After August 15, it seemed that, in the blink of an eye, the weather had turned cool.
A chilly spell followed each autumn rain, and after several such rains, everyone on the streets had switched to lined clothes, briskly walking with shoulders hunched under the drizzle, making the shops along the streets seem particularly desolate, with the shop assistants idly sitting or standing around chatting. Some people ran hurriedly down the street, clearly in a rush, even without a rain umbrella or raincoat, just splashing along.
"Isn't that Doctor Li from the Northern Renshan Hall?" a shop assistant leaning against the door said, with a hint of surprise, "Where is he rushing to like that?"
"Definitely heading to Jiuling Hall," another assistant remarked without even looking up.
"These days, it's strange; there aren't many patients going to Jiuling Hall, but many doctors instead," the assistant by the door clucked his tongue.
"It's because whatever Jiuling Hall says is always right," the assistants inside said.
Only two months had passed, and the initial declaration by Jiuling Hall that they only treated diseases that other doctors couldn't, no longer seemed arrogantly outrageous.
Inside Jiuling Hall, a doctor whose clothes and hair were drenched was panting heavily, looking quite disheveled and somewhat anxious.
"Miss Jun," he said urgently, not bothering to wipe the rain off his face, "Can this disease be cured?"
"Which one?" Miss Jun asked.
Many who came to her for consultation were turned away. After refusing them, she would suggest that other doctors could treat them, though she never specified which doctors, so the patients had to choose for themselves.
Once chosen, the doctors who heard that the patients had been seen by Miss Jun would no longer act as before.
They took the consultations seriously; they treated what they could and did not feel humiliated when they were stumped. Initially, the doctors had secretly visited Jiuling Hall to seek Miss Jun's advice, but later, when they realized they were not the only ones doing so, they stopped concealing their visits.
Upon hearing Miss Jun's question, the doctor steadied himself and recounted the symptoms of the patient.
"I have never successfully treated this condition before," he admitted openly. "This patient just happened to come to me, and I didn't dare or feel it was right to refuse, so I came to seek Miss Jun's advice. If I genuinely cannot cure it, I hope Miss Jun could inform the patient to seek a more adept physician."
Miss Jun looked at him and smiled .
"How did you treat it before? And what do you think about this condition?" she asked.
The doctor felt slightly nervous, much like when he was an apprentice facing questions from his master, although he had completed his apprenticeship over a decade ago.
He pondered for a moment, then shared his previous prescriptions and thoughts.
"But none were successful," he said, his voice tinged with frustration yet holding a glimmer of hope.
He had studied many medical texts but could not find a cure. Of course, some doctors could, but doctors generally guarded their skills closely. One doctor would not show their prescriptions to another, let alone share detailed diagnostics and treatment plans for specific conditions.
But now, things were different. There was an opportunity.
Ever since the incident with Doctor Feng two months ago, the city's doctors, although not openly discussing it, had become shrewder. It was certain that Doctor Feng must have received help from Miss Jun, otherwise he wouldn't have become so amenable.
Following this, more such cases occurred where the doctors, flagged by patients mentioning Miss Jun's name, managed to cure those illnesses.
These doctors varied in their level of medical skills, but they had one thing in common: they had all sought advice from Miss Jun. And afterward, like Doctor Feng, they had become much more honest and respectful towards Miss Jun.
Clearly, Miss Jun was truly guiding the doctors.
He wondered if he too might receive guidance, especially considering he was utterly clueless about this condition.
This was no mere guidance; it was the impartation of skills.
Would she be willing?
The doctor looked at Miss Jun.
Miss Jun diverted her gaze.
"Asi," she called out.
Asi was a shop assistant, who immediately responded affirmatively.
Was this a signal to show the guest out? The doctor looked a bit awkward.
"Bring this... Doctor inside to change into some clean clothes," Miss Jun said.
The doctor was taken aback, then looked down at his soaked clothing, which clung unflatteringly to his body, feeling somewhat embarrassed as he was in the presence of a doctor, yet also a young lady.
"Let's sit down and talk about this condition," Miss Jun suggested, tapping the table lightly, "This might take a while, and you don't want to catch cold in those clothes."
The doctor, overwhelmed, was at a loss for words.
She didn't even know the doctor's name or background.
"Come with me," Asi said, leading the way.
The doctor no longer stood on ceremony and bowed to Miss Jun before he followed the shop assistant inside. After he changed into clean clothes and washed his face, a cup of hot tea was already prepared on the desk opposite Miss Jun.
The doctor bowed again and respectfully sat down, holding the hot tea, feeling warm in body and mind.
"Just now you mentioned that the prescription for this condition includes processed rehmannia glutinosa," Miss Jun said as she took up a pen and wrote on the paper.
The doctor across from her hurriedly put down his cup of tea and listened attentively with a solemn expression.
Across the street under the eaves, Doctor Geng wearing a bamboo hat could see everything through the window. He pressed down his hat and turned to walk away.
"Nowadays, all the doctors in the city are not angered by her claim of being able to cure; rather, they consider it an honor."
"Everyone even hopes she will say that she can cure it because once she says so, they definitely can cure it, and if not, she will make sure they do."
"Someone asked her why she was doing this, and she responded 'to treat one is to heal one person; to teach many is to save tens of thousands.'"
"This isn't about opposing all doctors in the city or looking down on the common folk without compassion; it's practically like becoming a Bodhisattva to save people."
Doctor Geng recounted the incident.
Imperial Physician Jiang's expression was grave.
How had this situation come about?
.........................
"It's no wonder this situation arose," he thought.
At this moment, several Jinyiwei from the Northern Administrative Court were also reporting on this matter.
"Others become doctors to make a living, to earn money," said one Jinyiwei emotionlessly. "But not Miss Jun."
"Indeed, she has De Sheng Chang supporting her, lacking neither money nor means of livelihood," another Jinyiwei added. "She seeks only reputation, not profit."
"Fame and wealth are shackles to people, but if one seeks only fame and not wealth, this person becomes fearsome, spreading skills to universally save all beings," the first Jinyiwei remarked. "It's practically like being a Bodhisattva."
Upon hearing this, households commander Jiang touched his chin.
Things had indeed turned out this way.
"These incompetent doctors are truly disappointing," he cursed.
The Jinyiwei moved a step forward.
"Commander, shall we take action?" they asked.
households commander Jiang waved his hand.
After all, matters involving the Fang Family were somewhat tricky.
"I'll go consult the one-thousand man commander," he said.
When households commander Jiang arrived at Yunqi's place, he was stopped at the entrance and made a gesture inside.
households commander Jiang understood that Yunqi was arranging tasks inside.
Even though they all were Jinyiwei, they kept their tasks confidential from each other.
households commander Jiang didn't wait long before hearing footsteps; several Jinyiwei walked out, nodding to those outside as a greeting before they left.
Yunqi followed them out.
"Commander," households commander Jiang said.
Yunqi gestured with his hand to stop him, not saying a word, and walked away.
households commander Jiang stopped in his tracks and watched as Yunqi briskly walked away.
"Is the Commander headed to the palace?" he asked. "What's happened?"
Although Yunqi always maintained an expressionless face, making it hard to discern his emotions, having spent much time with him, one could pick up subtle cues.
The look just now allowed households commander Jiang to see a ripple in Yunqi's eyes, a sight he had only seen once before, at the moment of Princess Jiuli's coffin being placed in the ground.
Surely, something major had happened, households commander Jiang thought.
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Have a happy holiday.