Reborn: The First Rank "Madam"

C15 – Make Every Possible Effort

After an extended search, Zuo Shaoqing eventually located a carving knife left behind by a carpenter, along with a brazier and silver char thoughtfully prepared by Luo Xiaoliu.

Carefully transferring the injured individual onto the bed, Zuo Shaoqing covered him with a blanket and ignited the charcoal brazier. Subsequently, he hurried out the door, scouring the surroundings for Purple Pearl Grass to staunch the bleeding.

With all the necessary supplies in place, Zuo Shaoqing even used the teapot to fetch a pot of water. It was a thoughtful gesture on Luo Xiaoliu’s part, knowing Zuo Shaoqing’s fondness for tea, as she had readied a teapot for him.

After heating the carving knife in the flames, Zuo Shaoqing took a deep breath before gently lifting the blanket.

“Brother, this is my first attempt at saving someone’s life. If, by any chance, I make a mistake, please don’t hold it against me!” With these words, he pinpointed the man’s acupoint.

The sensation of a sharp blade penetrating flesh caused Zuo Shaoqing’s hands to quiver. His gaze grew distant, and this feeling was all too familiar; in his previous life, he had wielded a knife to end the lives of numerous individuals.

Zuo Shaoqing bit down on his lip. The pain served as a reminder of the task at hand. He carefully incised the tissue surrounding the wound and extracted the two arrows. Subsequently, he applied the crushed herbs to the wound.

A quick glance around revealed that he had overlooked preparing a cloth strip. He reluctantly removed the undergarment from the injured man, cutting it into strips with his knife and using them to bind the wound.

Upon completing these tasks, Zuo Shaoqing sensed a chill spreading across his back. Surprisingly, he had broken out in a sweat on this winter night.

He devoted a quarter of an hour to observing the two wounds, ensuring the bleeding had ceased before he finally breathed a sigh of relief. To be honest, he lacked any experience in tending to patients.

After emptying the teapot’s hot water onto the remaining cloth and casually wiping his hands, Zuo Shaoqing’s gaze remained fixed on the partially unclothed man lying in the bed, and his concern deepened.

Considering the severity of the man’s injuries, there was no way he would be able to leave the bed within the next ten days to half a month. Furthermore, Zuo Shaoqing had just discovered the presence of significant internal injuries.

Could I simply abandon him on the mountain? Would that mean all my efforts to save him had been in vain?

Zuo Shaoqing clenched his fist and thought with frustration, “I never expected that I, Zuo Shaoqing, would have to do a good deed before proceeding with my wicked ones. It appears that even fate disapproves of my past actions, the many lives I took.”

Zuo Shaoqing turned and exited the hut. He descended the mountain using Qing Gong and then scaled the academy’s rear wall. In the kitchen, he skillfully secured two cold steamed buns from the steamer before returning to the mountain.

Placing the two steamed buns beside the man’s pillow, Zuo Shaoqing bent down to retrieve the purse that had fallen while removing his clothes. He addressed the person on the bed, saying, “Whatever is inside, it’s mine now. Consider it payment for your medical expenses.”

“If you don’t object, I’ll assume you’re in agreement.” Zuo Shaoqing examined the finely embroidered bag, tutting in amusement. “If Miss Zuo were to see this craftsmanship, he might not be so haughty, thinking he’s unrivaled in the world. He’s like a frog in a well.”

Unwrapping the bundle, Zuo Shaoqing emptied the bag’s contents onto the table and began to inspect them carefully with a carving knife.

Silver… No!

Silver banknotes… Nor!

Even the jade pendants that wealthy families usually didn’t have!

Zuo Shaoqing felt a tinge of disappointment. His current financial state was dire, and leaving the Zuo Family would leave him with no resources to his name.

Perhaps it’s wiser to proceed step by step. Zuo Shaoqing casually picked up the unremarkable items strewn across the table.

Among them was a wooden plaque, charcoal-black in appearance, bearing a strange yet vaguely familiar pattern. After examining it several times to no avail, Zuo Shaoqing discarded it.

He spotted a transparent pearl, its interior aglow with a crimson bloom when held up to the oil lamp. Recognizing its rarity, Zuo Shaoqing stowed it away in his bag.

A piece of paper bore the word “Changping,” its handwriting crude enough to make it unrecognizable to anyone unfamiliar with those two words. No matter how Zuo Shaoqing scrutinized it, he couldn’t discern its significance, so he tossed it into the brazier.

Zuo Shaoqing examined the last item at length but couldn’t identify its purpose. It resembled a key, yet its worth didn’t seem significant. He tossed it aside with the wooden plaque.

“Seems like this person’s identity is more complex than mere wealth,” Zuo Shaoqing mused. Had the purse contained silver coins, it would have been unremarkable, but not a single copper coin was inside. This indicated that the person wasn’t accustomed to carrying money.

“Given that these items were kept in such an exquisite bag, they must hold some significance. I’ll collect them for now and think about their purpose later,” Zuo Shaoqing decided, cheerfully tucking everything into his pocket.

As dawn approached, Zuo Shaoqing decided not to linger any longer. He cast a final glance at the unconscious man before setting off towards the Zuo Mansion.

Upon returning to the small courtyard, Zuo Shaoqing had inadvertently crossed paths with Yin. By the time Nanny Liu roused from her slumber, Zuo Shaoqing had already undone Luo Xiaoliu’s sleep-inducing acupuncture point and drifted off into his own dreams.

On this occasion, he slumbered throughout the morning, but his rest was fitful. His dreams were inundated with fragments from his past life, disconcerting his mental equilibrium.

“Ah…” Zuo Shaoqing abruptly sat up in bed, clutching his chest as he struggled to catch his breath. He made no effort to wipe away the cold sweat beading on his forehead.

“That pattern…” Zuo Shaoqing exclaimed. Throwing off his blanket, he rose from the bed, paced around twice, and then leaped back onto the mattress, retrieving an ornate bag from beneath his pillow. Impatiently, he emptied its contents onto the wooden board.

Zuo Shaoqing stared at the eagle-like symbol in bewilderment. Below it was a dense sphere of flames, mirroring the scene from his dreams. He muttered to himself in a daze, “Could it be…? That’s right… Could that person possibly…? It can’t be, can it?”

He recalled that the individual who had come to propose to the Zuo Family still had over ten days remaining before his arrival. Coincidentally, while participating in the hometown examination, Zuo Shaoqing had returned from Changping and heard the astounding news.

“Could it be that he learned of the Zuo Family while recuperating in Youuxi Town in his previous life, prompting him to decide to wed into the Zuo Family?” Zuo Shaoqing speculated. It seemed to be the only explanation. Why else would a dignified Duke Zhen believe that there was a Zuo Family dwelling in such a remote locale?

What should he do now? Last night, he had kicked the man several times, seized his pouch, and incinerated his message. Without much thought, he even extracted the arrowhead lodged in him.

Moreover, Zuo Shaoqing knew that even if he hadn’t saved him, others would have come to his aid. Therefore, this so-called debt of gratitude for saving his life was essentially negligible.

As a result, the purse now felt uncomfortably hot in his hands, and he found himself yearning to return it to Lu Zheng’s embrace.

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