Chapter 100 (combined with Chapter 100)
When his wife was going to the capital to treat the eldest son of Prince Yu, Xiao Jingshi realized that this was an opportunity to rise rapidly in his career. Many people spend their whole lives trying to achieve this, but none of them have such an opportunity.
Although my wife doesn't seem as shrewd and sociable as my third sister-in-law, she often brings unexpected joy.
He couldn't help but advise, "If you can cure that child, even without me, you'll already be on the emperor's radar, and his favor will surely grow stronger over time. In the future..."
Miaozhen knew all of Xiao Jingshi's unspoken words. If one day he suffered setbacks in his official career and implicated his family, perhaps she could use this to escape with her life.
Xiao Jingshi used to be fearless, but now he is afraid of these things. Miaozhen held his hand and said, "I will do my job well. As doctors, if we can cure others, we will only get more reward money. If we can't cure them, we will be punished. I will be back in a few days. You and Zhao Ge'er and Zheng Ge'er should stay at home and take good care of yourselves."
When Xiao Jingshi was about to say something, Miaozhen scolded him, "Stop being so long-winded."
We're not going to our deaths, why are we saying all this?
Xiao Jingshi said somewhat awkwardly, "Alright, I won't say any more."
“I have already had some luggage and local products prepared. We will visit various places and find a suitable husband for our daughter. I would approve of Zhao’er getting married in his twenties. There were many scholars in the Tang Dynasty who got married at an older age, but Fu’er can’t wait any longer,” Miaozhen said.
Jinan Prefecture was, after all, just a local area, while the capital was full of talented people.
Unlike men, women, once past their prime, will only be offered marriages as second wives or even less desirable matches. In such cases, it is considered a failure on the part of their parents.
She couldn't enjoy the blessings of her parents, and when it was her turn to be a parent, she dragged her children down.
Fu Jie'er was packing her luggage in her room, her heart pounding. She never thought she would dare to yell at the Imperial Guard. Although the man glanced at her, mocked her a couple of times, and then fell silent, she now thought that she was really brave.
Her two maids, Cui Die and Fei Yan, helped with the packing and said with anticipation, "Miss, we've been away from the capital for many years. This time, we're going back to treat the Prince Yu's son. Who knows, you might even have to go to the palace with Madam then?"
"Going to the palace might not be a good thing. Alright, stop nagging. We're boarding the ship tomorrow morning, so hurry up and pack your luggage," Fu Jie'er said to the two of them.
Just then, Madam He came over, bringing two boxes of pastries she had made herself: "I was thinking that it wouldn't be enough time to make them tomorrow, so I made some now."
"Sister-in-law Qing, thank you so much for making it so quickly." Fu Jie'er knew He Shi's character, so she didn't stand on ceremony with her.
Seeing that Miaozhen and Fujie were both very busy, Madam He tactfully withdrew. Her husband, Xiao Qing, continued to serve as an official in the provinces under Xiao Jingshi, but this time he was not an official in the prefectural government. Instead, he served as a county magistrate in a local prefecture, reporting the situation in the county truthfully to his superiors. He was a truly people-friendly official, with a heavy workload.
If Madam He hadn't come yesterday, we wouldn't have known that Miaozhen and Fujie were going to the capital.
It seems that following Xiao Jingshi was really the right decision. Thinking this, Madam He felt even closer to Miaozhen and Fujie.
Meanwhile, Zhao Rui and his entourage did not conceal their identities, causing some officials in Jinan Prefecture and the province to feel uneasy, fearing that he had come to confiscate their property. They were relieved to learn that he was there to bring Miao Zhen to the capital to treat the Yu Prince's family.
As a high-ranking official in the province, Governor Liu naturally didn't show much emotion upon hearing the news. Madam Liu couldn't help but say, "My lord, if Madam Xu cures the eldest son of Prince Yu's illness this time, wouldn't she be on good terms with the future crown prince in the future?"
It should be noted that although Prince Yu was the fourth son, he was now the eldest son. Although Prince Jing's mother was favored, Prince Jing was ranked after Prince Yu.
"So, this is why I was willing to form a connection with the Xiao family, but unfortunately the Xiao family did not agree," said Governor Liu.
