In the backyard of the Medicine Preparation Office, a new medicine was boiling in the medicinal pot. Accompanied by bubbling sounds, white medicinal powder floated up and down on the water’s surface.

Lou Si stared at the woman before him, his expression gradually turning ugly. He had vaguely heard of Renxin Medical Hall’s “Spring Water Life” medicine’s renowned reputation before but hadn’t taken it seriously. The Medicine Preparation Office had seen plenty of good prescriptions from the Imperial Medical Institute – a medicine made by an unknown small medical hall didn’t deserve his special attention. The reason he had people wreck Du Changqing’s shop was because of the five hundred taels of silver from Bai Shouyi.

Bai Shouyi had personally visited and given Lou Si five hundred taels of silver, hoping Lou Si could give Renxin Medical Hall some trouble. Lou Si knew Bai Shouyi had been coveting the Du family’s medical hall for a long time. However, Du Changqing, while usually generous, was particularly stubborn about this matter and refused to agree no matter what. A few days ago, the two medical halls had some friction over the medicinal tea incident.

Taking money to eliminate troubles for others – as the Official for Medicine Verification, Lou Si only needed to withhold his official seal, and Renxin Medical Hall would no longer be able to sell prepared medicines. It was just a matter of lifting a finger, nothing worth mentioning to him.

To be fair, when Old Master Du was still around, Lou Si and the Du family had some friendship. However, now that the Du family had fallen from grace, anyone would know how to choose between five hundred taels of silver and Young Master Du’s face.

He had taken Bai Shouyi’s silver specifically to cause trouble, so how could he seriously verify the quality and composition of the medicinal tea? Now faced with Lu Tong’s calm questioning, he couldn’t answer a single word.

Lou Si’s gaze flickered several times: “This official verifies dozens of prepared medicines daily, how can I remember the composition of every medicine? Stop making trouble.”

Du Changqing laughed in anger: “Listen to yourself, aren’t you just making excuses?”

Lu Tong said: “I see, I thought an official medicine bureau like the Medicine Preparation Office would keep records of every verification process for submitted prepared medicines. After all, medicine verification is a major matter for medical halls. If one medicine fails verification, the medical hall loses the right to continue selling other prepared medicines, isn’t that right, Official Lou?”

Cold sweat broke out on Lou Si’s forehead.

This woman’s words were sharp and cutting, frighteningly accurate. The verification process for medicines naturally had to be recorded – he couldn’t deny this. Moreover, one failed medicine didn’t mean the medical hall lost the right to sell other medicines…

He secretly glanced toward the screen – others might not know, but Ji Xun from the Imperial Medical Institute couldn’t possibly know.

Lou Si said vaguely: “Yes. It’s naturally recorded. But how can outsiders casually look through the official records of the Medicine Preparation Office?”

Lu Tong nodded: “In that case, we’ve overstepped. She turned to the Dong family’s guard Sheng Quan and said: “Brother Sheng has heard clearly, now that the medical hall has no right to continue selling prepared medicines, we also cannot help with Young Master Dong’s illness, please forgive our inability.”

Lou Si’s heart tightened upon hearing this, and he asked: “Wait, what does this have to do with Young Master Dong?”

Lu Tong looked at him, her gaze seemingly mocking, and said: “I was commissioned by Madam Dong to prepare medicine for Young Master Dong. Unexpectedly, now that the medical hall has failed medicine verification, we don’t have the qualification to sell prepared medicines. As such, we naturally cannot treat Young Master Dong’s illness. If Young Master Dong continues to suffer from illness in the future, causing Madam Dong and Master Dong heartache, it should be blamed on my insufficient skills, and unable to pass the Medicine Preparation Office’s verification.”

“Prepare medicine for Young Master Dong?” Lou Si was somewhat disbelieving, “Nonsense, even if Young Master Dong is unwell, how could Madam Dong ignore the imperial physicians and use a female doctor from a small medical hall?”

Lu Tong remained silent, only looking toward Sheng Quan.

Sheng Quan was originally hot-tempered, and having listened to Lu Tong and Lou Si’s long exchange was already quite impatient. Hearing Lou Si’s hemming and hawing made him even angrier. He snorted at him: “Since when does the madam’s actions need your questioning? Now Young Master needs Doctor Lu’s medicine urgently – if the young master’s condition worsens, can your Medicine Preparation Office bear the responsibility?”

The servants of the Minister of the Imperial Household Department had always been overbearing, and since the Medicine Preparation Office was under the supervision of the Minister, Sheng Quan didn’t take Lou Si seriously at all. His angry words startled Lou Si.

Lou Si looked at Lu Tong, his gaze uncertain.

