Chapter 317: Chapter 317 Charitable Hall
Duke Chong’s Mansion, at the gate.
A soft sedan chair stopped.
The sedan curtain was lifted, and the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue disembarked, striding into the mansion.
He was a confidant of Duke Chong, a frequent guest at Duke Chong’s Mansion, and was directly led to the study by a servant.
Duke Chong was in a foul mood.
He had entered the palace to see the Empress Dowager, and due to the matter concerning Princess Shouning, he received a scolding from her.
Baihua Building was the premier brothel in the Capital City, Duke Chong’s most profitable enterprise, bar none.
Moreover, Baihua Building’s purpose was not solely to make money, but also to gather intelligence.
Just for the sake of purchasing Princess Shouning and a little palace maid, Baihua Building got involved!
Duke Chong couldn’t even muster the energy to be angry at Su Jin.
She saved Princess Shouning, saving the Emperor’s face; otherwise, what would have been lost would not be just a Baihua Building.
Prince NanAn led people to investigate and confiscate Baihua Building.
They didn’t dig too deeply.
But the confiscation was very thorough.
They took not only items but also dealt with people.
First, they asked the girls who were forced into Baihua Building if they could survive after leaving Baihua Building.
Apart from a few girls stepping forward, no one else spoke.
The girls who stepped forward were released.
The silent ones were sold.
The brothels of Capital City soon snatched them up.
These fallen women found it hard to marry; if they left Baihua Building, they would eventually end up in the dust of the streets again. What was the point of letting them leave?
Turning around and selling them, the silver tael earned were handed over to the National Treasury, which could be considered a contribution to the court.
Of course, this was not the main reason.
These girls were the foundation of Baihua Building.
If these girls weren’t dealt with, there would soon be a second and third Baihua Building.
By selling them, these girls changed masters. Even if Duke Chong had immense power, his subordinates couldn’t take them back.
Thus, Baihua Building was thoroughly eradicated.
Princess Shouning was punished, the Empress lost the Phoenix Seal.
The Empress Dowager was thunderously angry.
Duke Chong was scolded vehemently, with nowhere to vent his anger.
While pressing his temples in frustration, a servant knocked and said, "Duke, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue is here."
What is he here for?
Duke Chong slightly frowned.
"Let him in," he said.
The door creaked open, and the Vice Minister walked in.
His face was anxious, and Duke Chong knew immediately that something had happened.
For the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue to be this anxious, it couldn’t be a small matter.
"Duke, something serious has happened!" the Vice Minister urgently said.
"What’s happened?" Duke Chong inquired.
"Marquis Dongxiang has arrested my brother-in-law, General Ningyuan," the Vice Minister said, sweating profusely.
Duke Chong’s brow creased.
The Vice Minister hastily continued, "You instructed me to silence the Prefect of Wangzhou, and I assigned this task to General Ningyuan. To ensure safety, he sent a confidant."
"Yesterday, the Ministry of Justice arrested that confidant, and today, Marquis Dongxiang personally went to arrest General Ningyuan."
Killing a court official was a capital offense.
Even Duke Chong, a man whom Marquis Dongxiang dared to break a rib of.
If General Ningyuan fell into his hands, it wouldn’t end well.
If he confessed...
The Vice Minister panicked, running to Duke Chong for solutions disregarding the imminent time for dinner.
"Marquis Dongxiang again!" Duke Chong gnashed his teeth in hatred.
"Why does he insist on being a thorn in my side?!"
Marquis Dongxiang had entered the Ministry of Justice and hadn’t done much.
Duke Chong was planning to impeach him for neglecting his duties in a few days.
Yet here he came, stirring up the Wangzhou matter and refusing to let go.
Even as Duke Chong held great power across the court, he couldn’t casually poison a prefect.
He took a deep breath and said, "Find an opportunity to see General Ningyuan, tell him to keep his mouth shut, otherwise he won’t be the only one to die."
The Vice Minister agreed.
Duke Chong gave a few more instructions before he left.
Meanwhile, after the Hidden Guard delivered the medicine to Marquis Dongxiang, they went to West City to look for patients.
After searching for a while, they were drawn over by the sound of coughing.
It was an old man with a granddaughter, coughing so much that their backs were bent.
The Hidden Guard found a tattered man to pretend to be her son, carrying her to the doctor’s shop front.
The shop had already closed a quarter of an hour ago.
The Hidden Guard went to knock on the door first.
A young shop assistant opened the door and said, "The shop is closed."
"I urgently need medicine to save a life," the Hidden Guard said.
The young shop assistant said, "Alright then."
The Hidden Guard took a dose of medicine and left.
After half a cup of tea’s time.
The man went to knock on the door.
After seven or eight knocks, the door was finally opened.
While opening the door, the young shop assistant said, "The shop is closed, come back tomorrow for medicine."
Though he complained, the young shop assistant still opened the door.
The man pleaded, "Save my mother."
The old woman coughed one after another.
The shop assistant saw this and said, "Wait here, I’ll call the doctor."
After a while, the doctor came.
He invited the old woman inside, taking her pulse and preparing medicine.
The Hidden Guard watched from the shadows.
The doctor was dedicated.
However, his wife complained a bit, "You’ve turned our pharmacy into a Charitable Hall."
"How could you bear not to save a life?" the doctor chuckled.
His wife glared at him, then gestured to the little girl, "Come, I’ll take you to eat something."
"Mom, this sister is so dirty, you can’t even see her face," a seven or eight-year-old boy said.
The wife tapped him on the head and said, "Your mother was like that too at one time."
"Wash her face and change clothes, that’s all it takes."
The wife indeed found a set of clothes for the little girl, although not a perfect fit, it was clean and fresh.
The Hidden Guard was quite impressed.
The Eldest Young Madam really had a keen eye.
No, wait...
She hadn’t even seen the person, she just heard a few words from the maid.
The Hidden Guard returned to Agarwood Pavilion and reported the doctor’s character to Su Jin.
"The doctor really is a good person," Xingxing said.
"He truly is," Su Jin was very satisfied.
There was a wind rising outside.
The howling wind rattled the windows.
Su Jin stood by the window.
The wind blew against her.
A bit chilly.
But her mood was good.
This was a test from the heavens for that doctor.
An elderly woman, seriously ill, without shelter, exposed to the elements, swallowing any amount of medicine would be futile.
Xie Jingchen entered the room after bathing.
Su Jin closed the window, turned around, and helped Xie Jingchen with his medicine.
Xie Jingchen stripped off his undergarment, wearing only his trousers—his back, already healing, now bore several more bruises.
Su Jin saw and said, "Why didn’t you say you had injuries on your back?"
"I hurried back to apply medicine, weren’t you admiring flowers with the maids?" Xie Jingchen replied.
Su Jin, "... ."
Xingxing, "... ."
Xingxing glanced at Su Jin.
Miss, didn’t you say the young master walked so fast because he wanted some quiet?
Su Jin silently helped Xie Jingchen apply the medicine.
She applied it to his back, chest, and face, then asked, "Are there bruises on your thighs or calves?"
Xie Jingchen didn’t answer.
Su Jin said, "Take it off."
Xie Jingchen, "... ."
Xingxing blushed, turned around, and ran off.
Xie Jingchen looked at Su Jin, "Are you sure you want me to take it off?"
Su Jin was a bit at a loss.
Why say it like that?
Her mind turned, and Su Jin blushed scarlet.
Forgot.
No underpants.
She set the medicine aside, "You apply it yourself then."
Leaving the inner room, Su Jin exhaled lightly.
Touching her hot face, she walked towards the study.
To avoid such awkward situations in the future.
Some things have to come into being.