By Talking Elbow:

Stories always begin with utmost gentleness and end with immense cruelty.
As much fun as they had playing, they were beaten equally severely afterward.

Early in the morning, in the main hall of Taiping Medical Clinic, She Dengke and Liu Quxing stood in a line in front of the counter. Old Man Yao returned to the backyard with two bamboo canes and beat the two until they wailed like ghosts: “So, you’ve learned to stay out all night drinking, have you? Your parents paid tuition to send you here just so you could drink and fail to accurately take pulses? When can I expect you to actually diagnose patients?”

Liu Quxing wailed, “Master, I can take accurate pulses! It’s Yu Dengke who can’t!”

She Dengke cried so hard that snot bubbles formed: “Liu Quxing, you bastard!”

Just then, Old Man Yao turned sharply and menacingly, looking at Chen Ji, who was watching the scene from a bamboo chair: “And you!”

Chen Ji rolled his eyes upward: “Master, my wound really hurts.” With that, he pretended to faint.

However, Old Man Yao ignored him and gave Chen Ji a torrent of bamboo cane strikes, whipping him until he woke up screaming, “Master, I’m injured! I’m injured!”

“Now you remember you’re injured? Why didn’t you remember that when you were out playing!”

Old Man Yao switched between the apprentices, whipping them indiscriminately in turns. When one cane broke, he’d switch to the other. It was then that everyone realized why he had brought out two bamboo canes in the first place.

After finishing with the apprentices, Old Man Yao looked at the Young Master: “The Young Master studied at Donglin Academy for three years, and after returning, he spends every day lingering in pleasure quarters. It seems the teachers at Donglin aren’t very good either.”

The Young Master subconsciously agreed: “They really aren’t great…” He suddenly realized he had said the wrong thing and quickly tried to remedy it with a smile, “No, no, don’t misunderstand. Yesterday was simply too joyful, we truly got along wonderfully…”

Old Man Yao slowly raised his hand. The Young Master quickly cowered and hid behind Bai Li, muttering softly, “Presumably, you were just as headstrong when you were young…”

Bai Li stepped forward and held Old Man Yao’s arm: “Don’t be angry, please don’t let them get to you.”

Old Man Yao raised an eyebrow: “Weren’t you there last night? Go back to your spot.”

Bai Li reluctantly lowered her head and retreated back into the line.

Old Man Yao then looked at Liang Gou’er: “You’ve been living comfortably, eating and drinking well at my Taiping Medical Clinic, and then you go and lead my apprentices astray!”

Liang Gou’er also lowered his head: “Don’t worry, next time I definitely won’t take them out to stay all night.”

Old Man Yao’s eyes widened, and his beard bristled. “There’s a next time?!”

This old man with white hair and beard, like an elder to everyone, fairly admonished everyone except Liang Mao’er. The Young Master, Bai Li, and Liang Gou’er all hung their heads without a word of protest.

What was strange, however, was that Old Man Yao was supposedly just a royal physician in Prince Jing’s residence, yet when he admonished the Young Master and the Princess, even they found it completely reasonable and natural.

Physician Yao said coldly, “All of you, stand here and reflect carefully!” With that, he turned and went back to the backyard. Everyone let out a long sigh of relief.

Liu Quxing sobbed, “Master beat us too hard.”

Liang Gou’er leaned lazily against the counter, propping himself up with his elbows: “Be content, it’s good that someone is still willing to discipline you these days. If someone had given me a good beating back then, maybe I wouldn’t have drunk every day…” Liang Gou’er looked at the Young Master: “You and the Princess don’t need to stand here as punishment. That old man can’t control you, why stay here to be scolded?”

The Young Master chuckled, “What are you talking about? Good friends share both prosperity and adversity!” Just then, a knock came from outside the door: “Is Physician Yao in?”

Everyone inside the clinic collectively sighed in relief. An outsider’s arrival meant salvation!

Physician Yao slowly returned to the main hall. He glanced at She Dengke: “Go open the door!”

She Dengke hurried out. A moment later, he led the guest into the backyard.