The Minister’s wife loved her son dearly and was particularly protective of Young Master Dong. Logically, if Young Master Dong fell ill, she would surely send someone with a token to request imperial physicians for treatment before feeling at ease. How could she trust an unknown female doctor?

However, Sheng Quan was Madam Dong’s capable guard, and his words couldn’t be false.

What was going on here?

Meanwhile, Du Changqing saw Lou Si’s expression change and pressed his advantage, coldly laughing: “Official Lou might want to carefully weigh how much his official hat is worth, and whether it can bear the anger of the Minister’s household. If something truly happens to Young Master Dong, let’s see if you can keep your position as Medicine Verification Official?”

He fully wielded this borrowed power, making Sheng Quan look at him with displeasure. Lou Si hurriedly said: “If that’s the case, treating Young Master Dong’s illness naturally takes priority. Doctor Lu,” he turned to Lu Tong, “regarding the matter of producing and selling prepared medicines, I’ll give you a few days.”

“I’m afraid that won’t do.” Lu Tong shook her head, “Young Master Dong’s illness needs careful nurturing, it can’t be cured in just a day or two, at least three to five years of continuous medicine is needed.”

Sheng Quan narrowed his eyes and urged: “Then set no time limit!”

Lou Si secretly hated this – this female doctor was using the Dong family’s power to pressure him. But being under someone’s roof, he had to bow his head, and could only force out a “fine.”

Lu Tong nodded to him: “By the way, today because of Young Master Dong’s illness, Official Lou didn’t follow procedures and relaxed the medical hall’s right to sell prepared medicines. If others speak of it, they might say Renxin Medical Hall is bullying through power. To dispel this undeserved criticism, please point out the problems in the previous ‘Spring Water Life’ prescription, so I can improve the medicine formula. This way, Spring Water Life can pass verification, the medical hall can continue selling prepared medicines, and it won’t delay Young Master Dong’s treatment – a win-win-win situation.”

She wouldn’t even take a loss on ‘Spring Water Life’ – Lou Si felt depressed, but constrained by Sheng Quan’s presence, he could only force a smile and say: “Of course.”

Lu Tong said to Sheng Quan: “Once the Medicine Preparation Office’s seal comes down, we can send the prepared medicine to your household.” She smiled at Lou Si again: “We’ve troubled you for long today, and won’t continue to delay your official business. Farewell.”

She left with Du Changqing, leaving Lou Si standing there unable to voice his grievances, watching their backs without being able to say a word.

Ji Xun walked out from behind the screen.

Lou Si came to his senses and hurriedly went to greet him: “Medical Official Ji.” His heart was somewhat uneasy.

Ji Xun frowned slightly, his tone disapproving: “A mere medical hall, because they have the Minister of the Imperial Household’s backing, can be so fearless?”

Lou Si breathed a sigh of relief – Ji Xun didn’t know about Bai Shouyi’s bribe, and only saw Lu Tong and Du Changqing using the Dong family’s power to coerce, hence his bias. He said: “Indeed. I’m of humble position and weak voice, not good to offend…”

He wanted to clear himself, but upon hearing this, Ji Xun looked at him and coldly said: “One should fulfill the duties of one’s position. If you only follow convenience out of fear of superiors, the Medicine Preparation Office probably won’t last long.” With that, he left in a huff.

Lou Si stood dumbfounded for a long while, only coming to his senses when a small medicine apprentice came to call him. He immediately flung his sleeve and cursed: “This time I’m really like Zhu Bajie looking in the mirror – despised by everyone!”

……

After Lu Tong and Du Changqing returned to Renxin Medical Hall, Yin Zheng had already cleaned up the shop inside and out.

Sheng Quan, having dealt with the Medicine Preparation Office, had returned to the Dong household to report. Lu Tong let Du Changqing take A’cheng home to rest well. After a busy day, it was already late. The main door of Renxin Medical Hall closed, and Lu Tong entered the inner courtyard, taking the sorted medicinal materials to the back kitchen.

Dong Lin’s lung disease needed slow treatment, and establishing connections with the Dong family was very beneficial for Renxin Medical Hall in its current state. At least the Medicine Preparation Office would have to be somewhat wary.

Yin Zheng walked in from outside and said to Lu Tong: “Miss, we sent some to Lord Cao earlier, and with our lodging fees at Wan’en Temple, we now have forty-five taels of silver left.”

Lu Tong nodded.

Yin Zheng sighed: “I didn’t realize before, but after coming to the capital, I see that silver flows away like water.”

Lu Tong said: “Getting information naturally costs quite a bit, not to mention we’ll need to spend more money to maintain relations with Lord Cao in the future.”

