Perfect Match – CH 092

Chapter 92 [A Long Chapter]

In the capital city, at the Mansion of the Grand Princess Ningfeng.

The third master of the Bai family knelt before the Grand Princess’s bedchamber all night.

His cousin from Shaanxi brought the joyous news of their impending engagement. Even though this engagement had been postponed again and again for some reason, their persistent waiting yielded no response. His cousin’s family would not wait indefinitely.

Bai Chunfu only learned at dawn that his third brother had knelt before the Princess’s bedchamber all night. He hurried there, just in time to find the Princess having sent a message to his third brother kneeling in the courtyard.

Eunuch Cao came personally to deliver the message, looking at him with pity.

“Her Highness said that marriage cannot be forced. Miss Cousin and Third Master are not a good match. Perhaps the person she is betrothed to this time is her true destiny. Third Master, please… try to accept it.”

He had pleaded countless times and had knelt here all night, only to receive a rejection that pierced his heart.

He swayed. “Not a good match, not a good match… Yes, truly not a good match. How can a worthless person like me, with such an unattainable mother, be a match for my cousin?”

He no longer wanted to kneel and tried to stand up, but his knees buckled, and he almost fell to the ground.

Bai Chunfu quickly stepped forward to support him. “Third Brother…”

He seemed not to hear him until his father arrived, saw his condition, and noticed the helpless expression on Eunuch Cao’s face, thus understanding the Grand Princess’s attitude.

He called to his third son, “Go, go to Shaanxi and stop that engagement banquet. You do not need to worry about anything else. I will talk to Her Highness about it.”

Bai Chunfu looked at his father and saw his third brother’s eyes light up for a moment, but then quickly fade like a candle flickering in the wind.

He slowly shook his head, letting out a self-deprecating laugh.

“I think Her Highness is right. Perhaps that’s my cousin’s true match. What’s the point of stopping her engagement? Can I really marry her? Or even if I did, would Her Highness treat her kindly?”

He answered his own questions, still shaking his head. “Impossible, impossible…If that’s the case, what’s the point of trying to stop it?”

“Useless, useless,” he said, no longer speaking to his father, and no longer needing Bai Chunfu’s support, he staggered away.

Bai Chunfu watched his third brother stagger away, then watched his father close his eyes tightly and then open them again. His father also looked at him and asked a question.

“And you, Suichu? Are you not leaving either? Are you staying here? Father can speak to Her Highness again on your behalf.”

Bai Chunfu shook his head, saying it was fine.

“I have already promised Her Highness that I will stay in the capital to study for the imperial examinations, and naturally, I cannot break my promise.”

His situation was different from his third brother’s; he had voluntarily made a “deal” with Her Highness, and of course, he would keep his word.

He would not leave the capital unless Her Highness the Grand Princess gave her permission.

After Bai Chunfu finished speaking, he bowed to his father and followed his third brother away.

*

In Xi’an City.

After Teng Yue and Deng Ruyun returned from the Shen Mansion, they had Shen Xiu investigate the Prince of Yanshan’s villas and mansions inside and outside Xi’an City.

According to Yang Youyun, Deng Ruyun’s brother was likely being held in a secret courtyard.

However, the Prince Qin’s fiefdom was deeply entrenched in Shaanxi, not something Shen Xiu could easily uncover, and its hidden locations would not be easily revealed.

Teng Yue pondered this when Deng Ruyun asked him.

“Would it not be easier to find him if we brought Dafu along?”

Teng Yue had almost forgotten about Dafu. Linglang could take Dafu to find her father; why could he not have a guard take Dafu to search for him?

Teng Yue nodded repeatedly, and the two returned home to find Linglang.

Now, Dafu only stayed by Linglang’s side every day.

When she went out to play, it circled her feet; when she recited her lessons in the courtyard, it squatted beside her; and when it slept, it lay on the edge of Linglang’s bed. Only when Linglang was asleep would it wander around the courtyard a couple of times or peek into Deng Ruyun’s room.

Deng Ruyun wanted to borrow Dafu from Linglang, but she did not want to tell the child directly that she was going to find her father, fearing it would disappoint and upset the little one if they could not find him.

She simply told her that she wanted Dafu to go outside to find medicine; Dafu was a dog that could identify herbs.

