"Ah..." Yun Shang shouted in surprise. Once her astonishment subsided, she asked with a frown, "What are you doing, uncle?"
Prince Jing was walking towards the door, "Taking you to see Doctor Xue Yan."
Qin Yi and Qin Meng looked surprised when they saw the Prince carry Yun Shang out of her room. Eyes-widened and open-mouthed, they watched in mute silence as the Prince walked past them. It took a few seconds for Qin Yi could regain her composure. She ran to Yun Shang and asked nervously, "What happened to Princess Yun Shang, My Lord?"
Prince Jing stopped and frowned, "I'm taking her to see Doctor Xue Yan." As soon as he finished speaking, he continued walking.
"Oh, my, Your Imperial Highness..." Qin Yi's voice could be heard from a distance. Yun Shang licked her lips and sighed, "Uncle, please put me down. I can walk."
Prince Jing stopped, and complied with her request.
"So Doctor Xue Yan is living in your mansion, right?" Yun Shang said the first thing that came to her mind, to escape the embarrassing moment.
Prince Jing walked ahead without answering.
Yun Shang ran to catch up with. She continued speaking, "It's amazing how someone must survive in a freezing world."
There was still no reply from Prince Jing. Not in the mood to speak again, Yun Shang also walked in silence behind Prince Jing.
They walked across a garden, and entered a courtyard. Prince Jing headed towards a rockwork, and entered through a narrow opening. Yun Shang was surprised, but she followed the Prince without any hesitation.
As soon as she entered, Yun Shang felt a cold draft. She gasped as the cold air stung her face. Shivering from the cold, she continued to follow Prince Jing. The further they walked the colder the cave became.
Prince Jing turned around to check on Yun Shang. He frowned, but said nothing. Then he walked faster.
They must have walked for at least fifteen minutes before Prince Jing stopped. Yun Shang felt out of breath. She was so frozen that she could not feel her hands and feet. Gathering her faculties after a brief pause, she raised her head and saw a figure sitting before a frigid wall from which waves of cold air radiated. He was a peculiar looking man; everything of his, from the hair to the clothes, was as white as snow. Even his skin was so white it looked almost transparent.
In an instant, Yun Shang realized who he was. "Doctor Xue Yan?" A sense of admiration rose in her heart. It was beyond her expectation that there was such a man under heaven; a man living with, and as white as ice and snow.
That man studied Yun Shang, too. After a long while, he turned towards Prince Jing, "Who is she? Why bring her here?"
"For a cure." Prince Jing walked to Doctor Xue Yan, and said after glancing at Yun Shang.
Doctor Xue Yan looked at Yun Shang again, and measured her for a short while. He said, "Though this girl has intentionally taken some medicine to disturb her pulse, she is quite strong and healthy. I see no illness in her except for a cold."
Doctor Xue Yan paused after those words. There was a strange expression on his face. He looked straight at Prince Jing and inquired incredulously, "Do you want me treat her cold?"
Prince Jing was silent. Doctor Xue Yan shouted in a pitiful voice, "Oh, no. Though I am just a doctor, I'm capable enough to be crowned as a master among my peers. Agreed, I cannot bring the dead back to life, but I can cure complex diseases. And here you are asking me to treat a simple cold?"
Prince Jing stayed silent. But Yun Shang felt a little awkward, so she said with a smile, "I'm sorry to bother you, Master. I'm just curious about you. That is why I asked my uncle to bring me here to see you. You don't have to worry about my illness. I know something about the art of healing. I can prescribe some medicine for myself."
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