Shen Lixue raised her lips and looked in the direction where the man disappeared. To lose his eyes and still be able to live like a normal person, he is indeed a remarkable character.
He referred to himself as a "girl" not because he saw it, but because he smelled it. Shen Lixue didn't use incense, but she was a woman and had a natural fragrance, completely different from the masculine aura of a man. It's unbelievable that her perfect disguise, which fooled many discerning people, was seen through by a blind man.
As the sun set, Shen Lixue finished brewing the medicine and carried it to the old lady's courtyard. The moment she lifted the curtain, she saw the beautiful young woman (the wife of the Marquis of Zhenguo), her maid, her nanny, and Lu Jiangfeng (the third young master) already gathered in the inner room.
As she walked in, all eyes fell on her. Lu Jiangfeng couldn't see, but he was also looking in her direction: "Young Master Shen, are you going to start treating Grandmother's illness?" His voice was soft, gentle, and pleasant to the ear, like a spring breeze.
"Yes!" Shen Lixue nodded, put down the medicine bowl, and walked to the recliner. The old lady's illness was the most important thing for the whole family. They were worried about her treating the old lady, so it was only natural for them to watch with their own eyes.
The old lady leaned back in her recliner, looking at the blunt knife in Shen Lixue's hand, and asked, "Use it for scraping?"
"Yes!" Shen Lixue nodded with a smile: "When performing gua sha, please keep your eyes closed to avoid injury!"
"Okay!" As long as no acupuncture needles were used, the old lady cooperated by closing her eyes and letting Shen Lixue scrape her forehead with a blunt knife. The area where the blunt knife passed was hot and a little painful. Gradually, the pain became numb. It didn't matter, as it was only scraping the surface and no acupuncture needles were being inserted into the head.
Shen Lixue looked at the old lady's reddened temples, smiled slightly, opened her silver needle pouch, took out two silver needles and inserted them.
The sound of maids and old women gasping softly came from inside the room.
Lady Zhenguo was also taken aback for a moment, but quickly recovered and gently rubbed her forehead.
First, we used scraping to numb the skin, then we inserted silver needles. My mother-in-law didn't feel the pain of the needles, and her blood and qi were able to flow normally. How come the old doctors of the past didn't think of such a simple method? It's true that heroes emerge from among the young.
Shen Lixue moved very lightly and made no sound. Lu Jiangfeng didn't know what had happened. Hearing the gasps of the servants, he was very puzzled. The Lady of Zhenguo Marquis whispered a few words to him. His eyes were calm and still, but his thick eyebrows furrowed slightly. He looked in Shen Lixue's direction and became thoughtful.
Half an hour later, the acupuncture was finished. When Madam Lu opened her eyes, she felt refreshed and her head was no longer hurting. She looked at Shen Lixue with delight: "Young Master Shen's medical skills are truly superb. I feel much better after just the scraping!"
"Madam, you flatter me. After taking the medicine and getting some rest, your condition will be much better!" Shen Lixue looked out the window at the gradually darkening sky and said, "It's getting late, I'll take my leave now. I'll come back tomorrow to give you a gua sha treatment!"
She had stayed at the Zhenguo Marquis's residence for most of the day, and Dongfang Heng must be getting anxious. She had to get back to the villa as soon as possible, otherwise, he would be very worried about her.
"It's time for dinner. Young Master Shen must be very tired after a busy day. Please have dinner before you leave!" As the old lady tried to persuade him to stay, the curtain was opened, and maids came in carrying plates of exquisite food. If Shen Lixue insisted on leaving, it would really be disrespectful to them.
"Alright!" Shen Lixue had no choice but to agree. She had just met the people from the Zhenguo Marquis's Mansion, so it was not advisable for her to ask about Huasheng for the time being. She should get to know them first and then subtly inquire later.
The table was laden with a sumptuous meal, the aroma of which was mouthwatering. Surprisingly, only the old lady, the lady of the house, Lu Jiangfeng, and Shen Lixue were dining there.
The old lady had a great appetite and ate a large bowl of rice. During the meal, she kept urging Shen Lixue to eat more dishes, making everyone happy.
Shen Lixue smiled and accepted the old lady's kindness, eating her food in a daze. She thought to herself that Dongfang Heng should still be waiting for her news at the other courtyard, and she needed to find a reason to go back as soon as possible.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw that Lu Jiangfeng was also picking up food himself, without a maid serving him, and each bite was just the right amount, neither too much nor too little.
She raised an eyebrow. Steam rose from the food. Lu Jiangfeng had a very keen sense of smell. Did he pick up the food by its aroma? That was truly unique.
Suddenly, Lu Jiangfeng looked up at her. Shen Lixue couldn't dodge in time and was caught red-handed. Even though she knew he couldn't see her, she still felt a little guilty. Her eyelids darkened, and she put down her chopsticks and stood up: "Madam, Madam, Third Young Master, it's getting late, I'll take my leave now!"
