In the study of Yi Shangkun, at the Yi Mansion in the west of the city.
In the dim candlelight, he sat at his desk, staring blankly at a medical book. But his mind wasn't on the book; he was simply reminiscing about the benefactor who had given him the book many years ago.
Actually, this medical book was not written by any famous doctor, but by that benefactor. It contains pictures of extremely rare and exotic flowers and herbs, their effects and indications, and their growing environment. It also includes prescriptions for some difficult and complicated diseases.
It was precisely because he obtained this secret manual that he was able to transform from a poor herbalist in the deep mountains into a master pharmacist in the Imperial Pharmacy.
As he pondered, he suddenly let out a long sigh, seemingly filled with regret.
At this moment, Madam Nian entered carrying a bowl of red date and lotus seed soup. She sighed as well and said to him, "I wonder if that hermit is real or not? Can he really cure that child's legs? This child is truly pitiful. She was born without a father, and her mother's family suffered some terrible misfortune. She clung to life, giving birth to this child before passing away. She was already a lonely soul in this world; now, if even her legs are crippled, what will become of her? She's only seventeen, in the prime of her life..."
Before she could finish speaking, Yi Shangkun quickly put down the red date and lotus seed soup he was about to eat and hurriedly said to her, "Be more careful with your words in the future. I'm afraid that child is already suspicious."
Mrs. Nian was alarmed, but then she suddenly said, "That's right, just a few days ago she was showing off the gold and jade bracelet that her benefactor left us, as if she wanted to find out something. Could it be that she really knows something and has become suspicious?"
"Shh," Yi Shangkun gestured for her to be quiet, and Nian had no choice but to stop.
Yi Shangkun lowered his voice and said quietly, "For so many years, we have kept this secret very well hidden. Of course, someone overheard something and told her. But judging from what Yan'er said, it seems that no key or important information was revealed. If we pursue it now, it will only make it seem like we are really hiding something. It's better to ignore it and pretend that nothing happened. As time goes by, she won't be able to find any progress and will gradually forget about it."
Madam Nian nodded in agreement, saying, "What you say is absolutely right. As long as we don't say anything, no one will ever know. She will always just be the eldest daughter of the Yi family. But right now, at such a young age, what if her leg really doesn't heal? How can we explain this to our benefactor?"
"Alas, it's all my fault for dragging her into the palace and getting entangled with those members of the royal family. Now, the Emperor has bestowed her upon the Prince of Qin's residence. Anyone can see that the Prince of Qin and the Emperor are only superficially friendly. Now, the Prince of Qin's influence in court is growing stronger every day. I'm afraid it's not too late for the day when the world changes!" Yi Shangkun said with some regret and deep worry.
However, Lady Nian disagreed with his words, saying, "But the Prince of Qin is indeed more benevolent and loves his people more than the Emperor. In these times, with war and chaos, and internal and external troubles, every time an enemy state invades our Western Qin border, it is His Highness the Prince of Qin who personally leads the battle and wins every time. The Emperor, on the other hand, only knows how to hide in his magnificent palace, relentlessly increasing taxes and exploiting the people to expand the national treasury. In my opinion, Western Qin will sooner or later fall into the Prince of Qin's hands, which is in accordance with the will of Heaven and the wishes of the people. The Prince of Qin is not someone to be trifled with!"
Upon hearing Nian's words, Yi Shangkun was terrified and exclaimed, "You are just a woman, don't presume to discuss politics. If we, with our status, want our families to live peacefully, we must understand and follow the Doctrine of the Mean. Those people are not people of our status to be trifled with."
“But Yun’er is bound to be working in the Prince Qin’s mansion soon. If that day really comes, won’t she also be implicated? Who knows, it might even bring disaster to our entire Yi family. This change of fortune is no small matter…” Madam Nian said with even more worry.
Yi Shangkun pondered for a moment, then sighed deeply and said helplessly, "Perhaps it's all fate; there's no escaping it if you want to. Before her death, her benefactor poisoned her face to prevent anyone from recognizing her. She wanted her to live a simple, peaceful life as an ordinary, carefree woman. She repeatedly warned us never to let her have any contact with the royal family, but she still got entangled with them..."
Suddenly, Madam Nian interrupted her, saying, "If I had known this would happen, I shouldn't have let her go to the palace to run errands for the master in the first place, and now..."
The room fell silent; neither of them spoke.
Just then, a servant knocked gently on the door and said, "Master, an official from the Prince of Qin's residence has come to visit."
"The Prince of Qin's residence?" Yi Shangkun exclaimed in surprise.
Lady Nian also snapped out of her daze and asked Yi Shangkun, "What I feared most has come to pass. What is the Prince of Qin's mansion doing here during the New Year?"
Yi Shangkun had an indescribable feeling, sensing that it was probably related to Yi Shangyun again. So he stood up, sighed, and said, "What's meant to be will be. We'll find out when we go and see."
Ms. Nian followed closely behind and walked out together.
Yi Shangkun had worked in the Imperial Pharmacy for many years and recognized Cheng Liang. As soon as he entered, he politely cupped his hands to greet him and said, "So it's General Cheng. It's a pleasure to meet you. I didn't know you would grace my humble abode with your presence tonight. Please forgive me for not welcoming you properly."
