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Upon returning to the shop, Shuxiang was still sitting at the table reading, not even noticing that Di Jiang and Wen Yao had returned. Not wanting to disturb him, Di Jiang took Wen Yao upstairs directly to her room, then released Wu Jingyi from the blood jade.
“Doctor Di, my brother... is he really going to die?” Wu Jingyi looked at Di Jiang, her eyes filled with an expression Di Jiang couldn’t quite decipher.
Di Jiang nodded, not intending to hide the truth from her.
After hearing this, Wu Jingyi fell into deep silence, but her expression didn’t seem shocked—it was as if she had known all along.
Wen Yao stood by, confused by her demeanor.
“You go and find out how Sister Mei died,” Di Jiang said to Wen Yao.
“Yes!” Upon hearing this, Wen Yao immediately perked up. Gossip like this intrigued her more than anything else.
“There’s no need to inquire,” Wu Jingyi blocked Wen Yao’s way, saying, “Sister Mei died because of me.”
“You?” Di Jiang turned to look at Wu Jingyi, who still stood tall, exuding the air of a princess at all times.
Wu Jingyi nodded: “She was infatuated with my brother. I thought she was shamelessly trying to climb the social ladder, so I mocked her a few times. I intended for her to back off, but I didn’t expect her to be so prideful. That night, she took her own life.”
“...” Di Jiang remained silent for a moment, shaking her head and sighing: “Your body might not be retrievable.”
Di Jiang expected her to cry, but unexpectedly, Wu Jingyi appeared calm and said indifferently: “I’ve known for a long time. If it can’t be retrieved, it’s my fate.”
The tone of Wu Jingyi’s voice was as calm as a stagnant pond, which surprised Di Jiang.
Di Jiang had seen countless people on the verge of death, whether alive or as spirits, none failed to wail and lament, claiming they had many unfinished things in life. Someone of her status should have had soaring ambitions, yet she could speak so calmly about matters of life and death.
“On the day I was born, seven monks divined my fate. The Grand Master has always tried to change our destinies, but they all said my path is fraught with difficulties, and my future is unseen.”
Di Jiang suddenly understood. So that’s how it was.
“Princess, please accept my condolences.”
“I’m not afraid of death. I only regret harming my own brother. Despite all precautions against life-and-death calamities for so long, it was ultimately I who brought it upon him.”
“Life-and-death calamity?”
Wu Jingyi nodded: “On the day I was born, the Grand Master prophesied that my brother wouldn’t live past seventeen. The fifteenth day of the first lunar month is his seventeenth birthday.”
“Not necessarily.” The words slipped out of Di Jiang’s mouth, but the next second she realized she shouldn’t have said them.
Wu Jingyi’s eyes lit up with hope as she looked at Di Jiang: “Doctor Di, do you have a way to extend my brother’s life?”
“It depends on human effort. He isn’t dead yet, is he?”
“How can we save him?”
“Hmm… using another person’s life, one life for another. This person must volunteer willingly.”
“...” After hearing this, Wu Jingyi was silent for a long time. Finally, she raised her head: “Use mine.”
“You?” Di Jiang narrowed her eyes and smiled: “You can barely save yourself.”
“What other choice do I have?”
Di Jiang shook her head and didn’t answer her. Instead, she instructed Wen Yao: “Tomorrow, take some old ginseng to the General’s residence to keep him alive for now.”
“Yes.” Wen Yao nodded and immediately went downstairs.
“The rest, we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.” After speaking, Di Jiang didn’t wait for Wu Jingyi to say anything more before sending her back into the Eternal Lamp and throwing it out of the room.
She hadn’t slept well for two nights and was utterly exhausted...
Early the next morning, Di Jiang was still having a good dream when she suddenly heard a series of clattering sounds from downstairs, like many vessels breaking at once.
Fuming, she quickly put on her clothes and went downstairs, intending to see who was causing trouble in the shop. To her surprise, she found Wen Yao throwing a tantrum in the main hall.
“Stop smashing things! If you smash any more, pack your bags and go back to the mountains!” Di Jiang shouted, but Wen Yao, in the heat of anger, didn’t hear her.
Just then, Shuxiang came from the back hall, and Di Jiang quickly pulled him aside, asking: “What’s wrong with Wen Yao?”
“I don’t know,” Shuxiang shook his head. “She went out early this morning and came back like this.”
Di Jiang sighed deeply. It was unbearable. She gave Wen Yao a slap across the forehead from afar, making her dizzy and disoriented. After a while, she finally regained her senses.
“Boss, Boss!” Wen Yao exclaimed in surprise: “Why are you up already?”
“All the racket downstairs woke me up! Are you done smashing things?”
Wen Yao nodded dumbly, “Boss, you came just in time. Please judge for me!”
Before Di Jiang could say anything, Wen Yao rushed over in three quick steps, indignant: “This morning, I went to deliver ginseng to the Ru’an Royal Residence, and the steward threw me out!”
“Oh? How did he throw you out?”
“Two servants threw me out! If there hadn’t been people on the street, I would have thrown them to the burial grounds outside the city! They were so rude to me!”
Di Jiang rubbed her temples, saying: “What I mean is, how did you explain your purpose to the steward?”
“I straightforwardly said I came to deliver life-saving ginseng to His Highness...”
