Ch. 111 The Great Doctor Shows His Skills
When Chu Lian finally reached Guilin Restaurant, Manager Qin personally guided her to a private room where the person she was looking for was waiting.
The moment Chu Lian entered the room, she could hear people talking behind the screen placed in front of the entrance.
"Brother Miao, if not for you, we would have had to wait a whole month to eat in this Guilin Restaurant!"
"Oh? This Guilin Restaurant is that popular?"
Brother Miao, you've just arrived here so you wouldn't know about this, but the owner of this Guilin Restaurant is the very, very wise..."
Immediately after, a deep chuckle resounded. "As smart as this owner is, how could they compare to Brother Wang?"
De'an Restaurant's Mr Wang burst out into laughter. "I can't live up to that boast! Honoured Lady Jinyi and I can't be compared on the same level! Her business skill is so much better than mine. Can you guess how long it took for Guilin Restaurant to become this popular in the capital?"
"A month, maybe two? Surely you're not going to tell me that it only took ten days? Old Wang, even if you like to exaggerate your stories, that's just too unbelievable! There's always a certain order to things. When you brought me here, it was obvious to me that this old alleyway isn't a good location for a restaurant."
Mr Wang shook his head and grinned. He lifted one finger for the man sitting across from him, happy that he had finally found something that could shock his old friend. "Hmph, I'm going to tell you. Brother Miao, it only took a single day for this restaurant to become known across the entire capital!"
Great Doctor Miao was in the middle of picking up some pork slices in mashed garlic. When he heard his old friend's words, his eyes almost popped out of his head. "Brother Wang, you're not pulling my leg, are you?"
Mr Wang cast a sideways look at his old friend with sharp eyes. "Hmph, if you don't believe me, you can ask Honoured Lady Jinyi herself when she comes."
"You're saying that the owner of this restaurant will be coming to look for us?"
Mr Wang really didn't know what to do with this innocent, naive old friend of his. There's no such thing as a free lunch. Since his old friend was the only one who could answer Guilin Restaurant's three questions, what did that mean? Those questions had been specially prepared for Great Doctor Miao. They had been put up just to lure this big fish into their net.
Someone had likely reported this news to Honoured Lady Jinyi. In a short moment, he would finally be able to meet the owner of this Guilin Restaurant.
......
Chu Lian took in a deep breath to suppress the excitement in her heart and made sure she had a normal expression in place before stepping around the screen. Once she passed the screen, she could see two men sitting across from each other as they ate and drank.
Chu Lian bobbed in greeting towards the two men before taking a seat at the same table facing the window.
Manager Qin personally guarded the private room from outside. An hour later, Chu Lian brought her maidservants out with her as she exited the room.
Manager Qin fell into step behind her and carefully asked, "Third Young Madam, was it successful?"
Chu Lian had lost control of her emotions; her good cheer was written all over her face. To Manager Qin, she nodded and instructed, "Let Mr Miao stay in Dark Court 1 over the next few days. In seven days, pick someone you trust and bring Mr Miao to the Jing'an Estate."
After she finished giving Manager Qin his orders, she returned to the Jing'an Estate.
The novel was right. Great Doctor Miao was an absolute foodie. With those questions as bait, and after offering up the grape wine she had personally brewed, Great Doctor Miao had come to an agreement with her and agreed to go to the Jing'an Estate in seven days to check Countess Jing'an's illness. However, one of the conditions was that Chu Lian had to personally cook a dish he hadn't tried at Guilin Restaurant.
This condition was an easy one for Chu Lian, so she agreed to it without hesitation.
On the way back to the Jing'an Estate, Chu Lian had already thought of what to make: the crispy roast duck that Royal Princess Duanjia kept talking about.
House Jing'an's carriage was driving down a spacious green cobblestone street when a black horse galloping at full speed approached the carriage from the front. At a glance, it could be seen that the black horse wasn't just any common steed off the street.
The manservant driving the carriage was worried that they might get into an accident, so he nudged the carriage horses to the side of the road while cutting their speed drastically, doing his best to give the galloping horse as much space as he could.
However, the rider of that galloping horse didn't seem to notice that gesture at all. Conversely, he stuck to his own path and even moved closer to the carriage.
Without waiting for House Jing'an's manservant to react, the black horse crossed paths with Chu Lian's carriage with just a hair's breadth between them, and then disappeared at the end of the street.
As the horse sprinted past, the gust of wind it left in its wake parted the curtains covering the window of Chu Lian’s carriage.