Upon hearing this, the little one handed Dafu’s leash to her aunt without a word.

Deng Ruyun patted her little head, about to praise her, when Linglang suddenly looked up, her big eyes fixed on her aunt, and whispered:

“Auntie, even if you cannot find him, do not be sad.”

She did not say it directly, but Deng Ruyun froze.

Teng Yue also looked at the little one in surprise.

So she understood everything…

Deng Ruyun hugged her tightly, kissing her cheek with a trembling voice.

“Linglang, do not worry; Auntie will find it, she definitely will!”

The little girl nestled in her aunt’s arms. “Alright.”

… …

That very evening, Teng Yue specially arranged for two soldiers skilled in dog training to search the city and its outskirts with Shen Xiu.

A person secretly imprisoned for many years could not be found so quickly.

But as soon as Yuyun Hall’s new Lingqiao Detoxifying Pill hit the shelves of various pharmacies, its sales surged like a north wind, dispelling the lingering summer heat.

Yanchun Hall’s precious medicine, due to its excessively high price, was almost completely overshadowed, and for the time being, Yanchun Hall could not come up with a medicine to compete with the small Yuyun Hall.

Now, not only were the precious medicines unsellable, but even Yanchun Hall’s once-renowned reputation was like a golden Buddha losing its outer gilding, revealing the dilapidated mud beneath.

The two shopkeepers tried to pressure Deng Ruheng into producing a cheaper prescription, but Deng Ruheng made excuses, claiming he could not formulate one.

Zhu Tingguang appeared and reprimanded him, whipping him twice, but he still insisted he could not and could only wait.

Yanchun Hall was anxious about its reputation, and Zhu Tingguang was eager to make money, but Deng Ruheng refused to produce the prescription, leaving them with no choice but to wait helplessly.

But waiting in this state of utter helplessness seemed pointless.

Finally, the head shopkeeper made a decision: “Yanchun Hall does not sell cheap medicine. Originally, we wanted to give small workshops and pharmacies a chance to survive, but now it seems that’s unnecessary.”

The second shopkeeper was quite surprised. Yanchun Hall only had its precious medicine, which was comparable in efficacy to Yuyun Hall’s new medicine. However, the cost of the precious medicine was far higher than that of Yuyun Hall’s new medicine.

“If we lower the price of our precious medicines, we will lose a fortune!” he thought. Had the head shopkeeper lost his mind?

But the head shopkeeper scoffed, “Who said we’d lower the price of precious medicines? We’ve been rooted in Xi’an for so many years; do you really think we cannot get the prescriptions of a small shop like Yuyun Hall?”

Upon hearing this, the second shopkeeper’s eyes widened.

Yanchun Hall had its own pharmacists, all the best in Shaanxi. Later, with the addition of “Master Jin,” they were even stronger, never needing to steal prescriptions from others.

But now, everything was shattered.

Yanchun Hall was going to start selling cheaper medicines, and the ones they were selling were the prepared medicine prescriptions from the small pharmacy, Yuyun Hall.

The second shopkeeper was stunned, but the head shopkeeper had already sent people down, saying that no matter the sacrifice, they had to get Yuyun Hall’s prescriptions.

If their medicine could not compete with Yuyun Hall’s, then let Yuyun Hall’s own medicine compete.

Anyway, Yanchun Hall was a large and powerful business; the price would only drop lower than Yuyun Hall could ever imagine. Then, he would see who wins and who loses.

The head shopkeeper sent people to steal the formula, but there was no response for several days. Everyone said that Yuyun Hall was very strict, and they could not get their hands on the new formula at all.

The head shopkeeper thought for a moment, then turned and went to find General Zhu Tingguang.

Zhu Tingguang was waiting for the money and was considering whether to go out of the pass again to secretly bring some back. Upon hearing this, he immediately dispatched men to Yanchun Hall.

A few days later, while the second shopkeeper was still at a loss, the head shopkeeper and Zhu Tingguang’s men returned. They had lost three men but had finally pieced together ninety percent of the prescription and preparation method for Yuyun Hall’s new medicine. Although they were still short one-tenth, the head shopkeeper immediately summoned his own pharmacists, and after two days of discussion, they roughly drafted the final tenth.

