Chapter 569: Chapter 199: Relapse_4
A prophecy fulfilled.
He suddenly pulled aside the carriage curtain and said to the coachman, "Go to West Street, Renxin Medical Hall."
His confidant was surprised, "Does the Envoy intend to...?"
Cui Min released his hand, and the carriage curtain fell.
The carriage wheels rumbled into motion, crossing the boundary between dark and dawn in Shengjing. His confidant hesitated, "But Lu Tong has been suspended; she must harbour resentment towards the Envoy. Will she really agree to treat Young Master Qi?"
No one spoke.
After a long time, Cui Min broke the silence, "I will persuade her."
Lu Tong was a genius.
But she was also just a commoner.
That’s why, as a genius, Ji Xun could act without regard in the Medical Officer Institute while Lu Tong had to endure bullying everywhere. If people wished, they could easily banish her to the Southern Pharmacy, be taken advantage of by the Lecherous Vice Minister, and kneel to a fierce dog that had bitten her.
A single status determined an entirely different future.
He could give Lu Tong what she wanted, the thing most yearned for in the heart of a talented person who was not content with mediocrity and prided on their talent; he understood this more than clearly. If Lu Tong wished, he could even help her ascend to the position of Vice Director.
Moreover, there was the Grand Preceptor’s Mansion.
The hand resting on his knee gradually clenched, and Cui Min muttered to himself,
"...I can persuade her."
...
"Rustle-rustle—"
At the break of dawn, the sound of sweeping filled West Street.
Stall owners who woke early and cherished cleanliness had already opened their doors, using bamboo brooms to sweep the dust in front of their stores and then splashing a bucket of clean water over it. The ground, rinsed clean, lay in wait for the rise of the sun, when it would become fresh and immaculate.
In front of Renxin Medical Hall, the wooden doors had already been opened. Directly across from the main entrance, on the wall hung a shining banner. A lantern was placed in front of a wooden cabinet, making the dim dawn seem all the more serene.
A carriage stopped beneath a Li Zishu tree.
It was still early, and most of the shops on West Street were tightly shut, with not a single pedestrian in sight. Two figures alighted from the carriage, one of whom was dressed in a brown robe. After stepping down from the carriage, he looked around, saw the flamboyantly written "Renxin Medical Hall" on the signboard above the door, paused for a moment, and walked towards the storefront.
The ground in front of the door was damp from the splashed water. Cui Min lifted his robe to prevent the hem from being dirtied, stepped over the stone steps, and entered the medical hall.
There was no one in the medical hall. The two rooms on either side were interconnected, with a large medicine cabinet neatly arranged against all four walls. Several medical texts were piled on a table, and a lantern burned quietly, casting a murky, dim glow over the hall in the early morning.
"May I ask—"
Cui Min raised his voice, "Is anyone here?"
There was no answer.
He frowned and called out twice more.
Suddenly, from deeper inside the store, a voice called out, "Hey," followed by the sound of something heavy dragging on the ground, a "thud thud" muffled sound. As the noise approached, a felt curtain was lifted, and a person emerged.
This individual was dressed in coarse hemp clothing, with white hair wrapped in a cloth, leaning on a walking stick, hobbling along like a not quite agile field mouse. Their steps were somewhat faltering but brisk, and they continued to speak, "I was just tidying up the medicinal herbs in the courtyard, this person—"
As he approached, his features gradually became clear in the light, familiar eyes, nose, mouth—all combining to form an unfamiliar face. He seemed about to say something but fell silent the moment he saw Cui Min’s face.
It was...
Cui Min’s mind went blank, and for a moment, he cried out without thinking.
"Miao Liangfang!"
Miao Liangfang froze on the spot.
The day had yet to fully break. The division between night and dawn was still blurred and indistinct, as if a thick white fog intended to envelop everything. However, the dim yellow light from the lantern seemed determined to illuminate everything, casting the expressions of shock and panic on both faces starkly visible in the cold light.
In the midst of the stillness, another voice arose.
"Mr. Miao."
The felt curtain was lifted again, and Lu Tong walked out from the back courtyard.
Upon seeing Cui Min, the woman’s eyes showed a moment of surprise, seemingly also not expecting his sudden appearance there.
However, she quickly regained her composure, placing the duster filled with medicinal herbs onto the table.
"Envoy Cui."
Lu Tong circled around a small table in the room, gracefully walked up to him, and began speaking warmly.
"You’ve finally come."