The beginning of a story is always gentle, but the end is often cruel.
The more fun you have, the harder the beating you get afterward.
Early in the morning, inside the main hall of the Taiping Medical Hall, She Dengke and Liu Quxing stood in a row behind the counter.
Old Yao came out from the backyard carrying two bamboo sticks and proceeded to beat the two of them until they howled in pain.
"So you’ve learned to stay out all night drinking, huh? Your parents paid good money to send you here, and this is how you repay them? You can’t even properly diagnose a pulse—when will I ever be able to trust you to treat patients?"
Liu Quxing wailed, "Master, I can diagnose a pulse! It’s She Dengke who can’t!"
She Dengke, crying so hard that snot bubbles formed, retorted, "Liu Quxing, you jerk!"
At this point, Old Yao turned his fierce gaze toward Chen Ji, who was sitting on a bamboo chair watching the scene unfold.
"And you!"
Chen Ji rolled his eyes upward.
"Master, my wound hurts so much."
With that, he pretended to faint.
But Old Yao wasn’t having any of it.
He rained down bamboo strikes on Chen Ji, who woke up screaming, "Master, I’m injured! I’m injured!"
"Now you remember you’re injured? Why didn’t you think about that when you were out having fun?" Old Yao took turns beating all the apprentices, switching to a new bamboo stick when the first one broke.
It was then that everyone realized why he had brought two sticks in the first place…
After finishing with the apprentices, Old Yao turned his attention to the young master.
"You studied at the Donglin Academy for three years, and now that you’ve returned, you spend all your time in the pleasure quarters. It seems the teachers at Donglin aren’t much to speak of."
The young master instinctively agreed, "They really aren’t…"
Then he realized his mistake and quickly tried to cover it up with a smile.
"No, no, don’t misunderstand. We were just so happy yesterday, and we really hit it off…"
Old Yao slowly raised his hand, and the young master quickly ducked behind Bai Li, muttering, "I’m sure you were just as wild when you were young…"
Bai Li stepped forward and held Old Yao’s arm.
"Don’t be angry. Don’t take it out on them."
Old Yao raised an eyebrow.
"Were you not out with them last night? Get back in line."
Bai Li hung her head and retreated to the line.
Old Yao then turned to Liang Gou’er.
"You’ve been living comfortably in my Taiping Medical Hall, eating and drinking well, and now you’re leading my disciples astray?"
Liang Gou’er also hung his head.
"Don’t worry, I won’t take them out all night again."
Old Yao’s eyes widened, and his beard bristled.
"There’s going to be a next time?"
This white-haired old man, like a stern elder to everyone, scolded everyone except Liang Mao’er.
Even the young master, Bai Li, and Liang Gou’er hung their heads without protest…
What was strange, though, was that Old Yao was just a royal physician from the Jing Prince’s residence.
Yet, when he scolded the young master and the princess, it felt completely natural and appropriate.
Old Yao said coldly, "All of you, stand here and reflect on your actions!"
With that, he turned and went back to the backyard, and everyone let out a long sigh of relief.
Liu Quxing sniffled, "Master beat us so hard."
Liang Gou’er lazily leaned against the counter, propping himself up with his elbow.
"You should be grateful. These days, it’s rare for someone to care enough to discipline you. If someone had beaten me like that back in the day, maybe I wouldn’t have ended up drinking all the time…"
Liang Gou’er looked at the young master.
"You and the princess don’t have to stand here and take this. The old man can’t really control you. Why stay and get scolded?"
The young master chuckled.
"What are you talking about? Friends share both good times and bad!"
……
……
At that moment, there was a knock at the door.
"Is Physician Yao here?"
Everyone in the medical hall breathed a sigh of relief.
A visitor had arrived—they were saved!
Old Yao slowly returned to the main hall and glanced at She Dengke.
"Go open the door!"
She Dengke hurried out and soon returned, leading a guest into the backyard.