“Will this work? Will it affect Yanchun Hall’s future reputation?” the second shopkeeper wondered anxiously.

The head shopkeeper, however, reassured everyone, “Have you forgotten? Behind Yanchun Hall is Prince Qin’s Mansion. Now that we have the medicine, have lowered the price, and have the Prince Qin’s Mansion’s influence behind us, just wait five days until our new medicine reaches a certain price. If Yuyun Hall does not submit to Yanchun Hall, they are doomed.”

He thought that if Yuyun Hall was sensible enough to hand over the entire secret formula and sell the shop to Yanchun Hall, he might let them off the hook.

But if Yuyun Hall refused to submit, he would not hesitate to beat them into bankruptcy.

… …

Yanchun Hall began to publicize its new medicine. Previously, seeing Yanchun Hall’s lack of activity, voices of pessimism were everywhere. But now, Yanchun Hall was suddenly releasing a cheap new medicine, instantly piquing everyone’s interest.

On the day of the sale, Deng Ruyun sent someone to Yanchun Hall to buy their new medicine.

Upon receiving the medicine, even without Deng Ruyun meticulously examining it, Shopkeeper Qin immediately recognized its effectiveness.

“Oh, is this not exactly the same as our Lingqiao Detoxifying Pill?”

There were slight differences, but the resemblance was substantial.

Yanchun Hall directly set the price at seven pills per tael, selling them one pill at a time.

Within just three days, the previously deserted Yanchun Hall and its sister pharmacies were now bustling with customers. Conversely, the long queues outside Deng Ruyun’s Yuyun Hall disappeared.

The medicine Deng Ruyun had prepared immediately became unsellable. She almost completely halted the production and sale of all other prepared medicines, focusing all her medicinal materials on the new medicine targeting the epidemic.

When Shopkeeper Qin passed by Yanchun Hall, he saw the two shopkeepers upstairs sitting and laughing while drinking tea. When they saw him pass by, their eyes flashed with disdain.

Shopkeeper Qin was furious.

Teng Yue had already pre-ordered a batch of pills from Deng Ruyun for the soldiers. Now, with the formula stolen and recovery useless, he could only join forces with other military commanders at various levels. Kong Hui and Shen Yanxing took action to purchase some of Deng Ruyun’s newly produced medicine.

However, the most pressing question was whether to continue producing and selling the new medicine, whether to accept defeat to Yanchun Hall, or to find another way to fight back.

Yanchun Hall, relying on the Prince Qin’s Mansion’s dominance throughout Shaanxi, quickly distributed the new medicine to the prefectures and counties. Deng Ruyun’s sales channels were completely blocked.

Shopkeeper Qin was constantly on edge, unable to breathe.

“They stole our formula and then suppressed our prices! If Master Bai were here to uphold justice, how dare they be so arrogant?” These words made Deng Ruyun silently ponder for a while. Teng Yue, a man of military experience, lacked business acumen, but he asked Deng Ruyun a question.

“Yanchun Hall relies on the Prince Qin’s Mansion, and this time, they’ve occupied the Prince Qin’s territory in Shaanxi. Has Yunniang considered selling the medicine outside of Shaanxi?”

He asked, and Deng Ruyun looked up at him.

“That’s exactly what I am thinking.”

Yanchun Hall could use its years of influence to dominate the Shaanxi medicine market, but the epidemic was not just spreading in Shaanxi; it was spreading east and north, reaching other regions.

She spoke slowly.

“I want to sell the medicine in Henan, Zhili, and even the capital.”

Breaking through the encirclement of Yanchun Hall and the Prince Qin’s Mansion, she wanted to see how Yanchun Hall could continue to bully others with its power.

Upon hearing this, Teng Yue immediately agreed.

“You just focus on making and selling the medicine; I will protect you.”

Their conversation ignited a surge of energy within Shopkeeper Qin.

The boss wanted to sell the medicine outside the province, and the general wanted to send troops to escort it along the way—it could not be better!

However, he did raise a concern: “Would that not be too high a cost? If Yanchun Hall also sells outside the province and continues to drive down prices with its large size, we will probably still be in a difficult position.”

His words were indeed true.

Deng Ruyun had just begun to plan the sale of her finished medicine outside the province when Yanchun Hall immediately followed suit.

