Chapter 93 (Combined Chapter)
Wang followed her husband to Zhejiang. Their residence was not large, but it was well-maintained. The flowers and trees were lush and verdant, and the white walls and black tiles made it look extremely tranquil, unlike the home of a military general.
Even though he was away training troops, Qi Jiguang still made time to come over. Miaozhen saw Wang Shi ask, "What are you doing here?"
But her face clearly showed sweetness.
Qi Jiguang looked at Miaozhen and said, "I'm counting on you to help with my wife's illness."
Miaozhen nodded slightly: "There's no need for such formalities, Vice Minister Qi. Many years ago, my father and I were returning to Suzhou when we encountered river bandits, and you rescued us. Now that we meet again, I find you to be very dashing and your temperament quite pleasing. Rest assured, I will certainly treat you well."
In fact, Qi Jiguang had long forgotten that the reason they invited Miaozhen this time was simply because Miaozhen's medical skills were already very famous. Although she could not be considered a master of gynecology, she was still well-known.
Now that Miaozhen mentioned it, he remembered it and even recalled Xu Erpeng: "Master Xu is one of the most learned people I have ever met."
"You have such a good memory," Miaozhen said with a smile.
After the casual conversation, she carefully examined Wang's body: "So you mean you were pregnant with two children before, one due to overwork and the other by accident?"
"Yes." Wang touched her belly, looking quite distressed.
"You haven't gotten pregnant since then?" Miaozhen glanced at her.
Seeing that Qi Jiguang was present, Wang seemed to have something to say but couldn't. Miaozhen then smiled and said, "Qi, you can go out first. I need to do an internal examination, so it's not convenient for me."
After everyone left, Madam Wang said, "I was pregnant a few months ago, but I miscarried before three months were up, and I haven't heard from her since."
Miaozhen took her pulse on the boat and found her to be extremely weak. She couldn't help but ask, "Do you have any symptoms during your periods?"
"She gets angry very easily and has a very short temper. But many women are like that, isn't that normal?" Wang said.
She did not want her husband to take a concubine. They had been a young couple and had gone through thick and thin together. If she could have a child, she would be willing to shorten her lifespan.
Miaozhen did not immediately offer a conclusion to Wang's answer, but instead asked, "Besides menstruation and anger, are there any other symptoms?"
"It's a bit cold and painful here," Wang said, pointing to her lower abdomen.
Miaozhen asked her questions one by one and learned that she also had leukorrhea. Miaozhen had seen this symptom before and said, "This matter requires a period of conditioning. Your liver and kidneys, as well as your qi and blood, are currently deficient. This is why your uterus is conceiving a fetus. I will use moxibustion to warm your uterus externally and give you internal medicine. Then you will be fine."
Seeing that Miaozhen had explained things in detail, Wang felt hopeful and then arranged for a welcoming feast.
Miaozhen and her companions had their guest room in the small courtyard on the east side. The small hall looked quite luxurious, and the accommodations were very well arranged. After the three of them had washed up, Miaozhen asked Fu Jie'er to take Zheng Ge'er's pulse. She was relieved to hear from Fu Jie'er that the pulse was normal.
Needless to say, a welcoming feast was held that evening. However, when Miaozhen arrived at Wang's place the next day, she found it to be very simple. As far as she knew, Wang was the daughter of a powerful family, no ordinary family, and her dowry should have been substantial. But the fact that her family was living so simply must have been due to the groom's family.
But this was a family matter, so Miaozhen didn't say much. She had Wang lie on the bed and applied moxibustion to four acupoints: Qihai, Guanyuan, Zhongji, and Qichong, for the time it takes to brew a cup of tea at each acupoint.
After the moxibustion was completed, Wang felt her lower abdomen warm up. After taking the medicine, she became drowsy.
As they left the Qi family home, Miaozhen said to Fujie, "Most women are diagnosed with infertility. I have compiled medical records of these symptoms and shown them to you. You should remember them."
"Daughter understands." Sister Fu remembered.
Miaozhen told her to think about her illness today first, and then called Zhengge over, "Mother asked your cousin to find some books. Since you're out here, your studies will be delayed. So, Mother will help you study first."
Fortunately, Miaozhen had attended a girls' school and knew a lot; otherwise, the child's studies would have fallen behind.
