Chapter 416 Someone is collecting medicinal herbs
Sold out?
Shang Ruyi paused for a moment, thought for a second, and then asked, "So, were all the medicinal herbs that were on that carriage just now bought from your family?"
The shop owner smiled and waved his hand, saying, "Everyone says our shop doesn't have much stock left, so how could we possibly stock up on so much?"
"That is—"
“It looks like they bought it from elsewhere; it seems to be talc and atractylodes.”
Shang Ruyi frowned again upon hearing this. The shop owner looked at her, then rubbed his hands together and smiled, "I wonder what this lady wishes to buy?"
Shang Ruyi originally intended to buy things from a larger pharmacy, but since she had been inquiring at the pharmacy for half a day, she felt embarrassed to leave empty-handed, so she smiled and said, "I would like to trouble you to give me half a catty of jujube seeds, three ounces of schisandra berries, and one ounce of salvia miltiorrhiza."
The shop owner hurriedly and eagerly replied, "Yes, I will go and prepare it for you, madam."
He ran back after saying that, and came out a moment later with three pre-packaged medicines. Tu She'er took them, gave him money, and then accompanied Shang Ruyi back to the carriage.
Chang Wan asked, "Young Madam, shall we go home?"
Shang Ruyi thought for a moment and said, "No, let's go to Changsheng Pharmacy again."
Tu She'er and Chang Wan exchanged a glance, both puzzled—Shang Ruyi had just bought medicine at that small pharmacy, so why did she need to go to Changsheng Pharmacy again?
Although they were puzzled, they didn't ask too many questions. They could only instruct the driver to drive on, and the two of them continued to follow the carriage. They arrived at Changsheng Pharmacy in less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn. The pharmacy here was indeed much more spacious than the small pharmacy they had just visited, and the people coming and going to consult doctors and buy medicine were dressed more respectably.
As soon as a carriage was seen stopping at the door, a young waiter immediately came forward to greet it.
The young shop assistant smiled and asked, "What would this lady like to buy?"
Shang Ruyi didn't get out of the carriage. She simply lifted the curtain and instructed the shop assistant to bring over some more of the medicinal herbs she had already bought, but in larger quantities than what she had just bought at the small pharmacy. The shop assistant agreed and was about to turn around and go into the pharmacy to get the medicine when Shang Ruyi stopped him and said, "Give me two ounces of Magnolia officinalis and two ounces of Atractylodes lancea."
The young shop assistant was clearly an apprentice in the pharmacy. Upon hearing the names of several medicinal herbs, he smiled and said, "Madam bought the jujube seed and other herbs, presumably because someone in your household is having trouble sleeping and needs to calm their mind; Magnolia bark and Atractylodes are herbs used to treat fever and epidemic diseases. Do you have such a patient in your household?"
Shang Ruyi said, "No, it's just that the weather is getting hot, so we're preparing in advance."
The young shop assistant smiled and said, "Please forgive me, Madam. We still have the first few medicinal herbs, but we just ran out of Magnolia officinalis and Atractylodes lancea."
"...?"
Shang Ruyi frowned.
Sold out again.
And it just happened.
She thought for a moment and asked, "Did someone just come in a carriage to buy it?"
The young shopkeeper chuckled, "That's right. It's strange, really. Although it's getting hot, some people prepare these medicinal herbs early to prevent heatstroke, but it's already past the Mid-Autumn Festival, and it won't be hot for much longer. I don't know why anyone is still buying so much medicine, and it's rare to see someone buy all the herbs in the shop at once. Our boss originally wanted to keep some for emergencies, but the customer asked for a high price and even took the last bit of dregs."
"..."
"Therefore, please forgive me, Madam."
"..."
Shang Ruyi naturally wouldn't make things difficult for such a young shop assistant, so she smiled and said, "It's alright, just give me the few medicinal herbs you have."
"yes."