“Fortunately, miss is clever,” Yin Zheng smiled: “Making business with Manager Du, splitting the profits from prepared medicine sales fifty-fifty, once our monthly income increases, we won’t be so tight on money.”

After chatting with Lu Tong for a while longer, Yin Zheng went to sleep in the adjacent room.

Lu Tong brought a basin of hot water back to her room, sat down at the table, and rolled up her sleeves, revealing a finger-length blood mark extending up from her right wrist. It was a scratch left by the struggling Ke Chengxing in the Buddhist hall of Wan’en Temple.

She casually soaked a handkerchief in water and cleaned the wound, taking out a small bottle from the table drawer. She sprinkled some medicinal powder over the scratch, but as she was sprinkling, her movements slowed, and her gaze became distant.

Earlier that day, in front of Wuhuai Garden at Wan’en Temple, Commander Pei had looked at her thoughtfully and asked, “Doctor Lu, where did those marks on your hands come from?”

That one question suggested he harbored suspicions about her.

Although she had only met Commander Pei twice, and he had even helped her out of trouble, Lu Tong always felt this man wasn’t as gentle as he appeared. Moreover, during their first meeting below Baoxiang Tower, his unreserved manner of speaking to the Military Police Bureau people had been quite intimidating. Seeing Madam Dong’s fearful expression upon learning his identity today, this man was certainly no simple character.

Being noticed by Pei Yunying wasn’t a good thing.

However…

Even if he suspected her, without evidence, he could only let it go.

Lu Tong came back to her senses, put away the medicine bottle, pulled down her sleeve to cover the wound, closed the latticed window, and stood up.

Now that Ke Chengxing was dead, despite the many suspicious points about the matter, once the crime of privately worshipping the former dynasty’s deities was established, not only would no one interfere with the case, but the entire Ke family would suffer. To protect themselves and their families, Wan Fu would only confirm Ke Chengxing’s guilt. After all, only with Ke Chengxing dead and the entire Ke family fallen would no one care about the trivial matters of servants like them, and the two thousand taels of rent that Wan Quan had misappropriated would never come to light.

As for others…

Lu Tong’s dark eyes reflected the candlelight, flickering.

The desperate Ke family might pin their last hope on Grand Tutor Qi’s household.

However…

Whether the Grand Tutor’s household would help was another matter entirely.

……

Early the next morning, people from the Medicine Preparation Office delivered the official document, allowing Renxin Medical Hall to continue producing and selling prepared medicines.

However, the improved formula for “Spring Water Life” wasn’t sent along.

Du Changqing stood in the medical hall cursing loudly: “What does that Lou mean by this? Holding onto Spring Water Life and not letting us sell it, what, is he not even listening to the Minister of the Imperial Household now?”

Yin Zheng passed by and couldn’t help glancing at him: “Manager Du, the way you speak, it’s as if you’re the one from the Minister’s household.”

Du Changqing choked: “Little girl, what do you know!”

A’cheng said: “Let it go, Boss, let’s wait patiently for a few more days.”

A’cheng had gone home to rest for a night, applied some medicine to his face, and was much better, in fairly good spirits.

Lu Tong stood by the medicine cabinet, grinding supplementary medicine for Dong Lin, when she heard the tailor Ge and the neighboring ironware seller Blacksmith Niu chatting about how yesterday at Wan’en Temple’s Blue Lotus Festival, someone had secretly worshipped the former dynasty’s deities, and as a result, the deities showed their power, and this person had inexplicably fallen headfirst into the release pool and died.

Yin Zheng’s eyes turned quickly, and she immediately picked up a broom to sweep the dust in front of the door while asking Tailor Ge: “That can’t be true. Uncle Ge, we were at Wan’en Temple the day before yesterday too, we only knew something happened, how come we didn’t hear anything so strange?”

Tailor Ge slapped his thigh: “Miss Yin Zheng, would I lie to you? My wife went up the mountain to burn incense, and stayed close to the temple where it happened, didn’t she see it? Those groups of soldiers rushing in! They say when the person died, they looked like they’d seen a ghost – most likely saw the Buddha manifesting!”

He told the story vividly, attracting even A’cheng and Du Changqing, and neighboring vendors gathered to listen. Lu Tong lowered her head to organize the medicinal materials, and a flash of something strange passed through her eyes.

Rumors always become more and more exaggerated as they spread.

Naturally, they also get further and further from the truth.

It seemed Wan Fu’s version had been accepted by most people, and even those who didn’t accept it didn’t want to be associated with the former dynasty.

Tailor Ge continued: “That Ke family was originally a good porcelain merchant household, now they’re ruined. Those who did business with them also think it’s unlucky, all wanting to withdraw from business with their family. I see this family is finished.”

