Chapter 253: Changes
The news that the prospective son-in-law of the Wang family’s eldest daughter, that is, the newly selected Third Scholar, had married in the countryside spread like wildfire.
As soon as this news came out, the Wang family immediately summoned Xiao Yanci over for questioning.
Xiao Yanci thought that this kind of matter couldn’t be concealed just by wanting to hide it. Not to mention having Zhou Wangshu there being an eyesore, there were also many from the same cohort still in the capital city waiting for their official appointments, and those people knew his background very well. Therefore, in this situation, rather than racking his brains to erase those traces, it was better to keep the initiative in his own hands.
Heavy rain poured down. Wang Ruyan stood by the window, looking at the man kneeling in the rain, a touched expression flashing in her eyes.
“Miss, Young Master Xiao has been kneeling for two hours already.” The maidservant said from the side, “If he continues like this, he definitely won’t hold out.”
Wang Ruyan looked at Xiao Yanci opposite her with a complicated expression and said softly: “Father is very angry and is already arranging new marriage prospects for me.”
“But Young Master Xiao’s true heart for Miss is something other young masters cannot give. This servant inquired and found out that the matter with Young Master Xiao’s original wife is quite complicated.”
“How so?” Wang Ruyan asked.
“Young Master Xiao married his original wife to repay a kindness. That original wife is a village girl who doesn’t match Young Master Xiao at all. Young Master Xiao was busy with his studies and couldn’t accompany her, so she cuckolded him by finding lovers outside, and Young Master Xiao caught her in the act. Young Master Xiao immediately wrote a divorce letter and divorced that original wife. This servant thinks Young Master Xiao’s biggest problem is just his bad luck, encountering such a flirtatious woman. That original wife clearly picked up a treasure but didn’t know to cherish it, and in the end got that result.”
“You’re always speaking up for him today. Could it be you’ve received some benefit from him?” Wang Ruyan turned to look at her personal maidservant.
The maidservant said aggrievedly: “My eldest miss, this servant grew up with you and is the person closest to you. Haven’t I received plenty of rewards from Miss usually? He’s a poor scholar with no money at home—what few coins he has couldn’t buy this servant’s loyalty to Miss. This servant just sees that he is somewhat true-hearted toward Miss, so I couldn’t help saying a few fair words.”
“Alright, go make arrangements to have him stop kneeling. Instead of kneeling here, he might as well think hard about how to win over my father. Also, prepare clean clothes and hot water for him, let him rest first, and we’ll talk after he’s rested. I’ll listen to everything Father says—if he can change Father’s mind, I’ll marry him.” Wang Ruyan said, her cheeks flushing red.
The maidservant held an umbrella and walked into the rain.
She stopped in front of Xiao Yanci, squatted down, and said to him: “Young Master Xiao, our Miss said kneeling here is useless. Instead of thinking about how to kneel here and beg Miss’s forgiveness, you might as well think of a way to make the Prime Minister change his mind. But for now, go take a hot bath first, change out of these clothes, and rest well. We’ll talk after you’ve rested.”
Peach Blossom Workshop. Zhou Wangshu hugged Su Yaoguang from behind, and she pushed at him with a look of disgust: “Aren’t you going to take up your post yet?”
“In three days I have to start duty.” Zhou Wangshu said, “For these three days, just keep me company properly. When I start duty, you can slowly do your business then, alright?”
Su Yaoguang looked at the sky outside and said: “This rain came down suddenly; there should be many customers in the front yard who didn’t bring umbrellas. I’ll go make arrangements.”
Zhou Wangshu lay on the soft chair, sighing like a resentful husband.
Now Zhou Wangshu was the newly appointed Top Scholar and a freshly appointed official in the Ministry of Personnel. Before, he would still be Su Yaoguang’s little tail, helping her manage the business. Now that everyone knew his identity, no one dared accept his service. Therefore, in situations like this, he could only wait for her in Su Yaoguang’s study. If he went to the front yard, the atmosphere would immediately become awkward.
As for why Su Yaoguang this eldest daughter and Zhang Zhaodi this general’s wife could still interact normally with customers as before, it was because the two of them had always been without airs and treated customers like friends. Now that their identities had changed, the customers were unaccustomed at first but soon became even more attentive and flattering, wanting to maintain good relations.
Zhou Wangshu was nearly asleep on the sofa when suddenly someone covered him with a quilt.
He opened his eyes and saw Su Yaoguang walking away from beside him.
Zhou Wangshu hugged her waist and nuzzled into her embrace: “Keep me company, okay? It’s raining so hard, and there are no other customers; they can manage.”
“Alright, I’ll keep you company.” Su Yaoguang noticed Zhou Wangshu’s emotions were off today. “Do you have something on your mind? Are you in a bad mood?”
“No.”
How could he be in a bad mood?
