Chapter 101: Wealth Without Source Runs Dry
The covered boat drifted with the current.
Xiao Yi felt the body in his arms grow weaker. He looked down to see Li Zhaoning’s eyes tightly shut, as if she had fainted.
“She’s sick?”
He asked, receiving no reply, and murmured, “She really fainted?”
He waved for the Imperial Guard to row their covered boat over and tow it back to shore.
“Where is there a medical hall?”
“To the right, past Jinliang Bridge Street, there’s a Golden Hook Medical Hall… Your subordinate will guide the General.”
“Don’t let it delay you; search for Li Ye.”
Xiao Yi wasn’t interested in the subsequent search. He had received help from Li Ye; not to mention repaying him, he couldn’t possibly snatch all the merit and reward money.
He carried Li Zhaoning in his arms and strode forward. Upon seeing the medicinal banner with the words “Xinglin” (Forest of Peach Blossoms) written on it, he entered. The front room had a counter, the middle room had seats, and behind the examination couch sat an old doctor, with three to five people queuing in front.
Xiao Yi asked, “She’s fainted; can she have emergency treatment?”
He was wearing casual clothes today, but wore a talisman at his waist. The old doctor looked up, his expression showing a lack of dare to be negligent, yet he didn’t stop his work, shouting, “Yuan Niang, see the patient!”
“Coming!”
A middle-aged woman lifted the curtain, glanced, and gestured for Xiao Yi to place the person on the seat behind the curtain.
“Help her to sit up slightly and first feed her some warm water from the pot, to prevent her qi and pulse from stagnating.”
Xiao Yi was not good at taking care of people and didn’t know where to start.
He had originally thought Li Zhaoning’s eyes were her most beautiful feature, but looking closely now at her closed eyes, he saw another kind of beauty, one that was breathtaking.
He fumbled with the water pot for a while and managed to feed her a few drops.
“Clumsy. Step aside.”
Yuan Niang finished her task and came over, lifted Li Zhaoning’s eyelids, and took her pulse.
“Her pulse is weak and shallow, her left guan pulse is deep and stagnant, her right cun pulse is weak and floating. Her repressed qi has accumulated in the liver, and both qi and blood are deficient. Have you been staying up late, eating little, and recently suffered any frights or grievances, or overexerted yourself mentally?”
“Roughly all of that.”
“Qi stagnation and chronic fatigue are attacking her simultaneously. She needs rest and recuperation. First, I’ll prescribe a soup to soothe the liver and nourish qi to clear the stagnation, then a soup to nourish the spleen… Go fetch the medicine.”
With that, a prescription was handed to Xiao Yi. The handwriting was so illegible that barely a few characters could be understood.
The shop assistant behind the counter who fetched the medicine took it and asked, “Does the customer want common medicinal ingredients or high-quality ones?”
“High-quality.”
“How many doses? Three to five doses for emergency, twelve for treating the symptoms, thirty for strengthening the foundation, and sixty doses for a complete cure.”
“Sixty doses.”
The shop assistant moved swiftly, fetching herbs from cabinets labeled Chai Hu, Xiang Fu, Dang Gui, Bai Shao, Dang Shen, etc. He weighed them on a small scale and packed them into small bags.
“The qi-nourishing soup is thirty-nine qian per dose, and the eight-treasure soup is fifty-seven qian, for a total of five thousand seven hundred and sixty qian.”
This was the second time Xiao Yi had bought medicine, and he still clicked his tongue in surprise. He took out all the silver ingots from his pocket.
The shop assistant weighed them on the medicine scale and said respectfully, “Two taels and seven qian. The silver price has risen recently, worth four thousand four hundred and eighty-five qian. Sir, please make up the remaining one thousand two hundred…”
Xiao Yi took out his remaining copper coins, only a few dozen left, and said, “Give me thirty doses first.”
“Then please, Sir, go to the money changer first.”
The old doctor behind the examination couch suddenly spoke, “Fu Ling, give the military officer sixty doses.”
