Chapter 75 (combined with Chapter 75)
Miaozhen went to her small pharmacy, selected two kinds of medicine, packed them in a small mother-of-pearl inlaid box, and set off for the Cui family. When Zhang heard that Miaozhen was coming, she personally went to the second gate to greet her, and said with a smile, "Sister, I have been having some things to do at home these past few days, I didn't expect Sister Xu to come in person."
"Oh dear, don't even mention it. I went to the Fu family's house the other day, but I never expected someone to die in the Fen River. I felt so uneasy. My husband suggested I come out and clear my head. I don't know many people around here, and I just happened to have made some medicine for bruises and sprains, so I brought it over to you." Miaozhen smiled as she brought over the medicine.
Zhang invited her to sit down and busied herself having tea served. She then said, "What you said, sister, just happens to fall on my muddle-headed self."
Miaozhen took a sip of tea without showing any emotion, and couldn't help but ask, "How did he end up at the Garrison Command? Is that person a soldier?"
“No, no, he’s a member of Deputy Commander Dou’s family,” Zhang said.
Miaozhen sighed, "Why did he think of jumping into the river? Was he being abused?"
Zhang also found it strange, but she didn't want to say anything, so she just vaguely said, "I don't know either."
Miaozhen glanced at her: "This is a major case involving a life, and many eyes are watching. Your husband must be careful. If he is not handled properly, he may be in danger of losing his official position if someone finds out about it."
Crisis management is always the most important thing. Miaozhen was also reminding Zhang that Xiao Jingshi was still in Shanxi. Although they had a friendship, it wouldn't matter if something happened.
After hearing Miaozhen arrive and keep talking about this matter, Zhang wondered to herself, "Could this case be extremely important?" She replied, "Yes, that's what we were saying too."
Miaozhen came here to get things done, but we can't be too hasty. So we asked her again, "Never mind, let's not talk about these unlucky things. How are you?"
"I... I'm just like that," Zhang said, resting her chin on her hand, also finding life boring.
But when she saw Miaozhen come to visit, she also said, "Sister Xu, could you please take a look at me too? We've been married for several years, but we still don't have any children."
Miaozhen took her pulse and said, "It looks like you're just a little weak in qi and blood, but most women in wealthy families are like that. If you both want children, you might as well advise Commander Cui to get checked out as well. How should I put it? Sometimes both of you are perfectly fine, but you just can't conceive, so you both need to get checked out."
Actually, she couldn't say that Cui Ningzheng had a problem. This isn't an era of gender equality. Cui Ningzheng had tried to hit Zhang Shi before, but she stopped him, so she couldn't encourage Zhang Shi to say that.
Zhang was quite honest: "Sister, look at him, he was already keeping mistresses outside when he was so young. He married a woman from his family, and his body has already been ruined by promiscuity."
"Isn't it much better lately?" Miaozhen asked.
Zhang poured out her heart to Miaozhen, who sighed. Cui Ningzheng was indeed of high status, the nephew of an earl, and his father held the official position of Councilor. He received the title of Garrison Commander almost without any effort.
Cui Ningzheng doesn't cherish things he doesn't earn through hard work, and he finds it difficult to hold onto them.
After spending some time with Zhang, Miaozhen inquired about the Dou family's situation. Zhang seemed to know quite a bit about it: "Deputy Commander Dou's wives and concubines are all in his hometown of Shandong, not here. I've heard that he recently took a new concubine, who is very beautiful."
Miao Zhen thought that this beautiful woman must be Madam Cao. If she really wanted to determine the truth of the matter, she would have to meet her in person first. She couldn't get any information from Madam Zhang, so she went out first.
Little Xi, who had been following along, said, "Grandma, what are we going to do?"
"What do you mean, what should we do? Let's go to the Dou family right now." Miaozhen took off her precious jewelry and clothes in the carriage, changed into a blue woolen overcoat and a light red skirt, and wrapped her head with a headscarf, dressed like a commoner.
Xiao Xi couldn't help but admire, "You've really thought of everything."
"But are you going in alone?" the servants asked worriedly.
Miaozhen laughed and said, "It's fine if others don't bring it, but you definitely have to bring it, Xiaoxi. I've also prepared a set of clothes for you. Originally, I planned to get some information out of Granny Cui so that I wouldn't have to go anymore, but now it seems that I still have to go in person."
