Chapter 39: Fabrication

Lu Man replied without hesitation, “Of course, he’s a good person.”

She spoke the truth, among the many medical books, there were several volumes of notes left by her maternal grandfather, He Huang, detailing numerous medical cases and intricate problems with meticulous detail. As He Huang had only one daughter, he entrusted these books to her before his death, not wanting these medical treasures to be lost forever. She believed that He Huang must have been a diligent and dedicated individual who had a passion for the field of medicine. His execution was likely unjust.

Jiang Zhanwei nodded and added, “Master Xie had connections with your maternal grandfather and praised Court Physician He’s exceptional medical skills and his upright character. Since he kept that medical book and passed it down to your mother, it shows that he approved of Sun Wa’s character and medical principles. Additionally, the ancestor of the He family was a person of noble character, he risked his life to take Sun Wa’s notes, revered his medical skills, and didn’t claim credit for Sun Wa’s achievements, attributing the book to Sun Wa… I trust Court Physician He’s medical skills, I trust the character of the He family ancestor, and therefore, I trust their admiration for Sun Wa. Perhaps using Sun Wa’s methods to treat Grandfather would be beneficial, the sooner, the better, to prevent the illness from worsening.”

Lu Man was surprised at Jiang Zhanwei’s open-mindedness and flexibility. Such an intelligent individual who didn’t stick to conventions could excel in any position. As for the mysterious Master Xie, who praised her maternal grandfather so highly, his opinion held significant weight.

Feeling excited, Lu Man realized that with his support, many things would become easier.

She continued, “I also want to use that method to treat Grandfather. But I’m not a physician, I don’t know acupuncture, and the prescriptions and treatment methods I propose won’t be accepted by the Imperial Physicians and Grandmother. If I bring out ‘Records of Revival,’ not only would the Imperial Physicians refuse, but Grandmother would also be displeased. It might even be seen as malicious intent to use witchcraft to treat Grandfather.”

Thoughtfully, Jiang Zhanwei asked, “Does the ancestor who compiled ‘Records of Revival’ have any other writings?”

After considering, Lu Man replied, “He left behind four volumes of notes.”

Jiang Zhanwei’s expression changed, and he said, “Bring ‘Records of Revival’ and the ancestor’s notes to me. There might be a solution.”

As Lu Man got up to head to the bedroom, she heard Jiang Zhanwei cough and glance at the silver note on the table.

Turning back, Lu Man picked up the silver note before proceeding to the bedroom. Since the note didn’t feel right to refuse, she reluctantly accepted it.

For safety, she hid “Records of Revival” in a small drawer under the bed.

With “Records of Revival” in hand, they went to the western study in the house. Lu Man retrieved four volumes written by He Huang from the bookshelf and handed them to Jiang Zhanwei.

After examining the books, Jiang Zhanwei happily took both “He Family Medical Case Notes” and “Records of Revival,” comparing them carefully. He remarked, “The handwriting, paper color, and freshness of both books are identical. We can remove the five pages from ‘Records of Revival’ detailing the treatment for soul-separation illness, insert them into ‘He Family Medical Case Notes’, and rebind them. This way, the medical cases for treating soul-separation illness will be attributed to the He family ancestor.”

Lu Man shook her head, “The strings on the book have aged over a hundred years, the color difference of a new string would be noticeable.”

Jiang Zhanwei assured, “No problem, I can age the new string to match the old one within an hour.” With that, he placed the book on the table and left the study excitedly.

He quietly instructed Tao, “Go to the external study, find Liu Qing, bring the black lacquered box with gold trim from the bookcase, and fetch a red robe. I need them urgently.”

Tao left to carry out the task.

Lu Man was pleased to see Jiang Zhanwei’s capabilities. It was fortunate that ancient texts didn’t typically include page numbers, making it challenging to fabricate. She planned to insert the pages into “He Family Medical Case Notes” temporarily and then return them to “Records of Revival” once they served their purpose. Coming from the modern world, Lu Man highly valued intellectual property rights.

After stashing the books away, she left the study, making sure to lock the door behind her.

Hong Ling and Lu Ying returned with two young maids carrying food boxes. The former brought the master’s meal to the main room, and the latter took the servants’ food to the back room.

As the meal was set on the table, Liu Ya brought out a colorful porcelain mini-jug and a small cup. Since the kitchen didn’t provide alcohol, Liu Ya had someone fetch the jug from the external study.

Jiang Zhanwei, visibly pleased, drank two glasses of wine.

Lu Man’s complexion improved slightly, despite struggling to resist the urge to drink. She longed for a sip of alcohol but didn’t dare to indulge. Jiang Zhanwei’s foul mouth was not to be underestimated, and she feared what he might say if he noticed her desire for wine.

After dinner, Jiang Zhanwei had a cup of tea prepared. Once the tea cooled slightly, he carried the tea in one hand and the black lacquered box in the other, heading to the western study. Lu Man signaled Lu Ying to stand by the study door, keeping others at bay.

Hong Ling wanted to assist but was called by Liu Ya to have dinner in the back room.

Lu Man and Jiang Zhanwei entered the study, lighting a candle.

Jiang Zhanwei inspected the binding of “He Family Medical Case Notes” and opened the black box. It contained scissors, string, small charcoal sticks, awls, rulers, sulfur, and other items unfamiliar to Lu Man.

He cut a piece of string, soaked it in the tea, and ignited a charcoal stick, letting it burn for a short while before extinguishing it. After about fifteen minutes, he removed the string, checked its color, soaked it in the tea again for another half an hour, then removed, squeezed, and dried it over the candle flame.

Jiang Zhanwei worked diligently and skillfully, rotating the string between his fingers to dry it quickly without scorching it. Once the string was completely dry, he rubbed off some charcoal ash onto it, ran it through his fingers, cleaned them, and repeated the process.

“How is it?” He handed the string to Lu Man.

Taking the string and comparing it to the one from “He Family Medical Case Notes,” Lu Man nodded and smiled, “Not bad. Although the color isn’t an exact match, it’s close enough.”

Jiang Zhanwei remarked, “This isn’t a high-quality counterfeit for ancient texts. Without an expert appraisal, the Imperial Physicians won’t detect any discrepancies. Last year, I…” realizing he was getting carried away, he abruptly halted his words.

Glancing at him and his actions, along with the well-equipped box, Lu Man began to realize that this man might lack any moral boundaries beyond her previous understanding.

With a flush on his cheeks, Jiang Zhanwei coldly stated, “Our actions today will remain between us.”

Lu Man nodded in agreement. She wasn’t a fool!