiang Xingyan, quick as ever, caught him before his knees touched the ground.
“Imperial Physician Sun, what are you doing? You’re going to overwhelm me, Huo.”
“This old man humbly requests that General Huo look after Yaxiang!”
Jiang Xingyan’s heart skipped a beat. “Absolutely not! Huo is already married with a daughter—I can’t possibly delay Miss Yaxiang’s future!”
She had also promised Princess Shi’an that she would marry her!
Imperial Physician Sun: ?
Sun Yaxiang: !
“Who wants to marry you, you arrogant jerk!” Sun Yaxiang blurted out, red-faced and defiant, cutting off her grandfather before he could speak.
The bittersweet emotion Sun Miao had just been building was instantly shattered by “Huo Ci’s” remark, leaving him utterly speechless.
“You…” Are you crazy? He swallowed the second half of the sentence and said grumpily, “General Huo is overthinking this. This old man is only here to send Yaxiang to join the army.”
“Join the army?!” Jiang Xingyan was too stunned to feel awkward. “Imperial Physician Sun, you—”
“You don’t need to explain, General. This old man knows exactly what joining the army means. But if Yaxiang wants to go, let her go. Children grow up, and they need to see the world. Still, I’d like to ask the General, for the sake of our past relationship, to take good care of her—and try to make sure she comes back alive.”
By the end, the old physician’s throat felt as if it were stuffed with a thick clump of cotton. It stuck there, neither up nor down, and he could no longer make a sound.
“Grandfather!” Sun Yaxiang secretly wiped away her tears, her gaze full of determination. “When you followed General Huo’s grandfather to the battlefield, you were two years younger than I am now. I want to be like you and go to the front lines, where healers are needed most, and save as many people as I can, one by one.”
Sun Miao’s face was streaked with tears. He had several grandsons, but none of them suited his heart as well as this granddaughter. How could he bear to send her to the dangerous borderlands? But they were healers! If even they were afraid to die, what would the soldiers do?
“Imperial Physician Sun, rest assured. Huo will bring Doctor Sun back intact, lively and well—or I’ll offer my head in apology!”
Sun Miao looked up in shock and saw that “Huo Ci’s” expression was utterly solemn, without a trace of mockery. “Not only will I stake my life on it, but Miss Jiang’s life as well.”
Sun Miao and Sun Yaxiang: …
“Just swear on yourself, don’t drag others into it, okay?” —As if you’re not afraid that everyone will figure out the two of you swapped bodies, right?
Sun Miao realized that whenever he faced “Huo Ci,” his anger flared up uncontrollably. Miss Jiang seemed like such a quiet, gentle girl on the outside—how could her soul be so mischievous and clever?
Sun Miao hadn’t shared his suspicions with his granddaughter. Sun Yaxiang, completely unaware, shot “Huo Ci” a fierce glare. What kind of person is this? She didn’t want to argue with him further on this matter, so she deliberately changed the subject:
“How is Miss Jiang? Has she woken up yet?”
Jiang Xingyan shook her head. “No. And Huo’s internal energy hasn’t returned either.”
Sun Miao, without another word, reached out and took “Huo Ci’s” pulse, stroking his beard thoughtfully. “…That shouldn’t be. Your meridians are recovering well; she should have— ”
“How about Imperial Physician Sun and Doctor Sun come back to my residence with me to check on Miss Jiang as well?”
“That works perfectly.”
——-
Huo Ci didn’t know why he still hadn’t woken up. His body’s meridians were completely severed, but with his deep internal energy and sturdy physique, they had mostly healed overnight. There was no reason for him to remain unconscious. He could even feel someone enter the room. Was it A Yan? When he didn’t wake, did she think of him? Probably not, given how clingy Yun Chunfeng was.
Thinking of that, he suddenly understood: his subconscious just didn’t want to wake up. He was afraid that if he woke, he’d see A Yan and Yun Chunfeng all lovey-dovey again. He was afraid that after their souls swapped back, he’d lose track of A Yan completely. So he’d rather just lie here. At least A Yan would come to see him—even if it was just for her body’s sake.
Sun Miao took Huo Ci’s pulse. Everything was normal. There was just some qi deficiency in his dantian, but that shouldn’t have caused such a long coma. Sun Yaxiang followed suit, and after feeling Huo Ci’s pulse, she thoughtfully pulled out a gold needle from her acupuncture kit.
“Grandfather, I want to try needling Miss Jiang’s conception and governor vessels, as well as her vital points like Tanzhong and Huantiao. The idea is to guide the internal qi toward the meridians and see if we can give it a push?”
Sun Miao frowned. This was the gold needle qi-guiding method. Though feasible, it was extremely taxing, and the points involved were all death points. One slip, and the patient’s life would be in danger. Right now, “Miss Jiang” was only in a coma; she could wake up any day, any hour, any moment. If he ended up needling her to death, what would become of the soul inside “Huo Ci’s” body?
“This method is risky—”
“Doctor Sun, please give it a try! Might as well treat a dead horse like it’s alive.”
Sun Yaxiang was about to explode with anger. Listen to that! What kind of talk is that? Who talks about a lady that way? How could someone like him be considered a great hero?
“General Huo, please leave!”
“Okay, got it!”
Jiang Xingyan obediently stepped out of the main room, and Sun Yaxiang slammed her gold needle case onto the table in fury. Sun Miao’s mouth twitched as he watched his granddaughter’s face turn green with rage. He felt genuinely sorry for her. Poor child, you’re trying to save her, but she’s the one getting on your nerves!
