216. Locators
The carriage left the residence of the Marquis of Beiding and soon exited the city gate.
The commander of the guards held a map and asked the farmers for directions from time to time, but there were many villages and towns on the outskirts of the capital. After walking for half an hour, they still hadn't found a clear direction for Physician Li.
The little dumpling also lifted the car curtain and looked outside.
A timid voice suddenly called out from the street: "Princess?"
The little dumpling looked in the direction of the sound and saw Bai Qingzhong standing not far away, holding a small paper bag containing candied fruit in his hand, his round eyes full of surprise.
Bai Qingzhong ran over with her short legs, a shy smile on her face: "Princess, what brings you here? Are you out with your family? I'm bored in the city, so I came out to play. Would you like to try this dried plum? It's sweet and sour and delicious."
As he spoke, he tried to hand over the paper package, but the little girl wasn't interested in taking it: "Thank you, Brother Bai, but Yue'er won't eat. Yue'er didn't come here to play; Yue'er wants to find Physician Li! Big Brother Yue'er is sick, and His Majesty said Physician Li can save him."
Bai Qingzhong's smile vanished, and he became somewhat flustered, asking softly, "I'm sorry... Is your older brother very ill?"
The little dumpling nodded vigorously, her eyes reddening.
Bai Qingzhong pursed his lips and thought carefully: "I often go to play outside the city. I seem to have heard someone say that there is a doctor surnamed Li who used to be a royal physician and is very skilled in medicine! I also remember that he seems to live in Yuan'an Town in the east..."
He was always ostracized and bullied in the capital, and he couldn't get along with them.
Therefore, he often went to the suburbs.
There, no one knew him; they just thought of him as some young master from a wealthy family and wouldn't look down on him.
Upon hearing this, the little boy's eyes lit up, and he rushed forward, grabbing his hand and eagerly asking, "Really? Yuan'an Town? Then let's go now! Big brother is still waiting for us!"
Upon hearing this, the guard captain immediately stepped forward to confirm: "Young Master Bai, are you sure it's Yuan'an Town in the east?"
Although Bai Qingzhong was a little nervous and his ears were red, he still nodded firmly: "I'm sure! I'll take you there!"
The little dumpling immediately told Bai Qingzhong to get into the carriage. Bai Qingzhong hurriedly told the servant behind him a few words and then climbed into the little dumpling's carriage.
The carriage was lined with thick cotton mattresses, and the warmth of the hand warmers carried the scent of pine. But the little girl couldn't sit still; her eyes kept drifting to the window, and she muttered softly, "I wish we could get to Yuan'an Town soon, because big brother is still waiting for Yue'er..."
Bai Qingzhong saw this and gently tugged at her sleeve, comforting her, "Princess, don't worry, Yuan'an Town isn't far from here, it'll only take half an hour to get there."
"Thank you, Brother Bai. We will definitely find Physician Li."
-
The carriage soon arrived at Yuan'an Town.
The guard commander immediately divided the team into three groups: one group went to the east of the town, one group went to the west of the town, while he took Xiao Tuanzi and Bai Qingzhong and headed towards the town center.
They first went into a teahouse, a place perfect for gathering information.
The teahouse was bustling with activity, as small groups of tea drinkers sat around tables chatting.
The little boy, holding Bai Qingzhong's hand, followed the captain of the guards to an old man who was drinking tea. He looked up and asked softly, "Uncle, do you know where Physician Li lives? My older brother Yue'er is sick and needs his help to see a doctor."
The old man put down his teacup, looked them over a few times, sighed, and said, "Young lady, are you looking for Doctor Li? He did live in our town a few years ago, in the alley on North Street. He would come to the teahouse for a cup of tea every morning."
The little boy had just smiled when the old man continued, "But a few years ago, I saw him carrying his luggage and getting into a carriage one morning. I heard people say that he was going somewhere else, but they didn't say exactly where he was going or when he would be back."
"They left?" The little dumpling's heart was pounding, and she was extremely upset.
The captain of the guards immediately pressed, "Old man, do you know which direction he went? Or did he say he was going to see anyone?"
The old man shook his head: "He didn't say. He's always been quiet and doesn't like to chat with people. He left in a hurry that day, as if it was a last-minute decision."