Madam Liu sneered, "The Xiao family is really too bold."
Governor Liu said, “If the eldest son of the Xiao family really succeeds in the imperial examinations, who will say that his family is arrogant? They will only say that he is ambitious. Don’t you know that Xiao Jingshi spent five thousand taels to hire Yang Bangyan to tutor his son? And that’s not even considered a four-season tribute. Do you think this is an ordinary family?”
Some officials may never have this much money in their entire lives. The Liu family is certainly an extremely wealthy family, having been an official family for generations. But even wealthy people don't necessarily dislike money.
Although the Xiao family was not as wealthy as the Wang family of Taicang, they still had considerable wealth and were very willing to spend money.
Madam Liu was starting to regret her decision, not to mention Miss Liu, who hadn't expected the Xiao family to have this connection.
Miao Zhen didn't know whether they regretted it or not, because she was busy reminding her eldest and second sons and arranging manpower all night. She hadn't slept for more than three hours when Zhao Rui appeared early in the morning like the King of Hell. She and her daughter had to hurry to get on the carriage and board the boat.
Xiao Jingshi was naturally worried and wanted to ride off on horseback, but Zhao Rui stopped him with a half-smile: "Lord Xiao, please wait."
"Commander Zhao, I'll just see them off to the ship from a distance." Xiao Jingshi wasn't afraid at all.
Zhao Rui rode his horse forward at breakneck speed. Xiao Jingshi was originally tall and strong, and had been preparing to take the military examination and become an official since childhood. However, he never expected to later pursue a literary career. Zheng Ge'er's good physique is just like his.
Xiao Jingshi's ability to catch up surprised many of the Imperial Guards. "I never expected that Lord Xiao, a mere scholar, would be so skilled in both literature and martial arts. I thought scholars were all weak and frail."
As dawn broke, Miaozhen and Fujie, who had been dozing off, finally woke up and rushed over to Xiao Jingshi when they got off the carriage. Although she had complained about her husband yesterday, Miaozhen was very excited to see him now.
"Jing Shi, I thought they wouldn't let you see us off."
"Even if they don't let me, I'll still see them off. Zhenzhen, take care on your journey. I'll write home, and then you can take our family's boat back." Seeing Miaozhen's joy, Xiao Jingshi was also very happy.
Miaozhen was naturally very pleased with her husband's attentiveness to her. Fu'er, who was standing to the side, watched her parents as if they were watching a play, admiring the handsome man and beautiful woman in love.
Miaozhen held her husband's hand and said, "I understand. I told the children everything yesterday. As for you, when I'm not home, there's no one to apply eye ointment and massage you often. You must take care of yourself. I've prepared the herbal medicine for colds and put it in your room. I've also put the eye wash powder on my dressing table, where you can see it."
Zhao Rui, who was not far away, watched Xiao Jingshi and Miaozhen reluctantly part. He turned his head away. He had heard that Xiao Jingshi had no concubines or maids and had been devoted to Xu Shi ever since he married her.
However, Xu was not from a prominent family; her father was merely a student of the Imperial Academy, and even his appearance was not stunning, but rather dignified and elegant.
He couldn't help but think of himself. Before he was exiled, he had a good marriage and was about to get married, but once he was exiled, everything changed.
Those who had once greeted him with smiles all changed their attitudes and discarded him like trash.
Coming to his senses, Zhao Rui saw that Madam Xu and her daughter had already arrived, and he welcomed them onto the ship. This ship was a requisitioned official vessel, and it was quite spacious, with Miaozhen and her daughter each having their own room.
Apart from the mother and daughter and the few servants they brought, almost everyone on board was a man. Miaozhen said to Fujie, "Let's try to avoid troubling others, especially since you are still a young lady. Try to go out as little as possible."
This isn't their own ship; they can't do whatever they want with it.
Fu Jie'er nodded: "I know, Mother. Shall we conserve our energy now?"
“Of course not. I brought a lot of pediatric books and medical case studies with me. We’ll have to read them whenever we have time. I also need to ask Commander Zhao about it. When I first saw him, he was such a cheerful young man. Now he’s so unpredictable. Our family has really let him down, so we can understand when he’s a little emotional.” Miao Zhen is the kind of person who, once she gets into work mode, will find all sorts of ways to get things done.
