Gu Beiyue had hardly spoken when Gu Qishao strode in cheerfully. “Poison la.s.s, with your Qi gege here, no one can bully you.”
Withstrife at home and abroad, Han Yunxi had to deal with Medical City’spressure, Medicine City’s troubles, Ning Cheng’s threats, the prominentclan’s coercing, and the judgment and censure of the world on hershoulders. But these words made all her worries evaporate. Actually, sheknew as early as Celestial Mountain that it’d be impossible to returnas soon as she cured Gu Beiyue’s legs. How could she simply depart whenhe’d been doing his utmost for their sake?
Without Long Feiye around, she had to stay put and give all her energy to protecting his dominion. How great would it be if he was here. Theneveryone could join in a big battle together and subvert the world thattook Medical City as its master. They’d beat back all the rules andlaws and build up a new world order!
Han Yunxi had no idea thatLong Feiye was exchanging letters with Gu Beiyue nonstop from atopCelestial Mountain. He was fighting shoulder-by-shoulder with the doctoras well--or rather, directing everything from behind the scenes.
“Wecan discuss the Poison Sect’s matters in detail later. I’m going totake a look outside first,” Han Yunxi announced. There was still aruckus going on, which worried her. Gu Beiyue accompanied her out of thebamboo forest before listening next to the wall. He wouldn’t let herleave th estate. “Esteemedw.a.n.gfei, are you still ill at ease with this one managing matters?”
HanYunxi couldn’t refute his words. She suddenly felt that Gu Beiyue was alot more different than before, but she couldn’t figure out why. GuQishao was an impatient man by nature, so he simply copied Han Yunxi tolisten by the wall as well. To curb the riots, General Baili had come tosuppress the five main clans for daring to trespa.s.s on the Duke ofQin’s grounds. The two sides were still debating against each other, butno one could settle things with General Baili’s miliary logic. He wastaking advantage of the fact that “literati had to explain themselvesclearly before men of the military.”
Clan Head Xiao was anintelligent man who knew that civil officials didn’t fight with militaryofficials, and vice versa. Currently, the five prominent clanscontrolled most of South Ning and could indirectly check the military bycontrolling their grain rations and armor. But that was only the longterm picture. For the next few months, at least, they restrain themilitary powers. Thus, Clan Head Xiao became the first to yield.
“GeneralBaili, is Han Yunxi a descendent of the Poison Sect or not? How muchcatastrophe will she bring upon South Ning’s commander-in-chief’sestate? Why don’t we sit down and talk over this nicely? If she canconvince this old man with words, then I’ll support her wholeheartedly.Otherwise, we’ll try something else, alright?”
“You can’t agree to his terms!” Han Yunxi muttered.
Asexpected, General Baili rejected the offer. Until Celestial Mountaingave a formal announcement, he declared, anyone using the Poison Sectagainst they were simple people with ulterior motives against the Dukeof Qin’s estate. Meanwhile, Gu Qishao’s collection of Poison Corpses hadnothing to do with esteemedw.a.n.gfei at all. Like this, GeneralBaili refused the five prominent clans’ demands and publicly issuedorders for his troops to surround the city. An announcement was madethat South Ning’s commander-in-chief’s estate was going to fight againstMedical City until the end.
His military orders made the fiveclan heads, as well as the rest of South Ning officials, realized thateverything was a foregone conclusion. Clan Head Xiao was the first toprotest. “General Baili, just you wait. South Ning will be ruined atthis woman’s hands within three months!”
Han Yunxi was clear onthe ramifications as well. If they couldn’t keep doctors in theprefecture, the citizens would either move away or revolt. They’d losethe commander-in-chief’s estate then. Thus, every single second of theiractions from this point would be crucial. She had entertained plenty ofideas on the way home, and now sat with her group in a gazebo in thegardens to voice them.
“The most urgent matter of the moment isthe withdrawal of doctors from the prefecture. We have to findcountermeasures to this immediately to ease the pressure they’refacing.”
Gu Beiyue said, “Calculations were already done. Threedays ago, about eighty percent of all pharmacies in South NingPrefecture shut their doors. The remaining 20 percent are overcrowded bypatients. There’s been many cases of dysentery since it’s summer, soit’s natural to have more patients now. This one has already transferredall of Pill Fiend Pharamacy’s on-call doctors here and contacted a fewgood friends. They have disciples who are willing to treat the ill.However, I don’t think we’ll be able to last past two months.”
“Thisis even more horrific than a famine…” Han Yunxi gnashed her teeth.Medical City’s schemes would probably have no peer, past or present! Adoctor had the heart of a mother or father, but the people there simplyhad knives for hearts! The only purpose of medical arts was to savepeople, but they turned it into a weapon in order to seek power andforce the world to submit.
It was inexcusable!
Aftera pause, Han Yunxi declared, “I’m planning to pay high salaries for ourdoctors. Those that are fifth rank or higher will get larger bonusesper month. Have the government build up pharmacies and provide themedicinal ingredients to keep the physicians here. Also, beforeannouncing this news I’m planning to acknowledge my status as a PoisonSect descendant because that’s the ident.i.ty I’ll use to face off againstMedical City.”
