Chapter 101: Rescuing the Stranger

If they were strangers, treating this man would be no issue at all, but if they were enemies...

At this thought, Yan Heru immediately turned to look at the two men still kneeling on the ground. After a moment of contemplation, she tentatively asked, "Why didn't you go directly to the Prince? Since you know I am the Princess, wouldn't it be better to seek an audience with the Prince directly?"

"Because we don't know the Prince... We wanted to find him, but we couldn't get into the post house," replied the man who had spoken first.

"I see..."

"Princess, please, I know you can treat the cold poison. The fact that the Prince is still doing well today isn't that thanks to your treatment?" The other man suddenly interjected, immediately catching Yan Heru's attention.

"You know the Prince suffers from cold poison?" Yan Heru looked at the pair with caution.

One of the men nodded and continued, "Although we don't know the Prince, our eldest brother does. The cold poison our brother suffers from was contracted while saving the Prince back then."

"Oh? So you two don't know the Prince, but your eldest brother does?"

The two men nodded immediately. Looking at them, Yan Heru felt they did not seem to be lying, yet she knew she should be more prudent regarding such matters.

After giving it some thought, Yan Heru asked, "Since you claim your brother knows my husband, you must provide some proof. As long as you can produce any evidence that your brother knows my husband, I will treat him immediately."

Upon hearing this, the two men exchanged glances, then scratched their heads in confusion, beginning to think earnestly.

Yan Heru sat there quietly waiting for them, unhurried. If Shen Hezhi discovered she was missing, he would surely be frantic in his search. Since she could not be by his side at this moment, worry was inevitable; therefore, she had to be patient and get to the bottom of the situation. She had to ensure this man was not an enemy of the Prince before she could offer treatment.

The two men sat there thinking for a long time until, suddenly, the first man thought of the evidence.

He did not say a word, but went straight to his brother's side and unbuttoned his clothes. Watching this, Yan Heru felt quite helpless. Is this really their brother? Why did they seem to show him so little respect?

The man opened his brother’s clothes and looked at Yan Heru with a grin. "Take a good look. Our brother has a tattoo here. Since you are the Princess, you should know that your husband has the same tattoo. They got them when they became sworn brothers!"

Yan Heru raised an eyebrow. A tattoo? She hadn't expected this world to use that term as well. However, this was a society that favored men over women; for her, a woman, to look at a man's body like this—wouldn't she be at a disadvantage? Although she thought this, the two men seemed to have no such awareness, so she pushed the thought aside.

"Do you believe us now?" one of the men asked anxiously.

Yan Heru nodded and began to take out the silver needles she carried with her to examine the man lying unconscious on the ground.

"His condition is quite severe, but I don't have the necessary herbs with me. You two need to go out and find them," Yan Heru said.

The two men looked at each other. One asked, "But if we both go out to find herbs, what if you run away? If you leave, no one else can save our brother, and we'll be doomed!"

Yan Heru pouted helplessly and replied, "Then what do you propose? Why don't you bring both of us, the unconscious man and me, with you to find the herbs? You don't even know what the herbs look like anyway."

"I think that's a great idea."

The two men agreed immediately. Ultimately, Yan Heru and the unconscious man were carried by the two, and whenever Yan Heru pointed out a herb, they would gather it immediately.

Soon, the necessary herbs were collected. Yan Heru inspected the plants in their arms and felt they would suffice. "These are enough. Let's return to the cave; your brother's condition is critical and requires immediate treatment."

"Right!" Hearing this, the two men sprinted back toward the cave.

Back in the cave, Yan Heru immediately began preparing the herbs. She found a container, placed the herbs inside, and began to decoct them. Because the two men were clueless, they could only stand by and watch her quietly. After a while, Yan Heru told them, "You must watch these herbs carefully. Start timing for me; I need to prepare other things."

"Understood."

"Start timing now, and tell me when a quarter of an hour has passed. Do not be early or late, understand?" Yan Heru instructed them with great seriousness.

She believed that even without her stern tone, they would be cautious, as the man lying unconscious was, after all, their brother.

Yan Heru began processing the other herbs. The man’s condition was even more severe than she had imagined, and the cold poison in his system was much worse than in Shen Hezhi's. She grew curious: how did such a man come to know her husband? And if they were close, why had her husband never mentioned him?

Yan Heru treated the man with the utmost care in the cave, while at the same time, Shen Hezhi was nearly driven to madness. The atmosphere in the entire post house was suffocatingly heavy.

Ano was trembling as she knelt before Shen Hezhi; she was truly terrified this time.

"Are you still not going to tell me where you took the Princess?" Shen Hezhi’s entire being exuded an icy chill that terrified Ano. Even in the presence of Nan An, she had never felt such fear.

Shen Hezhi was a terrifying man—a truly terrifying man. The Nanyang Kingdom would likely have no way to successfully deal with such a person.