“To save whose life?”
“Naturally, the Prince’s life!”
“Oh, if it were me, I’d throw you out too.”
“Why?” Wen Yao was completely unaware.
Di Jiang sighed again, saying: “The soul-binding mark under Ru’an’s feet—I can see it, you can see it, but others can’t. Ru’an is perfectly fine right now. You rushing in to say he doesn’t have much time left is simply inviting trouble.”
Wen Yao stared blankly at Di Jiang for a long time, then finally slapped her forehead: “It seems I was too hasty.”
“It’s not your fault; I didn’t explain clearly.” Di Jiang poured herself a cup of tea and sat down at the table.
“So when should I go?”
“Do you care so much about Wu Ru’an?” Di Jiang asked lightly.
Wen Yao nodded without hesitation: “The Prince is so handsome; of course, I like him!”
“...”
Di Jiang and Shuxiang exchanged glances, neither confirming nor denying. Shuxiang probably thought to himself that someone her age shouldn’t be so infatuated with superficial appearances.
Di Jiang coughed twice, saying: “On the eleventh day, the day of the agreement with Sister Mei, I’ll go with you.”
“Yes.” After nodding heavily, Wen Yao happily went to organize the herbs.
Seeing her cheerful appearance, Di Jiang couldn’t help but ask: “Why are you suddenly so happy?”
“If Ru’an won’t die, I’m happy.”
“Who said Ru’an won’t die?”
“You did.”
“When did I say that?” Di Jiang frowned.
“Boss, don’t be modest,” Wen Yao squinted her eyes, smiling flatteringly: “As long as you’re willing to intervene, you can bring the dead back to life. Your words are more effective than anything else.”
“You misunderstood,” Di Jiang chuckled: “All I ever said was ‘extend his life.’ I never guaranteed curing him. He’s facing a fate issue, not an illness. Alright, what you should worry about now is compensating for my jars. Let’s put Ru’an’s matter aside for now.”
“Boss...” Wen Yao looked at the mess on the floor, whispering pitifully.
“Cute tactics won’t work. Why didn’t you think about the consequences when you were smashing things? Young people, don’t act so impulsively.” Di Jiang yawned and told Shuxiang: “Shuxiang, count how many jars she broke and tell me later.”
“Yes.” Shuxiang dutifully went to the shelves and started counting the jars.
“Boss, I was wrong. Please forgive me! I definitely don’t want to dig loaches in the moat!”
“Don’t worry, it won’t be digging loaches this time.”
“I don’t want to help Aunt Wang pull radishes either!” Wen Yao followed behind Di Jiang, pleading continuously. Di Jiang ignored her and slammed the door shut loudly, signaling that she’d better shut up unless she wanted more punishment.
Wen Yao had no choice but to close her mouth. She knew that anyone who disturbed Di Jiang’s sleep usually met a terrible fate...
Time passed swiftly. On the morning of the eleventh day, someone came knocking on the door early.
The door was pounded ‘bang bang’ loudly, disturbing the neighbors.
Di Jiang opened the window and saw the old steward of the Ru’an Royal Residence standing downstairs, accompanied by two servants. Judging by their stance, if they didn’t open the door soon, the steward would order the shop to be demolished.
“Who is it?” Wen Yao’s voice came from downstairs, followed by the store door being opened from inside.
As soon as Wen Yao poked her head out, the old steward ‘plop’ knelt in front of her, crying: “Doctor, I’ve finally found you! For three days, I searched all over Taiping Prefecture, and no one had heard of the ‘Jiansu’ clinic. I’ve been searching for three days, and finally, I found you!”
“What’s the matter, so panicked? Don’t you care about disturbing others’ rest?”
“Our Prince...” The old steward choked up, “Our Prince is not doing well. The imperial physicians have all examined him, and the Grand Master has been chanting scriptures for three days without improvement. I remembered that you delivered a life-extending medicine a while ago. I was blind to not recognize your greatness earlier. Please overlook my mistake and come to examine our Prince!”
“Alright, alright. If our boss sees you like this, she’ll scold me again!” Wen Yao hurriedly helped him up: “Wait a bit until our boss wakes up, then we’ll go to the Prince’s residence. You can leave now.”
“Please, Doctor, go call your boss. If you don’t come with us, we won’t be able to fulfill our duty!”
“This...” Wen Yao hesitated. After the shop-smashing incident a few days ago, the boss hadn’t given her a good face for several days. If she disturbed her sleep now, she’d surely suffer severe consequences.
Seeing the usually fearless Wen Yao hesitate, Di Jiang felt somewhat amused, and the irritation from the other day vanished.
Di Jiang sighed deeply, quickly washed up, and went downstairs.
“Boss, you’re actually up so early!” Wen Yao looked delighted.
Di Jiang nodded: “Prepare the herbs. We’re going to the Wu Royal Residence.”
“Yes!”
Wen Yao had prepared the herbs a few days ago. The group hurried to the Wu Royal Residence, arriving just after dawn.
The Wu Royal Residence was bustling with activity. The front hall was filled with chanting monks, and dozens of imperial physicians were stationed in the rear hall. Each physician had a small furnace behind them, brewing different herbs. Judging by the situation, if Prince Ru’an consumed all those medicines, even though medicine has its benefits, the side effects might leave him half-dead.
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