The two forces were like a pincer movement, and Teng Yue found this situation quite familiar. “Business is not much different from war.”

In a battle between two armies, the most important thing was to keep supplies flowing.

Deng Ruyun had no savings, so Teng Yue had the accountant count all the money he had and hand it over to Deng Ruyun and Shopkeeper Qin.

At this point, Deng Ruyun no longer refused, and Shopkeeper Qin meticulously recorded all the money, including that offered by Inspector Sun and Shen Yanxing.

Naturally, Yanchun Hall was not to be outdone.

Zhu Tingguang, however, had another idea. He was short of money, but his mother, Consort Qian, had sold off many of her properties.

“Let’s take this opportunity to invest in Yanchun Hall. Once Yanchun Hall becomes the number one pharmacy in Xi’an, our share of the profits will be substantial.”

Although the various princely families under the Prince Qin’s banner had invested in Yanchun Hall, the more they invested, the more profits they would receive later.

After all, Yanchun Hall had always been a consistently profitable pharmacy in Xi’an.

Consort Qian was somewhat apprehensive, but Zhu Tingguang insisted on seizing this opportunity to secure a larger share. Unable to dissuade him, she had no choice but to sell off a large portion of her assets and give him the money.

Zhu Tingguang was confident. With his support, Yanchun Hall became increasingly adept at its operations, competing with Yuyun Hall and continuously expanding its sales beyond the province.

The fierce struggle escalated, the weather growing increasingly cold and bleak, the biting winter air carried by the howling north wind.

The journey was difficult, making selling medicine even more challenging.

Deng Ruyun had never experienced such a struggle before and felt a growing sense of inadequacy.

Just then, Old Madam Lin and Second Madam Yang sent a message from their hometown in Jinzhou.

Old Madam Lin sent a large, overflowing box.

Deng Ruyun opened it and froze.

It was a huge box filled with silver notes, house deeds, land deeds, and a handwritten note she had given to the household accountant, instructing him to release all the family’s funds.

Not only Deng Ruyun, but even Teng Yue was astonished.

This was the family fortune his mother had painstakingly built up over most of her life, some of which he himself was not even fully aware of.

And now it was all in Deng Ruyun’s hands.

Faced with such a large sum of money, Deng Ruyun hesitated to accept it.

But the messenger said: “The old lady said that money lost can be earned back, but Yanchun Hall has been bullying and monopolizing the market in Xi’an Prefecture for many years. Yuyun Hall should not easily submit to them.”

These words stunned Deng Ruyun. The messenger sent by Madam Yang also handed over a large sum of money to Deng Ruyun.

He also relayed Madam Yang’s words, his recitation so lifelike that it was as if Madam Yang herself was standing before Deng Ruyun, speaking frankly to her face.

“I heard that the Prince of Yanshan’s Mansion, especially Consort Qian and her son Zhu Tingguang, are selling off their assets to invest in it. If that’s the case, I will risk everything to fight those wicked mother and son!”

Deng Ruyun: “…”

She suspected that Madam Yang only wanted to fight Zhu Tingguang and his mother to the death…

But Madam Yang brought real gold and silver; judging by the amount, it was definitely not a lie.

However, there was too much. Deng Ruyun was truly intimidated.

She looked at Teng Yue.

Teng Yue grasped her hand. “Do not be afraid. Everyone at Yuyun Hall, along with all the small pharmacies in Xi’an Prefecture that have been oppressed for years, is waiting for you, their boss, to stand up for them.”

Waiting for her to stand up.

Deng Ruyun looked at the assets, at the people, at the pharmacy she had painstakingly built up, took a deep breath, and slowly exhaled.

“Alright. Then continue. Sell Yuyun Hall’s medicine from every place I can reach!”

The day after this was said, even the small pharmacies in Xi’an that had previously sold medicine to Yuyun Hall contributed money, effort, and manpower.

Though they were small, they were at the very bottom of the medicine market, deeply rooted like tree roots, extending outwards. They were actually more connected to small pharmacies throughout Shaanxi than Yanchun Hall was.

The two old ladies not only sent real money, but Old Madam Lin also gave Deng Ruyun a long list of the officials and their families she had cultivated over the years.

