Wen Qingci’s clinic was so small it was barely noticeable in the medicinal capital of Songxiu Prefecture.
At first, only nearby residents would come to see him for minor ailments like colds, fevers, and headaches.
Until later, when he met a colleague named Song Junran.
At that time, Wen Qingci didn’t know what Song Junran did for a living, only that he seemed terribly idle with no proper business to attend to, constantly watching him diagnose and treat patients at his clinic.
Later, Song Junran somehow found several patients with difficult and unusual conditions and brought them to the clinic for treatment.
After a busy half month of completely curing these people, Song Junran finally told Wen Qingci that he was actually the famous Valley Master of the Valley of Divine Physicians in the jianghu, and made an exception by inviting him to join the valley.
But Wen Qingci’s reaction was completely different from what he had expected.
As a resident of Songxiu Prefecture, Wen Qingci had naturally heard of the Valley of Divine Physicians’ reputation, and had even admired the place since childhood.
Upon learning Song Junran’s identity, Wen Qingci was certainly delighted.
However, concerned about his family outside the valley and his small clinic, after much consideration, he still declined the invitation.
Although he didn’t join the valley, after that, Wen Qingci’s small clinic gradually gained a reputation in the jianghu.
Under Song Junran’s promotion, those seeking treatment were no longer just nearby residents.
Many jianghu martial artists also visited.
…Wen Qingci was no stranger to impoverished wandering knights of the jianghu.
But he truly hadn’t expected that this noble-looking young hero before him would also come without money.
Wen Qingci’s eyes were jet-black and clear.
Being looked at by such eyes, even Xie Bufeng began to feel self-conscious.
“Ahem…” the young man averted his gaze and, as if suddenly remembering something, removed the plain gold hairpin from his head, walked over and gently placed it on the table. “Take this for now, and I’ll redeem it when I come back for my dressing change.” His tone became somewhat stiff from embarrassment.
Xie Bufeng remembered that his back medication needed to be changed daily.
In his view, leaving the gold hairpin here and redeeming it when changing the dressing would be fine.
Wen Qingci immediately recognized that the young man’s gold hairpin was no ordinary item.
“This hairpin is too valuable; one could buy my entire clinic with it. You dare to offer it, but I dare not accept it. Besides, aren’t you afraid I might take it and not return it?” Wen Qingci said, seemingly in jest.
“You won’t,” Xie Bufeng looked into Wen Qingci’s eyes. “You wouldn’t keep it dishonestly.” His tone was very serious.
Even now, Xie Bufeng had not heard Wen Qingci’s inner thoughts.
He knew the person before him would absolutely not misappropriate this gold hairpin.
“How about this,” Wen Qingci also remembered that Xie Bufeng needed regular dressing changes, and compromised, “Young hero, you may leave first, and bring the money when you return for your dressing change.”
After a moment of silence, Xie Bufeng finally nodded: “Alright, I’ll come back tomorrow.”
After speaking, he took back the gold hairpin from the table.
He paused, then finally added somewhat stiffly: “Thank you for your trouble.”
A young man of his age was at the time when he was most easily embarrassed.
Concerned that Xie Bufeng might feel awkward, Wen Qingci casually added: “It’s no trouble. Even without money, you could help out here for a few days to pay it off. Others have done so before.”
After speaking, he smiled gently at the young man.
Xie Bufeng noticed that Wen Qingci seemed to smile very often.
His smile was completely different from the flattery in the palace; it was a kind of gentleness and ease that came from deep within.
Influenced by Wen Qingci, Xie Bufeng paused, and found himself unconsciously smiling back at him.
*
Seeing that Xie Bufeng’s wound had been treated well, Consort Lan finally breathed a sigh of relief.
But soon she noticed that the young man had been acting strangely since returning to the dragon boat.
Xie Bufeng was constantly searching for something in the cabin, looking somewhat anxious.
“What is Your Highness looking for?” Consort Lan walked to Xie Bufeng’s side and asked. “Has something gone missing?”
Xie Bufeng slowly straightened up, looked at the silver ingot in his hand and asked: “Did we only bring official silver on the boat?”
