Chapter 192: Ants Tossing at a Tree

In the small room about twenty feet square, only an oil lamp was lit. Its wick was already almost gone, and when a gust of wind blew in suddenly, the flame flickered wildly, nearly going out. Yet the two people inside paid no attention to the lamp on the verge of extinction, their eyes fixed on the door. When they recognized the visitor, Shi Quan’s expression tightened slightly, and his fist hidden in his sleeve clenched involuntarily. He deeply regretted speaking so hastily earlier, forgetting that the outer door was still open.

Dr. Feng sneered, “Who are you? I don’t recall inviting any guests to eavesdrop today!”
“Please forgive me, Dr. Feng. I came seeking medical treatment, but seeing no one outside, I boldly entered,” Zhang Yue said, bowing deeply before standing up again. “Your arguments inside were so loud that I didn’t need to eavesdrop—the sound reached my ears anyway. I never expected to meet Chief Physician Shi here. It seems my visit was indeed fortunate.”

Having spent some time with Zhang Yue, Shi Quan knew he was a man of discretion. Moreover, he had once treated Zhang Fu with great care. After his initial regret, he was relieved it was Zhang Yue who came instead of someone else. He asked, “Is the third young master here for treatment?”
“One of my maids suddenly developed a high fever last night. The doctors in the county said it might be typhoid, but she also suffers from long-term liver and heart yin deficiency and emotional distress. If not for her restraint in diet, her condition could have worsened. They said there are many renowned doctors in Qingzhou Prefecture, so I rushed here right away.”

Seeing Dr. Feng remain indifferent even after hearing his description of the illness, and upon hearing mention of medicinal pills, Zhang Yue feared the doctor might misuse them instead of treating the illness properly. So he turned to Shi Quan and said, “Chief Physician Shi, I know you’re here to treat the King of Han, but since I happened to meet you, it’s my good fortune. I beg you to help treat her.”

Out of consideration for Zhang Yue and wanting to cover up what had just happened, Shi Quan readily agreed, “Very well. Third young master, please bring the patient in. I’ll take her pulse first.”

Delighted at this, Zhang Yue didn’t even wait to give orders to Peng Shisan when a cold voice came from beside them, “This is my Feng’s Medical Clinic, not your Chief Physician Shi’s imperial hospital! If you want treatment, go outside. Don’t occupy my place and cause trouble!”

Not to mention Zhang Yue’s furious anger, even Shi Quan’s face turned ashen in an instant. He glared angrily at Dr. Feng before nodding at Zhang Yue: “My medical kit is stored in an inn not far from here. This place is indeed unsuitable for treating patients. Third Young Master, why not come with me? Even if I’m unable to help, the other physicians at the Imperial Medical Academy are in Le’an; we can surely work together.” Seeing that Dr. Feng remained silent and only sneered, Zhang Yue had no hope from him and naturally agreed to Shi Quan’s request. When they stepped out of the inner room, he gave Peng Shisan a subtle signal. After leaving, Zhang Yue got into the carriage; a servant handed the horse to Shi Quan to ride, while Zhang Yue sat next to the driver. Peng Shisan, understanding the situation, deliberately fell far behind and whispered a few words to a servant nearby in the darkness. In the vast night, no one would notice that one person was missing from the group.

Due to the assassination attempt on the King of Han, the Imperial Medical Academy sent six physicians this time, led by the head physician. Most of them were experts in bone setting and treating metal projectiles—truly a formidable team. Since Shi Quan had previously cured Zhang Fu’s illness, even though he wasn’t skilled in treating external injuries, Emperor Yongle still sent him. Before leaving, Zhang Fu entrusted him with a request. Yet he never expected that he wouldn’t be needed by the King of Han, and now he was treating Zhang Yue’s servant.

Seeing Shi Quan’s hand still on Amber’s wrist pulse, Zhang Yue frowned anxiously. Amber was already fully awake, and he feared disturbing her, so he didn’t dare ask directly. After a while, Shi Quan examined her other hand as well, then stood up shortly after, putting away the pulse-taking pillow into his medical kit, with a attendant helping to carry it.

As soon as they reached the outside, Zhang Yue immediately asked, “Sir Shi, how is she?”

“Was she previously in good health and rarely sick? Or was she overly anxious and easily startled? Or did she hardly ever feel tired and was always diligent? Or was she very restrictive about her diet, eating only three meals a day?”

After asking these questions and seeing Zhang Yue nod repeatedly, Shi Quan sighed, “That’s it. While diet control is indeed a way to preserve health, and diligence is also good, it’s excessive at such a young age. It’s remarkable that she’s held on this long. Rather than saying it’s because of her strong foundation from childhood, it’s more because of some determination within her. Though I don’t know what it is, to be honest, if it weren’t for that determination, not even a minor fever, but even a slight cough, could have taken her life.”

Dr. Ming’s diagnosis had already filled Zhang Yue with fear, and Shi Quan’s explanation was even more direct, sending a chill down his spine. How could he have imagined that Amber, who always seemed in good health, was actually in such a condition? Recalling their everyday interactions, he couldn’t help but feel sorrow.

“Is her illness still curable?”

