After ensuring that the seeds were sown without any issues, Jiang Yuqing instructed Zhuangtou to take good care of things, and then she leisurely returned to the capital city with Doctor Qiu and Tian Shanglu.
To prevent any leg injuries during the bumpy journey, Jiang Yuqing used her rejuvenation technique once again to treat herself before setting off.
After days of continuous dressing changes by Doctor Qiu and treatment with her own wood-based cultivation method, her condition had significantly improved, and she was now able to walk freely. However, she still needed to wear a leg brace to avoid drawing attention.
As soon as she returned home, Jiang Yuqing took a few sips of water, and Zhao Housekeeper promptly brought in a stack of various invitation cards.
Jiang Yuqing casually flipped through them. There were poetry gatherings, tea parties, flower appreciation events, and countless other activities. The variety was overwhelming.
After flipping through a few books, she lost interest and piled them up on the desk. She was busy every day and had no time to indulge in flower viewing or poetry writing. Those were activities for wealthy young ladies with leisure time, not something she would participate in.
Er Yu and Nanny Yan exchanged a glance, both expressing a hint of helplessness. Their mistress was good in many aspects, except she didn't pay much attention to things that interested women.
Yu Zhu stepped forward and tidied up the mess of invitation cards. From the stack, she took out a large red card with gold embossing and handed it to Jiang Yuqing.
"County Princess, you don't have to look at the others, but it's better to take a look at this one. Zhao Housekeeper said it was delivered on the day you went to the Zhuangzi," Yu Zhu said.
Jiang Yuqing glanced at Yu Zhu and took the card, opening it to see the signature: "Ronghua Princess's Residence." The content was an invitation to admire the peonies in her family's garden. The flowers would be in full bloom in ten days, on the fifteenth of April.
Jiang Yuqing asked Yu Zhu, "Do I have to go to this Ronghua Princess's Residence?"
Yu Zhu replied, "If your leg injury hasn't fully healed, you can choose not to go. But if you can walk, I suggest you go, as it can be a way to relax."
"Is she influential?" Jiang Yuqing inquired.
Yu Zhu answered, "Not particularly. However, Princess Ronghua is the only surviving sister of the current emperor. Therefore, his Majesty shows her special consideration. Princess Ronghua loves peonies and has a whole garden of them, all of which are exquisite varieties. Her peonies bloom earlier than those in other places."
"Every year at this time, Princess Ronghua holds a flower appreciation event, inviting noble ladies and distinguished women from the capital to admire the flowers. Receiving an invitation from Princess Ronghua's Residence is considered an honor among noble ladies. So, I still suggest that you go, to relax and enjoy."
Jiang Yuqing tapped the table a few times with her finger and said, "Then, let's go! Do we need to send a response?"
Yu Zhu replied, "Yes, we need to reply. I'll bring the stationery."
Jiang Yuqing took out a pen from her spirit realm and neatly wrote a reply. The characters were a bit smaller, but at least they were legible. Using a brush pen would have been quite laughable.
After finishing the reply, Yu Zhu personally delivered it to Princess Ronghua's Residence.
Since the decision to attend was made, they couldn't afford any mistakes. After Yu Zhu left, Jiang Yuqing took paper and pen and wrote a notice, which was then posted outside the main gate of the Marquis's residence.
The notice contained only one sentence: "On the 11th of April, the Valley Master of Bianque Valley will be holding consultations at Zhuque Avenue and He'an Medicine Hall in the capital city. This was arranged in advance with her master."
Jiang Yuqing's move of borrowing the residence of the Mu Enhou Mansion to wait for her benefactor was a show of strength that intimidated the influential figures in the capital.
Now the initiative is entirely in their hands, and they can choose whom to treat or not treat based on the whims of the old master. No one can force them anymore!
At the same time, notices were also posted in the capital and at He'an Medicine Hall, stating that starting from the 11th of April, the Valley Master of Bianque Valley would hold consultations at the hall on alternate days.
The rules remained the same: "No consultations on the third, sixth, and ninth days." Only five patients would be accepted each day, and those exceeding the limit would have to come back another day.
Anyone who caused trouble or attempted to exert pressure on others would be blacklisted by Bianque Valley and denied medical treatment for life.
As soon as the news came out, the people of the capital spread the word like wildfire. They flocked to He'an Medicine Hall, all hoping to secure an appointment as early as possible.
