Chapter 74 "You also know it's an engagement..."
Liu Sijun followed his father out into the world since he was a child, and after many years of training, he is now finally able to independently lead a small team and do things properly.
But deep down he wasn't a businessman.
He only realized he had completely given himself away after asking those two questions, and closed his eyes in annoyance.
Ji Yun observed his reaction closely, nodded slightly, and said calmly, “You are Liu Sijun, the only son of Liu Qing, the leader of the Xiaoyun Caravan in Qinzhou. Yu Tong’s birth mother, Liu Shi, is your aunt. Many years ago, she married into the Meng family from Qinzhou. Two years after marrying into the Meng family, Liu Shi accompanied Master Meng to the southwest to purchase medicinal herbs. During this time, she had a falling out with the Liu family and lost contact with them.”
Liu Sijun grew increasingly alarmed as he listened, a chill creeping down his spine. These family secrets, especially his aunt's resolute severing of ties with the family, were extremely confidential. How could Ji Yun know them so clearly?
Deep in his memory, his aunt was gentle and quiet, and had doted on him since he was a child. His father was often away from home, and his mother was frail and needed to rest, so it was his aunt who took meticulous care of his daily life.
He had been fond of clinging to his gentle aunt since childhood.
I remember before my aunt got married, he stayed in her room, crying and refusing to leave. My father came in and forcibly took him away. In his struggle, he accidentally swept a jade dowry item that my aunt cherished to the ground from the dressing table.
With a single sound, a tiny crack appeared on the once flawless jade gourd.
He was filled with unbearable guilt, but his aunt showed no remorse. Instead, she hugged him and gently comforted him, saying, "Don't cry. I find this mark endearing and make it unique. Whenever I see it in the future, I will think of Sijun."
Later, when he first met Meng Yutong at Helelou, Meng Yutong was holding the jade gourd and asking him about it.
He still remembers that the building was brightly lit at that time, with lights flowing around the jade body, which perfectly reflected on the tiny crack, refracting a soft halo.
He looked up and carefully examined Meng Yutong. He knew at a glance that the woman in front of him, who had beautiful and gentle eyes just like his aunt, was undoubtedly his cousin.
...
But for some reason, my aunt gradually became estranged from the family after marrying far away.
He only remembered that many years ago, his father received a secret letter from Lin'an.
The letter contained something unknown, but after reading it, the father flew into a rage. Later, the letter from Lin'an was presented to the clan elders, who all declared that they should sever all ties with their aunt who had married into the Lin'an family and even expel her from the clan genealogy.
As a result, the Liu family and the Meng family have had almost no contact for many years.
When the devastating news of his aunt's death arrived, his father was heartbroken. He immediately took his cousin and rushed to Lin'an day and night, intending to bring his orphaned cousin back to Qinzhou to raise her.
He still remembers that day clearly. He and his father, dressed in coarse clothes and covered in the dust of Qinzhou, stood on the bustling street outside the Meng family mansion, completely out of place in the refined and prosperous Jiangnan water town.
Through the car window, they saw the old lady of the Meng family leading little Meng Yutong out of the shop. Meng Yutong was wearing brand-new silk clothes, holding exquisite pastries in her hands, and surrounded by servants. Although she looked timid, she already looked like a young lady from a wealthy family.
The father gazed at her for a long time, then finally sighed deeply and said in a hoarse voice, "Sijun, look... Tong'er is here, surrounded by fine silks and brocades, with a refined upbringing. The Meng family can give her what we can't... We're always busy traveling, how much time can we spend with her? Taking her back to that windy and sandy place of Qinzhou, is that loving her or ruining her life?"
In the end, the father gave up the idea of taking Meng Yutong away, and only begged Madam Meng to allow them to keep in touch by letter so that he would know that Meng Yutong had grown up safely.
Therefore, although the Liu family was far away in Qinzhou, they were always aware of Meng Yutong's whereabouts.
This year was supposed to be the year of her wedding with the young master of the Ji family. He came to Lin'an under the guise of a business trip, hoping to see his cousin get married in a grand manner before returning home in peace.
Unexpectedly, the engagement changed, and she opened her own clinic. He was worried about her, so he decided to stay and help her until the clinic was settled before making any further plans.
He had never even told Yu Tong about these secret thoughts, so how did Ji Yun find out?
Having known Ji Yun for some time, Liu Sijun realized for the first time that this seemingly upright and gentle physician was actually meticulous and cunning, far from being as simple as he appeared. He was like still waters running deep, unfathomable.
Liu Sijun frowned, his expression clearly showing displeasure: "You've been secretly investigating me?"
It was common practice for him to use an alias when traveling the martial arts world, and there was nothing wrong with that. But Ji Yun's ability to investigate his background so thoroughly without making a sound made him feel uneasy, as if he were being spied on and schemed against.
