Chapter 47
Back home, Lin Qingyu went to the mourning hall alone. There was only one person’s tablet enshrined in the hall. He looked at the roughly carved characters “Jiang Dazhuang” and stood there for a long time in a trance.
“You told Xu Junyuan, but you didn’t tell me.” Lin Qingyu said softly, “And you said you weren’t a bastard.”
The warm wind blew. No one answered him.
There was a knock on the door, and Huan Tong said from outside, “Young Master, Manager Zhang is here.”
Before Lin Qingyu headed out, he said to the tablet, “But as long as you can come back on time, I won’t scold you anymore.”
Zhang Shiquan had been called by Lin Qingyu. He didn’t know what Lin Qingyu wanted him for, calling him out this night. So he first truthfully reported the situation to Nan’an Hou. In just one short month, the Hou Mansion had undergone earth-shaking changes. It was no longer dull and lifeless and the reason for that — Pan Shi was expecting.
This was something Lin Qingyu never thought possible. He had underestimated Nan’an Hou; despite being so devastated, he struggled to get up and find a way out for himself.
“After the doctor diagnosed Pan Shi as being with child, it could be said that Master Hou’s was illness was cured without any need for medicine. Now, there is no longer any need for him to be confined in bed. Soon, he may be able to return to court.”
“He may be of a mind to return to court, but there may no longer be a place for him there.” After saying this, Lin Qingyu returned to the original matter. “During the few months you were in Xuzhou, aside from investigating the matter of the private salt business, you also handled quite a few matters for the Young Master Hou, isn’t that right?”
Zhang Shiquan was momentarily stunned and then, he smiled bitterly, “It seems there is nothing that can be hidden from the young master.”
“Tell me.”
Zhang Shiquan said, “Young Master Hou asked me to find someone in Suicheng in Xuzhou. He instructed me to find a way to obtain a certain token from him.”
Lin Qingyu asked, “Who is this person?”
“I only know that he is a butcher under the pseudonym Zhu Yongxin. As for this person’s real identity and real name, I am afraid only Young Master Hou knew.”
Lin Qingyu nodded and said, “You’ve worked hard. Later, go to the warehouse and get some tonic and give to Pan Yiniang.”
Zhang Shiquan said, “Yes, Young Master.”
The next day, when Lin Qingyu woke up early in the morning, he felt as though his chest were empty, his heart missing. Hua Lu entered the room and saw Lin Qingyu sitting by the bed in a daze. She called out, “Young Master?”
Lin Qingyu suddenly said, “Today, let’s go back to the Lin Residence.”
It may be that not everyone knew about him moving house.
When they arrived at the Lin Residence, Lin Qingyu accompanied Mother Lin for a meal and then spent the rest of the time in the study. Seeing that he was in a bad mood, Mother Lin stopped Lin Qinghe, who wanted to stick to his brother. “Your brother wants to be by himself.”
Lin Qingyu sat alone, from day til night, until they began to light the lanterns. Huan Tong came in and reminded him, “Young Master, it’s time for you to enter the palace.”
Tonight, Lin Qingyu had to be on duty at the Imperial Hospital for six hours.
Lin Qingyu asked him, “What time is it?”
Huan Tong replied: “It’s already Xushi.”
“Then until Zishi, there’s still…” Lin Qingyu stopped speaking. He calmed down, and said, “Help me change clothes.”
The curtain of the night shrouded everything and the palace gate was locked. Most of the imperial physicians on duty at the Imperial Hospital were the young ones with less seniority, with only one or two of the older physicians in charge.
Hu Ji was preparing medicine according to a prescription. He was unsure of the dosage for one of the medicines, so he raised his head and asked Lin Qingyu beside him, “Imperial Physician Lin, would it be better if this Snowdrop bush was a little less–Imperial Physician Lin?”
Lin Qingyu came back to his senses and said, “What?”