The trap he had set before was already starting to work; he should be happy about it.
That Blood-Sweating Horse he had given away earlier was said to have been spotted today by the spoiled and willful Heir of the Duke of Zhenguo, who forcibly took it.
The Heir of the Duke of Zhenguo was the family’s only child, doted on endlessly, and was a famous little tyrant in the capital city. His sister was the current Empress. Therefore, there were many dandies in the capital city, but compared to him, those dandies were just little brothers.
The Heir of the Duke of Zhenguo snatched the Blood-Sweating Horse from Xia Zhen’s hands, but that Blood-Sweating Horse actually kicked that heir, breaking his leg on the spot. Once this happened, Xia Zhen, that fearless dandy, was so scared he wet himself. At this moment, the two families should be at each other’s throats.
The Heir of the Duke of Zhenguo was an only child, and Xia Zhen was also an only child to that ungrateful man; now neither side would yield.
The Heir of the Duke of Zhenguo’s leg was injured; if it could be cured, that would be best, but if not, Marquis Cheng’an’s Mansion would have to send more men to protect this Young Master, or else the next one to break an arm or leg would be him.
Su Yaoguang keenly noticed the change in Zhou Wangshu’s emotions.
“It’s raining today, so other things aren’t easy to do. Let’s drink tea in the tea room and grill some things to eat.”
Zhou Wangshu just needed someone to keep him company; it didn’t have to be anything specific—even doing nothing and just being with him would do.
Su Yaoguang was turning the grilled fruit on the stove when suddenly a heavy weight pressed on her arm. Looking back, she saw Zhou Wangshu leaning against her, asleep.
Jia Chunni walked in from outside, shaking the umbrella in her hand. Seeing Zhou Wangshu asleep, she lowered her voice and said: “Someone has asked for Jiang Jing to make a house call.”
“Doesn’t Jing’er often make house calls?”
“This time is different.” Jia Chunni said, “This time the one asking for Jiang Jing to make a house call is Duke Zhenguo’s Mansion. After Jiang Jing left, I vaguely heard someone talking about the Heir of the Duke of Zhenguo’s leg being kicked and broken by a horse. Yaoguang sister, if it’s true, won’t Jing’er be in danger? I heard that those rich nobles casually chop off heads. If she doesn’t cure the other’s leg, won’t Jiang Jing be in danger?”
“Send someone to keep watch on Duke Zhenguo’s Mansion.” Su Yaoguang said, “Later, if we see Jing’er come out, we won’t have anything to worry about. If Jing’er doesn’t come out, we’ll go to their door to find her. I left her a token from General’s Mansion. If nothing else, with that token, Duke Zhenguo’s Mansion shouldn’t dare do anything to her.”
“Cousin is right; nothing has happened yet, so we can’t panic at rumors and disrupt our own plans. Then I’ll send someone out to inquire about the news. If it’s nothing, all’s well; if there is something, I’ll come find you right away, then go find Uncle-in-law to go to Duke Zhenguo’s Mansion and demand her back.”
“Good.”
Lately, Zhang Zhaodi had been inseparable from her husband; even when Su Rende went to the military camp to train troops, Zhang Zhaodi followed.
All of Su Rende’s friends and brothers by his side had met Zhang Zhaodi, and they knew her fiery temperament, so they didn’t dare neglect her.
Su Yaoguang had never known that parents could be so clingy, as if making up for all the intimacy and affection from the previous dozen years.
“Yaoguang, it’s fine; Jing’er is back.” Jia Chunni rushed to the backyard and told Su Yaoguang this good news.
Su Yaoguang was mixing skincare cream nearby. Hearing Jia Chunni’s words, she said: “Where’s Jing’er? Has she eaten?”
“As soon as she came back, she went into her own pharmacy. I originally wanted to ask about that Heir of the Duke of Zhenguo’s situation, but seeing her like this, I couldn’t ask.”
“Have the kitchen send some meal over to me; I’ll take it to Jing’er.” Su Yaoguang said.
“Sure.”
The shop assistant brought the meal to Su Yaoguang. Su Yaoguang carried the basket and headed to Jiang Jing’s pharmacy.
She pushed the door open and saw Jiang Jing pressing on the leg of a rabbit in a cage; the rabbit, startled, made strange noises.
“Jing’er, eat something first.” Su Yaoguang called to her.
Hearing Su Yaoguang’s voice, Jiang Jing put down what was in her hands and walked over briskly: “Yaoguang sister, why are you here?”
“I heard you were called to Duke Zhenguo’s Mansion for a consultation. You weren’t bullied, were you?”
Jiang Jing pulled out the token from General’s Mansion from her bosom: “I deliberately hung it at my waist for them to see; they didn’t dare trouble me. The other doctors couldn’t diagnose that Young Master’s leg properly—one by one they took the reward silver, and each still had to be beaten with twenty heavy strokes.”
