Chapter 63: Urgent call from the capital "How is it?" Chang Feng had already walked...
Inside the room, Pei Yixue was almost going bald with worry. A good cook cannot cook without rice. Without medicinal materials, even if the Dawn Pharmacy gathered doctors from all over, it would not be able to cure the raging epidemic.
"Dong-Dongjia!" Chen Ying called out urgently, almost frightening Pei Yixue, who was already tense.
Did something serious happen again? Pei Yixue rubbed the stinging solar plexus and looked at the person who came with all his strength: "Why are you so flustered?"
"Money! So much money!" Chen Ying danced with excitement.
Pei Yixue pressed hard on the acupoints with his fingers. He was in a trance because he had slept less than two hours a day for several days. He suspected that he was hallucinating and even suspected that he was still dreaming.
Otherwise, how could we hear Chen Ying shouting that a lot of money was falling from the sky?
"Boss, boss!" Seeing that he didn't respond, Chen Ying shouted impatiently, "A full 100 million taels of silver! We are not short of money!"
One hundred million? Pei Yixue couldn't help but sneer. He raised his hand and slapped his forehead heavily. He was dreaming, no doubt about it.
"Boss, what's wrong with you?" Chen Ying was still talking.
Pei Yixue looked at the people and asked, "Where did all this money come from?" He wanted to see how he had dreamed of this 100 million yuan.
"It was brought by Master Chang!" Chen Ying's voice rose even higher.
Pei Yixue was silent. This dream was not completely out of touch with reality. At least he had a reliable source.
The Chang family, the richest family in Daqing, does have the financial resources, but why would they risk emptying their entire family's savings to support Qingzhou?
"Boss, what's wrong with you? Why don't you look happy at all?" Chen Ying looked at his wooden expression, somewhat puzzled.
He had dreamed about it, so he might as well go and take a look at the 100 million, so that he could feel the overwhelming wealth. Pei Yixue stood up with the help of the table, his voice hoarse with fatigue: "Let's go and take a look."
"Okay!" Chen Ying hurriedly led the way, chattering excitedly as he walked: "I heard that His Royal Highness the Prince of Qi was far-sighted and sent Master Chang to the other 24 provinces ten days ago to collect donations from wealthy merchants everywhere! Although this 100 million was collected from all over, the Chang family accounted for most of it! He really deserves to be the richest man. Who wouldn't be convinced by this kind of courage?"
Ten days ago? Fundraising? Pei Yixue's chaotic mind suddenly became clear. The logic of this dream was surprisingly consistent.
At the entrance of Liming Pharmacy, dozens of heavy black wooden boxes of various sizes were stacked up. Five or six of them were open, with dazzling silver bills stacked in bundles, shiny silver ingots piled up like mountains, and dazzling jewelry in an endless array.
Behind them, a convoy that stretched as far as the eye could see was lined up. Nearly a hundred carriages were fully loaded with the medicinal materials that were most needed in the epidemic area at the moment.
A breeze blew by, and the unique bitter scent of medicinal herbs penetrated into Pei Yixue's nostrils. He was shocked, and the chaotic feeling in his mind dissipated instantly.
This smell is so real that it doesn't seem like a dream!
"How is it?" Chang Feng had walked to his side without knowing when, with his arms folded, his brows showing fatigue from the journey, but he could not hide his pride, "In ten days, I have raised 100 million silver coins, and 96 carts of medicinal materials have been transported to Yancheng intact. Is this ability of mine worthy of the divine doctor's approval?"
This was the first time Pei Yixue had seen Chang Feng since the kidnapping. He suppressed the complicated emotions in his heart and bowed as Xu Yi, saying, "Mr. Chang has worked hard all the way. On behalf of the people of the eight provinces, I will be grateful for your kindness."
Chang Feng glanced at him and sneered, "Forget it."
At this moment, the sound of hurried horse hooves approached from afar, breaking the silence on the bluestone road. A postman held high a roll of bright yellow imperial edict, galloped to the door, dismounted, and spoke in a hoarse voice with an extremely urgent tone:
"Urgent news! An epidemic broke out in the capital! Your Majesty, the Prince of Yan, the Prince of Jin, the Prince of Qin... several of His Highnesses are critically ill one after another! The Emperor has ordered the genius doctor Xu Yi to return to the capital immediately to treat them!"
"What did you say?!" Xie Yushu's face turned pale. He rushed to the postman and grabbed his arm tightly. His voice trembled: "Your Majesty and the princes... Is the situation in the capital very serious? How is Chongrenfang?"
"This... Please forgive me, sir!" The postman panted, "I am only following orders to pass on the news... I really don't know what the real situation is in the capital!"
Seeing Xie Yushu in a state of panic and turning around anxiously, Pei Yixue stepped forward to say something comforting. However, he had just taken half a step and had barely uttered the words "Sir Xie" when his vision suddenly went dark and his body fell forward limply.
“A miracle doctor!”
"Sickly!"
