Chapter 106 Behind a prescription
When He Danggui went out of the main hall, the smile on her face was brighter. Ha-ha, no medicine could cure all diseases in the world. These jujubes were specially made for Madam Luo.
Madam Luo was just 50 years old. She had been ill not only just because the uncured illness when she gave birth to Third Lord, but also she was extremely sad when Grandpa Luo Duzhong died 7 years ago. The muddled energy, blocked meridians, disordered breath, and no appetite, all the symptoms caused her weakness.
As for the prescription of the “lifesaving jujube”, it was initially developed by Grandpa to treat Madam Luo’s illness. Later, her mother married into He’s Family in the capital with half prescription and gave it to He’s Family. Several years later, based on the original prescription, Yao Shi Tang added 15 medicinal materials, such as ginseng, ephedra, scutellaria baicalensis, apricot, poria with hostwood, agilawood, ligusticum wallichii, Chinese angelica and so on, and finally made the Lifesaving Pill and Zhiming Sticking Plaster, which were known as “life extending medicine” among the public. He’s Family even claimed that the medicine was home-made and not supposed to be exposed to the outsiders. Since the medicine was quite difficult to make, its price was fifteen times as high as equivalent weight of gold. Even so, the medicine was so popular that only people like Duan Xiaolou, the master of the Earl Mansion, could buy the medicine from Yao Shi Tang.
He Danggui found the whole prescription from a letter that Grandpa left for her in her previous life, and he noted the prescription was specially made for “treating the old postpartum illness of my beloved wife Chai Dan”. He Danggui’s medical skill was poor at that time, so she was puzzled, wondering now that Grandpa had the method to cure Madam Luo, why didn’t he give it to Madam Luo directly, but leave it to her secretly? She was afraid that First Branch and Second Branch would make troubles, so she didn’t tell anyone, just put the medicine into Madam Luo’s meals in person. Later, the rheumatism of Madam Luo was on the mend, but couldn’t be recovered.
Few years later in Lord Ning’s Mansion, after she improved her medical skills, she found that prescription was not perfect. 4 herbs among the main medicine and vice-medicine restricted each other. So, she tried her best to refine the prescription. 2 years later, combining some ancient prescriptions, she developed an amazing “lifesaving prescription” finally, which could not only cure Madam Luo’s rheumatism thoroughly, but mainly function on one’s hemiplegia symptoms. This medicine could cure people immediately, which was much better and effective than Lifesaving Pill and Zhiming Sticking Plaster.
In the summer before she had been killed, she went to Luo’s Family with this prescription and discussed with her mom secretly. She thought a good prescription was supposed to benefit people, but when the new Emperor took the throne, San Qing Tang was inferior to Yao Shi Tang, Ren Shu Tang and Wu Yi Tang, not as glorious as before. So, she decided to send the prescription to Luo’s Family as a secret recipe to be handed down in San Qing Tang. Her mother also agreed. But on second thought, her mother said, “First Branch and Second Branch always hold disagreements and now they are dividing up the family property. To avoid troubles, we’d better give the prescription to my elder brother Chuanbai.” Luo Chuanbai and Luo Chuanxiong were siblings, but Luo Chuanbai and Luo Chuanpu shared different mothers with the above two. He Danggui could understand why her mom made such a decision, and she always respected her mom’s opinion, so she agreed.
When Second Lord Luo Chuangu learnt that “Madam Luo was fully recovered after taking herbs of the magical prescription several times” and the prescription was taken by First Branch, he immediately asked Madam Luo for an explanation. Madam Luo fobbed him off, so he went to Lord Ning’s Mansion to find He Danggui. He Danggui followed her mother’s advice and gave him an indirect refusal. At that time, Zhou Jinglan and Xu Siniang were also present. They had a great relationship with He Danggui at that time. Hearing the conversation, they said nothing at the time, but they asked Luo Chuangu to stay later, and told him that they knew the place where Concubine He hid the prescription. If they could deal with Concubine He together, he would get the prescription.