Glancing at Zhang Yue, Shi Quan could see his genuine concern and was somewhat puzzled. It was common for wealthy young masters to favor their servants, but he thought Zhang Yue wasn’t the kind of dissolute man. He hadn’t expected him to be so affected by a maid. Yet, seeing Amber still seem perfect, he assumed Zhang Yue truly cared for her, and after his initial surprise, he felt approval.

“Fortunately, you brought her here early. The first doctor did have some skills, so nothing was wasted. Originally, there was a 30% chance of a cure. If she had strong willpower, that could increase to 60%. If she survived the winter and showed improvement, it might reach 90%. With a year or so of careful care, and since she’s young, proper nurturing could potentially cure it completely.”

Though Shi Quan mentioned various percentages, he ultimately said it was curable, which relieved Zhang Yue greatly. Once the prescription was written, he quickly summoned a servant to go to the pharmacy to fetch the herbs and prepare the medicine. Realizing it was already late, he ordered that all the rooms on that floor of the inn be reserved for his entourage to stay in.

Shi Quan waited anxiously for Zhang Yue to ask about earlier matters, but instead saw him busy here and there—ordering tasks from servants, discussing things with Peng Shisan, and even checking on Amber’s medicine preparation. He didn’t ask Shi Quan a single question. After pacing back and forth in the room for half an hour, unable to bear the fact that he, an older man, couldn’t stay as calm as a young person, he finally sent a servant to call Zhang Yue over. Their conversation lasted until late at night.

That night, the servants and the 20 guards assigned by Zhang Qian, who had been busy all day, fell asleep immediately. But Amber, who had taken the medicine, didn’t sleep well; Qiu Hen, who watched over her, didn’t sleep well; the skilled Shi Quan didn’t sleep well; Peng Shisan, waiting for news from outside, didn’t sleep well; and Zhang Yue, tossing and turning in bed, also didn’t sleep well.

When he got up to wash up at dawn, Zhang Yue glanced at himself in the bronze mirror and saw bloodshot eyes. After wiping his face several times with the icy water left from the basin the night before, he finally felt a bit more alert. Just as he was about to throw away the remaining water, he heard a gentle knock on the door twice. Soon after, it creaked open, and Peng Shisan stepped in.

“Why didn’t you ask Miss Qiuhen to serve you?” Peng Shisan asked in surprise. Seeing Zhang Yue wave his hand, he stopped pressing on such trivial matters and said in a low voice, “We just received news from the capital. The Ministry of Personnel urgently sent a document—another vice governor and two assistant governors in Qingzhou Prefecture have lost their positions. On the other hand, that governor who was previously demoted to Chuzhou submitted a sincere apology letter early on, so he remained unharmed. Lord Du from the Shandong Provincial Administration was reprimanded, and even Zhang Hai, the right vice governor, wasn’t spared. Numerous officials at all levels were demoted. Now, only one vice governor remains in Qingzhou Prefecture…”

Hearing no good news, Zhang Yue grew even more troubled and asked, “Has Beijing learned that the Han King was indeed assassinated?”

“Initially, it was treated as an assassination attempt, but the emperor’s intentions were unclear, so the punishment was mild.” Although Peng Shisan had witnessed Emperor Yongle’s extraordinary martial skills, he had also experienced several terrifying massacres and still felt shaken. “Sir, you’ve really taken on a really tough task here. There are so many complicated aspects—how can we investigate this?”

“Whether it’s the emperor, the Han King, or Eunuch Zhang, what they might want isn’t necessarily the truth, but an explanation.” Zhang Yue smiled bitterly and tossed the towel into the basin. “If it’s the truth, even killing me might not suffice. But if it’s just an explanation, I have no choice but to try. Otherwise, if the Han King starts making a fuss, not only will the entire Qingzhou Prefecture be in trouble, but probably all officials in Shandong Province will fall too. How can I stay safe? This is an order from the emperor—can I refuse?”

“If the Han King was really assassinated, could it have been done by those peasants from the White Lotus Sect?”

“The question is, would it benefit them to do so?” Zhang Yue retorted casually. Seeing Peng Shisan standing there deep in thought, he remembered Amber’s sudden illness this time. Shandong was already in chaos. If there were also possible Qiu family members involved, things would become even more chaotic. In such a situation, could a mere insignificant person like him shake up this mess?

Zhang Yue was by no means the only one upset. Early in the morning, the British residence in Beijing was in a flurry of activity. Lady Wang had been pregnant for ten months, and everyone in the household had been prepared, but things dragged on for half a month. Last night, a slight lapse in attention led to complications. From the middle of the night until now, not only were the servants exhausted, but also the concubines who came to help were numb from standing for so long. Yet, with Zhang Fu standing out in the wind, who among them dared to complain?

In the biting cold wind, Zhang Fu paced back and forth, his concerns not limited to Lady Wang in the delivery room. He had already received Zhang Yue’s urgent letter, read the secret message from the King of Han, and could even recite the few lines from Liu Zhong’s private letter by heart. At this moment, the emperor’s rheumatism flared up severely, preventing him from attending court for several days; otherwise, things might have gotten even worse.

Just then, the main door suddenly opened, and Xi Yu’s head appeared: “Congratulations, sir! Lady Wang has given birth to a healthy daughter—both mother and child are safe!”