After she finished tidying up the cabin, she asked someone to invite Zhao Rui over. When Zhao Rui heard that she was asking about the illness, he didn't dare to delay and came over immediately.
"Commander Zhao, what kind of illness does that prince have? Is it coughing, convulsions, fainting, or chickenpox?" Miaozhen asked.
Zhao Rui thought for a moment and said, "I heard that it's caused by blackened teeth, fever, emaciation, alternating hot and cold symptoms, and scabies all over the body. It seems to be a serious condition."
Miaozhen nodded slowly: "Has this child ever had smallpox?"
“It only started to be like this after the smallpox diagnosis,” Zhao Rui said.
Miaozhen had a general idea of what was going on, but she didn't show it. She only said, "I understand what you've said. I'll try to diagnose this illness more thoroughly. Thank you for your help."
Seeing that Miaozhen was so polite and made very few requests, even though she didn't complain about the few simple dishes served at lunch, Zhao Rui couldn't help but think of his own mother. As a son, he should share his mother's burdens.
"Dr. Xu, could you please take a look at my mother after you've finished treating the Prince Yu's son?"
“Okay,” Miaozhen readily agreed.
Zhao Rui was somewhat surprised to see her agree so readily, but then Miao Zhen said, "Back when my husband was in office in Fujian, he investigated your family's affairs and found some inaccuracies. Therefore, he wrote to the higher authorities requesting that someone be sent to investigate. I never expected that your family would be punished. Since the mistake has been made, we also bear some responsibility, no matter what. As long as we can make amends, just tell us what you need."
All the misunderstandings still need to be cleared up one by one. No matter what he thinks, Miaozhen is determined to speak up.
Zhao Rui said, "Are you saying that Prefect Xiao's impeachment back then was not actual impeachment?"
“As the Assistant Surveillance Commissioner, he was bound to investigate local military affairs, but he told me that Marquis Yunjian did not seem to be that kind of person. However, there were testimonies from hundreds of villagers back then, and he still felt there were suspicious points. So he wanted his superiors to send someone to investigate, but he never expected…” Miaozhen sighed.
Zhao Rui wondered if he had made a mistake.
Three days after boarding the ship, Miaozhen had already found the medical records of "Zouma Gan" and copied down the prescription for Qingwei San, but Qingwei San could only treat the initial stage. If the disease had progressed to the point of necrosis, then folk remedies would have to be used, but folk remedies were really not effective.
If severe, noma can lead to sepsis or kidney failure.
If treatment is delayed, facial deformities may result.
As the crown prince, he must also be in good health.
She needed to continue her studies, and Xiao Jingshi often searched for new prescriptions for her to help her. With Miaozhen's years of accumulated knowledge, she came up with a prescription: Aloe Vera Eliminates Infantile Disorders, which can eliminate stomach heat.
Because Miaozhen was engrossed in reading, Fu'er noticed that her mother was eating poorly, so she borrowed the kitchen, intending to cook something delicious. She had learned to make boat-shaped snacks and pastries from her mother, and had also learned to cook from Madam He. Now that it was May or June, the weather was rather hot, so she planned to make cold chicken noodles and a cold tofu and preserved egg salad, using whatever ingredients she had on hand.
Because she made a lot, Sister Fu remembered that she had yelled at Zhao Rui last time, so she specially made a lotus leaf and chick boat-shaped dessert for him as a way of making up.
Zhao Rui, of course, wouldn't completely trust someone just because of a snack or a few words of explanation from Miao Zhen. He put it aside and ignored it.
But soon the food at Miaozhen's place was much better, supposedly because someone along the way had specially brought it up. Miaozhen didn't know it was her daughter's doing, and even laughed and said, "I didn't expect to be able to eat eight-treasure duck on the boat."
Fu Jie'er then told Miao Zhen about sending the snacks, and Miao Zhen agreed: "As the saying goes, it's better to resolve a feud than to make one. What you did was very good, but there's no need to try to please him. If we can cure Prince Yu's illness, we'll have formed a good relationship in the future, which is better than anything else."
"You're right, so have you gained anything yet?" Sister Fu asked.
