Ask for medicine for him

Cheng Yayin felt that it was this night of indulgence that spoiled Pei Songsheng.

In the next few days, no matter what she was doing, Pei Songsheng would always watch her from the side, without making any noise to disturb her. He was quiet, like a puppy waiting for its owner to pet it. If she treated him coldly, he would become a puppy abandoned by its owner. Although he was tall, he looked so pitiful. Cheng Yayin couldn't help but comfort him with her own hands.

Sometimes he would wake up in the middle of the night and stick to her, and would not stop until he got a few kisses.

Cheng Yayin really didn't want to be so close to him; it would be awkward for both of them once he sobered up. But as soon as she saw that expression on his face, she thought his changed personality was definitely related to that damned storybook she'd written, and she knew she had to bear the consequences herself. She could only let him be.

Women shouldn't be too soft-hearted. Cheng Yayin covered her swollen lips and looked at the delighted culprit. She began to doubt whether the Lu Xingyuan she had written was really that clingy.

Everything else is fine, but what Cheng Yayin can't stand the most is Pei Songsheng calling her by her nickname.

Perhaps the chaos that night opened a hole in Pei Songsheng's closed consciousness, and after that he would call her "A Zheng" from time to time.

If she hadn't called him that, Cheng Yayin could still convince herself that all this was just a game of house. But once he called her real name, she couldn't stand it. It was like being pulled out of a dream. She couldn't face his face anymore. She always felt that she was taking advantage of her husband who was about to divorce her.

Finally, one time, she couldn't stand it anymore. She pushed away the man who came up to her for a kiss and said seriously, "Don't call me A Zheng anymore. I'm not A Zheng, I'm Xuan Li."

Pei Songsheng: "I know, A Zheng is your nickname."

"Xuan Li's nickname is not A Zheng!" Seeing Pei Songsheng's confused expression, Cheng Yayin didn't know how to explain it, so she simply turned the tables and said, "A Zheng is a woman you met outside, right? Did you confuse her with me?"

"Madam, you are wronging me." Pei Songsheng looked a little aggrieved. "How could I have another woman? Madam, you know clearly that you are the only one in my life."

"Then why do you always call me A Zheng?"

"I don't know, I just think you are A Zheng."

"Why?" Cheng Yayin became more and more confused the more she listened. Could this symptom occur after being poisoned by Lihunsan?

Pei Songsheng's eyes softened, as if he was feeling something, and a faint smile appeared on his lips. "Because, there has always been a voice in my heart saying that I want to be closer to A Zheng."

Cheng Yayin felt like something hit her heart. She stared at Pei Songsheng in a daze, unable to utter a word.

*

Being constantly pestered by Pei Songsheng, Cheng Yayin had trouble doing many things. Lan Yue and Yi Xing followed Liu Chang around every day, reporting back that he spent his days entertaining cats and dogs, eating, drinking, and having fun. He certainly didn't seem like someone capable of meticulous planning.

Pei Songsheng's condition remained uncertain, and the case remained unsolved, with the true culprit lurking in the shadows. Many matters required his personal decision. Cheng Yayin responded to his attempts to get close to her as if nothing had happened, but her anxiety was growing.

Just when he was extremely anxious, Doctor Wang sent a letter saying that he had found a way to detoxify the poison and needed to meet to discuss it in detail.

Late at night, the smoke of calming incense rose in the room. Cheng Yayin nudged Pei Songsheng beside her, confirmed that he was asleep, then got up quietly, dressed neatly, and pushed the door open to go out.

At the appointed time, Doctor Wang arrived as promised, still wearing a black cloak, looking mysterious and steady in the night.

Upon his arrival, he went to the room to check Pei Songsheng's pulse, frowning as he said, "The Soul-Separating Powder poison has penetrated deeper into your body. This poison is like a lingering thread. While it won't immediately drive a person insane, the victim will experience brief moments of lucidity. However, if the poison isn't completely detoxified, the condition will recur. Repeatedly, a person's mind will be tormented and broken, and by then, there's truly no way to recover."

Cheng Yayin was horrified. This was the second time Pei Songsheng's poison had attacked her. She wondered how many more times he could withstand it. She hurriedly said, "Didn't you say there was a way? Let's try it right away."

"Madam, don't worry," said Doctor Wang. "The best way to deal with this insidious poison is to use a strong medicine to counteract it. I've studied the remnants of the Soul-Separating Powder attached to the pen and have already formulated a prescription. I'm just missing one ingredient: Grit."

As they spoke, the two of them had already walked to the outer room and sat down. Seeing Cheng Yayin's puzzled expression, Imperial Physician Wang explained, "Heartbreak Grass is a rare herb from the Western Regions. Although it's highly poisonous, it and the Soul-Separating Powder both originated in the Western Regions. I believe their medicinal properties will counteract each other, making it the perfect ingredient for the antidote. However, this herb is extremely rare, growing in the crevices of cliffs in the Western Regions, and it takes decades for a single plant to mature. It's not often seen among Western herbalists, and the palace doesn't have any treasures."

Cheng Yayin was deflated upon hearing this and said in despair, "So, then the antidote can't be made."

"That's why I came here today," Doctor Wang said. "I know a man from the Western Regions. His ancestors have been doctors for generations. The Gelsemium elegans is a family heirloom that he carries with him every day. He never leaves it."

A faint glimmer of hope ignited in Cheng Yayin's heart: "So you want me to go to the Western Regions to find this person? But the journey is long, will I be able to make it in time?"

Doctor Wang waved his hand. "That's not necessary. He studied medicine in the Central Plains since he was a child. Later, his master suffered a misfortune, and he became a wandering doctor, traveling all over the world and his whereabouts are difficult to find. But has my lady ever heard of the dark market outside Shengjing City?"