Chu Lian could only hear the thundering hoofbeats pass by a little too close for comfort. She was about to ask the guards outside what was happening when she saw that a thin bamboo tube had been thrown into the carriage. It had rolled onto the carpet right in front of her
Any words she had to say were stuck in the back of her throat as her gaze slowly shifted to the thin bamboo tube. The special pattern on it was all too familiar to her. It was the exact same pattern as the one on the capsule she had found in the orange at the Zheng Estate when she had requested for fresh oranges. The capsule back then, however, had been slightly more fine.
Xiyan was sitting with her inside the carriage. When she saw the bamboo tube as well, she suffered a huge fright. Her head was also lowered as she stared at that little bamboo tube on the carpeted floor of the carriage. Fear filled her heart; if it hadn't been a simple bamboo tube, but instead some hidden weapon... then her master would probably be injured right now.
Xiyan was about to speak up to ask a question when Chu Lian tugged at her sleeve and shook her head, her eyebrows furrowed.
Xiyan then quickly covered her own mouth and nodded a few times at Chu Lian, indicating that she wasn't going to say anything.
By this time, one of the guards escorting the carriage from outside had come over to the window. He asked in a worried tone, "Third Young Madam, are you alright?"
Chu Lian quickly tried to regain her composure and make her voice sound normal before answering, "Yes, I'm fine. Why? Has something happened outside?"
Hearing her calm tone, the guard relaxed. "It's nothing, it was just a galloping horse passing by. Third Young Madam, if you need anything, please call for this subordinate."
After waiting for a moment and ensuring that there were no other sounds outside the carriage, Chu Lian reached out to pick up the bamboo tube. With the tube in her hands, she waited yet another moment before taking in a deep breath and opening it up.
There was a rolled up piece of paper inside the bamboo tube. She gently smoothed out the paper and read the two lines of words written in the shoujin style.
Xiao Bojian's writing was completely different from He Changdi's. He Changdi's words were usually written in bold and powerful strokes, lending a somewhat grand air to them. Xiao Bojian wrote with such force that his words could be seen from the back of the paper, but they were neat and almost mechanical. It was rare to see any words touching.
You could tell what a person was like through their handwriting. However, just looking at this meticulous handwriting, it was likely that no one would be able to discern the well-hidden greed and ambition within Xiao Bojian.
Anything could be faked. What the naked eye could see, what was shown on people's faces... all of it could be used to deceive others.
Xiyan's eyes were fixed on her master. When she saw that Chu Lian's brows were drawn together and her expression didn't seem too good, she tried asking, "Third Young Madam, is anything the matter?"
Chu Lian returned to reality and directly passed the note over to Xiyan without any intention of concealing its contents.
Xiyan took the note and glanced over it. There wasn’t much to read, but the gist of the message was that they were requesting to meet with her master half a month later. Xiao Bojian had successfully become the top scholar in the final imperial examination, and Old Duke Ying had been his mentor. He would hold a banquet of gratitude for his mentor in the Ying Estate then.
Xiao Bojian was hinting that Chu Lian should use this chance to return to her maiden house.
Xiyan looked at Chu Lian worriedly and bit her lip in unease. "Third Young Madam, do... do you want to go...?"
Chu Lian returned Xiyan's stare for a long while before asking, "Xiyan, do you think that I'll be going?"
Xiyan cast her gaze downwards, not daring to look at Chu Lian. Quite some time passed before she finally managed to squeeze out the words, "Mister Xiao's status is no longer as ordinary as before..."
Chu Lian sneered. No longer ordinary? He was just a measly top scholar. Even if he had a mysterious organisation in his hands, so what? She, Chu Lian, wasn't one to follow someone else's bidding.
Chu Lian took the paper note from Xiyan's hands and tore it to shreds before throwing it into her hand warmer and turning it into ashes. The specially carved bamboo tube was also thrown out of the carriage.
Xiyan's eyes widened as she watched Chu Lian's actions. "Third Young Madam, you're..."
"Not going. Even if he becomes a first-ranked official, that has nothing to do with me! I'm the Third Young Madam of House Jing'an now, and I'm no longer that helpless, powerless Sixth Miss of House Ying." There were plenty of people willing to protect her now!
Xiyan was struck into a daze. When she finally recovered, she smiled sweetly despite the tears in her eyes.
Chu Lian was helpless before this silly handmaid of hers. "What are you crying for, you little...!"
Xiyan quickly wiped at her eyes with her handkerchief, her smile still shining brightly underneath her tear-stained cheeks. "Third Young Madam, this servant isn't crying; this servant is happy!"