Over the years, she had made so many connections, originally intending them all for her two children. However, when Teng Yue fell into trouble, she had not even had time to contact them, only focusing on Zhang Zhenhui of the Yongchang Marquis’s Mansion. Meanwhile, Teng Yue had been released by the Grand Princess.

These people she had cultivated over the years, whom she had never needed, were now proving invaluable.

She handed the long list to Deng Ruyun.

The Prince Qin’s Mansion, being a fiefdom, dared not extend its influence beyond its territory for fear of arousing suspicion from the court. But Old Madam Lin was different; she actively cultivated relationships with anyone who might be of use.

These women from official families were scattered throughout the country, with fathers, brothers, and husbands in official positions above them, and various businesses controlled by their families below.

For Deng Ruyun, these were the fastest and most convenient routes to sell medicine outside the province.

Meanwhile, Yuyun Hall, supported and escorted by countless forces, raced forward!

… …

Time flew by amidst the struggle between the two tigers.

Autumn faded, winter arrived, and the encirclement and suppression by Yuyun Hall and Yanchun Hall gradually took shape.

The crumbling Yuyun Hall, fueled by the collective efforts of many, saw its flames grow ever stronger, while the once-mighty Yanchun Hall, as stable as Mount Tai, showed signs of decline.

The Prince of Qin’s Mansion, wary of the imperial court, dared not extend its influence beyond its fiefdoms. Yanchun Hall was left to compete solely with Yuyun Hall, but Yuyun Hall, aided by the support of others, surged uncontrollably. Capitalizing on the rapid spread of the epidemic in Zhili, its new medicine quickly gained a competitive edge.

The second shopkeeper fell ill, and even his own medicine failed to cure him. Seeing the new gray hairs at his temples, he asked the head shopkeeper with melancholy,

“If this continues, Yanchun Hall will collapse.”

But when the second shopkeeper weakly inquired about retreat, the head shopkeeper merely scoffed.

“You say you will admit defeat? Do you think that’s all I am capable of?” he laughed. “If that’s all I am capable of, I would not be the head shopkeeper of Yanchun Hall.”

With that, he turned and left.

The next day, the second shopkeeper, dragging his ailing body, went to look for him again, only to learn that he had already left. He had left Xi’an for the capital.

*

At the capital.

The head shopkeeper of Yanchun Hall came personally, arriving at the gates of the Imperial Medical Bureau with only one matter—

Yanchun Hall wanted to present its secret formula for the current epidemic to the Imperial Medical Bureau and the court.

The head shopkeeper explained his purpose, and the Imperial Medical Bureau immediately welcomed him in.

Although the Imperial Medical Bureau controlled all medicine in the land, it could not arbitrarily seize the secret formulas of various schools and clinics. This epidemic had originally only occurred in Shaanxi, but as the disease subsided there, it spread to other provinces.

The Imperial Medical Bureau had also formulated several effective prescriptions and urged local pharmacies to distribute them, but these were mostly decoctions; there was currently no plan for prepared medicines.

The head shopkeeper directly presented the prepared medicines to the Imperial Medical Bureau.

He claimed this was a secret formula developed by Yanchun Hall itself, with remarkable efficacy, which he offered to the imperial court to save the people.

His words were righteous, and his actions were indeed as described. The imperial physicians in the Imperial Medical Bureau who received him all praised Yanchun Hall’s noble character, saying that if the medicine proved effective, the imperial court would surely reward Yanchun Hall and its maker handsomely.

Hearing this, the head shopkeeper felt completely relieved.

While Yanchun Hall could not compete with Yuyun Hall externally, it could directly present the medicine’s secret formula to the imperial court. The court would then recognize and reward Yanchun Hall and, through official channels, distribute all of Yanchun Hall’s medicine.

No matter how powerful Yuyun Hall was, could it compare to the government?!

At this moment, the head shopkeeper was arranged by the Imperial Medical Bureau and moved into the guest quarters. Having not had a good night’s sleep for months, there was no more comfortable bed than in the Imperial Medical Bureau.

He closed his eyes and drifted into a deep sleep…

Meanwhile, the imperial physicians passed around the meticulously written prescription and preparation method, studying them one by one.

Originally, everyone was curious about what kind of prescription could produce a medicine with effects even more remarkable than decoctions. Now, upon closer inspection of the prescription, they all felt that the approach to the medicine was indeed extraordinary.