“Aim high, and you’ll achieve something. Your mother may not be good at other things, but I do have some experience in medicine. I’ve studied gynecology for many years, and now I’ve studied pediatrics for almost ten years. You don’t know that one year I studied every single symptom of smallpox in order to research the diagnosis of smallpox,” Miaozhen sighed.
No one dared to stop the Imperial Guards' ships, but natural disasters are something no one can avoid. A sudden downpour hit Hebei and Shandong. Everyone says the north is dry and rainy, but for some reason, a sudden downpour occurred in the north.
Zhao Rui and the others needed to get the person there as soon as possible. Since the waterway was impassable, they had to take a land route. Miao Zhen didn't say a word. She had already roughly figured out the direction she needed to treat, and immediately said, "Since we're in such a hurry to get to the capital, let's go. It's alright."
This impressed the accompanying Imperial Guards. Although Madam Xu was an official's wife, she was polite and kind, never putting on airs. The servants of the Xiao family were also very capable and accommodating, never gossiping.
This journey from waterway to land will inevitably be bumpy, but the women of the Xiao family have accepted it very easily, prioritizing the overall situation.
Zhao Rui had a spacious carriage prepared, covered with cowhide to keep out the wind and rain. Miao Zhen was very grateful and even offered them some medicine to treat colds: "Even if you have outer clothing, you will still catch a cold in this heavy rain."
"Thank you very much," Zhao Rui said with a smile.
This was the first time she had seen the child smile. Miaozhen said, "I can't let you fail to explain yourselves. We're fine."
Even so, the road ahead was muddy, making it impossible for horses and people to pass. Zhao Rui then let them rest at an inn. However, this inn was a very small one with limited facilities, unlike the inn that Xiao Jingshi had taken them to before. It was only then that Miaozhen realized how well Xiao Jingshi had taken care of her.
She asked the inn for a large pot, first brewed some medicine to dispel the cold, and then she and Fu'er drank a bowl of it. She then had the maids deliver it to the accompanying Imperial Guards.
Fu Jie'er, who was usually in good health, said to Miao Zhen, "Mother, you are too tired. Your back and legs are not very good to begin with, and the bumpy journey must have made you very uncomfortable. How about I take the servants to make some food?"
Miaozhen was naturally more pleased with her daughter's filial piety, and she smiled and said, "Then be careful."
"Don't worry, Father. I promised you I would take good care of you."
Her mother usually takes meticulous care of her, and now that her mother is already very tired from checking medical records, she must do these little things herself.
The yam and millet porridge was simmering in the jar, and the rice was steamed into crispy rice crust. Fu Jie knew that her mother didn't actually like those fancy dishes, but rather loved home-cooked meals. There was pickled vegetables stir-fried with shredded pork, braised eggplant, stir-fried bok choy, preserved egg and tofu, pan-fried fish, steamed taro, cabbage, and pork belly, as well as a meatball soup.
When she finished and came over, Miaozhen had someone send a portion to Zhao Rui before pulling her daughter to sit down: "You must be tired. Things will be better once we get to the capital."
"Mother, you must eat more, you can't fall ill on the way." Sister Fu kept busy.
Miaozhen smiled and agreed. After finishing her meal and washing up, she felt very sleepy.
After finishing her meal, Fu Jie couldn't sleep. She went downstairs to give instructions to the servants and happened to see Zhao Rui. She curtsied and was about to leave when Zhao Rui called her back.
"Miss Xiao, please thank your mother for the medicine on my behalf."
"You're too kind, Commander." Having been raised with proper family education, Fu Jie'er knew that besides seeking medical treatment, her mother wanted to find her a good marriage during this trip to the capital, so she paid even more attention to her manners.
Zhao Rui saw that she had her head down, wearing a light blue butterfly-patterned top and a white horse-face skirt embroidered with folded branches. The skirt was slightly damp, but even so, her posture seemed to be graceful at all times. Her back was straight, revealing a section of her snow-white neck. For some reason, Zhao Rui felt a little uncomfortable.
He stroked the embroidered spring knife at his waist and asked, "Has your mother made any progress on the young master's illness?"
So that's what you're asking about. Sister Fu said, "My mother has been looking through many prescriptions day and night, but in the end, she still needs to see the person in person to know what illness he has."
