The lights remained silent, and the graceful moon shadow moved lightly several feet beyond the window gauze.

Lu Tong stood in the desolate autumn wind, looking directly at the person before her.

When this Commander Pei smiled, his eyes and brows always carried a touch of bright, elegant charm. When he didn’t smile, his features became sharp. The cold, thin moonlight cast a cold sheen over his deep crimson official robes, and even his gaze seemed piercingly cold, without a trace of warmth.

Shen Fengying was speechless for a moment, then suddenly realized what was happening and inwardly groaned.

He had just praised the people at this small medical hall for being quite sensible, so how had they suddenly become so tactless?

What did she mean by “the thief crying catch the thief”? How unpleasant those words sounded! More importantly, the suspicious evidence now fell on the Palace Command. As a military patrol captain, should he continue investigating or not?

If he continued investigating, he would inevitably offend the Palace Command. If he didn’t investigate, appearing like this in front of so many people made him seem guilty of something.

Of course, he was already quite afraid.

But what if some loose-lipped person went back and spread this story around? Would he still be able to continue mixing in the capital in the future?

While Shen Fengying was thus tangled up in his thoughts, that young female doctor unhelpfully reminded him: “Isn’t the commander going to take a look?”

Shen Fengying: “…”

She really knew how to pick the worst possible moment to speak up!

Du Changqing, who had been full of resentment about tonight’s wild accusations, immediately seized the opportunity to fan the flames when he heard Lu Tong speak, shouting: “When someone accused our medical hall, what evidence did they have? The commander first brought people to search and ransack our medical hall. Now they’ve found both corpse and evidence over there, yet the commander is still dawdling here. What’s this about?”

“Oh my,” he sighed loudly, “comparing people really shows the difference. What was that line Scholar Wu wrote? Something about sprouts and something about scallions? Something about high and something about low?”

Lu Tong: “Mountain sprouts and valley pines, their terrain follows the high and low.”

“Ah yes, yes! They’re those mountain sprouts, and we’re those ground scallions!”

Shen Fengying: “…”

It would have been better if he hadn’t mentioned this. Once he did, Shen Fengying’s face turned green.

Everyone knew that because of Scholar Wu’s case in the examination hall, the entire court and country were in panic. That poem was like a death warrant—just in these past few days, who knew how many officials had been implicated and fallen from grace. Except for the Censorate, everyone in court now feared hearing this poem, afraid that some accusation would fall on their own heads.

Good heavens, he had merely followed an accusation to arrest someone—how had he ended up having this label stuck on him?

What a cursed medical hall, a bunch of unruly citizens who couldn’t read the room at all!

Shen Fengying was caught between a rock and a hard place, desperately searching his mind for an excuse, when he heard Pei Yunying speak: “Let’s go, Commander Shen.”

He was startled: “Com… Commander?”

This involved the Palace Command now. With the capital’s officialdom already chaotic enough, if something happened to the Palace Command at this time, Pei Yunying as the commanding officer would also have trouble.

Pei Yunying smiled, as if the coldness in his eyes moments before had been merely an illusion.

“Since there’s been a death and it’s connected to the Palace Command, naturally we should go take a look.” He spoke lightly: “I’ll accompany you.”

Though he was speaking to Shen Fengying, his gaze was fixed on Lu Tong.

Lu Tong met his gaze with serene composure.

Shen Fengying, however, breathed a sigh of relief.

If Pei Yunying was going with him, that was good. How to handle it, what to do—all would be Pei Yunying’s decision. This way, if something went wrong in the future and he was questioned, he could rightfully push the responsibility away as having nothing to do with him. After all, Pei Yunying was the Heir of Duke Zhaoning, while he, Shen Fengying, was nothing. In his colleagues’ eyes, he was just as the medical hall owner had said—a ground scallion, ah no, ground pine.

Shen Fengying called to the constables behind him: “Brothers, stop digging! Now follow me to Wangchun Mountain!”

The constables all packed up their gear. The courtyard was in complete disarray. Lu Tong was quietly watching when suddenly her view darkened as a tall figure blocked the light before her.

Lu Tong looked up.

Pei Yunying stood before her, waist bound with a sash, wearing a silver sword, his eyes and brows lustrous as pearls and jade. Moonlight flowed like water over his vibrant colored robes, inexplicably bringing to mind the poem Lu Qian had learned when entering school:

The setting sun slants, autumn wind grows cold. Will old friends come tonight? One stands until exhausted beneath the parasol tree’s shadow.