When Luo Chuangu went back, he thought for a long time. Luo’s Family had been divided up now, and his capable niece just had a good relationship with First Branch. She always dealt issues for First Branch immediately, but stalled as late as possible when Second Branch asked for help. So, he would like to get the prescription rather than depend on his ungrateful niece. If he got the prescription, his wife and daughter wouldn’t have to come to Lord Ning’s Mansion to please He Danggui any longer. Then, according to Zhou Jinglan’s plan, Luo Baiqiong excused that she was abused by her husband’s family, so she ran out of home and didn’t go back to Luo’s Family. Instead, she bought a house beside Lord Ning’s Mansion later, and asked her maid to find He Danggui several times at night, saying “Second Miss hung herself” “Second Miss drowned herself in a well” or “Second Miss took the poison and spat blood”. He Danggui was worried about her, so she came to save her several times at night. In this way, Zhou Jinglan had the evidence that she went out of Lord Ning’s Mansion frequently.
These venomous truths were told by Luo Chuangu’s wife, Sun Meiniang, when He Danggui was in the water dungeon.
Sun Meiniang laughed crazily, and told her fiercely, “It was He Jingxian’s fault. He betrayed me. He said that he would marry me, but he didn’t keep his promise. I am so happy to see his only daughter in such desperate situation. By the way, Zeng Yuelian is not a seductress, but my cousin. She replaced Luo Chuanxiong and became He Jingxian’s new wife. As for his beloved son and daughter, they are Zeng Yuelian and a coachman’s children. He Jingxian failed me, and you should atone for him.”
He Danggui was dumb, but she suddenly understood at that time. She and her half year old daughter Tian were both atoning for the crime of her father, whom she had never met before.
“Ha-ha-ha!” He Danggui took out her handkerchief and wiped her tears, “Interesting, interesting. It’s so interesting! Ha-ha!” In the previous life, based on Luo’s “lifesaving prescription”, Luo’s Family made the “lifesaving jujube”, and now it became the heirloom of Luo’s Family again!
Ning Yuan looked at the girl and frowned. Her tears poured down her face, but she was still laughing. Although she seemed so cheerful, Ning Yuan could feel her endless sorrow. He couldn’t understand why a ten years old girl would be so sad. So, he didn’t know whether he and Feng Yang should start the second “communication test” or avoid the girl smartly. Surprisingly, the hysterical girl fainted and blood oozed from her eyes, ears, nose and mouth.
Ning Yuan moved closer to her hesitantly. He reached out for checking her breath first, and felt her pulse for a while. She was…
“Childe, what’s wrong with her? Shall I call her family?” Feng Yang looked at the girl who was covered with blood, and suggested.
“No! You can’t call anyone. Open the door of my room and then guard in the doorway. Don’t let anyone approach there.” Ning Yuan embraced the girl in the ground, enjoining him in a low voice.
※※※
“Crack, squish, crack, squish…” Here came strange footsteps in the silent Bitter Bamboo Grove. It seemed like someone was stepping on the bamboo leaves, but it was so strange that the time interval between two steps was like twenty or thirty steps of a normal people. It was so weird in the grove at night.
It was Nie Chun, who was good at Phantom Footwork and known as the “mysterious swift-footed walker” in Jianghu. He cut through the Bitter Bamboo Grove proficiently, just in a while he arrived in the end of the Bitter Bamboo Grove. Through the sand, which was full of strange rocks, and cross the Black Water Pond, he reached a deep cave. After waiting for a while, he suddenly stepped strangely, tried his best to use Phantom Footwork, and shouted loudly, “I know you’re in there. Show yourself and surrender!”
A little sharp noise sounded in the air. Nie Chun came into the cave with the fastest actions. The light in the cave was flickering, and then someone said, “Bro, stop! It’s me.”
Nie Chun fell to the ground, frowned and stared at the middle-aged man who had long hair. His eyes turned emotionless, “It’s you! What are you doing here?”
The middle-aged man waved his hands, “Don’t mention it. Several days ago, I was assassinated by an assassin. His kung fu was so remarkable, and I was almost killed by him. I tried my best to escape, but suffered grievous injures. Fortunately, I met Luo Maitong, who used to work with me in the imperial court. He also had impression on me, and knew that I was transferred from the army to be the new master of the Imperial Guard. I asked him for help and told him that I wanted to find an isolated place to recover, so he recommended me this place. I’m not intruding. Senior Lord Luo allowed me in.”
Nie Chun asked with a cold voice, “You killed the crows and set the fire? How long will you stay here?”
