For MAX For the "Spirited Beast Egg" bounty reward on April 30
The steady drizzle of late autumn seemed endless, and the streets were much emptier, adding to the barrenness of Jiuling Hall.
The hall was filled with the fragrance of medicinal herbs, and the previously empty medicine cabinets were now being slowly restocked.
However, they weren't stocking purchased herbs but various medicines personally prepared by Miss Jun herself, including pills and ointments, all made by Miss Jun and Liu'er.
Two assistants were responsible for arranging them.
This was certainly better than having nothing to do but wiping down tables and chairs as before.
Yet, these two were hardly able to produce much medicine, and they spent most of their time idle, especially during this rainy weather.
"Miss Jun got tired of playing the role of a bell healer and stopped going out. Does she intend to make a living by selling medicine now?" one assistant said listlessly.
"Selling medicine also requires customers to come first. People don't even let us treat their illnesses, why would they come here for medicine?" the other assistant replied.
As they were talking, Miss Jun came out from inside, and both men immediately stood up respectfully.
"Go to the apothecary and fetch some medicine," she handed them a piece of paper.
Both assistants busily agreed and hurried out with an umbrella.
Miss Jun did not turn back but sat down inside the hall, accompanying the sound of the rain outside, as she began writing medical cases. She had accumulated a thick volume of medical cases since her rebirth, a task she had persisted in, recording all the medical cases her master had discussed.
She could not let her master's name be forgotten without leaving anything behind.
Silence filled Jiuling Hall.
Yet, at this moment in a mansion in the capital, the atmosphere was tense, with occasional low crying noises coming from the shaded back house.
In the living room of the mansion, a middle-aged man paced back and forth with a frown. When he saw an elderly man being led in by a maidservant, he quickly approached.
"Imperial Physician Jiang," he said hastily, "how is my wife?"
The elder, Imperial Physician Jiang You-shu from the Imperial Medical Bureau, looked calm.
"Marquis Lin, your wife should continue taking the medicine for a few more doses to see," he replied.
The middle-aged man's frown deepened.
As a marquis, he felt it inappropriate to comment, but the maidservant by his side immediately understood.
"This medicine has been taken for a long while now, why is there no effect?" the maidservant asked. "Our lady is still suffering every night. How can this go on?"
"Illness comes on as abruptly as a collapsing mountain and fades slowly like drawing silk. Lady Lin has been sick for a long time; this can't be rushed," Imperial Physician Jiang stated.
Hearing this, Marquis Lin felt helpless.
"Then thank you for your efforts," he said.
Imperial Physician Jiang, being the oldest in the Imperial Medical Bureau and deeply trusted by both the Empress and the Empress Dowager, was treated with great deference by Marquis Lin, who personally saw him out. As soon as he had sent Imperial Physician Jiang off, he saw two maidservants leading in an elderly nun.
This was Master Kongjing from Ciguang Temple in the capital.
Marquis Lin shook his head, thinking that women always seek out monks for prayers and nuns for rituals when they are ill.
Although Marquis Lin did not believe in this approach, he could not stop them. For the sick women, sometimes solace also acted as a form of medicine.
However, this time, the solace seemed ineffective. Master Kongjing took away three evil spirits from Lady Lin's residence and burned a pot of yellow talismans, but Lady Lin was still in unbearable pain, crying incessantly.
This situation had lasted for seven or eight days now, wearing down the well-cared-for Lady Lin to a state of withered despondency.
"If this continues, before the medicine takes effect, I will be tormented to death," Lady Lin cried from within.
The daughters-in-law and maids inside and outside the room joined her in crying, causing Marquis Lin to become incredibly agitated.
"Go find some renowned doctors," he instructed his servants.
"Who in the capital is more famous than Imperial Physician Jiang?" Old Lady Lin, leaning on her cane, interjected. "We should invite another eminent monk; this is surely caused by an evil spirit."
As the mother and son debated, a stout maidservant standing outside overheard and was moved by the discussion. She hesitated due to fear but felt it was an opportunity not to be missed.
"Old Lady, Marquis, I heard that there is a divine doctor in the capital," she said, prostrating at the doorway, teeth clenched.
When the two assistants returned with the medicine, they saw a carriage parked in front of the door.
It was a black flat-top carriage that didn't look extraordinary. However, the horse pulling the carriage and the coachman standing beside it exuded an air of wealth and nobility.
The two assistants, who dealt with money business during their apprenticeship, immediately understood this was no ordinary family.
But what business did this family have at Jiuling Hall?
Could it be they were requesting Miss Jun's medical services?
That seemed almost laughable, but as the thought crossed their minds, they saw Miss Jun walking out from Jiuling Hall, led by a woman in her mid-thirties.
This woman had the demeanor of a maidservant but was dressed rather grandly.
She clearly was a housekeeper from a high-status family.
"Miss Jun, please," she said, polite yet composed.
Miss Jun noticed the two assistants standing nearby.
"I'm going out for a medical visit," she said.
Liu'er, carrying a medicine box, handed a note to the assistants.
"Just right, you two can watch the door. No need to accompany me," Liu'er said.
One assistant took the note, his expression one of surprise as the carriage rolled away into the rain.
"Which family requested Miss Jun's services?" the other assistant hurried forward to look.
The words "Marquis Dingyuan" burst into his sight, making the assistant inhale sharply.
"Since when did Miss Jun catch the interest of Marquis Dingyuan?"
