Mo Sigui’s face was sallow, his temples streaked with gray. His cheeks were sunken, and his loose robes hung on his frame as if a gentle breeze could topple him.
In just over half a month since their parting, he had transformed from a handsome young man to a withered shell, shocking An Jiu into speechlessness.
“I’ve heard that Young Miracle Doctor Mo is a talented youth. Today, I have the fortune to meet…” Hua Rongjian poked his head out, saw Mo Sigui, and the rest of his sentence caught in his throat. After a moment, he stiffly added, “It’s a pleasure.”
Mo Sigui perfunctorily cupped his hands in greeting Hua Rongjian, then glared at An Jiu. “What are you staring at? I felt I was getting fat, so I’ve been slimming down recently. Don’t look at me like you’ve seen a ghost!”
Mo Sigui dismounted and climbed into the carriage. Even this simple action left him breathless, though his spirit seemed reasonably good.
He excitedly grabbed An Jiu, looking her over. “It’s good that you’re alive!”
Her being alive lessened the guilt in his heart.
An Jiu wanted to tell him that Mei Jiu was already dead, but as her gaze fell on his sallow face, she moved her lips but couldn’t bring herself to say it.
“How did you end up like this?” An Jiu asked.
“Mentioning this will likely be the greatest shame of my life,” Mo Sigui said indignantly. “A crazy woman from Liao poisoned me, and it took me eight days to concoct an antidote!”
For most men, being captured for poison testing by a woman would be more shameful than taking eight days to create an antidote. As long as the poison was neutralized, they wouldn’t dwell on how long it took. But Mo Sigui found the latter more severe.
“A crazy woman from Liao?” Hua Rongjian focused on this detail. “Could it be Ning Yanli of the ‘Southern Mo, Northern Ning’ fame?”
Mo Sigui was displeased. “What Southern Mo, Northern Ning! Don’t compare me to a madwoman.”
He had just expressed his disdain for Ning Yanli, but then added with a sly look, “Hmph. I’ve recently concocted something. If she can make an antidote in eight days, I’ll kowtow to her.”
“She’s dead,” An Jiu said, suddenly feeling hatred rise as she saw his medical fanaticism. She maliciously wanted to shatter his obsession and madness for this path. “She died while shielding you from arrows.”
An Jiu didn’t mention a name, knowing Mo Sigui would understand.
Mo Sigui froze, staring into An Jiu’s pitch-black eyes for a long moment before suddenly coughing up blood.
“Mo Sigui!” An Jiu was startled, not expecting the news to impact him so severely.
“You’re still alive,” Mo Sigui uttered these four words before losing consciousness.
His dreams were chaotic, all about Mei Shisi. Sometimes she was crying pitifully, sometimes cold as ice. In the end, these images merged, and he couldn’t distinguish which version stirred his emotions.
Was Mei Shisi truly dead? He couldn’t figure it out.
When Mo Sigui awoke, he found himself lying in soft bedding. Opening his eyes, he saw An Jiu standing by the bed, looking down at him pensively.
Seeing him awake, An Jiu said softly, “I’m sorry.”
“I should be the one apologizing,” Mo Sigui replied, his voice hoarse.
They remained silent for a long while.
Knock, knock, knock!
Someone was at the door.
“Come in,” Mo Sigui said.
Through the bed curtains, they vaguely saw a tall young man enter, followed by a servant and several maids.
The servant stepped forward and drew back the curtains.
The man wore a dark blue robe, his hair tied in a topknot adorned with a black jade ornament. His face was chiseled, with sword-like eyebrows and star-like eyes, exuding natural authority.
“I am Hua Rongtian,” the man said, his gaze passing briefly over An Jiu with a slight nod as a greeting. His attention quickly turned to Mo Sigui. “Is the Miracle Doctor comfortable with his accommodations here?”
An Jiu, however, observed him more closely. So this was the youngest Zhixumiyuanshi (Privy Councillor) in history, indeed carrying a heavy air of officialdom. In Hua Rongjian’s words, his elder brother was a deeply sentimental person, but from this stern appearance, she couldn’t detect any trace of gentleness or affection.
Mo Sigui struggled to get up, but Hua Rongtian strode to the bedside and personally helped him.
“I must thank the Zhixumiyuanshi and Hua Erlang for their help,” Mo Sigui said.
