"Young master, you have finally returned?" Ping'an, who had been anxiously waiting at Dongzi's house, immediately put down what he was holding and hurried out as soon as he heard someone entering from outside.
Great, the young master and the others are safe and sound.
Seeing Li Jin and Ying Yuan return, Ping'an couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. But before long, Ping'an's heart suddenly tightened again.
He remembered the other person who had gone with them.
Why are only the heir and the seventh prince back? What about that fellow Zhou Yunting? Could something have happened? No, it's impossible. Zhou Yunting is so capable, how could anything happen to him? I must be overthinking it, but... he didn't come back with them...
"Ping'an, are you feeling unwell?"
Li Jin's words instantly pulled Ping'an's thoughts back.
"No... it's nothing..."
Ping'an awkwardly turned his head away, too embarrassed to even mention Zhou Yunting.
Li Jin saw right through Ping'an's thoughts and said with a smile, "The reason Yunting didn't come back with me is that he went to handle some matters for me. He will return in a few days."
Upon hearing this, Ping'an couldn't help but lower his head, denying guiltily, "Young master, why are you suddenly talking about him? I didn't ask about him at all, and I don't want to know anything about him."
In truth, after hearing Li Jin's words, Ping'an finally relaxed completely, but he just didn't want to admit it.
"How are Physician Shi and Dongzi?"
Li Jin wasn't one to press for details. Seeing Ping'an's embarrassment, he subtly changed the subject.
Zhuzhou was unstable. Their round trip had taken a full three days, so Li Jin was naturally worried that something might have happened to Ping'an and the others.
This time, seeing that Li Jin didn't continue the topic of Zhou Yunting, Ping'an's nervousness dissipated considerably. "Reporting to the young master, nothing major has happened. In fact, after taking the prescription prescribed by Physician Shi, Rong Fulang has improved a lot."
"Brother Jin, you're back!"
Dongzi's surprised cry, coming from far to near, suddenly interrupted the conversation between Li Jin and Ping'an.
"Dongzi, I haven't seen you for a few days, you've grown taller." Seeing Dongzi put Li Jin in a very good mood.
"Really? I've really grown taller?" Dongzi had never been praised for being tall in Liujia Village. So, upon hearing Li Jin say this, his whole face lit up with joy, almost spinning on the spot.
"Of course."
"Amu, Amu, did you hear that? Brother Jin says I've grown up, I'm already an adult."
Overjoyed, Dongzi ran towards Liu Rong's room while shouting.
Ping'an heard this, and his expression immediately became indescribable. "Uh... this Shuang'er is too bold. The young master never said that."
"It's good to be a bit lively."
Ying Yuan's opinion was actually the opposite of Ping'an's; he felt quite favorably towards Dongzi.
"..."
The corner of Ping'an's mouth twitched.
Shi Weixu appeared at the right moment and said, "I knew that the only thing that could make Ping'an wail like that must be because the two young masters had returned."
"Physician Shi, I wasn't crying."
Ping'an choked for a moment, his face red with anger as he retorted.
Shi Weixu said meaningfully, "Oh, then perhaps I misheard."
"..."
Ping'an was speechless.
What should I do? I feel like burying this Physician Shi.
Li Jin coughed and got back to the main topic. "Ping'an, Physician Shi, we will stay in Liujia Village for three more days before officially entering Zhuzhou City. I wonder if you have any objections?"
Ping'an and Shi Weixu replied in unison, "We follow the young master's wishes."
Li Jin nodded. "Good. Since you have no objections, it's settled. Also, it's still early, you should go and rest now."
"Yes."
Ping'an suppressed his drowsiness, bowed to Li Jin, and only then went back to sleep.
Shi Weixu called out to Li Jin, saying meaningfully, "Young master, I have something I wish to discuss with you alone. I wonder if we could speak aside?"
"A-Jin, take your time chatting, I'll go rest first."
Ying Yuan took his leave immediately, leaving Li Jin and Physician Shi to talk.
In a moment.
Only Shi Weixu and Li Jin remained.
"Might I ask why Physician Shi stopped me?" Li Jin spoke first.
"Has Young Master met my master?"
Shi Weixu did not beat around the bush either, and directly asked the question that had been troubling him all these days.
Li Jin raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Physician Shi's master?"
"Young master, there's no need to hide it from me anymore. All these years, you have been taking the prescriptions my master gave you, haven't you?" Shi Weixu stared directly at Li Jin. "Otherwise, Wang Quande wouldn't have been unable to detect the improvement in your health."
Wang Quande was the Director of the Imperial Hospital. His skills were not low, but compared to Shi Weixu's master, there was still a significant gap.
Hearing this, Li Jin asked unhurriedly, "How did you know?"
In fact, Li Jin himself was also very surprised, he never expected Shi Weixu to be the disciple of that old gentleman he knew in his previous life.
The master Shi Weixu referred to was precisely the mysterious physician who saved Li Jin at a critical moment in his previous life.
"I was only suspicious when I first took your pulse, but after seeing the dregs of the medicine, I was sure."
"Physician Shi's medical skills are outstanding, I truly admire them."
"Young master, why do you continue taking the medicine Wang Quande prescribed when you know full well it's poisonous?"
Shi Weixu was a physician with considerable medical attainments; otherwise, he wouldn't have successfully developed cowpox inoculation method. So, after studying Wang Quande's pills, he knew that Wang Quande wasn't saving Li Jin at all, but was using a slow-acting poison on Li Jin, gradually consuming his body.