But as some people looked at it, they frowned.

“Something’s not right. This prescription looks familiar.”

In the Imperial Medical Bureau, it was not just one person who felt it was familiar; several others felt they’d seen it somewhere before.

One of the young physicians stood up, and the others who felt it was familiar also stood up, and they started to head outside.

Someone asked them, “What are you going to do?”

They clutched the prescription in their hands. “We saw this prescription a few months ago, right at the beginning of the year. We are going to ask him.”

They were going to the Grand Princess’s Mansion to find Bai Chunfu and properly question who had devised this so-called secret formula of Yanchun Hall.

… …

The head shopkeeper had a long dream, and when he woke up, he was still smiling.

But this was the Imperial Medical Bureau, and he was the head shopkeeper of Yanchun Hall who had presented the secret formula; he could not appear smug.

But inwardly, he could not help but want to laugh.

He had stolen nine-tenths and broken one-tenth of the secret formula created by Yuyun Hall, and it sold like hotcakes throughout Shaanxi. Although the profits were later tied up outside the province, and some losses were incurred, this time, presented to the capital, once the Imperial Medical Bureau accepted it, the formula would no longer be associated with Yuyun Hall but rather with his Yanchun Hall.

This would become a publicly known formula for saving lives, and only Yanchun Hall would receive the imperial reward.

What Yuyun Hall? From now on, no one would know about it anymore.

It was hard for the head shopkeeper not to laugh at such a thing.

He woke up when it was almost dark and was just about to ask someone what the imperial physicians thought of the formula.

But just as he got out of bed, the door was suddenly kicked open.

The torchlight suddenly illuminated the head shopkeeper’s eyes. Before he could even see who it was, the soldiers seized him, bound his arms behind his back, and forced him to his knees.

The head shopkeeper was terrified, but then he looked up and saw a man in a silver-white brocade robe.

“Sixth Young Master Bai?”

Bai Chunfu gave a light snort.

“So you still remember me. I warned you back in Xi’an not to engage in such bullying and monopolistic practices. I did not expect you to not only continue your wrongdoing, but this time, you even stole someone else’s prescription and passed it off as your Yanchun Hall’s secret medicine.”

He spoke directly.

“Bullying and monopolizing the market, stealing secret formulas, maliciously suppressing others—I think your Yanchun Hall has truly reached its end.”

His words fell, and the head shopkeeper gasped.

“This…this…how did you know?”

Bai Chunfu said it was truly unfortunate. “Months ago, the owner of Yuyun Hall wrote to me showing me the prescription, and I also showed it to my colleagues in the Imperial Medical Bureau. But you claim to have come to the capital, saying it’s your prescription. Do you think we’ve all forgotten it after seeing it?”

He spoke casually, but the head shopkeeper felt his mind reeling.

How could this be? How could this be…how could he have shot himself in the foot?!

*

The head shopkeeper was immediately taken to the government office by the Imperial Medical Bureau, and everyone immediately knew what Yanchun Hall had been doing for the past few months.

Only then did Bai Chunfu realize that Yuyun Hall had encountered such an entanglement. He did not know what Deng Ruyun was doing now, but Yanchun Hall had presented the prescription to the court, and it was impossible to return it.

He immediately ordered Zhu Huang to return to Xi’an, leaving only the task of presenting the prescription to the court to be completed by Yuyun Hall.

Unexpectedly, Zhu Huang returned shortly after leaving.

He dashed into Bai Chunfu’s study. “Sixth Young Master, someone from Yuyun Hall has arrived in the capital!”

Bai Chunfu was startled and immediately stood up from his desk.

“Is it her?” he asked.

Zhu Huang scratched his head. “It’s not Master Deng; it’s Shopkeeper Qin.”

Bai Chunfu paused slightly upon hearing this, then slowly sat down again.

The man’s long eyebrows drooped, and the beauty mark beneath them seemed to sink into a lake, gleaming with a quiet light.

“So it’s Shopkeeper Qin… Why is he here? Is he here to offer medicine?”

Zhu Huang confirmed that he was indeed here to offer medicine. “After Master Deng noticed the movements of the head shopkeeper of Yanchun Hall, he immediately sent Shopkeeper Qin over. Luckily, you prevented Yanchun Hall from succeeding!”