As he tried to get out of bed, Hua Rongtian stopped him. “I’ve long heard of the Miracle Doctor’s reputation for healing. If anything were to happen to you, it would be a great loss for the Song Dynasty. I hope you don’t mind our interference.”
Even knowing that he had intervened for Mo Sigui’s medical skills, these words were much more pleasing to hear. An Jiu recalled Hua Rongjian’s words and couldn’t help but think, how could two people with the same surname be so different in their conduct?
“Please, sit, Councillor,” Mo Sigui said.
“It seems inconvenient today, so I won’t sit. Seeing the Miracle Doctor well has put my mind at ease,” Hua Rongtian said, his gaze flickering slightly as if looking toward An Jiu.
Before entering, Hua Rongtian had known there was a woman inside. Although Song Dynasty customs were somewhat conservative, interaction between men and women wasn’t entirely forbidden, at least not chance encounters. In such situations, women would usually quickly excuse themselves, but Hua Rongtian hadn’t expected An Jiu to stand there so nonchalantly, showing no intention of leaving. Thus, he felt it inappropriate to stay long.
Mo Sigui glanced at An Jiu, then said to Hua Rongtian, “Then I shall visit to thank the Councillor another day.”
Hua Rongtian said, “The Miracle Doctor is too kind,” and turned to leave, but the maids stayed behind.
One of the maids approached the bed curtain and knelt, saying, “Miracle Doctor, Miss Mei, the young master has sent us to attend to you both.”
“Understood. You may leave for now,” Mo Sigui said. Usually, he would have teased them, but he was too weak and not in the mood.
Spring arrived swiftly. In just a few days, Bianjing was awash in peach blossoms and willow greens. Boats and painted barges crisscrossed the rivers, and crowds of people eager for spring broke the silence of winter.
People gradually emerged from the shadow of the two family massacres, but the attacks on the Lou and Mei families left the court reeling for a long time.
Especially the current emperor, who finally felt the immense threat from unknown enemies.
The person secretly controlling this chess game had planned for a long time, with formidable strength and ruthless methods, managing to wipe out two of the four major families of the Konghejun in such a short time! They had also successfully sowed discord between the emperor and his officials, nearly tearing apart the entire Konghejun.
The emperor sent people to protect the remaining families while appeasing the Mei and Lou clan members within the Konghejun. With the addition of regular state affairs, he was overwhelmed. As the weather suddenly turned warm, he fell seriously ill, but with matters unresolved, he could only struggle with the aid of medicines.
Officially, the Ministry of Justice conducted a high-profile investigation into the horrifying massacres of the Mei and Lou families, while the Konghejun was truly responsible for investigating the case. After more than two months, the Ministry of Justice finally concocted a reasonable investigation result, and the Konghejun also had some leads.
The investigation process was simple. Their entry point was the surprisingly numerous “half-finished products,” which led them to Ning Yanli, who was a physician in Yelü Huangwu’s household in Liao.
They also dug into Ning Yanli’s background. She was an orphan, found on a beach by a young, traveling Yelü Huangwu and brought back to his household. As she called herself “Ning Zi,” Yelü Huangwu named her Ning Yanli, meaning “a lonely wild goose.” Ning Yanli’s medical talent became apparent within half a year of entering the household. Yelü Huangwu, fond of her extensive knowledge, kept her by his side as a study companion and focused on teaching her medical texts.
After half a month of staying at the Hua residence, Mo Sigui had nursed himself back to health, becoming even more handsome than before.
On a beautiful spring day, the courtyard was a mess. An Jiu, dressed in tight-fitting clothes, was sawing wood, preparing to modify a small crossbow for herself.
The stone table was covered with medicinal herbs that Mo Sigui had piled up. He was engrossed in concocting two medicinal decoctions. Seeing his reflection in a cup, he muttered, “That Ning Yanli woman must be ugly herself, so she deliberately tried to ruin my fair countenance. How malicious! I won’t let her succeed!”
An Jiu’s rhythmic sawing was the only response.
“But that woman had some skill, actually delaying me for eight days!” Mo Sigui was still fixated on those eight days, which had become a sore spot for him.
An Jiu felt uncomfortable whenever she heard this. “How long is eight days? Keep mentioning it, and I’ll cut out your tongue for a drinking snack!”
“Quick to anger, be careful not to shorten your life,” Hua Rongjian’s amused voice came from the doorway.
An Jiu, using a short knife to smooth the wood, couldn’t be bothered to look at him. “I can’t predict when I’ll die, but I’m certain you’ll die before me.”