After Being Mistakenly Taken for a Fellow Traveler by Emperor Long Aotian - Chapter 73

The carriage drove through the bustling streets of the capital, turning into a quiet alley shaded by locust trees. Upon seeing a courtyard partially obscured by a large tree, Shangguan Mingjing nodded towards it. “There, that’s the place.”

Zhou Xun followed her off the carriage and looked around.

Pushing open the half-closed door, they found a young boy wearily brewing medicine. The boy, rubbing his eyes and appearing quite drowsy, only noticed them when they approached and raised his head.

“Ah!”

The boy exclaimed, his mouth agape as he struggled to produce a garbled response, “Shangguan… Miss Shangguan?”

Zhou Xun glanced at her, while Shangguan Mingjing patted the boy’s head. “Alright, at least you have some conscience and got my name right.”

The boy grinned. He then turned his gaze to Zhou Xun with curiosity. Shangguan Mingjing introduced, “This is Zhou…”

“Just call me Mr. Xun,” Zhou Xun interjected.

Shangguan Mingjing looked at him with puzzlement but soon seemed to understand. The boy tried hard to repeat the name, “Mr. Xun?”

Zhou Xun smiled. “Yes.”

“Keep brewing your medicine. We’ll go in and check on your master,” Shangguan Mingjing told the boy, who then resumed his work.

“This boy is an orphan he picked up from a deserted village by the sea. He doesn’t speak much Mandarin,” Shangguan Mingjing explained as she led Zhou Xun into the house. “The person is inside.”

The room was sparsely furnished, with only a young man lying on the bed. The young man, barely surviving, had a waxy complexion and struggled to sit up upon seeing them.

“Miss Shangguan,” he said.

“It’s been a while. How have you been?” Shangguan Mingjing casually sat beside him. The young man, however, looked at Zhou Xun behind her. “This is…”

“He’s a friend of mine. Just call him Mr. Xun. He heard about your situation and came to see you because he feels sympathetic. I’m just bringing him along,” Shangguan Mingjing introduced before Zhou Xun could speak.

The young man nodded and accepted the introduction. Zhou Xun noticed piles of yellowed paper, string, and crumpled prescriptions scattered in the corner of the room and asked, “What are these on the table? May I take a look?”

Seeing Zhou Xun’s interest in the books, the young man said, “Oh, those are just things to pass the time. If you want to see them, feel free to look.”

Zhou Xun picked up the books. They were bound with rough paper, thick in his hands. He flipped through them, examining the charcoal drawings. The young man noticed his focused attention and said, “These are sketches of the landscapes I encountered during my years at sea, basically sea charts. They include sea routes I traveled and some topography of the islands I visited. I originally planned to return to the capital, settle my mother, and then head back to the sea. I had made some money and saved up, even assembled a fleet. Unfortunately…”

He looked at his injured leg and gave a bitter smile. “Now, all I can do is doodle on these scraps of paper for solace.”

Lu Bin recalled the future he had once planned, and his heart grew bitter once more.

After his family’s misfortunes, he had settled his mother and gone to sea to make a name for himself, but he encountered a shipwreck. He thought his life was over until he found a sliver of hope, ultimately surviving on a deserted island.

On that island, he discovered a mine filled with gems. This discovery solidified his will to live, and he managed to fend off pirates. The pirates mutinied, and most were killed. He seized a small boat, barely reached the shore, and sold the gems he carried to return home in glory.

At that moment, he believed his fortunes were finally turning.

With the money, he could buy a bigger house for his mother, assemble a fleet, and fulfill his dream of sailing again. After purchasing his ship and forming a preliminary fleet, he hurried back to the capital, only to find…

His mother had been ousted from their home by servants who had taken over!

The sight of his mother being driven out ignited his fury.

After locating his mother, now living in a dilapidated temple, Lu Bin stormed back to confront the seemingly benign elderly servant couple who had taken over the house. Unexpectedly, Zhou Hong appeared, intervening without understanding the situation and starting a fight, accusing him of being an ungrateful youth. The elderly couple, who were accomplices, kowtowed and flattered Zhou Hong, fueling his sense of righteousness.

Lu Bin, already enraged by the villains, was further incensed by Zhou Hong’s interference. Seeing Zhou Hong blocking the couple, he lashed out, but Zhou Hong pushed him into a well.

When he woke up again, he found his mother crying by his side. She told him that it was Lord Jiang Wei who had rescued them.

Surviving was a blessing, but his leg was irreparably damaged.

From now on, he would be a cripple. How could a cripple sail? How could a cripple lead a fleet? He felt as if he were caught between the “pleas” of the Zhou family and the “protection” of the Jiang Wei. Both sides pulled at him, one seeking forgiveness and the other urging him to file a complaint. He realized that Zhou Cai, who pushed him, and Shangguan Mingjing, who saved him, were figures he had never imagined meeting in his humble life.

The Zhou family constantly harassed them, begging for forgiveness, offering to secure a lifetime of comfort in exchange, which was utterly shameless. And the Jiang Wei? They merely saw him as a pawn against the Zhou family, exacerbating the situation and turning it into a public spectacle. Even the fleet in Huanzhou knew about his situation and was clamoring to sell the ships and dissolve the partnership. Both sides treated him as nothing more than a tool or a topic of conversation, asking him only to “wait patiently” for the court proceedings. No one cared about his own feelings.