“It seems that Young Master’s leg is hard to treat.”
“It’s not just hard to treat; it’s extremely hard to treat. The other doctors have already made the worst plans. Either their medical skills truly aren’t up to it, or they don’t dare take the risk. I’m different; there’s a prescription in my mind that’s useful for his condition, but it needs time to gather the medicinal herbs. I’ll have someone buy the herbs soon. Once I make that bone-continuing paste, that Young Master will have some chance of standing again.”
At dinner, Jiang Jing talked about what happened today at Duke Zhenguo’s Mansion, then proposed that she would do her utmost to save this heir, so that Duke Zhenguo’s Mansion would owe them a favor.
Hearing that Jiang Jing wanted to treat the Heir of the Duke of Zhenguo, Zhou Wangshu said indifferently: “Don’t treat him.”
Jiang Jing didn’t understand: “Why, brother-in-law?”
“This Heir of the Duke of Zhenguo is no good person.” Zhou Wangshu said indifferently, “He is the head of all noble dandies. For such a person to never get out of bed again would be a good thing for others.”
“I’m a doctor. If I have a way to save a patient but ignore it because of the patient’s bad reputation, I’m afraid such a doctor wouldn’t convince anyone. I still decide to save him. If he’s truly a bad person, heaven will take him; this doctor won’t take his life. The most important point is that Duke Zhenguo’s Mansion summoned many doctors—I saw over a dozen, and there were many more I didn’t see. If that heir of Duke Zhenguo’s Mansion’s leg can’t be cured, those ordinary doctors’ lives probably won’t be spared.”
“In that case, Jing’er really must treat him. Those nobles are detestable, but ordinary people are innocent. Those doctors are all civilian doctors; with a flick of the Duke of Zhenguo’s finger, he could destroy their families, so she can only go all out to save him.”
Jiang Jing nodded: “There’s another reason: I want to test the drug. That prescription is in my mind, but while I remember it, I haven’t personally tested it. Now there’s a living case right in front of me, so of course I have to use this patient to properly study the prescription’s effects, so that in the future if I encounter other patients, I can timely adjust the prescription.”
Zhou Wangshu said no more.
Duke Zhenguo’s Mansion was detestable, that heir was detestable, but as they said, ordinary people were innocent.
Besides, curing that Heir of the Duke of Zhenguo wouldn’t be bad either—once he was better, he could make Xia Zhen wish he were dead.
Xia Zhen was usually so arrogant; now arranging someone even more arrogant to play with him—who knew if he was scared to tears by now.
“There was another good show in the city just now.” Zhang Yingdi came back from outside, shook the water off her umbrella, and said, “That Marquis of Cheng’an took his good son to Duke Zhenguo’s Mansion to apologize, saying the reason Duke Zhenguo’s heir broke his leg was because he robbed the Blood-Sweating Horse from Marquis Cheng’an’s Mansion’s heir. Logically, since the Heir of the Duke of Zhenguo personally went to rob someone else’s horse and was bitten back by the horse, that’s his problem. But now the injured one is Duke Zhenguo’s heir, so Marquis Cheng’an’s Mansion became the one apologizing obsequiously.”
“Wasn’t it raining outside? Marquis of Cheng’an took his son to apologize, Duke Zhenguo wasn’t willing to forgive, so Marquis of Cheng’an picked up a stone from the ground and smashed it toward Marquis Cheng’an’s heir’s leg. At that scene, even the Duke of Zhenguo was startled, and in the end had to separate the father and son, help Marquis of Cheng’an up, and only say to wait until their family heir woke up.”
“What I care about more is that Blood-Sweating Horse.” Jia Chunni asked from the side, “The storytellers say Blood-Sweating Horses are very precious. The whole thing happened because of this horse—does that mean both the Marquis Manor and the Duke’s Mansion will take it out on the horse? But this horse was forcibly robbed for no reason; it’s the most innocent.”
“No need to worry.” Zhang Yingdi said, “According to what today’s customers said, that Blood-Sweating Horse was very clever; after kicking that Duke’s heir, it broke free of the reins and ran off, and after that, no one knows where it went. In short, the Marquis Manor and Duke’s Mansion are indeed looking for that horse, but so far no one has found it.”
“That’s good.”
Su Yaoguang remembered the Blood-Sweating Horse Zhou Wangshu had mentioned before.
This was too much of a coincidence.
“Wangshu, this horse…” Su Yaoguang looked toward Zhou Wangshu beside her.
Zhou Wangshu didn’t hide it from her and admitted: “It’s the one I gave away.”
“Then…” Su Yaoguang said, “Marquis Cheng’an’s Mansion’s people won’t come looking for trouble with you, will they? With that barbaric person’s way of doing things, this is something he would do.”