Speaking of girls' schools, she thought of Lady Qiu and instructed someone to send a letter over. She was no longer the nobody she once was. When she had no status, people always suspected that she wanted to take advantage of others when she associated with people of status. Now that she was the wife of a fourth-rank councilor, things were naturally different.
The next day, the enemy sent someone over. Miaozhen told Wang Shi about it and then went to the enemy's house herself.
The maidservant beside Madam Wang said, "This Madam Xiao really has a wide circle of friends. The Qiu family is a prominent local clan. The head of the Qiu family is now an official in the capital, so it's not appropriate for people like us to visit them normally."
Civil officials have always looked down on military generals, so it's understandable that the girl would say such a thing.
Wang said, “Xu Gongren is an official’s wife, yet she still made a special trip to Zhejiang to treat my illness. This shows what kind of person she is. Although she didn’t say much along the way, I could tell that she had some wisdom in her heart. Since this is her business, let’s not interfere.”
Madam Wang was extremely strict in managing her household. When she said she didn't care anymore, no one dared to object.
Some of the maids around her naturally had hope, after all, the assistant commissioner was still young, while Madam Wang was over thirty, but no one dared to provoke her.
The old woman who had served Wang for many years sent the young maids away, and felt sorry for her: "When you married into the family, you sold your dowry to pay off your husband's debts. You even lost your children fighting the Japanese pirates. Those heartless people don't appreciate you; instead, they ostracize you."
Mr. Qi is certainly a good son-in-law, but those around him often feel that he is afraid of his wife like a tiger, and they are always making dissenting voices from the sidelines. Wang Shi may not be unaware of this.
Wang stroked her belly: "I hope I can get pregnant from here."
Two flowers bloom, each representing a different branch.
When Miaozhen arrived at Qiu's house, sixteen or seventeen years had passed since then. Qiu's wife was a little hunched over, her face was somewhat swollen, and there were crow's feet around her eyes, but the two were very affectionate when they met.
In ancient times, it was not as convenient to send letters as it is now, so when Lady Qiu was talking, she mentioned the last letter she had exchanged, "It was more than ten years ago when you sent me a letter."
"Teacher, I did not write to you." Miaozhen knew that Miaoyun was behind this. Although she would not say anything about Miaoyun to others, she would clarify what she needed to clarify.
Madam Qiu paused for a moment, shook her head, thinking she had misremembered someone, and felt a little embarrassed. Then she saw Miao Zhen's two children, praised them again and again, and said, "I have a grandniece who is about the same age as your daughter. Let them go and talk to each other. Children can't stay still."
Miaozhen asked Fujie to take Zhengge to play, and the two of them talked about their experiences over the years.
"After I said goodbye to you back then, I studied medicine. After I got married, I was selected to enter the palace to treat the concubines. You know me, I'm not exactly clever or quick-witted, I just persevered," Miaozhen said with a smile.
Madam Qiu held her hand and said, "That's excellent. I told you long ago that you would definitely succeed. Before, after you studied with me, you still went to the Tao family every day, rain or shine. Not every child can do that."
Miaozhen said, "I'm embarrassed by your praise."
Here, Madam Qiu spoke of herself: "I went to my brother's post for a few years, and then I taught girls in the clan. With family around, life was quite alright."
When she was in the capital, Miaozhen had met Lady Qiu. She was always smiling and cheerful, and Miaozhen was very happy for Lady Qiu.
"Have you only given birth to a son and a daughter?" Lady Qiu asked.
Miaozhen smiled and said, "I also have an eldest son who is studying in Suzhou and did not come to our post with us."
Although Madam Qiu had never met Miaozhen's eldest son, she saw that both Fu'er and Zheng'er were well-behaved, so Miaozhen's appearance was naturally exceptional. She knew better than anyone what the Xu family's past circumstances were. Back then, the Xu family only ran two small bookstores, but they were able to raise Xu Miaozhen. The Xu family was an enlightened family that had sought out doctors and teachers for their daughters everywhere. Xu Miaozhen was also extremely resilient, with a cheerful and open-minded personality, so she decided to act as matchmaker.
When a woman gets married, she should not only look at her husband, but also at her mother-in-law.
If the mother-in-law is good, life will be much smoother in the household; but if the mother-in-law is bad, even if the husband loves her, life will definitely be difficult.