It was a pity that this old friend who made one wait in the autumn wind had only a good appearance but could not stir half a trace of her heart—only wariness.

Lu Tong thought silently.

From beginning to end, except for a moment of cold severity in his eyes when hearing the name “Duan Xiaoyan,” she could see no other emotional fluctuations from this person.

Even though he now clearly knew that she had framed him.

She withdrew her wandering thoughts and looked at Pei Yunying again: “Does the commander have any other instructions?”

Pei Yunying looked down at Lu Tong and suddenly chuckled softly, his dimples appearing and disappearing in the lamplight.

“Forgive the disturbance tonight.”

“Doctor Lu,” he said, his tone meaningful, “we shall meet again.”

Over there, Shen Fengying was urging the constables to move quickly, obsequiously escorting Pei Yunying out. Before leaving, he even glared fiercely at Bai Shouyi, who stood to the side with an uncertain expression.

When making the accusation, he had spoken so decisively, making Shen think there would be some great discovery tonight. The result was all this wasted effort. These medical halls didn’t focus on healing and saving lives but spent all their time slandering and framing each other. Once this matter was over, he would definitely go complain to the Medical Guild and have those quacks properly manage the medical halls on this street!

They had come with great fanfare but left quietly.

In an instant, the courtyard was left with only scattered debris.

The bloody half pig carcass still lay on the ground. Dai Sanlang, who had come to help, looked at Lu Tong and kindly suggested: “Doctor Lu, do you still need this pig? If not, I’ll help you move it away. Though it’s gotten cold, such a large piece of pork will smell if left overnight.”

Dai Sanlang was very enthusiastic toward Lu Tong. To him, Lu Tong was a life-saving bodhisattva. Without Lu Tong creating “Xianxian,” how could he have his current strong and healthy body, much less win Widow Sun’s favor? One should be grateful.

Lu Tong bowed to him: “Thank you, Brother Dai.”

Dai Sanlang quickly waved his hands: “It’s nothing, no need for thanks.” Having said this, he walked to the tree in the courtyard, retied the bag containing the pig, bent down and with a heave, easily shouldered the pork. He also picked up the pig’s head that hadn’t yet begun to rot and strode out of the medical hall.

After he left, Bai Shouyi also bowed to Du Changqing, forcing a smile: “Shopkeeper Du, since this was just a misunderstanding, I’ll take my leave first.”

Du Changqing said nothing, only stared at him with a cold laugh.

Bai Shouyi gritted his teeth. He seemed very unwilling to return empty-handed today. With feigned shame, he cupped his hands and left the medical hall without looking back, not even caring about Xia Rongrong who was looking at him mournfully.

Xia Rongrong watched helplessly as Bai Shouyi abandoned her and left, leaving her alone to face this mess. Her eyes immediately reddened, and she instinctively looked toward Du Changqing: “Cousin…”

Tonight’s events had far exceeded Xia Rongrong’s expectations.

Initially, she had thought that although Du Changqing might eventually be angry about her private dealings with Bai Shouyi, since it involved human life and she was helping Du Changqing see Lu Tong’s true nature, Du Changqing would ultimately understand her good intentions—after all, this was for the medical hall’s benefit.

But unexpectedly, in the end Lu Tong was perfectly fine while she became a laughingstock. Even the “merit” she had hoped would “atone for her crimes” was gone, making her connection with Bai Shouyi seem unforgivable.

“Cousin…”

“No need to say more.” Du Changqing said: “It’s too late tonight to discuss this. Tomorrow I’ll send you back.”

Xia Rongrong was stunned, the tears in her eyes forgotten.

Du Changqing meant to send her away?

She had known Du Changqing for many years and understood her cousin’s temperament extremely well. He was soft-hearted and weak-willed—otherwise, how could he willingly let her parents fleece him like a fat sheep for so many years without complaint?

But he was actually so mercilessly driving her away?

Seeing Xia Rongrong stunned by Du Changqing’s heartlessness, Xiangcao quickly spoke up: “Young Master, tonight was just a misunderstanding. Miss was only worried and nervous about something happening to the medical hall, which is why she acted this way. Please don’t misunderstand.”

But today’s Shopkeeper Du was not as easy to talk to as usual.

Du Changqing stood on the steps, looking expressionlessly at the master and servant pair, his tone somewhat sarcastic.

“Misunderstanding? There’s no misunderstanding. What misunderstanding could there be among family? Since cousin has already made friends with Shopkeeper Bai of Xinglintang and found a more reliable support in the capital than me, as her cousin, I can finally rest easy.”

