Meng Zhelan smiled and said, "Don't worry, just wait a little longer, you will all be fine."
"Li Yan, go check if the second batch of medicine is ready. It should be almost done," Physician Wen instructed the servant beside him.
A look of anticipation appeared on everyone's faces, as if they had seen a glimmer of hope in the darkness.
"Don't believe them, they're all liars! They want to poison us all so they can seize the village's property!" A shrill voice suddenly rang out, breaking the silence inside the house.
Amidst everyone's astonishment, a thin figure slowly stood up from the corner—it was Zhang San, the village's old hunter. His face was filled with resentment and anger as he pointed at Meng Zhelan and Doctor Wen, cursing loudly.
"Uncle Zhang, why are you doing this?" The village chief frowned, his tone full of confusion and bewilderment.
"Why?" Zhang San roared. "These guys from out of town have been causing trouble as soon as they arrived here. They want to kill us honest villagers and then steal our land and property! I, Zhang San, may be old, but I'm not blind, and I understand perfectly well!"
His words were filled with intense hatred, and the village chief said angrily, "Don't talk nonsense. This is the imperial physician sent by the emperor. He is our honored guest."
The village chief's voice was strong and clear, instantly suppressing Zhang San's arrogance. He glared at Zhang San, then turned to Liu Xing and Wang Lili to apologize: "Please, doctors, don't take offense. Zhang San is senile; his words shouldn't be taken seriously. We will fully cooperate with your work to ensure the village recovers as soon as possible."
Zhang San sneered, "You're in cahoots with them. You said the same thing when that group came last time, and what happened? They've made us all like this. How are we going to manage the crops in the fields? It's been months, and we've run out of food for the winter."
Zhang San sneered and retorted disdainfully, "You're in cahoots with them. You said the same thing when that group came last time, and what happened? They've made us all like this. How are we going to manage the crops in the fields? It's been months, and we've run out of food for the winter."
Faced with Zhang San's accusations, the village chief took a deep breath and tried to remain calm. He knew the situation was very unusual; the villagers' emotions had become highly unstable due to prolonged illness and hardship. He had to find a way to stabilize everyone's emotions so that the imperial physicians could carry out their work more effectively.
So the village chief turned to Liu Xing and Wang Lili and said, "Please don't take offense, doctors. Zhang San said those things because he was anxious. We know you're here to help us with good intentions, and we will cooperate fully with your work to help the village recover as soon as possible."
After saying that, the village chief turned to Zhang San and said, "Zhang San, calm down. The imperial physicians are here to help us, not to harm us. You must trust them. We will work together to revitalize the village."
With the village chief's patient persuasion, Zhang San's emotions gradually stabilized.
Meng Zhelan couldn't help but feel curious. The last time?
It seems this village chief has some unspeakable secret.
After finishing her work, Meng Zhelan returned to the residence, only to find Prince An still sitting alone in the first-floor guest room.
The teacup in front of him emitted a faint aroma of tea, as if telling of his tranquility and composure.
"Your Highness, I have discovered some puzzling things and feel it is necessary to report them to you."
Meng Zhelan was not entirely clear about these matters, so she decided to tell Prince An about the illogical parts of them.
Prince An was actually exhausted, but for some reason, the thought of Meng Zhelan not yet returning made him unable to suppress his anticipation, and he sat there quietly waiting for her to appear.
His face showed an indescribable expression, a mixture of expectation and confusion.
When Meng Zhelan walked towards him, his eyes instantly brightened, as if he had found some kind of relief in her.
“I wonder what is troubling you so much, Doctor Meng?” he began, his voice deep and magnetic. “I would like to hear the details.”
His tone revealed his trust and respect for Meng Zhelan, and he had someone bring her a cup of hot milk. "Sit down and have some milk. You've worked hard these past few days. Here."
Starlight adorned the tranquil night sky, draping the world in a veil of mystery. Inside the hotel, the lights shone brightly, their warm glow dispelling the chill and loneliness of the night.
The silence of the night was broken by the faint candlelight, and the figures of Meng Zhelan and Prince An intertwined on the wall, forming a warm and harmonious scene.
In the days that followed, Meng Zhelan and the other doctors were busy treating the villagers, working from dawn till dusk every day, and had almost no time to meet.
After half a month of tireless efforts, they finally succeeded in developing the most effective prescription, curing all the sick villagers and allowing them to return to their homes.
The local magistrate also provided the villagers with sufficient food subsidies and sent personnel from the Agriculture Department to help them. The villagers provided assistance with agricultural production and farming.
Meng Zhelan is currently unaware of the situation on Prince An's side. She had originally planned to return to the capital with the imperial physician.
However, Lu Er conveyed Prince An's wish that she wait at the guesthouse and return to the capital with him to discuss important matters.
Seeing that there was nothing to do for the time being, she and Sun Tiantian strolled around the neighborhood.
This area is actually a remnant from the previous dynasty. At that time, people referred to Deji Lane and several nearby lanes as the Ten Pavilions and Twenty-Four Lanes.
However, in the final years of the previous dynasty, the last emperor was dissolute and licentious, corruption was rampant in the court, and the local areas suffered from constant disasters and wars, which eventually led to the outbreak of peasant uprisings and the demise of the Tang Dynasty.
"It is said that this alley was once called Partridge Alley, but during the previous dynasty, there was constant warfare, and it was very close to the former imperial palace, so many high-ranking officials and nobles lived here, which also attracted many soldiers and bandits. Later, it was simply renamed Peaceful Alley."
Sweetie secretly told Meng Zhelan the information she had found out.
Both were interested in the ancient sites of the previous dynasty, so after asking for directions, they went to visit one of the most famous ten pavilions in the area—Tianxiang Pavilion.
"Tianxiang Pavilion? That sounds quite elegant, but... what exactly is Tianxiang Pavilion?" Meng Zhelan asked curiously.
"Sigh, sigh..." Sweetie drawled, "Let's walk a little further ahead, and we'll both see each other."
A large pavilion appeared not far ahead, and sure enough, the huge gilded plaque above it bore the three large characters "Tianxiang Pavilion".
Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a theater, with a play being performed on the stage.
The actors on stage, dressed in magnificent costumes, are performing a play with complete concentration.
Their singing was high-pitched and passionate, and their movements were elegant and fluid, drawing applause and cheers from the audience.
The two were drawn to the lively scene, found a seat, and ordered some tea and snacks from the waiter, ready to enjoy the wonderful performance.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com