Chapter 1567 Extra Chapter: Life's Many Forks in the Road (Part 2)
As dawn broke, Qi Shan was blocked on the road by Su Shiyilu.
"Chiwu Gong?"
Qi Shan and Su Shiyi Lu did not have much interaction.
He was neither a close friend nor an enemy, and they had little conflict of interest in the past, so their relationship was extremely distant. He wondered why this person was suddenly squatting in front of his house blocking his way. Su Shiyi Lu didn't beat around the bush with Qi Shan and directly asked to see the lady of the house, Qi Miao, and requested permission.
"If it's for the women of the household to seek medical treatment, just go directly to her. She can go if she wants; she doesn't need my special permission."
His daughter isn't some helpless baby.
Qi Shan secretly thought that he himself did not have a reputation for being domineering and tyrannical.
Su Shiyilu clasped his hands in thanks: "Thank you."
He was about to enter the Grand Tutor's mansion when Qi Shan stopped him.
"Wait, Lord Chiwu, my son Junqiao isn't at home right now. He should be at the charity hall outside the city seeing the children." Qi Shan said, giving the steward a wink, signaling him to lead Su Shiyilu to find Qi Miao. Su Shiyilu forcibly suppressed his inner anxiety.
By the time they arrived at the charity hall outside the city, their foreheads were covered in a cold sweat.
Fortunately, Qi Miao didn't run off somewhere else this time.
This place, though called a charity, is more like a densely packed village. The buildings are all the same size and orientation, arranged in a staggered yet harmonious way, simple yet possessing a touch of elegance. This village is the base for Junqiao's adoption of children, and to date, there have been 666 adopted.
The first group of children have grown up and left one after another.
Some wanted to return to their hometowns to find their roots and know where they came from; others wanted to venture out into the world to find their future. Of course, there were also those who insisted on staying at the charity to help manage and care for the younger children, all of whom called Qimiao their mother.
Su Shiyi Lu had vaguely heard that Qi Shan's daughter had this quirk.
Some people say she's doing all the work for someone else.
Since she raised these children with her own hands and effort, they belonged to her. It wouldn't be unreasonable for her to raise them as suicide soldiers and have them die for her. Yet she actually allowed these children to go and find their roots? What roots? The roots that almost killed her?
Even the Right Vice Minister of the Censorate, who had always targeted Qi Shan, was indignant.
We shouldn't encourage this kind of foolish behavior.
Wang Ting's assistance to widows, orphans, and the lonely is selfless, while those who donate to charitable organizations in the general public often have ulterior motives. They may be seeking peace of mind or accumulating good karma, or they may hope that the children sponsored by the organization will achieve certain goals. Qi Miao asks for nothing in return, but what about others? This might inadvertently deter some potential philanthropists.
Qi Miao replied, "My initial intention in raising them was entirely selfless."
If she had any ulterior motives, it was that she wanted these orphaned girls, abandoned by their parents at birth, to live well, grow up well, and live out their own lives properly. Qi Miao didn't need anyone to risk their lives for her, nor did she need these children to repay her with any material wealth or status. Her only hope was that they would live and take full responsibility for their own lives.
Will they be accepted or exploited if they return to their roots?
These have nothing to do with praying for miracles.
Qi Miao spent over a decade pulling them out of the mire, but they still chose to jump back in. There was nothing she could do; adults have to pay the price for their decisions. It was just their fate.
Such irredeemably foolish individuals are a minority. Most people simply visit the place, witness firsthand how they've escaped their predicament, and then leave, letting go of their anxieties. The world is vast; where in Kangguo can't they go?
When Su Shiyilu saw Qi Miao, she was still wearing her blood-stained medical coat, which she hadn't had time to change out of. She took off her mask and said, "Yesterday, the charity received a woman in labor. We were busy all night, which is why you look so disheveled. But in the eyes of the valiant Lord Chiwu, this should just be a minor incident... By the way, Lord Chiwu, did you come looking for me because a woman in your family is about to give birth?"
