In early spring, the branches grow new green leaves, blocking out the already dim evening sunlight.
It rained heavily the day before, and many apricot blossoms on both sides of the official road were blown down. The petals were crushed into the mud by the passing carriages and horses. Because the city gates were locked, there were not many vehicles and pedestrians on the official road. Most of them had already entered the city before 3 p.m. Only a carriage with the emblem of Lin'an Yufu was still trotting on the road. It seemed that the people in the carriage were not in a hurry to enter the city. The carriage stopped to rest after running for a while.
"Miss Mu, I'm afraid we won't be able to make it in time for the city gates to open today." The coachman held a kettle, lifted the curtain of the carriage, and handed the kettle to Mu Lingsu, who was leaning against the window and almost falling asleep.
He was the coachman of the Yu Mansion in Lin'an. Five days ago, he was ordered by Yu Linzhi, the eldest son of the Yu family, to go to Suzhou to pick up Mu Lingsu and bring him to the Yu Mansion for Yu Linzhi's medical treatment.
"It's already 3 p.m. At this speed, by the time we get to Fengyu Gate, the city gate will definitely be closed." The driver untied the bag of dry food and handed the food inside to Mu Lingsu. "What do you think? Should we go to the nearest post station or hurry on?"
Mu Lingsu glanced at the sky outside and said, "Hurry up. Your young master can't stand the wind in spring. It's better for me to arrive early just in case."
The travel in recent days made her very tired, but she was worried about Yu Linzhi's condition. She didn't want to be delayed on the road again. She just wanted to get to Yu's house quickly, treat Yu Linzhi, and have a good sleep.
The driver received the order and turned to whip the horse. As soon as he turned around, a group of men in black came up from all sides and surrounded the carriage tightly. The leader pointed at the door and asked, "Excuse me, is the eldest daughter ?"
"Who is it?" Mu Lingsu knew something was wrong when she heard it. She lifted the car curtain and stepped out. When she saw a group of fully armed gangsters outside, she knew that these people were most likely Yu Linzhi's enemies. Since she treated Yu Linzhi, gangsters have been chasing her to kill her. It was not the first time she encountered assassins on the way. Yu Linzhi was now in charge of the Wulin League, so his enemies would only increase, not decrease.
Mu Lingsu counted the things she had on her and looked at the number of men in black. She felt confident and waited quietly for them to speak.
As expected, the leading scout saw that she was the only one coming out of the car, and instantly felt that his chances of winning had doubled. He pointed a knife at her triumphantly and said, "Ms. Mu is of noble status, and really shouldn't get involved in the disputes of the underworld. We don't want to embarrass a woman. If you know what's good for you, go back to Suzhou as soon as possible."
They originally thought that there would be masters from the Wulin League escorting Mu Lingsu in the car, but they didn't expect that she was the only one. This was exactly what they wanted. Even if Mu Lingsu refused, their difficulty would be greatly reduced.
"As a doctor, I cannot refuse to go when I know that the patient has something to ask for. I hope you will let me go." She took out a brocade bag from her sleeve and threw it high to the dangling eyes. "This is Mr. Yu's consultation fee of 100 taels of official silver. Please help me."
Mu Lingsu saw Diaoshaoyan catch the brocade bag, and her hands hidden in her sleeves subconsciously clenched. Before leaving, in order to prevent danger, she prepared some medicine powder in advance to prepare for escape.
Diaoshaoyan weighed the brocade bag and opened it with joy. However, in a moment, he fell to the ground with his hands covering his eyes: "There is poison in this brocade bag! My eyes..." Diaoshaoyan felt unbearable pain in his eyes and kept rolling on the ground. His accomplices were frightened and did not know what to do. They had forgotten that they came to take Mu Lingsu's life.
Seeing them in a mess, Mu Lingsu ordered the driver to rush over. Just as they were about to leave, a man in black suddenly woke up, stood up and slashed the driver with a knife, and said to Mu Lingsu, "Want to run? If you die, Yu Linzhi will also die if he doesn't get treatment, and only then can we survive. Miss Mu, I'm sorry for putting you in such a difficult situation."
