Can’t Afford to Mess with Either Lords (iv)
Edited: 03.13.2024
The man took Ruan Qing out of the manor through a secret door and came to a quiet place surrounded by a bamboo forest and spring water. There was a pavilion in the river, where the Eldest Imperial Prince Xiao Ziming was drinking tea leisurely. He twisted some fish food from the bowl held by his servant and fed the koi fishes.
Ruan Qing was pushed to stand in front of Xiao Ziming at a loss. The guard behind him drew his sword and shouted: “How dare you! Why aren’t you saluting to His Majesty?”
Ruan Qing bowed reluctantly and muttered quietly in his heart. Theoretically, wouldn’t it be really easy for Xiao Ziming if he wanted to see him? Why did he have to be secretive? He probably had bad intentions.
Sure enough, Xiao Ziming lightly raised his folding fan, strolled up behind Ruan Qing, and reported Ruan Qing’s life as if he was announcing the name of a dish: “Ruan Qing, a native of Hexi Town, Huizhou. You lost your father when you were young and the only members left in your family are your elderly mother and a younger sister who hasn’t come of age. You were recommended to His Second Imperial Majesty by Imperial Physician Sun a few days ago but ended up making him crippled by mistake. However, your medical skills unexpectedly improved by leaps and bounds these days, and were able to heal him in less than a month. This truly surprised this Prince.”
Ruan Qing returned an awkward smile to him, “I am unworthy of your extreme praise, Your First Imperial Majesty.”
Unexpectedly, Xiao Ziming didn’t appreciate his words. He snorted coldly, raised his fan, and lifted his chin playfully: “Extreme praise? For being able to make such rapid progress in such a short period of time, this Prince doesn’t think it is considered extreme praise. But this Prince is really curious, is it true that enlightenment under the bodhi tree mentioned by Buddha is true, or is it a pretentious act to gain the trust of His Second Imperial Majesty?”
He was very tall, even taller than Xiao Ziheng. Ruan Qing was already nervous when he lifted his chin and now he couldn’t even breathe properly as he mustered out with difficulty: “Your First Imperial Majesty…….Ruan Qing has absolutely no such intentions.”
Xiao Ziming stared at him and pondered for a long time, then he withdrew his hand and returned to his seat. He picked up his tea and took a sip with a smile: “That’s good. It seems all the people in the Imperial Hospital only want fame and fortune. How about this, work for this Prince. I will not only let you join the Imperial Hospital, but I will also reward you with a hundred taels of silver every month that you can send back to your family, and at the same time, I will give you a new mansion in the capital, how about it?”
To be honest, regardless of his mother and sister whom he has never met, just providing him with a house, money, and a job was enough to make him excited. Ruan Qing was a little shaken for a moment. Xiao Ziheng was very kind to him, but he was not an easy person to get along with, and serving him was also very tiring.
But he always seemed to feel sorry for him.
Ruan Qing struggled for a while. In the end, under the influence of nine years of compulsory education, Ruan Qing still felt that he shouldn’t bend over backward for five grains of rice[1]. He bowed to Xiao Ziming: “Ruan Qing does not dare to accept Your Majesty’s kindness.”
The original owner of this body felt guilty toward Xiao Ziheng. Even if he wanted to find another person to work for, he had to settle this grievance first.
Xiao Ziming was a little surprised. In his eyes, Ruan Qing was just a bastard who would do anything for his own interests. There was no reason why he would not be moved by such a condition. Could it be that there really was something going on between him and Xiao Ziheng?
Thinking of this, Xiao Ziming’s eyes showed hostility and he lost the patience to reason with him: “How loyal. But this decision is not up to you, Mr. Ruan. This Prince has already taken your mother and sister to the governor’s residence in Huizhou. If you agree to work for me, I will allow you to reunite with your family. If you don’t agree——”
He looked stern and said with a smile: “Then I’m afraid it won’t be as simple as death.”
Ruan Qing shuddered. These Imperial Princes regard human life as nothing. If he didn’t agree with him today, then the mother and sister of the original owner may die.
It was said that doctors were like parents. In the face of life and death, Ruan Qing was always helpless.
“Ruan Qing understands, I will work for Your First Imperial Majesty.”