The candied fruit shop’s Madam Liu said: “Isn’t their newly married daughter-in-law’s family in official positions? Our shop even sent preserved fruits to their old madam. How could they be finished?”

“What do you know,” Tailor Ge snorted with a laugh: “A young and beautiful new bride, her father an official, now that the son-in-law is in trouble, they can’t distance themselves fast enough. I heard Mrs. Ke went back to her maiden home yesterday. Ah, husband and wife are like birds of the same forest when disaster strikes, each flies away—”

“I heard about this too,” Mrs. Song from the silk shoe shop squeezed in, “The Ke family is now taking household items to the pawnshop to exchange for money to compensate business debts. No wonder, the Ke family only had Master Ke as an only son, and he didn’t leave behind any children. With Master Ke gone, how long can Old Madam Ke hold on?”

Hearing this, Lu Tong’s movements paused.

Meanwhile, Yin Zheng had already naturally asked: “Really? Mrs. Song, do you know which pawnshop they went to? Maybe we could go browse, might find some bargains, might find something good.”

Mrs. Song smiled at this: “Miss Yin Zheng, there are good things, but how could you get any bargains? The Ke family, even in decline, still used luxurious items. I heard the items were taken to Luyuan Pawnshop on Qinghe Street in the south of the city. If Miss Yin Zheng wants to look, you could go see the excitement.”

Yin Zheng smiled sweetly: “Then when I have time, I’ll go take a look.”

After more conversation, as the sun rose higher and more customers came to West Street, the shop vendors all dispersed. Yin Zheng leaned the broom against the wall and walked into the inner shop.

After receiving official permission to continue selling prepared medicines, Lu Tong started preparing medicine for Dong Lin. Since the Spring Water Life formula hadn’t been returned, there weren’t as many customers during the day as before.

Near noon, Lu Tong said to Du Changqing: “The medicine pills for Young Master Dong are still missing a few ingredients that we don’t have in the medical hall, I’ll go buy some elsewhere.”

Du Changqing said: “Why not just send A’cheng to buy them?”

“A’cheng’s injuries haven’t fully healed yet, he shouldn’t be walking around,” Yin Zheng stuffed the table-wiping cloth into Du Changqing’s hand, “It won’t take much time, Manager Du, don’t worry.” With that, she pushed Lu Tong out the door.

Luyuan Pawnshop was on Qinghe Street in the south of the city, and Lord Cao’s “Happy House” gambling house was also on Qinghe Street. Before going up to Wangchun Mountain the other day, Lu Tong had already had someone tell Lord Cao that after Wan Fu came down from the mountain, they would release Wan Quan.

The easiest places to gather information in the capital were gambling houses and brothels. These places were filled with all sorts of people, making it much easier to gather information. Lord Cao was a businessman who only cared about making money, and might be useful in the future, so they needed to keep him fed with silver for future returns.

After all, money makes the world go round.

Lost in thought, the two had already arrived on Qinghe Street, and immediately spotted the Luyuan Pawnshop.

This pawnshop was very large, taking up the width of about three regular street front shops, and stacked several stories high, with “Luyuan” carved in gold characters on black wood, extremely luxurious.

They had heard this was the largest pawnshop in the capital. As soon as Lu Tong and Yin Zheng walked in, a friendly-looking old manager came forward to greet them: “Miss, are you here to pawn something?”

Lu Tong said: “I want to buy something.”

The old manager paused, then smiled and asked: “Miss, are you looking to buy unredeemed items?”

Lu Tong nodded.

The old manager understood.

The pawnshop’s business was mostly people coming to pawn items for silver when money was tight. Among these, some who couldn’t redeem their items, or wanted to pawn for more silver, would choose to forfeit them. Then some never came to redeem their items by the deadline, and the items would belong to the pawnshop. The pawnshop would mark up these used items and sometimes could sell them.

After all, among the items left at the pawnshop, there were some good things.

The old manager asked Lu Tong: “Miss, what would you like to buy?”

“I want to buy some jewelry,” Lu Tong said. “Do you have any?”

“Yes, we do.” The old manager smiled: “As it happens, the pawnshop just received a batch of unredeemed jewelry yesterday, all of good quality. If Miss is interested, this old one can bring them out for you to look at.”

Lu Tong nodded: “Thank you.”

“No trouble at all, please wait here for a moment, miss.” The old manager finished speaking and instructed the young clerk beside him to go upstairs to fetch the goods while pouring tea for Lu Tong and her companion.

Lu Tong and Yin Zheng sat in the downstairs hall waiting. Yin Zheng held her tea cup and asked Lu Tong in a low voice: “Miss, what exactly do you want to redeem?”

Lu Tong lowered her eyes.

“Nothing much, just a hairpin.”

Yes, Ji Xun is the second male lead!