His question was quite odd. Consort Lan was taken aback, but answered truthfully: “Yes, only these.”
Hearing this, Xie Bufeng slowly clenched the silver ingot in his hand.
What he held was an official silver ingot.
This type of silver bore special markings and was commonly used for paying salaries and rewarding officials, but couldn’t be circulated in the marketplace.
…This certainly couldn’t be given to Wen Qingci.
“It’s nothing,” Xie Bufeng didn’t tell Consort Lan what problem he had encountered. He put the silver ingot back in the wooden box and changed the subject. “How is the Emperor now?”
As they spoke, Mingliu brought in the morning meal.
Xie Bufeng casually picked up a spoon, scooped up a spoonful, and put it in his mouth.
But the next moment, the overly sweet taste made him frown tightly.
…This soup didn’t taste as good as what Wen Qingci made.
Consort Lan didn’t notice the unusual expression on her son’s face.
Having already had her breakfast, she took a sip of tea and slowly said: “He claims to be shocked and will be staying at Juji Temple for a few days to recuperate. He wants you to handle court affairs during this time and observe the people’s conditions.” Consort Lan’s tone was somewhat heavy.
On the surface, having Crown Prince Xie Bufeng handle state affairs would indicate that the Emperor appreciated and trusted him, entrusting him with important responsibilities.
But both Consort Lan and Xie Bufeng knew that the Emperor’s calculations were different.
-He was most likely waiting for Xie Bufeng to make a mistake, which he could then use to make a big issue.
However, this did give Xie Bufeng time to heal his wound.
Xie Zhaolin was obsessed with being a “wise ruler,” and all wise rulers must understand the people’s conditions.
Throughout this southern tour, he had ordered princes and officials to visit various places in his name, even entering villages and towns.
Occasionally, he would personally make an appearance for show.
Now, using the assassination attempt as an excuse, he had completely dumped this exhausting task on Xie Bufeng, while he himself would reap the benefits from behind.
But for Xie Bufeng, who needed to visit Wen Qingci for dressing changes, this was actually a good thing.
“Alright, I understand.” Xie Bufeng slowly nodded.
By noon that day, the Emperor had left the tour boat and gone to Juji Temple.
Xie Bufeng remained in Songxiu Prefecture, following the original plan to discuss trade matters with local officials.
Only Xie Bufeng himself knew that throughout, he had been holding a silver ingot in his hand.
Under the cover of his wide sleeves, Xie Bufeng’s finger joints had turned white from the pressure.
The young man had repeatedly tried to find someone to exchange this silver or convert it to market silver, but never found a suitable opportunity.
Though the Emperor had gone to Juji Temple, Xie Bufeng’s every move was still being watched by countless people.
He couldn’t do anything unusual at this time.
…
The next morning, as soon as Xie Bufeng entered the alley, he heard a commotion.
He frowned and quickened his pace, then saw at the doorway-
A child who looked no more than six or seven years old was crying beside Wen Qingci.
“Wuwu… I don’t want to pull my tooth,” her face was covered in tears.
“Once your tooth is replaced, you’ll be able to eat meat,” Wen Qingci held the constantly crying child in his arms, comfortingly rubbing her head. “After we pull the tooth, I’ll give you a preserved fruit to eat, alright?”
Upon hearing “preserved fruit,” the little girl’s crying finally weakened a bit.
Children living nearby all knew that the physician surnamed Wen had a porcelain jar filled with delicious preserved fruits.
When this was first discovered, some even pretended to be sick to get preserved fruits from him.
But before they could succeed, Wen Qingci saw through their act.
“Really?” the little girl clutched his sleeve and asked.
“Yes,” seeing that she had finally stopped crying, Wen Qingci took a cotton thread from the side and very carefully tied it around the little girl’s front tooth. “Would you like dried apricot or green plum?”
The little girl’s appetite was immediately aroused by Wen Qingci.
She couldn’t help but think carefully, then answered: “I want to eat-”
At the moment she said “eat,” the little girl naturally opened her mouth.
Wen Qingci immediately seized this opportunity and gently pulled the cotton thread tight.
“Ah!”
With a small cry of surprise, the loose front tooth fell out of her mouth.