Chen Ji looked up and saw the manager of the Hundred Deer Pavilion, Yuan, smiling as he carried two bags filled with fruits, pastries, and even a fresh leg of lamb.
At that moment, all dreams of songstresses and sweet wine vanished with Yuan’s arrival.
Last night’s events now seemed like nothing more than a pleasant dream.
Since his injury, Chen Ji had felt as though he had stepped away from the chaos of the world.
He had been learning combat skills on Green Mountain while being dragged into mischief by the young master.
Life had been fulfilling and steady, as if the shadows of the past had faded away, never to return.
But he knew that what was coming would come.
Old Yao asked, "We just restocked our medicinal supplies a few days ago. Manager Yuan, what brings you here today? Don’t you have a business to run?"
Yuan smiled and replied, "One of my employees said they saw Chen Ji being carried through the streets yesterday, apparently injured. I thought I’d come and check on him."
Chen Ji knew that his outing with the young master and princess yesterday must have drawn the attention of the Jing Dynasty’s Military Intelligence Bureau.
He had expected them to come, but he hadn’t thought they’d arrive so quickly.
Old Yao glanced at Yuan and said indifferently, "Manager Yuan, such a busy man, coming to my humble medical hall to visit a mere apprentice?"
Yuan didn’t mind Old Yao’s sharp tone.
"Young Physician Chen often comes to my Hundred Deer Pavilion to purchase medicinal herbs. We hit it off, so I brought some things to visit him. You go ahead with your work. I’ll just have a chat with Young Physician Chen."
Old Yao nodded.
"Alright, you two talk. She Dengke, go fetch water. Liu Quxing, go mop the floor. Liang Mao’er, go cook. Liang Gou’er… you can go sleep."
Liang Gou’er said sheepishly, "I’ve been freeloading at the Taiping Medical Hall. You can tell me to scram too. No need to be polite."
"Fine, then go chop firewood!"
"Got it!"
The young master quickly chimed in, "We’ll stay and help out before we leave. Bai Li, go find a rag and wipe down the counter in the main hall…"
Bai Li smiled.
"Alright!"
Yuan took advantage of everyone being busy and asked in a low voice, "Did you find that defector spy the other night?" Chen Ji shook his head and said seriously, "That night, I was seriously injured and passed out. I don’t know what happened after that. But since the Secret Intelligence Bureau hasn’t come to arrest me, I guess they didn’t catch him."
Yuan clasped his hands behind his back and pondered in the main hall.
The atmosphere suddenly became as cold as ice.
The door of the Taiping Medical Hall was still closed, and the morning light filtered through the white paper on the windows, casting a dim glow in the room.
Chen Ji silently observed Yuan’s expression, saying nothing.
After a moment, Yuan asked, "Has anyone from the Military Intelligence Bureau come to see you in the past two days?"
Chen Ji shook his head.
"No."
Yuan stared at Chen Ji.
"Really not?"
Chen Ji met his gaze calmly.
"Really not."
Yuan didn’t press the issue further.
He changed the subject.
"The last batch of goods has already been sent north. You have one day to figure out how to inform that important person in the prince’s residence that it’s time to deliver the next batch. Once this batch is secured, the Director will immediately head south."
Chen Ji hesitated.
"But Si Cao, as you can see, I’m injured. How am I supposed to contact that important person? Can’t we wait until I’ve recovered?"
Yuan’s expression darkened.
He bent down and pressed his hand against the wound on Chen Ji’s thigh.
Chen Ji felt as though he had been struck by lightning.
Beads of sweat rolled down his forehead, and within a few breaths, his back was soaked with sweat.
But he didn’t dare make a sound.
Liang Gou’er was in the backyard.
If Chen Ji cried out, he would hear, but what then? Would everyone find out he was a spy for the Military Intelligence Bureau?
No, he couldn’t expose himself.
