Empress Of The Lost Kingdom

While the entire team members were enjoying the night with alcohol and music, one person remained sober, unaffected by any of the events that happened over the campsite.

It was none other than Lee Tae Min.

He was keeping an eye on Tang Wei Sheng. 

Though Han Guang and Cheng Tao knew about Li Juan's affair with their boss, he was the one who actually witnessed the obsession and possessiveness Tang Wei Sheng shown towards Li Juan, while they were in a relationship.

He appeared gentle and caring before everyone, but Lee Tae Min was the only person who could recognize the beast hidden behind Tang Wei Sheng's amicable personality.

Even though their rivalry has decreased over time, Lee Tae Min never believed Tang Wei Sheng's words, when he said that he decided to stay away from Li Juan.

For a person like him, seeing Li Juan interacting with other men was nothing but torment. He hid his vexation in front of everyone only to let it loose upon Li Juan and hurting her in the process.

When everyone was talking about Zhang Zhi Jun and Li Juan's marriage, Lee Tae Min's eyes were busy on scrutinizing Tang Wei Sheng who failed to hide his infuriation. 

Even though Li Juan was surrounded by people who can protect her, Lee Tae Min was worried about her.

Professor Han and his students, they were living peacefully until one day Tang Wei Sheng came to their lives, breaking their almost family-like ties.

Tang Wei Sheng's presence has distorted his precious noona's life. How many times did fell sick after that? After the relapse, Li Juan barely managed to escape from death.

Lee Tae Min clearly remembered the doctor's words when Li Juan had a relapse. The doctor suggested to keep her away from any possible threats which will affect her well being.

As far as he knew there was only one person who brings pain, who poses threat to Li Juan's well being. 

Tang Wei Sheng...

That day, Lee Tae Min promised himself that he will not allow Tang Wei Sheng to hurt her, even with a look. 

That's why he remained closer to Li Juan and avoided touching the alcohol in order to stay awake. Even after she went back to her tent, Lee Tae Min hesitated to put his guard down.

However, when Cheng Tao became spoilt after drinking, he was asked by Han Guang to accompany his senior to their tent.

Lee Tae Min left for a moment and when he came back Tang Wei Sheng was missing from the group.

The first thing he did was to check Li Juan's tent and to his horror, it was empty. 

Like a madman, he searched all across the campsite for both of them. After some time, he found Tang Wei Sheng drinking alone by the river. But still, Li Juan was nowhere to see.

As a last resort, he walked towards the palace ground, only to find Li Juan lying on a pool of blood. 

"Brother, somebody help." Lee Tae Min cried for help and stooped near Li Juan's unconscious body. 

"Somebody help,"

Hearing his voice, few of the workers who were back to their tents, rushed towards the palace ground, despite their drunken state. 

"Someone call the doctor,"

One of them ran towards the bonfire and informed Liang. The entire team followed him to the palace ground.

"Lee Tae Min, inform them," As soon as Liang rushed over with the first aid box, he instructed Lee Tae Min and sat next to Li Juan. 

"Li Juan, can you hear me? Liang asked and checked her wounds,

There was a laceration on the back of her head, and blood was oozing out from her nostrils.

He immediately tried to stop the bleeding by keeping a sterile gauze on the wound. 

"Li Juan," he called her again and opened her eyelids to check the pupil response towards the light using a pen torch.

There wasn't any response from her.

"This is your doctor, can you hear me?" He applied pressure on her fingertips.

"Mmmnnn," a low groan heard from her lips. 

"Good, can you move your arms?" 

again no response,

Liang gently pressed her shoulder and Li Juan slightly raised her arm.

"We need to get her into a hospital," Liang informed Zhang Zhi Jun.

"Hospital?" he was stupid for a moment, the nearest hospital was in Xi city which nearly takes around two flight hours.

"It is a head injury and we cannot take any risks,"

Lee Tae Min came back running with the satellite phone, "They are asking for the details," he said while trying to catch his breath.

Liang took the satellite phone and reported her condition.

"It is a head injury with laceration and heavy blood loss. I am suspecting a mild TBI. The patient already has a history of head injury and under the medication. Her blood group is A-negative, yes, will send the medical records." He ended the conversation and looked at Lee Tae Min, "Give them the details about Li Juan's consulting doctor,"

"Yes," Lee Tae Min nodded in agreement and went back to Li Juan's tent to take the medical records.

"Inform your family and tell them to gather A-negative blood donors," Liang ordered Zhang Zhi Jun, "Third military hospital, Xi city."

"I am O positive," Tang Wei Sheng who walked over to the scene immediately suggested.

"No one is sober here," Liang said,

Even though Li Juan's accident shook everyone out of their drunken stupor, every single one of them was gulped down bottles of alcohol.

"Yes," Zhang Zhi Jun immediately called his father and informed about Li Juan's accident.

"She has lost quite an amount of blood," Han Guang said with a worried face,

"Head injuries usually bleed a lot,"

"Yu's blood is the same, but he already had a few drinks." Zhang Zhi Jun said with a troubled face. They were in a dire situation. If it was a normal injury it wouldn't have caused any problems, but a head injury needs immediate medical care. Even though Liang stopped the bleeding, nobody knew about Li Juan's condition.

"How long it will take the ambulance to reach here? 

"They said it will arrive in an hour." Lee Tae Min who ran the errands came back and informed.

"In an hour? whom did he call?" Han Guang looked at Lee Tae Min in disbelief.

"Should we move her inside?" Someone asked,

"It is better not to move her in this condition, but it's too cold out here,"

"Is there anything we can use as a stretcher?"

The campsite fell into distress, even Cheng Tao who fell asleep woke up hearing the commotion. However, nobody paid attention to two women who were missing from the crowd.