Chen Ji looked up, only to see Manager Yuan of Bailu Pavilion smilingly carrying two bags of things: fruits, pastries, and even a fresh leg of lamb. At that moment, all thoughts of dreams, singing girls, and sweet wine vanished like smoke because of Manager Yuan’s visit. Everything from last night felt like nothing more than a pleasant dream.

Since his injury, Chen Ji seemed to have distanced himself from conflict, learning fighting techniques while being led astray by the Young Master. His life felt full and steady, as if the shadows of the past had receded, never to return. But he knew that what was meant to come, always would.

Old Man Yao asked, “My Taiping Medical Clinic just restocked medicinal herbs a few days ago. Manager Yuan, why have you come in person again? Aren’t you busy with your business?”

Manager Yuan chuckled in response, “A Bailu Pavilion attendant mentioned seeing Chen Ji being carried down the street yesterday, apparently injured, so I decided to come and visit him.”

Chen Ji knew it must have been his ostentatious outing with the Young Master and the Princess yesterday that attracted the attention of Jing Dynasty’s Military Intelligence Bureau. He knew they might come, but he hadn’t expected them to arrive so quickly.

Old Man Yao glanced at Manager Yuan and said flatly, “You’re a very busy man, Manager Yuan, yet you’ve come to my Taiping Medical Clinic to visit a mere apprentice.”

Manager Yuan didn’t mind Old Man Yao’s bluntness: “Young Physician Chen often came to my Bailu Pavilion for medicinal herbs, and we clicked right away. So I brought some things to visit him. You go on with your business, I’ll just have a chat with Young Physician Chen.”

Old Man Yao nodded: “Alright, you two chat. She Dengke, go fetch water. Liu Quxing, go mop the floor. Liang Mao’er, go cook. Liang Gou’er, you can go to sleep.”

Liang Gou’er said sheepishly, “I’ve been living here for free at Taiping Medical Clinic, so it’s perfectly fine if you tell me to scram too. No need to be polite with me.”

“Alright, then go chop some firewood!”

“Got it!”

The Young Master quickly said with an ingratiating smile, “We’ll also stay and help out before we leave. Bai Li, go find a rag and wipe down the counters in the main hall…”

Bai Li smiled, “Okay!”

Manager Yuan, seizing the moment while everyone was busy, asked in a low voice, “Did you find that escaped spy the night before last?”

Chen Ji shook his head and said earnestly, “That night I was severely injured and passed out, so I don’t know anything about what happened afterward. But since the Secret Service hasn’t come to arrest me, I presume they haven’t caught him yet.”

Manager Yuan stood in the main hall with his hands behind his back, deep in thought. The atmosphere in the hall suddenly solidified, becoming icy. The door of Taiping Medical Clinic was still closed. Outside the window, morning light filtered through the white paper on the panes, illuminating the dim room. Chen Ji silently observed the other’s expression, saying nothing.

A moment later, Manager Yuan asked, “Has anyone from the Military Intelligence Bureau come looking for you these past two days?”

Chen Ji shook his head: “No.”

Manager Yuan stared at Chen Ji: “Are you sure there hasn’t been anyone?”

Chen Ji met his gaze frankly: “Really, no one.”

Manager Yuan dropped the topic. He changed the subject: “The last shipment has already been transported north. You have one day to find a way to inform the important person in the Prince’s residence that it’s time to deliver the next shipment. As soon as this shipment is in place, the Director will immediately travel south.”

Chen Ji said with difficulty, “But Assistant Director, as you can see, I’m so injured, how can I contact that important person? Can’t we wait until my injuries have healed?”

Manager Yuan’s expression darkened. He actually bent down and pressed on the wound on Chen Ji’s thigh. Chen Ji felt as if struck by lightning. Large beads of sweat dripped from his forehead. In just a few breaths, the clothes on his back were drenched with sweat, but he dared not make a sound. Liang Gou’er was in the backyard. If Chen Ji cried out, Liang Gou’er would hear him. But what then? Let everyone know he was a Military Intelligence spy? No, he couldn’t be exposed.

Manager Yuan said in a low voice, “I don’t like people bargaining with me. How to make contact is your responsibility, not mine. You should be grateful that I spared your life. Don’t interfere with my plans.”