“Haha, you are so heartless. We haven’t met for ten years, and you just care about the noisy dead birds. Do you want to drive me away?” The middle-aged man sat in front of the log fire, and his face was full of frustration, “I think someone in the Imperial Guard revealed my trace, so I would not leave before I recover. Since you know I’m here, you have to bring food and water to me in the following days, then I wouldn’t need to go to the kitchen to steal food. It’s safer for the people in Luo’s Mansion as well. You must know it’s a secret that I’m here. Anyone who sees me must die.”
“After so many years, you are still disgusting.” Nie Chun gritted his teeth.
“Hahaha, you are flattering me. But,” An evil emotion flickered in the middle-aged man’s eyes. He smiled, “as our Master’s most proud disciple, how come you didn’t become world-famous, but became a flunky in Luo’s Mansion? Does something in Luo’s Mansion hamper you?”
Nie Chun was expressionless, “Geng Bingxiu, listen carefully. Luo’s Mansion is my home. I’ll protect everything there. Since Senior Lord Luo allowed you to stay here, I’ll put the meal in the entrance of the cave every day in 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. And as exchange, you can’t go out of the cave until you are fully recovered. If I find that you come out of the cave, I’ll kill you. You know it’s easy for me to do that right now. Since you’ve been evicted from Longhu Sect a long time ago, killing you wouldn’t be considered as murdering my fellows.”
It turned out the middle-aged man was the Deputy Commander of Imperial Guard, Geng Bingxiu, who would be known as “the cruelest official in the world” several years later. He was weird, shrewd and unstable. He was usually as normal as ordinary people, but someone who had close relationships with him knew that there was a demon in his heart. He was a narrow-minded and cruel man.
Geng Bingxiu grinned his bloodstained teeth, “Bro, you are wrong. I’m injured, and I’d like to stay here. If you give me abundant meals with wines and meats, I would not wander in Luo’s Mansion. Do you agree? Why are you staring at me? I’m not a murderer. I didn’t kill the woman who was in my way right now. I just stumbled her into the pool. Damn! The evil boy knew how to use the lost Changfeng Formula, which almost got me killed!”
“Evil boy? Changfeng Formula?” Nie Chun frowned. Although he knew that there was a master who could perform Changfeng Formula, he never heard that the senior had a disciple.
Geng Bingxiu pressed his chest painfully, coughing and saying, “Ten days ago, my subordinates and I met a people who hindered us when we were on duty. He wore a mask. But depending on his figure and voice, we knew that he was a child less than twelve years old. We lost him at the foot of the hill, and we couldn’t find him in the following days. Eh-hem. But several days ago, I went to Yangzhou, and then was seduced by a note in a dart. When I went to the suburb, he appeared again, and tried to kill me desperately.”
Nie Chun looked at Geng Bingxiu sarcastically, “You are defeated by a kid. How useless you are, General Geng!”
“Eh-hem, he attacked me first! And I think he is not a human because a human would not have such remarkable kung fu at his age. Among all the people I know, there were only Lu Jiangbei, Gao Jue and few seniors who could fight against with him.” Geng Bingxiu looked at his scarred legs with fear and frowned, “We tried our best to mob him, and he also got injured, but he recovered within ten days. How could he get healed so thoroughly?”
“So why did he want to kill you?” Nie Chun smirked at him, “What have you done recently?”
Geng Bingxiu frowned, recalling, “At first, I thought he must take me for someone else, because he said ‘everyone deserves to kill the cruelest official in the world’. But I’m not an official. I had been a civil official in cabinet for two years when I was young. Afterwards, I was in the Northwest Army for more than ten years, and I didn’t become the Fourth-Grade imperial guard until the beginning of this year. So, I asked him to stop, and told him ‘I’m Geng Bingxiu, not the cruelest official in the world’, but he shouted ‘It’s you indeed’. At the same time, he performed the deadly kill action in Changfeng Formula… What a powerful boy! He is just twelve years old with excellent kung fu and he hates me very much. If he grows up, how can I be alive?!”
“It serves you right.” It seemed that Nie Chun didn’t care about that, but he was interested in the secret boy.
Geng Bingxiu looked at Nie Chun and begged him, “Bro, I’ve heard you are in Luo’s Mansion, so I came here. I was very kind to you and saved your life once when we were in Longhu Sect. I beg you to send out an order in our Sect, helping me investigate the background of that boy.”
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