It was the third month of spring, a time when the grass grew long and the orioles took flight.
Ye Chutang had just spread some herbs out to dry in the courtyard when she heard a knock at the gate.
"Is anyone there?"
She casually dusted off her clothes and waited a moment for the faintly bitter scent of medicine to disperse before going to open the gate.
"Coming."
Lian Zhou waited anxiously at the gate. The moment he saw the young woman who answered, he froze.
The young woman looked to be no more than seventeen or eighteen. She wore a simple, light-colored blouse and skirt embroidered with haitang blossoms, accentuating her slender frame. Her dark hair was simply gathered with a single wooden hairpin.
She had a delicate oval face, elegantly arched brows, and skin that seemed even fairer than snow.
What was most striking were her eyes—dark and limpid, possessing a gentle and utter clarity.
Simply standing there, she had the grace of a spring haitang blossom untouched by the harshness of wind and frost, compelling one to instinctively lower their voice.
Lian Zhou snapped back to reality. Cupping his fists, he stated his purpose, "Hello, I'm looking for the clinic's physician."
Ye Chutang gave a slight nod. "That would be me."
Lian Zhou's surprise deepened, and he frowned, casting a worried glance behind him.
He and his master had traveled nonstop to get here. His master's condition had worsened and could not be delayed any longer, so they decided to find the nearest clinic.
Who would have thought it would be run by such a young woman?
He turned, walked over to the horse-drawn carriage, and asked the person inside in a low voice, "Master, perhaps I should look for another clinic?"
Ye Chutang's dark brows arched slightly.
'It was the same when I first came to Jiangling and opened this clinic three years ago. No one trusted my medical skills then, either.'
'This master and servant seem to be from out of town, just passing through. A reaction like this is perfectly normal.'
A moment later, a cool, deep voice drifted from the carriage.
"She'll do."
Though it was early spring, the voice was like a whisper of frost and snow, carrying a bone-deep chill.
Lian Zhou acknowledged the order and walked back, his attitude a little more courteous than before.
"The fee is no object. We only ask that you do your best to treat our master."
Just as Ye Chutang was about to speak, a shout echoed from down the street. It was Aunt Yang.
"Doctor Ye! Bad news! Your Fourth is fighting with people at the academy again!"
Ye Chutang's expression remained unchanged, as if she were long accustomed to such news. "What happened?" she asked calmly.
Aunt Yang, panting, replied, "I heard he's brawling with the second young master from Cao's Restaurant and his whole gang! No one can break them up! You have to go take a look!"
Cao's Restaurant was the largest in Jiangling. Rumor had it the owner's cousin was the County Magistrate's Wife, making the entire Cao Family wealthy, powerful, and utterly domineering.
The Cao's second young master was always surrounded by a posse of hangers-on, and they were experts in all forms of debauchery, from cockfighting and gambling to feasting and carousing.
'A fight with them...'
Ye Chutang turned her head to Lian Zhou. "Please, come inside."
"...What?" Lian Zhou glanced from Aunt Yang back to Ye Chutang.
'Did I hear that right? Her family's in some kind of trouble, isn't she going to go see?'
Ye Chutang had just turned to lead the way when she paused, looking back as if remembering something. "By the way," she added, "the consultation fee is one hundred taels."
Lian Zhou could hardly believe his ears. "One hundred taels?!"
Even the clinics in the Capital City wouldn't dare charge such a price!
Ye Chutang sighed inwardly. 'It's not like I have a choice. If I don't fleece them a little, where am I going to get the money to pay for everyone's medical bills?'
'He fought several of them this time!'
"Whether you proceed with the consultation is entirely up to you." Her gaze lingered on the carriage for a brief moment. "However... if your master's treatment is delayed any further, I fear the consequences will be dire."
A chill went down Lian Zhou's spine.
'From the way she's talking, has she somehow realized how urgent Master's condition is? No, that can't be right. He's been in the carriage the entire time. How could she possibly know?'
'I must be on edge from everything that's happened lately, getting paranoid over nothing.'
'She's just a young woman from a village clinic. She'd be lucky to know even the fundamentals of medicine. How could she possibly know anything more?'
