Chapter 396: Chapter 147 Jade Pendant_3
In the room, the attendant expressed his surprise, "Is she the same Resident Doctor Lu that Young Master encountered at the herb processing place before... the one who was throwing her weight around?"
Ji Xun nodded.
It had just occurred to him that the reason Lu Tong’s face seemed so familiar was not because of the chance encounter on Que’er Street before, but even earlier.
Back in Shengjing at the herb processing place, they had met once before.
At that time, he was there to deliver a book of herbal recipes when a woman, accompanied by guards from the Minister of Imperial Treasury’s wife, barged in fiercely. He overheard Lu Tong speaking to the Medicine Examiner Officer, Lou Si, from behind a screen.
Although her tone was soft, her words were incisive, wielding the power of the Minister of Imperial Treasury to pressure others.
Lou Si, intimidated by the power of the Dong Family, eventually facilitated matters for them.
Ji Xun therefore took an instant dislike to her.
As a healer, if one’s intentions are not upright and they only know how to use their status to their advantage, it tarnishes the integrity of medical ethics.
But at the time, he didn’t pay too much attention to it, for the affairs of the medical practices in Shengjing were managed by others. The Minister of Imperial Treasury might have been powerful, but he couldn’t act too outrageously.
The second time he heard the name Lu Tong was in connection with a medicinal tea from Shengjing called "Xianxian."
This medicinal tea was very popular among the noblewomen in Shengjing. He, immersed in medical theories all year round and indifferent to worldly affairs, was curious upon hearing about it.
Ji Xun had someone buy the two types of medicinal tea to examine them; they were indeed impressive recipes, though the use of the herbs was a bit overly robust and forceful.
The next time he heard Lu Tong’s name, it was during the Imperial Medical Bureau’s spring exams, where he personally set the questions. Among the Verification Case Study section, every student’s answers were pitiable, except for one paper, which was deemed perfect.
That person was the top scorer on this year’s Imperial Medical Bureau’s spring examination list, a commoner Medical Officer.
Busy attending to his duties for the Imperial Censorate’s senior official, Ji Xun didn’t have the chance to see what Doctor Lu looked like until tonight, and only now did he realize that this newly appointed female Medical Officer was the same Resident Doctor Lu who had abused her power at the herb processing place.
The attendant, seemingly recalling something, reminded him, "Speaking of which, Young Master, when you encountered Lady Dong a few days ago, she seemed to have a hidden meaning in her words. Now, back at the Medical Officer Institute, there are rumors everywhere that you have highly praised that female doctor. Even Envoy Cui says so... Could it be that she herself spread the word to forge a connection with you?"
Lady Dong of the Minister of Imperial Treasury had no prior interactions with Ji Xun. They met by chance on the road, and surprisingly she stopped her carriage to speak a few words with him. She hinted, both overtly and covertly, about him ranking Lu Tong first on the spring examination list, noting it was rare to see him admire someone so.
The way she spoke was puzzling and somewhat sarcastic. Ji Xun didn’t quite understand it.
Upon returning to the Medical Officer Institute, rumors were abuzz that he held Lu Tong in high esteem.
Yet he hadn’t even met Lu Tong.
It was true that there were previously Medical Officers at the Hanlin Medical Institute who would use others to flaunt their own importance. If these rumors were being spread by Lu Tong herself, her intentions must be quite deep.
"Be cautious with your words," Ji Xun reprimanded lightly. "Without evidence, it is wrong to slander others."
The attendant quickly fell silent.
Ji Xun shook his head.
Regardless of whether these words originated from Lu Tong, he would keep his distance from her. He has always detested being involved in struggles for power. Lu Tong had just entered the Medical Officer Institute and already stirred up so much controversy. Getting closer to her would naturally bring about endless gossip.
He had no desire to be entangled in others’ disputes.
In the pond, a red carp stealthily surfaced, flicking its tail lightly, and the cold moon reflected in the water suddenly shattered.
Ji Xun’s brows were tightly furrowed.
He had no interest in Lu Tong’s past.
He was just puzzled.
Earlier at the medicine storeroom, he saw two people collecting herbs, and among the herbs in the basket that Lu Tong was carrying, there was a glimpse of leaves and stems.
Was that...
Hongfang Xu?
...
After several spring rains, the weather warmed up day by day.
In the early morning, children began to fly paper kites on the long riverbank embankment in Shengjing, and the willow trees on both sides often bore swallows’ kites tangled by their strings.
