schlanke Taille

Kapitel 26

The servants were in a flurry of activity. Behind the heavy curtains, a somewhat frail young man lay on the bed, his features delicate but his eyes tightly closed, covered in cold sweat.

The door was suddenly pushed open, and the servants dismissed them. Pan Zhongxun stepped in and saw Physician Li tidying up his acupuncture instruments at the table in the outer room. He took a few steps forward and asked in a low voice, "Physician Li? Xijin, he..."

The imperial physician slowly packed his things, stroked his sparse beard, and sighed softly: "Reporting to the Grand Tutor, Young Master Pan Jiu suffered from a cold in his childhood, resulting in an extremely weak constitution. Although he has improved somewhat with proper care, the underlying condition is too deep-seated to be cured completely. The so-called vomiting method, while lowering the heart fire, can lead to further weakness and illness..."

"Then what is the solution? What medicine is needed? Physician Li, just tell me directly." Pan Zhongxun frowned, interrupting the physician's long-winded explanation, and with a flick of his sleeve, he spoke up.

"Alas..." Physician Li shook his head, seemingly with some regret, "The Ninth Young Master's condition... this old man is truly powerless to help. Grand Tutor, please seek another more skilled physician." After saying this, he bowed, picked up his medicine box, and left without looking back.

“Master, look at this…” The servants were getting anxious. Although the young master was not very talkative, he was gentle and loved to laugh. His smile was like a willow in March, making people feel like they were bathed in a spring breeze.

"You may all leave..." Pan Zhongxun waved the servants away, then stood in the room staring blankly at the calligraphy and paintings on the desk. Most of these works were by Xi Jin, and there weren't many; they were just scattered about. His eyes gradually welled up with tears. He sighed, got up, and left the room.

The room fell silent again.

Neither of them saw that behind the heavy curtains, the person on the bed slowly opened their eyes, a calm and serene smile in their gaze.

In front of Baozhuan Gate and outside Donghua Gate.

When talking about Bianliang, people can't help but sigh, "The market outside Donghua Gate was the most prosperous!"

Restaurants and inns like Bai Fan Zui Xian's were said to have "halls and courtyards, with corridors and verandas, rows of small pavilions, hanging windows with bamboo and flowers, and curtains hanging down, where courtesans sang and laughed, each enjoying their own comfort." Merchants and customers would make transactions worth millions, things never heard of or seen before; all kinds of delicacies, fine wines, seasonal fruits and flowers, gold and jade treasures, and fine clothes were the wonders of the world. There were also entertainment districts and brothels, bustling with activity, and the night market was thriving until the third watch of the night.

It was a quarter past noon.

The bluestone path of Donghuamen Street was bustling with people, young ladies were pretty, and young gentlemen were charming. Even the butcher with a full beard at the butcher shop was impeccably dressed.

With a snap, the folding fan appeared in her hand. Jia Ling sighed inwardly, "The capital city truly is the capital city, a gathering place for treasures from all over the world and a place of great prosperity from all corners of the land. Take the Fanlou restaurant we just passed, for example. With its beaded curtains and embroidered lintels, it is luxurious and grand. The sheer height of its three stories and five buildings facing each other is enough to give the guests a feeling of soaring into the sky."

Along the short stretch of half a street, Young Master Jia, carrying Wanglou plum blossom buns, Caojia Congshi snacks, and Li He's chestnuts, wandered aimlessly, glancing around the street. He would join in wherever there were crowds, and if there were street performers or magicians, he would toss them a few coins. Although Jia Ling had been pampered since childhood, living a life of luxury and having seen the world, she was still dazzled by the sights before her.

Why did Young Master Jia suddenly appear in Bianliang City? That story begins three months ago. After his chance encounter with Ye Junshan at the Yun Jin Inn in Fengping Town, Jia Ling intended to follow him to see what was going on. However, after Ye Junshan finished packing his things—not only was Ye Junshan gone, but even the messenger boy who had stammered out the message was nowhere to be found. Immediately, he rushed downstairs, grabbed the shopkeeper who was counting money, and immediately asked him which direction Ye Junshan and his group had gone. The shopkeeper stammered and mumbled for a while before finally pointing ahead and smiling, saying, "That gentleman went in that direction." —And so, Jia Ling hired a carriage and traveled along the narrow but relatively flat official road all the way to Xiangyi.

