When news of Lu Tong’s upcoming marriage reached West Street, everyone at Renxin Medical Hall was shocked.

Du Changqing was like the firecrackers hanging from the plum tree during New Year – about to explode, jumping up and down in the medical hall: “Marriage? What nonsense are you talking about?” Even Miao Liangfang, who usually believed in harmony bringing wealth, was somewhat disapproving: “Little Lu, suddenly talking about marriage when everything’s fine – isn’t this a bit too hasty?”

When Lu Tong first arrived at the medical hall, she had an air of cutting herself off from love, more detached from worldly desires than the abbesses at the nunnery near Wansi Temple. Back then, how many hot-blooded young men from West Street came to the medical hall in broad daylight hoping to catch a glimpse of her beauty, yet Lu Tong never showed interest in any of them. Now suddenly with Pei Yunying – first holding hands, then marriage – the span was so dramatic it was breathtaking, as if she’d been possessed!

“You’re not… are you?” Du Changqing suspiciously looked her over, his gaze falling on Lu Tong’s abdomen. Some impetuous young people on West Street had rushed into things early, causing trouble and hastily making amends – the medical hall had seen such cases before.

Yin Zheng pushed Du Changqing: “Boss, don’t talk nonsense!”

“Then it’s coercion!” Du Changqing declared decisively. “It must be coercion! That Pei Yunying is using his power to force an innocent woman. Tell me, did he threaten you in secret? I said all men in the capital are the same – those pretty-faced scoundrels are never any good!”

Lu Tong was silent for a moment: “It was my own decision.”

Du Changqing was heartbroken: “What kind of love potion did he give you?”

Lu Tong: “…”

She said: “Actually, marriage isn’t much different from my current life, so I thought I’d try it.”

She spoke so casually that Du Changqing nearly had a heart attack: “Short-sighted! Foolish! Marriage is something you can just ‘try’? You’re still young and haven’t met many good men. You’re like a flower that hasn’t fully bloomed, hanging yourself on one tree. I ask you – what if you meet someone more suitable in the future and change your heart?”

Lu Tong: “Then I’ll divorce.”

“Is divorce that simple?”

“Didn’t Princess Wen divorce?”

Du Changqing paused: “What if he changes his heart?”

“Then I’ll poison him.”

Everyone: “…”

Lu Tong glanced at them: “I was joking, of course.”

A’Cheng spoke quietly: “Physician Lu, your expression just now really didn’t look like you were joking…”

After the chaos, Du Changqing’s fierce opposition had no effect. Lu Tong had always been this way – never consulting others about anything, stubborn as an ox. When she wanted to make new medicines, she made them; when she wanted to take the spring examination, she took it; when she entered the Hanlin Medical Academy and decided to resign, she resigned. Capricious and free, with no parents or elder brothers to control her and not caring about others’ opinions, everyone at Renxin Medical Hall was helpless against her. They could only give symbolic lectures and resignedly accept it.

While Lu Tong’s marriage faced opposition, Pei Yunying’s situation was completely different. Learning her younger brother wanted to marry, Pei Yunshu was amazed.

“You want to marry? With whom?”

“Who else could it be? Lu Tong, of course.”

The next moment, Pei Yunshu grabbed Pei Yunying’s arm: “Physician Lu? You want to marry Physician Lu?”

Her teacup water spilled everywhere. Pei Yunying set down his cup, silent for a moment: “Sister, what’s that expression?”

Pei Yunshu stared at him suspiciously: “Brother Ying, you’re not deceiving me, are you?”

She liked Lu Tong very much and could see her brother’s feelings, but Lu Tong’s thoughts were hard to fathom. Sometimes Pei Yunshu saw what seemed like mutual affection between them, other times there seemed to be deliberate distance.

But having feelings was one thing – how did one trip to Sunan lead to immediate marriage?

“You didn’t…”

Pei Yunying immediately guessed her thoughts, frowning slightly: “Nothing like that.”

“…That’s good.” Pei Yunshu patted her chest. “I knew you had propriety.”

“Weren’t you always worried about my marriage? Now why do you think it’s too fast when it’s actually happening?” Pei Yunying glanced at her. “Not afraid I’ll be a lonely bachelor anymore?”

Pei Yunshu glared at him angrily: “Back then I heard the Empress Dowager wanted to arrange your marriage, and I worried it wouldn’t be your choice. Now…” She paused mid-sentence.

With the new emperor’s ascension, Pei Yunying still served as Palace Command commander. Even walking through the imperial city, Pei Yunshu could see the emperor intended to continue relying on him.