-------------------------------------

Exactly an hour later the sombre silence of Tu valley was broken by the hovering sounds of an aircraft. Everyone looked at the camouflaged green military aircraft preparing to land,

"Did you call the military?" Han Guang asked Lee Tae Min,

Soon after the aircraft landed, a tall and muscular man clad in black uniform stepped down, with a group of four soldiers following him with a stretcher.

Lee Tae Min walked towards him with moist eyes, "Hyung,"

He patted Lee Tae Min's shoulder and asked, "Where is her?" 

"Over there," Lee Tae Min pointed out and led them to towards Li Juan.

Liang was re-checking Li Juan's injury when his gaze fell on the towering figure of a man who entered the tent,

"Are you ready?" He asked in a magnetic voice,

"Yes," Liang answered and moved away from Li Juan.

The soldiers carefully carried Li Juan onto the stretcher and placed the oxygen mask on her. One of them placed the cannula on to Li Juan's arm and attached the blood bag to it.

They pushed stretcher towards the aircraft and quickly boarded the aircraft.

Liang looked at Zhang Zhi Jun and Bai Yu and signalled them to tag along, since they are Li Juan's family,

"What about him?" The soldier glanced at Lee Tae Min,

"I will come with the team, take care of Noona," the soldier patted on Lee Tae Min's shoulder and boarded on the flight.

Within a few minutes, the aircraft got into the air,

"It is a military aircraft. They have sent an aircraft as an ambulance. How powerful is her family?" Cheng Tao exclaimed.

"It's him who called the military," Han Guang said and turned towards Lee Tae Min, "Do you know that soldier before?"

"Hmmm," Lee Tae Min hummed stared at the aircraft which has become a dot of light in the sky. "Since noona's health was weak, they were camping in the Xi city, in case of an emergency."

"But that person, he was a commando, how is that possible when Li Juan is a civilian?" Cheng Tao couldn't hide his astonishment. The military of C country never interferes in the civilian lives and yet a commando officer came with an army aircraft to rescue a civilian. It doesn't make any sense.

"My brother arranged it," Lee Tae Min said with a clear voice.

"Your brother?"

"Didn't I tell her that Noona got a new sponsor?"

-----------------------------

In the aircraft, Liang sat next to Li Juan and checked her vitals. The soldier who was silently observing Liang's dispirited face, asked in concern.

"How is she?" 

"It doesn't look good," Liang replied in a low voice, "recently she had a relapse and-"

"What kind of doctor are you, how can you talk like that?" The gentle aura in the soldier's eyes immediately changed after listening to Liang's words, "She can hear you," He chided,

"Li Juan, I know you can hear me, believe me, nothing is going to happen to you."

The soldier said in a comforting voice and glanced back at Liang who appeared frozen,

"She is going to be fine. I've talked to grandpa and he promised that he will call director and Uncle Gu is already on the way,"

"Hmm," Liang hummed,

Bai Yu and Zhang Zhi Jun who were listening to the interaction between these two men and looked at each other in confusion,

Liang and this soldier, do they already knew each other?

Li Juan was taken to the third military hospital in the Xi city.

Bai Zhu and his brothers have already reached the hospital.

The doctors in the emergency room immediately checked upon Li Juan,

"We have to take a CT scan to check for any brain damage,"

"Mild TBI is suspected,"

--------------

After a while, one of the nurses came out of the ER and called Bai Zhu

"Are you patient's family?"

"Yes," he replied,

"Doctor wants to meet you,"

Bai Zhu immediately went inside the doctor's room. 

"You are patient's?" Doctor asked him.

"Uncle. Doctor, how is she?" 

"When they brought the patient, we were informed that she had some cerebral contusions, however when we checked her previous records and scan reports we have found that she has suffered an acute cerebral haemorrhaging,"

Doctor explained,

"We need to conduct an immediate craniotomy," 

"Doctor, please go ahead with the operation," Bai Zhu said with a pleading eyes. 

"You must know the risks associated with the surgery. If anything goes wrong, the patient might end up losing her speech and motor abilities or in a worst-case scenario, turn into a vegetative state." 

"As long as she lives, it won't matter, doctor," Bai Zhu said as he struggled to control his tears, "please save my niece,"

"Captian Guan has informed the surgeon and he is coming from S city, we will begin the surgery as he reaches here," The doctor informed him in a steady voice and turned towards the nurse,

"Please help him to go through the necessary procedures before the operation." 

In the military hospital, everyone from the Bai family waited impatiently outside.

Li Juan's life was hanging on a thin line of death.

"Dad, what did the doctor said?" Zhang Zhi Jun asked Bai Zhu as he walked out of the doctor's room.

"A surgery has to be done,"

"Captian Guan," One of the nurses called out, "Doctor wants to meet you,"

The soldier who stood next to Liang rose into his feet and asked the man who appeared devasted,

"Are you coming or what?"

Liang shrugged his shoulders to show his disinterest.

"Come," Despite his protest, the soldier dragged Liang with him, towards the doctor's room.

"Dr Gu has personally asked you to assist the surgery," The doctor said to Liang,

"I'm sorry doctor, I don't think I can do it-" Liang denied with a disheartened look.

"He will do it," the soldier assured on behalf of Liang,

Half an hour later, a man in early sixties came walking through the silent corridor of the ICU, as he saw Liang and the soldier he stopped in his tracks. His clear eyes scanned the two gentlemen stood before him,

"Good afternoon uncle Gu," the soldier greeted him.

"Why are you still standing here?" He fixed his glasses and asked Liang in a chiding tone,

"I've told him uncle, but he is not-"

"I will do it," Liang said with a determined face. "I will assist you,"

"Good," The doctor said and walked towards the operation theatre. Liang turned towards the soldier and nodded.

"Li Juan is waiting for you and promise me that you will save her."