Young Master Jia, who had just alighted from the carriage, stared blankly at the three powerful characters "Xiangyi City" on the city gate for a moment. He didn't know if Ye Junshan was here, but it was obvious that Luoyang Tower wasn't here.

The coachman took the money, cracked his whip, and the horse's hooves clattered away into the distance. Young Master Jia fanned himself, deciding to make the best of a situation and find a place to stay. He remained there for three days, until one day he heard shocking news—of the three thousand martial arts heroes who stormed Luoyang Tower, only thirty-nine remained. Ye Junshan, feeling a heavy responsibility, resigned from his position as leader of the Wuling Alliance.

Jia Ling wasn't particularly concerned with the conflicts in the martial world, but he couldn't understand why three thousand men couldn't kill Li Huangyin or destroy Luoyang Tower. With things as they were, he traveled north along the capital route, wandering and sightseeing, finally arriving in Bianliang, the capital, two months later.

A large crowd was moving ahead.

With a wave of his ebony folding fan, Jia Ling exclaimed, "Hey, look what's going on!" At the street corner, three or four concentric circles of people had formed, leaving no gaps. Seeing this, Young Master Jia peered around, his eyes darting about, and then tapped a broad-backed, round-bottomed auntie in front of him with the back of his fan.

The middle-aged woman turned around fiercely, her face contorted with menacing features. Jia Ling involuntarily took a step back, her lips twitching slightly, but she still gave her a sweet smile. Without saying a word, she reached out and scattered a large handful of money on the ground with a "whoosh."

The woman's eyes suddenly lit up. She pushed aside the people around her and hurriedly squatted down to pick up the money. The passersby who had been knocked off balance were about to curse when they looked down and saw the coins all over the ground. So they all stopped what they were doing, squatted down quickly, and grabbed the money with lightning speed.

The view ahead suddenly became clear, and Young Master Jia walked forward with great satisfaction. Upon closer inspection, he realized that what everyone was looking at was a notice, a notice from the Grand Tutor's mansion recruiting doctors.

The notice stated that Pan Xijin, the ninth son of the Pan family, had suffered a relapse of his chronic illness, and even the imperial physicians were helpless. Therefore, a reward of one thousand taels of silver was offered to find a skilled physician among the common people to save Pan Xijin's life.

Jia Ling propped his chin up with his fan—not because of the thousand taels of silver, but because the words "miracle doctor" reminded him of some past events. Just as he was staring blankly at the notice, a slender, pale hand slowly peeled the paper off.

Jia Ling's gaze followed the hand, slowly moving upwards. When he saw that familiar face, he was suddenly struck by the realization that the seemingly effeminate Mongolian doctor he had described, who only knew how to freeload, was actually a woman of breathtaking beauty, with bright eyes, white teeth, and a face as lovely as the moon…

Young Master Jia's eyes widened and he pounced on the man, using both hands and feet to hold him tightly. He didn't care that they were on the street and shouted, "Hey... you liar! I've finally found you!"

Double-eaved, soaring roofs, a royal residence

After Ye Changsheng left Luoyang Cliff that day, she went all the way to Sangshan. At that time, she had no medicine on her, her pulse was weak, and her blood and energy were insufficient. She was practically holding on to her last breath. When Old Man Zhong opened the door and saw her, he was so angry that he couldn't even speak. He hurriedly threw her into a medicine tub and steamed her for three days and three nights.

After spending a month in Sangshan, Ye Changsheng listened to Elder Zhong's heartfelt teachings every day, feeling extremely guilty, as if her life did not belong to her, but to the old doctor in front of her.

On the morning of July 19th, Ye Changsheng carefully put away the small bottle of pills given to her by Old Man Zhong, packed a few belongings, and huffed and puffed down the mountain. She even spent a tael of silver to buy a mule, and slowly set off alone. She didn't know how much time had passed, but after many twists and turns, she arrived in Bianliang. In her words, now that the world was at peace and the martial arts world was stable, she should really travel around and appreciate the beautiful scenery, instead of staying confined to one corner like Old Man Zhong, spending her days deep in the mountains.

Ye Changsheng wandered around the bustling city of Bianliang for half a month. At first, she ate two meals a day, two bowls of plain noodles, but later she ate only one steamed bun a day – her stomach growling with hunger, she realized she was penniless and that in a few days she might not even be able to afford a steamed bun. Just as she was worrying about making a living, she happened to pass a street corner, and a few copper coins rolled down from in front of her, landing right at her feet – as the saying goes, there's always a way out. But before she could bend down to pick them up, she was pushed aside by the crowd that had followed her trail. Ye Changsheng shook her gray sleeves and politely stepped aside, so as not to obstruct the villagers who were picking up money from the ground.