She sighed. “From what I understand, Medical City destroyed the Poison Sect simply because of their ideas for ‘Poison Gu humans.’But the Poison Sect’s never done such atrocious deeds, nor has anyonediscovered the method to create them now. As I see it, Medical Cityexterminated the Poison Sect simply because they wanted to get rid ofdissidents. They were using public office for private gains!”
Leaningagainst the door, Gu Qishao glanced at Han Yunxi as his eyes flickered.It was unclear what he was planning. Baili Mingxiang, on the otherhand, grew worried. “Esteemedw.a.n.gfei, once you admit you’re part of the Poison Sect, wouldn’t Medicine City have to stop giving you supplies?”
HanYunxi nodded. “The situation at Medicine City is extremely complicated.They not only dread Medical City, but have over half of its members onthe Council of Elders who approve of the Poison Sect’s destruction. ButMedical City is determined to see me as a descendant whether I admit itor not! w.a.n.g Gong won’t be able to hold out past the month.”
Shedrank a sip of tea, then added, “I’ve already issued orders for PillFiend Pharmacy to take back all s.h.i.+pments of materials they’ve sentelsewhere. Combined with the medicine in the main pharmacy, we shouldhave enough to treat all of South Ning for about three months. If that’snot enough, perhaps I can discuss things with the Pill King.”
Sincethe reclusive Pill King had long retired from worldly affairs, hewouldn’t care what Medical City thought, either. However, it wouldn’twork to simply ‘beg’ him for favors, so Han Yunxi hoped her last resortwould only remain optional. Gu Beiyue started to speak next, but acommotion suddenly broke out outside.
Chu Xifeng rushed in to report, “Esteemed w.a.n.gfei, it’s terrible!”
Thefive prominent clan heads had just departed, so they couldn’t havedoubled back. What other ‘terrible’ news awaited them now? Han Yunxifelt rathered perturbed by Chu Xifeng’s breaking point expression.
“Esteemed w.a.n.gfei, hurry and take a look outside. There’s a bunch of women with children outside surrounding our gates.”
Women with children? What’s going on?
HanYunxi dashed through the gates and saw dozens of women kneeling by theentrance while holding children ranging from infants in swaddlingclothes to toddlers. All of the children were bawling.
Gu Beiyue was the first to discover something amiss. “Esteemed w.a.n.gfei, I’m afraid that these children have all fallen ill.”
HanYunxi suddenly realized what had happened. She couldn’t face the cryingchildren head-on and meet their innocent eyes or young, tender faces.She knew what they were here for. The woman at the front held herone-year-old child and stepped forward with the bawling child. Gu Beiyuerushed down the steps and gently felt the child’s forehead.
“How many days of fever?”
“Threedays and three nights. Doctor Gu, I’m begging you, please save mychild. I would rather fall sick myself then have him suffer. I’vesearched around all the pharmacies--it’s not that they don’t havedoctors, but that the lines are too long. Even the lines at Pill FiendPharmacy will take ten days to reach the end! The child can’t afford towait!”
As she spoke, she turned towards Han Yunxi next. “Esteemed w.a.n.gfei, Medical City is heartless. We’re willing to follow you, but...but the children can’t shoulder this burden! Esteemed w.a.n.gfei, please save the children! Please!”
All of the women raised their voices at her cry. “Please save the children, save the children…”
Theirpleading mixed with the children’s cries to resound before the Duke ofQin’s gates and carry into South Ning City’s skies. Even the mostruthless heart would be moved by the sound. Han Yunxi’s hands wereshaking. She desperately wanted to comfort the crying child, butcouldn’t move. She knew that these people had been instigated to comehere. Ordinary citizens wouldn’t raise a cry at their very gates, butthe sight before her was real.
They couldn’t afford to beg for treatment!
HanYunxi grew unsteady, not because of the scene before her, but becauseshe had no guarantee that she’d win if she publicly went against MedicalCity! Fighting against them under the banner of the Poison Sect wasonly because she’d been pressured into a corner.Suppose she lost?
A second thought rose to her mind amidst the crying.
I can acknowledge my guilt!
Shecould shoulder all the trumped-up charges against the Poison Sect andaccept Medical City’s punishment. The sight before her had really swayedher resolve.It’d be worth it if my one life could be used to exchange for hundreds of thousands of patients!
HanYunxi never liked to compromise, but she couldn’t break free of herfate this time. Abruptly, a voice as clear as a bell rang out.
“Thedoctors are here. Pill Fiend Pharmacy arranged for ten famousphysicians just to treat children and the elderly. There’s no need forlong lines there, so everyone just hurry over. The head physician wasonce Tianning’s Imperial Physician Huang Zhengming, and he’ll guarantee that everyone will receive the proper diagnosis. He won’t take a cent for examinations, either!”
Everyonelooked towards the source of the voice and saw Mu Linger standing therein her goose yellow dress, looking more lively than usual. Next to herstood an old man who was none other than Gu Beiyue’s friend, Tianning’sImperial Physician Huang. It was true that the crowd had come to maketrouble for Han Yunxi after getting some benefits, but their childrenreallywere sick. Hearing the news, all of them rushed towards Pill Fiend Pharmacy until the gates at the estate were left empty.
MuLinger saw Gu Qishao from a distance, but she didn’t rush towards himlike usual. Instead, she simply stared at him and smiled--a brilliant,if foolish-looking grin…