Finally, after what felt like hours, the cage was opened. The process was painstakingly slow under Zhou Cunzhang's precise tools, but he was able to create a hole through the bars for the prince to squeeze through.
However, the prince didn't move from where he was curled on the metal floor—the smell of blood, fear, and filth flooded the air around him.
"I need a medic," Zhu Deming barked.
One of the captains ran back to camp, returning moments later with the military physician by the name of Bai Xu. He was old but sharp, his hands steady and his eyes cold. He entered the cage without flinching and knelt beside the prince. Slowly, he cleaned the blood away with water and linen strips.
It wasn't until he tilted the prince's face toward the light that he paused.
Zhu Deming saw it first.