Su Shiyi shook her head: "No."
As she spoke, she handed over the token given to her by Lin Feng, pleading with tears in her eyes.
"Please, Your Majesty, save my beloved."
Upon hearing this, Qi Miao dared not delay. She briefly instructed the dozen or so female students who were learning from her, grabbed her medicine box, and leaped onto her horse.
"Lord Chiwu, please lead the way!"
We rushed all the way and arrived before noon.
Su Shiyi and the young man watched Qi Miao nervously, not daring to even breathe. Lin Feng, who still needed to attend court, left first.
Qi Miao took the woman's pulse for a dozen breaths, then channeled a stream of emerald green energy from her fingertips into her meridians, allowing it to circulate throughout her body. By the time the results were in, the sun was already setting. She told Su Shiyilu, "The lesions have clearly spread, and the accumulation of pathogenic fluid in the abdominal cavity is extremely serious… I have handled countless similar cases, and your wife's case is among the more severe ones. However, it's not without hope of recovery, but…"
She was interrupted by Su Shiyilu before she could finish speaking.
"Say it! I'll do anything, even go through fire and water!"
A few glistening tears welled up in the young man's eyes.
After careful consideration, Qi Miao said frankly, "My method may be somewhat contrary to common sense. It requires removing the lesion, which means that once your uterus is removed, you will no longer be able to bear children. In the past, the husbands of other women strongly opposed this..."
Even if the patient is already fifty or sixty years old and has long since lost their reproductive capacity.
Even if they don't need it, they are unwilling to give it up in exchange for their lives.
However, Qi Miao only selectively listens to the opinions of patients' families. If the opinions of the patients' families threaten the patients' lives, she will prioritize the patients' own decisions. Between life and death, all aspects of life unfold.
In her early years, Qi Miao had always believed that patients should prioritize their own lives. However, after witnessing patients stubbornly refusing to give up, fearing they would be unable to conceive or affect their husbands' experience, and ultimately losing their own lives, Qi Miao was not only angry at their lack of self-respect but also had several questions popping up on her forehead, prompting her to ponder the doctor-patient relationship.
For patients, does the experience of others take precedence over their own lives?
They would rather die than have their breasts or uterus removed.
If they felt that losing these parts would invite gossip and public criticism, and they were too afraid to give them up due to the pressure of public opinion, Qi Miao could understand to some extent. But because of marital matters…
She simply didn't understand.
Qi Miao thought she understood human nature well enough, but she found that she was still too naive.
Su Shiyi Lu: "Is it necessary to give it up?"
Qi Miao's expression visibly paled.
"My medical skills are limited, and this is the only way I can do right now. Your lady's condition is not optimistic. If it weren't for Chiwu Gong's use of martial energy to protect her and somewhat curb the spread of the illness, she probably wouldn't have made it. Even so, we cannot delay and must make a decision within ten days."
Su Shiyilu replied without hesitation: "Then let's discard it!"
Qi Miao's expression softened as she said, "It is rare for Lord Chiwu to have such comprehension, but we still need to ask your lady first."
Young man: "Can't an uncle make decisions for my mother?"
He really didn't want his mother to know how to cure her.
Won't this cause her even greater mental burden?
Qi Miao was stunned when she heard the two titles: "Ah? Uncle? Mother? Lord Chiwu, I'm so sorry, I was blind just now."
Calling someone "noble lady" repeatedly is really offensive.
Su Shiyi Lu said, "You're not blind."
Those four words completely stunned Qi Miao.
She pursed her lips twice, swallowing all her doubts. Although she knew the Ten Crows Old Clan circle was somewhat interesting, she hadn't expected it to be this interesting. She hadn't heard of the Censorate criticizing anyone for this.
Qi Shan chuckled: "How can I spray it? I can't."
Qi Miao was scratching her head in frustration when her father had already left court.