When Xiao Ziming saw that he finally relented, he couldn’t help but smile: “A wise man recognizes what is the best path. Thankfully Mr. Ruan was able to understand. There is one thing that Mr. Ruan needs to do right now.”
Ruan Qing was immediately on alert and asked: “What is it?”
Xiao Ziming waved at him meaningfully. Ruan Qing anxiously came up and Xiao Ziming whispered a few words in his ear.
Ruan Qing was suddenly wide-eyed.
A month later, Xiao Ziheng and Ruan Qing finally traveled to Huizhou.
It was no wonder that Huizhou was the frontline. The road was littered with corpses and blood and many mishandled corpses were exposed in the wilderness. There were also many mosquitoes, snakes, and rats, which made Ruan Qing frown repeatedly.
Rats and flies were the best way to spread viruses and bacteria. Especially during wartime, whenever an epidemic broke out, it would always affect one person, then a village, and then a city. It was very serious. No wonder the epidemic in Huizhou hadn’t subsided.
Suddenly, Ruan Qing noticed a couple and their son sitting on their knees by the roadside. The three of them were dressed in rich and noble clothes and he didn’t know why they seemed so sad. The child’s face was red and his lymph nodes seemed to be swollen. He screamed and crawled into his mother’s arms. His consciousness was blurred and he vomited some filth from time to time. His parents made a whimpering mess as they held their son, not knowing what to do.
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Ruan Qing carefully recalled the knowledge he had learned and based on the environment, his initial judgment was that they were infected with the bubonic plague. If he was not treated in time, he was afraid that the child wouldn’t live long, so he turned back and asked Xiao Ziheng: “Your Majesty, stop for a moment. Let me go down to take a look.”
Xiao Ziheng agreed. Ruan Qing covered his mouth and nose with a piece of silk cloth, jumped out of the carriage, squatted down, and carefully checked the child’s condition, which further confirmed what he was thinking. He said to the couple: “He is infected with the plague. It’s useless for you to just cry here, you have to go back to the city to get medicine.”
Seeing his behavior and appearance, the couple probably thought that he was a doctor-like figure. As if they were grasping at their last straws, they hurriedly begged: “Sir, please save our child.”
Ruan Qing comforted the couple, but he was also in a difficult situation. It stands to reason that the treatment method for the bubonic plague was to give intramuscular injection of streptomycin. In some cases, it must be supplemented with desensitizing drugs, such as gentamicin, kanamycin, etc. After the body temperature drops below 37.5°C, systemic symptoms and local symptoms would disappear slowly. Then the dosage would be gradually reduced until all symptoms improved and the course of treatment was usually ten to twenty days.
But where would he find these things in this current environment?!
“0028!” Ruan Qing shouted the system’s name in his mind.
0028’s emotionless mechanical voice instantly sounded in his head: “Host, I’m sorry to inform you that you have 0 points right now and can’t exchange medicines and medical equipment in the mall for the time being.”
When Ruan Qing heard this, he felt like a deflated rubber ball. Seeing the child’s consciousness blurred by fever and his whole body struggling made him heartbroken as a doctor. For the time being, there was no hope of using Western medical treatment. Ruan Qing recalled the “Compendium of Plague” written by a Lingnan physician that he read in the manor a few days ago. It introduced a decoction which was said to be miraculous for treating the plague. Ruan Qing seemed to think it had a great deal of significance and even brought the book with him to study it carefully.
“Without further delay, you two go and decoct two ounces of tallow leaves for him to take, and at the same time, decoct the bark of a Guanyin tree to take orally. When I arrive in the city, I will go to the drugstore to get him some medicine. You can just wait for me outside the city.”
After the explanation, the couple left with a lot of gratitude. Ruan Qing got into the carriage and remembering that he had just come into contact with the patient, he suddenly sat farther away from Xiao Ziheng.
Seeing his actions, Xiao Ziheng understood his intentions and said calmly: “No worries, this Prince is in good health and will not be infected so easily.”