“Besides, I’ve acquired some new medicinal materials these past few days, and the storeroom can’t hold them all. Clearing out cousin’s room to store medicine would be perfect.”

“Tomorrow you’ll move out of the medical hall. My place is a small temple that can’t accommodate such a great buddha as cousin. Cousin would be better off finding another high branch.”

“Don’t you think so, cousin?”

Xia Rongrong was dumbstruck.

She was, after all, a young lady who had never suffered much hardship since childhood. When had she ever been spoken to so mercilessly? She couldn’t help but burst into tears with a “wah,” not caring about the others in the courtyard, and buried her head as she ran into her room.

Xiangcao stamped her feet anxiously and quickly followed.

Even fewer people remained in the courtyard.

Du Changqing ignored Xia Rongrong crying in her room and looked toward Lu Tong.

“Alright, everything’s been said. Now let’s talk about you, Doctor Lu. Look how pale you are from fright. What exactly happened tonight…”

Lu Tong, carrying the lamp, turned and entered her room, slamming the door with a “bang” and leaving only the words “It’s too late today, let’s talk tomorrow.”

Du Changqing, still holding his lantern, stood stunned for a moment before realizing Lu Tong had slammed the door on him. He pointed at the door angrily: “Look at her attitude!”

Yin Zheng came to smooth things over: “Shopkeeper Du, our miss was busy all day and then frightened like this tonight. She should rest well. Whatever you want to ask can wait until tomorrow. Look how late it is already. We still have to get up early tomorrow to clean the courtyard—we’ll be quite busy.”

Du Changqing was left speechless. A’Cheng also advised him to go back first, so he snorted and walked away in frustration.

After he left, Yin Zheng stood before Lu Tong’s room and gently knocked on the door.

“Miss?”

The light in the room went out. After a moment, Lu Tong’s calm voice came through.

“I’m tired. You should rest early too.”

Yin Zheng always followed Lu Tong’s words. Hearing that Lu Tong’s voice sounded normal, she responded and returned to her own room carrying the lamp.

The figure by the window left, and the moonlight became cold and thin again.

Only after confirming no one was around did Lu Tong release her grip and let go of the painful groans she had been struggling to suppress.

Large drops of cold sweat seeped from her forehead, her lips were white as near-transparent, and that spine which had always remained straight was now completely bent. She covered her chest and finally couldn’t hold on, collapsing to sit on the ground without strength to get up.

Her old ailment had struck again.

This condition flared up two or three times a year. Just now in the courtyard when confronting Pei Yunying, she had already been barely holding on.

But at that time she couldn’t let anyone see anything amiss, so she forcibly endured it, biting her lips to maintain color while bearing intense pain and dealing with others without showing any sign.

That’s why when the constables left and Du Changqing wanted to talk with her, she didn’t hesitate to shut him out.

It wasn’t arrogance—one more moment and she would have been exposed.

Intense pain spread from her heart. This pain seemed alive, wandering wildly from her chest cavity through her limbs and bones, as if someone was using knife blades to peel away her flesh and bone piece by piece, or as if a giant hand had grown in her abdomen, grasping her internal organs and roughly kneading them.

Lu Tong was in such pain that her body tilted and collapsed, curling into a ball, tightly biting her teeth to prevent any sound from escaping her lips. Her long hair was soaked with sweat, strands clinging to her cheeks.

The floor was covered with the mess the constables had made in their chaotic search. Paper from the table had been thrown everywhere, scattered on the ground like large patches of snowflakes.

She lay among the frost and snow covering the ground, in such pain that her consciousness was becoming unclear. In her dazed state, a figure seemed to appear before her eyes.

The figure slowly walked toward her, wearing a rouge-red jacket and white silk pleated skirt, with a thin face and slender waist, clothes rustling softly.

She walked unhurriedly down from a jade peak covered with red plum blossoms, carrying a carved lantern that illuminated the muddy, snowy ground, glowing like a weak firefly among tombs in the night.

Lu Tong murmured: “Yunniang…”

The woman looked down at her and smiled slightly, her tone calm yet eerie.

“Little Seventeen, where do you think you can escape to?”

…

That was Lu Tong’s second year on Falling Plum Peak.

She decided to escape.

Young Lu Tong could neither adapt to the cold weather on Falling Plum Peak nor endure the pain that came with testing medicines for Yunniang every few days. On a certain night, when she had once again survived the torment brought by new medicine, sweat-soaked Lu Tong lay on the ground, looking at the bright moon outside the window, and made up her mind to escape this hellish place.

