Chapter 28: Strange Things

After the assistant doctor left Lu Zhaoling’s place last time, he couldn’t stop thinking about the questions she had asked. What strange place had they been to recently, or what strange thing had they come into contact with? Yet, he couldn’t figure it out.

Now, his grandson suddenly suffered a severe headache, and the assistant doctor suddenly recalled something.

A few days ago, Fu Cheng and a few other boys had gone to the countryside to play. They found a root carving in a river ditch. It was unclear who had carved it or who had left it there, but Fu Cheng thought the craftsmanship was quite exquisite, so he brought it home.

Only the elder assistant doctor in the household might appreciate such an object, so after Fu Cheng brought the root carving back, he showed it to him.

The elder assistant doctor examined it carefully for a while, ruling out any mosquito-attracting properties or harmful odors, and then returned it to Fu Cheng.

Since the child liked it, it was just placed there to be played with.

This was the strange thing they had encountered together during this time.

Remembering this, the assistant doctor suddenly turned his head and saw that the root carving was placed on the wooden shelf against the opposite wall.

Beneath the shelf was a soft couch where Fu Cheng often leaned while reading and snacking.

“It hurts so much, grandfather, father, I can’t bear it...” Fu Cheng cried out incessantly.

He was already fifteen this year and usually a lively and sensible child who had never cried from pain before, yet now he was screaming in agony.

“Father, can you knock him unconscious?” Fu Shun pressed down on his son, sweating profusely and showing his own distress.

The boy struggled fiercely, and even Fu Shun was about to lose control—this pain must be unbearable!

“Knock, knock him out then.”

The assistant doctor agreed with a trembling voice.

Fu Shun steeled himself, grabbed a porcelain pillow, and struck down with a “thud!”

“You—you can’t use your hand?” The assistant doctor almost lost his breath.

Smashing with a porcelain pillow!

What if something happened to the grandson?

“Are you crazy?” Madam Fu rushed forward.

Fu Shun weakened slightly and stopped her, then reached out to check Fu Cheng’s breath. The old lady nearly fainted at this gesture.

“I’m not trained in martial arts; where could I strike to knock Cheng’er out?” Fu Shun was a little frightened himself. Earlier, he had only thought about relieving his son’s pain temporarily, and with the elder assistant doctor watching, he thought it unlikely that he would injure him seriously.

But after the blow, he recalled that even the assistant doctor was helpless against Fu Cheng’s headache condition.

Fortunately, Fu Cheng was still breathing.

“He’s alive. Cheng’er is alive,” he said.

“Buddha...” The old lady staggered and almost lost her footing but was supported by a maid nearby.

“Father, what should we do now?” Madam Fu cried, looking toward her father-in-law.

The assistant doctor walked to the wooden shelf and looked at the root carving.

“Bring me a piece of black cloth.”

The old lady slapped her thigh, both angry and anxious. “Old man, what time is this? Why are you looking at that thing? Hurry up and find a way to save Cheng’er!”

“I want to save Cheng’er!” he said.

A servant brought a piece of black cloth, and the assistant doctor covered the root carving tightly.

The Fu family didn’t understand what he meant to do.

“Keep an eye on Cheng’er. I’m going to find someone. She might be able to save him!” the assistant doctor declared.

“Father, are you going to ask the emperor to send imperial physicians?” Fu Shun called after him anxiously. “Now is not the time!”

The retired emperor had just passed away, and the current emperor was busy with mourning. Moreover, in these unstable times, who knew if there might be rebels taking advantage.

In such a special period, the emperor wouldn’t have time to see a former imperial doctor who had long left the palace.

He probably wouldn’t even get through the palace gates.

“No, I’m not going there. We’ll discuss it when I return,” the assistant doctor said hurriedly as he left with the wrapped object.

At the Lu residence gate, the gatekeeper saw him and quickly ushered him inside.

“Our lord has gone to the palace.”

At this time, officials were entering the palace to discuss the late retired emperor’s funeral arrangements. Though Lu Ming was only a junior official in the Ministry of Rites, once the Minister of Rites received the assignment, it would be passed down.

Because of this, Lu Ming had no time to attend to Lu Zhaoling.

“I’m not here to see Lord Lu. I’m looking for Miss Lu,” the assistant doctor said anxiously, fearing the servants might mistake his visit for the other Lu ladies, so he added, “Lu Zhaoling, the second young lady.”

Just then, the fourth young lady came out and, seeing the assistant doctor, greeted him happily.

She had missed him last time and regretted not being home, as she had always wanted to meet the assistant doctor.

“Assistant doctor Fu, are you here to see my second sister?”

The assistant doctor was very anxious but had to restrain his impatience when the elegant girl, about fifteen years old, approached.

“Little Miss Zhaohua, greetings to Assistant Doctor Fu,” a servant said beside her. “This is our fourth young lady.”

Originally she was the third young lady, but after Lu Zhaoling returned, the titles shifted.

The assistant doctor paid no mind to such distinctions. “Hmm, please help me inform the second young lady.”

He didn’t even look at Lu Zhaohua.

Lu Zhaohua’s mother was Lu Ming’s second concubine. She was a daughter of a concubine but was very observant of the behavior and manners of the noble daughters. Outside, she had a reputation for being clever and sensible, calm as a chrysanthemum.

She noticed the assistant doctor’s anxiety and was quite curious.

In the capital, the assistant doctor held a high status, being a skilled physician; who would dare offend such a famed doctor?

Yet now, he earnestly sought an audience with Lu Zhaoling.

“Assistant doctor Fu, shall I take you there? Second sister is still injured, so it might be inconvenient for her to come to the front courtyard.”

“Is that appropriate?” the assistant doctor asked politely.

“I heard that when second sister moved into the Tingnuan Pavilion, you were present as well. You must know that Tingnuan Pavilion was once our usual gathering place, and many guests have been there,” Lu Zhaohua tried to phrase it delicately.

“Besides, you are my second sister’s doctor; visiting a patient is normal,” she added.

So it wasn’t an uninvited entry into the inner courtyard.

Moreover, given the elder assistant doctor’s age, no one would think ill of it.

Normally, the assistant doctor wouldn’t have come in, but today he was truly anxious. Seeing the Lu family servants dazed and slow, he knew it would waste time to send a message, so he followed Lu Zhaohua inside.

When they arrived at Tingnuan Pavilion, Lu Zhaoling had just turned halfway back.

Her injury was still healing, and her body was weak.

But after walking just that half circle, she had picked up some silver.

One was a genuine silver ingot weighing five taels, dropped outside the corridor by the river.

There was also a small pouch, though it was faded from wind and sun, inside were a few pieces of broken silver.

Qingyin didn’t know whose these were, but since Miss said they were ownerless, she collected them without hesitation.

“Miss, if you wander around the capital often, will you find lots of silver?” Qingbao was amazed.

Lu Zhaoling sipped her water and smiled softly.

“Most of the wealth found outside probably belongs to someone.”

If she got involved in the consequences, she would have to go to great lengths to find the owners, which would be troublesome.

“Second sister,” Lu Zhaohua said, bringing the assistant doctor over.