"I still hope Lord Fang will think this over carefully."
"There is no need. Since you refuse to release them, this office will simply have to do it ourselves."
Fang Xiaochun's expression shifted multiple times. Ultimately, bearing immense pressure, he issued the order for the accompanying bailiffs to open the wooden stockade gates.
"Hmph! Stubborn and obstinate! Even if you protect them now, they will die just the same before long. You and I both know that not even an immortal could save lives from this plague. Your willful stubbornness is nothing more than the destruction of your own future!"
Censor Ding was thoroughly provoked.
Imperial Physician Liu, standing nearby, stepped in to act as a peacemaker. "Both of you, calm your anger. Lord Fang, Censor Ding is only looking out for your own good. As the Vice President of the Imperial Hospital and a practitioner of medicine for decades, I can assure you that this plague has no cure. This is the will of heaven; why must you stubbornly go against the heavens?"
"That is still better than trading thousands of human lives for a bloody official's cap!" Fang Xiaochun ripped away their hypocritical facade on the spot.
"You... Fine, very good! My kind intentions are met with a donkey's lung! I truly want to see how you intend to rescue these people today with me and Censor Ding here!"
Imperial Physician Liu was also enraged. With a wave of his hand, the soldiers blocking Chu Ying and his group immediately turned their spears around, cutting off the bailiffs.
Both sides were on a hair-trigger, the tension so high that the situation seemed beyond salvage, when a voice suddenly rang out:
"My lords, might you spare a moment to hear what I have to say? Actually, this plague... is not entirely incurable!"
Chapter 34: No More Pretending, Time to Show My Hand
"What did you say?!"
Fang Xiaochun stared at Chu Ying in astonishment, while Censor Ding and Imperial Physician Liu both wore the expressions of people looking at a hopeless idiot.
After a moment, Censor Ding finally couldn't help sneering, "Kid, I think you've lost your mind. This plague has been going on for nearly half a year, and countless physicians have come and gone. We've yet to see a single patient cured."
Chu Ying replied indifferently, "Perhaps they simply failed to find the right method?"
Inwardly, he felt a twinge of regret. Earlier, upon arriving here, fearing that Ma Xier's not-yet-fully-recovered body wouldn't withstand the evening chill, he had sent a guard to escort her back.
Had he known, he would have let Ma Xier stay a little longer.
"Failed to find the right method?!"
Imperial Physician Liu could not tolerate this. He jumped forward and demanded bluntly, "Kid, are you a doctor?"
"No."
"Have you ever studied medicine?"
"Neither have I."
"Since you are neither a physician nor have ever studied medicine, where do you get the confidence to question our judgment?"
Imperial Physician Liu's face was filled with contempt and disgust. "Could it be that so many renowned physicians like us are inferior to an outsider like you?"
"I truly do not understand medicine, but my ancestors happened to leave behind a brilliant remedy for treating plagues. I have great confidence that it can cure these patients."
Using his ancestors as a cover, Chu Ying intended to cure a portion of the people first and then seize the opportunity to peddle the prescription.
Little did he expect...
"Hmph! An unknown prescription, and yet you dare boast about treating a plague? Truly, the ignorant are fearless!"
Imperial Physician Liu let out a cold snort, his face brimming with disdain.
"Lord Liu has no need for anger. Summer insects cannot speak of ice. Why bother reasoning with such a madman? We might as well arrest him along with the others."
At a gesture from Censor Ding, several soldiers split off and advanced toward Chu Ying once more.
"Stop! Human lives are at stake. Since this young Master Chu possesses a rare prescription, why not let him try? Consider it a chance for him to redeem himself through meritorious service..."
Unexpectedly, Fang Xiaochun seemed willing to give it a try, actually speaking up on Chu Ying's behalf.
"Lord Fang must have lost his mind. A mere brat who hasn't even grown all his hair—why on earth should this official trust him? Seize them!"
Censor Ding showed no courtesy whatsoever and gave the order once more.
Cui Zhao and the others were no pushovers either. Seeing that negotiations had broken down, they raised their sabers once again.