Furthermore.
Researching the pills was proposed by Li Jin, and coupled with the fact that Li Jin was also secretly taking the prescriptions his master gave, Shi Weixu was certain that Li Jin also knew there was a problem with the medicine Wang Quande prescribed.
Li Jin looked up at the gradually brightening sky and said, word by word, "In order to continue living."
"Living..."
Shi Weixu was stunned, seemingly never having expected Li Jin to answer him in this way.
"Yes." Li Jin smiled self-deprecatingly. "My existence is an eyesore. Many people want me dead, and many others want me to continue living so they can use me."
"Uh..."
Shi Weixu was, after all, considered a capital official. Furthermore, since Li Jin had helped him before, Shi Weixu had naturally made some inquiries and learned that Li Jin's situation was delicate. He naturally guessed who the 'some people' in Li Jin's words referred to.
"Actually, continuing to take the medicine Wang Quande prescribes to keep me alive is also quite good."
Li Jin replied with a smile.
There was a hidden advantage to his predicament. By continuing to take the poison prescribed by Wang Quande on Ying Zhengjing's orders, Li Jin maintained a facade of weakness that protected him. This pretense made it difficult for his hidden enemies to find a suitable opportunity to move against him openly.
"..."
Shi Weixu fell silent.
Li Jin asked, slightly puzzled, "Why has Physician Shi suddenly stopped speaking?"
"By telling me this, is the young master trying to win me over?"
When Shi Weixu said this, his eyes were very complex.
Li Jin suddenly turned and looked at Shi Weixu with a smile. "If I said yes, would Physician Shi be willing to spare no effort in assisting me and the Seventh Prince?"
"This..."
Shi Weixu was stumped.
For some reason, Shi Weixu couldn't shake the feeling that he had inadvertently trapped himself.
To be honest, if he didn't know that his master had treated Li Jin, Shi Weixu would definitely have refused without a second thought. After all, it involved matters of the Da Xia imperial family. If things went badly, his head would be in jeopardy too.
"Physician Shi, time is short. I hope you can give me an answer before we enter Zhuzhou City."
"..." This is clearly a tyrant mounting a hard bow.
[霸王硬上弓 (bà wáng yìng shàng gōng): lit. a tyrant mounting a hard bow; fig. to force someone to do something against their will, especially in a sexual or coercive context.]
Shi Weixu couldn't help but roar inwardly.
Shi Weixu understood perfectly well that the reason Li Jin proactively brought this matter up wasn't to give him a choice, but to force him to choose, and there was only one path he could choose.
"Physician Shi, the long journey these past two days has tired me somewhat. Let's end our conversation here."
Li Jin nodded towards Shi Weixu and then turned to leave.
"Wait."
Shi Weixu called out to Li Jin.
Li Jin stopped and raised an eyebrow. "Does Physician Shi have something else to say?"
Shi Weixu took a deep breath.
"This matter of helping you and the Seventh Prince... I agree."
"Does Physician Shi really not need to think more carefully? I am never lenient towards traitors."
"I never do things I will regret."
"Is that so?" Li Jin turned around, revealing a smile like a spring breeze. "Then I'll ask for Physician Shi's guidance in the future."
The moment Li Jin said this, the killing intent in his eyes instantly faded.
Pulling Shi Weixu completely to his side was a decision Li Jin made after learning that Shi Weixu was that old gentleman's disciple. Anyone who could become that old gentleman's disciple surely had abilities beyond what met the eye. Therefore, Li Jin intended to firmly keep this person under his control.
Shi Weixu said abruptly, "By the way, there is one matter I hope you can help me with, Young Master."
Since he was about to be taken under Li Jin's command, asking for a small favor in return didn't seem unreasonable.
"What is it? If it is within my power, I can help you." Li Jin did not commit fully, waiting for Shi Weixu to explain further before considering whether to help.
Shi Weixu scratched his head sheepishly. "Help me find someone."
If Shi Weixu hadn't found any useful clues so far, he wouldn't have resorted to asking Li Jin.
"Find someone?"
Li Jin was startled.
"Yes." Shi Weixu nodded solemnly. "Actually, the reason I came to the palace to be a physician was to find a woman."
"Do you know what she looks like?"
"I have a portrait of her."
Having said that, Shi Weixu took out a scroll from a hidden compartment at the very bottom of his medicine chest and opened it for Li Jin to see.
"..."
Li Jin was immediately speechless.
Shi Weixu looked at Li Jin full of expectation. "How is it? Is it possible to find her? She is very important to me. I must find her."
"Physician Shi, with the portrait in such poor condition and her features completely indistinguishable, how do you expect anyone to find her?"
The portrait in Shi Weixu's hand seemed old, and perhaps due to poor preservation, the paper had yellowed. The part with the face seemed to have been soaked in water, the ink had run and blurred.
"Young master, look at her wrist." Shi Weixu pointed to the wrist area on the portrait. "If we find a woman with the same mark on her wrist, we will definitely be able to find her."
"..."
The corner of Li Jin's mouth twitched.
There are countless people in the world. Not knowing her appearance and relying solely on such a mark is simply like fishing for a needle in the ocean.
"Young master, I beg of you."
"..."
"Young master..."
"I can only say I will try my best. I cannot guarantee finding her."
"Young master, then I entrust it all to you."
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