Chapter 140: Mother’s Family Member 

As soon as Prefect Liu finished speaking, it felt as though a sharp, cold gaze pierced through the air towards him. Instinctively, he turned his head to look and saw only a young man registering names. The young man’s gaze was cold and fierce, exuding a terrifying sense of pressure.

Prefect Liu was slightly taken aback. But when he looked more closely, the young man was already bent over, diligently recording names, as if the earlier impression was nothing but his imagination.

Feeling a bit annoyed, Prefect Liu realized he had actually been intimidated by a mere youth.

Su Wan was momentarily stunned, surprised that Prefect Liu had brought up Zhao Wei.

Suddenly, it dawned on her why Prefect Liu would offer the medical hall to her.

This was his way of currying favor with Zhao Wei.

“Prefect Liu, you’ve misunderstood. General Zhao and I are just ordinary friends. Whether he’s in the prefectural city or not, I’m not sure.”

Su Wan glanced at the man behind her who was registering names. He seemed oblivious to the conversation, his side profile calm and gentle, his eyes without a trace of emotion. She pressed her lips together and said, “This medical hall will be run independently by me. What does a man who only knows how to wage war understand about this? If you have anything to discuss, you can talk directly to me.”

This was her polite way of declining Prefect Liu’s suggestion.

Prefect Liu’s face darkened.

“You can take the medical hall back,” Su Wan continued, not insisting on it, as she didn’t want to owe a favor by using Zhao Wei’s name.

She and Zhao Wei weren’t at the stage where she would casually use his name or be indebted to him.

Prefect Liu felt a bit resentful, and thought Su Wan was ungrateful.

He had already offered her the medical hall.

Taking the medical hall back would be a blatant slap in his face, wouldn’t it?

Earlier, seeing Su Wan and Zhao Wei’s close relationship, Prefect Liu had assumed she was someone Zhao Wei was supporting. Who knew that he had completely misunderstood?

Just as Prefect Liu was about to speak, Mo Chen approached.

“Divine Doctor Su,” Mo Chen greeted warmly, trying to get closer to her, “I didn’t expect to run into you here. When are you returning to Xihe Town?”

Su Wan narrowed her eyes slightly, her peripheral vision instinctively flicking toward Gu Huaizhi, but she remained composed. “I’ll probably head back within the next couple of days.”

“Let’s go together then, it’s on the way,” Mo Chen suggested, glancing at the medical hall with curiosity. “Are you planning to open a medical hall here in the prefectural city? You already have one in Xihe Town, and Doctor Zhou is managing it well for you. If Young Master Gu passes the provincial examination, he’ll have to go to the capital next year. If he stays on as a court official, how will you have the time to manage this medical hall here? Didn’t the Regent gift you a few shops in the capital on your birthday? You could just open one there.”

Su Wan was sharp as ever; Mo Chen had said a lot of unnecessary things, but the last sentence was the key point.

“Business is never too much, whether in the prefectural city or the capital,” Su Wan considered. What Mo Chen said was true—the Regent’s favor could be leveraged, and she could repay it elsewhere when the time came.

“Divine Doctor Su, you really are impressive. We’re just simple-minded, only good for fighting,” Mo Chen flattered Su Wan with a wide smile.

Su Wan responded with a silent smile.

Prefect Liu’s eyes widened in realization. Su Wan was no ordinary person—not only did she know Zhao Wei, but she also had a close relationship with the Regent. He felt both shocked and relieved that he hadn’t offended her.

He couldn’t help but speculate about Su Wan’s true identity. For the Regent to send her gifts, and for someone from the Regent’s circle to speak to her with such respect and deference, she must be someone of significant importance.

“Divine Doctor Su, what are you saying? I handed over the medical hall to you in front of all these people. How could I possibly take it back? If you have matters to attend to, go ahead. When you have some free time, we can discuss the plans for the medical hall in more detail.”

Su Wan’s interest was piqued immediately. “Prefect Liu, do you have any good ideas? Could it be that the government plans to benefit the people by allocating funds to treat the poor?”

Prefect Liu’s expression froze. He was so shocked that his eyes widened in disbelief as he looked at Su Wan.