Moreover, although the Xiao family is not considered a top-tier clan, Xu Miaozhen's husband is a young official of the fourth rank, and the family is quite wealthy.
Engagement is a matter that requires the initiative, so a banquet was held at noon. Madam Qiu brought two young ladies with her. One, a young woman in her late teens, known as Fifth Madam Qiu, wore a light primrose-colored dress, had an oval face, fair skin, and seemed very kind. She was said to be the granddaughter of a cousin of the Qiu family, whose father was currently the Director of Studies at the Nanjing Imperial Academy. The other young lady was the same age as Sister Fu, the seventh in her family, and was Madam Qiu's own grand-niece. Her grandfather was none other than Lord Qiu, currently the Right Vice Censor-in-Chief, and her father was the magistrate of Dongming County in Daming Prefecture.
Miaozhen seemed to have sensed something. She didn't completely reject it, but observed carefully. Qiu Qiniang was clearly more lively, but not in a way that lacked restraint. She spoke with great interest about matters concerning young women. In comparison, Qiu Wuniang was less articulate.
Miaozhen actually thought both girls were quite good, but Zhao Ge'er was still not old enough, and besides, Zhao Ge'er's marriage was not something she could decide on her own. So she sent gifts to each of them, but did not reveal anything.
When Lady Qiu took a walk with her, she revealed a lot: "Fifth Sister has four older brothers. Although she is the youngest daughter at home, she is not spoiled. On the contrary, she is kind and honest. Seventh Sister has one older brother and one younger brother. She is very good at mathematics and is very understanding. To tell you the truth, she is often by my side when I am at home."
"Your daughters are all truly wonderful," Miao Zhen genuinely praised.
Lady Qiu left it at that. If Miao Zhen was interested, she would come to visit. If she was not interested, the Qiu family's daughter would not have to worry about getting married.
After chatting for a while, Miaozhen left her enemy's house and went to pay a visit to the Ren family. The Ren family was Xiao Jingshi's maternal family. If she went to Hangzhou and didn't visit the Ren family, they would definitely say that she was not polite enough.
Zhengge'er was too young to stay awake any longer and began to doze off in the carriage. Miaozhen hugged him and said to Fujie'er, "Let's sit for a while and then go home. If there's even the slightest mistake among relatives, they'll find fault. It's not like with outsiders, where you only see them a few times, whether they're good or bad."
"Your daughter knows." Sister Fu felt deeply that she had learned a lot from this trip.
Sometimes, seeing a doctor is not just about treating a disease; it also involves a lot of interpersonal relationships and social interactions, including maintaining appropriate boundaries.
Upon arriving at the Ren family home, Aunt Ren was overjoyed. Knowing that Miaozhen was still receiving treatment at the Qi family home and had to hurry back, she said she would host a banquet for her the next day. Miaozhen replied, "Aunt, please don't rush. I've only come to visit you today. I will come to see you properly after I finish treating the wife of Vice Minister Qi."
It was Miaozhen who cured Ren's old illness, and she had a very good impression of Miaozhen. When she heard that Xiao Jinghu's wife, Zou, had passed away and that his son was now being cared for by Miaozhen, she said, "It's all thanks to your kind hearts that you are willing to stand up for her."
"This is not my achievement, but my aunt's decision. Jing Shi and I thought we could help out in a small way, which would be a way of repaying my aunt's high regard." Miao Zhen thought that in a few years, Ting Ge'er and Zhao Ge'er could study at the academy even if they didn't study at the Chao family school.
When Madam Ren spoke of Madam Zou, she missed her dearly. Miaozhen comforted her for a while, and then brought up the matter of Xiao Ting, who had come along, looking for a wife. Madam Ren immediately put aside her sadness and became enthusiastic.
It seems that most of the older women are very enthusiastic about matchmaking and arranging marriages.
Seeing that Madam Ren was interested, and seeing that Xiao Ting was indeed a handsome man, she thought even more of the girl she knew.
While Ren was considering other matters, Miaozhen took her leave, promising to come back when she left.
After returning to the Qi family home, Madam Wang personally delivered the meal. Miaozhen hurriedly said, "How could I trouble you to deliver it personally?"
"My lady, you're too kind. It's only right that you traveled through wind and rain to see me." After taking the He Shou Wu pills, Madam Wang felt much better than before.