“Grandpa, don’t forget that with the fighting, the prices have tripled or more. Calculated, we’re still losing money.”
“Why so noisy? Fetch the medicine!”
Yuan Niang lifted the curtain and came out, shouting, “Fude Temple will come to collect debts this afternoon. Grandpa, doing business like this, can we really get past the interest rates of those masters!”
“Is it about making money? It’s about this calligraphy in the main hall, ‘Healing the World with a Gourd.’ When my old bones breathe their last, you’ll have days to make money…”
The medical hall became a scene of shouting.
Only then did Xiao Yi realize that temples nowadays lent money at interest; this must be what Li Fang called “rolling in wealth.”
Li Zhaoning was also woken up by the noise. She sat up weakly and met Xiao Yi’s gaze. Many words passed between them without being spoken.
Finally, Xiao Yi went to exchange money and bought thirty doses of medicine at the market price. He had one dose brewed at the medical hall for Li Zhaoning to drink.
His horse was still at Li Tao’s Residence. Thinking it inconvenient for Li Zhaoning to walk back, he went to a stable and rented a carriage. Including the driver, it cost another eighty-eight qian.
Despite its expense, the carriage was not comfortable. It jolted and swayed, causing Li Zhaoning to bump against his chest several times, though thankfully he had a sturdy build.
“May I ask why the doctor’s family is arguing?”
“Oh, it’s because I don’t have money, and they’re arguing whether to give me a discount.”
Xiao Yi didn’t hide his poverty; money was simply for using when one had it and earning when one didn’t. He took it calmly.
Li Zhaoning was first embarrassed, but feeling his indifference, she felt reassured and said softly, “You’ve spent so much…”
“It’s alright. There’s still the reward money from Su Fengji. Once I receive it, I’ll get the rest of the medicine for you.”
“No need… Then, see you later?”
“Alright.”
They arrived at Li Tao’s Residence as dusk was falling.
Li Tao, with his wife, came out to greet them. They exchanged a few pleasantries.
“Xuanwu Gate will be closing soon. I must rush back to the Imperial Guard quarters. I bid you farewell.”
Xiao Yi left in a hurry, only feeling Li Zhaoning’s gaze as he turned his head.
Under the setting sun, he rode back on his horse. The white horse must have eaten well and was quite spirited.
Seeing the horse in such good spirits, Xiao Yi thought that Li Tao’s household must have fed it plenty of good feed, which wouldn’t be cheap.
Just before nightfall, he managed to get back to Xuanwu Gate.
“General, you’re amazing!” Xi Hou hurried over, eager to unload the horse, saying, “You’ve timed it perfectly!”
“This smell of food, is it Hu Bing and roasted lamb again? Is there any left?”
“Yes, I saved a portion for the General. Tie Ya said if you didn’t come back, he’d eat it, that brute…”
Under the corridor, Old Pan and Hua Nong came out to greet him.
“Please tell us tomorrow’s arrangements, General.”
“Continue the usual training. Have Tie Ya supervise. You two will accompany me to the West Market.”
Old Pan smiled broadly, saying, “I walked around Kaifeng today, and my eyes have been opened! It truly is Bianjing City; the prices are so high.”
“What did you buy?”
“I didn’t spend a single copper coin. All the reward money was sent home through the military.”
“Old Pan has self-control,” Hua Nong said. “Those single men spent all their reward money and are clamoring for more public funds. I think we should let them out less often in the future.”
“Public funds cannot be touched again; they are for emergencies.”
“Yes.”
“How much reward money do you have left?”
“Also none, I sent it all back to Ye Du,” Hua Nong said. “General, my family is residing at the Commander’s Mansion in Ye Du, and I’m always worried. I’d like to bring them back.”
“Don’t rush. Once everything is settled… By the way, where is San Lang?”
As Xiao Yi asked, he realized he hadn’t seen Guo Xin for the past two days. No wonder it was so quiet. He felt something was amiss.
“The Marshal summoned him yesterday and he hasn’t returned since.”