"Stand down. Don't resort to blades at the first disagreement. Fighting and killing is so unseemly; a person should win others over with virtue."
Chu Ying ordered Cui Zhao and the others to fall back, then drew an object from his bosom, held it up, and sighed:
"I originally intended to get along with you all as an ordinary person, but unfortunately, it was met only with contempt... This prince is no longer pretending; I'm laying my cards on the table. My lords, take a look at this."
"Hmph! Take a— What? Hiss... The Golden Phoenix Sword! The Imperial Family of Great Chu?!"
In the flickering firelight, the golden short sword in Chu Ying's hand gleamed brilliantly, almost blinding Censor Ding's eyes.
Having spent years following the Crown Prince and seeing countless rare treasures, he naturally recognized this item at a glance.
After a long while, he finally recovered from his shock, scrutinized Chu Ying carefully for a long time, and finally recalled a figure who was nearly forgotten.
"How is this possible?"
A series of astonished flashes crossed the depths of his eyes, and he slowly bent his waist:
"So it is His Highness the First Prince. This subject had eyes but failed to recognize Mount Tai, and just now committed an offense. I beg Your Highness to forgive me."
Chu Ying was not surprised that Censor Ding recognized him.
This man was the Crown Prince's man; if he lacked even this bit of discernment, he wouldn't be worth following the Crown Prince.
He could tell that although the man was apologizing, there wasn't much sincerity in it.
Chu Ying was already accustomed to this. As a prince from the Cold Palace, now moreover dispatched to the frontiers, he didn't expect others to genuinely respect him from the heart.
Yet, he was still a prince of Great Chu. No matter how much these people looked down on him inwardly, surface-level protocol of superiors and inferiors had to be observed.
At least, the other party wouldn't dare to manipulate him casually now.
"Fang Xiaochun, Prefect of Huaiyin, pays respects to Your Highness."
Seeing Censor Ding expose Chu Ying's identity, Fang Xiaochun forcefully suppressed his shock and stepped forward to bow, followed hastily by Imperial Physician Liu, who rushed to offer his apologies.
This sudden reversal of attitudes almost frightened the people of Majiashang Village into a heart attack.
"HHH— His Highness the First Prince?!"
Old Man Ma was entirely unaware of Chu Ying's background. Hearing that the other man was actually an imperial prince, he instantly felt that a great disaster was imminent. That wrinkles-covered old face lost all color on the spot, and his two thin legs shook like a sieve.
With a loud thud, Old Man Ma no longer dared to put on airs as the clan patriarch. In panic and terror, he dropped to his knees on the ground and began kowtowing like pounding garlic.
"Spare my life, Your Highness! It was this humble old man who was blind and offended Your Highness, spare my life, Your Highness..."
With the patriarch acting this way, how could the rest dare to remain standing? They all dropped to their knees one after another, kowtowing together and begging Chu Ying for mercy.
Chu Ying's efforts to "win people over with virtue" could be described as yielding immediate results.
Initially, he had no desire to bother with such local tyrants, but thinking that Ma Xier would still have to return to Majiashang Village in the future, he had to give Old Man Ma a warning:
"Clan Chief Ma, this prince saved Miss Ma Xier without your consent. You wouldn't have any objections, would you?"
"No, no, of course not. This... this old man thanks Your Highness on behalf of Xier for saving her life... Oh, Your Highness, it's all my fault for being old and foolish, accidentally offending Your Highness. This old man deserves to die a thousand deaths, I beg Your Highness to spare my life!"
Old Man Ma kept kowtowing, terrified that Chu Ying would settle accounts with him.
"Since you thank me on behalf of Miss Xier, that means you acknowledge she is still a person of Majiashang Village. In the future, if anyone dares to obstruct her return home..."
"Who dares? Your Highness, rest assured, whoever doesn't let Xier come home, this old man will be irreconcilable enemies with them!" Old Man Ma swore a fierce oath on the spot.
"You said it yourself, remember this! Should this prince ever go to Majiashang Village in the future and find that Miss Xier has been bullied, you know the consequences."
"I know, I know, I beg Your Highness..."
"Enough, you can stop kowtowing."
