Chapter 108 Life-Saving Talisman
Lying in bed that night, Sheng An talked to Xu Jinnian about her deal with Song Wanjun, explaining the predicament Song was facing and the risks she was facing.
Xu Jinnian knew that Sheng An wasn't the type to take risks, and intuitively felt there was a reason she didn't know: "An'an wants to use this matter to get on good terms with the Song family and the heir of the Marquis of An'nan's mansion. Is there some other consideration?"
Sheng An's fingertips traced across the man's brows and eyes, and the thorn in her heart resurfaced:
"If my cooking skills are lucky enough to save the young master of the Marquis of An'nan's mansion, and we encounter a big problem that we can't solve one day, we might have to ask him for help."
Risk often comes with opportunity; this is the principle behind the saying "fortune favors the bold."
What she wanted wasn't wealth, but a lifeline.
The heir of the Marquis of Annan's mansion might just be his life-saving charm.
She absolutely did not want to experience the tragedies of her past life, the tragedies of her grandparents, and the tragedies of Zhaodi and Da Kui.
Now we can only gather all the strength we can to prepare for the calamity that will come three years from now.
Xu Jinnian sensed Sheng An's unease and frowned involuntarily: "Is An'an hiding something from me? Or is it related to that woman surnamed Liu?"
Sheng An was terrified by his intuition and quickly covered his mouth:
"What nonsense are you talking about? I'm just taking precautions, don't you understand? Anyway, I've already promised Song Wanjun, your opinion doesn't matter, I can't go back on my word."
Xu Jinnian pulled his wife's hand away, his deep eyes fixed on her: "Twice now."
Sheng An was confused: "What, twice?"
Xu Jinnian said quietly, "Including tonight, An'an has kept it from her husband twice."
Sheng An suddenly felt guilty and turned her back to him, saying, "You're a grown man, don't be so unreasonable, okay?"
Feeling helpless after being accused by his wife, Xu Jinnian turned her over to face him and said, "If An'an doesn't want to talk about it, I won't ask. I just don't want there to be a third time."
Sheng An did some mental calculations and said uncertainly, "There shouldn't be any."
The two times she concealed the truth were both related to tragedies from her past life, and in essence, it was the same thing.
Moreover, when the time is right, she will make things clear to this man; this is not a matter of hiding anything at all.
Thinking of this, Sheng An became more self-righteous: "You should study hard and not have any wild thoughts. If you think too much and fail the imperial examination and become an official, how will I gain any honor as a wife?"
Xu Jinnian was speechless after hearing what she said, so he could only stretch out his long arms and hug her tightly: "You always have a million excuses to shut me up."
Sheng An denied it: "It's not as exaggerated as you say. Besides, the fact that I can shut you up means you agree with it. Since you agree, stop nagging."
Xu Jinnian immediately shut up.
Sheng An was dissatisfied with his expression and reached out to pinch his cheeks: "Give me a smile. A smile means you're not angry, so I can sleep peacefully."
Xu Jinnian: "..."
It turns out that An'an cares so much about his feelings.
After this self-comforting remark, Xu Jinnian cupped Sheng An's face and showered her with tender kisses: "Your husband is not angry."
Sheng An enjoyed the man's kiss, and while busy kissing, she secretly flattered him, saying, "You're the best~"
Xu Jin smiled and hugged her even tighter.
Song Wanjun acted swiftly; in just three days, the courtyard next to Shengyuan changed hands.
This matter did not attract much attention. Only Sheng An knew that this courtyard, which was slightly smaller than Sheng Garden, was about to welcome the heir of the Marquis of An'nan.
The Song family of Jinling.
In Zhichun Courtyard, the maids and servants held their breath and walked quietly, not daring to make a sound, for fear of disturbing the seriously ill nobleman in the main house.
Three months ago, this nobleman, who had been recuperating in Guang'an Prefecture for many years, suddenly dragged his ailing body to the Song family in Jinling and moved into the Zhichun Courtyard, where that young lady had lived when she was still unmarried.
For months, the noble lady has stayed at home, but her condition has worsened. Several rounds of imperial physicians have come and gone, but the noble lady has grown weaker and weaker and can only lie in bed now.
Sigh, it's all fate!
The underfloor heating in the main house was burning brightly, keeping out the winter chill.
Lying on the bed at this moment was a pale-faced, emaciated man, none other than Ning Sihan, the heir of the Marquis of An'nan.
From last night until now, Ning Sihan has not eaten a single grain of rice for a whole day and night, only drinking a few sips of water.
Two imperial physicians stood by the bed, whispering to each other. They were the best physicians in the entire Imperial Medical Academy, and over the years they had been treating Ning Sihan's illnesses on the orders of the Empress Dowager.
However, Ning Sihan was physically weak, and the residual poison had long since invaded her internal organs. Over the years, it had not been completely removed, leaving the two imperial physicians helpless.
They are now staying by Ning Sihan's bedside because Ning Sihan's days are numbered and she may not survive the winter. They need to record her medical history every day and report it to the Empress Dowager truthfully after returning to the capital.
"Alas, the young master has been unconscious for many days, and we do not know when he will wake up."
"Yesterday, the palace brought a message from Her Majesty inquiring about the Crown Prince's situation, but unfortunately the Crown Prince was unable to hear it in person."
"Has the Marquis of Annan's residence sent anyone? I remember the last letter and item we received was three months ago."
"No, perhaps the Marquis of Annan is too busy."
The conversation ended there, and the room fell into a deathly silence.
The two imperial physicians knew very well that Ning Sihan had lived in the palace as a child and was personally raised by the Empress Dowager. Later, her condition worsened and she had to come to Guang'an Prefecture, where the climate was spring-like all year round, to recuperate.