Faced with his questioning, Ji Yun's expression remained unchanged. He merely raised his hand slightly to signal him to calm down, and said in a calm tone, "Young Master Liu, please calm your anger. I know you are a generous and helpful person, and have no ill intentions. However, since you suddenly appeared beside Yu Tong, I had to act cautiously and conduct a preliminary investigation to ensure Yu Tong's safety and prevent her from being plotted against by villains. If I have offended you in any way, I hope you will understand my intention to protect her."
"What a joke!" Liu Sijun laughed angrily. He crossed his arms, raised his chin slightly, and said with dissatisfaction, "In terms of friendship, she and I are bosom friends! In terms of kinship, I am her direct cousin! How can outsiders compare to our relationship? You suspect me of having ulterior motives?"
"I think you're the one with impure thoughts! I heard you're the head of the Imperial Medical Academy, so why is the Imperial Medical Academy so leisurely these days that you're running around in this small Zhaoyu Hall all day? I think your intentions are as clear as day!"
Upon hearing this, Ji Yun did not refute it, but simply glanced at Liu Sijun quietly.
Although Liu Sijun's words were unpleasant to hear, upon closer reflection, they didn't seem to be entirely wrong.
Ji Yun then briefly told Liu Sijun about how Meng Qingyu had tried to collude with unknown forces to purchase "Bone-Eating Grass" and attempted to use the Liu family's caravan to transport the banned drug, and how Liu Shi had resolutely severed ties with her maternal clan to protect herself and reported it to Old Madam Meng.
Upon hearing this, Liu Sijun's temple throbbed slightly, and he slammed his fist on the table, startling the patient in front of him. He turned to Ji Yun and angrily said, "That Meng Qingyu! How dare he do such a rebellious thing, causing my aunt to suffer such injustice!"
In this light, the letter that was sent from Lin'an back then was most likely written by my aunt. She must have taken the blame for the whole thing, deliberately exaggerated it, and sent the message back to mislead the family members into thinking that she was colluding with Meng Qingyu, thus severing ties with them.
That Meng Qingyu is a complete scoundrel!
Ji Yun raised his hand and gestured for him to calm down. "What's past is past, Young Master Liu, please calm down. Madam Liu is very understanding and righteous, which is admirable."
Liu Sijun's anger subsided slightly, but he keenly sensed something amiss. He looked at Ji Yun suspiciously: "Strange, how did you learn about these family secrets that even I don't fully know?"
Ji Yun remained calm, his fingertips lightly brushing against the pulse pillow on the table. A faint, almost imperceptible curve appeared at the corner of his lips, but his eyes were as deep and unfathomable as a still pool, carrying a sense of knowing everything and having complete control.
His tone was calm, without the slightest hint of emotion: "Yutong and I were once engaged. Some things are indeed secrets that are difficult for Young Master Liu to ascertain, but not for me."
Liu Sijun let out a disdainful snort: "So you know we were 'engaged'?"
He deliberately emphasized the word "pass" heavily, drawing out the last syllable, which sounded like a sarcastic and mocking tone to Ji Yun.
Ji Yun's eyelids trembled almost imperceptibly, but in an instant, his expression returned to normal. He lowered his eyelashes, concealing the complex look that flashed across his eyes, and did not reply.
The two have completely different personalities, but after today's frank conversation, their relationship has actually grown closer.
Ji Yun then asked, "Now that you've come to Lin'an, why don't you reveal your identity to Yu Tong and recognize yourselves as siblings?"
Liu Sijun sighed: "Originally, I only intended to watch her get married in a grand manner from afar, to put my mind at ease, and I didn't plan to acknowledge her. Who knew that so many changes would happen later. Now, if I were to bring it up again, it would seem deliberate."
"Besides, she's living a very successful life, and I don't want to bother her with this broken family relationship. As things stand, it seems like it's not so bad to be able to stay by her side and protect her."
He changed the subject and looked at Ji Yun, "Speaking of which, why did you break off the engagement? I've asked Tongtong about this several times, but she always gives vague answers."
In the past, Ji Yun might have considered the annulment of the engagement insignificant. But now, having a rough idea of the reason, he felt an inexplicable sense of irritation whenever someone asked about it.
He stopped responding to Liu Sijun's words, instead raising his eyes and talking to the next waiting patient with a normal expression, leaving Liu Sijun standing aside. Seeing this, Liu Sijun could only roll his eyes speechlessly, cross his arms and lean back in the chair behind him, and said in a low voice, "It must be that Tongtong didn't like you, and you're too embarrassed to say it."
Just then, a young woman dressed as a maid, wearing a light green vest and holding a gold-flecked vermilion invitation card, walked through the crowd of people waiting for their turn and came to the counter. She asked in a clear voice, "Is Dr. Meng in the hall?"