The little girl was stunned for a moment before realizing that Wen Qingci had already pulled out her front tooth.
The physician holding her smiled gently, lowered his gaze, and asked: “How was it? Did it hurt?”
“Uh…” the little girl hesitated for a moment, but finally answered truthfully, “It seems it really didn’t hurt?”
“That’s good,” Wen Qingci put her down from his arms, then stood up and walked into the room. “Wait here nicely, I’ll go get the preserved fruit.”
“Okay!”
The roses on the courtyard wall covered half the wooden door.
Xie Bufeng was standing behind those roses.
Through the flowers, he saw that Wen Qingci’s moon-white robe had been wrinkled by the little girl’s grip.
Even the freshly washed hem was stained with some soil.
But this physician had never once in his heart despised the little girl for a moment.
It seemed Wen Qingci truly had a good temperament.
Just as he thought this, Wen Qingci walked out with the preserved fruits.
At the same time, he also saw Xie Bufeng standing at the door.
The little girl cheered and ran to Wen Qingci’s side.
“Dr. Wen, I want the plum flavor!”
“Alright.” Wen Qingci smiled and winked at Xie Bufeng at the door, then slowly squatted down, used chopsticks to pick up a plum-flavored preserved fruit, placed it on a plate, and handed it to the little girl.
“Thank you, Dr. Wen!”
“You’re welcome,” Wen Qingci smiled.
Then, he carried the porcelain jar to Xie Bufeng’s side.
“Young hero, you’ve come so early today? Please come in.”
But Xie Bufeng stood motionless at the doorway.
After a few moments of silence, he finally slowly lowered his head and asked very unnaturally: “Do you… have anything you need help with here?”
Wen Qingci didn’t immediately answer his question.
Instead, he handed another small white porcelain dish to Xie Bufeng: “How about some preserved hawthorn?”
Before Xie Bufeng could react, Wen Qingci took out the preserved fruit from the jar, just as he had done earlier, and gently placed it on the dish.
“Here, try some.”
Xie Bufeng was momentarily stunned, instinctively taking it into his hands.
As they spoke, the little girl had finished her preserved fruit and walked over with her plate.
She scratched her head somewhat embarrassedly and said: “Dr. Wen, my father said that the payment for this tooth extraction, along with the previous ones, will be put on our tab. Once we sell this year’s loquats, we’ll settle the account with you all at once.”
“It’s fine,” Wen Qingci took back the porcelain dish and said, “There’s no rush for these few days.”
His clinic was meant to serve the nearby residents.
This kind of account keeping was common.
“Great!” The little girl finally felt relieved. She smiled, then happily ran out to show her missing front tooth to her family.
Meanwhile, Xie Bufeng slowly put the preserved hawthorn from the dish into his mouth.
The sweet and sour flavor instantly spread across Xie Bufeng’s tongue.
He realized that Wen Qingci truly seemed to be treating him like a child…
“How does it taste, young hero?”
Xie Bufeng paused before answering: “Delicious.”
Wen Qingci smiled as he took back the plate, and finally answered Xie Bufeng’s initial question.
“To be honest, there is indeed something I need your help with.”
As he spoke, he walked to the corner of the courtyard, moved the lid covering the water vat, used a wooden ladle to scoop out some clear water, rolled up his sleeves, and carefully washed the dishes with soap bean.
Wen Qingci’s movements were very efficient, clearly accustomed to such tasks.
“What is it?”
Hearing that Wen Qingci truly needed his help, Xie Bufeng finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Wen Qingci placed the washed dish on a stone table nearby, looked up and smiled at Xie Bufeng, saying: “The day after tomorrow morning, I need to return home for a visit. Would you be willing to drive a carriage with me? By the way, my home is at the foot of that mountain to the south.”
“Eryan Mountain?”
If Xie Bufeng remembered correctly, eighty to ninety percent of Songxiu’s medicinal herbs came from the foothills of the Eryan Mountain range.
He had already planned to visit Eryan Mountain for an on-site investigation.
In that case, he might as well go with Wen Qingci, accomplishing two things at once.
“Yes, that’s the place.” Wen Qingci nodded.
