After Being Mistakenly Taken for a Fellow Traveler by Emperor Long Aotian - Chapter 69

“Miss, please don’t be anxious.” The young man, who appeared calm and composed, spoke in a soothing tone that helped calm the previously agitated Zhang Lingsu. “As long as what you’ve said is true, His Majesty will certainly give serious consideration to your proposal. For now, let’s wait a moment until Physician He arrives to review the prescription. This will confirm whether what you’ve said is accurate.”

His words were like a reassurance, allowing the originally nervous girl to finally settle down, nodding vigorously in agreement.

Time ticked away, and finally, Physician He arrived, wiping sweat from his brow, escorted by two Jiang Wei guards. 

Zhou Xun noticed from a distance that Physician He’s collar was somewhat yellowed, indicating he had likely been busy with the establishment of the medical academy recently, possibly not having been home for days. Zhou Xun couldn’t help but feel a measure of respect for this doctor. Physician He had clearly rushed from his work, and upon seeing Jiang Wei guards, was visibly startled. He trembled slightly as he sat down.

After all, Jiang Wei had a fearsome reputation. Any official valuing their life would prefer to avoid too much interaction with these watchdogs, who were seen as nothing less than demons in human guise.

As Zhou Xun observed him, he couldn’t help but recall the similar-feeling black-clad operatives.

Unlike Jiang Wei, whose work focused more on domestic security and defense, the black-clad operatives were entirely offensive, operating on the frontlines. They collected intelligence, issued warnings, and made deterrent threats and responses before conflicts even began.

However, Shen Xiaoliu, the founder of this organization, was not frightening. When he spoke of his past and smiled, he seemed like a sly and endearing old man.

Zhou Xun could clearly see that despite the long exposure to the darker sides of life, the old man’s eyes were filled with determination, without a trace of self-desperation or confusion.

—What was it that sustained him?

His curiosity about this mentor grew.

Physician He greeted the Emperor, Deputy Commander Lu, and Zhou Xun in turn, and only then did he finally notice the young girl sitting at the side. Upon seeing the slender girl, Physician He’s mouth dropped open in shock. “This… this young girl? A girl, this…”

Physician He had prepared himself mentally before coming. He tried to convince himself that Zhang Lingsu was the granddaughter of the late Physician Zhang, raised by him, and was the only legitimate descendant of the Zhang family. He had to admit that he had been somewhat naïve before. If Zhang Lingsu were a boy, being slender would have been acceptable. Historically, there were tales of young heroes, and he had seen renowned doctors who had mastered their skills at a young age.

However…

Physician He sat down, carrying his prejudices and feeling pressured by his busy schedule. He was skeptical that a girl could truly achieve anything significant, so he planned only to review the prescription and give a formal report to the Emperor.

“Take a look at this prescription,” the Emperor handed him the document.

Physician He took the document and began to review it, while the others watched him.

He hesitated when he saw the first half of the prescription.

However, he quickly remembered that it was authored by the late Physician Zhang. Realizing this, he was not too surprised and calmed himself. As he continued to review, his brows alternated between relaxing and furrowing, until finally, they were deeply creased.

The onlookers were anxious, but only the Emperor and the author of the prescription—Zhang Lingsu—were directly involved. Deputy Lu adhered strictly to the expressionless demeanor, while Zhou Xun observed Physician He’s changing expressions and pondered.

“… At first glance, this prescription seems to be a good method, but upon closer inspection, it appears somewhat radical, with some of the medicinal ingredients seeming quite unconventional,” Physician He concluded. “It’s evident that Miss Zhang has talent, but some of her ideas are somewhat unrealistic. However, given your experience, achieving this is already impressive…”

With these words, Physician He implied that the prescription was too risky and not feasible. Zhou Xun knew that Physician He was a person of integrity and would not steal others’ work for his own gain; otherwise, he wouldn’t have gone through the trouble of seeking justice for the late Physician Zhang in the Imperial Study. Thus, his words could be considered his genuine opinion.

Zhou Xun noticed that the Emperor, sitting next to him, leaned back slightly.

He understood that although the Emperor did not express it, there was some regret in his heart. Of course, this regret did not stem from the prescription’s correctness—he knew that even the Emperor did not fully believe that Zhang Lingsu had truly created a solution to the epidemic.

The Emperor’s regret was that he still harbored a small hope that this unfamiliar girl might realize his dream.

Unfortunately, reality was not as beautiful as dreams.

“May I ask Physician He which specific ingredients seem unconventional?” Zhang Lingsu, still unwilling to give up after receiving the judgment, asked, “If it’s a particular ingredient or its dosage, I can explain…”

Her insistence bordered on being unreasonable. The two doctors began to argue, leaving the other attendees as clueless bystanders.