There were cries of surprise everywhere! Everyone was in a mess, trying to support, hug, and lift him.
In a panic, some people wanted to send them to the pharmacy, some wanted to place them nearby. With different directions and competing with each other in strength, they ended up in a stalemate and no one could move an even a step.
"Wait! Stop making a fuss!" Chen Ying was so anxious that he jumped up and down, and quickly gave orders, "Everyone else, let go! Let go now! Sir Xie, please quickly carry the host to the second floor wing! Master Chang, please go and ask the Xuangu Medical Immortal to come!"
Beside the bed, Pei Yixue's eyes were closed, unconscious. Sikong Zhao placed his skinny fingers on his wrist pulse, concentrating on examining it, but his brows were getting tighter and tighter, and his eyes were scanning his face with scrutiny.
"Medical Immortal!" Chen Ying was so frightened that his voice changed. "My boss...is it serious?"
Sikong Zhao was silent for a moment, then took out the silver needle without saying a word and swiftly pierced several acupuncture points on Pei Yixue.
Just as everyone was holding their breath waiting for the next acupuncture, he turned his wrist and put away the silver needle.
"Divine Doctor Xu is fine," Sikong Zhao turned to the anxious crowd with an ambiguous expression, "He just fainted due to overwork and lack of energy and blood. It's a good opportunity for the divine doctor to take a good rest."
Upon hearing this, Chen Ying heaved a long sigh of relief, patted his chest and complained: "Oh my god, you scared me to death! If there is nothing wrong, why were you frowning just now!"
"The doctor estimates that he will wake up in about an hour. After waking up, take this medicine on time to recuperate your vitality." Sikong Zhao left a prescription with a faint smile on his face. "The doctor will trouble you to take care of him. I will take my leave."
After hearing Sikong Zhao's conclusion, everyone's hearts finally settled down, and they all left the room, leaving a quiet space for Pei Yixue to recuperate.
After nearly an hour, Xie Yushu gently pushed the door open with the boiled medicine.
Pei Yixue on the bed had not yet woken up. Xie Yushu placed the medicine cup on the table, sat down beside the bed, and cast a heavy gaze on the old, haggard face in front of him.
"Sickly!" Chang Feng's desperate cry echoed in his ears like a curse. A seed called "doubt" grew wildly and uncontrollably in his heart.
There was a huge age gap between Doctor Xu and Pei Yixue, so Chang Feng shouldn't have made a mistake...
For so long, whenever he was with Xu Yi, he always felt very familiar and friendly. He had never thought about it carefully before, but now that he thought about it, that familiar and friendly feeling was not at all inconsistent with Pei Yixue.
"Why, Lord Xie, do you think that I would never lie?" Doctor Xu's smiling eyes... overlapped with the cunning look that Pei Yixue occasionally revealed in his memory.
"Human skin mask." Xie Yushu suddenly remembered the mask that Pei Yixue used when he pretended to be Du Ruo.
A terrible thought seized his heart!
The mask... Could it be...
Xie Yushu's heart began to beat wildly, and his fingertips trembled slightly. He tried to raise his hand to touch the edge of Xu Yi's cheek, but his hand suddenly retracted halfway as if it was burned.
What was he doing? How could he blaspheme such a highly respected doctor? And how could he doubt Pei Yixue because of such an absurd idea?
Pei Yixue has been bedridden for more than ten years, and even the miracle doctor himself is helpless. How is it possible for him to transform into Xu Yi, a man with superb medical skills and great energy?
If Pei Yixue was really healthy, why would he pretend to be sick day and night to hide it from him? Doctor Xu had no reason to deceive him!
Chang Feng's word "sickly boy" must have been a slip of the tongue made in a hurry!
Xie Yushu took a deep breath, forced down his doubts, and sat down on the bed again.
However, the bad news brought by the postman was like a cold snake entwining his heart.
The epidemic in the capital was raging, and His Majesty and several princes were in danger. What about Pei Yixue who stayed in the capital? How could that sick body, which was about to collapse under the wind, resist the invasion of the plague?
Regret flooded Xie Yushu like a tide. He should have taken everyone away with him at that time. Why didn't he take anyone away with him?
At this moment, all he could do was pray that the prescription sent to the capital would be delivered in time, so that His Majesty, the people, and Pei Yixue would all be saved...
Xie Yushu tried to comfort himself, but Pei Yixue's pale and fragile figure could not be erased from his mind.
If he really gets infected with the disease, with Pei Yixue's foundation, can he really wait until then?
This thought was like a sharp knife cutting into his heart, making him unable to breathe. He clenched his fists tightly, his nails digging deep into his palms, but he still couldn't stop the tears from flowing down his cheeks. The suppressed sobs were particularly clear in the silent room.
After an unknown amount of time, Xie Yushu managed to calm down and wipe away his tears. He raised his head and his eyes subconsciously fell on the sleeping Xu Yi's face again.
In this glance, a very subtle difference on the side of Xu Yi's neck near his collar caught his attention.
