"Commandery Princess, be careful."
Yuan Yi carefully pushed aside the beams and other debris, revealing Niu Pan’er holding a child, and extended a hand towards her.
"Take the child first," Niu Pan’er said, passing over a little girl of only two or three years old.
Yuan Yi had to take her, holding the child carefully and handing her to the soldier behind him, then pulling Niu Pan’er.
Niu Pan’er let out a muffled groan.
Yuan Yi’s expression changed slightly: "Commandery Princess, are you injured?"
"It’s nothing, my leg was crushed, seems like the bone might be injured," Niu Pan’er tugged at the corner of her mouth.
Yuan Yi felt as if struck by lightning; an injured leg, if serious, could it be crippled?
Everyone worked together to rescue Niu Pan’er from the ruins, supporting her to sit on a cloak spread out on the snow.
Only then did Niu Pan’er see that the trouser leg of her left calf was soaked, dark red in color; it must have been severely crushed.
"Commandery Princess, forgive me," Yuan Yi said with a stern face, tearing away the already tattered cloth. Underneath, the skin was a bloody mess. ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ noᴠelfire.net
Everyone’s faces turned slightly pale.
Yuan Yi pressed around the wound with tightly compressed lips.
Niu Pan’er hissed, her face turning as pale as the snow beside her.
"The bone is likely broken," Yuan Yi’s face turned as dark as the bottom of a pot, feeling a bit resentful, blaming himself for not getting in first, not being as fast as her to enter that room, and as a result, the house collapsed.
If he hadn’t heard that faint crying, maybe...
"It’s nothing serious, just get two planks to stabilize it. The town of Zhou is less than twenty kilometers from here, find a doctor there for bandaging," Niu Pan’er looked at the lieutenant holding the child and asked, "Is the child alright?"
The lieutenant said, "Her breath is a bit weak; specifics require a doctor’s examination."
Niu Pan’er immediately said, "You take two people with you and the child to Zhou town to find a doctor, make some rice soup for her to drink. It’ll take a bit of time to stabilize here, but the child can’t be delayed."
The lieutenant hesitated for a moment.
"That’s an order," Niu Pan’er said with a stern face.
The lieutenant complied, nodded at two soldiers, and used a cloak to secure the child to his chest, riding off on horseback.
Yuan Yi felt a bit uneasy, thinking despite being so injured, she still worried about the child first. Was that girl more precious than she was?
"Don’t keep looking like the bottom of a pot. I was just buried but only got one leg injured; everything else is unharmed, it’s a stroke of luck. Seems Song Yulang passed some good fortune to me as well!" Niu Pan’er said, feigning cheerfulness, "This is good, now I have an excuse to ride back in a carriage the whole way, it’s chilly outside!"
Yuan Yi sneered, "So you know how to pretend to be weak and ride a carriage."
"I’m truly weak, look, ouch," Niu Pan’er moved her leg, grimacing from the pain.
Yuan Yi helplessly said, "Behave yourself, we know you’re weak."
Niu Pan’er gave an embarrassed smile, "Didn’t expect to encounter such a thing on the way back, ha, but as long as the child is alright, that’s fine. As they say, saving a life is better than building a seven-tiered pagoda."
Yuan Yi was silent for a while before saying, "Forgive my directness, but to me, ten children like that aren’t as precious as you. Commandery Princess, you’re the only heir of Prince Dingbei’s Mansion, and you have no successor yet! Please remember, a true gentleman does not stand under a dangerous wall; your life is very precious."
Niu Pan’er smiled faintly, "I know, but aren’t soldiers born for the country and the people?"
Yuan Yi was at a loss for words.
After a long moment, he said, "Would you dare say that to your husband when you return? Let’s see if that pretty-faced husband won’t cry for you, how will you bear it!"
How did this serious-faced guard suddenly change? Using her weak points to attack her, that’s too much!