In high positions, many things became involuntary – marriage included.

After a moment of silence, she said: “If you’ve truly decided on Miss Lu, marrying early is good.”

Pei Yunying looked at her: “Sister…”

But Pei Yunshu smiled: “Let’s not discuss this anymore. Since it’s you and Miss Lu’s decision, with mother gone, I as your sister should plan for you. These years I’ve kept all your salary, farms and shops – when Miss Lu enters the family, I’ll hand everything to her, saving me from worrying about these things daily…”

“You two need to exchange marriage certificates, match your birth dates, and select an auspicious day…”

“Right, the betrothal gifts aren’t ready yet. I need someone to inventory the storehouse – you’re marrying someone’s daughter, we can’t slight her… There’s also the wedding dress, we should prepare that too… What else is needed? The guest list – write me a list of your Palace Command colleagues…”

She chattered away as if the wedding would happen tomorrow, immediately forgetting her previous doubts and confusion, busily planning instead.

While Pei Yunshu strongly supported and enthusiastically planned her brother’s marriage, when news reached the Commander’s Residence, all five hundred ducks in the residence fell silent.

Xiao Zhufeng sat at the table, looking at him with disdain: “How did you manage it?”

Clearly they were all struggling in love’s bitter sea, yet suddenly one person made it to shore first – quite unsettling.

“I know, I know!” Duan Xiaoyan came in from outside after feeding Gardenia, enthusiastically explaining: “Brother Pei went to Sunan and happened to encounter Physician Lu’s illness. Though I don’t know what exactly was wrong, it looked quite serious. As they say, true feelings show in adversity – during Physician Lu’s illness, my brother stayed by her side constantly. They’re both young people, and over time, feelings naturally developed!”

Xiao Zhufeng snorted disdainfully.

“Maybe Duan Xiaoyan’s love-attracting red string worked,” Pei Yunying glanced at him, saying leisurely. “You should wear it daily – maybe one day it’ll work for you too.”

Xiao Zhufeng: “Ridiculous.”

“Fine, I’m ridiculous.” Pei Yunying picked up his teacup, calmly taking a sip. “But I’ll be busy preparing for marriage these days. When Vice Commander Xiao isn’t working, you might come help at my house.” He leaned closer, lowering his voice: “If you still want to compete to be my brother-in-law.”

Xiao Zhufeng: “…”

Pei Yunying chuckled softly and rose to leave.

Duan Xiaoyan asked: “Brother, where are you going?”

“To choose wedding geese – there’s much to do for a wedding.” He waved lazily. Duan Xiaoyan was speechless for a moment, then looked up in shock: “Vice Commander, why does your face look so terrible?”

In the imperial city, rumors and news always spread quickly. Pei Yunying and Lu Tong’s engagement naturally reached both the Palace Command and the Medical Academy.

When Ji Xun came to the medical hall to give Lu Tong acupuncture, he was much more silent than usual. The room was quiet, with Yin Zheng helping Miao Liangfang sort medicinal materials in the front shop. The two sat facing each other at the table, silver needles falling one by one onto her skin. Ji Xun focused on inserting the needles while asking: “You’re marrying Commander Pei?”

Lu Tong was somewhat surprised he would ask directly: “Yes, but not immediately.”

Ji Xun said nothing.

Actually, in Sunan, there had been rumors in the Medical Academy about Pei Yunying and Lu Tong’s relationship. When Lu Tong fell ill, Pei Yunying stayed by her bedside daily – this wasn’t unnoticed. But Ji Xun had been unwilling to admit it, as if acknowledging certain things would leave no room for hope.

He’d always acted with integrity, facing everything honestly, but only in this matter had he deceived himself. Now he finally couldn’t even manage self-deception.

“Why settle the engagement so early?” he spoke slowly, his needle-insertion focused as if casually mentioning: “Marriage is important – it should be considered carefully.”

Surprised that this usually aloof colleague wanted to chat today, Lu Tong smiled in response: “As Physician Ji knows, I’m never one for careful consideration.”

“When treating patients, if reckless but effective methods can save lives, I’ll use them. Similarly, if I have someone I care for, I’ll be with him. Future matters are unpredictable – focusing on the present is proper.”

At the words “someone I care for,” Ji Xun’s movements paused.

The last silver needle fell at her wrist. He looked up at the person before him. The woman sat at the table looking back at him.