Upon hearing about what happened today, there was not a trace of surprise on his face.
Qi Miao: "Is the Censorate treating people differently?"
Qi Shan: "My son, things are not that simple."
Qi Miao looked eager to hear the details.
Qi Shan carefully analyzed for her: "Who is Su Shiyilu? He was a nobleman of the old Ten Wu tribes, a man who held military power and had great prestige and influence among the old tribes. His obedient submission saved Kang Kingdom a lot of trouble. For more than a decade, Kang Kingdom did many unethical things to guard against the old Ten Wu tribes. Various policies were intended to eliminate the young and strong in the Ten Wu. At first, they smuggled away the young and strong, then they encouraged Ten Wu women to intermarry with Li men within their territory, and under the pretext of reconstruction, they relocated many tribes that had maintained their size, forcing them to adapt to the customs of Kang Kingdom... As a citizen of Kang Kingdom, you may not think anything of it, but from the perspective of the old Ten Wu tribes, this is a veiled form of exclusion. Back then, Wuzhou Zhechong Prefecture was short of men for many years, and there were few opportunities to make meritorious contributions... Do you think these things wouldn't arouse the opinions of the old tribes' military generals? The old Ten Wu tribes have always been violent and tyrannical, so there are reasons why they are willing to tolerate it."
Naturally, Su Shiyilu suppressed the restless people.
Su Shiyi Lu is not a brainless person.
He knew that Wuzhou was being undermined, yet he remained silent. Firstly, he knew that resistance would lead to annihilation, and the final fate of the Ten Wuzhou might be nothing more than a piece of land. Secondly, he knew this situation wouldn't last. The more silent Wuzhou remained, the heavier Shen Youli's guilt would be, and the greater the benefits Wuzhou could gain in the future. And so, Su Shiyilu and Chu Jie also reconciled.
Taking this as a turning point, Wuzhou made significant contributions to the unification campaign.
The population is now visibly recovering and thriving.
The resistance that Wuzhou's civil and military officials faced in the imperial court has almost disappeared.
Both the imperial court and the common people have benefited tangibly, all of which is based on Su Shiyilu's more than ten years of compromise.
As the most well-informed government agency, how could these shrewd people in the Censorate not know the inside story? Precisely because they knew, they ignored certain potentially damaging allegations against the Wuzhou generals, especially Su Shiyilu. Even if, hypothetically, some fool in the Censorate did seize on this and cause trouble for Su Shiyilu, they couldn't do anything about it. The Ten Wu clans had a long-standing, outdated custom of blood ties to maintain purity. They stopped this practice after the founding of Kang State, but the clans had practiced it before submitting to Kang State—what could be done?
Qi Miao: "...But this is not good for future generations."
Qi Shan's expression was strange: "I'm curious too."
The probability of both children being normal is too small. Considering the chaos of the Ten Crows tribe back then, where unclear bloodlines were common, it remains a big question mark whether this is true or pseudo-orthopedics.
Before the Lunar New Year's Eve, the woman's health gradually improved after a period of treatment.
Colleagues who were on good terms with Su Shiyilu began to visit him one after another.
This also includes Chu Jie.
When Chu Jie was seen, there was a deathly silence at the scene.
"Thank you for coming..."
Chu Jie sighed when he saw his disheveled and unkempt appearance.
He punched Su Shiyilu on the shoulder.
Actually, he hadn't really wanted to come, but this winter, two of his comrades-in-arms from his youth had passed away, leaving him with mixed feelings. Even Su Shiyilu seemed more agreeable to him now. They were enemies back then, but now they were friends, and who knew if they would be buried next year side by side in the same yellow earth: "You should pay more attention to your cultivation. This kind of slackness is just wasting your time. Be careful that the younger ones don't catch up with you. Isn't that embarrassing?"
"Talented people emerge in every generation; what's shameful about being overtaken?"
Su Shiyi Lu has already given up on this.