Physician He, while aware that this girl was the granddaughter of the elderly doctor who had done him a favor, couldn’t help but rub his nose and sigh, “… I’ve never seen these two medicines used together in ancient texts. This is truly… truly…”

“But there have been cases where two people used these two medicines separately as treatments for epidemics. Therefore, I believe that in medicinal practice, they complement each other. From the perspective of pharmacology, they are meant to support and harmonize. I once read this in a book…”

“But since ancient times, no one has used medicines this way. Do you know what that means?”

“It means they didn’t figure it out, but I did!” Zhang Lingsu exclaimed loudly, seemingly growing frustrated. “Given the circumstances, why not give it a try? How can we know without trying…”

“There’s no such thing as ‘just giving it a try’ in the medical field. If you experiment, you’re playing with other people’s lives!” Physician He grew agitated. He hadn’t expected this young girl to be so stubborn and not particularly likable, so his voice rose. He couldn’t help but take on a lecturing tone. “You’re just a girl, do you think practicing medicine is that easy? You’ve been living in your boudoir and only occasionally accompanying your grandfather on medical visits. Have you considered why those ancient sages, who were more accomplished and experienced than you, couldn’t figure it out? Do you think they were inferior to you? This means there must be a problem…”

Zhang Lingsu fell silent.

“If I’m not joking with the lives of patients, I’m joking with my own, is that acceptable?” she said. “I just want to go to Xizhou. My grandfather died unjustly there, and I…”

“I’m not willing to accept this!”

Her outburst was startling, even causing Deputy Lu to frown. He coldly said, “Miss Zhang, you’re not thinking clearly right now. Be quiet.”

Zhang Lingsu, tears in her eyes, fell silent.

The atmosphere grew tense, and Zhou Xun glanced at the Emperor beside him.

The Emperor had no visible reaction and seemed ready to give up.

At this moment, Zhou Xun put down what he was holding and stood up.

“Please excuse me,” he said expressionlessly in a low voice.

As he passed by the Emperor, who was staring in surprise at the argument, Zhou Xun extended a hand and guided him out.

Although the Emperor didn’t know what Zhou Xun intended to do, he cooperated. Deputy Lu glanced at them and furrowed his brows, “What are you…”

Zhou Xun replied, “He’s coming too.”

Deputy Lu: …

His expression was unusually tense.

The smiling Jiang Wei guard behind him chuckled, “Since Young Lord Lu discovered there are no ghosts in the garrison, he hasn’t invited anyone to the restroom with him anymore.”

Deputy Lu: …

Jiang Wei Guard: “When we first joined the garrison, every time someone got up at night, Young Lord Lu would accompany them with a knife and even stand guard. We used to think he was very protective of his companions. Later, we realized that Young Lord Lu was actually afraid of ghosts but was too embarrassed to ask someone to come with him, so he would wait for someone to get up before going together…”

Deputy Lu: “He Liang, watch your words.”

The smiling Jiang Wei guard fell silent.

Zhou Xun then learned that the smiling Jiang Wei guard was named He Liang. He knew the He surname was well-known in the court.

When Deputy Lu, as the princess’s grandson, joined the garrison at the age of thirteen or fourteen, it became a significant topic in the capital. Many were puzzled by it, but Zhou Cai, who had always been at odds with Deputy Lu, took pleasure in his misfortune, thinking Deputy Lu was a short-sighted and gloomy person. Zhou Cai and Deputy Lu had always clashed, with Deputy Lu having frequently suppressed him during Zhou Cai’s studies in the capital.

—Of course, Zhou Cai being imprisoned by Jiang Wei now proved Deputy Lu’s choice had been correct.

Nonetheless, Zhou Xun was still curious about why Deputy Lu chose to pursue such a violent profession instead of a good official position. But that wasn’t important to him now.

What mattered more was something else he had to address.

Zhou Xun led the Emperor out of the hall. During the process, the Emperor remained silent and only began to question once the door was closed, “Why did you pull me out?”

Just as Zhou Xun was about to speak, a girl’s voice came from behind, “It seems that unpleasant people can be found everywhere.”

The voice was unfamiliar, yet Zhou Xun felt it was directed at him. He turned around and came face to face with a strange girl.

The girl, dressed in green and possessing a blend of beauty and spirit, initially wore an expression of disgust, which then shifted to surprise and embarrassment when Zhou Xun turned around.

“Sorry, I mistook you for someone I dislike…” The girl quickly apologized, “I’m sorry. Here’s the deal…”

Zhou Xun: ?

The girl continued, “If you’re still unsatisfied, you can wait at the door and hit me when I come out. I’m in a hurry now, so I’ll leave first. I’m a woman of my word, I don’t lie!”

Zhou Xun: ??

As he turned around, he saw the girl slipping into the hall he had just exited.

Zhou Xun: ??

“Oh, by the way,” the girl called back, “My surname is Shangguan, and my name is Shangguan Mingjing. I’m sorry again for mistaking you for someone named Zhou who I really dislike!”

Zhou Xun: … No need to apologize. My surname is Zhou too.