No longer at the Medical Academy, during this time back at West Street, she seemed much better, her complexion improved from before. Her eyes held less of their former desolation, hiding some vitality. He’d actually noticed that Lu Tong smiled much more here than at the Medical Academy.

When she smiled, she was graceful as the moon, delicate as flowers.

Ji Xun lowered his eyes.

He’d always been aloof, indifferent to worldly matters. In his youth, family often said he was pitifully slow regarding everything except medical principles. He’d never thought himself slow – not everything in the world required keen perception. He preferred focusing his thoughts on more important matters. Only now did he understand what this slowness had cost him. His understanding came too late, missing even the chance to compete.

“Physician Ji?” Lu Tong’s voice reached his ears.

Ji Xun came to himself, looking at the person before him. After a while, he spoke softly: “Previously at the Medical Academy, when I said your treatment methods were improper and your medical ethics questionable, speaking harshly – that was my fault for being biased. I apologize again.”

“Physician Ji needn’t apologize anymore. Didn’t I also deceive you?”

“But…”

“I was wrong to deceive Physician Ji first. Your criticism then was justified. I’ll remember Physician Ji’s lesson in the future and be more careful when prescribing.”

She smiled, her tone carrying rare playfulness. Ji Xun watched her, seeming influenced by her lightness, finally smiling in relief as well.

“His Majesty has approved Medical Director Chang’s plan to establish a separate Medical Prescription Bureau in the capital, where both civilian physicians and Hanlin Medical Academy doctors can discuss prescriptions together, compiling them into volumes for distribution to medical halls throughout the capital.” Ji Xun said: “Previously, most medical texts were kept by the Imperial Medical Bureau. Civilian physicians could only rely on their practice experience and explore alone. With a Medical Prescription Bureau compiling medical texts, it could benefit all people.”

“Really?”

Ji Xun nodded: “So Physician Lu, when compiling medical texts, we’ll need your help.”

“I’m no longer a physician, so Physician Ji needn’t address me as such,” Lu Tong said. “But if I can help, I’m happy to serve.”

Ji Xun bowed in gratitude.

After a few more words, today’s acupuncture ended. Ji Xun packed his medical kit, preparing to leave.

Lu Tong saw him to the door. At the medical hall entrance, she discovered it had started drizzling outside. The light rain pattered down, wetting the stone paths of West Street.

The medicine boy Zhu Ling stood up from his chair, following behind Ji Xun. Lu Tong looked at the sky, took an umbrella from behind the medical hall door and handed it to him: “Use this.”

“Thank you.”

He opened the umbrella and walked out with Zhu Ling, walking through West Street’s alleys. Few pedestrians were about, with occasional carriages passing. The gentle rain dripped from the umbrella onto puddles below. On the umbrella’s surface, a large hibiscus flower bloomed brilliantly.

Ji Xun looked at that blooming hibiscus, slightly lost in thought.

He seemed to remember long ago, walking past Sparrow Street, where he’d encountered someone.

The woman’s umbrella had touched his clothes, cold rainwater dripping from the umbrella’s flower branches onto his chest, soaking a large patch. She’d turned back, their eyes meeting in a moment of surprise. He hadn’t noticed, just nodded slightly and passed by without looking back.

The man holding the umbrella, his elegant figure showed some loneliness in the pattering spring rain. The little medicine boy watched with a flash of regret across his face.

Poor young master – upright and noble character, aloof and pure as a white crane, but unfortunately slow to realize matters of the heart. A gentleman who couldn’t make a single wrong step, precisely because of this gentleman’s heart, was one step too late.

What a pity – his first time being moved by someone, and he missed it before it even began.

“Young master, where shall we go now?” Zhu Ling asked.

Ji Xun paused: “Back to the Medical Academy.”

“Ah?” Zhu Ling was anxious. “The old master said there’s a family gathering today, wanting you home early. If you return to the Medical Academy, the old master will complain again.”

“The Medical Prescription Bureau is newly established with complex affairs and countless medical texts to organize. I have much work to do.”

Zhu Ling was speechless. This was his young master – heartbreak lasted less than a moment before he buried himself in medical principles again. But if he truly became dejected or sighed constantly, that wouldn’t be the young master either.

The little medicine boy chased after the man’s steps, still trying to persuade: “But, but… the old master said you’re of age to start a family and career. Today’s family gathering has a young lady from madame’s old friend’s family attending. The old master is matchmaking for you. You should at least go take a look. There are fragrant flowers everywhere…”

“Not going.”

The misty rain obscured the travelers’ figures as voices gradually faded into the distance.