Xiao Xi asked worriedly, "Are you alright?"
"After we got married, Jingshi took care of everything for me, and you all helped me out. But back when I was a servant in the Cheng family, I experienced all sorts of intrigue and backstabbing, so what's there to be afraid of?" Miaozhen wasn't afraid.
Over the years, thanks to her husband's capable leadership, she hasn't had much to worry about besides medical treatment. So when Xiao Jingshi entrusted her with this task, she was determined to do it well and show him her abilities.
She stopped the carriage ten meters away from the Dou family's gate before getting off, carrying a basket and pretending to be a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner. The basket contained silver needles and herbs. She walked to the gate, where soldiers stood guard. Miaozhen stepped forward as if nothing was wrong and said, "Gentlemen, the lady here asked me to come and deliver medicine."
The soldier at the gate glanced at Miaozhen, noticing her fair skin, pretty face, and refined demeanor. Although her clothes were shabby, they were clean. He asked, "Who was there to meet you?"
"I don't remember either, I just know she's the mistress of this mansion." After saying that, he gave Xiaoxi a look, and Xiaoxi immediately took a piece of silver and stuffed it into Paijun's hand.
Pai Jun sent someone to inform Miao Zhen that although she was unsure of herself, she remained outwardly calm.
Meanwhile, a servant went in to deliver a message. Madam Cao was doing needlework when she heard that a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner had come in to deliver medicine. She was bored by herself, so she let the servant in.
Miaozhen saw that a young maidservant had come out to greet her. She took some candy from her purse and gave it to her. The maidservant led her over with a smile. Miaozhen walked along the winding path and couldn't help but think to herself that she hadn't expected to get in so easily.
"Your grandmother only recently entered the household, right? Is she very favored?" Miaozhen asked.
"Yes, the adults come over every day. Our grandma has all kinds of good food and clothes, but she always seems to have something on her mind," the little girl said carefree.
Miaozhen knew what was going on. Soon she met this Madam Cao, who was neither fat nor thin, and looked delicate. After exchanging greetings, Miaozhen explained her purpose. She thought that if this Madam Cao did not acknowledge her, she would have to investigate from other places.
Unexpectedly, when Madam Cao heard that the servant Gu An had been beaten to death and thrown into the river, she almost dismissed everyone and asked her in surprise, "Are you saying that Gu An didn't slip and fall into the water?"
"Of course not. I heard that you and Gu An came from Huzhou to seek justice for your husband. Can you tell me about it? Don't worry, since I've come to the manor to ask, I will definitely help your husband." Miaozhen could see that although this Madam Cao had lost her virginity to Deputy Commander Dou, she was still a woman of affection and righteousness.
Madam Cao explained in detail: "I was originally the wife of Master Cao, who ran a silk business. My husband and I usually managed the household with twenty or thirty helpers. But then he was murdered in the river. My family sought help from a local official named Yang, but unfortunately, they were turned down everywhere, and the murderer escaped. It just so happened that I came here with him and we ran into Deputy Commander Dou—"
At this point, Madam Cao blushed. Her husband was already gone, and she had to look forward; otherwise, she would lose all her household items and talents.
Seeing her like this, Miaozhen comforted her, saying, "It's nothing. The fact that you came all this way shows how loyal and devoted you are."
Seeing that Miaozhen didn't blame her, Madam Cao breathed a sigh of relief and continued, "He said he would help us. I thought of Gu Anzhongyi and also told others that he was my cousin. I thought that I would help him get an official position, which would be a way of repaying him. However, there are always people in this mansion who ostracize him and spread rumors that he and I have an affair. General Dou said that he should go to a nearby garrison and start as a captain. I thought that was a good idea, but I never expected that news would come that he had fallen and died."
"During that time, did you discuss the lawsuit on behalf of Master Cao with General Dou? What did he say?" Miaozhen asked.
Madam Cao sighed, "He said that the case had been handled by the Deputy Provincial Surveillance Commissioner, and it would be difficult to overturn it. He told me to be patient."
Where is Gu An?
“Gu An told me that Deputy Commander Dou was unwilling to help with this, but I wonder who we can turn to to deal with Cao Rong if we rashly go out?” said Madam Cao.