She had just gained a medical hall for free and now she wanted to dip into his funds to benefit the people?

“Prefect Liu, as the local authority, if you work to benefit the people and achieve good results, the court will surely take notice,” Su Wan subtly hinted.

Prefect Liu suddenly saw the light—Su Wan was actually helping him!

The idea of the government allocating funds to treat those who couldn’t afford medical care was an excellent one, and if Su Wan managed it well, the benefits for Prefect Liu would be enormous.

After all, the money wasn’t coming out of his own pocket.

“Divine Doctor Su, you are absolutely right. That was exactly my intention,” Prefect Liu said, his face beaming with a broad smile. “We’ll discuss the details further when the time comes.”

“Alright,” Su Wan agreed.

Prefect Liu then instructed the officers to gather all the fake medicine from Guangren Hall and burn it. As he took a few steps toward his carriage, he paused, glancing back instinctively at the young man still registering names.

The young man happened to look up at that moment, and their eyes met. The cold, dark intensity in the youth’s gaze made Prefect Liu’s heart inexplicably tighten, sending a prickly feeling down his spine, leaving him distinctly uncomfortable.

Su Wan, with a composed demeanor, turned to Mo Chen and asked, “What are you doing here? Suddenly bringing up the Regent—were you trying to back me up? Aren’t you afraid that if the Regent finds out you’re using his name, he’ll twist your neck off?” 

Mo Chen froze, suddenly realizing the seriousness of his impulsive behavior.

“Young Master Gu hired my brother and me to escort him to the prefectural city. After he finishes his provincial examination, we’ll escort him back home,” Mo Chen scratched his head, trying to play dumb. “Lady Su, don’t pin any false accusations on me. How could I dare to use the Regent’s name? I was just stating the facts.”

Su Wan had long suspected that Mo Chen, Mo Yuan, and Gu Huaizhi had a close relationship, but she hadn’t exposed it, waiting instead for Gu Huaizhi to tell her himself.

“Young lady, we’ve paid out over 130 taels of silver,” Qi Third reported as he approached with a ledger in hand, offering it to Su Wan. “Please take a look.”

Su Wan glanced at the ledger briefly and then handed it back to Qi Third. “Place it in the drawer at the counter. Take down Guangren Hall’s signboard and replace all the locks, inside and out.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Qi Third replied energetically, rushing into the medical hall to get to work.

Su Wan walked over to Qi Fifth and Gu Huaizhi, standing beside them, her gaze falling on the booklet. The information was recorded clearly and concisely. Names, places of origin, and even details of three generations of relatives were all documented.

Gu Huaizhi finished registering the last person and rotated his wrist slightly. A delicate, pale hand reached out, gently holding his hand and massaging his sore wrist.

“You don’t need to record so much detail; just the place of origin and the name will do,” Su Wan said, clearly appreciating Gu Huaizhi’s hands. His fingers were long, the lines smooth, and the veins prominent, each part seemingly sculpted with care, perfectly proportioned.

“I just mentioned to Prefect Liu that the government should allocate a certain amount of money each year to aid refugees who can’t afford medical treatment.”

“If we manage this well, setting a good precedent, it will surely reach the ears of the court. If Prefect Liu is commended and promoted because of this, even if the court doesn’t issue a direct order, other officials might follow suit. Many more people will be able to receive treatment and won’t have to face death simply because they lack the money for care.”

“Your idea is very good, but implementing it won’t be easy,” Gu Huaizhi remarked casually, then asked, “Did you come to the prefectural city with Zhao Wei?”

“No, no!” Qi Fifth was more animated than Su Wan, vehemently denying it. “We met General Zhao by chance in the city. We parted ways right after entering the city gate. When we delivered medicine to Guangren Hall, we happened to save a young lady, and General Zhao heard the commotion and came over. Then, by coincidence, Prefect Liu came to apprehend an assassin, and we all ended up gathering together unexpectedly.”

Gu Huaizhi, with a tone that held a hint of something unsaid, commented, “That’s quite the connection.”

Su Wan glanced at Gu Huaizhi, and detected a slight trace of jealousy in his words. She couldn’t help but smile and then introduced Qi Fifth, “This is Qi Fifth, my mother’s family member.”

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