The commander of the guards immediately sent someone to check North Street. A short while later, the guard who went to North Street returned and reported: "Commander, the residents of North Street say that Physician Li left a few years ago and has not returned. His house is locked, and the neighbors do not know where he is."
The little dumpling followed the guard to the pharmacy in the east of town. The pharmacy owner frowned and said, "Imperial Physician Li used to come here often to get medicine, saying it was to improve his health. But he hasn't come back since he left a few years ago. I thought he had returned to the capital."
We asked all the houses in the west of the town, and an old lady said, "That morning I saw Doctor Li's carriage heading out of town, but the fog was too thick, and I couldn't see whether it was going south or north."
From teahouses to pharmacies, from North Street to the west of the town, they asked almost everyone in Yuan'an Town, but the news they received was the same—Doctor Li did live here, but he left a few years ago, and no one knew where he went, not even the direction.
With the trail completely cut off, the little girl could no longer hold back her tears, which streamed down her face, her little shoulders trembling.
Looking at the passersby in Yuan'an Town, she felt panicked and afraid: "What should I do... I can't find Doctor Li, what will happen to my older brother... My older brother is still waiting for Yue'er to go back..."
Bai Qingzhong quickly took her hand, wiped away her tears with his sleeve, and whispered to comfort her, "Princess, don't cry, let's think of another way! Maybe Physician Li has just gone to stay in a nearby village. Let's go ask in the villages outside the town, we're sure to get some news!"
The guard captain quickly walked over, squatted down, and said gently, "Princess, don't worry. We'll go to the villages outside the town to inquire now. Even if we have to ask all the surrounding villages, we must find clues about Physician Li. Your elder brother is still waiting for you; we can't give up."
The little dumpling wiped away her tears, looked at the guards and Bai Qingzhong in front of her, and nodded vigorously.
She thought she should try her best to find Physician Li.
What should we do?
[Beep]
[Host requirement detected. We recommend the host use: Locator.]
The little dumpling was stunned for a moment: "Can I find Physician Li with a talisman?"
Yes, does the host use locators?
"use!"
[Locator already used, target: Physician Li.]
[Automatic information fill in: Li, male, was once a royal physician, highly skilled and widely praised. After retiring, he temporarily resided in Yuan'an Town.]
[Target identified, tracking initiated.]
The little dumpling listened blankly, tears still on her face, but a strange thought suddenly popped into her mind.
It seems... something is coming from the mountains to the east, vaguely guiding her in the right direction.
She immediately looked up and tugged at the guard captain's sleeve: "Uncle Captain, let's go to the mountain to the east! Yue'er thinks Physician Li is on the mountain!"
The guard captain hesitated for a moment: "Princess, are you sure? It doesn't make sense for Physician Li to live on the mountain. Besides, the mountain road is steep and carriages can't be used. How can someone as young as you get up there? Moreover, we've asked everyone in the town, and no one said Physician Li went up the mountain."
"But the moon really felt it!" The little dumpling stood on tiptoe, pointing to the mountains to the east. "It's over there! Shall we go up the mountain and take a look?"
Although Bai Qingzhong didn't understand, he mustered up his courage and chimed in, "Uncle Commander, let's go up the mountain and take a look. What if Physician Li is really there?"
The guard commander looked at the little girl's reddened but unusually serious eyes, and remembered that she was indeed known as a "lucky star," not to mention that she was someone he had found for someone else's brother.
After a moment's hesitation, he nodded: "Okay, let's go up the mountain and take a look."
The carriage could only stop at the foot of the mountain, and the guards dismounted and prepared their water and provisions.
The little boy jumped out of the car, grabbed Bai Qingzhong's hand, and started walking up the mountain.
The mountain path was rugged, full of gravel and fallen leaves. She had only walked for a short while when her short legs began to tremble, her breathing became rapid, and fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead.
Seeing that she was having difficulty walking, Bai Qingzhong whispered, "Princess, shall I help you? I'm strong."
The little dumpling shook her head, gritted her teeth and continued walking forward: "No need, Yue'er can do it. The sooner we find Doctor Li, the sooner Big Brother will get better."
As she spoke, she quickened her pace, remaining silent even as the pebbles hurt her feet.
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