When Miaozhen listened to her, she carefully recorded her story and finally said, "Okay, I understand the situation. Don't tell anyone my identity. Someone will help you when the time comes."
Her previous habit of recording medical cases led her to write case files very quickly. It seems that whatever she does is always beneficial. She even had Madam Cao press her palm on it.
Madam Cao was completely unprepared and actually pressed the button.
...
When he returned, Xiao Jingshi saw that Miaozhen had brought it over. Looking at her attire, he couldn't help but laugh and say, "You really are good at whatever you do."
“That’s right, sometimes I just don’t want to do it.” Miaozhen proudly raised her chin.
Upon seeing the handprint on the interrogation table, Xiao Jingshi couldn't help but say, "Now everyone is hoping I'll make a mistake in the case, then we'll be finished. Look how meticulous you are in doing things."
"Isn't it because I've learned too many lessons? For example, people get medicine from others but claim they got it from me, or they don't follow medical advice but then say I'm no good at treating illnesses, or even when it's their family members who told them to see me, they blame me later. So, whatever I do, I have to sign and put my fingerprint on it. Otherwise, wouldn't my family be making a scene every day?" Miaozhen pouted.
Sometimes, Xiao Jingshi really felt that the more he spent with Miao Zhen, the more he discovered her amazing abilities.
Now Xiao Jingshi gradually learned how to get along with her. His wife seemed to really like his gentleness and attentiveness, so she said, "You're really amazing. You've been busy for a long time. Go and rest first. I'll have someone send a table of food from Fenyang Tower later. We can drink together as husband and wife. I'll eat with you, okay?"
Whatever is between husband and wife, it should be said. She glanced at Xiao Jingshi, then thought of her relationship with Miaoyun. Now that Zhang Shihua was also involved in the case, she said to him, "Today I will tell you a secret."
Xiao Jingshi raised an eyebrow: "What other secrets do you have that I don't know?"
"You'll know when you get back," Miaozhen said.
Xiao Jingshi didn't know what the secret was, but seeing that Miaozhen wasn't teasing him as usual, he had a bad feeling.
Evening arrived quickly. Miaozhen ate a few bites, dismissed the servants, and slowly told him about Miaoyun's situation. "I think she had no choice, so I never exposed her, which is to give each other some face. Besides, no one is perfect, who can be without fault?"
"What do you mean 'everyone makes mistakes'? You're just too insightful. You know that even if you expose her, it won't change the situation, so you simply don't mention it. Just like you think I'm unhappy with this marriage, and that I'd look down on you if I talked about such dirty things, so you're also keeping it a secret." Xiao Jingshi hit the nail on the head.
Miaozhen did not refute, but smiled and said, "You're right."
Xiao Jingshi spoke his mind directly, but to his surprise, Miaozhen was not angry this time. Instead, she admitted that this was what she thought. This caught Xiao Jingshi off guard. He thought back to when he told her about seeing a live sex show in the nunnery. Miaozhen seemed to have been comforting him the whole time, while he never seemed to care about others when he spoke.
“Zhenzhen…” Xiao Jingshi looked at Miaozhen with some helplessness.
Miaozhen said, "We are discussing important matters now. If you say so, then that is indeed what I think too."
"No, I mean, do I sometimes speak in a sharp tone?" Xiao Jingshi looked at Miaozhen.
Miao Zhen smiled without speaking. When he urged her, she said, "Let me ask you, do you treat your head scholar, superiors, and even the emperor the same way?"
"Obviously not. So, the way you treat me, subconsciously you still feel that I'm not someone you should treat with courtesy or politeness."
Xiao Jingshi was also a smart man. After hearing Miaozhen's words, he reflected and said, "I just felt that you didn't trust me. Did you really think I was the kind of person who would mock you?"
Although the couple used to live together, they were both focused on their own futures and acted as a good couple. However, after they achieved some success together, they began to care about their own feelings.
Miaozhen looked at him and said, "Let's get down to business. This is not the time for romance."
“Actually, there are two cases now. One is the case of the death of Master Cao and the escape of the main culprit, and the other is the case of the murder of General Gu An. In the former case, the Deputy Provincial Surveillance Commissioner is a protégé of Chief Minister Yan, and in the latter case, Deputy General Dou is said to have a powerful backer. The cases are not big, but the matters are tricky.” Xiao Jingshi tapped the table.
