The most famous thing about this year’s Peach Blossom Festival in the capital was not the poetry collection compiled after the scholars’ banquet at the lake pavilion, nor the ethereal and clear singing voices of the theatrical troupe’s young performers along the river embankment at Luo Yueqiao Bridge, but rather a medicinal tea called “Spring Water Rising” from Renxin Medical Hall.

This medicinal tea was said to greatly alleviate the troubles of nasal congestion, allowing scholars who couldn’t leave their homes in spring to see the spring scenery once again. For literary guests who had missed magnificent sights in previous years due to sinus problems and nasal congestion, it was truly like a living Bodhisattva in hell.

Moreover, it had such an enchanting name.

Spring Water Rising—just hearing the name made one’s mouth water with anticipation.

It was said that the person selling medicinal tea at Renxin Medical Hall was a young girl as graceful as a willow swaying in the wind, with snow-white skin and flower-like beauty. This girl was also a resident physician, which made people even more curious.

So in these past few days, half the people came to see this “medicinal tea beauty,” and half came to show their literary refinement. Those coming to buy “Spring Water Rising” came in an endless stream. Every day, Renxin Medical Hall’s entrance was bustling with carriages and horses, completely different from the desolation of recent days.

Du Changqing counted the incoming silver coins, his face nearly splitting from smiling, his tone sweeter than if he’d eaten honey: “Dr. Lu, in these five days, we’ve sold a total of thirty jars of medicinal tea. After deducting materials, we’ve earned one hundred taels. My goodness,” he himself found it incredible, “since my father died, this is the first time I’ve earned so much silver!”

Yin Zheng leaned against the medicine cabinet, looking at Lu Tong with a smile: “Miss was right. As long as we gave this medicinal tea a pleasant name, it indeed wouldn’t be hard to sell.”

Lu Tong lowered her head to organize medicinal materials, hearing this with an indifferent smile.

Yin Zheng was versed in poetry and literature. Lu Tong had asked her for many poems about poplar flowers and selected “Spring Water Rising” as the tea’s name. Most of Master Hu’s friends were literary scholars and refined guests. These people didn’t lack silver and valued elegance. With Master Hu’s slight guidance, these people would come to try something new.

Word spread from ten to a hundred, and the capital never lacked people who chased fashionable trends. Those coming to buy medicinal tea would only increase.

Furthermore, “Spring Water Rising” indeed had remarkable effects in relieving nasal congestion. As long as people used it and knew its benefits, they would surely return.

A’Cheng put ingots of silver into the box. Du Changqing watched Lu Tong, and as he watched, he suddenly spoke: “Dr. Lu, I see you have a clever mind. Even if you weren’t making medicinal tea, doing something else would surely be successful. Why don’t we two join forces in business, carve out a bloody path among the capital’s merchant houses, and become the greatest magnate in Liang Kingdom? What do you think?”

He really dared to dream big. Lu Tong said indifferently: “Not interested.”

“How can that be?” Du Changqing said seriously: “I have silver, you have brains. If we two join our strengths, we’ll surely be invincible.”

Yin Zheng couldn’t help interjecting: “Boss, if you really have silver, you might as well increase my miss’s monthly wages first. Times are hard—becoming the greatest magnate is something my miss doesn’t dare dream of.”

Du Changqing glanced at the unmoved Lu Tong and clicked his tongue: “I know Dr. Lu has noble aspirations and only wants to practice medicine and save lives.”

Lu Tong hummed in agreement.

Du Changqing still wouldn’t give up: “Dr. Lu, won’t you really consider it?”

Lu Tong looked up: “If Shopkeeper Du has the mind to think about such things, you’d better find more medicinal tea materials. Today is the fifth day. The first batch of people who bought and brewed the medicinal tea should already be seeing results. If nothing unexpected happens, there will only be more buyers tomorrow.”

“Really?” Hearing this, Du Changqing’s spirits lifted. He immediately stood up and called A’Cheng over to move medicinal materials: “Come, come, come, A’Cheng, let’s move more so Dr. Lu doesn’t get tired.”

