Chapter 236 Treating Epidemic Patients
An old man, half-believing and half-doubting, walked over shakily: "Young lady, can you really save us? Lord Zhao said this medicine is poisonous..."
"Lord Zhao confiscated the imperial court's anti-epidemic medicines because he was afraid that if you recovered, he would cut off his source of income!" Ye Wanning handed over the bowl of medicine. "Please drink this bowl first, and you'll see results tomorrow!"
The old man took the medicine, and his fever subsided the next day. Suddenly, people in the slums went crazy for the medicine, and the decoction quickly ran out. Ye Wanning sent people to purchase medicinal herbs from surrounding counties, and at the same time, she contacted the gentry of Jiangzhou—she had once cured the mother of Mr. Zhou, the richest man in Jiangzhou, of a stubborn illness. Remembering their past kindness, Mr. Zhou immediately summoned the gentry, who not only contributed their own medicinal herbs but also helped deliver the decoction door-to-door.
Zhao Kun was furious and ordered his men to smash the large pot used for brewing the medicine, but they were stopped by Master Zhou's guards. He wanted to continue spreading rumors, but as more and more people recovered after drinking the medicine, the rumors were disproven.
Ye Wanning was not idle either. She sent her secret guards to steal Zhao Kun's account books and quickly found evidence: Zhao Kun had embezzled the court's epidemic prevention funds and sold the confiscated medicinal materials to pharmaceutical merchants at high prices. The income and expenditure in the account books were clear at a glance. There was also a letter he wrote to the Second Prince, in which he wrote, "By dragging down the epidemic in Jiangzhou, you can ruin the Crown Prince's disaster relief mission."
With the evidence irrefutable, Ye Wanning rushed back to the capital. Upon reading it, the emperor was furious and immediately issued an edict to dismiss Zhao Kun from his post and escort him back to the capital for trial. At the same time, he ordered the court to expedite the delivery of medicines to assist Ye Wanning in treating the plague victims.
On the day Zhao Kun was escorted to the capital, the people of Jiangzhou lined the streets to cheer, and some even presented Ye Wanning with a plaque inscribed with "Benevolent Heart Saving the World." Watching Jiangzhou gradually regain its vitality, Ye Wanning breathed a sigh of relief. She took out the sachet Pei Zhi had given her, gently stroking it with her fingertips, and wrote a letter of reassurance, ending with: "The sachet is very nice. Is Lord Pei well?"
After the epidemic in Jiangzhou was quelled, Ye Wanning happened to be on her way back to the capital when the imperial hunt began. Remembering her service, the Emperor specially allowed her and Pei Zhi to accompany him.
The hunting grounds were located on the outskirts of the capital, where the autumn air was crisp and clear, and banners fluttered in the breeze. Although the Second Prince was still reflecting on his mistakes behind closed doors, he had someone bribe his way into contacting people in the palace, hoping to take the opportunity to sow discord between Ye Wanning and Pei Zhi at the hunting grounds.
In the afternoon, Ye Wanning leaned against a tree watching her apprentices organize medicine chests when she suddenly heard palace maids whispering nearby: "Did you see that? Lord Pei and Consort An are riding in the same carriage, and he even personally helped Consort An pick up the jade pendant from the carriage!" "That's right! I heard that Consort An's partial confinement has just been lifted, and Lord Pei is going to protect her!"
Ye Wanning's heart sank, and she instinctively looked up—on the tree-lined path of the hunting grounds, Pei Zhi's black robes and Consort An's pink palace dress were very close together. Consort An held a jade pendant in her hand and was talking to Pei Zhi with her head down. The two stood side by side, exuding a sense of being "matched by heaven."
Her knuckles clenched white instantly, her heart feeling like it was stuffed with a wad of soaked cotton, both sour and bitter. She knew it might be a misunderstanding, but that scene was like a thorn, pricking her eyes painfully. She didn't look again, turning and walking deeper into the hunting grounds, not even responding to the apprentice's calls.
Pei Zhigang had just finished dealing with Consort An's deliberate attempt to twist her ankle and pester him—Consort An had deliberately stopped him, saying that her jade pendant had fallen on the carriage and he had patiently picked it up for her, but she hadn't expected it to be spread like this. He immediately mounted his horse and spurred it after her.