He was now confined in this house, doing nothing but taking various remedies, obtained from who knew where, that his mother had scraped together from her savings. His heart was deeply troubled, and the only solace he found was in drawing these books, feeling as if he were back at sea, finding some comfort in his escape.

“This book isn’t just random scribbling; I can see that Mr. Lu is quite skilled and invested in these sea charts,” Zhou Xun said as he put the book down. “Mr. Lu, you must keep this book safe.”

Lu Bin was jolted out of his gloomy recollections by Zhou Xun’s words and stared in surprise. He forced a bitter smile. “Not random scribbling?”

“Yes,” Zhou Xun said, meeting his gaze directly, “These are very valuable. Despite your illness, Mr. Lu, you’ve managed to produce such work. I admire your efforts. They are different from the commercial sea charts but are more thoughtful and clearer. Especially the annotations you’ve created…”

Lu Bin was stunned. “You’ve really… examined them?”

Zhou Xun thought for a moment and added, “Mr. Lu, have you ever sought out a renowned physician for your leg injury?”

Lu Bin shook his head sadly. “A renowned physician? The traveling doctors said that only a court physician could treat my leg, but how could a commoner like me…”

The image of Physician He flashed through Zhou Xun’s mind. He thought this might be a good opportunity for Zhang Lingsu to gain some experience. He said, “Perhaps I can find a way to help with this?”

“How could you possibly help?” Lu Bin said with a bitter laugh. “All the solutions have already been exhausted by my mother and me…”

“A court physician, I might be able to arrange one.”

“You’re joking…”

Lu Bin was about to say Zhou Xun was joking, but his serious expression made him hesitate. He swallowed hard and eventually said, “But… how could I possibly trouble you for nothing?”

“Of course, it’s not for nothing,” Zhou Xun suddenly smiled, revealing two dimples. “There will naturally be some form of compensation.”

Lu Bin felt relieved. After all, no good deed goes unpunished. But compensation…

The family’s savings had dwindled, but the temptation of having his leg treated was too great. Lu Bin gritted his teeth and said earnestly, “As long as you can heal my leg, I am willing to give anything!”

In his view, the young man smiled. He casually picked up the thick volumes and said, “Then I’ll accept with honor. Consider these books as a down payment.”

“A down payment?” Lu Bin was puzzled again. “What do you want these books for? They’re just some random drawings…”

“Because every reed has its value,” the young man said while holding the books, making a cryptic statement. He gazed at the books and said softly, “Don’t underestimate these reeds.”

Lu Bin didn’t understand what he was saying.

“Mr. Zhou, are you really going to invite a physician?” Shangguan Mingjing asked as she followed him into the courtyard, speaking quietly. “This person has no relation to you. Once he finds out you are Zhou Cai’s brother, it will stir up many issues. Why are you…”

“If the emperor were here, he would do the same,” Zhou Xun said with a smile. “I’m sorry to Physician He, who will have to work extra hours, and I’ll apologize to him later. Besides, it’s a chance to test Miss Zhang’s medical skills. I hear she is excellent at acupuncture.”

“You…” Shangguan Mingjing was stunned, blinking a few times. “Mr. Zhou, I really don’t understand what people like you are thinking. But…”

“It’s not too late now. We can still get to the Imperial Hospital in time.” She grinned. “But I must remind you, treating him too early might not be good for you and me.”

Zhou Xun smiled lightly. “But for him, it will certainly be a good thing.”

“…Fine!” Shangguan Mingjing said. “Do you know how to ride a horse?”

Zhou Xun was taken aback and shook his head. Shangguan Mingjing shrugged. “The carriage is too slow. Sit behind me, and I’ll ride you to the Imperial Hospital.”

She added, “Given your relationships with the emperor, Physician He, and Miss Zhang, you probably don’t need to report to the palace, right?”

Zhou Xun: …What relationship do I have with the emperor?

He smiled. “But since we can’t ride horses in the city, let’s take the carriage.”

As they finished speaking, an elderly woman hurriedly entered through the door, carrying something with excitement. She didn’t even notice the two of them and went straight into the house, shouting, “Son! Son! Your leg injury can be treated now! Let’s quickly take this medicine!”

Both Zhou Xun and Shangguan Mingjing were taken aback. Shangguan Mingjing said, “So quickly, they’ve found a miracle doctor?”

She elbowed Zhou Xun playfully and teased, “Looks like you won’t have any chance now.”

Zhou Xun said nothing but furrowed his brow. Shangguan Mingjing noticed his expression and asked, “Are you unhappy because someone else beat you to it?”

“…She said she had a solution and went inside with something in her arms, saying they needed to take it, but her arms… clearly had no medicine packages,” Zhou Xun said slowly. “What she held looked more like…”

“A letter.”

“A letter?” Shangguan Mingjing was startled. “Perhaps it contains the prescription?”

“A prescription wouldn’t need to be wrapped in a letter. If she had the prescription, given her urgency, she would have gone straight to the pharmacy to get the medicine,” Zhou Xun said, noncommittal. “I want to see what’s inside.”

With that, he walked inside. Shangguan Mingjing followed him and remarked, “You looked just like Lu Ge and the others when they were investigating a case…”