Ahead lay a notice, its red paper gleaming with gold patterns in the sunlight. Ye Changsheng smiled, glancing at the gilded notice for a few moments. After a long while, she seemed to understand and nodded, reaching out to tear it down. Suddenly, with a "thud," a blur appeared before her eyes, and a pale yellow shadow crashed into her, clinging to her tightly without a word. Ye Changsheng felt as if her neck was about to snap. The person finally loosened their grip, patting her chest. Only then did she see the person's face. Maintaining a calm and gentle smile, she slowly said, "Ah... truly, life is full of unexpected surprises..."

"No my foot!" Jia Ling waved her folding fan and tapped Ye Changsheng's head a few times. "I barely escaped Jiangling by the skin of my teeth, racked my brains to get rid of that old hag Dai from Baitang Palace, and searched everywhere for you. Now that I've finally run into you, can't you be a little happier?"

Ye Changsheng stared at Jia Ling for a long time, then suddenly beamed with joy and smiled happily: "I am truly delighted."

Jia Ling sighed. She knew her words were untrustworthy. She had abandoned her and disappeared, and then there had been no news of her for months. If it weren't for this chance encounter today, she didn't know when she would see her again.

I hadn't seen her for almost half a year, but the person in front of me seemed to have changed no matter what. Her complexion was still not very good, and her body was still so thin. She was wearing her grayish-white, slightly worn clothes and smiling gently and calmly.

“Sigh…” Jia Ling sighed and patted Ye Changsheng’s shoulder. “I don’t know what you took from him that made the leader of the martial arts alliance hate you to the bone and chase you all the way to the inn. It even implicated me. But thankfully, he has stepped down now, so you don’t have to hide anymore.”

Ye Changsheng smiled kindly and patiently explained, "In fact, it was because I cured the Alliance Leader's wife's chronic illness that Alliance Leader Ye was extremely grateful and insisted on giving me gold and silver. That day, he sent the guards of the Ye family to present them to me. So... I have done a favor for the Alliance Leader, and Alliance Leader Ye would never do anything like repaying kindness with enmity. You can rest assured."

Jia Ling knew that Ye Changsheng's words were absolutely untrustworthy. Those days she infiltrated the Ye residence were clearly not a good idea, so how could she possibly have transformed herself into someone's benefactor? It was clearly nonsense. But upon closer reflection, she thought that seeing the Alliance Leader's wife suffering from a chronic illness and conveniently treating her wasn't entirely unreasonable. However, considering his medical skills… Jia Ling firmly scorned Ye Changsheng; only a fool would be fooled.

Ye Changsheng showed no discomfort under Jia Ling's piercing gaze. He stepped forward leisurely and reached out to peel down the notice. Only then did Jia Ling realize what Ye Changsheng was about to do. She peeked out and asked, "You... are you going to... treat someone again?"

"Ah." Ye Changsheng nodded honestly.

"What? This time it's the son of a Grand Tutor! What if you kill him again?!" The warmth of the reunion seemed to last only a moment before Jia Ling widened her eyes and started shouting.

"I didn't kill Master Zhu..." Ye Changsheng shrugged helplessly; it was clearly someone framing him.

"Death is the most important thing. If you were to kill this young master Pan Jiu this time, where would you run to in the world?" Jia Ling fanned himself a few times and shook his head repeatedly. If he hadn't stumbled upon this, Ye Changsheng would have surely lost his life for that thousand taels of silver. It has to be said that this was fate; his appearance was truly timely.

Those around him were unaware that Ye Changsheng had taken down the notice. Seeing that the notice board was blank, they were all somewhat bewildered, discussed it for a while, and then dispersed.

"Uh... well..." Ye Changsheng interrupted Jia Ling, revealing her gentle smile, "I'm hungry, shall we go to the nearby noodle stall and have a bowl of wontons or noodles or something?"

Jia Ling was taken aback. She glanced at Ye Changsheng, then at the several large bags of snacks in her arms, and generously gave them all to her. Afterward, she dragged her to the most famous noodle shop in the vicinity, Hejia Noodle Shop. Soup noodles, fried noodles, vegetarian noodles, and meat noodles were served one after another.