Chu Ying paid him no further mind. He turned back to face Censor Ding and said, "Since Censor Ding has recognized this prince, are you willing to give my prescription a try?"
"This... It is not that this subject refuses to agree, but the matter is of the utmost importance. What if it fails to cure them and causes the plague to spread? Not to mention how many people will be threatened, if it even implicates Your Highness, how would that make this subject answer for it?"
Censor Ding did not believe Chu Ying's prescription and still felt that his own handling method was the safest.
After a pause, he added with a feigned expression of difficulty, "Moreover, regarding the plague in Huaiyin this time, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has given repeated instructions. If this is botched, this subject has no way to report back to the Crown Prince."
Using the Crown Prince to pressure me?
What a pity. By the time I head to Shuncheng, over two thousand miles away from the Capital, can the Crown Prince possibly travel thousands of miles just to make trouble for me there?
Chu Ying didn't care in the least and directly sank his expression:
"The saying goes that saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda, let alone the people of our Great Chu. As a prince, since this prince has this capability, I can never sit idly by and do nothing."
"But Your Highness..."
Censor Ding had a profanity in his heart that he didn't know whether to voice or not.
You have the capability my foot! Kept under house arrest in the Cold Palace for ten years, you probably can't even recognize common characters—where on earth do you get this delusional self-confidence?
Yet, just as he wanted to find an excuse to refuse again, he was pulled aside by Imperial Physician Liu, who whispered in his ear:
"Censor Ding, listen to this official's advice. You might as well agree to him."
A strange gleam flashed in his eyes, as if he were brewing something...
Chapter 35: There's a Conspiracy
"Agree to him?"
Censor Ding had not expected Imperial Physician Liu to side with Chu Ying. He stared at him in astonishment, utterly baffled.
"Think about it. This plague was incurable to begin with, and our strategy of pulling the rug out from under them has now been stumbled upon by him."
Imperial Physician Liu wore a deeply meaningful smile. "As the saying goes, paper cannot wrap up fire. Things having reached this point, no matter how perfectly we execute it, we can no longer seal everyone's mouths. This matter will inevitably be reported upward sooner or later."
"Wouldn't that be troublesome then?" Censor Ding furrowed his brows.
Imperial Physician Liu glanced furtively at Chu Ying, continued to lean in close, and laughed sinisterly: "Therefore, we might as well just let this fool give it a try. Unless he can cure the plague—in which case he could indeed use it to hold us accountable.
"However, that is obviously impossible. Thus, we can take advantage of this opportunity to shift all the blame for ineffective epidemic prevention onto him, shirking all responsibility and walking away completely unscathed. What do you say?"
"This plan is brilliant. Imperial Physician Liu's acupuncture skills must be quite exceptional, right?" Censor Ding's eyes lit up, his words carrying a double meaning.
"Why do you say that?"
"Otherwise, how could you see through the problem so precisely at a single glance!"
"Heh heh, that's just because Censor Ding was too close to see the forest for the trees." Imperial Physician Liu stroked his beard, looking quite pleased with himself.
"Lord Vice President is truly brilliant."
After a round of clandestine plotting, when Censor Ding turned back to look at Chu Ying, his face blossomed with shame:
"Your Highness, after being reminded just now by Imperial Physician Liu, treating illnesses and saving lives, bringing blessings to a region, is the fundamental duty of us officials. This subject is deeply ashamed. I have decided: from now on, this subject will no longer stop Your Highness from stepping forward to save people... However, could we delay it by a couple of days?"
"Delay it by two days? Why?" Chu Ying asked, puzzled.
"To be frank with Your Highness, some of the patients have not yet been gathered. Moreover, the patients need to be registered and cataloged, checked one by one, and we must also prepare medicinal herbs and grain... All of this takes time."
Censor Ding never raised his head from start to finish. Whether these words were true or false, probably only he and Imperial Physician Liu knew best.
"Since that is the case, very well."
After pondering for a moment, Chu Ying looked at Fang Xiaochun. "What does Lord Fang think?"
"This subject has no objections."
Having achieved the purpose of this trip, Fang Xiaochun naturally wanted to give the other party a bit of face.