As he was about to swing his knife at Mu Lingsu, he shouted "Stop!" and figures flashed from all directions, surrounding the black-clothed man with the knife. Before Mu Lingsu could identify them, they attacked as fast as a whirlwind, and after a flash of swords and sabers, the black-clothed man fell to the ground covered in blood.
Mu Lingsu didn't have time to see clearly, those people quickly retreated, and a group of people wearing imperial guards surrounded them and killed all the black-clothed people. It was just a blink of an eye, and everything was safe. If it weren't for the blood on the ground, everything that happened just now would have seemed like a dream to Mu Lingsu.
"Miss Mu, are you feeling well?" The voice of the person asking the question sounded familiar. Mu Lingsu took a look and realized that the person was Mei Liaoliao, the eunuch of the Prince of Yiyang's mansion. After not seeing her for eight years, Mei Liaoliao actually recognized her. He was really a smart person.
She looked up again and saw a gorgeously decorated carriage coming from a distance. It was obvious that the people inside were either rich or noble. Mei Liaoliao noticed Mu Lingsu's gaze and explained, "My prince is inside. This time, Master Yu is seriously ill, and the prince was entrusted by Master Yu to take good care of you. I hope you will forgive me for being late."
Mu Lingsu wanted to ask Yu Linzhi why he asked the son of the current emperor to come out and protect her. After hesitating, she finally swallowed her words and nodded to show that she understood: "Eunuch Mei, the driver of the Yu Mansion is seriously injured. Please help take off his clothes so that I can bandage him."
Mei Liaoliao straightened the driver's upper body and let him sit against the carriage, then took off his clothes to make it easier for Mu Lingsu to treat the wound. Mu Lingsu had just taken the medicine box from the carriage when she heard Mei Liaoliao say that Prince Yi Yang had arrived. She stopped taking the medicine and bowed her head, "I wish you the best of health, Your Majesty."
I still remember that on the day she left the palace, she did the same thing, standing in front of the carriage to bid farewell to Shen Qingyu. After knowing each other for so many years, she only knelt down to him that time. In the past, Mu Lingsu always thought that they were equal, until the queen issued an imperial decree to order her to leave the palace, she truly realized that Shen Qingyu was a prince, and they were never the same kind of people.
They are not friends, but just a relationship between master and subject.
So, today, after so many years, she still knelt down even though she was so far away.
She did not kneel to Shen Qingyu's status as a prince, but knelt before reality.
"Lingsu, we meet again after a long time. I didn't expect that you and I would meet under such circumstances." Shen Qingyu's voice came to her ears from above, indescribably strange.
Eight years ago, when Mu Lingsu left the Forbidden City, Shen Qingyu was still a 15-year-old boy, and his voice sounded completely different from now. In the past, his voice sounded like spring water rushing down from the mountains, clear and transparent. Now that he is an adult, Shen Qingyu's voice has become calm and magnetic, making people feel that after several years of experience, he has shed his former youthful spirit and become mature and steady.
Shen Qingyu ordered Mei Liaoliao to help the driver into the carriage and asked him to bandage his wounds. Then he said to Mu Lingsu, "Lingsu, get on my carriage. I have a special order that allows you to enter the city after curfew."
Yu Linzhi's illness really couldn't be delayed, so when Mu Lingsu heard that she could go directly into the city, she picked up her medicine box and got on Shen Qingyu's carriage. Although the interior of the carriage was not as gorgeous as the exterior, it was fully equipped with tea, cakes, and couches. Mu Lingsu looked at all this in front of her, a little overwhelmed.
It had been a long, long time since she had come into contact with such a luxurious class. Although the Mu family was also a wealthy family, they were, after all subjects who relied on the emperor. In addition, their family was in decline. Looking at all the silks, pearls, and delicacies, Mu Lingsu realized that she had been away from wealth and prosperity for a long time.
Shen Qingyu is still the prince Shen Qingyu, and Mu Lingsu is no longer the daughter of the imperial physician. When they were inside the palace walls, Mu Lingsu could still deceive herself and others that they were the same kind of people, but in the world outside the palace, the two of them were no longer in the same world.