The young shop assistant agreed and left. A short while later, he brought out the medicinal herbs. Tu She'er took them, put them away, paid for them, and then turned to Shang Ruyi and asked, "Miss, are you going home now?"
Shang Ruyi thought for a moment and said, "No rush, let's walk along this street for a while longer."
Tushe'er and Changwan didn't know what she was going to do, but they could only obediently follow. The carriage traveled along the long street for a while and then arrived at the entrance of a pharmacy. Shang Ruyi asked Tushe'er to ask, and it turned out that they had just sold out of Magnolia officinalis and Atractylodes lancea, and talc was also out of stock.
I went to two more pharmacies, and the result was the same.
Even Tushe'er felt something was off and couldn't help but ask, "Strange, how come all these medicines are sold out after I asked at so many pharmacies? Are they that scarce?"
Changwan also asked, "Young Madam, what do we need these medicines for?"
Shang Ruyi shook her head: "I'm not going to do anything, just asking."
As she spoke, she glanced at the sky; it was almost noon. She waved her hand and said, "Alright, we should head back now."
So the coachman drove the carriage back. Along the way, Shang Ruyi sat in the carriage, swaying back and forth. She hadn't slept much the night before, so she soon became drowsy. But the tension in her mind made it hard for her to fall asleep.
Although I only visited a few pharmacies on this street, they had both large and small ones. I imagine that the situation is the same for all the pharmacies in Daxing City—talc, magnolia bark, and atractylodes were all sold out.
Someone is collecting these medicinal herbs.
In truth, this is just a market transaction; if someone wants to buy, someone will sell. It doesn't really concern her, and besides, her family doesn't need these medicines.
However, for some reason, there's always an inexplicable strange feeling in my heart.
Especially just now, that fleeting point of light.
It was an indescribable, almost eerie, sense of familiarity.
Just as she was filled with doubt, the carriage had already returned to the Duke's mansion. Chang Wan went to get the packets of medicine and put them in the storeroom. Tu She'er also helped Shang Ruyi get off the carriage. As soon as the group entered the gate, someone came to report that the Duke and his two sons had returned to the mansion.
Upon hearing this, Shang Ruyi hurriedly went inside.
Just as they reached the long corridor some distance from their courtyard, they saw Mu Xian emerge from within, his face bearing a hint of solemnity, as if lost in thought. He only snapped out of his reverie when Shang Ruyi approached, and upon looking up, he saw Shang Ruyi smiling at him, saying, "What are you thinking about? You're not even watching where you're going?"
Mu Xian hurriedly cupped his hands in greeting: "Young Madam."
Shang Ruyi said, "Didn't Fengchen ask you to go outside the city to settle the group of people you brought back from Wanggang Village? Why are you back so soon?"
Mu Xian said, "The people have been settled. I rushed back because—"
As he said this, his expression became even more solemn, and he said softly, "The Second Young Master is preparing to go to war."
"To go to war?"
Shang Ruyi was taken aback, then immediately came to her senses: "Fufeng?"
Mu nodded.
Shang Ruyi was somewhat surprised. Last night at the family banquet, she and Yuwen Ye had worked so hard to secure his opportunity to send troops to Fufeng, but Yuwen Qian had brushed it off with a few casual words, saying only that they would discuss the matter at court today—and discussing it at court would likely be even more difficult than at the family banquet last night. After all, compared to Yuwen Ye's rescue of her in Jiangdu a few days ago, which had almost no impact on the court, Yuwen Qian's capture of Daxing City without firing a single shot was seen as a peerless feat. With such merit, it was almost self-evident which side the court officials would favor.
Therefore, Shang Ruyi did not have high hopes for who would be sent to lead the troops.
Unexpectedly, Yuwen Ye was chosen after just one court assembly!
She was both surprised and delighted, but also had more doubts. She asked, "How was it decided so quickly? Do the ministers in the court all agree with Feng Chen's decision to send troops?"
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