“What about Chong Jin? How is he?”
“He went for drinks after his shift. His subordinates are watching him; we wouldn’t dare provoke him.”
“…”
The next day, he first arranged the military affairs.
Xiao Yi drew a vision chart and had Hua Nong tested.
He had no prior experience in this field, relying solely on instinct and feeling. Finally, he murmured, “Roughly five to six hundred to a thousand degrees, I suppose.”
He took paper and pen to draw the design for glasses, marking the thickness based on his previous life’s observations of others wearing them.
“It will definitely need further adjustment. Let’s go to the West Market to make a prototype first.”
“General, what is this?”
“You’ll know when the time comes. Let’s go, first to Kaifeng Prefecture to collect the reward money.”
“More reward money?!”
The three of them went out. Xiao Yi saw Old Pan carrying a luggage bag as if he were going to war, unsure of its contents, perhaps for purchases.
Upon arriving at Kaifeng Prefecture, they encountered Yan Jinqing again, who was walking out with a worried look. Seeing Xiao Yi, he excitedly stepped forward and bowed deeply.
“Thank you, Yi Lang… no, General Xiao, thank you, General Xiao, for saving me.”
“Duke Yan, you are too kind. I didn’t exert myself; you saved yourself.”
“No, no, no. I would never forget the life-saving grace of the General. I have prepared a modest feast and would like to invite you to my residence to express my gratitude.”
“I have to be on duty these days, but I’ll come when I have time.”
Xiao Yi carefully observed. Yan Jinqing was still wearing his plain, fine silk robe, a white fine velvet fox cloak, and the jade pendant at his waist was still there. In the distance, servants were leading a fine horse with a prepared saddle, showing that even parting with a thousand guan would not have significantly affected him.
He figured Wang Jun must be regretting it immensely.
Entering the prefectural office, Xiao Yi showed his talisman and went directly to the Ministry of Revenue, stating he was here to collect his reward.
The official in charge of revenue’s expression changed. “Please wait a moment, General. This subordinate will report to Minister Wang.”
This wait lasted for nearly half an hour.
With nothing else to do, Xiao Yi used the Ministry of Revenue’s ink brush and paper to doodle. Based on the glasses, he drew a telescope.
“General,” Old Pan said, “I see they intend to keep you here until the end of official hours. After finally having a day off, you still have to go to the West Market for purchases. We don’t have time to waste with them.”
“Let’s go and pay a visit to Minister Wang.”
They walked directly to the back hall. Wang Jun was indeed busy. He glanced at Xiao Yi and raised his hand to stop him, not allowing him to enter.
“The reward for capturing Su Fengji will be distributed together with that for capturing Li Ye.”
“Minister Wang’s words are inappropriate, as if Li Ye will also be captured by your subordinate.”
“You don’t understand affairs.” Wang Jun’s face stiffened, and he rebuked, “Rewards are to motivate soldiers and civilians. You are a close confidant of the Marshal, running here to make trouble. Go!”
Xiao Yi said, “Yesterday, many Imperial Guards participated in the search. I received the reward, and it should be shared with them.”
“Buying military morale? What do you intend to do?!”
Words like these could scare Wang Yin, but they couldn’t scare Xiao Yi at all.
“Rewards must be honored; this is the rule in the Marshal’s army.”
“The Kaifeng Prefecture is out of money. Go to the Commander’s Mansion to collect it yourself.” Wang Jun waved his hand, ordering, “Expel him!”
Xiao Yi couldn’t forcibly snatch the money from Kaifeng Prefecture and eventually walked out himself.
If Guo Xin were present, he would likely curse, “That old scoundrel is truly shameless,” or something similar. Old Pan and Hua Nong would only scratch their heads.
“General, perhaps… we should wait until payday?”
“Let’s go to the Commander’s Mansion.”
“General, think twice. For this reward money, you might make the Marshal think you don’t understand affairs…”
“Don’t worry, I’m not going to the Marshal, I’m going to Guo Xin.”
“Oh.”
