The Martial Doctor

"Your Highness, there is only so much I can do. I’ll arrange for you to take a bath, and then have someone escort you back," Lin Miao said.

Feeling light and filled with a surging power within, Zhao Yuanze felt more at ease than ever, as if regaining the vitality of a seventeen or eighteen-year-old.

And truly, Zhao Yuanze’s body had been mistreated by himself; a man in his thirties with the body of a sixty-year-old, but after this treatment, his body was rejuvenated to that of about forty.

For him, this was indeed a feeling of rebirth.

"Thank you, Mr. Lin. From now on, you are like a brother to me. As long as I am here, I assure you of great fortune," Zhao Yuanze promised excitedly.

"Thank you, Your Highness, but please refrain from saying such things in front of others, lest they overthink," Lin Miao quickly responded.

"Haha, understood. I will remember, you are a brother in my heart, and I shall not speak of it to anyone," Zhao Yuanze reassured solemnly, glancing at Lin Miao with a distinct expression.

"I humbly thank Your Highness."

After arranging Zhao Yuanze’s bath and preparing some small dishes, they shared a couple of drinks. Only at the end of the hour did Lin Miao personally see Zhao Yuanze off and instructed Qiu Ze to escort him back to the inn with two others for protection.

Lin Miao knew that there were always Royal Meridian Realm experts accompanying Zhao Yuanze for safety. Unless they encountered extreme force, safety was not an issue.

Especially within Dongshan City, any threat would be a risk to Pei Jian’s life.

...

At the inn.

Crown Princess Consort Yua was anxiously waiting. Zhao Yuanze had been gone for more than two hours, and there was still no sign of his return.

From the inn to the Lin Residence, it was only the time it took to drink a cup of tea. By now, they should have finished their conversation.

Even with royal escorts, as a woman, the Crown Princess Consort was still worried about her husband’s safety, especially since this was not the imperial city of Li Jing.

"Has Your Highness returned yet?"

"Not yet..."

Nearly every interval, she would inquire again, only to hear "not yet," and the feeling of being out of control was deeply unsettling.

It was already midnight, and he still hadn’t returned. The Crown Prince had never gone out alone before in the entire time the Crown Princess Consort had been married to him; this was the first time.

Of course, this trip to Dongshan involved quite a few firsts, and the Crown Princess Consort had grown somewhat numb, transitioning from constant worry.

"Madam, His Highness has returned."

"He’s back..." The Crown Princess Consort Yua abruptly stood up and quickly ran outside, a rare show of tension and loss of composure for the usually dignified Crown Princess Consort.

Zhao Yuanze returned at ease. It had been years since he felt this comfortable, with the cold weather outside, yet his heart felt warm as if there was a fire inside. Even the fox fur cloak and the portable hand warmer were unnecessary.

The feeling was so rejuvenating, it was as though he returned to the youthful and fierce days of seventeen or eighteen.

"Your Highness, my lord, why didn’t you wear your fur coat? It’s so cold outside. What will we do if you truly catch cold?" Yua was shocked to see the Crown Prince return without wearing a fur coat and rushed forward to take the fox fur from the royal escort to drape it over him.

"Oh, my lady, there is no need. Look, I’m not cold at all," Zhao Yuanze said, grasping Yua’s hand.

"Ah!" Yua exclaimed in surprise. During winter, the Crown Prince’s hands were always cold, even with a hand warmer.

Time spent in Dongshan was much better than when in the capital, even though it was colder at times than the palace, sometimes negating the need for a hand warmer.

This indicated that the Crown Prince’s health had indeed improved, which made Consort Yuan gradually believe in Lin Miao’s formidable medical skills.

Could the Crown Prince not have sought out the renowned physicians in the capital? Yet, after much examination and medication, there was little effect.

Compared to this Mr. Lin, who in less than a month exhibited significant improvement, how could those famous doctors compare?

