During these five days, everyone in the Imperial Hospital was in dire straits.
Especially Jiang Yubai.
The second princess Qi Bingzhi has become a little strange since her last miscarriage. She always touches her belly and talks to herself for no apparent reason, as if she is talking to the baby in her belly.
But in fact, not only did she lose her child, she would never be able to have children again. Her body had changed due to years of drug abuse.
As time went by, Qi Bingzhi's symptoms became more and more obvious, and he even looked a little crazy. Whenever he met someone, he would ask, "Where's the baby? Have you seen the baby? Where did the baby go?"
The Queen was heartbroken but there was nothing she could do, so she locked Qi Bingzhi in her bedroom and summoned people from the Imperial Hospital to treat him.
But Qi Bingzhi's madness was really strange. The entire Imperial Hospital had examined her pulse, but still could not find a solution.
Even Jiang Yubai was helpless, and he always suspected that there was something fishy about the matter.
However, the Queen was furious because she could not cure Qi Bingzhi and wanted to punish everyone in the Imperial Hospital.
At this time, Jiang Yubai stood up and took all the blame alone.
The Queen only laughed coldly and said, "Since Imperial Doctor Jiang said that he has to bear the responsibility alone, then sentence him to death."
Jiang Yubai was a rare medical genius who had made countless contributions in the palace over the years. However, the idea of executing him was actually just a matter of a word from the royal family.
But the Queen was determined to execute him. First, Jiang Yubai said something very outrageous in public. He had found ways to exonerate other people in the Imperial Hospital, but he had not taken himself into consideration.
Secondly, the Queen got the news from somewhere that Jiang Yubai had saved Pei Zheng's life many years ago, so she guessed that Jiang Yubai was Pei Zheng's man. It would be dangerous to keep him in the palace. Besides, only Jiang Yubai knew the inside story of Qi Bingzhi's miscarriage and infertility. If she killed him, this matter would become a secret forever.
Jiang Yubai did not return to the Imperial Hospital, but was directly imprisoned.
The two jailers in charge of guarding Jiang Yubai had been bribed by the Queen's people, and they were determined to make this ignorant imperial physician suffer before he died.
This prison is dark and damp. Once you are locked up here, you can't tell the difference between day and night.
Jiang Yubai's arms were hung high up and twisted into a strange posture. The weight of his entire body could only be supported by his wrists bound by iron chains.
After being hung like this for a long time, Jiang Yubai's wrist was dragged and dislocated.
He is a doctor, so he naturally knows that if he continues to hang like this, it will not just be a dislocation, but the entire arm may be disabled.
But other injuries have made him ignore the pain in his wrist.
The cold, soft whip had some tiny barbs on it that could tear off some flesh with a slight lift. After being whipped a few times by such a whip, the whole body would become a bloody mess.
After just one beating, Jiang Yubai's white robe had turned bright red, with blood dripping down his hem.
Jiang Yubai couldn't stop shaking from the pain. He had treated so many people, some suffering from terminal illnesses and poisons, and some dying, but he never knew that it would be so painful before death. Instead, death became a relief.
The two jailers got some medicine from somewhere that could prevent wounds from healing, and they smeared it all on the whip.
Therefore, the wounds on Jiang Yubai's body could not stop bleeding for a long time, and he could only watch his skin and flesh tear apart and the blood flow continuously from the wounds.
Due to excessive blood loss, Jiang Yubai's face became even paler, and his eyes, which used to show emotion clearly, were now covered with a layer of gray. His messy hair blocked his face, hiding his former radiance.
After he passed out from consciousness, a bucket of cold water was poured over his head.
A jailer was holding a bucket of water, looking a little reluctant, but he could not disobey the queen's order.
"Doctor Jiang, you are not allowed to faint. If you faint, you will be poured with cold water. It is not pleasant to be poured with cold water in such a cold weather, so you better hold on."
Jiang Yubai was soaked all over, the water flowing down was all red and bloody, he was shivering from the cold, his gums were almost broken.
“Is it time to use torture again?”
The jailer said, "The time will come. Why don't you take a breath first?"
Jiang Yubai shook his head and said, "Come on while you are numb now."
The two jailers sighed, picked up the whip and started to torture.
The whip had just hit Jiang Yubai's broken body when the dim candle in the cell flickered twice and suddenly went out.
The surroundings suddenly became pitch black. How could there be wind in such an airtight prison
The moment the candle went out, a dark shadow loomed before Jiang Yubai's eyes. Unfortunately, his eyelids were too heavy and he couldn't lift his eyes to see clearly who it was.
With a flash of sword light, the chain on Jiang Yubai's wrist was cut off. He groaned in pain, his body fell limply, and was then embraced by someone.
The jailer relit the candle, but was shocked by the scene before him. A man in black appeared in the cell, but no one heard the sound of the cell door opening.
"You, who are you? How dare you break into the prison?"
Chengfeng supported Jiang Yubai, his face revealed in the candlelight. His tense brows concealed a strong murderous intent.