Hu Ji put down the medicine and asked, “What has been on your mind these days? It feels like you’ve been absent-minded.”
Lin Qingyu rubbed the space between his brows. “It’s nothing.”
“If something has happened, you must tell me.” Hu Ji said sincerely, “I can…”
Before Hu Ji could finish speaking, a panicked voice came from outside the hospital. “Imperial Physician Hu! Is Imperial Physician Hu here?!”
The person who came was the little eunuch in charge of sweeping Qinzheng Hall, Little Fu Zi. He came to the imperial hospital in the middle of the night because a eunuch who stayed in the same room with him suddenly fell ill, suffering from unbearable abdominal pain. They were eunuchs and no one really cared when they got sick. Only Imperial Physician Hu would diagnose and treat them wholeheartedly.
Imperial Physician Hu packed his things without another word. “I’ll go right away.”
Lin Qingyu said, “You still have to make those beauty pills for Concubine Chen. I’ll go.”
Imperial Physician Hu said in surprise, “You’re willing to go?”
Lin Qingyu nodded. He wanted something to do and only when he was facing a patient could he find a moment of peace.
Hu Ji was the only one Little Fu Zi trusted. He was a little uneasy when he heard this. “Imperial Physician Hu isn’t coming?”
Hu Ji smiled and said, “Don’t worry, Imperial Physician Lin’s medical skills are better than mine. With him there, there absolutely won’t be any problem. Don’t you know that Imperial Physician Lin was the one who came up with the cure for the epidemic?”
Little Fu Zi’s eyes lit up. “Really? Thank you, Imperial Physician Lin!”
Lin Qingyu said, “Lead the way.”
Lin Qingyu followed Xiao Fu Zi to Sili Jian where the eunuchs lived. The imperial palace was grand and magnificent but the other side of this stately-ness and solemnity were these cramped rooms where seven to eight eunuchs were squeezed it. The room he arrived at could still be considered quite good. The eunuchs who stayed here were those who served in Qinzheng Hall. The people serving around the Emperor had to at least be clean and odorless. Eunuchs assigned to do the most strenuous labor usually had a sour odor on their bodies.
Lin Qingyu diagnosed the sick eunuch as suffering from a stomachache from having eaten something bad. Lin Qingyu gave him something to induce vomiting, making him empty out the contents of his stomach. The patient should make a full recovery after drinking stomach-nourishing medicine for a few days.
Little Fu Zi thanked him repeatedly, “I’ll send Imperial Doctor Lin back to the Imperial Hospital.”
Lin Qingyu said, “No need.”
“But it’s already Zishi and it would be hard to make your way back in the dark.”
Lin Qingyu was stunned. “It’s already Zishi?”
Xiao Fuzi said, “Yes.”
The last piece in Lin Qingyu’s heart emptied. This day has finally passed.
He still hadn’t shown up.
Rebirth from death. Just how rare was a soul transfer? Before that person, he had never even heard of such a thing. Experiencing it once was already unbelievable. How could he possibly be given it a second time?
To die is to die. After death, there is nothing left.
He actually believed that person’s nonsense. So stupid.
Lin Qingyu stared fixedly at one spot for a long time. He suddenly closed his eyes, as though he could escape something by doing so. After that, he carried his brand new medicine box and said, “I… I can make it back on my own.”
When he got to the door of the room, the eunuch who was sleeping on one side turned over in his sleep and muttered indistinctly, “If Odd change, if even remain the same…if odd change, if even…”
Lin Qingyu stopped abruptly. He looked down in disbelief, staring at the handsome little eunuch.
The little eunuch, completely unaware in his deep sleep, still kept muttering that sentence: “If add change, if even remain the same…”
Lin Qingyu’s pupils instantly shrank. His body grew numb from head to toe. Without a care for anything else, he grabbed the eunuch by the collar, pulling him up.
The eunuch opened his eyes drowsily and looked at Lin Qingyu blankly, “Am I dreaming of immortals…?”