Bai Zhi stepped forward and politely replied, "Young lady, if you need to see a doctor, please line up at the back. Doctor Meng is off today, and there are other doctors on duty at the clinic."
The maid waved her hand, handed over the invitation, and explained, "This servant is from Princess Jingfu's residence. On the fifteenth of July, the princess will be holding a banquet at her residence to celebrate her birthday, and she specially ordered this servant to come and present this invitation to Doctor Meng. The princess specifically instructed that Doctor Meng be invited to attend."
Bai Zhi took the gold-embossed invitation and was momentarily stunned.
Princess Jingfu? Why would Her Highness send an invitation to her young lady's birthday banquet? She vaguely remembered her young lady mentioning that at the Ji family's birthday banquet last time, this princess seemed to have some reservations about her...
She couldn't help but cast a puzzled glance at Ji Yun, who was not far away.
Ji Yun got up and walked over, took the invitation from Bai Zhi's hand, unfolded it and glanced at it briefly. He saw that the handwriting was neat and the seals were complete, which was indeed the style of the princess's residence.
Although he sensed something amiss, he remained outwardly calm and said to the maid who delivered the invitation, "Doctor Meng is resting now. The invitation has been received. Whether she attends the banquet depends on her wishes. Just go back and report back truthfully."
The maidservant looked troubled, hesitated for a moment, and then timidly added, "The princess specifically instructed that I must hear Doctor Meng's approval in person before I can go back and report."
Ji Yun ran his fingertips along the edge of the invitation, his tone calm and even: "Then you should tell your aunt that I am here today, so I will accept this invitation on her behalf for the time being."
He didn't rule out the possibility entirely, leaving room for maneuver, as he had no intention of overstepping his bounds and making decisions for Meng Yutong.
Upon hearing Ji Yun's self-address, the maid immediately understood his identity. The tension on her face vanished considerably, and she quickly bowed respectfully to him, saying, "This servant understands. Thank you, Young Master Ji. This servant will now return to the manor to report to the princess."
It was already afternoon when Princess Gyeongbok's invitation was delivered to Meng Yutong.
Upon hearing Bai Zhi relay the princess's insistence on inviting her to the banquet, Meng Yutong had some guesses in her mind. It seemed that the prescription she had used to treat the princess's leg ailment at Qinglan Temple had been effective, and the princess's invitation to her residence under the guise of her birthday was most likely to have her examine the old injury more closely.
Ji Yun, who was observing her expression, spoke up at the right moment: "If you feel uncomfortable, I can refuse on your behalf."
Meng Yutong gently shook her head: "Since the princess has so sincerely invited me, I naturally cannot refuse."
Ji Yun seemed lost in thought. His aunt's birthday was in the 15th of the seventh lunar month, and it was only May now; there was still plenty of time. The most urgent task at hand was to control the rampant diarrhea in the city.
Fortunately, the critically ill patients admitted to Zhaoyutang have gradually recovered in the past few days, proving that the prescription he and Meng Yutong jointly devised was indeed effective. Going forward, all that is needed is to distribute this prescription, along with the precious lotus seeds, to various medical clinics throughout the city. With concerted efforts, it is believed that the epidemic will subside in time.
After discussing the illness for a few more minutes, Ji Yun found an excuse and said frankly, "The Medical Academy hasn't been too busy lately. I was thinking that from now on, I'll work in the academy in the mornings and come to Zhaoyu Hall in the afternoons to see patients with you. Firstly, this will allow me to do my part to thank you for your generous donation of medicine; secondly, having one more person to share the workload will help patients get relief from their pain sooner and avoid the suffering of long queues."
His words were sincere and his reasons were sound. If Meng Yutong were to refuse again, it would seem rather unreasonable.
Very well, if he's willing to come, then let him come. In any case, having another skilled doctor on staff will increase the number of patients we can treat each day, which will benefit Zhaoyutang's reputation and its future selection as a medical institution in the official register.
Time flies, and more than a month has passed in the blink of an eye. Under the overall coordination of the Medical Academy and the joint efforts of various medical clinics, coupled with proper sanitation measures, the diarrhea that had been raging in the city for so long was finally brought under control. By early July, all the original patients, whether they were seriously ill or not, had recovered, and there were very few new patients.
During this time, Meng Yutong was busy with the clinic at Zhaoyutang every day, and Ji Yun, just as he had said, arrived almost without fail every afternoon. At first, Meng Yutong was still somewhat polite, but over time, he got used to his presence.
The two sat side by side in front of the consultation table, discussing difficult cases or cooperating in treatment. Ji Yun's medical skills were superb, and he was meticulous and extremely patient. He could soothe even the most anxious patients with gentle words. He often had unique insights into details, which made Meng Yutong admire him in secret.
As time went by, although we weren't exactly close, the invisible barrier we had before had gradually melted away in our daily work together, and we became more naturally familiar with each other.
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