After the worship ceremony was over, Jing Yan sent someone to take Jiang Yuqing away. The two of them stood on the widest viewing platform with the best view.
Below was the wide river surface, the drums and bells on the boats vying to cross the river first in the competition. On both banks were crowds of people, cheering and shouting to support their favorite dragon boat teams.
Jiang Yuqing didn't have a particular favorite team, but that didn't stop her from cheering for the guys rowing the dragon boats on the river. She clapped so hard that her palms turned red.
Jing Yan stroked her head, "Does Yuqing like it a lot?" Jiang Yuqing didn't even turn her head and said, "It's pretty fun!"
"Then shall we come every year from now on?"
"Sure... Go, go, faster - wow, first place, awesome!" Jing Yan looked at her jumping up and down indulgently, thinking that such a spirited Yuqing was especially vibrant.
After watching the dragon boat race, on the way back, Lu couldn't stand it anymore and told her husband about Lady Anxi Marquise's plot to trick Jiang Yuqing.
As soon as Jiang Wenyuan heard this, he was furious, "The toad wants to eat swan meat! What is that Wei brat? Is my daughter someone he can covet?
If I don't ask the Wei family for an explanation, I won't be surnamed Jiang anymore."
So the next day after the morning court session, Jiang Wenyuan stopped Wei LingSheng: "Marquis Wei, please stay behind!"
Wei LingSheng bowed to him, "Lord Marquis!"
Jiang Wenyuan said, "Xu Jie Xiang Tea House has just opened with new teas. Would Marquis Wei be interested in going there with me to try them?"
Although Wei LingSheng and Jiang Wenyuan were colleagues in the court, they didn't interact much, only acquaintances who nodded to each other.
For Jiang Wenyuan to suddenly invite him to drink tea like this was very unusual, and it made Wei strangely nervous for some reason.
However, Jiang Wenyuan was of high rank and authority, so Wei had no choice but to go along. He could only say, "It is my blessing that Lord Marquis invites me. Please lead the way, Lord Marquis!"
The two of them went upstairs to the elegant room in Xiang Tea House, ordered tea and snacks.
After drinking a cup, Wei finally couldn't resist asking, "I wonder why Lord Marquis asked me to come today, please tell me directly."
Jiang Wenyuan then put down his teacup and said, "Do you know what your wife is planning? Are you aware?"
Wei was confused, "Why is Lord Marquis saying this? Why mention my wife all of a sudden?"
Jiang Wenyuan said, "Judging from your reaction, it looks like you don't know.
Earlier this year, your wife and your family's young master conspired to create an incident to block the road when my daughter was on her way home, forcing the young girl to take a small path home.
Later they sent someone to pretend to be a bandit and rob my daughter in the alley. Then your family's young master jumped out at the right time to stage a scene of hero rescuing the beauty.
After that, your family's young master stalked my daughter several more times, created opportunities to 'coincidentally' meet her, and caused her quite a bit of trouble.
I can understand the affection of young people. But isn't your family's young master going too far?"
Seeing Wei's face filled with incredulity and disbelief, he said, "Marquis Wei, don't think I'm exaggerating or making irresponsible remarks.
Since I've come looking for you, it means I have absolutely solid evidence. And I would never joke with my daughter's reputation!
I heard that the position of heir has not been settled in your family yet. What were your wife and young master trying to achieve by doing this? I think you and I both know very well."
Wei was ashamed and shocked. He stood up and bowed to Jiang Wenyuan, "I really didn't know about this. Please give me one day's time to go back and get to the bottom of it.
If it's true that my wife and son have done such a thing, I definitely won't condone it."
Jiang Wenyuan also stood up and patted Wei on the shoulder, "Marquis Wei, please listen to my advice. Some things, when you should take action, don't hesitate, otherwise trouble will follow."
"Thanks for Lord Marquis's guidance!"