Bai Chunfu did not take credit for it.

It was Yunniang’s own stuff; he was simply protecting it for her.

He instructed Zhu Huang to take good care of Shopkeeper Qin, who had just arrived in the capital. “Yuyun Hall has rendered a great service by offering medicine; the court’s reward should be coming soon.”

Zhu Huang agreed and left. When he returned, he said that Shopkeeper Qin wanted to come to the mansion to pay his respects to Bai Chunfu. Bai Chunfu also wanted to ask him about Yuyun Hall and Yunniang, but Her Highness the Princess had someone send him some essays, instructing him to study diligently.

He no longer studied medicine; he only studied the Four Books and Five Classics with his elder brother, preparing for next year’s examinations.

He did not meet with Shopkeeper Qin but only asked Zhu Huang to convey his regards to the people in Xi’an.

However, for several days in a row, he sat in his study, unable to concentrate on the Four Books and Five Classics. Instead, he read the thick stack of pages of letters from Yunniang, which lay beside him, over and over again.

But no matter how many times he looked, he could only see these letters.

And her—would he never see her again in this lifetime? Would she forget him in a few years?

The silver frost charcoal in the brazier on his desk crackled softly, pulling Bai Chunfu back from his reverie that had long since drifted away from the capital.

He remained silent, but suddenly, a distant commotion drifted in from outside.

Bai Chunfu did not know what it was about, but the Princess’s Mansion was always quiet and still; what kind of noise would there be?

Bai Chunfu was somewhat curious, but he did not have much time to inquire.

Unexpectedly, Zhu Huang’s hurried footsteps sounded outside the door.

Could this commotion be related to him?

Bai Chunfu looked towards the door and saw Zhu Huang running in, his face beaming with joy.

“Sixth Young Master, the reward has arrived! The imperial court has awarded Yuyun Hall for presenting the medicine!”

This was good news and not unexpected for Bai Chunfu, but he raised an eyebrow.

“Yuyun Hall’s reward has arrived, so why is the Princess’s Mansion so lively? These should not be the same thing, should they?”

But Zhu Huang stepped forward and pulled him.

“How can they not be the same thing?”

“Sixth Young Master,” he called to Bai Chunfu with a smile, “Yuyun Hall presented the secret formula and also reported who formulated the medicine. Master Deng has not forgotten you; she said this medicine was formulated by you and her together! The palace has sent people over to commend you, Sixth Young Master!”

Zhu Huang pulled the dazed Bai Chunfu towards the front courtyard. Before Bai Chunfu could react, he nearly kicked over the brazier in front of his desk.

But he then ran faster and faster with Zhu Huang, sweating profusely in the biting winter wind of the capital, until he met the person sent by the palace to award him.

When he arrived, Her Highness the Princess, his father, and his eldest and third brothers were already there. They had not expected the award to come to the mansion; it was specially for Bai Chunfu.

At that moment, Bai Chunfu arrived, and the award was read aloud.

Bai Chunfu had rendered meritorious service in developing a cure for the epidemic, and his previous inspection of medicine in Shaanxi Province, exposing the black sheep of Yanchun Hall, who attempted to monopolize the medicine market, was even more deserving of reward.

The palace bestowed upon him a large amount of gold, silver, jade, brocade, and other gifts, but this was nothing compared to what he had received.

But he added, “Bai Chunfu has rendered meritorious service in his inspections and is hereby specially appointed as an inspector. From this day forward, he shall carry out the imperial decree and, as an imperial envoy, travel to the provinces to oversee medical practices.”

The Grand Princess had kept him in the capital, wanting him to abandon medicine and pursue an official career, but the palace had specially appointed him to oversee the provinces, continuing to monitor local medicine!

Imperial Son-in-law Bai’s breath caught in his throat as he looked at his youngest son. Bai Chunfu’s elder brother looked at his younger brother with envy, and his third brother, after a moment of daze, gently patted his shoulder.

Bai Chunfu then looked at his mother, Grand Princess Ningfeng, who also looked at him.

For a fleeting moment, it seemed as if a rapid exchange of words was about to occur between mother and son, their gazes meeting; yet neither uttered a single word, both remaining silent.

