"Let me check!" Xuan Cheng crouched and checked Li Quan's pulse, her eyes widened from shock, she gasped, and placed two fingers on his neck to check if he was alive.
"You are right, he has been attacked by some evil cultivator," she concluded.
"Your Highness, please save my brother-in-law, it has been his efforts that my family could earn some merits for you," Li Jiu fell on his knees and pleaded.
"Bring my medicine box, the gold one," she demanded, her eyebrows knitted.
Li Jiu rushed to her carriage and brought her most treasured medicine box, which was actually a box full of pills and antidote that healed such internal injury.
Xuan Cheng took some time, checking the box, as if the pill she needed wasn't there, or she didn't know which one to use, after a while, she took four to five pills from different containers.
She handed them to Li Jiu and said, "Feed them all, right now, it will stabilize his condition for her, he will be out of danger, but he might not wake up."
"Why....?" Li Jiu asked, trembling from horror.
"His body will be in a vegetative state, he might be able to hear us, but he won't be able to respond, once we go to the Capital City, I will treat him.
I am sure he will wake up by then," she assured him and everyone else, who breathed a sigh of relief.
Xuan Cheng went back to her carriage, and they resumed their journey again, Huan who was riding on a horse side by side with her, asked, "Your Highness, aren't we in danger? that evil cultivator might be somewhere around here."
"He is here and currently watching us," Xuan Cheng replied, preoccupied with her thoughts.
"What? He must be thinking of attacking us," she scanned her surrounding and spoke trembling.
"No- He isn't thinking of attacking us, he has already made his move, but my fire-frost shield has defeated him, he can't make his way in," Xuan Cheng assured her maid.
"Is he one of those from Evil Lord's palace?" Huan asked, her voice penetrating the drape of the window.
Staring at the oil-painted wall of carriage across her, she was immersed in her deep thoughts but she heard her and responded, "Obviously, as from what I know, he has united all those evil cultivators to empower himself, those who don't obey him end up with a miserable death.
However, I don't understand one thing, why would the Evil Lord go after Li Quan? Did he get an idea about me?"
"No way, Your Highness, you left the Mansion not long ago and you haven't used your powers yet, how can he track you?" Huan questioned her assumption.
Meanwhile, Li Jiu who was other side of the carriage was listening to them, he spoke, "Even if Her Highness uses her powers, there is no way he can track her because she has reached the Tian Limit, moreover, the shield Her Highness has formed prevents him from tracking.
Anyone who is below the Tian Limit and is under the shield, he won't be able to track them either," he explained, his agony and grief embedded in his tone.
"Then, why would he attack your brother-in-law?" Huan asked him directly.
"I can't care for the reason, I only know he has been rescued on time," he replied, sighing gloomily.
"Jiu, don't worry, Li Quan is as important to me as he is to you, I don't know why Evil Lord came after him, but I know for sure, Li Quan is the heart of Duyi, and he must live," Xuan Cheng comforted her head eunuch in her own way.
"I trust Your Highness more than I trust myself," Li Jiu responded.
"How long will it take for us to reach the capital?" she asked, after a pause.
"Half an hour, I can see the magnificent gate from here," Li Jiu replied, as soon as he noticed.
"I feel sleepy, I am going to take a nap.
Show them this badge when we enter, and instruct them not to alarm their higher-ups.
I don't want any nuisance before I settle down in the mansion.
And make sure, nobody must know my identity," she instructed, handing out a carved jade badge carved with characters that said, 'Imperial Princess'.
"Yes, Your Highness," Li Jiu took the jade badge and kept it inside his pocket.
...
The magnificent gate was a sight to behold, as it stood tall and proud at the entrance of the Imperial City of the Zhao Empire.
A marvel of engineering and architecture, built with thick stone walls that could withstand any attack or siege.
It was reinforced with iron bars and wooden beams that added strength and stability and had two large doors that swung open and closed with the help of ropes and pulleys that were operated by skilled workers.
The gate was also a place of mystery and wonder, as people witnessed the events and the changes that shaped their history and their destiny.
It was often visited by heroes, legends, and miracles, who brought with them glory and hope. The gate was also a place of fate and destiny, as people met their lovers and their enemies, who changed their lives forever.
On top of the gate, there was a watchtower where guards kept a vigilant eye on the traffic and the surroundings, ready to sound the alarm or fire the arrows if needed.
The people did not see the princess's caravan yet, as it was still far away from the gate, hidden by the hills and the trees.
Her palanquin, which was a luxurious carriage that was large enough to fit six people comfortably, but only contained her, symbolizing her loneliness in the vast world.
The palanquin had windows and doors that were adorned with pearls and jewels that sparkled in the sun and had a veil of lace and flowers that covered the princess's face, concealing her identity and appearance.
The six horses that pulled the palanquin, which was of the rarest breed and colour, were white as snow, with black spots and stripes.
The horses had long manes and tails that flowed in the wind. The horses had saddles and harnesses that were made of leather and gold and had bells and ribbons that jingled and fluttered as they moved.
Something about the Imperial City was a fact, it was both a heaven and a hell, no matter who one is, from a little bird to the high ranking official, nobody was at peace with their heart.
Each one bears an unseen weight and pressure, those who didn't accept their role in this mysterious city or those who do more than they are required are bound to sail the sea of the afterlife.
Xuan Cheng hasn't entered the city yet, but there was already a problem in front of her, the trusted aid, the pillar of her business, and the face of her pharmacy was attacked by an evil cultivator.
If he doesn't recover on time, her entire business will be in great trouble, she knew her decision of delegating the authority to different people was right. If she had not taken drastic measures to reform Duyi, she would have fallen into a dark pit full of scary creatures.