The old man and the young man had been drinking together for days and had become very familiar, now calling each other brothers.
As Leng Ruo Li, Lu Li Luo, and Yan Yu stepped through the courtyard gate, they heard the sounds of them playing finger-guessing games.
Everyone present was stunned by the scene before their eyes.
Old Man Lu and Prince Xian Jun Mo Yu were in the small pavilion in the courtyard, gathered around a table. With one foot each resting on a stone stool, they were incessantly playing finger-guessing games.
Calling each other “brother”…
Around the small pavilion were several medium-sized wine jars.
These two, by age, were practically grandfather and grandson, yet they had become sworn brothers.
“Grandpa, why have you drunk so much again?”
Lu Li Luo hurried forward and snatched the wine jar from Old Man Lu’s embrace.
“Quick, give me back my wine jar!”
Seeing his wine jar snatched away, Old Man Lu became agitated on the spot.
“Grandpa, you’re really making me so angry!” Lu Li Luo shouted in exasperation.
She almost burst into tears.
“Yin Chen, you and the others carry Prince Xian into the imperial palace,” Jun Mo Han said with a chilling tone.
Unexpectedly, Prince Xian, who had been quite drunk, became much clearer upon hearing the words “imperial palace.” However, two guards had already hoisted him up.
“No! *Hic*! Second Royal Brother, please don't carry me into the imperial palace, *hic*! Otherwise, Father Emperor and Mother Consort will surely beat and scold me for drinking, *hic*! I beg you, Second Royal Brother, your younger brother will never dare again. *Hic*!”
As the group carried Prince Xian, he spoke while hiccuping, his mind foggy, reeking of alcohol.
“You know you’ll be beaten and scolded, so why did you drink so much with Old Man Lu?” Jun Mo Han felt utterly disappointed in his younger brother.
“Second Royal Brother, you and Second Royal Sister-in-law said that Old Lu… Old Man Lu saved my life that day, and I misunderstood him. I knew he loved wine, so I went to the Xian Niang Pavilion and bought over twenty jars of good wine as an apology to Old Man Lu. Then, Old Man Lu asked me to have a couple of drinks with him, and that’s how we ended up like this.”
Hearing Prince Xian’s explanation, everyone couldn't help but want to laugh.
Especially the guards from the Cold Prince’s manor who were more familiar with Prince Xian’s personality; they almost suffered internal injuries from holding back their laughter.
He clearly just wanted to drink, yet he claimed Old Man Lu asked him to accompany him. That Old Man Lu was quite protective of his wine; once Chu Ming Xuan had sought half a cup of wine from him to help with medication, and he had refused to give it.
“Yin Chen, quickly escort him into the palace.”
“Steward, from today onwards, without the permission of this Prince and the Princess Consort, Prince Xian is not to enter the Cold Prince’s manor again.”
Jun Mo Han immediately issued the order.
“Yes, Your Highness, this subordinate obeys!” The guards standing in the courtyard quickly replied respectfully.
Afterward, Yin Chen led a few people to escort Prince Xian back to the imperial palace.
Once Prince Xian had left, Leng Ruo Li instructed the steward to call a few servants to help Old Man Lu into his room to rest.
Lu Li Luo and Yan Yu stayed by his side, caring for him.
The next day, Leng Ruo Li woke up early and did her morning exercises. Afterward, she immediately hid in her dimension to wash her hair and change into simple, clean clothes, then blow-dried her hair.
When she emerged from her dimension and opened her room door, she saw Jun Mo Han personally leading Leng Jin Yu and Xie Yi Chuan into Han Che Courtyard.
“Hmm, didn’t Jun Mo Han say last night that he was going to some pavilion this morning to handle his own matters? Why is he back so soon?” Leng Ruo Li murmured to herself.
“Li’er, Father-in-law and Eldest Brother have arrived.” Just as she was thinking, Jun Mo Han walked towards Leng Ruo Li with a smile.
“Eldest Brother, we’ll proceed with the surgery in the adjacent room now. Father, you and His Highness wait patiently outside. Please do not barge in; this surgery today is somewhat complex and will require some time.”
Leng Ruo Li gave simple instructions to Leng Jin Yu.
Upon hearing this, Leng Jin Yu nodded vigorously.
Then, Leng Ruo Li led Xie Yi Chuan into the room she had prepared for them the previous night.
“Eldest Brother, you don’t need to be afraid. I’ll give you an injection shortly, and you’ll fall asleep. When you wake up again, you’ll be fine.”
Leng Ruo Li comforted him.
“Li’er, Eldest Brother is not afraid, you can administer it!”
A flawless, perfect smile lit up Xie Yi Chuan’s face, which was attractive from every angle.
It almost mesmerized Leng Ruo Li, a confessed admirer of good looks.
However, she quickly regained her composure, walked behind the room’s screen, secretly took out an anesthetic from her personal dimension, and then walked out again.
Xie Yi Chuan saw the white tube in Leng Ruo Li’s hand, with a slender needle attached to it, which greatly puzzled him.
“Li’er, what is that in your hand?” Xie Yi Chuan asked curiously.
“Eldest Brother, this syringe contains anesthetic. I’ll give you an injection, and then you won’t feel any pain during the surgery.”
Leng Ruo Li briefly explained to Xie Yi Chuan.
“Alright, you can administer it!”
Xie Yi Chuan said readily, without a trace of hesitation. Truly her good elder brother.
This was the first time Leng Ruo Li had encountered someone who wasn’t afraid of the syringe in her hand at all.
Immediately, Leng Ruo Li quickly injected Xie Yi Chuan with a dose of anesthetic, and he gradually fell into a deep sleep.
Afterward, Leng Ruo Li moved Xie Yi Chuan into the operating room in her dimension.
Everything needed for Xie Yi Chuan’s surgery had been prepared in the operating room the previous night. After bringing him in, Leng Ruo Li could directly sterilize, change, and begin the surgery.
First, Leng Ruo Li took a picture of Xie Yi Chuan to confirm the exact location of the blood clot in his head. Then, she shaved off a small patch of his hair, but she dared not shave too much because these ancient people cherished their hair dearly. If she shaved his head too bare, it would affect his appearance.
Once Xie Yi Chuan woke up, he would probably be furious with her.
After preparing the surgical site, she picked up her extremely sharp scalpel and made an incision on Xie Yi Chuan’s head. As this knife went in, the patient did not bleed. Then, Leng Ruo Li took out a special tool to access the skull…
Thus, the blood clot in Xie Yi Chuan’s head was successfully removed. The entire surgery took three hours, but fortunately, it proceeded smoothly throughout.
After the surgery, Leng Ruo Li tidied up the operating room, changed back into the clothes she had worn into her dimension, and returned to the adjoining room. She opened the door and stepped out.
Looking up at the courtyard, she saw Jun Mo Han and Leng Jin Yu enjoying tea under the crooked tree.
Leng Jin Yu looked very excited when he saw Leng Ruo Li come out.
“Li’er, how is your elder brother’s condition? Are you tired?…”
Leng Jin Yu asked several questions in one breath.
“Father, please don’t rush. Let me tell you slowly. *Cough cough*…”
As Leng Ruo Li spoke, her throat felt itchy, and she couldn’t help but cough twice.
Hearing this, Leng Jin Yu and Jun Mo Han quickly turned around and offered Leng Ruo Li their untouched cups of tea.
Leng Ruo Li did not refuse, first drinking the tea her father offered, then also drinking the tea Jun Mo Han handed her.