"Of course it’s to rebuild it into a feng shui layout that relies on the mountains and encircles the water, and additionally to lead a channel from Taiye Pool and have it pass through the place where the Purple Bamboo once planted, making a round..."
The Imperial Physician spoke more and more volubly, in a manner that indicated he couldn’t wait to give directions.
The looks in people’s eyes carried a different aning, and His Majesty’s brow furrowed tightly, not uttering a word.
It wasn’t until the Imperial Physician felt sothing was amiss that his voice gradually lowered, eventually unable to speak at all, his complexion turning pale as well.
"Um! Minister Huang Aiqing’s words are logical."
Qin Yi ca forward to smooth things over, "However, although feng shui is not sothing one can completely dismiss, one can’t wholly believe it either. How about this, you go back, organize your thoughts, then draft the blueprint and submit it to Us. If We find it feasible, then We can act accordingly."
Minister Huang Zongzheng also realized his own lapse and hurriedly nodded in agreent.
"His Majesty considers matters thoroughly, very thoroughly!"
Su Pan’er did not speak either, rely watching him with her eyes.
His Majesty inevitably spoke a few words with several ministers, before waving his hand to dismiss everyone.
Turning back to look at Pan’er, who was staring blankly at the Purple Bamboo, he walked over slowly and stood beside her, "Is there sothing wrong?"
"How could His Majesty feel there’s sothing wrong?"
Su Pan’er countered without even turning her head.
"Isn’t it obvious? If you thought there was no issue, why would you question them so sharply and give them the cold shoulder? Hmm, where exactly is the problem?" Qin Yi continued to press.
"I can’t quite put my finger on it, just a feeling,"Su Pan’er frowned and gestured toward the Purple Bamboo, "Look! Now it’s Golden Autumn August, and although the bamboo forest in August has allergy triggers, bamboo shoots have not yet sprouted. That’s one thing. Secondly, the feng shui ntioned by Minister Huang sounds very mystical, yet this area has been through hundreds of years of Great Zhou’s turmoil without any abnormal incidents reported. From this, we can see that even if there is an issue here, it’s not significant. And there’s another crucial factor! The distance from Ah Mann’s house to the Purple Bamboo Forest is substantial, and recently the wind has been blowing from the southeast, how could it affect Ah Mann? And furthermore..."
"Wait, hold on!"
Qin Yi suddenly interjected, stopping her mid-sentence, "Did you just say the wind is blowing from the southeast?"
Their gazes t in midair, after which they both turned their heads looking toward the southeast.
The window ledge where Ah Mann lived was directly opposite an expanse that extended to the lotus pond, beneath the ledge grew lush Artemisia swaying slightly in the wind, thriving robustly.
"That’s..."
"It’s Artemisia, just now you also ntioned planting a patch there."
Qin Yi looked back.
"No, that’s not Artemisia, that’s definitely Pigsweed. Pigsweed is also known as Mugwort Ragweed, and although it looks similar to Artemisia, it’s distinctly different. Artemisia has ash-gray short hairs on the back, while Pigsweed is green all over its leaves. Just by touching this plant, one could get allergies, a rash, and even suppuration. Ah Mann’s constitution is usually weak, and the recent winds are from the southeast!"
As Su Pan’er spoke, she felt increasingly convinced of her thoughts.
Qin Yi looked at the patch of Artemisia... no, Pigsweed, thought for a mont, "These past few days, the gardeners have been weeding there, yet they deliberately left this patch untouched. I thought Mugwort was good for repelling mosquitoes, so I let this poisonous weed remain!"
In the midst of speaking, he turned back to instruct Eunuch An, "Have soone grab that gardener and ask thoroughly about what’s really going on here!"
"Your servant obeys the command!"
Eunuch An promptly went to make arrangents, and both of them continued to gaze at the patch of Pigsweed, neither saying a word.
"If indeed it is the Pigsweed that caused Ah Mann’s allergy, then who planted the Pigsweed that was originally here?"
This place is tranquil. Previously, Su Pan’er and Qin Yi had not lived here. Later, after the twins were born, Qin Yi, disliking the excessive heat at the Warm Pavilion, planted Purple Bamboo and moved in here.
Could it be a coincidence?
Su Pan’er squinted at the windowsill. Could it really be just a coincidence? Such a coincidence seed far too convenient!
But if it wasn’t a coincidence, then who could it be and how would they guess that we would temporarily move here, thus setting up an arrangent in advance?
Su Pan’er pondered, then suddenly realized, "Your Majesty, think about it, since entering the palace until now, although we have lived in Huayang Palace, we actually move between different palaces according to the seasons. Before this, it seed we hadn’t lived here, but according to the order of the seasons, sooner or later, both of us might pick this place to move into. Thus, soone could make use of the land with the Pigsweed."
With this insight, a heavy weight descended upon Qin Yi’s heart.
"Are you suggesting soone is out to get us?"
"No, rather, soone is taking precautions."
Su Pan’er, however, held a different view. "All parts of the Pigsweed are poisonous and resemble Artemisia greatly in appearance. Yet, if nobody touches it, its toxicity is negligible. After we moved in, gardeners would be busy outside the windows daily. Would gardeners who enter the palace grounds not know the difference between Artemisia and Pigsweed?"
But as the gardeners moved back and forth every day, the dug-up roots of the Pigsweed were carried away, leaving the grass roots exposed in the air.
Ah Mann had always been frail, his constitution weak. How could he withstand such strains?
The cause of Ah Mann’s allergy was found, but Su Pan’er feared that this issue would not be so easily resolved. As expected, the person Eunuch An sent to find the gardener returned quickly.
"Reporting to Your Majesty, this old servant has found the gardener."
"How co you didn’t bring him here?" inquired Qin Yi, curiously.
"We found him, but he has passed away."
Eunuch An reported somberly, "The gardener was cleaning Morning Glory at Chuigong Gate, slipped, and fell from the wall. Just below the wall was a sharp protruding stone. The back of the gardener’s head struck it heavily, and blood spilled everywhere. When my n found him, he had already been dead for quite so ti."
To find the gardener, yet in a blink, the life of the gardener had been extinguished...
"What a coincidence indeed!"
murmured Su Pan’er.
She then smiled, stepping forward to grab Qin Yi’s hand. "Let’s go see Huanhuan and Ah Mann. It’s ti for Ah Mann’s dicine."
Qin Yi grasped her hand in return, and hand-in-hand, they walked back to the house.
After confirming that the Pigsweed caused Ah Mann’s skin allergy and after applying his dicine, Su Pan’er discussed it with Qin Yi and moved back to reside temporarily in the Warm Pavilion with the two children.
The temperature in the Warm Pavilion was notably higher than at the Purple Bamboo Garden; out of necessity, Su Pan’er had a couple more ice basins placed in the house to cool it down.
"I’ve already had soone remove the entire area of Pigsweed, root and all. If any Pigsweed is spotted again, it will be imdiately removed."
Qin Yi was resolute.
"Do we really need to make such a big fuss? The grass is growing; if you don’t touch it, nothing will happen."
Su Pan’er chuckled.
Yet during the dinner that evening, another incident occurred!
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