Chapter 42
Although Ling Huanchen harbored doubts about the doctor's identity, he never considered the Fengming clan. While the Fengming were powerful, their notoriety was also true. He had no prejudice against the clan itself; he was wary of them targeting Yu Xi.
I guess if someone now says that the doctor secretly instigated the chaos in Xunzhou and then comes out to pretend to be a good person, it would be much more credible than saying that he was selfless.
Ling Huanchen had only met the doctor twice, and a strong thought kept lingering in his mind that the Fengming tribe member in front of him was not so unforgivable.
Yu Xi's expression remained calm. "No matter who he is, bring him back. We'll first appease the people."
The people he sent out to search for the Fengming Clan had received almost no news, which showed how deeply they were hiding. Whether the doctor was an enemy or a friend, he would be a good opportunity to break through.
By the time the guards had calmed the people and brought the doctor back to the Xu residence, it was already dark. The guards were all covered in dust and dirt, and the doctor was even more disheveled. His clothes were completely tattered, and his appearance was completely unrecognizable. Vegetable leaves clung to his shoulders and head, and his arms and neck were covered in bloody marks from scratches.
Ling Huanchen tilted his head slightly and just caught a glimpse of the totem pattern on the back of his neck. It was bright and strange, exactly the same as the one on the Fengming tribe member last time.
"You are from the Fengming clan." Yu Xi's words were already affirmative.
The doctor stood in the middle of the main hall, with guards behind him. If it weren't for Yu Xi's order, the guards would still be restraining him.
"It's obvious that I am." The doctor looked directly at Yu Xi without any fear.
If he was crazy or cowardly, Yu Xi wouldn't have the heart to ask him directly. However, this man's fearless reaction was exactly what he wanted. "Did you plant the poisonous insect?"
The doctor remained calm and said, "No."
After a moment of silence, Yu Xi said, "Take him downstairs, change him into clean clothes, and find a room for him temporarily."
The people gathered in the palace were almost all awake, and they only needed one more night of observation before being released. As for those left outside who had been poisoned, the guards were still patrolling and searching for them. If they were found, they would be brought back and treated with the doctor's prescription, which was showing miraculous results.
"Your Majesty, do you think what he said is true or false?" Ling Huanchen asked casually as he poured him a cup of tea.
"Huanchen should be thinking the same as I am."
The two smiled at each other, and Yu Xi drank the tea he handed her. "I want to talk to him alone."
Ling Huanchen lowered his eyes, his eyes moving slightly, "I want to go up for the king."
"No." Yu Xi blurted out without thinking.
He believed in his own judgment, but he couldn't let Ling Huanchen get close to any uncertainty. He couldn't afford to take the risk.
"Don't worry, Your Majesty. At worst, I can just let Yun He follow me." Ling Huanchen raised his eyes again, his eyes full of seriousness. "I'll go there, and the effect will be better than Your Majesty's."
Yu Xi understood what he meant, "But..."
Ling Huanchen suddenly held his hand, "Let me try, Yu Xi, believe me."
Yu Xi stared at him for a long time, and finally said, "I'm next door."
There were many guards guarding outside the room where the doctor was accommodated, and the doors and windows were sealed with chains, and there were even people on the roof.
The iron chain was slowly removed, and when the door opened, the doctor sitting at the round table raised his eyes and was slightly surprised when he saw Ling Huanchen, but he calmed down in an instant.
Ling Huanchen ordered the door closed, leaving only Yun He with him. The doctor had been quite polite the first two times he saw them, nodding as a greeting, but now he pretended not to see them.
"May I know your last name, sir?"
There was silence in the room for a while. Ling Huanchen almost thought that this person would not speak again, but suddenly he heard a light hum.
"discipline."
"It's Mr. Ji." Ling Huanchen walked around and sat down opposite him. "I came here this time to ask you to continue to help eliminate the poisonous insects."
The doctor raised his head and sneered, "Aren't you afraid that I will release more poisonous insects to harm people? Aren't you afraid that I may pretend to save people but actually harm them? After all, I am a member of the Fengming Clan."
"We trust sir."
The doctor paused after hearing this and looked away. "Why should I trust him? He's just a street rat who can't stand the light of day. The Fengming people are a cursed tribe. You are really strange. I've never heard anyone say that they would trust someone from the Fengming people."
Ling Huanchen gestured for Yun He to pour tea, then continued leisurely, "In my opinion, whether or not you can trust him has little to do with his clan. The key lies in the person himself. I saw with my own eyes that you saved the dying and the wounded, it's undeniable. The guards reported what happened during the day. Even though you were surrounded by civilians, you didn't do anything to harm them. I think if you really wanted to, those civilians couldn't hurt you at all."
The doctor shook his head, a faint smile on his face. "You are such a strange person. Don't you know the saying that those who are not of my race must have different hearts?"
Ling Huanchen lowered his head and smiled faintly, "Of course I know. I don't think you know, sir. I'm a mermaid, so I naturally know what it feels like to be cursed."
"You are a mermaid?" The doctor was surprised. "You are the one who was sent to the palace in Youcheng as rumored..."
"That's me." Ling Huanchen took a sip of tea. "So, I understand your feelings, sir. But so what? The mistakes of our people are not ours. We still want to be what we want to be."