Ruan Qing felt a little relieved as the carriage drove into Liangzhou City. Seeing the scenery in the city, Ruan Qing realized that the outside of the city was already paradise on earth. The Huizhou epidemic originally started in the city of Liangzhou and spread throughout the city in less than a week. The speed of infection and the fatal rate were staggeringly high. People infected with the disease had strange symptoms, their whole bodies turned purple, their wounds could not heal, and their deaths were miserable. The nobles in the city fled one after another and the former north-south trade capital was cold, definitely corresponding to the word “desolate.”
Ruan Qing looked at everything in front of him and realized how serious the matter was. The road was full of dead people, but their bodies were just wrapped in straw mats, and their families didn’t even dare to get close to bury them.
“Afraid?”
Ruan Qing was sighing when he suddenly heard Xiao Ziheng ask. He shook his head: “No, as a doctor, I simply feel heartbroken.”
Xiao Ziheng was stunned for a moment and there seemed to be some fluctuation in his eyes. He thought that this little doctor was someone greedy for money and afraid of death, but to think he also had a sincere heart.
Most of the shops on the street were closed. Ruan Qing searched for a long time before he saw a drugstore. It seemed completely deserted and even the door was ajar. He quickly asked Xiao Ziheng to stop the carriage as he rushed in with a shout: “Shopkeeper, I need medicine!”
The shopkeeper was a middle-aged man, all wrapped up tightly, only revealing a pair of cunning eyes: “What do you want?”
Ruan Qing recalled the dosage: “One cup of mung bean, three caulis bambusaes, two bupleurums, two pueraria lobatas, five rehmannias, six safflower flowers, a handful of saffron, and a pinch of red clam leaves.”
The shopkeeper squinted at him, “A cure for the bubonic plague? Fifty taels.”
Ruan Qing was instantly enraged at his words, shouting with incredulity: “Why is it so expensive? These herbs aren’t that expensive.”
The shopkeeper looked him up and down and noticed that his clothes weren’t expensive. Thinking that he didn’t have much of a status, he said in a cold tone: “It’s this much during special times. If you can’t afford it then leave.”
“Hm, even with the epidemic being extremely dangerous right now, all you can think of is trying to make a fortune? This Prince sees that not only do you lack a doctor’s heart, but you also seem tired of living.”
Ruan Qing was stunned and the door was suddenly pushed open. Xiao Ziheng walked in with cold air around him and there seemed to be anger between his brows.
The shopkeeper was so frightened that he hurried forward to kowtow and salute. In his heart, he cursed his stroke of bad luck. Why did the Second Imperial Prince have to show up at this time?
Xiao Ziheng looked down at him coldly, already with murderous intentions: “It is useless to keep such an unfaithful and unjust person. Guards, drag him out and behead him in public.”
The shopkeeper was stunned and immediately cried out: “Your Majesty, Your Majesty, I was simply confused for a moment, I hope Your Majesty will forgive me!”
Xiao Ziheng was annoyed the most by others making noises, so his guards knocked him out, pulled him outside the door, and beheaded him. All of this was done efficiently and neatly.
Ruan Qing was frightened. Looking at the mess on the ground, he suppressed the desire to retch and quickly grabbed the medicine himself. During the entire time, he didn’t dare to look back at Xiao Ziheng.
Xiao Ziheng caught his little movements very keenly and asked calmly: “What? Do you think this Prince was wrong?”
Ruan Qing dared not say he was wrong, otherwise he would also be beheaded. He nodded to him flatteringly: “Your Second Imperial Majesty is wise and powerful, how could you be wrong?”
Xiao Ziheng pondered for a long time. He didn’t know if he was displeased or thinking, which made Ruan Qing break into a cold sweat. He quickly took the medicine and went to decoct it in the back room.
Unexpectedly, as soon as he opened the curtain and entered the back room, Ruan Qing was stunned by the scene in front of him. He opened his mouth but wasn’t able to say a word. After a long time, he shouted with lingering fear: “Your Second Imperial Majesty, come take it look. This seems to be the place where the epidemic started!”
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[1] Idiom: to resign oneself to a course of action. ↩
☽ ⋆ℍalf 𝕄oon 𝕋ranslations⋆ ☾ 
The things getting complicated! And more and more difficult words appear one after another!
Thank You for the new chapter ♥(˘⌣˘ C)
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Yeah, I hate translating the herbs ～( TロT)σ
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But You are doing amazing sweetie~ (*˘︶˘*).｡*♡
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