Under the clothes, there seemed to be a piece of... cut skin.
Xie Yushu's heart skipped a beat! If such a large gap is not treated in time, it may become infected.
He carefully opened the collar of his shirt a little, but the sight that came into his eyes made him stop in his tracks.
What was pressed under the collar was not a wound, but the edge of a piece of something with a strange texture that looked very much like human skin! To be more precise, it was... the edge of a mask that was slightly lifted by the pressure of the clothes!
Xie Yushu's hands began to tremble violently and uncontrollably. He stretched out his fingertips, and with a determination to verify the truth, he gently pinched the raised "human skin", and then, very slowly and carefully, he lifted it up...
Beneath the withered and loose "human skin" is another completely different skin - white, delicate, and dazzlingly smooth!
As the entire piece of "human skin" covering the neck was peeled off, the graceful and smooth lines of the jawline, which was so familiar that it was engraved into the bone marrow, caught Xie Yushu's eyes without reservation!
"Pei...Yixue...?" Xie Yushu murmured in a low voice. At that moment, he felt that he had been deprived of even the right to breathe.
Shocked! Unbelievable! Ridiculous! Countless emotions exploded in his mind.
He subconsciously stroked the smooth chin with his fingertips, and tremblingly touched the soft lips, which had never been so red.
How is it possible?! Pei Yixue...is actually the miraculous doctor Xu Yi!
The absurd truth was like a powerful bolt from the blue, completely stunning Xie Yushu.
Why?! Why did Pei Yixue hide it from him? It would have been fine if she had just pretended to be sick to deceive him, but she even pretended to be two people and lied to him together.
An indescribable anger and a sense of humiliation of being fooled suddenly rushed to his head! Even Xie Yushu, who was as gentle as jade and never spoke bad words, couldn't help but cursed fiercely in his heart at this moment: ... Bastard!
Suddenly, the scene of "Xu the Divine Doctor" being assassinated half a month ago flashed through his mind! Xie Yushu's pupils shrank suddenly, and he could no longer care about anything else. He suddenly reached out and pulled open Pei Yixue's clothes! On the chest, the scar that had been pierced by a sharp blade and should have been fatal had healed well, leaving only a shallow mark.
So that's it! It turns out that the one who almost lost his life when "Xu Yi" was assassinated was not Xu Yi at all, but this bastard who pretended to be sick and deceived the world!
But this person was still forcing himself to chat and laugh with him on the night of the incident! No wonder Pei Yixue's face was so pale at that time, and no wonder she suddenly became "pure and unselfish" and no longer pestered him to get close to her as usual... It turned out that she just wanted to cover up her injuries, for fear that he would find out!
And he then… He then thought Pei Yixue’s “old illness” was so serious that she couldn’t even spare the energy to get close to him, and he wished he could take his place…
Countless deceived details, fooled feelings, unnecessary worries and heart-wrenching pain came flooding in like a huge wave and swallowed him up in an instant.
Xie Yushu suddenly leaned over and hugged the unconscious Pei Yixue tightly. The emotions that had been suppressed for a long time were like a flood that burst open, turning into silent crying, and his shoulders shook violently.
He should be angry, he should immediately question Pei Yixue and denounce Pei Yixue's deception! But holding this warm, safe body, feeling the steady heartbeat, another stronger emotion quietly overwhelmed the anger - overwhelming relief and fear of regaining what he had lost!
At least... at least Pei Yixue is safe and sound now! He doesn't have that damn so-called chronic disease, and he doesn't have to worry about running out of energy every day! He is not in danger in the capital and is not at risk of contracting the disease.
Just then, there were faint sounds of footsteps and the door being pushed open outside the door!
Xie Yushu was startled, and instantly pulled himself out of the huge emotional whirlpool. He sat up straight, hurriedly grabbed the uncovered human skin mask, quickly and accurately restored it, carefully pressed the edges to ensure that there were no flaws, and then quickly gathered Pei Yixue's torn collar.
"Is the miracle doctor not awake yet?" The low voice of King Qi sounded behind him.
Xie Yushu wiped away the remaining tears on his face, turned around, took a deep breath, saluted respectfully, and said with a barely perceptible hoarseness in his voice: "Your Highness."
The King of Qi raised his hand to avoid the greeting, and cast his eyes on the sleeping "Xu Yi" on the bed, worried: "The situation in the capital is extremely urgent, and my father is in danger... Now that the imperial edict has been issued, I'm afraid the miracle doctor will have to leave as soon as possible. The carriage is ready."
"But, the miracle doctor's body may not be able to withstand the long journey." Xie Yushu raised his eyes, his worry hard to conceal. They rushed all the way from the capital to Yancheng without stopping, which was beyond what ordinary people could endure.
After arriving in Yancheng, Pei Yixue had endured another three days of hardship and now he had collapsed from exhaustion and had not woken up yet. How could he rush back to the capital?
The King of Qi sighed deeply and said, "I can only trouble the doctor to do his best."
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