Nan Zhiyun remained silent, not seeming to take his words seriously. How would she dare to accept Yu Jingchen's promise?
"I'll have the imperial physician come in to check your pulse again, and take a look at your wounds, alright?" Yu Jingchen asked her.
But Nan Zhiyun shook her head. "I don't want to..." she said. She disliked having others see such injuries. Even though her dignity had been shattered on the ground, she still didn't want anyone to see her battered body.
Yu Jingchen could naturally guess Nan Zhiyun's feelings, but how could she recover if the imperial physician didn't examine her?
"How will you get better if you don't let them see? Let them have a look, alright? It's nothing, don't be scared," Yu Jingchen soothed.
"No... please, it'll get better... I don't want them to see," Nan Zhiyun truly resisted this matter. Yu Jingchen sighed, finding himself helpless in the current situation.
"Fine, if you don't want the imperial physician to see, then they won't. But you still have a fever, and there might be other issues with your body, so can you let them in to check your pulse?" Yu Jingchen asked her. Nan Zhiyun still didn't agree, yet she seemed afraid to refuse.
"Let them have a look. If you don't like it, just pretend they aren't there. We'll hide, don't be afraid," Yu Jingchen said, moving closer. He then picked her up, letting her lean against him.
"We'll cover you up, hide, and not let them see. You can just pretend not to see them, okay?" Yu Jingchen continued, and indeed, he shielded Nan Zhiyun.
Nan Zhiyun did not respond.
"If you don't say anything, I'll take it as your consent," Yu Jingchen stated.
Nan Zhiyun remained silent. Seeing this, Yu Jingchen called out to the outside, instructing the imperial physician to enter.
"Your Majesty," the imperial physician bowed, surprised to see the Imperial Concubine in His Majesty's arms.
"Take a look at her," Yu Jingchen said, gently holding her hand and revealing Nan Zhiyun's wrist.
The imperial physician began to take Nan Zhiyun's pulse. Nan Zhiyun was clearly frightened and nervous, trembling slightly even as Yu Jingchen held her. Yu Jingchen had to use his other hand to gently pat her.
"Don't be scared, it'll be alright," Yu Jingchen reassured her.
The imperial physician took a considerable amount of time to check the pulse, and his words were few. Seeing that the imperial physician had taken her pulse so many times today without mentioning any signs of pregnancy, Yu Jingchen guessed that it was likely too early to tell.
However, this was not entirely unexpected. If it was indeed from their encounter a couple of days ago, it would be normal not to be able to detect it yet.
"You may withdraw." Yu Jingchen dismissed the imperial physician. After the physician left, he pulled Nan Zhiyun out from his embrace. "Alright, can you sit up now?" Yu Jingchen asked her.
Nan Zhiyun slowly lifted her head from Yu Jingchen's embrace. Looking at her, Yu Jingchen felt a complex mix of emotions. Given Nan Zhiyun's current condition, it would likely take a considerable effort to fully heal her wounds and mend her spirit.
And then there was the child... Yu Jingchen worried. He didn't know what impact this ordeal might have. If this child couldn't be kept, what then? After all, Nan Zhiyun had been taking contraceptives before conceiving, and then she had been punished. This was why he was so concerned.
But worrying now was useless. The deed was done. Whether the child could be kept would be decided later. He and Nan Zhiyun had lost a child before.
"If you feel uncomfortable, use a pillow to support yourself, it'll make you feel a bit better," Yu Jingchen said.
"It hurts..." Nan Zhiyun whispered.
"You'll still need to apply medicine later, and it will hurt a lot, but you have to endure it. Otherwise, if your wounds aren't treated, they won't heal and will become more severe and troublesome," Yu Jingchen explained.
Nan Zhiyun's eyes welled up with tears, but this time she did not refuse, as she knew she could no longer refuse.
Yu Jingchen helped Nan Zhiyun position herself to lie on her stomach again and then opened the ointment beside them. Nan Zhiyun nervously bit her lip, afraid she wouldn't be able to help but cry out.
"Don't bite your lip, you'll hurt it too. Open your mouth, no biting. If you're scared of the pain, grab me, do whatever you need to, but don't hurt yourself, okay? Otherwise, I'll get angry," Yu Jingchen told Nan Zhiyun, his gaze serious.
Nan Zhiyun obediently released her lip. Yu Jingchen felt reassured and began to apply the medicine to her wounds. It truly hurt, and Nan Zhiyun's body tensed up immediately, but she dared not make a sound.
Her hands clutched Yu Jingchen's dragon robe, which was now crumpled beyond recognition. Yu Jingchen knew Nan Zhiyun was in pain. He was already being as gentle as possible, but for Nan Zhiyun, it still felt agonizing. So, he could only choose to work faster, to avoid making her endure for too long.
"Don't hold it in. If you really can't bear it, just shout, it's alright," Yu Jingchen told her. But how could Nan Zhiyun dare to do that?
"General Nan will be back soon," Yu Jingchen suddenly said. Nan Zhiyun's attention was indeed drawn away. He had no other options, so he had to use this method to divert her attention. This would also prevent Nan Zhiyun from focusing on her pain.
"Like I said, as long as you recover well, once your wounds are healed, I can grant you one wish, fulfill one request. Have you thought about it carefully? You can tell me then." Yu Jingchen continued.
"I want to see my father..." Nan Zhiyun, perhaps lulled by Yu Jingchen's voice, finally spoke.
"Okay, I can do that. So, focus on recovering from your injuries. Can you do that?" Yu Jingchen asked her.
Nan Zhiyun seemed dazed, unable to answer for a moment.
"Can't you do it? If your injuries don't heal, and you can't do it, then I won't be able to grant your wish," Yu Jingchen continued his "threat."
"It hurts..." Nan Zhiyun finally managed to say after a long while.
"Yes, I know. That's why we need to heal your wounds quickly," Yu Jingchen replied.
"I'll still be hurt later..." Nan Zhiyun's tears began to fall as she finally composed herself, dropping like small pearls.
Yu Jingchen paused, his heart aching, before replying, "You won't be. As long as you don't hurt yourself, no one will be able to harm you again. This is my promise to you, okay?" Yu Jingchen soothed her gently.