Inwardly, Chu Ying was secretly delighted—now his silver troubles were finally solved.
...
In the early morning of Huaiyin City, a storm of wind and snow had just passed, leaving the world a vast expanse of white.
Behind the post station, near the water's edge, a few red plum blossoms pierced through the swirling mist, swaying gently in the morning breeze and adding a touch of vitality to this silver-white world.
Behind a second-floor window, Chu Ying leaned against a chair, admiring the beautiful scenery while pondering matters.
Over the past two days, the more he thought about it, the more he felt something was amiss.
If they could have treated those patients sooner, why did Censor Ding and Imperial Physician Liu insist on dragging it out for two days?
Though reasons like searching for patients and preparing medicinal herbs sounded plausible, they could entirely be done concurrently with the treatment without requiring any extra wasted time.
Could it be that those two were plotting some conspiracy...
As he was thinking, a pair of slender, jade-white hands came into his view, placing a cup of fragrant tea before him.
"Please, Your Highness."
A clear and gentle female voice came from the owner of those hands.
"Hm? Ah, thank you."
Chu Ying's train of thought was interrupted. He nodded politely to the young girl before him and reached out to hold the teacup.
The girl was seventeen or eighteen years old, of standard height, dressed in the ruqun of a maidservant. A pair of almond-shaped eyes were calm and clear, giving off a very quiet and gentle impression.
She possessed a fair and delicate melon-shaped face, a textbook beauty in the making.
Seeing that Chu Ying was somewhat ill at ease, she wore a gentle and modest smile. "Your Highness need not stand on ceremony. This servant was entrusted by the Prefect, and waiting upon Your Highness is only right."
"Girl Qiulan... Actually, this prince has already said: if you are willing, this prince can let you go back. Why make yourself suffer this kind of grievance?"
Chu Ying sighed, closed the lid of the teacup he had just opened, and decided to have a frank and open conversation with her.
This girl had been sent over by Fang Xiaochun to express gratitude for Chu Ying's help that night, specifically to take care of his daily diet and living arrangements for these two days.
Having an extra maidservant around didn't really matter to Chu Ying.
Although he had been in this world for less than half a month, he had already fully adapted to its rules.
However, this maidservant named Qiulan, despite being efficient and decisive in her work and having a good temperament, inadvertently revealed a temperament unique to young ladies of prominent families in her speech and mannerisms.
Having been through countless battles in his past life and trained a discerning eye for people, Chu Ying was certain he wasn't mistaken.
This woman named Qiulan always gave him a certain feeling.
It seemed she was hiding some unspoken worries.
This made Chu Ying deeply suspicious: had Fang Xiaochun actually sent his own daughter to his side?
If that were truly the case, what could the man's purpose be?
Could it be to curry favor with him?
Yet given Fang Xiaochun's current position, did he need to curry favor with a discarded imperial royal family member who had been banished to the frontier and had no future whatsoever?
The sacrifice was far too great!
When things are abnormal, demons are at work!
Therefore, ever since Qiulan arrived at the post station, whenever he found an opportunity over the past two days, Chu Ying would try to persuade her to go back.
Having a person with "ulterior motives" by his side made him feel very uncomfortable.
"Your Highness has said these words no less than ten times."
Qiulan seemed to have developed an immunity to Chu Ying's persuasion. While helping him tidy the table, she replied in a calm and detached tone:
"If Your Highness finds this servant clumsy and burdensome, you can simply inform the Prefect and have me replaced. Why force this humble maid so?"
After a pause, she added another sentence: "Does Your Highness know that if this servant leaves of her own accord, people will surely say I served Your Highness poorly and was driven out?
"By then, where would this servant even find the face to remain in the Fang household? Is Your Highness's act intended to deny this humble maid a path to survival?"
At the end, Qiulan's expression finally dimmed. She lightly wiped the corner of her eye with her finger and quickly turned her back to him.
"Uh, don't be sad... Alright, alright, if you're willing to stay, then stay. Stay as long as you like, this prince won't mention this ever again, alright?"
Wasn't it just a suggestion? When on earth did I chase you back?!