Ye Chutang thanked Aunt Yang, then led the way into the clinic.
Aunt Yang watched the slender, graceful figure disappear inside and shook her head in sympathy.
"Heavens, a young woman supporting her entire family all by herself... It must be so hard..."
...
The moment Ye Chutang entered the room and saw the patient, she was filled with regret—regret for quoting such a low fee, and even greater regret for accepting this patient at all.
The man appeared to be around twenty years old. He had a high-bridged nose and deep-set, intelligent eyes. Dressed in a moon-white brocade robe, his pale face could not conceal his refined, striking handsomeness.
'He was the most handsome man she had ever seen—not just in Jiangling, but in both of her lifetimes.'
His clothes were understated, but his aura was cool and aloof, and he exuded an air of indescribable nobility.
'This was no ordinary nobleman.'
He had two wounds: one on his left chest and one on his right abdomen, both from arrows that had pierced straight through. The injuries looked to be several days old, but the wounds were festering and showed no signs of healing. They were clearly poisoned!
'Someone was trying to kill him. Anyone could see that only a deep-seated grudge would lead to such a fatal attack.'
'And if I'm not careful, I'll be dragged right into the middle of it.'
Ye Chutang fell silent.
'She really hated patients who brought this much trouble with them.'
Seeing her expression grow somber, Lian Zhou asked anxiously, "What is it? You can't treat him?"
'I knew we shouldn't have placed our hopes in a small clinic like this...'
Ye Chutang finished taking his pulse and stood up. Hearing his words, she almost laughed.
'As the thirty-first-generation successor of an Ancient Medical Family, countless people had begged her for a consultation, only to be turned away.'
'In her past life, she had died unexpectedly. Although she never got the chance to become the Sect Leader, she had spent over twenty years preparing for it, striving to master every field and technique. She had been the ultimate overachiever. To think that after being reborn, her professional competence would be questioned again and again.'
"I can treat him." She wrote out a prescription and handed it to Lian Zhou. "Go out, turn right, and get these herbs. Also, this prescription contains a proprietary formula. That'll be two hundred taels."
Lian Zhou was speechless.
He refused to leave. He was the only one left to protect his master, and with danger lurking everywhere, he couldn't afford to be careless.
"I have to stay and guard my master."
Ye Chutang's tone was placid. "If your master doesn't drink his medicine within the next hour, he'll no longer require your protection."
Lian Zhou's eye twitched. Just as he was about to argue, he saw his master give what seemed to be a faint smile.
"Go on."
Lian Zhou had no choice but to obey, and he hurried out.
Only the two of them remained in the quiet room.
Ye Chutang picked up a pair of scissors, looked at the man on the bed, and gestured with them near his left chest.
"I'm going to begin. Do you mind?"
The man watched her with his dark, heavy-lidded eyes and offered a faint smile.
"Please do."
...
When Lian Zhou returned, he found his master lying with his eyes closed, clothes in disarray.
"Master!" he cried, rushing forward in a panic.
"I've changed the dressing on his wounds." Ye Chutang took the herbs he'd brought back and prepared to decoct them. "His injuries are severe, and there is still residual poison in his system," she said as she headed out. "He's weak, so let him rest. He can drink the medicine once it's ready."
Only then did Lian Zhou realize he had misunderstood, and the knot of anxiety in his chest finally loosened.
"Th-thank you!"
Ye Chutang had only taken a few steps when a Little Milk Group suddenly dashed out from the courtyard and clung to her.
She looked down at the chubby, tender little face and couldn't help but smile.
"Are you awake? Hungry? Would you like a Furong Cake?"
The Little Milk Group gazed up at her with big, dark eyes like black grapes and nodded eagerly.
Ye Chutang gently pinched the Little Milk Group's cheek.
In the room behind her, the man on the bed had, at some point, opened his eyes.
Lian Zhou finally breathed a sigh of relief. "Wonderful! Who would have thought the physician at this tiny clinic would be so capable? She's a true hidden master!"
Shen Yanchuan quietly watched the scene in the courtyard, a thoughtful expression on his face. He gave a slight nod.
"Indeed," he murmured. "I never would have guessed. To be so young, and with a child that old."