Chapter 229: I Will Treat Him
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
Xiao Zhenting left the Capital overnight. This matter could not be hidden from Shangguan Yan. Shangguan Yan also came. When the couple arrived at the village, the little munchkins were already asleep. They fell asleep in Yan Jiuchao’s arms. Yan Jiuchao probably never dreamed that the little brats, who were so naughty, would actually quietly nestle in his arms, guard him, and wait for him.
Yu Wan let the children sleep beside Yan Jiuchao. Yan Jiuchao doted on them so much. With them accompanying him, perhaps he could wake up early.
“Cong’er!”
Shangguan Yan’s voice reached before she arrived.
Yu Wan was sitting by the bed wiping Yan Jiuchao’s face. When she heard this, she put down her handkerchief and stood up to carry the basin to the shelf at the side.
!!
Shangguan Yan walked in, travel-worn. Her eyes were red. She must have cried all the way here. Before she entered the room, she had probably cleaned up. However, the moment she saw Yan Jiuchao, she could not help but cry.
Xiao Zhenting walked in. This room was quite s.p.a.cious, but once this burly man entered, the s.p.a.ce seemed cramped. He patted Shangguan Yan’s shoulder comfortingly. “Don’t cry first. You’ll wake the children up. Let the doctor take a look first.”
His voice was naturally rough, and it was not gentle when he lowered it, but his careful look made people think of the gentleness of a ferocious beast.
Shangguan Yan was moved by him. She looked at Yan Jiuchao and then at the three sleeping little lads. She stopped crying and was helped to the side by Xiao Zhenting.
“Come in,” Xiao Zhenting said as he looked at the door. This voice seemed to emit the pressure of a ferocious beast.
An old doctor with a white beard walked in with a medical kit. He was not an imperial physician of the palace, but a doctor that Xiao Zhenting had found from the commoners. He was best at such difficult illnesses. All the medicine that he had given Yan Jiuchao all these years was concocted by him.
Yu Wan stood quietly in front of the shelf. No one seemed to notice her, nor did anyone let her out, so she stayed in the room without moving.
The old doctor indeed had some skills. After giving Yan Jiuchao a few needles, Yan Jiuchao closed his empty and lifeless eyes. Compared to him not blinking, as if his soul had been sucked dry, it was more acceptable for him to fall asleep like this.
However, Yu Wan understood that his illness did not improve.
The old doctor took Yan Jiuchao’s pulse again. After he was done, he touched his beard and sighed.
“What’s wrong, Doctor Zhong? How’s my son?” Shangguan Yan asked in a choked voice.
The old doctor cupped his hands and said helplessly, “Young Master’s situation isn’t good.”
“W-what’s wrong?” Shangguan Yan asked anxiously.
“He doesn’t have much time left,” the old doctor said helplessly.
Shangguan Yan felt her vision go black and the world spin. Xiao Zhenting held her in time to prevent her from falling to the ground.
Shangguan Yan burst into tears. “…Didn’t they say there were still two years… He’s only twenty-three…”
Yu Wan frowned. So it was true. Yu Zigui wasn’t lying. Yan Jiuchao really wouldn’t live past twenty-five.
The old doctor said, “That’s the ideal situation, but this ‘illness’ can worsen at any time.”
It was already an eye-opener for him to be able to live until today. Of course, the old doctor did not dare to say this. As a doctor who had prescribed pills for Yan Jiuchao for more than ten years, he knew better than anyone that Yan Jiuchao’s situation was actually worsening every year. His dosage increased again and again, but this year, he could not increase it anymore. Otherwise, things would definitely go the other way when they reached an extreme.
Shangguan Yan cried until she fainted. Xiao Zhenting carried her to the room next door.
The most heartbreaking thing in life was to see one’s child die before oneself. Yu Wan was now a mother, so she understood Shangguan Yan’s reaction very well.
The old doctor stayed in the house. He went to the carriage to get the medicine and said that he wanted to give Yan Jiuchao a medicinal bath. This was a futile struggle and was just to comfort Shangguan Yan.
The two of them did not bring any servants. The water in the basin had turned cold. Yu Wan went to the kitchen to get another basin and continued to wipe Yan Jiuchao’s face.
