Reunion

One year later, Qingyuan Town.

The Chai Pharmacy, the only medical clinic in Qingyuan Town, is a small shop with only two storefronts. The Chai family has been practicing medicine for generations, and it is said to have a history of over a hundred years. The wooden plaque hanging above the door has long been eroded by wind and rain, leaving it mottled and cracked. The shop is filled with the bitter smell of herbs all day long.

The shop was busier than usual today. Several men who had gone hunting in the mountains had been injured by their prey and were resting in the shop after having their medicine changed. They sat around on a bench, talking loudly and gruffly.

As expected, the topic of discussion was the attack on the emperor's carriage on his way back to Beijing from Penglai Villa a year ago. Because the incident was so shocking, it is still the most eye-catching topic of conversation on the streets.

It was said that as the imperial carriage was en route that day, countless arrows suddenly erupted from the forest, and rebels occasionally attacked from all sides. The Empress Dowager's carriage was pierced by arrows, and the eldest princess' carriage overturned down a steep slope in the chaos, killing her. The Emperor was also seriously injured, but luckily survived. The scene was littered with corpses, a horrific sight.

The group seemed to be there in person, talking vividly and claiming to know little-known gossip.

At the end of the conversation, a bearded man slapped his thigh and shouted, "If you ask me, our current emperor is the reincarnation of the King of Hell. This is all retribution! Think about it, the emperors of previous dynasties, no matter what they thought, all of them issued a general amnesty after the empress dowager's death to accumulate merit for her. During the mourning period, serious crimes were pardoned, and minor crimes were immediately released. But our emperor is different. Not only did he not issue a general amnesty, but he chopped off a lot of people's heads! I heard that the bloodshed at Caishikou in the capital has never stopped!"

A thin man nearby came forward immediately and lowered his voice, but it was loud enough for everyone in the room to hear: "Hey, I also heard that the emperor loves to eat meat, and he has to pay tribute of one hundred virgins every day! Tell me, where did all those children go?" After he finished speaking, he deliberately smacked his lips, as if he had mastered some huge secret.

As the men chatted, a delicate hand gently parted the brown curtain in the back room. A woman emerged, carrying a box of medicine. Her figure was slender, and her profile was as beautiful as a fairy in a painting, instantly capturing the attention of all the men.

The bearded man was the bravest, flattering his face and yelling, "Little Doctor!"

The woman turned around when she heard the voice. Her skin was indeed whiter than snow, and her eyebrows and eyes were picturesque, but there was a hideous scar on the left corner of her forehead, like a flesh-red centipede crawling on it.

The excitement on the three men's faces froze in an instant, and turned into undisguised disappointment and disgust. They withdrew their heads in disappointment and continued with their previous topic.

"Well, back to the Emperor," the thin man said, "I heard he still hasn't married! That clerk in the yamen brags about how he's diligent and caring for the people. Pah! What man in the world doesn't like beautiful women? I think he's probably sick. No way!"

Another short and fat man who had been silent all this time chuckled, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth, and lowered his voice obscenely: "They don't openly select beauties, but who knows how many beauties they have collected in secret! Haven't you heard what the storyteller said? The beauties sent to the palace are all ugly ones to make up the numbers. The emperor probably can't stand it. Li Si." He nudged a man next to him who had been distracted since the girl came out, "Didn't your distant cousin who works in the capital say that he was ordered to find a beautiful woman who is as beautiful as a fairy? Is that true?"

The man named Li Si seemed to have just come to his senses, but his eyes were still glued to the woman who was calculating with an abacus behind the counter. "Ah? Oh... yes, that's what happened."

"Isn't it?" The short and fat man raised his chin proudly, as if confirming his guess. "I told you! How could the emperor really not want women?"

Everyone burst into laughter.

The shrill laughter echoed in the drugstore. Li Si also laughed dryly twice, but his eyes still drifted involuntarily towards the silent and busy figure.

The woman's slender fingers expertly moved the beads, the crackling sound crisp and rhythmic. She lowered her eyes to check the figures in the account book, ignoring the hunters' chatter. If she had listened even slightly more carefully, the faintest smile might have crossed her lips when she heard the words, "Looking for a beautiful woman like a fairy."

She was the eldest princess Zhao Fanghua who "died" in the attack in Lishan that year.

At that time, the carriage fell off a cliff and she was thrown out of the carriage and fell into a deep pool. When her consciousness was fading, a pair of hands pulled her back from the cold edge of death.

The person who saved her was Chai Xingyuan, the young master of Chai's Pharmacy in Qingyuan Town. He happened to be returning from the capital city after purchasing medicinal materials. When he passed by the cliff, he met Zhao Fanghua who was washed ashore by the current.

Zhao Fanghua slept for three whole days. When he woke up, he heard the innkeepers talking: the Queen Mother and the eldest princess were attacked and killed, the emperor was furious, and the court was in turmoil.

When she heard the news, she was stunned for a while. Was this Zhao Qinglan's killer move to wipe out the whole clan, or was it really just an accident?

She thought about it for a long time, but finally didn't dare to gamble.

The "brother" who once held her in his arms is now an emperor who holds the power of life and death. The Queen Mother is dead and he has nothing to worry about, but she knows his fatal secret.

Instead of going back to Beijing to take a gamble, it’s better to disappear.

Anyway, the emperor is far away and he might not expect that she is still alive, let alone find this corner.

So she followed Chai Xingyuan to Qingyuan Town, hidden in the mountains.