Yuan said in a low voice, "I don’t like people bargaining with me. How you contact them is your responsibility, not mine. I’ve spared your life—you should be grateful. Don’t interfere with my plans."
At that moment, Bai Li came back from the backyard, wringing out a rag.
She was in a good mood, humming a little tune.
Yuan glanced at her and said quietly to Chen Ji, "No matter what method you use, you have one day."
"Understood."
Yuan turned and left.
He pushed open the door but stopped just inside, as if someone was blocking his way.
Chen Ji looked past him and saw a man standing in the morning mist outside.
He wore a bamboo hat, patched clothes, and straw sandals, and held a short knife in his hand.
His head was bowed, and his face was obscured.
The man and Yuan stood facing each other, not saying a word, but the air between them was thick with killing intent.
Wait, this was the other Si Cao of the Military Intelligence Bureau!
Chen Ji suddenly realized: Just as the Secret Intelligence Bureau had the Twelve Zodiacs, the Military Intelligence Bureau also had more than one Si Cao.
In Luocheng alone, there were two—one was the fat man posing as Manager Yuan, and the other was a thin man who wore a green-faced, fanged mask and favored a short knife.
Chen Ji sensed danger and turned to Bai Li, who was wiping the table.
"Princess, could you get me a glass of water?"
Bai Li, unaware of what was happening, smiled and replied, "Sure, I’ll get it for you right away."
Once Bai Li left, Yuan calmly said to the other Si Cao, "What are you doing here?"
The other Si Cao sneered, "And what are you doing here?"
"Luocheng is under my jurisdiction now. Know your place," Yuan said, then got into a carriage and hurried away.
The hat-wearing Si Cao stared at Chen Ji for a long time before finally leaving.
Chen Ji was confused.
Why had both Si Cao gathered at the entrance of the Taiping Medical Hall?
At that moment, Bai Li returned with a glass of warm water.
"Here you go…"
Chen Ji didn’t take the water.
Instead, he looked up at Bai Li.
"Princess, can I trust you?"
Bai Li smiled.
"Of course you can. I’m very reliable."
Chen Ji suddenly stood up from the bamboo chair, limping as he struggled to walk toward the door.
When he reached the doorway, he turned back to Bai Li.
"After I leave, lock the door and keep this a secret for me. Thank you."
……
……
Chen Ji took advantage of the sparse foot traffic on the streets and quickly made his way to the back alley behind the fabric shop.
But as soon as he turned into the alley, he froze.
There, perched on the gray-tiled roof, was Wu Yun, surrounded by a dozen tabby cats bowing in submission.
Opposite Wu Yun was a one-eyed tabby cat, also surrounded by a group of cats—some fat, some black and white.
A battle was about to break out.
Chen Ji didn’t have time to think about what was going on.
He immediately waved to Wu Yun.
"Wu Yun!"
Wu Yun meowed, "Step back. Don’t let the blood splatter on you."
Chen Ji: "…"
There was a palpable killing intent.
He said, "Don’t fight yet. I have something very important to ask of you."
Wu Yun, hearing this, immediately retracted his killing intent and looked at Chen Ji.
"What is it?"
Chen Ji said, "A man wearing a bamboo hat just left the Taiping Medical Hall and headed south. He’s wearing patched clothes and straw sandals. If you go after him now, you’ll definitely catch up. I need you to follow him quietly and find out his true identity!"
Wu Yun meowed and, ignoring the group of cats he had been facing off against, turned and led his dozen tabby cats into the alleys, heading south.
At the same time, a carriage slowly stopped in front of the medical hall.
Jin Zhu lifted the carriage curtain and jumped down, smiling as he approached the door of the Taiping Medical Hall and knocked.
Bai Li went to the door and asked cautiously, "Who is it?"
Jin Zhu, hearing the princess’s voice, was also taken aback.
"Hello, I’m a friend of Chen Ji’s. I heard he was injured, so I came to visit him."
(End of Chapter)