Back at the Wei residence, Wei secretly interrogated the servants around his young son. They didn't withstand threats and quickly confessed everything clearly and in detail, just as Jiang Wenyuan had said.
Wei was ashamed, alarmed, and angry at the same time. He immediately had that servant tied up and thrown in front of his wife and son.
His face gloomy, he said, "You two, tell me about what happened with the Princess Protector."
As soon as Han heard this, she knew the truth had come out, and her face instantly turned pale.
Still, she clung to a thread of hope to defend herself, and hurriedly said, "My Lord, please listen to my explanation, I was just muddled for a moment. Besides, nothing happened to that Jiang girl, right?"
Seeing that Han still refused to admit her mistake, Wei was furious. He raised his horsehair whisk high and gave Han a resounding slap that sent her to the ground.
Han's face swelled up instantly, with blood flowing from the corner of her mouth.
Wei Caile was shocked to see this and quickly went to help his mother up.
Wei yelled angrily, "Han, you are even bolder than heaven itself, dare to plot against the Princess Protector! What evil things can you not do?
Do you really think your son is a precious darling? He has no literary or military talents, and besides being able to talk smoothly, what other strengths does he have?
I'm ashamed for you. His Majesty himself asked the Jiang family for marriage to the Princess, yet Lord Marquis Jiang didn't agree to it. What makes you think he would look at your son?! Stop dreaming!"
After scolding Han, he gave his young son another vicious kick, "Do you think highly of yourself? Go take a look in the mirror!
The Princess Protector's older brother, Heir Apparent Jiang, ranked first place in the imperial exam at the age of sixteen. And you, after studying for ten-odd years, haven't even passed one county exam. Yet you still dare to have designs on the Princess?
Is she someone you can have designs on?! She can go into battlefields and behead Xiongnu soldiers at the age of five as easy as chopping watermelons. And you were still suckling at your wet nurse when you were eight! I'm anxious to death about you.
And you so-called hero rescuing the beauty, how preposterous, she thought it was just an act. You lost face for me your father to the extreme, foolish thing!"
After scolding them thoroughly, Wei looked at the mother and son pair lying frightened on the ground, and only felt vexed.
"Let me make this clear. If you want to avoid destroying Mu'en's marquis family and becoming destitute refugees, then tomorrow, you both will go to Marquis Jiang's manor to kowtow and apologize.
If your attitude shows the slightest insincerity, then don't bother coming back. Go kowtow, then come back to receive family punishment!"
With that said, he turned around and left. Afraid that her husband would really abandon her, Han endured the pain on her face, crawled up, and chased after him, "My Lord, where are you going?!"
Wei flung Han to the ground, "Your father's going to confess guilt to His Majesty!"
After Wei left, the mother and son pair limply collapsed on the ground, only coming to after a long while. Pale-faced, they were helped by the maids back to their rooms.
Han had never imagined things would become so serious in her dreams. Snatching a royal's beloved, even just the slightest misstep, could truly cost one's head.
But now regret was too late.
Wei went into the palace and told His Majesty the Emperor and His Highness the things his wife and son did.
Emperor Xia Jing also found it quite ridiculous.
Jing Yan stared at Wei for a long time, scaring cold sweat out of him, before finally speaking, "Don't let this happen again!"
The next day, Wei prepared generous gifts and took Han and his young son to the Jiang residence to kowtow and apologize. The Jiang family wasn't going to pursue endlessly after already getting an explanation.
Though Han and Wei Caile were foolish, Wei himself was not. Once out of Marquis Jiang's gate, the matter was settled on the Jiang side.
In order to ensure Han and the young son will not make another foolish move, Wei also imposed family disciplinary punishment on them in front of all their household servants.
He had just finished beating them when the Empress Dowager's decree came scolding Han severely again as well! Han had completely lost face inside and out!
Two days later, Wei directly petitioned to establish his eldest son by his first wife as Heir Apparent Anyang Marquis.
