A rooster crowed at dawn. Chen Ji pulled himself free from the dream battlefield, slowly rose, and hobbled into the clinic's main hall, settling into his bamboo chair to wait for Xi Bing's arrival.
Liang Mao'er had changed into a gray cotton outfit and was already up early, heading out to fetch water.
Chen Ji tried to help sweep the floor, but Liang Mao'er pressed him back into the chair: "Your wound needs at least another month to heal. Don't move around. I can handle everything at the clinic by myself."
Chen Ji said curiously: "Actually, you can see that nobody minds you staying here. So, Brother Mao'er, you really don't have to rush to do every single chore."
Liang Mao'er said quietly: "I don't mind how much work I do, as long as none of you hold it against my brother for not helping yesterday. He has his reasons."
"Why did he set those three rules for himself?" Chen Ji wondered. "Did he used to have a lot of dealings with the Directorate of Ceremonial?"
Liang Mao'er stood in the main hall with his carrying pole over his shoulder, silent for a long ti. Finally he said: "I actually lied before. After my sister-in-law left, it wasn't that we lost touch with her completely."
"Where did she go?"
Liang Mao'er hung his head: "When my sister-in-law tried to leave the Ning Dynasty, the Secret Spy Division discovered her. Tian Ma intercepted her at a border town — she was no match for him, and she was captured on the spot. The Inner Chancellor sent soone to find my brother and told him: he wouldn't have my sister-in-law imprisoned in the Inner Prison, and would even send her back to Luo City — but on one condition. From then on, my brother could never oppose the Directorate of Ceremonial. And on top of that, he'd have to do three things for them."
"Then why didn't your sister-in-law co back?" Chen Ji suddenly realized — the Directorate of Ceremonial must have suspected the female blade master's identity long ago. They had been waiting for her to run, then used her to control Liang Gou'er.
Liang Mao'er smiled: "My brother agreed to the Inner Chancellor's conditions. But he didn't let the Directorate send my sister-in-law back. Instead, he chose to have them let her go."
Chen Ji fell silent for a mont. He hadn't expected this answer: "The girl Yan'er at Red Clothe Lane... she looks a lot like your sister-in-law, doesn't she?"
"Mm," Liang Mao'er said with a guileless grin, then headed for the door. "I'm going to fetch water. Still need to cook breakfast too."
Just as he stepped out, Xi Bing ca hurrying down the bluestone pavent of Anxi Street, lifting the hem of her skirt. She brushed past Liang Mao'er right at the threshold.
Chen Ji smiled and rose to greet her: "Miss Xi Bing, what brings you to the clinic so early?"
Xi Bing rushed up to him the mont she saw him: "Chen Ji, I was looking for you! Soone's beaten up Bai Banruo again — Madam wants you to co treat her... Who could be so vicious as to hurt Bai Banruo twice?! That's truly wicked!"
Chen Ji lowered his head with a faint twinge of guilt: "Miss Xi Bing, I can't co to the estate to treat her. I was stabbed by an assailant a few days ago, and my leg wound still hasn't healed."
By standard intelligence protocol, Chen Ji should be exchanging critical information with Consort Yun face to face, to prevent miscommunication.
But Jin Zhu's n were still watching from the second floor across the street. If he hobbled off to the estate, it would certainly arouse Jin Zhu's suspicions.
Chen Ji stood beside the red-lacquered wooden counter and picked up a calligraphy brush: "I'll write a prescription for you. Once the dicine is prepared, you can take it back and apply it to Bai Banruo's wounds externally."
Xi Bing hesitated briefly: "All right."
Chen Ji weighed out the dicinal herbs, wrapped them in yellow oilpaper, and tied the bundle with hemp cord. After tying it, he tucked the prescription slip into the gap between the cords: "Go on back. Apply it twice a day. Bai Banruo will be fine."
Xi Bing took the dicine bundle from his hands and returned to Flying Cloud Courtyard.
Outside the covered walkway of Flying Cloud Courtyard, Consort Yun's gentle voice drifted from within: "Baili, your tutor Master Wang says you've been falling asleep in class lately. That won't do — when your father returns, he'll definitely scold you."
Baili grumbled: "Master Wang is a great scholar — how can he go around talking about people behind their backs!"
Consort Yun gave Baili a mock-stern tap on her palm: "That's not talking behind your back — that's being responsible for you. Don't speak of Master Wang like that again."
"Fine..."
Just then, Xi Bing hurried into the room: "Madam, I couldn't get young Doctor Chen to co — he's been injured — but he wrote a prescription and prepared the dicine. He says Bai Banruo's injuries are only external and will heal with topical treatnt."
"Xi Bing, leave the dicine bundle here for now. Go tell Xi Tang that His Highness sent word by fast horse — he's finished requisitioning military provisions and is preparing to return. Have Xi Tang take the servants and give the estate a thorough cleaning, especially Jing'an Hall and Mingzheng Hall. Even the glass ceiling panels must be polished spotless," Consort Yun instructed, then turned to Baili: "Baili, go review your lessons. I want your calligraphy copywork turned in tonight, or I'm docking your monthly allowance... Baili?"
Baili snapped back to attention. She stood and took the dicine bundle from Xi Bing's hands, pulled out the prescription tucked inside, and read it over and over. Apart from a few minor wrong characters, she found nothing unusual.