Chu Ying least of all could bear to see women cry, so he hurriedly made all sorts of promises.
Staying was staying, then. Even though this chick seemed to have things hidden from him, judging by her character, she didn't seem like a bad person.
Besides, after today, her task would be over.
"This is what Your Highness said yourself."
A trace of triumph flashed in the depths of Qiulan's eyes. She turned back around, her eye corners smiling, looking nothing like someone who had just been crying. She smoothly picked up the teacup and offered it to Chu Ying:
"They say a sovereign does not joke. Although Your Highness is only an imperial prince, the words you speak cannot be easily retracted either."
"Naturally." Chu Ying nodded.
The corners of Qiulan's lips curled upward, and her almond-shaped eyes looked at him with bashful coquetting. "Just now, Your Highness said this servant could stay as long as I liked. Then... might this servant stay by Your Highness's side to serve you for a lifetime?"
Chu Ying: "..."
Why did he suddenly have the feeling of having boarded a pirate ship?
So many schemes at such a young age—could people not have a shred of sincerity between them?
Chapter 36: Beauty, Don't Be Too Proactive, I'm Afraid I Can't Handle It
"Your Highness, why aren't you speaking? You haven't answered this servant yet."
Chu Ying was somewhat bewildered. He had originally thought Qiulan was merely joking, but unexpected as it was, the young girl was pressing the issue relentlessly.
No way, was this chick actually playing for keeps?
Vile Old Fang, looking so righteous and square-browed, you actually wanted to use a honey trap to corrupt my noble soul!
Qiulan was a maid sent by Fang Xiaochun. After turning it over in his mind, Chu Ying felt this matter very likely originated from Fang Xiaochun's instigation.
Despite realizing this layer, he still couldn't fathom the intentions of this old man and young woman.
He glanced at Qiulan's rather magnificent chest, and his intuition told him this thing was too big... No, the waters here were far too deep, and there was a high probability he wouldn't be able to handle it.
Thus, he wisely chose to avoid answering.
"Your Highness..." Qiulan began urging again.
"Uh, Girl Qiulan, it's not that this prince doesn't keep his word, it's just that I feel..."
Just as Chu Ying was pondering how to refuse tactfully, Hao Fugui's report suddenly sounded from outside the door:
"Your Highness, Censor Ding has sent someone to relay a message, saying everything is prepared over there, and requests Your Highness to go over now."
"Is that so? There's no time to lose, let's set off immediately."
Chu Ying stood up in pleasant surprise and lifted his foot to walk out, but Qiulan's voice suddenly turned urgent: "Your Highness?"
"Girl Qiulan, this prince has matters to attend to. We'll discuss this next time, next time, heh heh..."
Chu Ying quickened his pace, fleeing out the door as if escaping, ignoring the disgruntled, dainty huff of the young girl behind him.
...
Leaving the post station, Chu Ying and his entourage followed the men sent by Censor Ding to a courtyard within the city.
Compared to that remote mountain hollow from before, the environment here was vastly superior.
Several large cauldrons stood in the courtyard with firewood piled underneath, presumably prepared for boiling medicine, and the figures of numerous patients could be seen within the surrounding rooms.
Having inspected the place, Chu Ying inwardly breathed a sigh of relief.
He had previously worried that Censor Ding and Imperial Physician Liu would be insincere and pay lip service to the matter, but seeing it now, it seemed he had overthought things somewhat.
"Eldest Prince."
At this moment, Fang Xiaochun, having received word of his arrival, emerged from a room with his retinue, closely followed by Censor Ding and Imperial Physician Liu, both of whom displayed unusual enthusiasm.
"Greetings, my lords. Is everything prepared?" Chu Ying cut straight to the point.
"Heh heh, everything is fully prepared today, just waiting for Your Highness to work your magic and let us open our eyes."
Imperial Physician Liu chuckled, secretly exchanging a glance with Censor Ding, their eyes flashing with bizarre glares.
"That is good. We have already delayed for two days; without further ado, let us begin immediately."
Chu Ying did not notice anything amiss with the two of them. He nodded and began assigning tasks on the spot.