Lin Qingyu’s mind went blank for a while. He instinctively uttered the words he’d been reciting countless times in his heart, “For the symbol look to the quadrant?”
The eunuch was even more at a loss: “…what?”
Lin Qingyu had mixed feelings. For a while, he didn’t know what to say. He looked down at the eunuch and said, voice trembling, “You…you’ve realized your lifelong dream…”
He’d transmigrated to a eunuch? Becoming an actual Lao Gong?
“Imperial Physician Lin?” Little Fu Zi wanted to hold him back but felt that his hands were not worthy of touching such a beautiful imperial doctor. “Imperial Physician Lin, this is Xiao Songzi from Qinzheng Hall. Is there something you need from him?”
Lin Qingyu was momentarily dazed but his reason gradually returned. If that person was in the palace, he would have come to him long ago. It was more likely that Xiao Songzi knew this sentence because someone else had told him.
Lin Qingyu’s hand suddenly became ruthless, his expression, cold. He said sharply, “Where did you hear this sentence?”
Xiao Songzi was grabbed by the collar. He was almost out of breath, “What, what sentence…?”
“If odd, change; if even, remain the same!”
“I don’t know, I don’t know anything.” Xiao Songzi’s face flushed. “I just keep hearing it from the scholars in Qinzheng Hall. They keep repeating this sentence, from morning to night, like chanting scripture. Before I knew it, I’d memorized it too…”
Lin Qingyu slowly let go, his mind in a whirl. The surprise at having lost and then suddenly finding and the perturbed feeling of not knowing the truth, mingled in his mind.
But now was not a time for surprise or apprehension. He needed to calm down and find out more information.
Hu Ji has mentioned Xiao Songzi to him many times and they’ve gotten a lot of information from him. According to Hu Ji, Xiao Songzi was simple-minded and knew how to repay gratitude. He was a very trust-worthy person. If what Xiao Songzi said was true, how did the scholars of the Imperial Academy know this?
Lin Qingyu’s expression cleared up slightly. He asked, “What else did you hear in Qinzheng Hall?”
Xiao Songzi said slowly, “That’s all. The door to the side hall of Qinzheng Hall is always kept closed and no one can come out. I can go in because I have to deliver meals to them three times a day… Oh, yes, I also heard them mention Xixia a few times.”
Lin Qingyu asked again, “When did the scholars of the Imperial Academy get locked up in the Qinzheng Hall?”
“About three or five days ago. I don’t even know what they’re doing.”
Now that the Emperor was seriously ill, the Crown Prince was in charge of the country. Xiao Cheng must have been the one who ordered all the scholars secluded in Qinzheng Hall. So, the source of the message was Xiao Cheng? Did Xiao Cheng also learn it from Xixia?
In any case, that person was still alive, and it was possible that he is in Xixia or at the Dayu’s border. The border between Xixia and the Dayu was in constant turmoil. Perhaps that person knew that he wouldn’t be able to come back on time, so he made this unwise decision.
He was still alive, but he couldn’t come to him for a long time. Instead, he used God knows what method to pass on the code to the Dayu’s court. This clearly meant that he either could not get away or that he needed to conceal his identity. He let Xiao Cheng know this code, not for Qi Yu to respond but simply to convey the fact that he was still alive through Xiao Cheng’s mouth.
That being the case, he mustn’t expose it either. At least, he couldn’t respond to this secret message in front of Xiao Cheng.
Lin Qingyu pondered for a long time. His rapidly beating heart finally calmed down. He said to Xiao Songzi, “I owe you a favor for this matter.”
Xiao Songzi gave an embarrassed smile, “Imperial Physician Lin is a friend of Imperial Physician Hu. And you were willing to come to where the eunuchs live to treat us. We don’t know how to repay you except to reveal some irrelevant gossip.”
Lin Qingyu suddenly felt it was good to be a good person occasionally.