At this moment, Bai Li returned from the backyard, wringing out a rag. She was in a good mood, humming a little tune. Manager Yuan looked up at her, then whispered to Chen Ji, “No matter what method you use, I’m only giving you one day.”

“Understood.”

Manager Yuan turned to leave. He pushed the door open but stopped just inside, as if someone was blocking his way. Chen Ji’s gaze went past him, to see a person outside the door wearing a bamboo woven hat, patched clothes, and straw sandals. The person held a short blade. Their head was bowed, standing in the morning mist, making their face indiscernible. The person and Manager Yuan stood in silent confrontation, neither uttering a word, yet the air was thick with murderous intent.

Wait, this was another Assistant Director from the Military Intelligence Bureau!

Chen Ji suddenly understood: Just as the Secret Service had its Twelve Zodiacs, the Military Intelligence Bureau also had more than one Assistant Director. In Luocheng alone, there were two: one was the fat man disguised as Manager Yuan, and the other was the thin man who used to wear a green-faced fanged mask and wielded a short blade.

Sensing the danger, Chen Ji turned to Bai Li, who was wiping the table, and said, “Princess, could you please get me a glass of water?”

Bai Li was completely unaware of what was happening. She simply smiled and replied, “Of course, I’ll go get you some water right away.”

After Bai Li left, Manager Yuan calmly said to the other Assistant Director, “What are you doing here?”

The other Assistant Director sneered, “What are *you* doing here?”

“Luocheng is under my jurisdiction now. You need to know your place.” With that, Manager Yuan got into his carriage and quickly departed.

The Assistant Director with the bamboo hat quietly watched Chen Ji for a long time, before finally leaving.

Chen Ji was confused. Why were two Assistant Directors gathered at the entrance of Taiping Medical Clinic?

At that moment, Bai Li brought a glass of plain water: “Here, it’s lukewarm.”

Chen Ji didn’t take the water. Instead, he looked up at Princess Bai Li, “Princess, can I trust you?”

Bai Li smiled and said, “Of course, you can. I’m very reliable.”

Chen Ji suddenly stood up from the bamboo chair, struggling to limp towards the outside. Reaching the door, he looked back at Princess Bai Li: “Please close the door after I leave and keep this a secret for me. Thank you…”

Chen Ji, taking advantage of the sparse pedestrians on the street, quickly made his way to the wall outside the fabric shop’s backyard. But as soon as he turned into the small alley, he froze. He saw Wuyun squatting atop the white wall and gray tiles, with over ten tabby cats bowing in obedience behind him. Opposite Wuyun, a one-eyed tabby cat squatted on the gray tiles, also followed by over ten cats, including plump orange cats and cow cats.

A major battle was about to erupt.

Chen Ji didn’t bother to think about what was going on. He immediately waved to Wuyun: “Wuyun!”

Wuyun meowed, “You stand back first. Don’t let blood splash on you later.”

Chen Ji: …There was murderous intent. He said, “Don’t fight for now. I have something very important to ask of you.”

Hearing this, Wuyun immediately retracted its murderous intent and looked at Chen Ji: “What is it?”

Chen Ji said, “Just now, a man wearing a bamboo hat left Taiping Medical Clinic and went south. He had patched clothes and wore straw sandals. If you chase him now, you can definitely catch up. Please follow him discreetly for me. I need to know his true identity!”

Wuyun meowed and ignored the group of cats it had been confronting. It turned and, with over ten tabby cats, dispersed into various alleys, chasing south.

Meanwhile, a carriage slowly stopped in front of the clinic. Jin Zhu pulled back the curtain and jumped down from the carriage. Smiling, he came to the front of Taiping Medical Clinic and knocked on the door.

Bai Li came to the door and cautiously asked, “Who is it?”

Jin Zhu was also momentarily surprised to hear the Princess’s voice. “Hello, I’m Chen Ji’s friend. I heard he was injured, so I came to visit him.”

End of chapter.

Novel Information:

This is an evocative and captivating masterpiece by the author, Talking Elbow.