“I don’t understand the ways of officialdom, but if you still need my help, just let me know,” Miaozhen said with a smile.
Xiao Jingshi's hands, which were supporting her shoulders, slid down to her hands and pulled them together: "I just feel that I should treat you even better in the future."
Miao Zhen sighed, her husband had become so dramatic. What should she do? She still loved the Xiao Jingshi who thought he was the most important person in the world. So, she looked at him seriously and said, "You don't need to do this. Just be the same as before. You're making me uncomfortable."
But Xiao Jingshi only wanted to talk about these things now. He was always arrogant and learned, and for the first time he felt the deep affection between men and women. He did not want Miaozhen to leave.
The candlelight crackled and popped, and on the bed, mandarin ducks intertwined their necks, the lotus stamens embroidered on the silvery-white warm curtains seemed to bloom in the candlelight.
When Miaozhen woke up early in the morning, she felt a little embarrassed thinking about yesterday's crazy behavior. When she turned to look at Xiao Jingshi, he was sleeping soundly with extremely long eyelashes. He looked very well-behaved when he wasn't angry.
But then she remembered that Xiao Jingshi still had a case to deal with, so Miaozhen had no time to appreciate it and immediately shook him awake: "Last night you said you wanted to investigate Master Cao's case first. Now that it's broad daylight, shouldn't you get up?"
"Oh my, Zhenzhen, you're even more diligent than me." Xiao Jingshi's eyes sparkled.
Miao Zhen smiled gently.
Xiao Jingshi knew that he would likely face political pressure for handling these cases, but it didn't matter. As this was his first term, he had to fulfill his duties.
Because he knew he was doing the right thing, and his supportive wife wouldn't abandon him just because he was down on his luck.
The next day, Xiao Jingshi first took Madam Cao's complaint and asked the deputy inspector to retrieve the original case file, indicating that he wanted to conduct an interrogation first. The deputy inspector then said to him, "Brother Xiao, to be honest, I heard that the ringleader has already been dealt with. Look, this is the execution record."
“You are right, but Cao Mengshi said that the main culprit was Cao Rong, not these people. Since the complaint has been submitted, I must accept it.” Xiao Jingshi did not shy away from the truth.
Seeing his sharp edge, the deputy inspector couldn't help but say, "Lord Xiao, I must remind you that officials should blend in with the world. If you recant your testimony without authorization and they find something, fine, but if they don't, your job will be ruined."
After saying that, the deputy inspector left in a huff. Xiao Jingshi snorted coldly, "This old fox in officialdom still dares to act tough in front of me?"
It is said that because of yesterday's situation, Miaozhen is resting at home today. Unexpectedly, the Fu family invited Miaozhen to come and treat her. The person who came was a confidante of Madam Fu Si, and he looked very anxious: "Doctor Xu, what should we do? Our grandmother's menstrual flow is so severe that it keeps coming back. What should we do?"
"Xiao Xi, help me carry the medical kit, let's hurry to the Fu family."
Saving lives is like putting out a fire, so Miaozhen didn't hesitate and quickly took a carriage to the Fu family. However, she didn't expect that Fu Yu was also waiting at the door, looking somewhat anxious. Miaozhen thought that it seemed that Fu Yu had obviously disliked Ruan Shi when she first married into the family, but his opinion had changed in just a few months. It seems that the earth can really keep turning no matter who is gone.
Miaozhen stepped forward to examine her and saw that Ruan's face was deathly pale. She thought that the so-called women's diseases, which seemed chaotic, could actually be summarized into three types: blood diseases, qi diseases, or water diseases.
The woman's blood was bright red, and she appeared short of breath, weak in the spleen and stomach, and lacking in qi and blood. She was sweating profusely, and wiping it with a handkerchief could not stop the sweating.
"Have you been working very hard lately?" Miaozhen asked.
The maidservant beside Madam Ruan said, "Our mistress has been doing needlework lately, often staying up late into the night, and copying scriptures during the day. She must be exhausted."
“No wonder, I noticed her pulse was very weak and thready. It’s nothing serious. I prescribed her medicine once a day, and she should be fine after three to five days.” Miaozhen prescribed Dang Gui Shao Yao Tang.
This is a very effective treatment, and according to her experience, it works 90% of the time.
