Lou Xiyue remained silent.
I cried out in anguish, "I'm too late! I'm too late!"
Lou Xiyue glanced at me and said casually, "Has Master not yet experienced the ways of the world?"
I casually replied, "Yes." But then I paused, looked at Lou Xiyue, who was smiling and squinting at me.
“Master, I have witnessed countless partings and deaths, and comprehended countless joys and sorrows. Romantic love is nothing but fleeting clouds; a moment of pleasure is not as good as helping the world and saving people.” I saw that Lou Xiyue’s smile had deepened, so I asked him with a stern face, “Then Xiyue, I know that you have countless female confidantes. You must have experienced a lot of things.”
Lou Xiyue slightly suppressed her smile, remaining noncommittal, "Master's teachings are correct."
Lu Xiaoyue and He Tingzhi remained motionless for a long time, their movements subtle. I felt a pang of regret and wondered, "He blushed when Lu Xiaoyue kissed him; could it be that they haven't consummated their marriage?"
Lou Xiyue and I speculated together, "It's possible. He came to Xuzhou to take up his job while still newly married. He didn't have time."
I thought about it carefully, "That's not right. If they didn't consummate their marriage, what were they doing in the study last time He Tingzhi kicked us out?"
Lou Xiyue said expressionlessly, "Let's have some tea."
"But the teacup is broken."
He said in a serious tone, "He Tingzhi and Lu Xiaoyue had a heart-to-heart talk, and then He Tingzhi got thirsty. He picked up a teacup to drink tea, but because of his poor eyesight, he accidentally knocked the teacup over."
I chuckled dryly. "west Yue, you truly have unique insights."
As night fell, I arrived at Su Wan'er's house and knocked on the door. She opened the door and asked, "What is it, Doctor Xia?" She looked somewhat haggard, her eyes were slightly swollen, and there were faint tear stains on her small face.
"I've come to tell you that the green calyx has been harvested. Tomorrow, we can use acupuncture to treat his eyes."
Su Wan'er smiled sadly, "Doctor Xia, are you confident that you can cure Brother Ting?"
I hesitated, then said, "I'm about 80% sure, but..."
"Just what?"
I replied, "Lord He's eyes have been destroyed. Even if I detoxify him, I will not be able to restore his vision."
Su Wan'er simply pulled her hair back loosely, her ink-black strands making her skin appear even whiter and more like jade. She was slender, like a water lily in the boundless night. Hearing this, she trembled, raised her eyes, and softly asked, "Can't I even use my eyes?" One could see her eyelashes fluttering like butterfly wings.
I felt a pang of pity. "If we're going to divide them by wives and concubines, even if we had to exchange our eyes for them, it should be Lu Xiaoyue, the principal wife."
Su Wan'er was silent for a moment, her face pale and gradually losing its color. She was as fragile as a floating duckweed. She said softly, "He loves Lu Xiaoyue, and he certainly wouldn't want her to go blind for him..."
"You want to grant them their wish?"
Wan'er pursed her lips and gave a bitter smile. "I don't want to. I just don't want to hurt him."
Clouds drifted in, obscuring the moonlight, turning everything into a deep, inky darkness. I sensed the sorrow in her eyes.
"If you were to give him your eyes, from now on..."
Her eyes crinkled into a smile. "Can Dr. Xia keep this from him? I plan to leave after his eye ailment is cured."
My heart skipped a beat. "Have you thought this through? Is it worth it?"
Su Wan'er's eyes welled up with tears as she murmured, "How could I not want to consider whether it's worth it or not? But what if it is worth it? What if it isn't?"
She took the pair of jade pendants from the house and handed them to me, saying, "These are our tokens of love; consider them payment for your medical treatment."
Looking at the pair of exquisite pendants, I wondered: were these the pendants He Tingzhi bought the night Lu Xiaoyue first met him? Back then, He Tingzhi was a handsome scholar with a turban, happily placing these earrings on Su Wan'er's head. At that time, Su Wan'er was a gentle and charming young lady of the prefectural government; these flawless jade-like earrings, paired with her rosy cheeks, must have been incredibly alluring.
In the blink of an eye, they passed each other by. When they met again, it was in this state.
I returned the pendant to her and comforted her, saying, "Since it's a keepsake, you can keep it. I will do my best to heal him."
"Thank you so much, doctor," she said, and as she turned away, I saw a tear fall.
She closed the door, extinguished the candles inside, and the boundless darkness melted into the night. It was as if a sobbing sound could be heard, drifting intermittently in the sky, blending with the evening breeze to form a heavy sigh.
Unable to sleep, I sat down by the small pond in the courtyard, my eyes filled with a silvery glow.
A long shadow was reflected on the surface of the pool. Lou Xiyue sat down next to me with two jugs of wine.
I was depressed, "I am truly filled with sorrow today."
He tore open the bottle seal and handed it to me, saying, "I know."
I rested my chin on my hand and said, "I feel sorry for Wan'er. But thinking about it, if I were her, I would have done the same."
Turning to Lou Xiyue, she said, "Back then, we were deeply in love, childhood sweethearts, growing up together in Xuzhou, a place of such beautiful green hills and clear waters. Since then, everything has changed, and yesterday's events are like yesterday's death. It's truly heartbreaking."
A faint aroma of wine wafted through the air. Lou Xiyue picked up a pebble and tossed it into the pond. "Plop—," splashing up water droplets.
The candlelight still shone in He Tingzhi's study in the mansion, and I asked Lou Xiyue, "Tell me, should I heal his eyes? Or should I just poison him? That would be doing justice for Heaven, and it would rid the world of one less scourge."
Lou Xiyue chuckled, "If you poison him, the other two will be heartbroken."
I took a sip of my drink and sighed, "This is so frustrating."
Lou Xiyue reached out and pulled my head close, resting it on his shoulder, and whispered, "You really get into character easily."
I was engaged in a fierce internal struggle, and in the midst of this struggle, I finally fell asleep. Lou Xiyue was wearing a brocade robe, and her shoulders were very smooth. I would often slide down and then rub against her again, repeating this process over and over. This sleep was very restless.
Early the next morning, I decided to have a heart-to-heart talk with He Tingzhi in order to fully understand his thoughts and feelings and to better address his problems. He was in his study when I entered; he was discussing some political matters with his advisor.
The advisor said worriedly, "My lord, the court has learned of your eye ailment. This is causing you many inconveniences. I heard that the Emperor is planning to transfer the Prefect of Kanzhou here, saying that he will help you until you recover."
He Tingzhi was silent for a moment, then said, "I understand."