Miaozhen laughed and said, "Today I went out to see my teacher and my husband's aunt. If I don't pay my respects to these people, they will definitely say that I am not polite enough."
Madam Wang quickly replied, "I didn't mean anything by it; you should do this. I just wanted to take your youngest son to meet my husband tomorrow..."
That's certainly good, and Miaozhen agreed.
Zheng Ge'er was originally taught to read by Miao Zhen, and then Xiao Jingshi taught him his first lessons. He studied for more than a year. He was born at full term, unlike his brother who was a twin. He was healthy and resilient.
Qi Jiguang examined him and found him to be clever. Since Miaozhen had cured Wang's illness, he took Zhengge'er under his wing, gave him two military books, and earnestly instructed him to focus on his studies first.
I don't know what he said to Zheng Ge'er, but when Zheng Ge'er came back, he obediently went to read, and even said that he should study hard.
“That’s good. I’ve arranged for you to become Qi Qianshi’s apprentice, but a master can only guide you through the door; the rest is up to you. You still need to study hard,” Miaozhen said with a smile.
With her son successfully becoming an apprentice, Miaozhen breathed a sigh of relief. For several days in a row, Qi Jiguang would take time to teach Zhengge'er martial arts and reading whenever he returned from outside. Miaozhen also took great care of Wang's health.
She also taught the maidservant by Wang's side how to perform moxibustion, saying, "You need to perform moxibustion three to four times within ten days, and it will take at least two years. When I'm not here in the future, you can help your mistress with moxibustion."
Wang asked in surprise, "Why does it take so long to apply moxibustion?"
“Your losses are not the result of a single day, so the same applies to your treatment. I have written down these acupoints on paper. If your maids cannot help, you can call over a few old women who know moxibustion.” Miaozhen also regretted that if Wang Shi lived nearby, she could have continued to help with the treatment.
Madam Wang sighed: "I've remembered everything you said."
As the two were talking, they heard outside that Japanese pirates were attacking. At this time, Qi Jiguang was not there, and the city was mostly inhabited by the elderly, women and children.
Chaos erupted in the house. Miaozhen summoned Fu'er and Zheng'er to her room. Zheng'er was still young and unaware of the cruelty of the Japanese pirates, but Fu'er was terrified and turned pale. "Mother, what should we do?"
"Don't panic. When we left home, I asked you to bring some itching powder made from peach fuzz and two packets of poison powder." Although Miaozhen was also a little flustered, she thought that this was not the time to rush.
Seeing her mother remain calm, Fu Jie'er also calmed down.
Little did he know that Xiao Jingshi had already heard the news, and he couldn't help but worry to himself at home: "If he really was killed by the Japanese pirates, what will become of him?"
However, officials of the Ming Dynasty could not easily leave their provinces without a transfer order.
"What should we do?" Xiao Jingshi was also somewhat stunned.
Xiao Bin then suggested, "Fourth Uncle, why don't I go to Zhejiang and bring back Aunt?"
Xiao Jingshi thought for a moment and said, "There's no need for that. Your wife is pregnant, and I have other things to entrust to you. Your fourth aunt is in the Qi family, so she should be fine. I'm just afraid that something might go wrong and you might end up being captured by the Japanese pirates."
"If you had known this would happen, you would have been better off not letting your aunt go," Xiao Bin said.
Xiao Jingshi shook his head: "It's safest to say it's at home. I trust your aunt; she must have her reasons for deciding to go out. The Qi family will definitely protect her safety..."
He had already made up his mind that in two days, he would pretend to be sick and go to Zhejiang to pick up Miaozhen.
Seeing Xiao Jingshi's words, Xiao Bin had no choice but to step back.
Back home, Lin was preparing a meal when she heard about the siege of Zhejiang by Japanese pirates. She sighed, "I hope my aunt is safe."
"I see that Fourth Uncle has plans, so I won't say anything." Seeing that his wife also looked worried, Xiao Bin changed the subject: "By the way, I heard that your Lin family broke off the engagement with the Marquis of Yunjian? Is Miss Lin planning to remarry or what?"
Mentioning this Lin family member caused some displeasure. Marquis Yunjian was impeached by Xiao Jingshi. Lin Shan was deeply in love with the heir of Marquis Yunjian. Now that Marquis Yunjian has been exiled to Lingnan and the marriage has been called off, Lin Shan had already attempted suicide once but was saved.
