Inkstone from the Song Dynasty?
As the manager of Song's Pharmacy, why is he not staying in the city? Why has he come to the outskirts of the city?
Also, this city only allows people to leave, not enter. If he leaves, how will he get back?
Tang Nian was lost in thought, but his face remained impassive: "I am a physician who came with Princess Huaining. My surname is Tang. I have been ordered to resolve the epidemic in Nanyu City."
“Princess Huaining?” Song Shiyan was taken aback, then laughed. “This is the first time I’ve ever seen a doctor with such excellent martial arts skills.”
His smile made Tang Nian a little intimidated: "Thank you for your kind offer."
She carefully observed Song Shiyan's attire. He wore a long, light blue robe, the fabric flowing gracefully as if in the wind. The sleeves lightly brushed against his fingertips, revealing his long, slender fingers, like those of a pianist—long and dexterous. A delicate jade pendant hung at his waist, emitting a faint, pleasant fragrance.
He didn't look like a doctor who came up the mountain to collect herbs at all.
"Why is Manager Song outside the city? Wasn't it said that Nanyu City is now only for entry and not exit?" As she spoke, Tang Nian tried to pull out the sword that was tightly stuck in the tree trunk.
Song Shiyan moved aside without making a sound, blocking Tang Nian's way, and then turned around to help Tang Nian draw her long sword: "Lord Huang, please allow me to investigate."
"I wonder if Miss Tang has discovered anything?"
"The corpses by the stream at the foot of the mountain polluted the water, which then flowed into the city and was used by the people to wash clothes, vegetables, and drink the water, thus infecting them as well." Tang Nian took the sword and hung it back on her waist. "But I have already dealt with the corpses."
As she spoke, she glanced, intentionally or unintentionally, at the dense algae growing around the spring.
She didn't miss the moment when Song Shiyan first breathed a sigh of relief, then clenched his fist.
Song Shiyan was wearing a mask, but Tang Nian could still barely make out that he was forcing a smile.
"Does Miss Tang have a prescription to treat everyone?"
"Shopkeeper Song, do you believe me?" Tang Nian crossed her arms, a slight smile playing on her lips as she stared at the strange man in front of her with interest.
Song Shiyan made no attempt to hide his feelings: "I trust the princess's judgment. It's getting late. Would Miss Tang like to return with me?"
Seeing Song Shiyan walk down the mountain, Tang Nian also turned around, and a faint blue light flew from her fingertips and fell into the spring.
As the two disappeared into the thick fog, a dark figure peeked out from behind a tree. After confirming that no one was around, it crawled on the ground to a rock by the stream and poured white powder into the spring.
Tang Nian followed behind Song Shiyan, not through the main city gate, but around to a side gate, where even the groaning people could not be seen.
There were guards outside the side gate. When they saw Song Shiyan, they didn't care who Tang Nian was and let the two of them into the city without asking any questions.
"Miss Tang, why don't you stay at my residence for the next few days?"
Considering that the deal between the Song family and the late emperor was still unresolved, Tang Nian agreed almost without hesitation.
The Song residence does not have a separate gate; you enter the pharmacy and go around to the backyard to reach the Song residence.
Tang Nian deliberately slowed down, looking left and right. Each small square had the name of a medicinal herb written on it. Not only common herbs, but also those that only existed in legends were included.
Upon arriving at the backyard, Song Shiyan led Tang Nian to the west wing and beckoned a maid: "Chuntao, Miss Tang has been staying at our residence these past few days, please treat her well."
"Please wait a moment, Manager Song." Tang Nian called out quickly when she saw Song Shiyan about to leave, "I'll give you the prescription."
After speaking, she went to her room to grind ink, picked up a sheet of Xuan paper, and as if divinely inspired, wrote fluently and freely, filling the entire sheet.
"Manager Song, what do you think of this prescription?" She gently blew on the Xuan paper and carefully handed it to Song Shiyan.
Song Shiyan took the prescription, ignoring the messy handwriting, when his eyes lit up.
"Wonderful! Wonderful! Miss Tang has come up with such a wonderful prescription. Now the people are saved!" he shouted, clutching the paper as he ran outside.
Tang Nian watched Song Shiyan's departing figure and touched the tip of her nose.
She had no idea how to prepare medicine; she simply copied Zhang Dan's prescription.
But did Song Shiyan really understand it?
She wrote a prescription to alleviate the symptoms of soul infection, which probably has little to do with the epidemic that these people are suffering from.
Never mind, as long as we can control the soul infection, the epidemic is not a problem.
After Song Shiyan completely disappeared from Tang Nian's sight, his pace gradually slowed down, and he stopped in front of the back door of the pharmacy. The smile on his face vanished instantly, and his eyes became dark and unfathomable.
He picked up the prescription and was about to tear it open when he suddenly heard a series of chaotic footsteps.
Song Shiyan quickly folded the Xuan paper and put it into his sleeve. When he raised his head and turned around, he had returned to his previous gentle demeanor.
"Princess, this is Manager Song Shiyan. Song Shiyan, come and pay your respects to the princess!"
Without a second thought, Song Shiyan quickly bowed and said, "This humble subject, Song Shiyan, greets Your Highness."
Chu Roujia glanced at Magistrate Huang, who was fawning over her, with a cold smile: "No need for formalities."
"I heard you brought Miss Tang back to your residence?"
"Yes." Song Shiyan had a bad feeling, but after thinking for a moment, he still reported the truth, "Miss Tang gave me a prescription, and I am about to go to get the medicine."
“Alright, let’s follow Lord Tang’s prescription. An Yi, go help Manager Song.” Chu Roujia found a grand chair and sat down, beckoning An Yi to come in, and leisurely looked at the pharmacy counter.
Song Shiyan had no choice but to obediently fetch the medicine under An Yi's watchful eye.
With Chu Roujia overseeing the work, Song Shiyan didn't even have time to return home to rest. Tang Nian was also happy to have some free time, staying at the Song residence with nothing to do, and thus got to know the Song residence well.
There was only one steward and one maid in the Song residence; the rest of the residents were doctors trained by Song Shiyan.
After Song Shiyi got married, the steward also left the Song family and went to the Song family's medicinal herb field. Song Shiyi's maid, Chuntao, stayed in the mansion to manage the inside and outside of the Song family.
In other words, there were only two people in the entire mansion: her and Chun Tao.
Thinking of this, Tang Nian rested her head on her elbow and lazily looked at Chun Tao, who was pouring her tea.
"Chuntao, I heard your master has a younger sister?"
Chun Tao's hand trembled as she poured the water, spilling it all over the table.
"Don't be so nervous, I just want to talk to you."
"Is Miss Shiyi the one Miss Tang is referring to?" Chun Tao bent down and whispered in Tang Nian's ear, her eyes constantly glancing towards the door.
Tang Nian nodded and leaned forward slightly: "Does your master have other sisters?"
"No, no, no." Chun Tao shook her head like a rattle-drum, then whispered, "Ever since Miss got married, Master has not allowed us to talk about Miss."
Tang Nian stood up and went to the door. She looked around and, seeing no one else, quietly closed the door.
“You tell me, I won’t tell your master.”
"It's mainly because of our son-in-law..." Chun Tao realized she had let something slip and quickly covered her mouth with both hands.
"Son-in-law?" Tang Nian rubbed her chin. "Is he that scholar from Lancheng?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com