Chapter 15 Yao Er 15 Past Events

Doctor Gu led a few people into the house.

The room was filled with a strong aroma of medicine, with all kinds of medicinal herbs spread out on the floor. A few precious plants were hidden in a dark corner. The table and bed were piled with medical books, a set of golden needles that had not been put away was placed on the stool, and a wooden man with needles stuck in him stood next to it. The room was so packed that there was almost no place to stand.

Xun Shu and the other two stood at the door looking at each other. Doctor Gu dug out a few small bamboo stools from the corner and cleared a small space before they sat down.

The three of them sat in a row. Fang Yan sat on the far left, looking serious and earnest, with his official robe still on, exuding a sense of majesty. He Xuan sat on the far right, still with a playful look on his face, his eyes lively as he scanned every corner of the room. Xun Shu was sandwiched between Fang Yan and He Xuan, with his hands on his knees, looking particularly petite and obedient.

Doctor Gu sat down on the threshold nearby, picked up a scattered herb, held it in his mouth and took a sip before speaking. "Yesterday evening, I heard about the murder of Magistrate Zhao's wife, and inexplicably thought of what happened more than ten years ago. I didn't expect you would actually come here today for this matter... What a coincidence." He turned his head to look at the rain outside the door. The sound of the rain was as clear as a curtain, as if he had returned to the Zhao residence many years ago. "The story begins with the birth of the eldest son of the Zhao family. Madam Zhao was not yet full-term when she gave birth to the son. The child was much weaker than other children after birth. It was a winter night and it was snowing. The Zhao family sent someone to invite me to their house for a medical consultation. When I arrived, I saw that the baby in the cradle was blue and purple all over, gasping for breath, unable to even cry. It looked like he was about to die. I immediately gave him a set of acupuncture, which helped the child survive the night.

"The child was too small, about the size of my palm, and couldn't drink the medicine. He could only be kept alive with acupuncture. After that, I went to the Zhao family every day to give him acupuncture until he could drink milk and medicine on his own. Only then did he survive this crisis." Doctor Gu sighed, his voice full of helplessness. "After that, I still went to the Zhao family every few days. I saw that the child gradually grew up, and his breath became weaker and weaker. He could die at any time. I told this to County Magistrate Zhao, but not to Madam Zhao. But Madam Zhao was with the child every day. Even if I didn't tell her, how could she not feel it as her biological mother? She just didn't want to believe it.

When the child was over four months old, he was still as thin as a newborn. Mrs. Zhao cried constantly, and her eyes became damaged. She also developed hysteria, talking nonsense all day long and not recognizing people. County Magistrate Zhao loved his wife and was afraid that the presence of his young son would make Mrs. Zhao's illness worse, so he moved him to the next room. The child was left with only a wet nurse and servants to look after him. It was a very pitiful thing.

"By the beginning of summer, the child had barely reached five months old and was on the verge of surviving the scorching heat. That day, I went to see the child as usual, but was surprised to find that he seemed like a completely different person. His pulse was as strong as that of a healthy child. It was quite strange."

Fang Yan was immersed in Doctor Gu's recounting of the past. His expression was quite serious, his eyes as cold as a pond, very different from his usual self. "A five-month-old child should have different features. Could it be that he's a different person? Have you taken a close look at him?"

After so many years, Doctor Gu still hasn't figured out the mystery. His brows were still furrowed when he mentioned this matter: "Of course I have seen it. But the child has been weak since birth. Every time I saw him, the room was tightly covered, there was no wind, and it was very dark. In addition, the child was tightly wrapped in swaddling clothes, and nine times out of ten his eyes were closed. I really couldn't tell by his appearance." He paused and sighed, "I asked the wet nurse who took care of the child, and she said that a few days ago, Madam Zhao's former maid went to a temple outside the city and asked for a peace amulet for the child. After that, the child gradually got better. It must be the blessing of Buddha. I was just a doctor hired by the Zhao family. There were some things I couldn't ask too much. After telling County Magistrate Zhao and Madam Zhao about Young Master Zhao's situation in detail, I received the reward and left the Zhao family.

"Actually, I had my doubts back then, feeling that the child's pulse didn't seem to be from the same person, but I also thought that was absurd. In the years since, I've encountered many patients who were still infants. Some weren't cured and died early, while others, by some chance, grew up and gradually recovered... But their illnesses always progressed gradually, with traces to follow. I've never encountered a case like the Zhao family's eldest young master. Over the past few years, I've thought of that child many times, and I've always felt that the doubts and suspicions I had back then might be the truth—that the child's identity had been changed long ago, unnoticed. But it happened so many years ago, so what's the point in pursuing it now?"

Xun Shu sat obediently on the stool, elbows resting on his knees, chin in his hands, listening attentively. After Doctor Gu finished explaining the whole story, he sat up straight and expressed his doubts: "If the child was really secretly replaced, how could they have kept it a secret from everyone? The child had a wet nurse by his side and servants guarding him. Even if a bad guy got the chance and took advantage of everyone's surprise to switch the child, how could anyone around the child not recognize it?"

Doctor Gu nodded slightly. "Young lady, you're right. Now that I think about it, the wet nurse's attitude back then was very strange. Perhaps she knew something, or perhaps she was the one who did this."

