As dusk fell, the island’s inhabitants finished their evening meals and busied themselves in the courtyard. Suddenly, two elegant and handsome men appeared through the mist, accompanied by what looked like a small mountain.
One man wore blue robes and had white hair, while the other sported brown robes and phoenix eyes. They were undoubtedly Wei Yuzhi and Mo Sigui.
Mo Sigui, ever impulsive, had initially insisted he wouldn’t come, but soon changed his mind and began packing. In the end, he still tagged along. Wei Yuzhi knew he wouldn’t be welcome here, but for the sake of treating his illness, he had no choice but to follow shamelessly.
Mo Sigui fanned himself, teasing, “Ajiu, I’ve abandoned wealth and glory to come treat you. Aren’t you moved?”
Mo Sigui was just joking, but he didn’t expect An Jiu to suddenly rush over. His heart raced, not because he feared Chu Diangjiang might find a secluded spot to beat him later, but because An Jiu’s passionate response was truly touching…
As he hesitated, his hands half-extended, An Jiu brushed past him and went straight to the small mountain of packages. She began tearing them open.
Everyone peered closer and realized that beneath the mountain of goods was Da Jiu.
“Don’t throw them! That medicine is expensive! It’s extremely rare!” Mo Sigui forgot about his image, tucked his fan away, and hurriedly began picking up the scattered medicines.
Da Jiu’s tiger eyes were brimming with tears, deeply regretting not having come with An Jiu earlier instead of being tempted by Mo Sigui’s newly concocted poisons.
“Mo Sigui, you’re utterly ruthless. I see you can only bully the foolish now!” An Jiu mocked coldly after rescuing Da Jiu.
Everyone was speechless, wondering if this was a defense. Fortunately, Da Jiu couldn’t understand human speech.
Mo Sigui, hugging his medicine packages, protested, “Wei Yuzhi is seriously ill. I couldn’t let him carry everything!”
An Jiu snorted, “How delicate are your hands? Is he your wife? You can’t bear to use them for anything but pleasuring yourself!”
“Who says I didn’t carry anything?” Mo Sigui threw down his medicine packages and began undoing his belt.
Ling Ziyue silently covered Lou Xiaowu’s eyes, while Lou Xiaowu struggled curiously to remove his hand.
“Look!” Mo Sigui opened his robe, revealing numerous pouches sewn into the lining, each filled with various medicines.
Zhu Pianpian, spitting out melon seeds, remarked, “Divine Doctor, we all know you always carry that much medicine.”
Exposed, Mo Sigui turned to glare at her.
Bong!
As he turned, his head was struck by a palm-sized medicine package.
“You’re so childish!” Mo Sigui cried indignantly.
An Jiu, now emboldened with support, strode past him with the loyal Da Jiu in tow, casually remarking, “Put it back on. Don’t ruin the island’s scenery. We’ll pretend you’re a real man.”
“Hey, explain yourself!” Mo Sigui demanded.
Zhu Pianpian, nestled in Sheng Changying’s arms, continued to tease, “Husband, you look refined and slender, but without clothes, you’re worth two Divine Doctors!”
Sheng Changying’s face reddened slightly as he turned away, uncomfortable. “Don’t talk nonsense.”
Zhu Pianpian clung to his arm, cooing, “Don’t be upset, husband. I won’t talk nonsense anymore. You’re worth three!”
Chu Diangjiang finally understood why An Jiu liked the affected Zhu Pianpian. One stabbed while the other twisted the knife, leaving no room for escape.
“Arrange lodging for Wei Xiansheng,” Chu Diangjiang ordered. Though he might be concerned about Wei Yuzhi’s arrival, he wasn’t so petty as to deny him even a moment’s stay, for he was confident in his relationship.
Sui Yunzhu stepped forward to comply. “Wei Xiansheng, please follow me.”
As Ling Ziyue lowered his hand, Lou Xiaowu finally caught a clear glimpse of Wei Yuzhi and couldn’t help but exclaim, “He’s so handsome.”
Wei Yuzhi paused briefly, turning slightly to nod at Ling Ziyue and Lou Xiaowu. Beyond that, he showed no emotion, as if he hadn’t recognized Ling Ziyue at all.
In truth, no one here harbored deep grudges against Wei Yuzhi; they merely felt some aversion due to their different positions. Li Qingzhi was the most resistant, and before Wei Yuzhi had walked far, he addressed Chu Diangjiang, “My Lord! Why should the Divine Doctor save a traitor and bring him to the island?”
It wasn’t a question, but a complaint.
Chu Diangjiang replied, “This man served the Liao for his reasons. If he can move past that, he could be a valuable talent for the Great Song.”
“But…”
Chu Diangjiang cut him off, “It depends on whether the new emperor dares to accept him.”
After all, Wei Yuzhi had been a pillar of the Liao emperor’s court.
If this were the Warring States period, it wouldn’t be an issue at all. Which strategist hadn’t switched allegiances, moving from one state to another? A wise bird chooses its perch carefully, so it’s normal to consider options before making a choice. Now, things have become so rigid! Chu Diangjiang mused silently.
He wouldn’t blame everything on Confucianism. During the Warring States period, any school of thought could be criticized if implemented as the sole governing system. In times of peace, Confucianism aligns with the greater way, which is why it has flourished until now. It’s the choice of the tide of history.
“Diangjiang, the Emperor has requested your return. What do you plan to do?” Sheng Changying asked.
This letter couldn’t be taken lightly. Chu Diangjiang had only two options: obediently return to serve, or prepare for a life on the run.
Chu Diangjiang thought, “I’ve grown accustomed to freedom. I dislike the constant trepidation of court life, bowing and scraping. Who knows when I might lose my temper and curse the emperor to his face? In this respect, the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods were better.”
Zhu Pianpian, cradling her belly, chimed in, “That’s right! When there are many businesses, everyone strives to manage well. They treat their employees better, so the employees serve customers with enthusiasm, not always thinking of running to another establishment. If there’s only one business left, who cares about all that!”
“The words are common, but the reasoning isn’t,” Chu Diangjiang remarked.
Seeing Sheng Changying nod in agreement, Zhu Pianpian pinched him, “Who’s common?”
“I’m common, I’m common. The least common thing I’ve done in my life is marrying you, my dear,” Sheng Changying, who used to be shy about flirting and flattery, had discovered Zhu Pianpian’s weakness for such talk. Now he could produce compliments effortlessly, each one unique.
Chu Diangjiang was impressed and began to ponder.
Lost in thought, he returned to his room.
An Jiu was feeding Da Jiu the medicine Mo Sigui had prepared. She crouched on a chair, holding a pill, while Da Jiu lay on the ground like a dog, head tilted back, mouth wide open, waiting to be fed.
An Jiu aimed and tossed the pill.
It landed perfectly down Da Jiu’s throat.
“Aow!” Da Jiu sprang up.
Aow, aow, aow! What had it missed? What had it missed? There was still a faint taste of medicine in its mouth, but it hadn’t enjoyed the experience at all!
After a moment of frustration, Da Jiu remembered that An Jiu still had more pills. It quickly lay down again, head tilted, mouth open. For the first time, its tiger eyes gleamed with sharp intelligence. It was determined to catch the pill this time. Determined!
An Jiu noticed Chu Diangjiang enter. At first, she paid little attention, but seeing him hesitate as if he had something important to say, she dumped a handful of pills into Da Jiu’s mouth.
The happiness came too suddenly. Acting on a glutton’s instinct, Da Jiu began chewing before it could savor the moment. As the medicine flowed down its throat in a warm current, the dazed tiger finally thought about savoring it slowly.