Chen Ji silently watched the assassin die, the light gradually fading from his eyes.
The moment you met the eyes of the dead, pity naturally welled up in your heart. In those dying eyes were regret, despair, and reluctance to let go.
Chen Ji sat with his back against the wall, feeling that the night had been unusually long. Only a few hours had passed since Dark Cloud beat up the white cat, yet he felt as though he had lived through an entire late autumn.
He got up and walked over to the assassin's corpse, searching his clothes, but found no clues.
Finally, he lowered his head and sniffed the dead man's clothes. Suddenly, he frowned. "Let's go home."
Chen Ji picked up Dark Cloud and set off toward Taiping Medical Hall with a limp. The places where the assassin had struck him still ached faintly.
Dark Cloud climbed onto his shoulder and curled up there, perfectly steady, as though that was where he belonged.
The man and cat ambled into the faint light of dawn. Chen Ji said, "By the time we reach the medical hall, the breakfast shops should be open. I'll buy you some buns."
Dark Cloud immediately perked up. "You asked Cloud Goat for eight copper coins just now so you could buy me buns?!"
"Yeah."
"Chen Ji, you're a pretty good person."
"Of course I am."
"Chen Ji, I hope you make a fortune someday!"
"Once I get stronger through cultivation, I won't have to put up with Cloud Goat and Bright Rabbit's crap anymore! When that happens, I'll kill anyone who stands in my way, even a Buddha... Buddha, bless me!"
"Will you get back at Cloud Goat and Bright Rabbit someday?"
Chen Ji thought for a moment. "Yes."
"Hehehe."
"Hehehe."
By the time they returned to the medical hall, the rooster had already crowed, but Liu Quxing and She Dengke were still asleep.
After eating two buns, Dark Cloud returned to Evening Star Court. Chen Ji stood in the courtyard, stripped off all his clothes, and used a gourd dipper to pour scoop after scoop of cold water from the water jar over his head and body. He only stopped once the blood had washed away and his skin had turned red all over.
He put on the torn clothes he had yet to mend and sat in a daze on the little chair beside the apricot tree.
In just a few days, he had killed three people: Wang Long, the steward, and the assassin.
Even someone with the firmest resolve would feel a little lost, let alone Chen Ji, who was only seventeen.
The sound of a door opening outside interrupted Chen Ji's thoughts.
He dried himself, threw on his clothes, and went out, only to see Old Yao strolling in with a medicine chest slung over one shoulder.
Old Yao looked up at him. In an instant, Chen Ji's body stiffened and his heart skipped a beat, as though a fierce tiger had fixed its gaze on him!
Strange. Why do I feel this way?
Before Chen Ji could react, She Dengke leaned halfway out of the apprentices' room and asked curiously, "Master, why are you back so soon?"
"What, you don't want me back?" Old Yao shot him a sideways glance.
She Dengke hurriedly said, "No, no! I was just curious!"
As they spoke, Liu Quxing came out of the room, fastening his belt as he chided Chen Ji and She Dengke. "Honestly, you two! Can't you see Master's still carrying his medicine chest? You don't even know to take it from him first!"
Chen Ji: "..."
She Dengke: "..."
Liu Quxing took the medicine chest and asked curiously, "Master, was the Liu Family's old master cured? You said you'd be gone for ten days or half a month, but you came back after just one day."
Old Yao said irritably, "That old fellow from the Liu Family is already dead. If I didn't come back, was I supposed to stay there and guide his soul to the afterlife? I don't even know how!"
Chen Ji said in surprise, "Huh? Old Master Liu died? Even you couldn't save him, Master?"
"What do you mean, I couldn't save him?" Old Yao said. "That fellow Liu lived at an estate outside Luo City. The carriage I was riding in broke down halfway there, and it took more than half a day just to fix it. By the time I reached the Liu Family estate, he was already dead. I didn't even get to see him. Damn my luck! Anyone who doesn't know what happened will think my medical skills weren't good enough!"
Huh?
Chen Ji was startled. Wasn't it a little too much of a coincidence that the carriage broke down?
It was a carriage fit for an official of the second rank. How could it just break down like that?
At that moment, Liu Quxing said, "You must not have reached the Liu Family estate until last night, then?"
"Mm." Old Yao nodded.
"And they sent you straight back through the night? Weren't they afraid the exhaustion might do you some harm?"
Old Yao sneered. "What would I stay there for? If I'd stayed a few more days, I'd have had to contribute funeral money... I'm going to rest for a while. When I wake up, I'll count the stock and check the accounts. If anyone's carelessness has cost me money, they can expect a beating!"
This is bad! Chen Ji cried inwardly. He still hadn't bought the ginseng!
Before the sky had fully brightened, the maids of Flying Cloud Court were already busy.
They heated water in a side room, then pattered up to the second floor of the enclosed building, carrying bronze basins with snow-white towels draped over their rims.
Consort Yun rose and sat down to dress with Xibing's help. She said lazily, "The weather's turning cold. Have Xitang bring the account books this morning. It's time to distribute firewood and charcoal to the various rooms. Send someone to the East Market to ask the Water Transport Gang whether the silver-thread charcoal from West Mountain Kiln has arrived. If it has, buy a batch for us to use. Pick out the best for Bai Li's quarters. She and the heir should be back from Eastern Grove Academy soon."
Xibing smiled as she combed her hair. "You're right, my lady. That silver-thread charcoal leaves ash like white frost, doesn't go out easily, and gives off no smoke."