The Lin family naturally planned for their daughter to remarry, but Lin Shan's current state was very worrying.
Therefore, Madam Lin said, "I will definitely remarry. It would not be good for the Lin family if I were to seek death for the sake of the Marquis of Yunjian's heir at this time."
"That's good. Although the Lin family has dissolved the engagement, it wouldn't be good if they were labeled with any accusations." In a large family, everyone prospers or suffers together. Look at Fourth Aunt's father; he now has Fourth Uncle as a good son-in-law and has been recommended as the county magistrate.
Yes, after serving as the magistrate of Suzhou Prefecture for two years, Xu Erpeng was recommended to be the magistrate of Pengze County because of his outstanding work ability. He was about to go to Jiangxi to take up his post.
The county magistrate was a seventh-rank official, which was a huge leap for him, given his background as a student of the Imperial Academy.
Although Xu Erpeng felt this was recognition of his abilities, he also felt the matter was too complicated, so he said to his wife, Mei, "I want to come home after my term there is over. It's too much trouble."
Mei disagreed: "Isn't being an official good? Besides, you are very talented, you should be an official."
"That's not how it works. While I do have some talent, it's true that I only became the Suzhou Prefectural Administrator thanks to my son-in-law. Because I'm selfless, I'm not seeking promotion; I only aim to get things done well. Therefore, I don't have as many concerns as people in officialdom. But if I were to actually enter officialdom, I would pale in comparison. Don't think those officials are incompetent; it's because in officialdom, the more you do, the more mistakes you make, and the less you do, the fewer mistakes you make. Someone like me, not a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations), without the support of fellow graduates, without a mentor, and even with many family matters to attend to, no one will care about me if I don't become an official. If I were to compete with others for anything, my ancestors for eighteen generations would be dragged up. I should just quit while I'm ahead." Xu Erpeng had already decided that once he settled his second son's marriage during his tenure in Pengze, he would truly retire.
Sometimes a person is very capable, but being capable does not mean being good at being an official.
Seeing her husband's reaction, Madam Mei had no choice but to ask, "Is the bookstore really being run by Shop Assistant Li?"
“Our son isn’t cut out for it, so I might as well hand him over to Li and let him follow the old ways. It’s just that I can’t keep an eye on Zhao Ge’er much; he’ll have to rely on himself,” Xu Erpeng said.
Just as Xu Erpeng was taking up his post in Pengze, Miaozhen saw that Wang Shi had made a decision in no time, ordering all the men, women, and children in the city to change into the uniforms of Qi Jiguang's army, thus staging an empty city ruse.
Miaozhen immediately had all the people she brought change into the uniforms of the Qi Family Army, and they all went to the vicinity of the city gate. There were drums beating and horses neighing nearby, as if there were thousands of troops.
Inspired by this sentiment, Miaozhen and her children also chanted the slogan "We will win!"
Fu Jie'er couldn't help but ask, "Mother, has Lord Qi returned?"
"No, if I'm not mistaken, it must be that Lady Qi had people bring horses to run around continuously, and then used drums to create a grand spectacle," Miaozhen guessed.
They stood on the city wall, the people standing densely packed together. The leader, Wang, had piercing eyes and seemed to have victory in her grasp. When the Japanese pirates saw this, they actually thought that the main force of Qi Jiguang's army had arrived. They dared not take any risks and immediately retreated in fear.
Wang stood on the city wall the whole time, and even after the people retreated, she stood there majestically.
Miaozhen used to think she was brave, but after meeting Wang today, she realized what it meant for a woman to be just as capable as a man. Qi Jiguang was a respectable man, but his wife was also admirable.
...
On the Qiantang River, a small boat set off amidst the mist. Miaozhen and the others were on this boat, escorted by Wang Shi with her personal guards. Perhaps it was because they had defended the city together that day that their bond had deepened.
When they arrived in Fuzhou, they were all a little reluctant to leave.
Xiao Jingshi was already waiting on the shore. Miaozhen was also eager to return home when she saw her husband. Seeing this, Wang smiled and bowed, saying, "Sister Xu, I said I would keep you safe, and I have done so."
Miaozhen returned the greeting: "Come back for a follow-up appointment next year, and we'll meet again when the flowers are in bloom!"
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