He ignored the two jailers' questions and just said to Jiang Yubai, who was covered in blood, "I'll take you away."
The two jailers only then saw clearly that the black-clothed man was wearing a jade token, which was a pass to travel to any place in the Celestial Empire. They were fortunate enough to have seen it on Prime Minister Pei, so the man in front of them must also be from the Prime Minister's Mansion.
Jiang Yubai's breath was weak, but his tone was firm.
'I can't leave'
If he left, then the entire Imperial Hospital staff whom he had fought so hard to protect would probably be convicted again. More importantly, Chengfeng and even the entire Prime Minister's Mansion would be implicated.
Chengfeng pursed his lips slightly and stared at Jiang Yubai.
How could he not know what Jiang Yubai was thinking? As a doctor, although Jiang Yubai often looked nonchalant, he was actually very soft-hearted and kind-hearted.
Since he doesn't want to leave, then I won't leave.
The two jailers looked at the people in front of them with fear. If they lost the people that the Queen asked them to guard, then their lives would be lost as well. But they did not dare to provoke the people in the Prime Minister's Mansion easily, as they might lose their lives as well.
Chengfeng felt the dampness and coldness of Jiang Yu's white robe, as well as Huairen's unstoppable shivering. He took off his outer robe with one hand and put it on the person in his arms.
Then, Chengfeng took the whipping for Jiang Yubai.
The two jailers thought to themselves that the Queen's men only said that the prisoners in this cell would be whipped more often every day. Although the whip was applied to Chengfeng, it was considered that they had completed their mission.
The Queen's family and Prime Minister Pei are incompatible. If we can show some kindness to the Prime Minister's Mansion, the two jailers will turn a blind eye.
But even though Chengfeng had his inner strength to protect him, he could not withstand the daily whipping. Coupled with the medicine that prevented wounds from healing, after a few days, Chengfeng's body was covered with bloody marks.
When Chengfeng came, he brought some medicines for treating injuries, but he gave them all to Jiang Yubai, and Jiang Yubai finally got a chance to catch his breath.
Every day when Chengfeng was whipped, Jiang Yubai could only watch with tears rolling down his cheeks, but he had no strength to stop it.
Fortunately, there was a spy planted by the Prime Minister's Office in the prison, and the spy took a lot of effort to deliver the note that Chengfeng wanted to pass to Pei Zheng.
It was five days later when Pei Zheng received the note.
Pei Zheng entered the palace and headed straight for the prison in the palace. However, halfway there he was summoned to the main hall by an imperial decree from the emperor.
The emperor used the excuse of discussing border affairs to delay Pei Zheng. After seeing his intention, the emperor even said bluntly, "Impossible."
Pei Zheng paused for a moment.
"If you want to plead for Jiang Yubai, then there is no need to say anything more."
The emperor said, "It was the queen's intention to punish him. If he can't cure Bing'er, he will have to pay a price."
"Your Majesty, if this is the case, then there can be no incurable disease in this world?"
"Bing'er was stimulated later in life, and her body was also damaged."
When the emperor said this, his eyes changed as he looked at Pei Zheng, "Your Highness Pei should know these things better than I do."
Pei Zheng's heart sank when he saw that the emperor was determined to go with the queen this time. If the matter was delayed any further, Jiang Yubai would probably die in prison before the day of the execution.
"Your Majesty, I have someone to recommend."
The emperor finally agreed to Pei Zheng's proposal and let Shen Huan come to the palace to treat Qi Bingzhi. If he could cure him, Jiang Yubai and everyone in the Imperial Hospital would be spared. If he could not cure him, Shen Huan would not be implicated.
Shen Huan only knew that the second princess in the palace had contracted an incurable madness, and then the queen wanted to execute Jiang Yubai.
She brought Shen Shijiu and followed the servant into the palace, and then was taken directly to Qi Bingzhi's bedroom by several eunuchs.
Shen Huan stood still and said seriously, "I want to see Doctor Jiang first."
Unexpectedly, the leading eunuch actually agreed, "The emperor said that everything will be arranged by Master Shen. If Master Shen wants to see me, then go and see me."
The jailer brought Shen Huan and Shen Shijiu to the prison. Chengfeng was no longer there, and Jiang Yubai was hung back with his wrists locked.
When Shen Shijiu saw Jiang Yubai covered in blood, his eyes immediately turned red. "Doctor Jiang!"
Shen Huan was also shocked. Wasn't the man imprisoned awaiting execution? Why did he look like he was dying now
She understood it instantly and realized that it must have been a lynching.
"How are you? Are you okay?" Shen Huan asked with concern.
"Why don't you put him down?"
The leading eunuch waved his hand, and the two jailers let Jiang Yubai go.
"During the time I'm in the palace, you are not allowed to torture Doctor Jiang again." Shen Huan looked at the eunuch and said.
Jiang Yubai was supported by Shen Shijiu and his breathing was weak.
Shen Huan quickly fed him a pill and applied medicine to the areas where he was seriously injured.