"Help him," Prince Lingchen commanded.

Two of the elite soldiers crossed the river to help the prince and helped him to the other side. Upon seeing the Crown Princess and her group, the prince's gaze flickered with hope.

Princess Lingchen took a step closer towards the prince but was stopped by Yang Yun. She watched Yang Yun shook his head and quickly understood Yang Yun's fear that this might be a trap. "What's wrong with him?" Princess Lingchen asked. She stood farther away from the prince for her safety.

"Answering to the princess, Prince Lu Wei is injured," one of the soldiers said. "From the look of his injury, I think he had encountered a wild animal."

Mingyue went to the prince's side to examine his wound. "Prince Lu Wei. Are you alright? Can you talk?"

Prince Lu Wei nodded weakly. "Yes."

"Your Highness, pardon my impertinence. I will have to tear your cloth to get a clear look on your wound," Mingyue said. She noticed the reluctance on the prince's expression and continued, "Don't worry. I'm a physician."

The prince nodded slowly, giving Mingyue his permission.

While Mingyue was examining the prince's wound, Yang Yun started to ask him a few questions, "What happened? Where are the other guards who were with you?"

"I got separated with half of them after we entered the hunting ground," Prince Lu Wei said. "Then, we encountered a white tiger. A few of them fled, and the tiger attacked a few. I was lucky to escape with the help of my servant." The prince's expression darkened as he thought about his personal guard who had sacrificed himself so that he could escape.

"How did you get to the other side of the river?" Yang Yun continued to ask.

"The soldiers guide me there," Prince Lu Wei said. He bit his lips and frowned when the physician pressed on his wound.

Yang Yun turned at the princess and spoke in a lower voice. "Your Highness. The other side of the river was not part of the hunting ground as it was too dangerous. If Prince Lu Wei is telling us the truth, then it's possible that someone deliberately led him to the other side."

Princess Lingchen tapped her fingers against her thigh as she thought over the situation. Then she said to Yang Yun. "Sent a few men to investigate the matter. Look for survivors. If anyone's died, I wanted to know how." She turned towards the prince's direction. "Prince Lu Wei is a guest of Da Cheng. Since he's injured, we need to give him an explanation."

Yang Yun bowed. Then he looked for his teammates to deliver his instruction. After a while, Three groups of two people departed towards the other side of the river to investigate.

"Pack up, we're going back to the camp," Princess Lingchen instructed.

"We can't move yet," Mingyue said. "The prince's wound is too deep. I will need to suture his wound immediately before it gets worse."

The others started to look at the prince and saw the deep wound on his stomach. When they saw the state of the prince's injury, a few of them stepped back and heave. The wound was too deep that the inside of his stomach could be seen.

"What?" Prince Lu Wei tried to sit up as he heard that but fell back when the pain was too much. Moreover, he lost a lot of blood.

"Don't worry. Mingyue is my personal physician, and she's proficient in st.i.tching wound. You'll be alright," Princess Lingchen said. Then she looked at Mingyue. "Mingyue, do your best to save him."

Mingyue nodded. "I need someone to help me."

"I'll help you," Yang Yun stepped forward. He had been a.s.sisting Mingyue in operation for countless time. Looking at their situation now, he was the only one who was capable of helping her.

Mingyue nodded. She took out a set of needle and thread and a set of her acupuncture needles. Then, she turned to a few soldiers behind her to give them instruction on what she need to st.i.tch the prince's wound.