"Young Master Shen, I remember you said your home is in a very far place!" The old lady also put down her chopsticks, looked up at Shen Lixue, and felt more and more affectionate towards her.
"Yes, I came to the capital to visit relatives, but they moved. I looked around and saw the notice posted on the wall!" Shen Lixue told a lie on the spot, and upon careful consideration, there was no flaw in it.
"Where does Young Master Shen live now?" A glint of light flickered in the old lady's eyes.
Shen Lixue smiled slightly: "Inn!" Most people who come to the capital without relatives or friends stay in inns. Her lie was flawless.
“The inn is always bustling with people; it’s quite inconvenient to stay there.” The old lady shook her head, her gaze sharpening. “The Marquis and Jiang Feng’s two brothers have both gone to the border. It feels rather empty for us, grandfather and grandson, to live in such a large mansion. Why don’t you move here, Young Master Shen? It would be convenient for me to treat my headaches, and it would also be quieter…”
“Yes, Young Master Shen, staying at the Marquis’s residence will allow you to take care of your mother-in-law more easily, saving you the trouble of running back and forth between the inn and the Marquis’s residence!” The renowned doctors that the Marquis’s residence used to hire mostly lived in the residence, which made it easier to keep track of the old lady’s condition at any time. The Marquis’s wife also agreed that Shen Lixue should stay at the Marquis’s residence.
“I am an outsider, and it is improper for me to live in the Zhenguo Marquis’s mansion. It would be better for me to stay in an inn!” If Shen Lixue moves to the Marquis’s mansion, not only will she be living in a separate room from Dongfang Heng, but she will also be sleeping in a separate household. He will definitely not let her off the hook.
“If Young Master Shen has any concerns, why not move to my Jiangfeng Courtyard? Besides the main house, the other three side rooms are also suitable for living. No one will say anything if Young Master Shen stays there!” Lu Jiangfeng, who had been silent for a long time, actually spoke up, smiling as he joined the old lady and the madam in trying to persuade her to stay.
Shen Lixue rubbed her forehead, her face bitter. All three masters had asked her to stay. If she refused again, it would be too pretentious. But if she agreed to stay, she would be moving from Dongfang Heng's room to Lu Jiangfeng's courtyard. At that time, Dongfang Heng might do something to her in a fit of anger.
If she didn't want to be bedridden for three days and three nights, she had to find a suitable reason to decline their kindness: "Madam, Madam, Third Young Master, actually I..."
"Madam, Madam..." A maid rushed over, sweating profusely and out of breath, her loud call interrupting Shen Lixue's words.
"What's all this shouting about? What happened?" The old lady frowned.
The maidservant quickly curtsied and reported, "News has come from the palace that Consort De is seriously ill and on the verge of death!"
"What?" The old lady stood up abruptly, her eyes filled with an unprecedented seriousness: "She was perfectly fine just a few days ago, how could she suddenly become seriously ill?"
The maidservant hurriedly shook her head: "This servant doesn't know, that's what the people from the palace said!"
Shen Lixue's gaze sharpened. The secret guards sent by Dongfang Heng had gathered very detailed information. She knew that the Zhenguo Marquis's mansion also had a daughter who was a concubine in the harem. The concubines in the harem fought fiercely, often killing each other without bloodshed. If someone suddenly fell seriously ill, it was most likely because they had been plotted against.
"Young Master Shen, please come with me to the palace to examine Consort De!" The old lady looked at Shen Lixue with hope in her eyes.
"This...isn't that inappropriate!" The Lady of Zhenguo Marquis hesitated for a moment before expressing her objection. The old lady was concerned about her daughter and was desperate to find a cure, but she was clear-headed.
The palace has highly skilled imperial physicians, so there's no need to bring in doctors from outside. Besides, bringing a young and handsome stranger into the palace to see Consort De in the dead of night could be dangerous. If someone with ulterior motives finds out, they might deliberately smear her reputation, which would not be helping her, but harming her.
"Madam, the imperial physicians in the palace are also highly skilled. Don't worry, Consort De will be alright!"
The old lady sighed heavily: "How can I trust the imperial physicians in the palace!" The head of the imperial physicians treated the concubines in the harem, but they were also the easiest to bribe.
Shen Lixue remained silent. The old lady was absolutely right, but given her current identity as a man, it was indeed inappropriate for her to enter the palace.
Lu Jiangfeng pondered for a moment, then smiled gently: "Grandmother, you are not well, so please rest well in the manor. I will accompany Mother, and Young Master Shen will go to the palace to visit Aunt!"
---Aside---
(*^__^*) Hehe... A new chapter has begun, hoho!
Chapter 170: Reencounter with Ye Qianlong