When people encounter good fortune, their spirits soar. As he walked, he glanced outside and smugly sang in operatic style: “Surviving desperate straits! I imagine Apricot Grove Hall over there must be furious right now—”

…

Bai Shouyi was indeed choking on a mouthful of resentment.

Several days of poor sleep had caused his face to swell, and even his usual smile looked somewhat stiff.

In the past few days, a group of scholars had suddenly appeared at Apricot Grove Hall to buy medicinal tea. Bai Shouyi had someone investigate and learned that Master Hu’s words at the Peach Blossom Festival had aroused curiosity and brought considerable business to Renxin Medical Hall.

Master Hu was a good friend of Old Master Du when he was alive. After Old Master Du died, Master Hu always looked after Du Changqing somewhat. Speaking of which, if Master Hu hadn’t occasionally bought medicinal materials from Du Changqing’s broken medical hall, it wouldn’t have lasted until now. Bai Shouyi also looked down on Master Hu—a pretentious pedant, an annoying old fellow who deserved to be disliked.

Therefore, upon learning that Master Hu was behind this, Bai Shouyi was very disdainful.

It seemed that to revive his medical hall, Du Changqing, in his desperation, had found a woman of unknown origins to serve as resident physician and concocted some medicinal tea to show off literary refinement, getting Master Hu to help. This kind of opportunistic trickery might fool people temporarily, but it would be impossible to maintain long-term.

Thinking this way, but for some reason, Bai Shouyi always felt somewhat uneasy.

He paced back and forth in Apricot Grove Hall’s spacious back courtyard, gripping the silk cord at his waist tightly, unable even to appreciate his newly blooming pot of clivia.

Seeming to notice Bai Shouyi’s irritation, Zhou Ji beside him flatteringly comforted him: “The shopkeeper needn’t worry. Nasal congestion and sinus problems are inherently difficult to treat. Our medical hall’s nasal congestion pills sell best every spring. Now those people are attracted by what the scholars said at the Peach Blossom Festival and buy the medicinal tea, mostly to show literary refinement. After brewing and taking it for a while without seeing effects, they naturally won’t buy again.”

Bai Shouyi pondered his words and felt they made some sense: “That’s true. Those scholars rarely have official positions—a bunch of stinking bookworms who often pretend to be wealthy when they’re poor. ‘Spring Water Rising’ costs four taels of silver per jar, which isn’t small money. Even if they’re willing to spend silver for elegance, they won’t be willing to be taken advantage of every day.”

“Exactly.” Zhou Ji nodded. “Moreover, Renxin Medical Hall has boasted about their medicinal tea so extravagantly. When the people who bought it drink it for a few days and discover it has no effect, we won’t even need to act—those scholars’ saliva alone could drown them. Why worry?”

Bai Shouyi’s eyes flashed. After pondering for a while, he beckoned an assistant over and whispered in Wen You’s ear: “Go out and spread some rumors. Say that Renxin Medical Hall’s ‘Spring Water Rising’ can immediately relieve nasal congestion when drunk and has remarkable effects. Spread the word more at marketplaces and temple entrances.”

The young assistant nodded and quickly left.

Bai Shouyi’s brow relaxed again.

The common people at marketplaces and temple entrances weren’t as financially comfortable as pedants like Master Hu. Especially those calculating middle-aged women who valued every coin—if they spent large sums on medicinal tea that had no effect whatsoever, they’d probably come causing trouble at Renxin Medical Hall the very next day.

It was about building them up to tear them down—the higher the praise, the harder the fall.

Bai Shouyi grinned, his eyes and brows as kind as Maitreya Buddha.

He had long considered that shop at the street corner as good as his. He had even thought about how to renovate and decorate it after taking it back, just waiting for the day he’d get the property deed.

West Street could only have one medical hall. As for Du Changqing…

He snorted.

A dandy should act like a dandy.

What was this about a prodigal son turning over a new leaf?