“Alright, I’ll go with you.” The young man no longer hesitated.
*
Wen Qingci didn’t cut corners in his treatment just because Xie Bufeng couldn’t pay.
Under his careful attention, the young man’s wound healed extremely quickly.
By the day of their departure, the wound had stopped bleeding.
“Alright, Young Master Su, you’ll drive this carriage and follow behind me.” Wen Qingci carefully inspected the rented carriage and looked up to tell Xie Bufeng.
Worried about arousing suspicion, Xie Bufeng had claimed his surname was Su.
He nodded and jumped onto the carriage.
After a few moments, Xie Bufeng couldn’t help but ask Wen Qingci: “You’re going home, why do you need two carriages?”
“About that,” Wen Qingci smiled, “This time I’m planning to bring my family to stay in Songxiu for a few days, and we’ll need to bring quite a few things. Besides my parents, there’s also my younger sister at home, and one carriage simply wouldn’t be enough.”
“I see.” Xie Bufeng slowly nodded, not thinking further on it.
It was obvious that Wen Qingci’s carriage-driving skills were quite average.
The rented carriage, which wasn’t very sturdy to begin with, swayed under his control, and his speed was as slow as could be.
But Xie Bufeng didn’t mind.
Instead, he took the opportunity to follow behind Wen Qingci and observe the villages along the way.
When he encountered something he didn’t understand, he would slightly speed up to drive alongside Wen Qingci and ask him a few questions.
After half a day, the two finally reached the foot of Eryan Mountain before nightfall.
They parked their carriages at the village entrance and headed together toward the small village called “Shanyu Jian.”
“…Young Master Su, have you heard of Cornus officinalis? It’s also a medicinal herb with astringent properties,” Wen Qingci explained as he led Xie Bufeng into the village. “The tree typically grows in the north, but surprisingly, we have a few growing here.”
Xie Bufeng looked in the direction Wen Qingci pointed.
Sure enough, at the edge of the mountain not far away grew a short, unfamiliar tree.
Originally, he had no interest in medicinal herbs or medical skills, but as Wen Qingci spoke, Xie Bufeng found himself becoming intrigued.
“Over time, people living elsewhere simply started calling our place ‘Shanyu Jian.'”
It wasn’t yet dinner time, and this was the liveliest time in the small village.
The village path was full of children running about, who would stop to greet Wen Qingci when they saw him.
It was extremely lively.
Xie Bufeng’s ears were filled with local dialect he couldn’t understand.
Even his robe hem had somehow become stained with soil.
But the young man didn’t feel the slightest bit irritated.
The evening breeze carried a faint scent of medicinal herbs.
Xie Bufeng briefly forgot the troubles of Yongdu.
He relaxed involuntarily.
As they talked, the two arrived in front of a small courtyard.
“This is it,” Wen Qingci walked forward and pushed open the door. “Father, Mother, Qingluo, I’ve brought a friend home.”
“Oh my!” The next moment, a girl who looked no more than eleven or twelve ran out from the room: “Brother, why are you back so soon? We haven’t prepared dinner yet.”
Her appearance resembled Wen Qingci about fifty percent, but her eyes and face were rounder, and her skin was slightly darker.
After speaking, Wen Qingluo noticed the unfamiliar face behind her brother: “…Who is this?”
“His surname is Su, he’s my friend. Thanks to him, I was able to drive two carriages back home.”
“Wow-” The girl named Qingluo immediately smiled at Xie Bufeng and said, “Thank you, Young Master Su!” After speaking, she clung back to her brother’s side.
Xie Bufeng, having grown up in the palace, wasn’t accustomed to such an atmosphere. He paused for a moment before finally nodding slowly.
As they spoke, another figure emerged from the room.
To Wen Qingci’s surprise, it wasn’t his family member, but… Song Junran?
While giving Wen Qingluo the gifts he had brought from Songxiu Prefecture, he looked up and asked: “Valley Master Song? When did you arrive?”
Dressed in blue, Song Junran smiled and answered: “Three days ago.”
Though he hadn’t successfully lured Wen Qingci back to the valley, he had become familiar with Wen Qingci and his family.