She was really happy! Compared to the past Sixth Miss Chu, she liked the current Third Young Madam of House Jing'an more. It was great that Third Young Madam could think so clearly!
When the carriage reached the Jing'an Estate, master and servant both treated that bamboo tube as if it had never existed. Chu Lian continued passing her days lazily. She didn't think that Xiao Bojian would send someone to kidnap her if she didn't go to the Ying Estate. Xiao Bojian wasn't that bold yet.
Seven days later, Great Doctor Miao was personally escorted to the Jing'an Estate by Manager Qin. Chu Lian had also notified Matriarch He of this visit beforehand.
Today, Chu Lian had invited Royal Princess Duanjia over. Since this matter involved Countess Jing'an's health, He Erlang had also rushed back to the estate despite his busy schedule.
The Dragon Guards had been given a mission and He Changjue was to be posted to the neighbouring city of Zhangzhou the day after tomorrow. He was also taking this chance to return to the estate and bid his farewells to his family. Three days later, he would be departing the estate to meet his commanding officer at the west gate of the capital and set off for Zhangzhou.
Chu Lian personally made roast duck for the foodie Great Doctor Miao.
When Great Doctor Miao came out from Countess Jing'an's bedroom, even the normally calm Chu Lian was so anxious that she quickly stood up to welcome him.
"Mr Miao, how is Mother's illness? Can it be treated?"
Great Doctor Miao nodded confidently. "Honoured Lady, please rest assured. Madam's condition isn't that severe, and I can cure it once and for all. However, there's something I have to tell Honoured Lady beforehand."
Matriarch He was seated at the head of the room. When she heard those words, it was as if a burden that she had carried for years had suddenly lifted. Her expression seemed relaxed as she said, "Mr Miao, please feel free to speak. We'll do anything as long as it's something within our ability."
Great Doctor Miao stroked his beard as he said, "Well, this matter could be easy or difficult, depending on the circumstances..."
Chu Lian earnestly listened, not willing to miss a single word he said.
Ch. 112 War at the Northern Border
"If you want to cure Madam's illness once and for all, you need a single medicinal ingredient. However, this ingredient only grows in the high mountains of the extreme north..."
The medicinal ingredient that Great Doctor Miao needed was a type of alpine flower. It was also one of the rarest alpine flowers and was called 'Snow Mountain Mists'. It grew only on the peaks of snow-capped mountains and would only bloom at the coldest times of the year. After blooming, it would wither away in just two to three days. To be able to use it in medicine, the flower had to be picked right before it withered, otherwise it would lose all its worth as a medicinal ingredient.
It was known to grow in the border between the Great Wu Dynasty and the Tuhuns' territory- Mount Ah-Ming.
In another three months, it would be time for the 'Snow Mountain Mists' on Mount Ah-Ming to bloom.
This rare ingredient was hard to preserve and there weren't many fields that required the use of it. Most doctors didn't even know of the medicinal uses of this flower, so it was impossible to find it on the market.
Even Great Doctor Miao had only incidentally found out about its uses during his younger days when he had wandered all over the land.
Great Doctor Miao spoke bluntly to the various members of the He Family gathered in the parlour. The treatment for Countess Jing'an's body couldn't be delayed for too long. Even if he personally helped stabilise her condition, she could only go on like that for another two years. If they couldn't find this 'Snow Mountain Mists' flower within two years, then there would be nothing he could do.
After Great Doctor Miao finished explaining the situation, he left the parlour to write a prescription for Countess Jing'an.
Only Matriarch He, the eldest son He Changqi, the second son He Changjue, and the newlywed wife of the third son, Chu Lian, were left in the parlour.
The joy that had been present on their faces earlier had disappeared. The matriarch's expression was so serious that the wrinkles on her face creased further.
When Chu Lian noticed this, her heart ached for the matriarch. She tried to reassured the old lady by saying, "Grandmother, at least there's some hope for Mother now. And it's not as if this type of flower is completely unheard of. Having some hope is better than having none at all, isn't it?"
Matriarch He took in a deep breath and patted Chu Lian's hand. "You're right, Lian'er. At least there's some hope for your mother's illness now. I should be happy instead."
Silence reigned in the parlour for a while more before He Erlang abruptly stepped forward and knelt before Matriarch He. In a firm voice, he said, "Grandmother, let me go to the north to search for this flower for Mother!"