“That’s true.” Zhao Rui nodded.
The four diagnostic methods of observation, auscultation, inquiry, and palpation are not something a doctor can perform out of thin air.
While they were being kept out of the rain, Xiao Jingshi had been sleeping alone for several days. Actually, there had been times before when his wife left, but back then he was just worried. Now, however, he felt very lonely.
He got up and took a piece of clothing that his wife usually wore from the wardrobe, placing it beside his pillow as if his wife were still by his side.
Since their marriage, they had never had anyone keep watch in their room at night. Usually when Xiao Jingshi came back, there would be his favorite tea here, filling the room with a sweet fragrance. His wife would either sit here reading or doing some needlework, and he would sit beside her watching her. Now that she was gone, he was truly heartbroken.
However, there was good news the next day: the sweet potatoes had grown. Even Xiao Jingshi himself did not expect that these so-called sweet potatoes would grow so easily.
As the prefect, he naturally knew where there was still wasteland and where land needed to be cultivated. Although Shandong was not a poor province, bandits had always been a problem, and during years of famine, they even came to the county government offices.
But if life were easy, what normal person would want to become an outlaw? He didn't care what others thought; he was determined to do well in his own territory. Sure enough, the Huang family from Fujian also sent a boatload of sweet potatoes, saying it was a bumper harvest. Xiao Jingshi sent many to the provincial government and to officials he knew, but most of them didn't recognize their value and thought they were just like corn.
After Xiao Jingshi set his sights on something, he spent his days going to the countryside and getting busy, which lessened his longing for his lover.
Zhengge'er was looked after by maids and servants during the day, but he couldn't help missing his mother. He also missed his older brother Zhaoge'er. Zhaoge'er checked his homework and tapped the table: "These past few days without your mother, your writing has declined. Although your parents allowed you to learn martial arts, you know how low the status of a pure military officer is. Take your teacher Qi Jiguang, for example. Even though he was first-rate in training and fighting troops, a single official from the Censorate could impeach him for allegedly colluding with the Japanese pirates, and he could be ruined. So, you still need to take the imperial examinations first. If you pass and become a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations) and go to the Ministry of War, you can help the soldiers on the front lines. You could even become an official with a Ministry of War title, whether it's the governor-general of Xuanfu, Datong, the Three Border Regions, or Zhejiang and Zhili."
In a boy's life, the mother is an indispensable figure, but the male figure is also indispensable.
However, Xiao Jingshi was too busy. He had already become an official when Zhengge was born, and Xiao Jingshi didn't have much patience. Most of the time, it was his older brother Zhaoge who taught him.
Now that his brother had said this, Zheng Ge'er lowered his head and said, "I understand."
"Knowing is useless. There are problems with your writing. Let me help you revise it. See if it's better?" Zhao Ge'er taught him word by word. Zheng Ge'er was not without talent. He followed his brother's instructions and rewrote his homework.
Seeing that his younger brother had finished writing, Zhao Ge'er left his room.
Because the Xiao family was not yet powerful, the Liu family clearly knew that the Wang and Xiao families were discussing marriage. Perhaps out of revenge for not asking for Miss Liu's hand in marriage, they easily took the marriage.
He had no idea how sad his sister was or how embarrassed his mother was. In the end, it was because his family wasn't strong enough. He went back to his room and took out his book to read again.
I used to think that studying at Qiubai Academy was pretty good, but now, after being taught by Yang Bangyan, I realize that there is always someone better. I don't know how many years I would have to study to reach that level of knowledge.
Thinking of this, he lit the lamp and looked outside again, wondering how his mother and sister were doing at this moment.
Miaozhen and Fujie waited in this simple inn for two days. As soon as the rain stopped, they prepared to set off. Their carriage was cleaned inside and out, and even the muddy wheels looked brand new.
Miao Zhen thought this must have been Zhao Rui's order, so she had someone invite Zhao Rui over and thanked him privately: "Commander Zhao, thank you for your arrangements."
Unexpectedly, Zhao Rui, who had been sarcastic before, was very polite and said, "Madam Xu, you are too kind. This is Zhao Rui's duty."
Miaozhen glanced at him; this young man's change of heart was far too rapid!
What happened?
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