Cheng Yayin nodded, but didn't know why he mentioned this.

She had naturally heard of the dark market. Every fifteenth night of the month, a group of merchants would gather outside Shengjing City, using the forest as a market to do business. However, since it was a dark market, the transactions involved were naturally not open to the public, and the traders were all people of all stripes.

She remembered asking Pei Songsheng about the dark market during one of their rare conversations, asking why the imperial court allowed such a den of filth to persist. Pei Songsheng had replied that it wasn't the location itself that harbored such filth, but rather the human heart. Treacherous and wicked individuals could never be eradicated. Rather than letting them roam free and commit their crimes, it was better to gather them somewhere. The dark market, though seemingly unregulated, was actually under constant government surveillance. If a major crime occurred, there was always a place to trace it back to its source.

Could it be that the person that Doctor Wang mentioned is also active in the dark market?

Doctor Wang said, "As far as I know, that man comes to the Shengjing Dark Market every six months to set up a stall and sell medicine there. The fifteenth of this month happens to be the day he comes. Unfortunately, I can't make this trip on behalf of Madam and Lord Pei. I have some grudges against him. If I go, he will not only not give me the goods, but will also kill me. So you have to go by yourself."

Cheng Yayin looked at him in surprise, not because he asked her to go to such a mixed place, but because she didn't expect that Doctor Wang, who looked so reclusive and unrestrained, would actually be the kind of person who would have a life-and-death feud with someone.

She suppressed the thoughts that had arisen in her mind and said seriously, "I understand. This matter shouldn't have troubled you. But as you said, the Heartbreak Herb is a secret family heirloom of that Hu doctor. He certainly wouldn't buy or sell it casually. How can I obtain it?"

Doctor Wang, unlike before, remained silent for a long time. Suddenly, he pointed at the sachet hanging from Cheng Yayin's waist and asked, "Excuse me, Madam, is this sachet your craft?"

Cheng Yayin picked up the sachet in surprise, "No, this was made by my mother."

It was made by her mother before she got married. In the past three years, her mother has been with the ancient Buddha and the green lamp, and the mother and daughter cannot even see each other. She misses her mother deeply, so she has to wear the sachet she made by hand every day. After a long time, the cloth surface of the sachet is a little worn, but she is still reluctant to take it off.

Doctor Wang nodded in understanding and said, "As long as you show him this, he will give you the Heartbreak Herb."

Cheng Yayin was even more surprised after hearing this and asked, "What does this mean?"

Doctor Wang simply shook his head: "Don't dwell on the past. Madam, please focus on the people around you."

He stood up and left, obviously not intending to give Cheng Yayin a chance to ask further questions. Although Cheng Yayin was confused, she could only do as he said and take care of the people in front of her first.

The night of the fifteenth was exactly two days later.

The dark market was treacherous and complicated, and Cheng Yayin didn't dare to go there alone, but she didn't have much time to hesitate. Doctor Hu would be leaving after the fifteenth day, and the next appearance in Shengjing would be in half a year. Pei Songsheng couldn't wait that long.

Cheng Yayin simply dragged Pei Songsheng along. After all, they were looking for medicine for him, so how could she take the risk alone?

The moon was at its zenith. Cheng Yayin and Pei Songsheng dressed simply and left the city, heading for the dark market deep in the dense forest on the outskirts of the city.

The dark market was indeed very strange. The vendors inside looked very difficult to deal with, and there were many foreigners in strange costumes. When Cheng Yayin and Pei Songsheng walked over, they were swept over by their probing and sinister gazes, and they felt uncomfortable as if bugs were crawling all over their bodies.

Passing by a stall, there was only a square object in front of it, half a person's height, covered with a black cloth, so that the real thing could not be seen. Cheng Yayin only took a second look, and the stall owner pulled back the black cloth, revealing a leopard in an iron cage, grinning at her.

Cheng Yayin was so frightened that she almost jumped up. Pei Songsheng held her in his arms and turned her around. He shielded the scary black panther from view and teased her, "Madam, if you are so scared, why did you come to a place like this?"

Cheng Yayin glanced at him and said, "Don't ask too much about us killers."

Although she was a little scared, Cheng Yayin couldn't help but open her eyes wide and look around. The scenery here was unique, and she wanted to take this opportunity to broaden her horizons and write about it in her storybook.

But she hadn't forgotten her business. Doctor Wang had described the Hu doctor's appearance to her before he left last night. She walked around and found him beneath a dense tree. He was indeed easy to spot—a high nose, deep eyes, a full beard, and a striking scar running from his left forehead to his right chin.

This man already looked ferocious, and this scar made his face even more sinister. When Cheng Yayin stopped in front of him, she felt a little scared.

Doctor Hu had been leaning against a tree trunk, pretending to sleep with his eyes closed. He noticed someone stopping in front of his stall. He opened his eyes and looked up to see a young couple. He pointed at several medicine bottles on the stall and said, "Aphrodisiacs, aphrodisiac powder, and fertility formula. All for twenty taels. No bargaining."

Cheng Yayin was startled. Pei Songsheng raised his eyebrows and said meaningfully, "Madam, is this what you came here for?"

Cheng Yayin nudged him with her elbow and whispered, "Don't worry about it. This is our secret code for meeting in the Hidden Sect."

She squatted down, looked directly at Doctor Hu and said, "I don't want these things. What I want is..." She lowered her voice, "Heartbreak Grass."

Doctor Hu had been looking at her nonchalantly, but his expression changed drastically when he heard her words. "What's that? I don't have anything like that here."

He narrowed his eyes, looked at Cheng Yayin unkindly, and said slowly and dangerously: "Who did you hear that from?"