Shen Qingyu followed her in, sat on the couch and poured a cup of tea: "It will take about half an hour to get to Yu Mansion, sit down and have some tea first."
"No, I'm worried about Master Yu's illness and can't sit still." Mu Lingsu still stood, secretly calculating the time since Yu Linzhi fell ill, thinking about what kind of medicine to use when they meet. It's the turn of spring and summer, and the catkins are floating happily in Lin'an City. Yu Linzhi has always had a bad heart and lungs, and he got sick as soon as he went out.
"We're already on the way, it won't be too late. Although the Yu family is not wealthy, they have plenty of ginseng . Yu Linzhi has ginseng to hang on to, don't worry." Shen Qingyu smiled, "You were so selfish when you were a child, and you said you would ignore patients when you became a doctor. Now aren't you very responsible?"
When you were a child?
When Mu Lingsu heard Shen Qingyu mention this word, she felt as if she was in another world.
She spent her childhood in the Imperial Hospital and the harem. Since she left Nanjing at the age of fifteen, she seemed to be cut off from her childhood. If Shen Qingyu hadn't mentioned this word, she would have almost forgotten those days.
In the past, she checked the Queen's pulse and met the Crown Prince and Prince Yiyang every day. At that time, she was very bold, relying on the Queen's respect for her adoptive father, and often played tricks on people in the palace. She was not keen on curing diseases . After learning medical skills, she only showed off some beauty prescriptions in front of the Queen and the concubines in the harem.
Shen Qingyu didn't like that Mu Lingsu was so distant with him and wanted to create a relaxed atmosphere. He said, "The last time I saw you was at the Crown Princess's appointment ceremony. I glanced at you from a distance, but before I could get close to you, you were called away by the people around the Crown Princess." He wanted to go up and talk to her at that time, but he was worried that Mu Yuanzheng was already dead, so he couldn't muster up the courage.
Mu Yuanzheng was Mu Lingsu's adoptive father and her uncle. He was a famous national expert and had served as the director of the Imperial Hospital for more than ten years. However, he was sentenced to exile and demote his entire family because he falsely accused Concubine Lu De, and he died on the way to exile.
Eight years ago, the eldest son born to the queen was made the crown prince, and Mu Lingsu's adoptive father was convicted of deceiving the emperor and neglecting his duties for the imperial harem, and died on the way to exile. Since then, Mu Lingsu asked to leave the palace, and the Mu family never got involved in government affairs again. The family relied on Mu Lingsu, the eldest daughter of the eldest house, to open a clinic in Suzhou to support the whole family.
In Shen Qingyu's memory, Mu Lingsu was a woman who was not afraid of the rules of the deep palace. She was passionate, simple, lively and outgoing. She was not afraid even in front of the emperor and empress. She was so different from others, like a green in the desert, and brought him a lot of joy in the lifeless deep palace. If it weren't for the emperor's sudden impulse to appoint the second daughter of the Mu family as the crown princess, making Mu Lingsu the target of public criticism in the harem, she might have become the Princess of Yiyang now.
For Shen Qingyu, Mu Lingsu is the biggest regret in his life. He regards this reunion between the two as a gift from God, and he will not miss Mu Lingsu again.
"I saw it this time." Mu Lingsu replied softly.
Shen Qingyu and she can be considered sweethearts. Although the changes in her family and some of her faded memories prevent her from treating him the same way as when she was a child, she is not unable to even say a polite word to him.
She still remembered that the night before she left the palace, the Queen specially called her to the bedroom and told her that not long after the Prince's decree of marriage came down, Prince Yi Yang requested a marriage and asked the Emperor to issue an edict, saying that he wanted to marry Mu Lingsu as his principal wife.
When she heard the news, she felt nothing but shock and surprise.
He clearly saw her kneeling in front of Fengzao Palace for a whole day and night on the day when the emperor issued an edict to send his adoptive father into exile. Whether he went to Fengzao Palace to pay his respects or to have meals, he passed by two or three times. Not to mention pleading with the empress, he didn't even ask her if her knees hurt. On what basis did he mention to the empress that he wanted to make her his concubine and vowed to cherish her?
