For Concubine Yuan's reward of the Spirit Beast Egg, additional release (4.30)
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These dignitaries always seem to think that their wealth and power make them omnipotent.
Previously at Marquis Dingyuan's residence, they sent inquiries three times a day, not considering that illness arrives like a collapsing mountain and leaves like unraveling silk; it won't get better just because you're in a hurry.
"Has their medicine been prepared on time recently?" Imperial Physician Jiang asked as he stood up.
A disciple opened the medical records of Marquis Dingyuan's residence to check.
"It's been prepared, all delivered on time," he said.
Imperial Physician Jiang grunted and didn't ask further. He took a young child with him and rode a carriage to Marquis Dingyuan's residence.
"Imperial Physician Jiang has arrived," the gatekeeper of Marquis Dingyuan's residence said with some surprise upon seeing him.
Imperial Physician Jiang was also surprised.
Why did the gatekeeper seem so taken aback by his arrival as if he shouldn't have come?
Should they not have been overjoyed?
They used to implore him to come again and again, but this time he had taken the initiative to come.
"I have come to see how the Marchioness Dingyuan is doing," said the imperial physician.
Only then did the gatekeeper utter a sound and report his arrival, leading him through the gate.
"The Marquis is not at home, but the old lady is here," he said.
The Marquis not at home?
These days, due to the Marchioness Dingyuan's illness, the Marquis had declined all invitations and barely left the house at all.
It seemed they had grown accustomed to the illness after a long time.
After all, this was a disease that required long-term care; there was no need for alarm.
Imperial Physician Jiang arrived at the courtyard of the Marquis's mother without entering, but he could hear the laughter of women inside and the maids leisurely sitting around chatting and playing.
It all appeared extremely leisurely and amusing.
Imperial Physician Jiang was taken aback once more.
While it's said that no one is pious in front of a chronic invalid, only seven or eight days had passed since the onset of the Marchioness's illness. To act as if nothing happened was barely excusable, but this cheerfulness was simply indecent.
If Marchioness Dingyuan's family found out, they would surely come knocking on the door in uproar.
Imperial Physician Jiang was invited inside the house, where the younger women and daughters-in-law all made themselves scarce, leaving only the old lady of Marquis Dingyuan grinning at him from the center of the hall.
"Why did the imperial physician find time to visit us today?" she asked.
Was that sarcasm?
Imperial Physician Jiang was taken aback by the question. Previously, they had urgently requested his presence so frequently that he managed to put them off one out of three times, excusing himself due to duties at the palace.
Although imperial physicians were often subjected to the whims of relatives of the royal families and nobles, someone like Imperial Physician Jiang, who was deeply trusted by the Empress and the Empress Dowager, had never been treated this way before.
His expression darkened slightly.
"The Marchioness has been taking medicine for a while, and I've come to check on her, so we can decide on the next course of treatment," he said.
The old lady of Marquis Dingyuan clapped her hands as if she had suddenly remembered something.
"Ah, I must be getting senile. Did I forget to tell you, Doctor?" she said, "My daughter-in-law, she's recovered."
Recovered?
What did she mean by recovered?
Imperial Physician Jiang was stunned but before he could ask, he heard the laughter of women and a flurry of footsteps from outside.
"The Marchioness is here," the maids reported, lifting the curtain as they did so.
Imperial Physician Jiang quickly turned to look and saw Marchioness Dingyuan enter without the aid of her maidservant, looking radiant and smiling ear to ear.
Indeed, she had recovered.
Imperial Physician Jiang recognized that immediately.
And the Marchioness, upon seeing him, looked surprised.
"Why did Imperial Physician Jiang find the time to come?" she said, and then turned to the Marquis's mother, "Mother, are you alright?"
What's going on here?
Who was ill and who wasn't?
"Marchioness, how have you recovered?" asked Imperial Physician Jiang in astonishment.
The Marchioness of Dingyuan smiled.
"I was better after taking three doses of medicine," she said.
Three doses? The medicine he prepared was so effective?
Imperial Physician Jiang's face revealed his astonishment.