Right after He Erlang spoke, He Dalang also knelt down in front of Matriarch He. "Grandmother, don't let Erlang go! Erlang hasn't even gotten married yet. I'm the eldest son of this family. When Father left to protect the border, he instructed me to take care of Grandmother, Mother, and my two younger brothers. It's obviously me who should go on this trip to the north!"
"No, Eldest Brother, I'll go!"
"Second Brother, are you going to disobey your older brother? Let me go!"
......
The normally harmonious brothers were actually fighting to be the one to go to the northern border. Matriarch He was starting to get a headache from their quarrelling. She slapped the table next to her with a loud bang and said, "Enough! What are you fighting for?!"
It was only then that the two brothers stopped and quieted down. However, none of them stood up and they simply waited for Matriarch He's final verdict.
Matriarch He massaged her forehead. After a short pause, she heaved a sigh and said, "This old woman knows that you're all filial children. However, Dalang, you hold a position at court. Without the Emperor's permission, you can't abandon your post without a proper reason. Our estate needs you here as well. We can't do without a male master here to hold the fort in such a big estate. And Erlang has just gotten a mission in Zhangzhou. I heard this mission was ordered by the Emperor himself. You can't disobey imperial orders. If you go to the northern border at this time, are you going to willingly deceive the Emperor? So neither of you are allowed to go!"
What?
Neither of them were allowed to go?! But they were the only male members of House Jing'an left in the capital. If neither of them were to go, how could they stop worrying? It was their very own mother who was severely ill!
"Grandmother, you can't! If we don't go, what's going to happen to Mother?" He Dalang and He Erlang asked in unison.
Matriarch He opened her mouth to speak. She had a troubled expression on her face. Count Jing'an was deeply in love with his wife. If he were to find out about this piece of good news, he would never let the chance go. She also felt very guilty towards this daughter-in-law of hers, and wished for her speedy recovery.
Chu Lian pressed her lips before reminding all of them, "Grandmother, have you all forgotten about Husband? Why don't you ask Husband to send someone to Mount Ah-Ming to investigate? With Husband around, he'll surely get the job done."
Matriarch He froze for an instant. She looked at Chu Lian before turning to the two grandsons kneeling before her. She felt that Chu Lian had brought up a good suggestion. After thinking it over, she declared, "Even if you want to go to the northern border, you won't be able to set out in just one or two days. There are too many things to prepare for in the estate. I have to think about it carefully. Lian'er is right, we still have Sanlang at the northern border, so the two of you shouldn't worry too much. Especially you, Erlang. You can't fool around with an imperial mission on your shoulders! Pack up and go back to the Left Military Guards today!"
He Changjue wanted to protest, but after getting glared at by He Dalang, he could only lower his head and agree to it.
Chu Lian escorted Matriarch He back to Qingxi Hall before returning to her own courtyard.
Great Doctor Miao had been invited to stay longer in the Jing'an Estate, and his daily meals were now the responsibility of the kitchen in Chu Lian's courtyard.
Great Doctor Miao was an amiable guest as long as he had some delicious food before him, so he settled in rather peacefully.
Three days later, House Ying sent Matriarch He an invite for Xiao Bojian's thank-you banquet for his mentor.
They specially invited both the matriarch and Honoured Lady Jinyi.
As Matriarch He held the invitation in her hands and wondered how she should reply, Chu Lian's father, Chu Qizheng, had also sent an invite over. It was delivered straight to Chu Lian.
Chu Lian didn't know that Matriarch He had been invited as well. Her brows furrowed when she received the invitation from her father.
Xiao Bojian seemed to have anticipated her reluctance to attend the banquet and had purposely gotten her father to send her an invite.
What was he trying to do?!
Chu Lian's mood remained agitated until late afternoon, when she brought the invite to Qingxi Hall to discuss the matter with Matriarch He.
Just as grandmother and granddaughter had settled down in the parlour of Qingxi Hall, they could hear some noise coming from outside.
Matriarch He hadn't been in a good mood in the first place. When she heard the disturbance, her expression turned grave. "Muxiang, go outside and find out what's going on."
In a short moment, Muxiang returned.
Her face was full of anxiety as she ran back in without minding her usual etiquette. She hurriedly reported, "Matriarch, the person causing the disturbance outside is a guard from Prince Jin's Estate. He said that there's something urgent to report to Matriarch. This servant accidentally overheard a part of it- war has broken out at the northern border!"
"What?!" Matriarch He abruptly stood up in shock.