Originally, he still felt that his eldest son was too wooden and dull, while his young son was slick with words, so he hesitated.
But after this incident, he suddenly felt that being more wooden was good, at least it reduces trouble.
Han and her son tried all sorts of schemes, but ultimately came up empty.
Jiang Yuqing didn't have time to deal with the Anxi Marquis manor's lawsuits. She was busy packing to go to Minzhou.
Her shifu Doctor Qiu had already lost contact for over ten days.
The homing pigeons released had also failed to return. Her intuition told her that the old man might be in trouble, so she was going to find him.
After telling her parents and brother, she went to palace to say one last goodbye to Jing Yan, and declined Jing Yan's suggestion to send imperial guards to protect her. Bringing only Bai Xiaoshi, she headed directly to Sizhou.
That was the place where Doctor Qiu disappeared.
Sizhou was located to the southwest of Great Xia, nearly two thousand li from the capital. With tall mountains and dense forests, winding and precipitous roads difficult to travel, it would take over a month by carriage.
For Bai Xiaoshi carrying her, it wasn't even a full day before they arrived.
After arriving at Sizhou, Jiang Yuqing looked for an inn to stay at. She made many copies of Doctor Qiu's portrait and posted them all over Sizhou City. She searched for several days to no avail.
Jiang Yuqing even asked the birds if they had seen the old man in the portrait. The birds all said they hadn't seen him.
Just as Jiang Yuqing was about to leave, she happened to overhear some guests whispering about something in the lobby of the restaurant. She sensitively caught one key word - "plague!"
So she waited until that guest had finished eating before stopping him on the road to ask about the plague.
At first he refused to say, but after Jiang Yuqing offered ample reward, he softly said in broken Mandarin: "It's in Yuci County. There's a village there that has a plague outbreak. The government has quarantined the place and won't let the news spread!"
"How do you know about it then?"
The man said, "I just came back from Yuci. I definitely know about it. The officials were afraid of the news getting out, so they surrounded the village. Anyone trying to leave the village would be shot dead with arrows.
Plague is deadly business. None of the local doctors dared to go in.
In the end, an old doctor claiming to be from Heavenly Doctor Valley voluntarily went into the village to diagnose and treat the villagers. He still hasn't come out yet, dead or alive, no one knows."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuqing's eyes lit up. She immediately took out Doctor Qiu's portrait and asked if it was the same person.
The man said he didn't know - he was just a guard passing through.
Jiang Yuqing had an intuition that the doctor who went into quarantine must be Doctor Qiu. Her master has always rushed to wherever there were difficult and complicated diseases.
A place like this, no other doctors would dare go in. If her master saw this, he would certainly get involved!
Jiang Yuqing thanked the man, gave him some silver, asked for directions, then immediately headed for Yuci County.
Upon arriving at Yuci, Jiang Yuqing quickly found the barricaded village.
The government had nailed thick wooden fences tightly around it, like an iron barrel.
Masked government soldiers were stationed all along the perimeter, security was tight.
The only entrance to the village was a large gate guarded heavily by troops.
Seeing a beautiful young girl suddenly appear riding a deer in this ghost town that no one dared approach, the soldiers were immediately on high alert.
Jiang Yuqing didn't bother with pleasantries. She directly took out the Heavenly Doctor Valley token and said, "I am a disciple of Heavenly Doctor Valley. I heard there is a plague outbreak here and came to take a look."
The head soldier was overjoyed, "So you are the expert from Heavenly Doctor Valley! Let me tell you, we are badly lacking doctors here. Your arrival is truly timely!"
Jiang Yuqing took a portrait out from her clothes and asked, "Have you seen this old man?"
Upon seeing it, the guard said, "Seen him! This doctor is inside right now!
It's been over ten days already. Other than tossing out paper bundles every day for more medicine, he hasn't come out at all!"
Hearing this, Jiang Yuqing was delighted to find out that she had located her master.