When Yunniang wasn’t making new medicines, she spent most of her time away from the mountain. In that small hut on Falling Plum Peak, Lu Tong was alone.

She spent a long time figuring out a safe route and prepared enough dried meat and clean water, thinking she had sufficient patience and caution.

After Yunniang went down the mountain again, Lu Tong shouldered her bundle and followed her down.

She thought that once she got down the mountain, she could return to Changwu County. Jiangnan was still some distance from Changwu County, but she could figure out a way along the route—by boat or walking, with enough time, she could always return to her homeland.

The day Lu Tong escaped was a spring evening.

The snow on Falling Plum Peak had just melted, red plum blossoms covered the mountain like blood, their fragrance filling the air. She had walked for a day and night, and when she could see she had reached the foot of the mountain with the small town just within reach, her chest suddenly began to ache.

This pain wasn’t severe at first, but gradually became unbearable. She curled into a ball, rolling on the ground in agony, not knowing what was wrong with her.

Just when Lu Tong thought she was going to die, Yunniang appeared.

Yunniang carried a lantern and came down from the mountain to find her.

She stood on the steps, looking down at Lu Tong writhing in pain below. The lamplight illuminated Yunniang’s face and the smile at the corner of her mouth.

Yunniang’s tone was gentler than usual, her expression as if she had never noticed Lu Tong’s escape attempt.

She asked with a smile: “Little Seventeen, what are you doing here?”

Lu Tong groaned.

The woman looked at her thoughtfully and spoke in surprise: “Could it be that you wanted to escape?”

She was in too much pain then, too much pain to speak, almost biting through her lip.

Yunniang’s voice came unhurriedly, like an inescapable curse.

“When you sold yourself to me back then, you saved your family of four lives. The debt isn’t cleared—how can you think of leaving already?”

“Where do you think you can escape to?”

It was spring, the snow on the mountain had melted, and the mud after the thaw was even colder than winter, seeming to penetrate to one’s heart.

Lu Tong knew she couldn’t escape anymore, so she spoke with difficulty: “I’m sorry, Yunniang. I… I missed my family.”

Yunniang sighed.

She said: “When we made our agreement initially, it was made very clear that unless I die, you cannot leave the mountain.” She glanced at Lu Tong’s pained expression, the corner of her mouth curving up. “Understand?”

If Lu Tong hadn’t understood before, at that moment she should have understood completely.

She could not leave Falling Plum Peak, and Yunniang would not allow her to leave. Yunniang was the world’s finest physician and the most skilled poison master. Long before Lu Tong knew it, Yunniang had already poisoned her—she could never leave Falling Plum Peak.

Lu Tong’s tears fell.

The little girl crawled forward two steps. Beside her were the dried meat and provisions scattered on the ground from her fall. She crawled to the woman’s feet and grabbed the woman’s skirt hem, sobbing and pleading as she had when they first met.

“Yunniang… I was wrong… I won’t try to escape again…”

“Save me…”

She couldn’t die.

She couldn’t die here.

She had to live. Only by living could she see her parents, brothers, and sisters. Only by living would she have a chance to plan for the future.

In the mountains, spring snow half-melted, red plums were jade-thin and richly fragrant. Yunniang’s skirt hem was also lightly stained with plum fragrance as she stared at Lu Tong with interest for a long time—as she had countless times before.

She crouched down, placed the carved lantern to one side, took out a silk handkerchief, and gently wiped the sweat from Lu Tong’s forehead, smiling slightly.

“I forgive you, Little Seventeen.”

“Consider this a lesson. Don’t think about escaping again in the future.”

She spoke earnestly, patiently instructing her like an elder master.

“Without trustworthiness, one cannot be relied upon. You must keep your word.”

…

The clear moon hung quietly, cold buds unopened outside the window, only gnarled plum branches reflected on the paper window, leaving graceful silhouettes.

Among the debris covering the floor, Lu Tong lay on her back, her entire body soaked through with sweat, silently reciting as she had many years ago on Falling Plum Peak.

“Unmoved by favor or disgrace, the liver wood naturally calms… In movement and stillness maintain reverence, the heart fire naturally settles… Eat and drink moderately, the spleen earth won’t leak… Regulate breathing and speak little, the lung metal naturally preserves… Keep the spirit happy and desires few, the kidney water naturally sufficient…”

She would get through this. All pain would pass.

It had always been this way for so many years—nothing different.

From the small courtyard came the faint sound of a woman’s soft weeping—that was Xia Rongrong crying to Xiangcao in her room.

So the tiny, weak groans in the small room were covered up.