The queen told Mu Lingsu earnestly that she had been pregnant with six babies, but only the crown prince and Prince Yiyang grew up safely. She also wanted to follow the wishes of her youngest son, but the Mu family already had a future queen mother, so it was impossible for them to have another queen's legitimate son as their first wife.
The fact that Mu Lingsu's sister, a close relative of a criminal, became the designated candidate for the Crown Princess has made it impossible for her to gain a foothold in the palace. If Shen Qingyu's wish really came true, she would probably die in the struggle in the harem before the decree to confer the title of Princess comes down.
Mu Lingsu had already given up any hope for Shen Qingyu, and she was even more unwilling to drag the entire family into the abyss of struggle. In order to make her leave the palace wholeheartedly, the queen summoned her from the small courtyard where she was under house arrest to Fengzao Palace, just to explain the pros and cons to her. This just gave her a reason to leave, so she bid farewell to the harem without any worries, and left Nanjing with her small luggage and the queen's reward.
Although she had tried very hard to forget everything in the palace, this unexpected still made her recall the past without any preparation. She was not depressed or unhappy, but she was in a bad mood.
"Have you been practicing medicine these years?" Unlike Mu Lingsu's current mood, Shen Qingyu was very happy to see Mu Lingsu. He originally just wanted to repay Yu Linzhi for saving his life in the Western Regions, and he never thought that Mu Lingsu was Yu Linzhi's doctor. This was simply a fateful coincidence. During the years she was away, he worked hard in business. When he had enough ability to cover up the identity of "King of Yiyang" through the light of "Shen Qingyu", fate finally made her reappear.
"Yes." It would be better to say that it was a clinic dedicated to serving the Wulin League. Mu Lingsu glanced at Shen Qingyu. She knew that he was very happy, but she didn't have time to chat with him. She was now thinking about Yu Linzhi's illness and had no intention of reminiscing about the past.
Perhaps sensing Mu Lingsu's absent-mindedness and indifference, Shen Qingyu felt a little embarrassed: "Are you still worried about Yu Linzhi?"
Mu Lingsu nodded: "Alliance Leader Yu was sentenced to beheading by the court three days ago. If he falls, the martial arts world will be in chaos."
Since leaving the palace to set up his own residence, Shen Qingyu has neither paid attention to the government affairs nor delved into the rumors of the martial arts world. He is always running around doing business. He knows nothing about what Mu Lingsu said. He only knows that Yu Linzhi has been in a lot of trouble recently, and the businessmen are getting more and more uneasy on the road. Shen Qingyu took a sip of tea: "I didn't expect that after you left the palace, you would get so close to Yu Linzhi."
Hearing Shen Qingyu say this, Mu Lingsu could only smile bitterly in her heart. Indeed, in the eyes of outsiders, she and Yu Linzhi should never have any contact with each other, not to mention that she could rush to treat him overnight like she is now.
"I owe him a life, so naturally I should repay him with everything I have. What's there to say about that?" Mu Lingsu didn't want to talk too much with Shen Qingyu about what happened between her and Yu Linzhi. She boredly lifted the car curtain and looked at the road. She felt that if she kept focusing on Yu Linzhi, she would surely be anxious to death. It would be better for her to chat for a while to distract her attention.
She smiled faintly and continued, "Besides, every time I treat Yu Linzhi, I can get 500 taels of medical fees, so of course I have to care about him. Without him, I don't know where to buy rouge and powder."
"Then you've got something to gain. Yu Linzhi's disease was acquired from birth. He has congenital deficiencies. He will have to take medicine for the rest of his life." Shen Qingyu was about to say something else when Mei Liaoliao lifted the car curtain and said she had something urgent to report. Shen Qingyu was already very dissatisfied with others interrupting him, but after hearing Mei Liaoliao's report, his anger subsided.
"Someone from the Yu Mansion came here quickly to report that Master Yu's condition has suddenly worsened and he is vomiting blood!"