"Wan Ning!" Pei Zhi braked abruptly behind her, jumped off his horse, and blocked her path. "Wan Ning, let me explain. There's nothing between me and Consort An. She did it on purpose..."
"Lord Pei!" Ye Wanning interrupted him, her throat hoarse, trying to keep her tone calm. "Hunters are a noisy bunch, and men and women shouldn't be too close. Your close relationship with Consort An will easily lead to gossip. I have other matters to attend to, so I'll be leaving now."
She tried to walk away from him, but Pei Zhi grabbed her wrist. His palm was burning hot, and his grip was firm; his eyes were filled with urgency: "There's nothing between her and me! I have absolutely no feelings for her. We just bumped into each other by chance, and she's the one who's deliberately bothering me!"
Ye Wanning shook off his hand, refused to look at him, and quickly turned and left, leaving behind only a stubborn back view.
Pei Zhi stood frozen in place, watching her figure disappear into the woods, the urgency in his eyes gradually turning into helplessness. He knew she was jealous, but there were too many people and too much gossip in the hunting grounds, so he couldn't explain it to her in detail. He could only watch helplessly as their relationship once again fell into a delicate stalemate.
During the subsequent hunts, Ye Wanning intentionally kept her distance from Pei Zhi. When the prey he shot was brought to her, she would have her apprentice take it, never showing herself; when the Empress Dowager asked the two of them to go get the imperial pastries, she made excuses to decline and had Chun Tao take them instead. Pei Zhi felt a tightness in his chest and a sense of unease watching her aloofness, but he was helpless.
The awkwardness of the hunt hadn't even subsided when the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet arrived.
The Empress Dowager saw through their intentions and specially issued an edict to have Ye Wanning sit next to Pei Zhi. At the palace banquet, wine and drinks were served one after another, and palace maids played the zither and sang, the music melodious and pleasant. However, Ye Wanning was restless—she always felt that Pei Zhi's gaze was fixed on her, making her cheeks burn.
After finally getting through the palace banquet, Ye Wanning was about to sneak away when Pei Zhi called out to her, "Wanning, the osmanthus flowers in the Imperial Garden smell wonderful. Come with me to see them."
She hesitated for a moment, then nodded.
In the Imperial Garden, all kinds of osmanthus flowers were in full bloom, filling the air with their fragrance. Moonlight filtered through the treetops, illuminating the branches as white as snow. Pei Zhi and Ye Wanning walked side by side on the stone path, neither of them speaking first, creating a somewhat awkward atmosphere.
“I didn’t handle the situation at the hunting grounds well before,” Pei Zhixian said, taking out a paper package from his sleeve and handing it to her. “This is osmanthus cake that I baked myself. Try it.”
Ye Wanning was taken aback—she remembered mentioning that she liked osmanthus cake, but she hadn't expected Pei Zhi to actually make it himself. She reached out to take it, her fingertips brushing against his fingertips, the warm touch spreading along her fingertips. They both paused for a moment, Pei Zhi's Adam's apple bobbing, and Ye Wanning's ears instantly turned red. She hurriedly took the oil paper package and lowered her head, saying, "Thank you."
Pei Zhi looked at her reddened ears, a smile appearing in his eyes. Just as he was about to say something, the Empress Dowager's voice came from behind him: "I have long said that no matter how fragrant the flowers in this garden are, they cannot compare to the time when the two of you are together."
The two turned around and saw the Empress Dowager standing not far away with Chief Eunuch Li. Both of them were smiling, their eyes full of amusement. Ye Wanning's face turned even redder, wishing she could disappear into the ground. Pei Zhi was also unusually flustered and stepped forward to greet her: "Empress Dowager."
"Alright, alright, I won't bother you any longer." The Empress Dowager waved her hand with a smile. "You two are even more well-matched than the osmanthus flowers in the palace. I'm delighted just looking at you." After saying that, she left with Chief Eunuch Li, leaving the two of them behind, and the atmosphere became increasingly ambiguous.
Ye Wanning lowered her head, took a bite of the osmanthus cake, and felt a sweet fragrance spreading in her mouth. Her heart was also filled with sweetness, but she was also somewhat at a loss.
"Is it good?" Pei Zhi's voice was low, with a hint of a smile.
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