Cheng Liang, acting on his master's orders, came to inform Yi Shangkun, "Pharmacist Yi, there's no need for such formalities. I've come so late tonight to bother you because my lady went to the palace with His Highness to attend the New Year's Eve banquet. On her way back, she suddenly felt unwell. We happened to meet Miss Yi on the way, so we took her with us to the Prince of Qin's residence and left her there to be cared for for a few days. Once my lady is feeling better, someone from the Prince of Qin's residence will personally escort Miss Yi back. I came to inform you, Pharmacist Yi, so you won't worry about Miss Yi."
Upon hearing this, Yi Shangkun and Madam Nian exchanged glances. Although they had their doubts, they couldn't confront her directly. They simply asked, "General Cheng, I wonder if our daughter has already been treated by that reclusive master? She was supposed to be at home with her family tonight to celebrate the Lunar New Year's Eve. However, Manager Xue of Baicaotang said that there was a reclusive master who could cure our daughter's leg ailment, so she went out. We are still waiting for news from her."
"Don't worry, Miss Yi has already taken the master's miraculous medicine, and I believe she will recover soon," Cheng Liang replied.
Upon hearing this, Nian burst into tears of joy, while Yi Shangkun breathed a sigh of relief and exclaimed excitedly, "Thank God, we're finally saved!"
At this moment, Cheng Liang's message arrived. The errand was complete, and he prepared to take his leave. "Alright, I have conveyed my master's message and will now return to the palace to report. Pharmacist Yi, farewell!"
"General Cheng, you've worked hard. Thank you for your help," Yi Shangkun said with a cupped hand. After saying that, he got up and personally saw the guest off.
After the three of them arrived at the gate of the Yi residence, Cheng Liang mounted his horse and was about to leave when Yi Shangkun suddenly spoke cautiously again, "General Cheng, is my daughter really alright?!"
"Does Pharmacist Yi intend to personally accompany this general to the Prince of Qin's residence for a visit?" Cheng Liang said to him with a smile, but the smile was no different from a reprimand.
Yi Shangkun and Madam Nian were terrified. Yi Shangkun hurriedly said, "No, no, General Cheng, please don't misunderstand. I was only worried about my daughter's safety. I certainly wouldn't dare to question the Prince of Qin's residence in the slightest."
Cheng Liang chuckled lightly, saying disdainfully, "Hmph... I never knew that Pharmacist Yi had become so concerned about this useless, ugly girl in your household. I've heard that when Miss Yi was working in the palace, she encountered danger many times, but Pharmacist Yi never inquired about her once! Oh, right, it seems that this Miss Yi was originally a perfectly respectable young lady who kept a low profile, and it seems that she was forced into the palace because of Pharmacist Yi, wasn't she?!"
Yi Shangkun bowed his head apologetically and said, "Your humble servant is ashamed, Your humble servant is ashamed."
"Don't worry, Pharmacist Yi. Soon, Miss Yi will become a member of the Prince Qin's household. From then on, she will be under the protection of my master and His Highness the Prince Qin. Pharmacist Yi can continue to turn a blind eye and rest easy. Farewell!" After saying that, Cheng Liang hurriedly rode away.
It was a freezing cold night, with snow still falling from the sky. Yi Shangkun's robes were soaked through. He stood frozen at the entrance of his own mansion, head bowed, not daring to look up for a long time. Nian Shi also stood beside him, bowing her head in fear and trembling.
Half a day later, the two finally came to their senses. Madam Nian hurriedly stepped forward to support Yi Shangkun and called out worriedly, "Master..."
Yi Shangkun then looked up, wiping the cold sweat from his temples. Watching Cheng Liang's departing figure, he seemed to harbor some doubts, though he couldn't quite put his finger on them. He only murmured to Nian Shi beside him, "Truly, it is fate. It's all too late..."
Inside the Lin Yue Pavilion of the Qin Prince's Mansion, Xuan Yuanhan held a cool, damp cloth and pressed it against Yi Yun's forehead.
For some unknown reason, Yi Shangyun suddenly developed a high fever. At this moment, her eyes were closed, her face was flushed, her head was shaking slightly, and she occasionally uttered what sounded like a nightmare.
The imperial physicians from the Prince of Qin's residence had already been summoned to treat him. He had taken a lot of antipyretics, but they had no effect whatsoever. In a fit of anger, Xuan Yuanhan had him sent away again.
Granny Zhang came in and took care of the patient for most of the night, but there was no improvement. She was so exhausted that she almost fainted. Because of her advanced age, Xuan Yuanhan couldn't bear to see her like that, so he sent her back to rest.
So he began to try to take care of it himself.
Leading troops into battle and commanding armies were things he could easily do, but taking care of a patient with such a high fever and in critical condition, especially a woman who was the most precious person in his heart, was something he was doing for the first time.
Although Yi Shangyun had recuperated from illness at the Prince of Qin's residence before, the situation was nothing compared to what she was experiencing now.
At this moment, he truly cherished her, afraid of dropping her or melting her. He himself was like an ant on a hot pan, helpless and able to only keep changing the cool, damp cloths he applied to her burning forehead to prevent this sudden, inexplicable high fever from damaging her head.
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