Seeing the other party fall silent, Ling Huanchen continued, "I believe the lords of these cities also know that if the three cities are to be united in the future, King You will definitely be the best choice for the emperor. I can also guarantee to you, sir, that if King You becomes emperor in the future, he will definitely restore the Fengming clan to the light of day."
Before coming here, he had clearly thought that the only people who could deal with the Fengming Clan were the Fengming Clan itself. If he could recruit this person as his own, even if the other two cities colluded with the Fengming Clan to cause trouble in the future, he would have a plan to deal with it.
The doctor looked at him uncertainly, "Are you serious?"
"A gentleman's word is as good as gold." Ling Huanchen picked up the teacup. "In fact, there are many good people in the Fengming clan who simply love to practice medicine and save lives. It's just that they are implicated by the clan leader's ambition and have to hide from the public. They shouldn't live like this."
There was a clear sound, and the two teacups touched each other and then immediately separated.
"Okay, I believe you."
Seeing him drink the tea, Ling Huanchen had a clue in his mind, "By using tea instead of wine, Mr. Jingji can serve the king."
"Ji Yunlou." He put down the empty cup. "My name is Ji Yunlou. Your Highness can just call me by my name."
Yun He poured the addictive tea for the two of them, stepped aside and waited, and heard with his own ears how the two of them gradually became like old friends from the initial tentative conversation, and even had a sense of mutual understanding.
Ji Yunlou left the Fengming Clan at the age of sixteen and ventured out on his own, practicing medicine and saving lives. He disagreed with the instructions of the Fengming Clan leader and did not want to practice harmful evil techniques. He believed that the Fengming Clan should promote the ability to save lives, not control mortals.
In order to get along with mortals, he used fake skin to cover up the unique mark of the Fengming clan. If it had not been accidentally torn off this time, exposing his identity, he would still be the strange doctor living in the alley.
Ji Yunlou officially joined Youcheng. Ling Huanchen and Yu Xi discussed that once this matter was settled, they would return to the palace and arrange for Ji Yunlou to work in the Imperial Hospital.
With Ji Yunlou's help, those who were poisoned were quickly cured. However, his identity as a member of the Fengming clan remained a thorn in the hearts of the people of Xunzhou. Despite the government's repeated efforts to suppress the unrest, they were unable to stop it.
"Your Majesty, a total of 185 people who were poisoned by Gu in the government office have all been cured of the poison." Ji Yunlou bowed and reported.
Yu Xi nodded, "Thank you for your hard work these days, Yunlou."
Ji Yunlou was stunned for a moment, then heard Yu Xi say again, "Yunlou asked Huanchen to call you by your name directly. Can't I call you by your name?"
Ji Yunlou looked at Ling Huanchen, but saw the latter smiling at him helplessly. This scene was very suffocating.
"Of course, Your Majesty, I am honored to be summoned."
At this moment, there was a sudden noise outside, and Prefect Xu, holding the hem of his clothes, hurried to the gate of the government office.
Seeing this, Yu Xi called a servant from the government office over to ask, "What happened?"
"Your Majesty, the people of Xunzhou are blocking the gate, clamoring for the handing over of Master Ji and the return of their families."
The common people were always afraid of the government and only dared to shout at the gates, not to break in. However, even so, it had a very negative impact. Especially when they saw Ji Yunlou show up, the people's emotions became even more excited, and some even started throwing things into the yard.
Prefect Xu was extremely overwhelmed. He had to suppress the rebellion while not really harming the people. He gradually became overwhelmed.
"Everyone is quiet."
Just because of Yu Xi's words, the surroundings suddenly fell silent. The people looked at each other, calming down a bit. They didn't recognize the person in front of them, but they knew it must be a noble person, and unconsciously followed their lead.
After no one made any more noise, Yu Xi spoke, "Your family members are all safe and sound and will be able to return home soon. They are alive because of this miracle doctor in front of you."
At Yu Xi's signal, the guards brought out those who had recovered. When the family members saw each other, their eyes immediately filled with tears, and no one cared about what their original purpose was.
"Divine Doctor Ji is a good man. Without him, we would all be dead."
"Yes, we should thank Divine Doctor Ji."
No one knew who started it, but the people who had been making trouble suddenly changed their attitude and bowed to Ji Yunlou to express their gratitude.
Ji Yunlou was stunned for a long while, not knowing how to react. This was the first time that someone thanked him even though they knew he was a member of the Fengming tribe.
"See, it's not that difficult, is it?"
Ji Yunlou turned to look at Ling Huanchen and heard him continue, "Although people's words can be scary, they will ultimately choose to believe what they see with their own eyes. As long as they see the results, they will believe it."
Ji Yunlou nodded, and when he turned back, a smile was already on his face. He walked towards the crowd and listened to the people's apologies and thanks.
Leaving the rest of the matters to Xu Zhifu and Ji Yunlou, Yu Xi took Ling Huanchen's hand and led him to the backyard.
"Your Majesty, should we pack up and go back?"
Yu Xi responded softly, "Yes, there are still important things to complete when we get back."
Ling Huanchen was puzzled. Why didn't he remember there was something urgent? "What is it?"
Yu Xi smiled mysteriously, "Secret."
The author has something to say:
Thank you "繁落落落落" for the encouragement!
Thank you for the nutrient solution encouragement from "Da Wu Jian Huang Hun"!
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