As dusk fell, the twilight descended.

Ye Changsheng knocked on the golden-studded, red-lacquered gate of the Pan residence. After a long while, the gate creaked open, but instead of someone opening it, a white-robed gentleman in blue-patterned silk robes walked out.

Jia Ling's gaze darted to the folding fan in the young man's hand, and she muttered with great dissatisfaction, "It's already late autumn, and he's still carrying a fan... trying to be a playboy."

Ye Changsheng glanced at the ebony folding fan with gold trim that Young Master Jia had clipped to his waist, thought for a moment, and then remained silent.

The young man glanced over casually, seemingly noticing Jia Ling and Ye Changsheng as well. A hint of doubt flickered in his eyes. He raised an eyebrow and asked in a low voice, "And you two are...?"

Ye Changsheng stepped forward, took out the notice from his pocket, smiled politely, and cupped his hands, saying, "Young master, may I announce our arrival? Ah... um... we're here to treat Young Master Pan Jiu's illness."

The young man in thick robes narrowed his eyes, waved his folding fan, and smiled charmingly. He said softly, "You're here to treat him? Hehe, young lady, let me give you a heads-up. Although that boy is already dying, the old master dotes on him. If anything goes wrong... he'll still lose his head."

"Ah... thank you for your warning, young master." Changsheng smiled, neither confirming nor denying. "I wonder if... we might be able to go in now?"

The young master snorted coldly, flicked his sleeves, and strode away. Just as the servants were stunned, his indifferent voice drifted from ahead: "Take them to see Grandpa."

Watching the man ride away on horseback, Jia Ling scoffed and rolled her eyes. She couldn't believe that someone would be so arrogant and disdainful in front of her, the dashing, handsome, well-dressed, refined, and elegant young master Jia. She glared at Ye Changsheng resentfully, "Is that the Grand Tutor's grandson? It seems your patient isn't a good-tempered person either." Ye Changsheng readily agreed, sighing that there were very few elegant young noblemen like him in the world.

The two followed the servants, passing through corridors and bridges until they reached a side hall. The path revealed the opulent grandeur of the Grand Tutor's mansion: brick and stone walls, glazed tiles, curved eaves, and intricate carvings. Ye Changsheng smiled; this Grand Tutor Pan was a founding hero who had helped the founding emperor establish the empire, so his current status was not hard to imagine. She looked around with great interest, circling several times before finally arriving at the side hall.

After a short wait, an elderly man with a dignified appearance and a bushy beard, dressed in simple civilian clothes, walked in through the door. He looked around, his gaze finally settling on Jia Ling and Ye Changsheng, and asked in a deep voice, "Who took the notice?"

Ye Changsheng smiled, straightened his clothes, and stepped forward slowly, answering respectfully, "It is I, Grand Tutor."

Pan Zhongxun's gaze shifted to her, his brows furrowing slightly. He hadn't expected this woman to recognize him at a glance. He slowly asked, "How should I address you, young lady?"

"Ah..." Changsheng bowed, "I am Ye Changsheng."

Pan Zhongxun nodded slightly, gesturing for the two to sit down, his expression calm and his eyes unwavering. Jia Ling couldn't help but admire the old Grand Tutor, sighing inwardly that he was, after all, a high-ranking official of the court, unlike those minor figures in the martial arts world who treated Ye Changsheng like a god upon hearing his name, regretting that they had met too late.

The Grand Tutor, who looked somewhat stern, instructed his servants to settle them in, gave a few more instructions, and then left.

late at night.

That evening, Ye Changsheng had dinner with everyone in the Pan household, and then the old steward led him to the west room.

In the flickering candlelight, Ye Changsheng sat by the bed, expertly taking the pulse of the unconscious man on the sickbed. Jia Ling was not there; after finishing his meal, he collapsed onto the bed and went to sleep.

"Doctor? How is he?" Pan Zhongxun stood to the side, looking slightly anxious.

Ye Changsheng showed no guilt under the old grand tutor's piercing gaze. Without raising his head, he said slowly, "Grand Tutor, may I leave first... Uh... Well, I swore a solemn oath to my master that I would not reveal the medical skills of our sect."

Upon hearing this, Pan Zhongxun glanced at Ye Changsheng, then looked at the person on the bed with great concern, nodded, and turned to leave.