Now, a full ten years have passed, and Ning Sihan has never returned to the capital. Marquis Annan already has a beloved wife and young son by his side. How much fatherly affection can he have for this eldest son who has never been by his side since childhood?
It's good enough if they occasionally remember that they have such an eldest son.
Back when the Marquis of Annan was still the heir apparent, he and his then-wife, Song Han, were deeply in love, a legendary love story in the capital, envied by countless ladies and young women.
After the death of the Crown Prince's wife, the Marquis of Annam was overcome with grief and wanted to commit suicide to follow his beloved wife in death.
The old lady of the Marquis of Annan's mansion was furious. Despite the Marquis's objections, she insisted on bringing her niece from her maternal family into the mansion to be the Marquis's second wife.
The old lady pressured the Marquis of Annan to leave behind a healthy heir for the Marquis's family, otherwise it would be a great act of filial impiety and a disgrace to his ancestors.
The following year, the Marquis of Annan's household welcomed a healthy son, and the Marquis of Annan no longer sought death.
Recalling this moment, the two imperial physicians were filled with emotion and sympathy for Ning Sihan, who lay unconscious on the bed.
If it weren't for that assassination attempt, and if the Crown Prince's wife were still alive, the Crown Prince would be in a completely different situation, and he wouldn't be lying in bed like a cripple like he is now.
Song Wanjun hurried in and, seeing the two imperial physicians there, secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Once the chill had dissipated, he strode to the bedside, looked at his emaciated nephew on the bed, and couldn't hide his heartache: "The young master hasn't woken up yet?"
One of the imperial physicians replied, "He woke up briefly this morning, was given a couple of sips of water, and then went back to sleep."
Song Wanjun nodded, dismissed the maids and servants in the room, and asked in a low voice, "Can the young master move?"
The two imperial physicians were shocked: "Absolutely not!"
It's freezing cold, how can the young master move? He'll probably collapse as soon as he leaves the manor.
Song Wanjun paced back and forth in the room, pondered for a moment, and then made up his mind: "There is a three-hundred-year-old ginseng in the manor. If we use the old ginseng to suspend it, can we safely reach Qingzhou?"
The two imperial physicians will inevitably accompany him on this relocation to Qingzhou, and this matter cannot be kept from them.
Seeing that Song Wanjun had made up his mind, the two imperial physicians discussed for a moment but still shook their heads: "No."
Ning Sihan was already in this state, and the imperial physicians felt that Song Wanjun must have his reasons for making such arrangements, so no one asked about the reason for the relocation.
However, they were ordered to treat Ning Sihan, and given that Ning Sihan was not easily moved, agreeing to Song Wanjun's approach would mean taking responsibility. If the Empress Dowager were to hold them accountable in the future, no one could afford to bear the consequences.
Song Wanjun understood the two imperial physicians' concerns, walked to the bedside, took his nephew's hand, and gently called out, "Sihan, Sihan, can you hear your third uncle?"
Ning Sihan's eyelids twitched, her pale lips parted slightly, and she managed to utter a muffled sound: "Third...Third Uncle..."
Seeing his nephew in this state, Song Wanjun was overcome with grief.
He suppressed his emotions and asked, word by word, "Sihan, your mother lived in Qingzhou for a period of time when she was young. Would you like your third uncle to take you there to see her?"
He had just discussed it with the old lady, and she agreed to let him take Sihan to Qingzhou to seek a last chance for survival.
As long as Sihan agrees, the two imperial physicians cannot stop her.
Whether awakened by the word "mother" or unable to bear the thought of her uncle's distress, Ning Sihan, who had been unconscious for a long time, unexpectedly opened her eyes, her blurry gaze falling on Song Wanjun standing in front of the bed:
"Third, Third Uncle, I'm going..."
Song Wanjun breathed a sigh of relief and nodded repeatedly: "Good, good, the boat is ready, we'll set off first thing tomorrow morning!"
Having said that, he looked at the two imperial physicians.
The two imperial physicians exchanged a glance and tacitly approved of the uncle and nephew's decision. That very evening, they ordered someone to send the news back to the capital.
In the afternoon, just as Sheng An woke up from his nap, Shu Qi came to the small building to report that Song Wanjun had arrived.
Sheng An didn't expect this person to move so quickly; he quickly washed up and came to the front yard.
Looking at Song Wanjun's exaggerated dark circles and eye bags, Sheng An was secretly alarmed: Could that heir of the Marquis of An'nan still survive?
While her supernatural abilities are indeed amazing, they are not enough to bring the dead back to life. In her previous life, a terminal cancer patient who frequently came to eat there only lived for two more years.
She died too young, and the number of useful samples obtained was too small. She herself did not fully understand the effects of the "golden finger" on patients.
Thinking of this, Sheng An felt a little uncertain. Before Song Wanjun could speak, she emphasized again, "Mr. Song, we signed a contract that day. I will only provide three meals a day, and I will not guarantee anything else."
If it doesn't work out, Mr. Song shouldn't cause her any trouble.
Song Wanjun wasn't shameless enough to do that. He said seriously, "Don't worry, Mr. Sheng. My nephew is just here in Qingzhou for a short stay and wants to try some of the local delicacies."
Sheng An nodded: "Please lead the way, Mr. Song. I need to personally find out what the guests like."
Song Wanjun couldn't wait to go outside and led Sheng An to the courtyard next door.
The courtyard was tidied up yesterday. Although it didn't have an underground heating system like the Zhichun Courtyard in Jinling, there was plenty of high-quality charcoal burning inside. As soon as Sheng An entered, a strong heat hit her, making her think that the dog days of summer had arrived.
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