"The medicine is not what's important. Miss Jun said it was mainly because of the acupuncture," said the old lady of Marquis Dingyuan, pointing at Imperial Physician Jiang, "It's just as well that Imperial Physician Jiang has come, so he can check to see if she's truly recovered. After all, Miss Jun is still young; it is better for someone more experienced to take charge."
Marchioness Dingyuan smiled in response.
"Imperial Physician Jiang, then I shall trouble you," she said as she sat down and extended her hand.
Imperial Physician Jiang, skeptical and in disbelief, took her pulse, his expression one of astonishment.
Indeed, she had recovered.
However, it seemed that things were not as he thought.
"Marchioness, was it not my medicine that cured your illness?" he asked.
Marchioness Dingyuan nodded with a smile.
"I was indeed about to take your medicine, but someone recommended Jiuling Hall to me. Miss Jun from Jiuling Hall came and cured me in just three days," she said.
Cured in just three days?
How could that be possible? He had seen this illness all his life; at the very least, it would take six months to recover. Three days?
And who was Miss Jun from Jiuling Hall?
Imperial Physician Jiang wondered.
At this moment, in a medical clinic in the capital, several people rushed in carrying a woman in a hurry.
"Doctor, Doctor, please have a look quickly," they shouted.
The patient appeared to be in a very critical condition, and the clinic staff quickly cleared a path as the doctor hurried over. However, he saw smiles on the faces of the several men.
Smiling?
With someone seriously ill, how could they be so happy?
The doctor paused, perplexed.
"Please take a look, Doctor. You can cure her," one man said joyfully. "Jiuling Hall said it's nothing serious."
What nonsense?
Jiuling Hall said it's nothing serious? They said I can cure her?
The doctor looked at the men with an astounded face.
Since when did others determine whether I could cure an illness or not?
And what is Jiuling Hall anyway? Some kind of mysterious chant?
The name Jiuling Hall seemed to have spread overnight, becoming the talk of the capital, especially in medical establishments.
"I had my illness examined at Jiuling Hall, and they said it was incurable, so I just let it be."
"You're truly lucky to have been seen by Jiuling Hall. What about me then? I really can't be at ease unless she takes a look first."
Watching the two people chatting before him, the doctor couldn't help but feel agitated.
"Then why come to see me for treatment?" the old doctor exclaimed angrily, puffing out his beard. "Why not let Jiuling Hall treat you?"
Both individuals turned to look at him, their expressions suggesting he didn't understand something rather obvious.
"Can just anyone be seen at Jiuling Hall? They're there to treat life-threatening conditions, not bother with minor illnesses like this," they said in unison.
What did they mean by treating life, not illness?
And what exactly was Jiuling Hall?
"Of course, Jiuling Hall is a medical clinic," they said in unison again. "That's where the famous physician from Runan is."
A famous physician?
Not to mention that he'd never heard the name before.
And according to the public's descriptions, if you're a physician, you treat illnesses, not life—it's unheard of to treat life and not illnesses.
One who could treat life would have to be a deity.
Such insolence!
Who was this—some Jianghu sorcerer seeking to dazzle the audience?
Daring to operate under the guise of a physician, truly a shameless villain.
The old doctor slammed his hand on the table, determined to see who this shameless villain was.
He wasn't the only doctor with this intention. On his way, the old doctor encountered several others, who, after exchanging stories that seemed even more fantastical, felt a shared righteous indignation and collectively made their way toward Jiuling Hall.
They didn't even know where Jiuling Hall was exactly located, but what was more infuriating was that one could simply ask anyone on the street and get directions to Jiuling Hall as if it were an old and familiar shop in the capital that had been there for years, a part of their childhood.
Where did this Jiuling Hall come from, and since when? Why had he not heard a thing about it.
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This morning, a chapter on returning home underwent modification. Thank you to the reader haha540 for the suggestions and reminders. I suppose I was too embroiled in last night's summary, inadvertently causing Lu Yunqi to falter as well. Everyone is welcome to delete the book and re-download it for a read.
Thank you to March Maple Tea for the reward of a Spirit Beast Egg.
Thank you to Mu Mou 2004 for the reward of Xian Pao Yuan.
Thanks to Confess My Heart, love丶Xiaohan, Ice of the South, Mu Mou 2004, and md12 for the reward of He's Bi.