“And then?”

Ji Yunshu looked around for another moment before continuing, “Look at those people driving the carriages—they all wear hemp clothing, and basically all are quite burly. At a glance, you can tell they’re people who’ve spent years carrying and hauling things, so their muscles are well-developed. The industry they’re in must rely on physical labor for their livelihood. However, those other young men and women are each fair-skinned. Though their clothing can’t be called fine brocade and fancy garments, it’s still quite proper. Between their gestures and movements, they carry some of the bearing of wealthy households. Yet oddly enough, they’re very respectful toward that elder. Look—that whip in the elder’s hand isn’t new, but not exactly old either. Yet he holds it but doesn’t use it, like a decoration, or more like a prop. Look again—on the whip’s handle there are some colors stuck to it, reds and greens. Not only on the whip, but on their carriages and those boxes as well.”

Jingrong looked as she described.

Indeed!

On the carriages and boxes, there were various colors.

“And then?”

He was like an eager student!

Ji Yunshu smiled, her nose wrinkling slightly. “Could it be that Your Highness hasn’t smelled a certain scent?”

Hm?

A scent?

He followed her example and sniffed. “There is indeed a scent, but… I don’t know what it is?”

“It’s greasepaint!”

“Greasepaint?”

Nodding, “Your Highness surely doesn’t not know that greasepaint is a thick substance containing oil and pigments? It’s generally used for body painting or professional makeup, but very few people use it for painting.”

With Ji Yunshu’s explanation, Jingrong completely understood.

A sudden realization.

“They’re opera performers!”

No wonder, no wonder!

Ji Yunshu smiled with pressed lips. “That’s right, they’re a theatrical troupe. I imagine they must be heading to Anfu County to set up a stage and perform.”

Extremely certain!

At this moment, two people from that group also opened three of the boxes and took out several crowns used in performances, wiping the dust off them with dry cloth.

If Jingrong had harbored any doubts before, at this moment he was completely convinced.

They really were a theatrical troupe!

He looked at Ji Yunshu in amazement, then furrowed his brow, finding it very strange. “What exactly is inside that head of yours, woman?”

“What’s inside my head is naturally brain matter.”

Blurted out!

Pfft—

Jingrong nearly laughed out loud.

“I must say, you’re far more capable than those who only know how to bury themselves in books. This prince’s Princess Consort should be exactly like this.”

Proud!

Without question, Ji Yunshu gave him an eye roll.

Just at this moment—

A sound came from nearby.

The sound of someone dry heaving.

Looking toward the sound, they saw Old Madam Xie pressing her chest in extreme discomfort, dry heaving several times, her face instantly pale.

Ji Yunshu stood up and quickly went over to check.

“Old Madam Xie, how are you?” She gently patted her back.

Old Madam Xie gasped for breath, shaking her head and waving her hand, saying weakly, “I’m fine.”

Muruo also noticed this side—it was his turn to step up.

And so—

He lazily stood up from the grass, not forgetting to tell Wei Yi, “Keep warming the wine properly. I’ll want to drink it in a bit.”

Then he walked to the stream’s edge and slowly washed his hands before walking over to Old Madam Xie.

He took her pulse.

“The physical ailments are all old problems—rest will help. But your chest is hot, your qi pulse is swollen—your blood vessels are blocked. You need good tonics. There are some medicinal herbs prepared in the carriage, but… we’re lacking one dose of Buddha ginseng. We’ll have to wait until we reach Anfu County to find medicine.” Muruo said.

Ji Yunshu asked worriedly, “There’s still quite a distance from here to Anfu. Is there no other method?”

“No, we must use Buddha ginseng as the catalyst—only then can she recover.”

“With no village ahead and no inn behind, if we return to Yuzhou City, it would take half a day. Going back and forth…”

Her words trailed off—

“I have Buddha ginseng.”

The one speaking was precisely that young lady called Zhanmo.

She said something to the little maid beside her, and that maid ran to the carriage to fetch some Buddha ginseng.

But she was stopped by that old troupe master.

“Zhanmo, this Buddha ginseng cost several taels of silver. How can you casually give it to people?”

“Then deduct it from my wages.”

Speaking thus, Zhanmo took the Buddha ginseng from the little maid’s hands, walked over to Old Madam Xie’s side, and carefully set it down.

“I need to brew and drink this regularly, so I carry it with me. When people are in urgent need, please take it.”

Her voice was very pleasant.

Yet very weak.

Ji Yunshu thanked her. “Many thanks, Miss. Please consider this medicine as purchased by me.”

Just about to take out silver for her.

“No need. It’s not worth much money. Saving a life is what matters.”

Speaking thus, she didn’t linger and directly returned.

In the air still lingered a faint fragrance—not like the pungent scent of courtesans, but rather quite pleasant.

It should be that fragrance emanating from her incense burner.

Muruo took the medicine, glanced at Zhanmo, then ordered someone to retrieve medicine from the carriage and began brewing it.

In a short while, he’d brewed a bowl of medicine.

After Old Madam Xie took it, her body improved considerably. She recovered and thanked everyone one by one.

Seeing the sky was getting late, and with Old Madam Xie’s poor health, Jingrong ordered their departure.

When leaving, Muruo kept looking back at Zhanmo repeatedly, without any attempt to hide it.

Finally, Jingrong had no choice but to pull him onto the carriage to ride together.

Inside the carriage, it was full of the smell of alcohol, with many wine bottles scattered on the floor.

“Did you drink an entire wine cellar?”

Muruo didn’t answer. He lifted the carriage curtain, sticking his head out to continue looking outside.

Jingrong pulled his body back. “Have you looked enough? She’s a young lady.”

“Jingrong.” He suddenly called his name very seriously.

“What?”

“Did you notice anything different about that woman?”

“Different?” Jingrong sat upright thinking, then said, “She has a nose and eyes—nothing different. Could it be she’s the sweetheart from your dreams?”

“Go to hell.” He said, “I saw that woman’s eyebrows and eyes drooping, pupils slightly dilated, corners of her lips pale. What’s even stranger is that her neck area is somewhat darkened. When she spoke earlier, I deliberately looked at her tongue and found her tongue tip yellowish and the middle whitish. Those hands are slender and delicate, yet clearly soft and powerless. Look—she carries Buddha ginseng with her at all times. This kind of medicine, if one doesn’t have chronic ailments, wouldn’t be carried at all.”

Damn, are you a pervert?

Jingrong frowned. “You actually looked at that young lady’s tongue? Muruo, this hobby of yours… this prince cannot understand.”

Said with complete seriousness.

But Muruo was at a loss. Brother, can you focus on the key point?

“What are you thinking? I saw that her condition belongs to heart meridian ailments. The saying goes that when one’s body is deficient, Buddha ginseng can be used as a catalyst. But deficiency related to heart meridians—Buddha ginseng is a cold-natured medicinal herb. Taking too much will worsen the condition. She shouldn’t even touch it.”

At this point, Jingrong became serious at once.

His eyes narrowed slightly.