After Miaozhen prescribed the medicine, she prepared to leave, but Fu Yu outside asked her to stay and see how the medicine went. Miaozhen raised an eyebrow, but stayed anyway. She only left after Ruan Shi had taken the medicine and experienced no side effects.
After about three days, Ruan's hemorrhage was completely cured.
This disease is very stressful for first-time sufferers, but for someone like Miaozhen who has seen far too many cases, seeing that they all looked like they had a terminal illness, she quickly said, "You must never overwork yourself like this in the future. Now that the bleeding has stopped, I will prescribe some medicine to regulate your qi and blood. You will be completely cured after taking two doses."
Doctors sometimes don't want to prescribe medicine, but patients still insist.
Ruan thanked her softly and tried to pay for the consultation, but Miaozhen quickly said, "There's really no need. Governor Fu and my husband even jointly impeached the Prince of Dai's clan last time, and we are already very grateful."
The way women interact can also influence men. Fu Yu is indeed a man of strong emotions. He didn't like this Ruan Shi before, thinking that she wanted to replace his original wife, so he was very harsh on her. Unexpectedly, Ruan Shi turned out to be a gentle and kind girl. She said that she didn't want to either, but things are unpredictable, so he slowly began to change his opinion.
This Lady Ruan was also a very kind person. Knowing that he was born out of wedlock, she would always make a pair of needlework for her adoptive mother, the Fourth Madam, and then make another pair for his birth mother at night. However, she was afraid that the Fourth Madam would be unhappy, so she could only do it at night, which is why she was so tired.
Fortunately, he was treated by Madam Xu, for which he was quite grateful and therefore did not mind helping Xiao Jingshi.
Fortunately, Xiao Jingshi was also very good at handling cases. He first tried Cao Yuanwai's case on the surface, but in reality, he informed Cui Ningzheng to find the murderer who killed Gu An. Cao Rong was arrested for both crimes.
Cao Rong knew that Gu An had always wanted to take revenge on him, so he took advantage of Gu An's absence and hired someone to drug him in his room at night, leading Gu An to pretend to fall into the water. Unfortunately, the thugs he hired beat Gu An a few times in order to finish the job quickly.
Xiao Jingshi solved both cases in less than fifteen days. Cao Rong was sentenced to death. Madam Cao stood outside the door watching, overjoyed and weeping. She bowed gracefully before Miaozhen.
“If it weren’t for Madam’s intervention to clear my name, I would not be in this situation,” Madam Cao said.
Miaozhen helped her up: "No need for formalities, this is what my husband should do."
Recently, Madam Cao heard from Madam Zhang that she was being jealous and manipulative at home. However, Miao Zhen thought that no matter what, Madam Cao was kind at heart and willing to travel all the way to Shanxi to seek justice for her ex-husband. This showed that she was very loyal and righteous.
After Xiao Jingshi submitted the case, it was also stated that the Shanxi Provincial Surveillance Commissioner allowed the ringleader to escape and accepted bribes. As for the Prefect of Xinzhou, he was also negligent and, fearing the wrath of his superiors, refused to handle the major case involving a murder.
But the result was quite unexpected. The deputy inspector was merely transferred to Guizhou to continue serving as the prefect, while Zhang Shihua was dismissed from his post, with the official reply stating that he was incompetent and muddleheaded.
This outcome was unexpected by Xiao Jingshi, and it's truly ironic.
Zhang Shihua was shocked. He had been very careful. He hadn't taken the money from Cao Rong, but from the Deputy Provincial Surveillance Commissioner. He was sure no one would implicate him, because implicating him would mean the Deputy Provincial Surveillance Commissioner had bribed him.
He had done everything perfectly, so why was he still dismissed from office?
"To be honest, it's because I have no background. Why can Xiao Jingshi hit whomever he wants? It's because he has powerful eunuchs backing him up in the palace. Vice Envoy Jiang has the Yan faction backing him up. They are all satisfied, but I have become cannon fodder," Zhang Shihua said bitterly.
Miaoyun breathed a sigh of relief: "Our family has more money than we could spend in seven or eight lifetimes, so why bother? Let's just go home."
Zhang Shihua, however, did not give up: "That's impossible. If I fall, all our money will be stolen, just like what happened to me before. How can we protect it?"
He will come back again!
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