But normally, a dicine bundle would be handed directly to a servant. Why had her mother asked Xi Bing to leave it here in the covered walkway, then sent Xi Bing away on an errand?
Sothing was definitely off.
In that mont, a thousand questions raced through Baili's mind. She suddenly recalled: when she'd first returned from Donglin Academy, she had also seen Chen Ji at Flying Cloud Courtyard, though she hadn't thought much of it at the ti.
Now, knowing that Chen Ji's identity was suspicious, she looked back at his visits to treat patients and found the fog around him thicker than ever.
Outsiders might not know the details, but she was well acquainted with the clinic's people — and she knew perfectly well that none of the three apprentices had the qualifications to make house calls.
Why would soone being investigated by the Secret Spy Division be connected to Flying Cloud Courtyard?
At that mont, Consort Yun casually plucked the prescription from Baili's hands: "What is it, Baili? Since when are you so interested in prescriptions?"
Baili shook her head: "It's nothing. Just curious what dicine they prescribed for Bai Banruo."
......
......
Outside Taiping dical Clinic, an ox cart rumbled to a stop. Shopkeeper Yuan hopped off the cart and entered the clinic with his usual beaming smile, clasping his hands in greeting: "Physician Yao, it's ti to restock your herbs again. I've co with a delivery."
Old Yao looked up and gave him a glance: "Let check the quality."
He ambled over to the ox cart, untied one of the burlap sacks on the flatbed, reached deep inside, and pulled out a handful of monk fruit. He held them up to the light, turning them over in his palm.
Old Yao glanced at Shopkeeper Yuan, then tossed the monk fruit back into the sack: "Not bad quality. Looks like care was taken when sourcing these."
Shopkeeper Yuan smiled: "When has Hundred Deer Pavilion ever had a quality issue? Only the best for you. Go on, have a look — which herbs would you like to order?"
Old Yao pulled a list from his sleeve: "Go by this list. And add ten wild mountain ginseng roots, properly aged. Rember — I don't want anything less than fifty years old."
Inside the clinic, Chen Ji froze. What was Master doing ordering ten ginseng roots all at once?
Outside, Shopkeeper Yuan balked: "Physician Yao, who carries ten ginseng roots around? I don't have any on the cart — it's all common herbs."
Physician Yao replied leisurely: "No rush. Deliver them before evening. Make a note of it — I'll go on checking the rest of the inventory."
Just then, Liang Mao'er ca striding back to the clinic with his carrying pole.
Chen Ji imdiately noticed a long slash across the chest of Liang Mao'er's gray cotton shirt, cut by so sharp instrunt: "Brother Mao'er, what happened to your clothes?"
Liang Mao'er looked down and his face fell: "Must have been that person who bumped into just now... That bastard! I'm going after him... This is She Dengke's shirt!"
The Liang brothers had arrived at the clinic without any spare clothes, so Liang Mao'er had been borrowing She Dengke's clothes to get by.
Now that the shirt was ruined, Liang Mao'er was beside himself with worry. How was he going to explain this to She Dengke?
Old Yao's face darkened. He grabbed Liang Mao'er before he could chase after the pickpocket: "It's definitely a professional thief — you'll never find him. Go haul your water back to the courtyard. We'll have Liu Quxing stitch it up later."
Liang Mao'er was on the verge of tears: "But even after sewing, you can still tell! She Dengke only has two sets of clothes, and his family isn't well off either..."
Old Yao sighed: "Don't be upset. He won't bla you."
The normally sharp-tongued Old Yao simply couldn't bring himself to be harsh with Liang Mao'er.
While Old Yao was talking to Liang Mao'er, Shopkeeper Yuan slipped back into the clinic with his usual smile. He stood beside Chen Ji and whispered: "Xi Bing ca earlier. Has the ti and place for the second delivery been set?"
Chen Ji answered calmly: "Tonight at midnight. Red Clothe Lane, Golden Workshop. Sa as before — ask the madam for the code word 'Luotian.' It shouldn't be done at the sa location twice, ideally, but with my leg the way it is, I couldn't et the contact at the estate in person. I had to relay the intel via the prescription, so we settled on the old spot."
"The old spot will do," Shopkeeper Yuan slowly exhaled, then patted Chen Ji on the shoulder with a smile. "Excellent, excellent! When this is done, I'll report everything faithfully to the Departnt Head and see that you're recognized for your contributions."
Chen Ji was quiet for a mont, then turned and fixed his eyes on Shopkeeper Yuan: "Why did you hurt soone again today?"
Shopkeeper Yuan chuckled: "How was I supposed to know whether you'd done as I asked? Besides, I wanted to make sure you understand — even with Liang Mao'er and Liang Gou'er beside you, they can't protect you. Do your work for the Military Intelligence Division and don't get any other ideas."
"Understood."
Chen Ji watched with an expressionless face as Shopkeeper Yuan and his workers drove off on the ox cart, then turned and walked back into the courtyard. Behind the cart, two small tabby cats followed at a discreet distance.
In the courtyard, the crow stood on a branch of the apricot tree, watching as Chen Ji settled into his bamboo chair, growing ever more still.
Chen Ji slowly closed his eyes and once again entered the dream battlefield. There was much to be done today.
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