Chu Jie was speechless for a moment, and felt awkward.
Su Shiyilu intended to stay at Huangting, as the environment there was more suitable for patients' recovery. During the New Year, he even specially prepared lavish gifts to thank Qi Miao at the Grand Tutor's mansion, spending a fortune to have an embroiderer quickly make a banner inscribed with "Miraculous Hands and Benevolent Heart." What could a consultation fee compare to the brilliance of a banner?
Qi Shan, as an elderly father, felt honored.
Since Qi Miao wasn't home, Su Shiyilu collected the consultation fee on her behalf. Besides the fee, Su Shiyilu also donated 20% of his fortune to Qi Miao's charity to help support her child's upbringing. Seeing how considerate he was, Qi Miao's opinion of Su Shiyilu quietly improved slightly.
When the guests arrived, Su Shang returned from the field.
Qi Shan scratched Su Shang's chin until the furry boy purred contentedly, then he proudly introduced him to the two guests.
“This is my family’s vegetarian restaurant.”
Su Shiyi Lu: "Is this the Queen Su Shang?"
He still remembers the farce that took place at the Censorate more than 20 years ago.
Back then, everyone mistakenly thought that Su Shang was a victim of being kept as a mistress.
As he was thinking, he paused for a moment.
Su Shang...
More than twenty years ago?
Is it the same animal, or just the same name?
Su Shiyi Lu asked Su Shang curiously how old he was this year.
The two were still somewhat dazed as they left the mansion.
The young man asked, "Uncle, can cats live that long?"
That's equivalent to letting an ordinary person live for over two hundred years.
Grand Tutor Qi was really something, raising cats.
Su Shiyilu: "I don't know, I've only ever raised wolves..."
It's not hard to find out about Su Shang's longevity.
Qi Yuanliang's obsessive love for cats is no secret among his friends; he's practically obsessed with them. Following the clues, they uncovered a huge secret that drove Su Shiyilu wild—
There is a secret technique in Jimo Qiuhui.
He doesn't easily share this secret technique with others.
It was inevitable that they would seek help from Shen Tang.
Shen Tang was willing to agree, but she didn't expect him to get his wish so easily.
Bo Yuan asked in bewilderment, "If you truly wanted to help, why lie?"
Shen Tang: "This is what they call good things come to those who wait."
Bo Yuan shook his head: "I don't believe your nonsense."
There must be other schemes and exploitation involved.
That fifth brother is a real scoundrel.
Shen Tang smiled meaningfully: "This is human speech."
Bo Yuan: "..."
After looking at it for a long time, he resigned himself to his fate and put down the memorial.
She recognized every single word, but putting them together left her completely bewildered; she could only babble incoherently, unable to understand what the fifth brother was trying to say. She had no idea how he managed to not only understand it but also read it every day, which filled her with genuine admiration…
Shen Tang urged, "Don't be lazy."
Bo Yuan stared blankly with dead fish eyes: "No."
Shen Tang: "I'm doing this for your own good."
Not long ago, tribulation patterns appeared on Bo Yuan's body, which was equivalent to a tribulation notice from the Heavenly Dao. However, perhaps Old Deng learned his lesson and finally understood how to show mercy, because Bo Yuan's tribulation this time was not difficult at all.
Surprisingly, it wasn't a love tribulation with a zero success rate.
Just let her succeed in becoming a human.
joke--
How could someone fail an open-book exam?
Shen Tang rolled up his sleeves and personally gave her some extra help.
Over the past few years, I can't say I've made rapid progress; in fact, I haven't made any progress at all—aside from eating and seriously nagging Chen Tang, educating her has been far more difficult than educating Shen De back then: "Even a blockhead has finally figured things out, but you're really a stonehead!"
(へ╬)
A friend said they knew shiitake mushrooms were omnivorous, but they didn't expect them to be this omnivorous _(:з」∠)_ Upon reflection, their flavor is indeed quite complex.
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