Finally, the gates of the Qing Prefecture Marquis Mansion became quiet.
During the "recovery" period, there was no need to entertain guests or enter the palace.
Jiang Yuqing enjoyed the tranquility. During the day, she would read books, let her disciple Bai Xiaoshi wander in the garden, or engage in discussions on medical skills with her master, senior brothers, and nephews. In the evening, she would practice cultivation in the spiritual realm.
After another five or six days, she reached the seventh level of Qi cultivation and advanced to the initial stage of the "Qing Art Derivation Technique."
Now, with a wave of her small hand, she could make the grass and trees within five miles sprout in the cold winter or make fruits and vegetables within a one-mile radius ripen.
This ability was extraordinary and gratifying.
She had also made progress in the "Rejuvenation Technique" and could now easily treat simple external injuries, healing them in just a few moments. As long as she wished it, the patient's skin would be intact, without leaving the slightest scar.
Of course, this didn't mean that her medical skills were useless.
No matter how powerful the "Rejuvenation Technique" was, it still required the support of spiritual energy, which only she possessed.
Treating one or two people was manageable, but if there were many, such as on a battlefield, even if she worked tirelessly, she wouldn't be able to treat everyone.
Therefore, in this world, it was still necessary to firmly root oneself in traditional medicine. There were no shortcuts on this path.
She was just an unexpected occurrence.
A bystander, so to speak.
After these days, Jiang Yuqing's injured leg was finally freed from the splint and fully healed.
It was said that it takes a hundred days to recover from a bone and tendon injury, but she managed to do it in less than half a month, and no one doubted it.
She felt fortunate to have a renowned divine physician as her master.
On the second day of her recovery, she went to the palace.
During her days of injury, the Empress Qin sent her delicious food and fun things.
She even wanted to bring her into the palace and have her live there, but Jiang Yuqing declined.
It wasn't that she didn't know how to appreciate the favor; it was just that the palace was too oppressive.
Dealing with the concubines, princesses, and noble ladies every day was enough to give her a headache, even just remembering all their names.
She admired the Empress Qin even more. Despite being in the prime of her youth and beauty, she not only had to compete with the women in the harem for her husband's attention but also had to take care of her husband's concubines and illegitimate children.
Just the thought of it made Jiang Yuqing sympathize with her!
Of course, it was their way of life, and she could only silently criticize it in her heart. She wouldn't dare to speak out, as that could easily lead to an untimely death.
After not seeing each other for half a month, Empress Qin hugged her like a cherished treasure and immediately commented on how thin she had become.
Well... she did lose some weight, just a couple of pounds. Who knows how she noticed it.
When the two of them got together and started talking about what happened a few days ago, they laughed so hard that they almost fell over.
In the end, Empress Qin playfully scolded her, saying, "You are the precious national porcelain. How can you compete with those shabby jars and broken pottery bowls? It's not worth hurting yourself. Next time, you mustn't do such a thing." Jiang Yuqing nodded like a little chick pecking at grains.
I believe that after this incident, no one with a lack of insight will come and cause trouble again.
The two of them chatted comfortably, and Empress Qin even allowed her to drop the title "Nanny" and just call her Qin Auntie when no one was around in the palace.
Jiang Yuqing thought this address was good, as it felt intimate and down-to-earth.
In the afternoon, Empress Qin asked her to stay in the palace since her own residence would be empty anyway. It was better to stay in the palace and have someone to talk to.
She ended up staying for three or four days.
During these days, Jing Yan would visit her whenever he had free time, and Emperor Xia Jing also brought Li Deshun with him twice.
Perhaps because she had become familiar with the empress, Jiang Yuqing was no longer as restrained as she was when she first entered the palace. She took the opportunity to have many conversations with Li Deshun.
In no time, news of Jiang Yuqing, the favored county princess, spread throughout the court.
It wasn't until the day before the flower-viewing event at Princess Ronghua's residence that Empress Qin finally let her return home.
Knowing that she was going to attend the flower-viewing event at Princess Ronghua's residence, Empress Qin instructed people to prepare a complete set of clothes, accessories, and gifts for her, and told Nanny Yan and Er Yu to take good care of Jiang Yuqing.
If there were any issues, they were to report directly to her.