Manager Liu was also surprised as he looked at the business card his assistant handed him.
It seemed Miss Jun had only treated a few people, merely conducting a midnight consultation for which she received a large sum of money before leaving the capital quietly.
The reputation for superb medical skills had not spread yet, but rather it was the ludicrous reputation of selecting patients by refusing to treat someone from the Cao family.
Manager Liu couldn't understand how such a reputation could reach the ears of such a wealthy household, and more so, get her invited to treat someone.
Even when seeking emergency medical care, people of such stature were particular about their choice of doctors.
It was truly baffling.
"My older sister mentioned that the Cao Liangku family was also skeptical initially, it was only because a friend of Mrs. Cao Liangku, on leaving, strictly advised that in case of incurable diseases, they must seek out Miss Jun from Jiuling Hall."
"The kid was only having hysteria at night, normal like everyone else during the day. He took medications and even had priests look into it, but nothing helped."
"Thus, Mrs. Cao Liangku decided to give it a try and hence invited Miss Jun over."
"Before her arrival, they did not tell Miss Jun who was ill; instead, the entire family presented themselves before Miss Jun, letting her determine who might have an ominous sign."
"Miss Jun sat in the room briefly, did not take anyone's pulse, but after looking around, she indeed pointed out that the child was afflicted."
When the woman in the house reached this point, another maidservant interrupted her, frowning.
"She roams the streets all day; it's possible that she had already heard about this child's illness," she said.
A maidservant laughed, revealing her teeth.
"That's possible," she admitted, "but Miss Jun cured the child with just one dose of medicine and one acupuncture session."
Guessing someone's illness is trivial, what's truly important is the ability to cure it, the women in the room exchanged glances.
"That Miss Jun indeed says she only treats those destined to be cured, otherwise she wouldn't have been diagnosing on the streets for so long without seeing any patients. You say her medical skills are inadequate, yet the few she has treated were immediately effective," the maidservant continued. "Now, no one dares laugh at her in the streets anymore. What's more interesting, anyone feeling ill tries to get close to her; if Miss Jun does not mention an ill omen, everyone knows it's not a serious illness and happily consults other doctors."
Could there really be such a person?
The women in the room exchanged another glance.
A maidservant briskly entered from outside.
"Old Lady," she greeted Old Lady Lin, "I've looked into it clearly—it's a Runan People, the daughter of the Funing County Magistrate, Jun Yingwen."
The women in the room were all surprised.
"Is she really from a bureaucratic family background?" they said.
"Yes, Jiuling Hall in Runan is the ancestral business of the Jun Family," the maidservant continued, "I specifically found someone from Runan to ask, and all they did was praise her highly, saying she's exceptional."
Could it indeed be true that her medical skills are superior? The women once again exchanged glances.
"I also inquired on the streets. Within less than two months of arriving, the newly opened Jiuling Hall was indeed performing as bell healers on the street, yet they didn't treat the afflicted, saying odd things, even being selective about whom they treated," the maidservant said.
"The old servant didn't lie," the maidservant who had been rough noted, aware that Old Lady Lin would surely have her claims verified and wouldn't just take her word for it; upon hearing the confirmation she quickly added happily, "it has spread all over the streets; there can't be any falsehoods."
"However, she really hasn't treated many patients," said the maidservant.
Hearing this, it indeed sounded very miraculous.
Old Lady Lin tapped her cane.
"Whether this is all just an elaborate act or if she truly only aids those destined, we'll know if we try," she said, "please."
Miss Jun lifted the carriage curtain and looked at the gateway in front of her.
The plaque of Marquis Dingyuan's mansion was conspicuously visible.
The carriage did not stop but directly entered through the side gate, proceeding until it reached the second gate, where it then stopped.
"Miss Jun, please," the outer maidservant said.
Miss Jun disembarked, with Liu'er busily carrying the medicine box.
This mansion was impressively large and imposing, similar to the Fang Family in Yangcheng, though it felt different.
But seeing Miss Jun's expression remained undisturbed, Liu'er also maintained composure.
This caused a slight surprise in the two maidservants who had come to receive them at the second gate, amazed at how such a young girl could possess such a calm and composed demeanor.
It was as if she was not from a humble background or a street-roaming bell healer, but instead as someone accustomed to high society, frequently moving among them.
Indeed, she possessed somewhat the air of a sage.
"Miss Jun, this way please," they corrected their expression, speaking with a degree of formality.
Two young maids held umbrellas, stepping forward as Miss Jun nodded and followed, quickly arriving at the mansion where Madam Lin resided.
Maids on both sides looked curiously at her; the curtains were drawn back,revealing a room adorned with jewels and surrounded in jade, an elderly woman with white hair—stern in expression—sat at the center.
Old Lady Qi from Marquis Dingyuan.
She was acquainted with her, even quite familiar.
During annual festivals and palace visits, she would always smile and hold her hand.
"My Little Princess, you have become thinner again."
Miss Jun lowered her gaze and respectfully stepped over the threshold.
Finally, she was able to meet someone she had seen before.
Owing additional updates, gradually compensating, please excuse.
Thank you md12 for rewarding three Spirit Beast Eggs (~~~~(>_<)~~~~)
Thank you 96 Jin Wait for Me for rewarding Xianpaoyuan
Thank you Southern Ice for rewarding He's Bi.
Thank you VampireQueen for rewarding the Wealth Vase
Deeply thankful.