Bai Chunfu continued to look at his mother, but the Grand Princess seemed to be looking away.

At this moment, Imperial Son-in-law Bai stepped closer to her.

“Your Highness, have you considered that your children also have their own paths to walk? Perhaps these paths will be far broader and brighter than you and I imagine.”

His voice was not loud, but it clearly reached the Grand Princess’s ears.

The noble princess pursed her lips and remained silent.

After a long while, her gaze swept over her husband, eldest son, and second son, finally settling on Bai Chunfu.

The youngest son stood there, the sunlight illuminating his silver robe, revealing a faint golden sheen—a sheen that seemed even more noble than that of his princess mother.

The Grand Princess’s eyes flickered slightly.

A winter wind blew by, stirring the hairpin in her hair.

She suddenly let out a long sigh.

She still held her head high, never bowing, but at that moment, she turned away.

“Then go. Go your own way. I, as your mother, will not stop you. Just do not regret the path you’ve chosen.”

Having said this, she left the front courtyard, surrounded by palace maids.

These calm sentences were spoken, and the Princess had already departed, but the Bai family members were all stunned.

The eldest brother of the Bai family seemed not to have heard clearly; his eyes glazed over, unable to believe it.

The third brother, however, suddenly reacted. He hurriedly ordered someone to fetch the horse, and they left the mansion directly for his aunt’s home in Shaanxi.

Bai Chunfu, however, was stunned. He stared at the prescription stamped with the imperial seal handed to him by his colleague from the Imperial Medical Bureau.

Under the name of the Yuyun Hall’s New Lingqiao Detoxification Pill, two names were written:

Deng Ruyun, Bai Chunfu.

The man stared at these two names, unable to look away.

So she really had not forgotten him. She really had been waiting for him to return!

The Imperial Son-in-Law walked to his side. “My son, you can practice medicine again. This time, as you inspect all the provinces, where do you plan to go first?”

He was happy for him.

Bai Chunfu chuckled in response to his father.

“My first time was in Xi’an, and this time, let’s start in Xi’an again.”

He looked westward, as if even the wind in front of the door had changed direction, blowing him westward.

*

In Xi’an.

On the day Yanchun Hall was shut down, Deng Ruyun personally lit a loud string of firecrackers in front of Yuyun Hall in a small alley.

A brand-new plaque wrapped in red silk was hung above the lintel of Yuyun Hall—

Ji Shi Liang Tang ^{(Life-Saving Virtuous Hall)}, Yuyun Hall.

This was not Deng Ruyun boasting; it was truly an honor bestowed by the Imperial Medical Bureau.

The narrow alley was crowded with people. Deng Ruyun stood beneath the new plaque, with Teng Yue watching beside her. The red silk and gold plaque reflected a rosy glow on her face.

She had shed her false identity and name and now walked before the crowd with dignity.

She was the sole owner of the Life-Saving Virtuous Hall, Yuyun Hall.

*

Meanwhile, at the Prince of Yanshan’s Mansion.

Consort Qian fainted upon hearing that Yanchun Hall had been sealed off. All the money Zhu Tingguang had invested, leaving him penniless, had gone to the imperial court.

With the imperial court above them, the Prince Qin’s Mansion dared not utter a word.

Zhu Tingguang felt he was about to faint; he was truly penniless.

Only a servant offered a comforting reminder.

“General, do not worry too much. If Yanchun Hall fails, our Prince of Yanshan’s Mansion can open its own pharmacy. As long as you have Master Jin, with his outstanding pharmaceutical skills, how could you not make money?”

Zhu Tingguang murmured, “Master Jin…”

It was Deng Ruheng!

*

The next day, Teng Yue’s reward was about to be announced.

Kong Hui received advance notice from the capital that Teng Yue’s achievements in suppressing the rebellion were confirmed.

“Congratulations, Yu Chuan! A title indeed! The Earl of Xianning!”

He said this, expecting Teng Yue to be overjoyed, but to his surprise, the man showed no joy; instead, his face revealed deep sorrow.

Teng Yue felt an ache in his ears just hearing the words “Earl of Xianning.”

How could he really have been granted a title?

If Yunniang knew he had been granted a title, becoming some kind of earl, would she still want him?