Ironically, although this place is under the jurisdiction of the Jingzhao Prefecture and is only a hundred miles away from the capital, it has become a safe place because of the rugged road.

For a year, she has been running this pharmacy, learning to identify herbs and managing accounts, and she is quite content.

As the sky darkened, Zhao Fanghua was tidying up her medicine cabinet when she heard the familiar sound of a donkey cart outside. Her eyes lit up, and she immediately put down her work and hurried out to greet it.

“Big Brother!”

Chai Xingyuan, who had just parked his donkey cart in front of the door, turned around upon hearing this. He was dressed in a half-worn blue cloth gown, his figure erect as a pine tree, his brows and eyes gentle. Despite the fatigue of the journey, his scholarly air was hard to conceal.

Seeing Zhao Fanghua coming out, he smiled slightly: "Little sister."

Zhao Fanghua naturally took the medicine box from his hand and handed him a cup of warm tea: "Did you have a smooth journey?"

"All good." Chai Xingyuan said as he took out a small celadon bottle from his sleeve. "This is the rejuvenating cream from Tongjitang in Beijing. It's specially used to treat scars. I heard that the noble ladies in Beijing all have a bottle. I asked someone to buy it for you. If you apply it every day, the scar on your forehead may become lighter."

Zhao Fanghua subconsciously touched the scar on his forehead and waved his hand: "Thank you for your concern, brother. It's just a small scar. This ointment sounds very expensive. Why spend so much money?"

The scar marred her appearance, but it actually caused her less trouble in this small town.

She now wears coarse cloth and a plain hairpin, just like any other village girl, and she lives a quiet life.

Chai Xingyuan frowned and said, "A girl's appearance is not a trivial matter. If she gets a scar, how will she get married in the future?"

"Then I won't get married in the future!" Zhao Fanghua made a playful face and turned to lead the donkey cart. "I have my parents and elder brother loving me now, why should I bother looking for a husband to make myself miserable?"

Chai Xingyuan shook his head helplessly and followed her to pull the donkey cart into the backyard.

Although the courtyard is simple, it shows signs of careful maintenance everywhere. The bluestone floor is swept clean, and bamboo winnowing baskets are neatly arranged around it. The medicinal herbs drying in them emit a faint medicinal fragrance.

The three main rooms facing south are bright and clean. The east wing on the east side of the yard is a warehouse for storing medicinal materials, the west wing is the kitchen, and there is a shed next to it where a few chickens and ducks are raised.

Zhao Fanghua and Chai Xingyuan unloaded the medicinal herbs from the donkey cart and carefully sorted them and put them in the warehouse.

In the kitchen on the other side, Chai's mother Zhu Shuang was busy in front of the stove.

"Mom, I'm here." Zhao Fanghua washed her hands and skillfully tied on an apron to help in the kitchen. Chai Xingyuan also rolled up his sleeves and sat in front of the stove to add wood to the fire.

After Doctor Chai sent away the last patient, the family of four sat around the stone table in the yard for dinner.

There were only a few homely dishes: a plate of stir-fried bacon with garlic sprouts, a plate of stir-fried greens, and a plate of tofu with scallions. Chai Xingyuan had even brought back a bag of osmanthus cake from the capital, and its greasy sweetness reminded Zhao Fanghua of the palace snacks.

"This girl is very thoughtful. She has fulfilled my dream of raising a daughter." Mother Chai smiled as she picked up some food for Zhao Fanghua, and the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes smoothed out.

At the beginning, Zhao Fanghua said that she was alone and helpless. Chai's mother saw that she was hardworking and not lazy, and felt sorry for her life experience, so she discussed with her husband and adopted her as her adopted daughter.

Now the family eats together at the same table. Although it cannot compare to the delicacies that the Princess's Mansion has every day, they can still enjoy the simple meals while chatting and laughing.

After dinner, Zhao Fanghua and Chai's mother washed clothes by the well, Chai Xingyuan cleared the dishes and washed the pots and dishes, and Doctor Chai sorted out the medical records under the lamp.

After everything was tidied up, Zhao Fanghua went up to the attic carrying the candlestick.

This was originally a small warehouse for storing miscellaneous items, but now it has been tidied up by Zhu Shuang and has become tidy and warm.

A small bed was placed by the window, and there were a few pots of unknown flowers and plants on the windowsill.

There were no groups of servants serving here, and no candles burning all night long, but listening to the occasional chirping of insects and birds outside the window and smelling the faint herbal fragrance in the air, Zhao Fanghua actually felt that she slept more soundly than on the soft big bed in the Princess's Mansion.

The autumn rain has been falling for several days. I heard that the only mountain road in and out of the town was washed away by the rain. No wonder the pharmacy has been particularly quiet in recent days.

Zhao Fanghua sat behind the counter, holding a medical book in one hand and supporting his head with the other, looking drowsy.

Suddenly, she had an idea and looked out the door.

In the rain, a dark figure stood under a tree diagonally opposite the medicine shop.

The man was not holding an umbrella and was completely wet, but his body remained as straight as a pine tree. It was unknown how long he had been standing in the rain.

The rain slid down his angular cheeks, but his deep eyes pierced through the rain curtain and locked firmly on her.

The medical book in Zhao Fanghua's hand fell to the ground with a "bang".

After a long while, the person opposite opened his thin lips slightly, his voice hoarse as if he was afraid of shattering a dream:

"Sister, long time no see."