Actually, I've thought about this issue for a long time. Since the Eastern Lands are our enemy, and the Emperor is the culprit, treating him would be tantamount to betraying our country. Of course, adding one ingredient to his medicine so he dies quietly is a different matter entirely.
The master neither agreed nor disagreed, only saying calmly, "I'll go to the Eastern Medicine Pavilion to gather a few herbs."
I said, "Master, what brings you to Nanyang?"
He pursed his lips and smiled, "I came to find you."
My heart skipped a beat, but I pretended to be calm and asked, "What...what brings you here?"
The master didn't answer, but focused his gaze on the comic book, his smile deepening.
I leaned closer to take a look and exclaimed in surprise, "Hey, whose book is this?"
To prove my innocence, I continued my criticism, "This is pornography! You can't read it, you can't read it!" After saying that, I stepped forward, slapped the book shut, and then pushed it aside.
My master looked at me with a smile in his eyes, "I received a letter from Young Master Lou asking me to treat his third uncle's incurable illness."
I said, "That's perfect. I've tried acupuncture and medicine, but it still hasn't worked. Master, could you take a look and see what kind of poison he's been given?"
The master nodded slightly. "Then take me to see him."
I led the way, and then my master said softly, "Xiao Xiang, after I entered Nanyang, I heard that you were getting engaged?"
I stopped and looked back at my master, who was quietly gazing at me.
I hesitated for a long time before finally lowering my head and answering shyly, "Um...yes."
What kind of family are they?
I scratched my head and started twisting the clothes. "Hmm... he's a handsome young man, quite wealthy, and his family is very large."
The fragrance of osmanthus grew stronger in the courtyard. As dusk fell on the master's handsome face, he smiled, then suddenly became agitated. "Little Xiang, are you referring to Master Du?"
I was taken aback, then covered my mouth and chuckled, "No... Master Du was just a side story. Actually, the whole thing was a misunderstanding. There's a little-known story behind it... Master Du had a son, a handsome young man..." My voice trailed off as I spoke.
The master gave a soft "hmm".
The wind raised its head, then lowered its neck and pecked heavily at the ground with its large beak.
I deliberately smoothed the silk flower behind my ear, glanced around, and changed the subject, “It’s been many days since I last saw you. Dafeng is actually even more delicate now. Master, look, it seems to have grown a tuft of white hair on its neck, like it’s wearing a flower.”
The master glanced at me, his gaze sweeping over the light pink silk peony, and he reached out to straighten it.
The wind rustled through the laurel branches, causing a flurry of petals to fall, their fragrance intoxicating and delightful.
The master said gently, "Go inside and see the owner of the building."
Inside the room, the master listened to Lou Sanjian's pulse and observed his complexion. After a while, he said to me, "Xiao Xiang, he wasn't poisoned by black needles, but by wolfsbane."
I said, "Is there no solution?"
The master frowned slightly. "No, I don't know how to cure it. I can give him medicine to stop the poisoning first."
I asked, "If you're poisoned like this, won't you live long?"
The master paused for a moment, then continued, "Xiao Xiang, if poisoned by this, she will lose her mind and die within a few months. Perhaps I survived longer because I was testing medicine in the valley. As for which herb can counteract wolfsbane, I haven't found out yet."
I was startled, my heart tightening. "Master, is there no other way? There are so many rare and precious herbs in this world, surely one of them can cure this poison."
The master said calmly, "Fate is predetermined; we cannot change it."
I looked into my master's eyes and said to him, "I must find the antidote. Everything in the world has its counterpart; for every poison, there is a herb that counteracts it."
The master pursed his lips and remained silent.
In the days that followed, the master prescribed medicine for Lou Sanjian to take.
I read medical books over and over every day, trying to find some clues.
Half a month later, there was no improvement in the condition. Lou Sanjian had been lifeless ever since he held me and mumbled "Ah Zhao" a few times that day.
After much thought, I sent a letter to Lou Xiyue, roughly saying that his third uncle had unfortunately been infected with the most difficult and mysterious poison to cure at the time, and the day of cure was far away. My master and I planned to return to Medicine King Valley to find a way to cure the poison.
I figured he might be newly married right now, so I added at the end, "Wishing you a long and happy marriage, and a long and healthy life."
Before I could receive Lou Xiyue's reply, my master and I set off back to Medicine King Valley. The sky was overcast and dark, and there was no wind.
August has arrived, and autumn is in full swing; the air is slightly cool.
Half a month later, we passed through Jinling, An Chen's hometown, and found a riverside restaurant to rest.
It was nearly dusk, the evening clouds were gradually fading, and the lights along the Qinhuai River stretched out in a tantalizing display, while the wind carried the fragrance of willow blossoms throughout the shops.
The area beneath the Red Railing Bridge is filled with blooming begonias, their fragrance wafting in the mist, and a gentle east wind blowing.
I said, "Master, do you know that begonia has another name?"
The master gazed at the red glow on the horizon at the corner of the building, and said nothing.
I picked up a He Yi biscuit and took a bite. "Once upon a time, there was a woman whose husband had gone far away by boat to make a living. The woman missed her beloved and leaned against the north window every day, waiting for him, but he never came. Her tears fell drop by drop, landing on the ground. Where her tears fell, a charming and beautiful flower grew. The leaves were green on the front and red on the back, and the flowers were as beautiful as the woman's face. Because the begonia was born from this young woman's tears, some people called it 'the love-longing flower'."
The master's brows furrowed slightly. He took a sip of tea and looked down at the pale moon's reflection in the cup.
Regarding my master's memories, I'm not sure what he remembers and what he doesn't.
If I had known earlier that he truly had amnesia, the first time I met him in Medicine King Valley, I should have rushed to him and cried, "My husband, I've searched so hard for you! Our baby is almost a month old!"
But unlike the common case of someone being knocked down and suffering amnesia, he suffers from selective amnesia. For example, he doesn't remember me, but he remembers Zi Mo in a few ways, which can be as big or as small as eternity.