The people of Shanyu Jian made their living by gathering herbs, and no one understood Eryan Mountain better than they did.
Especially Wen Qingci’s father, who had an exceptional understanding of the growth habits of various medicinal herbs.
Many of the herbs in the Valley of Divine Physicians were sourced from him.
Song Junran had come to Shanyu Jian this time to ask for his help in finding herbs.
As they spoke, everyone walked into the house.
Though he had met his family, Wen Qingci didn’t neglect Xie Bufeng.
He turned to introduce to the young man: “My home originally had only two rooms; the two rooms in the back were built just two years ago.”
After speaking, Wen Qingci’s footsteps faltered.
He had already arranged with Xie Bufeng to stay at his home tonight.
According to Wen Qingci’s original plan… with four rooms in the house, one each for himself, his parents, and Wen Qingluo, there would be one left for Xie Bufeng.
But with Song Junran here, there suddenly weren’t enough rooms.
Just as Wen Qingci was pondering what to do, a woman wearing a light brown short robe finally came out carrying a plate of fish: “Hurry, Qingci has returned just in time, the food is ready.”
She had heard the conversation in the courtyard from the kitchen, so after putting down the fish, she looked up at Xie Bufeng, then smiled and said to Wen Qingci: “Child, why didn’t you tell us in advance that you were bringing a friend home? Fortunately, I made plenty of food tonight, otherwise you would have gone hungry.”
Smoke rose from the chimney.
The small courtyard was instantly filled with lively sounds.
“Thanks to Mother,” Wen Qingci smiled and also went to the kitchen to carry dishes, while asking, “What else delicious do we have?”
“There’s also stir-fried bamboo shoots, all your favorites.”
“By the way, where’s Father?”
“We didn’t have enough firewood, your father went to chop some, he’ll be back soon.”
…Xie Bufeng had never been in such a simple and cramped dwelling.
As a noble from Yongdu, he should have frowned in disdain.
But Xie Bufeng was surprised to find that he actually rather liked this atmosphere.
Song Junran, not at all treating himself as an outsider, went over to Wen Qingluo and started unwrapping the gifts.
Xie Bufeng hesitated for a moment, then walked into the kitchen.
“Is there… anything I can help carry?”
Though he was only a disfavored prince, he had never lacked for food, clothing, or necessities.
He had never even carried a bowl himself.
“Oh my, you’re a guest-” Wen Qingci’s mother was still being polite with him.
But Wen Qingci had already placed the wooden bucket of white rice in Xie Bufeng’s hands: “Thank you, Master Su.”
After speaking, he gently winked at him.
Xie Bufeng’s heart trembled slightly.
By the time he came to his senses, he had already obediently placed the wooden bucket on the table.
Wen Qingci walked over and arranged the dishes.
“Alright, Valley Master Song, Qingluo, come eat. I’ll go see why Father hasn’t returned yet.”
Just as Wen Qingci finished speaking, the courtyard gate sounded again.
He paused, then quickly walked out, preparing to help with the firewood.
Seeing her brother leave, Wen Qingluo, having finished with the gifts, finally turned her attention to Xie Bufeng, asking him various questions.
Xie Bufeng didn’t mind chatting with the little girl, but concerned about revealing his identity, he subtly shifted the conversation to Wen Qingci and his family.
“What do you plan to do in Songxiu Prefecture?”
Hearing Xie Bufeng’s question, Wen Qingluo’s eyes suddenly lit up. She put down her chopsticks, placed both hands on the table, and said excitedly: “Brother said he’s taking me and our parents to see the festivities!”
“Festivities?” Even Song Junran looked over curiously.
Wen Qingluo nodded and said very seriously: “In a few days, the Emperor will be performing a sacrifice at the Yin River Grand Canal. At that time, he, the consorts, and the princes will all appear. I want to get to the riverside early to see what they look like.”
“Is that so?” Song Junran also put down his chopsticks, clearly interested. “I have nothing to do in a few days, why don’t I join you to take a look?”
“That would be great!”
…See the princes?
Hearing this, Xie Bufeng’s teacup suddenly trembled in his hand.
The hot tea spilled onto the back of his hand, instantly scalding a patch of skin.
##