“He was poisoned by a curse.”
Xiao Zhenting’s voice suddenly sounded behind Yu Wan.
Yu Wan turned around and looked around. After confirming that he was talking to her, she stood up and greeted, “Grand Marshal Xiao.”
“There’s no need to be polite.” Xiao Zhenting gestured for her to sit.
Yu Wan sat back on the stool. This man was too tall. When she stood, she looked like an innocent little pitiful thing in front of him. When she sat down, she looked like a little kitten.
Therefore, it was not that they did not notice her just now, but they could not greet her. The reason why they did not let her leave was because they were willing to let her understand Yan Jiuchao’s illness.
Perhaps they… treat her as one of his own?
Yu Wan pulled Yan Jiuchao’s cold hand. His body was hot but his hands and feet were cold. This was not a good sign. She wiped his hand with a hot cotton cloth and said in a low voice, “Did he get it at a young age?”
Xiao Zhenting nodded. “When he was two or three years old.”
Wouldn’t that be the same age as the little munchkins? Yu Wan clenched her fists. “Who’s so cruel?”
“The late Emperor,” Xiao Zhenting said.
Yu Wan was stunned. The late Emperor? Wasn’t the late Emperor Yan Jiuchao’s grandfather? Why would he poison his imperial grandson?
“The late Emperor thought that Prince Yan was not his flesh and blood,” Xiao Zhenting said.
He thought? That means he is, isn’t it? Yu Wan looked at Xiao Zhenting in shock. Xiao Zhenting sighed. “Unfortunately, this misunderstanding couldn’t be cleared up to the late Emperor until his death. However, even if it was cleared up, the late Emperor couldn’t do anything.”
“Is there no solution to this curse?” Yu Wan did not ask who framed Prince Yan. This could not be a simple misunderstanding, but there were some things that she should not know.
Xiao Zhenting was very satisfied with her tact. This kind of royal secret should not be revealed to outsiders. It was already a risk to expose the late Emperor. Was he tired of living or was he tired of this girl dying quickly?
Xiao Zhenting did not say anything about Yu Wan’s doubts. “All these years, I’ve been searching for a way to resolve the curse… This isn’t from the Central Plains. It’s a poison curse from Southern Xinjiang. It first appeared in the Nanzhao Nation.”
Yu Wan had studied a lot during this period of time and roughly understood that the places south of the Central Plains were called the Southern Xinjiang. Most of Southern Xinjiang was the territory of the Nanzhao Nation, and there were also a few small clans who had submitted to the Nanzhao Nation.
Xiao Zhenting continued, “The original intention was to use it to tame the royal sacrificial soldiers. After discovering that its toxicity was irreversible, the Nanzhao royal family gradually banned it. However, its secret recipe was pa.s.sed down. I didn’t expect it to also spread to the Central Plains, nor did I expect the late Emperor to have such a vicious method to deal with Prince Yan’s children.”
Yu Wan could not understand the late Emperor’s actions either. However, it was said that accompanying the Emperor was like accompanying a tiger. Those who could sit on the throne were probably not soft-hearted people. Even though he knew that Prince Yan was not his flesh and blood, he could not deal with Prince Yan openly because of the royal family’s reputation. The hatred that was acc.u.mulated in his heart made the late Emperor do inhumane things.
However, it was hard on Yan Jiuchao. He was still so young. This kind of compet.i.tion was unfair to him.
“Since this poison curse is so domineering, is Yan Jiuchao hopeless?” Yu Wan asked.
Xiao Zhenting paused and said, “Have you heard of the Southern Xinjiang Gu technique?”
Yu Wan shook her head.
Xiao Zhenting said, “There’s a Gu technique in Southern Xinjiang that might be able to resolve this poison curse.”
However, Gu techniques were not so easy to master. If one wanted to become a true Gu Master, they had to nurture Gu with their bodies. Ordinary people could not withstand the poison of Gu at all, so there were very few Gu Masters.
Moreover, what Yan Jiuchao needed was not ordinary Gu Masters.
Xiao Zhenting said, “I’ve already asked Xiao Wu to go to Southern Xinjiang. I believe there will be some progress soon.”