Chu Lian's almond-shaped eyes had also widened in surprise. However, she had already been mentally prepared for this piece of news, so her reaction was much calmer than Matriarch He's.
The news was too much for Matriarch He. Her body wavered before she completely lost her strength and almost fell forward. Luckily, Chu Lian spotted this in time and quickly caught hold of Matriarch He. The maidservants nearby also hurriedly stepped forward to support the matriarch.
"Grandmother! Are you alright? Are you feeling unwell anywhere?"
Matriarch He leaned on Chu Lian's shoulder as she massaged the bridge of her nose.
After a long moment, she seemed to have finally recovered some of her spirit. She slowly opened her eyes. "I'm alright now. Quick, let the messenger in!"
Muxiang rushed out to call the messenger.
Chu Lian helped Matriarch He to her seat once again. Scared for the matriarch's health, she told Wenlan to request Great Doctor Miao's presence.
The worn-looking man was escorted in by the main steward of the outer court. It was only after the messenger showed his token that Matriarch He finally believed that this man was from Prince Jin's Estate.
"Tell me, what's happening at the northern border?" Matriarch He's voice was hoarse and carried a heavy sense of fatigue.
The messenger bowed before he started his report. "The Tuhun army has gathered outside Liangzhou. The northern border troops have already skirmished with them a few times. Great General Qian is currently leading the northern border troops and doing his best to defend against the Tuhuns. However, the weather is getting worse over there and Liangzhou City is seeing heavy snowfall. The only worry is that the heavy snow might close up the mountain pass and block the supply line..."
When two armies are at war, their biggest worry is running out of supplies. The Tuhuns had bided their time for over a decade. It was likely that they had already sussed out the supply times of the northern border troops and had specially chosen this period to mount a surprise attack...
Matriarch He and Chu Lian both gasped upon hearing this news.
Once their supplies ran out, the whole army would likely starve to death before the Tuhuns took action. This wasn't a warm spring day they were facing; the winter over there could even kill the hardy, frost-resistant yaks.
Matriarch He felt her body turn to jelly. She turned an affectionate yet pitiful gaze upon the young granddaughter-in-law next to her. The words she wanted to say refused to come out of her throat.
After a short moment, Matriarch He seemed to have rediscovered her voice. "Alright, I've received your report. You can go back now. If there's any news, please ask Prince Jin to inform us."
The guard who had played messenger bowed once again before quickly departing.
The atmosphere inside the parlour was heavy.
It was only after a long period of time had passed that Matriarch He finally spoke up again. "Lian'er, it's been hard on you!"
Chu Lian paused for a moment in surprise before reaching out to grasp Matriarch He's wrinkled hand. She shook her head gently and said, "Grandmother, please don't say that. When Husband went off to the northern border, no one could have expected those Tuhuns to start acting again after so many years of peace. As the saying goes, danger opens the door of opportunity. Maybe this Tuhun attack might be a good chance for Husband. It's useless for us to keep worrying here in the estate. Why don't we invite Eldest Brother here to discuss this matter? Eldest Brother has many connections, so he might be able to look for more news."
Matriarch He was getting old after all. Even though she was still wise, her mind wasn't as quick as it had been. Upon hearing Chu Lian's reminder, it was like a light went off in her head. She quickly ordered someone to summon He Dalang back to the estate.
He Changqi's many connections did come to use. He quickly gathered some news using various channels.
War had indeed broken out at the northern border. Furthermore, it was snowing heavily in Liangzhou City now. Although the court wanted to send in relief, they were held up by the snows at the foot of the Yueqin Mountains. The reinforcements and supplies weren't able to pass.
The alternate path was to go through Chongzhou Prefecture and go down the Li River to reach Su City. Beyond Su City was Lake Qianshan. However, by this time, the lake had already frozen over and they couldn't sail across at all.
With all the roads to the northern border closed, the officials at court were at a loss for what to do! They could only watch the situation get increasingly worse.
Right at this time, the news of a major case of embezzlement in the neighbouring city of Zhangzhou spread throughout the capital. As part of the Dragon Guards, He Erlang was assisting with the case, so he probably wouldn't be able to return for another month.
Prince Jin sent news about Liangzhou every day. Meanwhile, Matriarch He was looking more and more frail as the days passed. Countess Jing'an, whose health had just taken a turn for the better, inadvertently overheard the servants talking about the war in Liangzhou and immediately fainted right over, becoming bedridden once more.
This winter, the whole of House Jing'an seemed to be on the verge of collapse, as if it would just vanish to the whims of time on the next tick of a second.