The servants closed the door, leaving the room in complete silence.

Ye Changsheng stood up and looked at the man on the bed. He was very young and very handsome, with fair skin and an air of nobility between his brows. His lips were thin and somewhat pale. He looked like the kind of elegant and refined young master who lived a life of luxury.

Ye Changsheng held the candlelight and looked at him for a long time, then sighed and shook his head. It was such a pity that such a handsome man had fallen ill like this.

Ye Changsheng took the man's hand again, wanting to check his pulse, when suddenly, a voice beside him said slowly, "Doctor, you touched the wrong place just now."

This song has a kindred spirit.

Ye Changsheng swore that she never expected the man on the sickbed to suddenly come back to life and even kindly remind her that she had taken the wrong pulse, which left her momentarily stunned.

"Doctor?" The elegant, refined young man in a single robe was leaning against the couch, looking at Ye Changsheng with a hint of curiosity—she was still holding his hand, her fingers resting on some pulse point, and for about half a cup of tea's time, she hadn't moved an inch. Hearing this, Ye Changsheng exclaimed "Ah!" and opened his hand. The young man, completely unaware of what he was saying, rolled up his sleeves and asked unhurriedly, "Doctor, do you know what illness I have?"

"This..." Ye Changsheng pretended to pack his things, muttering, "It's not that I misread the pulse, but rather that our sect's medical techniques are unique and never follow the usual methods. Uh... the weather has suddenly turned cold lately, has Ninth Young Master caught a cold?"

The Ninth Young Master's expression was very relaxed, his gentle smile was like a spring breeze, and his unhurried tone seemed to dispel all chill, making one unconsciously feel calm and at ease. He did not deny it, but asked instead, "Doctor, do you think... I have typhoid fever?"

Ye Changsheng stared at the man's clear black and white eyes for a while, then slowly took out a bottle from her bosom, poured out a dark, gooey pill, found a clean cup on the table, poured half a cup of water, and turned around. "Young master, please look, this is my secret recipe... uh... a divine medicine. One pill can cure all diseases, prolong life, and maintain youthful appearance—would you like one?" Ye Changsheng spoke with great seriousness, as if the large, dark pill in her hand was not a sugar pill from a shady shop, but a genuine elixir that could regenerate flesh from bones and prolong life.

Young Master Pan tilted his head, smiling gently. He looked at Ye Changsheng as if they had known each other for a long time: "Miss, could you do me a small favor?"

Changsheng's brow twitched. Had his uncle noticed something amiss? Why was he suddenly not even calling for a doctor? He coughed a few times and smiled broadly, "Please speak, young master."

“Nothing else…” Pan Xijin’s voice was very calm, “Just tell Father that I won’t live more than three months.”

Ye Changsheng seemed startled and stood up abruptly, clutching her chest. "Ah... absolutely not! My master taught me the art of medicine so that I could practice medicine and save lives. How could I act so recklessly?" Ye Changsheng spoke with utmost seriousness, as if she were truly a benevolent and skilled healer, not a quack doctor who knew nothing about medicine.

Pan Xijin listened to his rambling and smiled calmly, "If you don't say that... we'll both die."

"Ahem..." Ye Changsheng coughed and sighed, "Has Ninth Young Master offended someone?"

“Doctor, you’re overthinking it,” Pan Xijin said, unperturbed. “I just hope my family can prepare early and allow me to do something useful in my remaining days.” He even smiled with a touch of gentleness and slyness. “Young lady, with your unique medical skills, you must be able to tell that I don’t have much left. Is this request too much?”

Ye Changsheng was always a gentle person, so gentle that she was humble, reserved and without any aggression. This request was indeed not excessive. She smiled and nodded, agreeing without hesitation.

Pan Xijin gazed intently at Ye Changsheng, then smiled and arched her eyebrows, "Then please come forward, young lady, and tell my father that my days are numbered and I need to go to a quiet place to recuperate."

Ye Changsheng considered for a moment, then asked calmly, "The Grand Tutor is so worried about you, young master... aren't you afraid that the Grand Tutor will be heartbroken?"

“Being heartbroken… is better than losing your life.” Pan Xijin closed his eyes slightly, and after a while, he smiled gently, “Miss, please don’t leave the Pan residence for the time being, okay?”

The two looked at each other for a long while, then smiled at each other. The night wind howled, and the sky outside the window was already quite dark.

Early the next day