No wonder he had not seen Master Xiao Wu during this period of time. It turned out that he had gone to Southern Xinjiang to find an antidote for Yan Jiuchao.
… .
Shangguan Yan could have brought Yan Jiuchao back to the Capital, but she did not do so. She and Xiao Zhenting stayed in the village. The two of them were like an ordinary couple taking care of their seriously-ill son.
Everyone in the village knew that Young Master Wan’s parents had come, and they knew that he had parents. His mother was as beautiful as a flower, and his father was mighty and strong. He was really lucky.
The villagers also knew that Young Master Wan was sick. Young Master Wan was their village’s great benefactor. When he was sick, they naturally had to visit him. Every day, there were villagers carrying fresh vegetables or wild vegetables to Young Master Wan’s house.
Shangguan Yan accepted them all gratefully.
“He has to get better quickly,” Aunt Zhang said.
Shangguan Yan took the basket of chili from Aunt Zhang and felt emotional. She could hear such words countless times every day, but she would never get tired of it. In the Capital, everyone hoped that her son would die early, but here, everyone wanted her son to live well.
Shangguan Yan returned to the house and looked into the bronze mirror. She took off the golden hairpin on her head, took off the expensive silk, and changed into a plain cloth shirt.
When Xiao Zhenting returned to the house, he saw his high and mighty wife holding a hoe and bending down to flip the ground in the backyard like a peasant woman.
Xiao Zhenting looked at her in shock.
A trace of shyness flashed across Shangguan Yan’s face. “I… I saw them flipping the ground like this. I don’t know if they did it right.”
“Let me do it,” Xiao Zhenting said as he rolled up his sleeves.
Xiao Zhenting was an expert at war. But he was useless in flipping the ground. The couple spent the entire morning in the backyard, destroying all the good land.
There were many villagers who came to visit. Shangguan Yan had heard a lot about her son from them. She never knew that her infamous son was so respected in the village.
“Young Master Wan is a good person. Back then, we were bullied by the people from Apricot Flower Village. It was Young Master Wan who convinced the county magistrate!”
“Young Master Wan even saved Miss Yu!”
“Young Master Wan is a scholar. He’s very good at studying. He’s the quasi-top scholar of our village!”
Good person? Benefactor? Top scholar? Were they really talking about her son?
The villagers did not know Yan Jiuchao’s ident.i.ty and illness, but the Yu family had more or less obtained some concrete news.
“Ah Wan.” Uncle came to Yu Wan’s house with his walking stick. His legs were much more convenient, and he could slowly walk for half a mile without his walking stick. However, he was anxious to see Yu Wan, so he still used his walking stick.
Yu Wan had just finished checking Little Bruiser’s homework. She had things to be busy with, but she didn’t miss a single thing that she should have done. Uncle simply didn’t understand how she did it. If other girls encountered such a thing, they would be crying their eyes out. However, his Ah Wan didn’t cry. His Ah Wan was very strong.
“Uncle, why are you here? If there’s something, just let me go over. Your legs are only getting better. You can’t walk too much.” Yu Wan helped Uncle to a chair and sat down.
Uncle said with heartache, “I came to see you. If you’re sad…”
“I’m not sad,” Yu Wan interrupted her uncle.
Uncle was stunned.
Yu Wan said firmly, “I’ll treat him, so there’s nothing to be sad about.”
“But…” This was not an ordinary illness. It could not be cured.
Yu Wan smiled and said calmly, “I’ll treat him, just like how I treated Uncle back then.”
Uncle was speechless. He wanted to refute, but he realized that he could not say a word. Back then, this girl had boasted that she wanted to treat his leg. Everyone thought she was crazy, but in the end, she did it. In their opinion, it was impossible, but she had never given up. If she could treat his leg, she could also… treat Young Master Yan’s illness, right?
But… but the doctors she could find could also be found by the Xiao family and the Young Master Manor. They could even find more. If they were helpless, could Ah Wan really do it?
“This time, I’ll treat him myself,” Yu Wan said.
The medical books left behind by Grandpa Bao had already been memorized by Yu Wan. Yu Wan found more medical books to read. She bought all the medical books in town and did not find any that were useful. So she went to the Capital again.
“Medical books. I have them at home too,” Bai Tang said.