However, tonight’s warmth was unprecedented, shocking Yua: "Your Highness, could it be that you caught a fever?"

"A fever, my lady, what are you talking about? I’m not feverish; feel it yourself," Zhao Yuanze said, guiding Yua’s hand to his forehead.

Yua touched his forehead, then her own, realizing it was slightly cooler than hers. If he had a fever, it should have felt hot, clearly not the case.

"Your Highness, what is going on?"

"My lady, let me tell you, Mr. Lin’s medical skills are truly wondrous. He used a new treatment method tonight..."

Afterward, Lin Miao explained to himself about the treatment method used on the Crown Prince, lest he thought it hadn’t been used before.

If it were an ordinary patient, it wouldn’t matter; they would understand. But the Crown Prince was no ordinary person. Whether or not he would think of it otherwise was unknown, but if he thought you held back a treatment before then what’s that supposed to mean?

I am the Crown Prince, the future emperor, yet you kept this a secret from me at first, wasting my time and effort. Such resentment might indeed arise.

Therefore, it needed explaining that this method could only be used after his recent breakthrough in cultivation. Before, he was willing but unable.

Didn’t he nearly collapse from exhaustion?

As for whether Zhao Yuanze believed it, that was out of his control. If he believed, then the relationship could continue.

If not, they could part ways.

They bore no grudge with the Crown Prince; they’d treat him like any ordinary patient, wholeheartedly aiming to heal.

"Huh, my martial arts cultivation..." Zhao Yuanze suddenly heard a slight "crack" within him, like the sound of an eggshell cracking.

His martial arts cultivation, stuck in the Bone Forging Realm, suddenly broke through at that moment.

Blood Fusion!

Zhao Yuanze’s complexion was flushed, overwhelmed with joy: "My lady, quickly, I am about to break through..."

"Breakthrough?" Yua was bewildered, unclear about what the Crown Prince meant. She didn’t practice martial arts and had no concept of it.

"His Highness’s cultivation has advanced. Quickly, prepare a quiet room for him," the accompanying royal escort explained hurriedly, realizing the situation.

"Oh, oh..." Yua quickly understood and immediately nodded to make arrangements.

The royal escort’s eyes flickered as he had not entered the Lin Residence earlier, per the Crown Prince’s instructions. However, he sensed the hidden potential inside the Lin Residence, with at least three or four strong presences, especially one surpassing him by three folds.

These insights, he decided against sharing with the Crown Prince as his duty was to ensure the Crown Prince’s safety as assigned by the emperor. Though he obeyed the Crown Prince’s arrangements, he wouldn’t voluntarily disclose such matters.

As long as the Crown Prince’s safety was assured, he would refrain from speaking further. The Crown Prince might not become the future sovereign, and as a skilled expert, he saw no need to pledge allegiance to a Crown Prince whose fate and future were uncertain.

Besides, part of his duty was also to monitor the Crown Prince on behalf of the emperor.

However, after the Crown Prince’s visit to the Lin Residence, despite the lengthy stay, upon return, his long-stagnant martial arts cultivation unexpectedly broke through.

Such coincidence was astonishing.

This attending Royal Meridian Realm expert felt extraordinary shock, having closely accompanied the Crown Prince recently. He was aware of the Crown Prince’s half-hearted practice—barely maintaining his current stage made any advancement seem far-fetched.

Yet the Crown Prince hadn’t practiced rigorously, merely doing minimal exercises.

This clearly had less to do with the Crown Prince himself, evidently a result of the efforts of that Mr. Lin.

Mr. Lin’s abilities were tremendously impressive, enabling the Crown Prince, stagnant for years, to approach a breakthrough within a mere two hours, a threshold easily surpassed.

The Crown Prince’s breakthrough wasn’t marked by much disturbance; mainly, a quiet environment was needed to gather energy and stabilize his cultivation.

Though initially lacking in skill, the Crown Prince possessed the necessary awareness.