After returning home, Jiang Yuqing went to visit her master at the Rejuvenation Pavilion as soon as possible. After not seeing him for a few days, she truly missed him.
To her surprise, she found the place empty. Then she remembered that today was the day when the old man spent his time with the An Tang Clinic.
Approaching noon, Jiang Yuqing had her servants prepare some of her master's favorite dishes and packed them in a food box. She personally went to the An Tang Clinic to deliver them.
The reputation of the An Tang Clinic was well-known. It was always the first choice for medical treatment among the people of Da Xia.
Now, the An Tang Clinic on Zhuque Street had gained even more fame with the renowned divine physician sitting in.
Even at noon, there were still many people waiting in line outside.
It was not much different from the military hospital where she was in her previous life!
With so many people gathered here, it had also boosted the business of nearby food stalls and inns.
After getting off the carriage at the entrance of the An Tang Clinic, Jiang Yuqing took the food box from Nanny Yan's hand and headed straight inside.
A shop assistant politely stopped her and said, "Miss, if you're here for medical treatment, please join the queue or make an appointment in advance."
Jiang Yuqing smiled and reached into her sleeve, taking out the token from Bianque Valley, and asked, "Can I go in now?"
As soon as the assistant saw it, he immediately showed respect and said, "So you're a junior disciple of the Valley. I apologize for my rudeness. Our master is currently seeing patients in the innermost room. Let me take you there."
It turned out that he was also a disciple of Bianque Valley. Due to lacking any notable talent in medicine, he could only become a menial worker at the outer sect, but he was still able to support his family well.
When Jiang Yuqing entered, Doctor Qiu had just finished seeing a patient.
Upon seeing her, he first felt joy, but then pretended to be angry and said, "You little brat, do you still remember that you have a master? I thought you were blinded by wealth and reluctant to come back."
Jiang Yuqing coquettishly replied, "Absolutely not! Am I the kind of disciple who forgets about my master? I think of you every day in the palace. As soon as I returned home, I immediately came to find you."
As she spoke, she personally handed him a food box and said, "Master, look, these are your favorite dishes."
"Hmph, not bad," Doctor Qiu said, instantly satisfied.
Jiang Yuqing accompanied her master and finished seeing the two difficult patients they had scheduled for the afternoon.
The first patient had the same rheumatic bone disease as Li Deshun.
Based on the information provided by Jiang Yuqing, Doctor Qiu prepared a temporary prescription called "Blood-Activating and Stasis-Removing Pills" and a pain-relieving ointment for dampness. The effect of this prescription was even better than the previous one.
However, these were all medicinal formulas that needed to be decocted and taken at home.
Afterward, a middle-aged couple dressed in exquisite clothes entered. The husband's surname was Chen, and he was a prominent figure. They brought along a child who was tightly wrapped up. The child appeared to be around five or six years old and seemed very frightened upon encountering strangers, shrinking back and not daring to approach.
Seeing this, Jiang Yuqing quickly stepped forward and reassured him in a gentle voice. "Little brother, don't be afraid. We are doctors and won't harm you."
As she spoke, she took out two lollipops from her bag.
These were homemade lollipops made by Nanny Yan based on her instructions.
Malt sugar was spun into threads and wrapped around small sticks, then covered with a layer of sticky rice paper and finally enclosed in ordinary Xuan paper.
Jiang Yuqing unwrapped one and took a sip, then handed the other one to the child. "This is a lollipop, it's delicious. Here, take it!"
The child looked at her, then looked at the candy in his hand, and finally couldn't resist the temptation and put it in his mouth.
Perhaps feeling Jiang Yuqing's friendliness or savoring the delightful taste in his mouth, the little boy finally revealed his first smile since entering the consultation room.
"What's wrong with the child?" Doctor Qiu asked.
Mr. and Mrs. Chen looked at the child, then at Doctor Qiu, then at Jiang Yuqing, their faces filled with difficulty in expressing their thoughts.
After a while, Mrs. Chen finally bent down to remove the child's clothes.
Realizing what was happening, the child started to struggle violently.
While trying to calm him down and explaining that they were here to treat him, the couple forcefully managed to undress the child.
To their surprise, the child's abdomen was swollen like a drum, and there was even an underdeveloped hand protruding from his chest.
Jiang Yuqing was momentarily stunned and blurted out, "This is a parasitic twin."