The families with deep foundations had some books. Bai Tang moved all the bookshelves in her house and sent them all to Yu Wan. Afraid that these medical books were not enough, she found a bookstore in the Capital and bought all the medical books she could buy.
The medical books of the Young Master Manor and the Xiao family were also sent to Yu Wan’s room.
Shangguan Yan did not think that Yu Wan could really help. She just saw that she really wanted to save her son and let her do whatever she wanted.
“Ah Wan!”
Yu Feng rushed into Yu Wan’s room.
Yu Wan put down the medical book in her hand and looked up at him. “Big Brother?”
Yu Feng walked in a hurry and was sweating profusely. He didn’t have the time to wipe his sweat. He carefully took out a cloth bag and opened it to Yu Wan. “Look, a medical book.”
Unlike the brand new medical books that were bought on the market or stored by aristocratic families, this medical book looked a little dilapidated and the pages were yellow.
“Where did you get it?” Yu Wan took the medical book.
Yu Feng said, “I went to the neighboring village to collect spring bamboo shoots just now and met Old Cui. He heard that our family was buying medical books, so he said that he also had one in his hands and asked me if I wanted it. I want to buy it. I don’t know many words so I don’t know whether I bought it correctly. It’s one tael of silver. If he dares to trick me, I’ll beat him up!”
With her big brother’s stingy personality, he was actually willing to spend a tael of silver to buy an old medical book. He had really plucked a feather from a miser.
Yu Wan looked at him gratefully. “It’s a medical book. Thank you, Big Brother.”
“As long as I didn’t buy it wrongly! Take a look first. I’ll go to work first.” With that, Yu Feng left another bag of fresh fruits before turning around and leaving.
Yu Wan glanced at the fruits and smiled. She carefully flipped through the medical skills she had.
Five miles away from Lotus Flower Village, there was a carriage parked.
Old Cui stood outside the carriage and said respectfully, “…Your Highness, I’ve sold the medical book to the Yu family. If Her Highness finds out…”
Yan Huaijing said indifferently, “I won’t let her know. Even if she knows, I’ll take the blame for you.”
“I’m relieved to hear that, Your Highness. However…” Old Cui paused and asked in confusion,” Isn’t Your Highness incompatible with Yan Jiuchao? Why do you want me to give the medical book to Miss Yu? What if… she cured Yan Jiuchao?”
Old Cui had never diagnosed Yan Jiuchao’s illness, so it was difficult to judge if medical books were useful to Yan Jiuchao. However, Yan Huaijing’s att.i.tude was clear that he did not want Yan Jiuchao to die.
Old Cui said, “Forgive me for being blunt, but this is a good time to get rid of Yan Jiuchao.”
Yan Huaijing said coldly, “There are many ways for me to get rid of him, but I want to win openly and make him admit defeat! He has to live and see how I defeat him bit by bit!”
Unknowingly, Yu Wan was so engrossed in her medical books that she forgot to eat and sleep.
“Ahem!” Yu Shaoqing cleared his throat by the door.
Yu Wan rubbed her sore neck. “Dad, you’re here?”
“Didn’t you say that we don’t lack money for oil lamps?” Yu Shaoqing placed the big bowl in his hand on the table, lit two oil lamps, and turned the wick to its brightest. “Eat something first.”
“Okay.” Yu Wan nodded. She happened to be hungry.
“It’s dumplings,” Yu Wan said in surprise. She didn’t like food made of flour, but she liked dumplings. Her father’s dumplings had thin skin, and the meat was firm and delicious. Yu Wan ate three in one go. “Phew, hot!”
“No one is s.n.a.t.c.hing it from you!” Yu Shaoqing reprimanded her.
Yu Wan looked at the other bowl of dumplings and said, “Dad, you eat too.”
“I’ve eaten,” Yu Shaoqing said.
Yu Wan blinked in confusion. “Then who is this bowl for?”
Yu Shaoqing said fiercely, “For-for you. If you can’t eat it… just send it to that guy.”
Yu Wan smiled. Yan Jiuchao, look, my father made dumplings for you.
On the seventh day Yan Jiuchao fell asleep, there was news from the Xiao Manor that Master Xiao Wu had returned to the Capital. He had found a Gu Master!