Fang Yan asked hurriedly, "I haven't seen the eldest young master's wet nurse at the Zhao residence these past two days. Perhaps she has already left. Does Doctor Gu know her name and where she lives?"

Doctor Gu waved his hand and said, "Don't look for it. You won't find it. When the eldest young master of the Zhao family was one year old, the wet nurse fell ill. When I rushed to the mansion, she was already dead."

Zhao Yuanming's wet nurse died? How could such a coincidence exist in the world?

Fang Yan pressed on, "Do you know what the emergency was? Why did he pass away so suddenly?"

"I don't know about that. To the Zhao family, she was just a wet nurse. Since she didn't die a violent death, there's no need to delve into it." Doctor Gu sipped the herbs in his mouth. The mixture of bitterness and fragrance made him clear his mind a little, and he remembered a detail. "But when I left that day, I heard the servants in the courtyard say that the wet nurse had become more generous since six months ago and had long wanted to quit her job at the Zhao residence and go home to take care of her husband and children. But the lady thought that the young master had been raised drinking her milk since he was a child and had long been accustomed to it, so she insisted on keeping her, but she didn't expect it to end up like this. Well, I've told you everything I know. Although I don't know if this matter is related to the death of Mrs. Zhao, I hope to help you find the real culprit as soon as possible."

Fang Yan lowered his eyes and thought for a moment, confirming that nothing was missing. He stood up and politely bowed to Doctor Gu. Doctor Gu leaned aside, avoiding the gesture. "How can an official bow to a commoner? Your Excellency is embarrassing me."

Fang Yan's expression was serious, and every word and action was precise. "Sir, you have taken the initiative to share so many past events, which is very helpful to Madam Zhao's case. You deserve my respect."

Xun Shu stood up, bowed, and said gently, "Sir, you are a kind-hearted doctor. Good people will definitely be rewarded."

He Xuan sat there, his eyes lowered, his expression unclear, but a faint smile played on his lips. Xun Shu glanced sideways at him, and inexplicably felt that he wasn't smiling, but rather sorting out the entire case, placing every word Doctor Gu had just said in its corresponding place in his mind.

As if noticing Xun Shu's gaze, He Xuan raised his eyes and instantly caught her gaze before she could look away. He raised a bright smile, revealing a few big white teeth.

Xun Shu turned his head and stopped looking at him.

He Xuan stood up slowly, his posture relaxed and unhurried. He shifted his gaze from Xun Shu to Doctor Gu and asked, "Mr. Gu, I have another question for you. Since Zhao Yuanming was born, you've often come to the mansion to check his pulse. Have you ever met a woman named 'Su Mei'?"

Doctor Gu thought for a moment and then shook his head. "After the child was born, the Zhao family hired many famous doctors, and many relatives and friends came to visit. I'm just a doctor. How could the Zhao family introduce each person's name to me? Does that person have any characteristics? I might have an impression of him."

Xun Shu listened quietly, his thoughts following the conversation between the two.

Su Mei has an ordinary face, and her words and deeds are nothing special. There is nothing special about her that makes people unforgettable. How can I describe this?

As he was thinking, he heard He Xuan speak again: "If I'm not mistaken, she was a pregnant woman at that time."

Doctor Gu slapped his forehead. "Now that you mention it, I know for sure. There really is such a person! The day after the Zhao family's eldest young master was born, that person came to visit us. At that time, Madam Zhao was still in confinement after her birth and wouldn't see anyone, but she was able to come and go freely. I haven't taken her pulse, but she looks like she's almost full-term and is very heavy."

"Does she go there often?" Xun Shu asked.

"For the first month, I often saw her at the mansion, but she stopped coming later, presumably because she was about to give birth. She didn't reappear until the eldest young master was over four months old, and she was already frail. By then, Madam Zhao was starting to suffer from hysteria, unable to recognize anyone and refusing to let anyone approach her, but she was still able to stay by her side. I suspect she and Madam Zhao were very close, someone Madam Zhao trusted. Fortunately, her presence helped Madam Zhao's condition somewhat."

Doctor Gu didn't know why the others mentioned this person, but he told them everything he knew until the three men left. He stood at the door and watched their receding backs, still unable to come back to his senses.

He thought that perhaps there was some secret that had been buried for many years and could no longer be hidden. The doubts that had been lingering in his heart for many years might finally be answered.

-

The streets were deserted, drenched in rain. The clatter of horses' hooves echoed repeatedly, sending mud flying everywhere. The three of them galloped towards the yamen. No one spoke along the way, each trying to sort out the case in their minds.

The three men dismounted in the yamen yard, handed the reins to the yamen servants waiting on the side, and did not rush back to the house. Instead, they stood side by side under the eaves in tacit understanding, with serious faces, watching the drizzle in the yard.

After a while, Xun Shu spoke softly, breaking the silence of the rain: "There is no evidence."

Her words were rather vague, but He Xuan understood them clearly. He patted her head and smiled, reassuringly, "We still have a day and a half to go. Don't worry. After we meet with County Magistrate Zhao, it won't be too late to worry about these things. Lord Fang, what do you think?"

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