Outside the courtyard of Jin Xianrong’s residence in the Jin Mansion, a conspicuously dressed and beautiful woman was about to rush inside clutching her handkerchief, only to be stopped by Jin Xianrong’s young servant.
"Aunty Yao, you cannot go in—"
"Why can’t I go in?" Aunty Yao stamped her foot impatiently, peering inside, "Ever since the master fell ill, he hasn’t visited my chambers. Now that he has gotten a bit better, he hasn’t even shown his face for half a month."
The servant wiped his sweat, "The master is truly sick. Inside the room, the medical officer is administering treatment..."
"What medical officer!" Aunty Yao scoffed, "The maids in my room all saw it; it was clearly a young beauty!"
"The master brought that person into the room, and now, not even three months later, he’s already tired of her. Oh, how miserable my fate is..." Aunty Yao began to cry, then cursed, "Where did that vixen come from? Although this household was crowded before, the master at least deigned to spend one night a month in my chambers. But now, she shows up and for over half a month, he’s stopped letting anyone out..."
"Who would have such an unattractive manner of eating, not fearing choking to death!"
"..."
The commotion at the entrance of the courtyard drifted into the ears of the occupants inside, through the door.
In front of a low table, Jin Xianrong sat with rigid etiquette, as a bead of sweat slowly rolled down his forehead.
Originally, Aunty Yao was a performer brought into the mansion to entertain his mother with opera singing. In the midst of her performances, she caught Jin Xianrong’s eye.
Not wanting to suffer hardships in the opera troupe, and Jin Xianrong lusting after her beauty, they began an affair.
But, as if the heavens were blind, he had only taken Aunty Yao in for less than a month before falling ill, which resulted in a long period of neglect, naturally arousing her suspicions.
Aunty Yao used to play male roles in the opera, and had a powerful, resonant voice. Now, crying at the door, it was difficult for others to pretend they didn’t hear her.
Jin Xianrong grew fidgety as he glanced at the person inside the house.
At the table, Lu Tong held the silver jar, meticulously grinding medicine.
The beauty, with her eyes downcast and her facial features picturesque, wore a light blue dress that made her stand out like a delicate orchid in a deep valley, captivating just to look at. Her hand, white as a spring onion, held a small silver medicine hammer, looking incredibly delicate and lovely.
The next moment, the beauty lifted her glance, her face expressionless, and pulled out a big handful of something from the clay jar—it might have been pig lungs or something else, bloodied—and tossed it into the silver jar.
"Dang dang dang—"
The silver hammer fell, splashing blood droplets that sent a chill down Jin Xianrong’s lower abdomen.
He felt as if some of his own parts might as well have been chopped up by that silver hammer.
All his previous stray thoughts vanished in an instant, and Jin Xianrong gripped his knees tightly, sitting rigidly and obediently.
It had been seven days since Doctor Lu first visited to provide treatment.
In these seven days, Lu Tong had visited a few more times.
She carried herself with a cold demeanor, her expression serene, and every visit to administer treatment was without any additional expressions.
Initially, Jin Xianrong harbored a hope of chance because of her extraordinary beauty, always wanting to flirt with her. But each time he tried, it was like playing the lute to a cow. Whether his teasing was malicious or subtle, the female doctor showed no reaction after hearing it. Neither panicking nor blushing, as indifferent as a piece of wood.
Yet there were a few occasions when Jin Xianrong was frightened by her words.
She said, "Administering acupuncture and medication can easily lead to errors. Lord Jin had better cooperate, otherwise, one wrong step, and future treatments will be ineffective."
That was a threat... it was clearly a threat!
But Jin Xianrong really took her threat seriously.
Especially because Lu Tong, who knows where she found them from, brought pig, cow, and sheep kidneys, and in his presence, she cut the renal bags into thin, wing-like slices and threw them into the jar to smash to pieces. It was difficult not to see this as an implicit warning... a cautionary tale.
Such behavior, even the beauty of the first meeting, had a shade of bloodstained color.
It made one queasy.
The sound of the medicine hammer pounding the jar stopped.
Lu Tong served the blood and flesh mess from the jar into a porcelain bowl, covered it with a lid, and looked at Jin Xianrong.
"Lord Jin, today’s poultice is ready." After a pause, Lu Tong looked at him, "Do you require me to apply the medicine?"
"No need!"
Jin Xianrong refused categorically. Realizing he had refused too quickly, which seemed too deliberate, he hurriedly added with a forced laugh, "How could I trouble Doctor Lu? A servant can do it for me."