"Oh, where's White Prajna?" Consort Yun frowned. "I haven't seen her all morning."
"Perhaps she slipped out to play on her own?"
As they spoke, White Prajna limped up the stairs. Her once-white fur was covered in blood, and her face was swollen in several places, as though it had been beaten crooked. Her eyes brimmed with tears.
Consort Yun: "..."
Xibing: "..."
Clang! The bronze mirror was flung onto the wooden floor.
After a long while, Consort Yun smiled. "Sister Jing has grown bold."
Xibing said softly, "Please calm down, my lady."
Consort Yun looked at White Prajna and thought for a moment. "Take her to Taiping Medical Hall and have a physician look at her. Have that apprentice named Chen Ji examine her. The clothes I promised to reward the young apprentice with should be ready. Ask Xitang, and if they are, take them along. Don't neglect him. I have a use for him in the future."
"Yes," Xibing replied softly.
That morning, Xibing carried White Prajna to the medical hall, accompanied by a little maid of twelve or thirteen. As soon as they reached the entrance, Liu Quxing came out to greet them with a smile. "Miss Xibing, what brings you to the medical hall today?"
"For a consultation," Xibing said, rising on tiptoe to look toward the rear courtyard. "Where's Chen Ji? Tell him to come out and see the patient."
Liu Quxing's face fell. He called loudly toward the rear courtyard, "Chen Ji, Chen Ji! Miss Xibing is looking for you!"
Then he eyed the clothes in the little maid's arms. "Miss Xibing, what are those?"
"These are my lady's reward for Chen Ji." Xibing smiled and stroked the fabric. "They were all made by hand by the embroiderers at the Jiangnan Clothing Bureau. Look at these stitches. They're so fine and close together."
Liu Quxing's face turned bitter. Hadn't Master said that being called to the prince's residence to treat a patient was a sign of great misfortune? Master was playing favorites!
Just then, Chen Ji came over, wiping the water from his hands on his sleeve. He asked curiously, "Miss Xibing, what brings you..."
Xibing said, "I don't know which villain did it, but someone injured my lady's cat. She hasn't touched a drop of water since this morning, and she's been listless, so my lady sent me to bring her here for a look."
Chen Ji was in a difficult position. "Master only went to sleep a little while ago. How about waiting until he wakes up?"
Xibing shook her head. "My lady specifically asked you to treat White Prajna. There's no need for your master. Here, those are the clothes my lady promised to reward you with, and there's also a consultation fee for you."
The little maid took a small silver ingot from her sleeve, weighing about one tael.
Apprentices at the medical hall weren't entitled to collect consultation fees, and Imperial Physician Yao charged only five taels of silver for a visit. Consort Yun was spending so lavishly just to treat a cat that her intention to recruit Chen Ji was plain for all to see.
But once he accepted the money, he would have to choose a side between Consort Yun and Consort Jing.
After some thought, Chen Ji said, "I'll take White Prajna's pulse first."
Xibing was taken aback. "Can you take a cat's pulse too?"
Chen Ji fell silent for a moment. "...Yes."
Probably?
After a long while, Chen Ji said hesitantly, "Miss Xibing, White Prajna's external injuries will be easy to treat, but if she's to recover faster, I'm afraid she'll need something to replenish her Qi and blood. I'll write her a prescription."
While Chen Ji was writing the prescription, Old Yao pushed open the door of the main house and came out. With his hands behind his back, he surveyed the rear courtyard. There wasn't a single fallen leaf on the ground.
He went to look around the kitchen as well, only to find that even it was spotless.
In the past, the young apprentices had cut corners whenever they could while cleaning. Sometimes they couldn't even be bothered to wipe the stove clean. But today was different. It was so clean that it looked like a different place.
Not only that, the water jar in the courtyard had also been filled.
Old Yao curled his lip and headed for the main hall. "Uncalled-for attentiveness means someone's up to no good!"
When he entered the medical hall's main hall, Chen Ji had just pressed the wrapped medicinal herbs into the little maid's hands and seen Xibing off.
Chen Ji turned around to see Old Yao scowling. "Didn't I forbid you from treating patients? I, Yao Qimen, may love money, but I would never treat human life like grass. Until you finish your apprenticeships, you must show me any prescription you write for a patient!"
Chen Ji hurriedly said, "Master, I wasn't treating a person. I was treating the external injuries of Consort Yun's cat."
Old Yao raised his eyebrows. "That white cat got beaten up?"
"I think so..."
Old Yao held out his hand. "Let me see the prescription you wrote."
Chen Ji handed it over and said hesitantly, "It's just herbs like cnidium seed to stop the bleeding and clear the bruising... I also prescribed a little medicine to strengthen her body."
Old Yao took the prescription, his frown deepening the more he read.
After a long while, he looked up at Chen Ji, astonishment on his face. "You prescribed that cat a fifty-year-old ginseng root?!"
"Yep."
"And they actually agreed to put it on their account?"
"Yep."
Old Yao drew a long breath and said admiringly, "You really are a damn genius at business... If Consort Yun needs me to visit and treat a patient in the future, come with me."
Chen Ji said, "Huh?"
As though recalling something, Old Yao said, "Oh, right. I saw your father on the road yesterday. He must have just returned from the river embankment for his days off. Take tomorrow off too, and go home and ask for your apprenticeship fee and medicine money."
Chen Ji froze. Father?