Chapter 39

Su Ci wasn’t exaggerating when she said the medical camp was busy. After the negotiations and balancing of power between the old emperor, Yang Yanzong, and the Sixth Prince, the imperial physicians from the Imperial Medical Office came down, gathering at Su Ci’s medical camp and pharmacy. This was one of the conditions, and in addition, the Sixth Prince’s residence also sent their physicians.

When Su Ci leisurely arrived at the military medical camp, it was already bustling. Led by Imperial Physician Huang, several imperial physicians had hurriedly eaten lunch without taking a break and had dived into Su Ci’s laboratory.

Regarding the purification of penicillin, the Imperial Medical Office had specially allocated a few rooms to almost replicate the equipment, and they had moved half of the petri dishes over. If Su Ci hadn’t said that the environment greatly affected the bacterial cultures and that a small mistake could ruin everything, they might have moved everything.

—But actually, it didn’t matter. These were just some leftovers and second-rate bacterial cultures that Su Ci had deliberately left behind.

Thanks to Su Rong’s timely report, Su Ci and Yang Yanzong had transferred all the primary bacterial cultures overnight. They were now in a secret civilian house in the eastern suburbs of Suiping.

Using these secondary bacterial cultures, the extracted penicillin wasn’t very suitable for human use. Therefore, Su Ci had to secretly mix in some primary bacterial cultures—otherwise, the lie she told the old emperor wouldn’t hold up. But in reality, the old emperor had lost interest in her. After discovering that penicillin couldn’t be mass-produced, his attention dropped significantly. Initially, even the head of the Imperial Medical Office—an old imperial physician who had briefly collaborated with Su Ci—came, along with the deputy head. A small military medical camp courtyard was crowded with over a dozen imperial physicians. Although imperial physicians weren’t skilled in surgery, their medical knowledge and observational sensitivity were not lacking. The old imperial physician quickly confirmed that this “penicillin” couldn’t be mass-produced, so most imperial physicians were soon recalled, leaving only Imperial Physician Huang and a few young physicians —This was the fundamental reason Su Ci was ultimately able to leave the palace. Her value wasn’t high enough. The old emperor wouldn’t suffer any more external injuries, and in terms of health maintenance, she wasn’t as good as the old imperial physicians. The old emperor already had penicillin—regarding its shelf life, Su Ci had only hinted at it to the physicians after everything had settled down at home.

Grasping this balance was crucial to winning the gamble. Before setting an action plan, one must clearly assess one’s conditions and the internal and external environment. Otherwise, any plan would be futile.

Alright, those matters are in the past. Now, back to Imperial Physician Huang and the current military medical camp.

Su Ci felt at ease, knowing that the bacterial cultures were in her hands and being looked after by dedicated personnel. The progress of the imperial physicians and the household physicians was entirely under her control, so there were no other issues apart from the noise and crowd.

—She had already discussed with Yang Yanzong that after the situation calmed down in two or three months, they would expand the courtyard and build a private pharmacy for her. They would also set up one at home, making it convenient for her to work and ensuring peace and quiet.

As for Imperial Physician Huang, he had both professional skills and medical ethics. He was diligent and focused, showing great enthusiasm for penicillin to the point of neglecting sleep and food. His only flaw was his lack of social skills, which Su Ci found problematic, especially in how he treated Su Yan.

As previously mentioned, Su Yan came to the medical camp with Su Ci, initially helping her take care of the bacterial cultures. This crucial task required complete trust and Su Yan did it very well.

However, now that the primary bacterial cultures had been secretly transferred, Su Yan couldn’t follow. The fact that both Su sisters worked in the medical camp was well-known, and if Su Yan disappeared without reason, it would easily lead to suspicions about the transfer of the cultures.

So, Su Yan couldn’t go. She was straightforward and lacked the relevant professional knowledge, sometimes even needing to ask how to process medicinal materials. This wasn’t something that could be learned overnight.

Compared to other medical apprentices, her shortcomings were quite obvious. Imperial Physician Huang noticed this soon after arriving and assigned her to do heavy labor, moving and carrying things. One morning, Su Ci walked in to find her sister holding a large jar with others, moving it to the front yard. Imperial Physician Huang frowned, “To the left, to the left! I said to place it in the shade by the wall, no sunlight!”

Optimizing bacterial cultures required various experiments. Imperial Physician Huang, self-taught, placed some bacterial cakes in a large jar in the shade, trying to change their growth environment.

Su Yan worked enthusiastically, not minding others’ disdain because she knew she wasn’t skilled. Sometimes, being a hindrance and getting scolded was normal. After moving the jar, she asked Imperial Physician Huang, “Is this the right spot? Should we move it a bit more inside?”

Imperial Physician Huang looked around and said, “Alright, leave it here for now. Remove two layers of the cover in the evening.”

“Oh.” So Su Yan took out a small notebook and a charcoal pencil, imitating Su Ci, and carefully noted it down.

Imperial Physician Huang nodded in approval. That’s how it should be done.

But Su Ci wasn’t happy. She didn’t like seeing her sister being ordered around to do heavy labor. What could she learn from that?!

She rushed over in a few steps, grabbed Su Yan’s hand, and glared at Imperial Physician Huang. “Su Yan is my medical assistant. Let someone else do this work, Imperial Physician Huang!” She pointed to the young physicians and medical apprentices from the Imperial Medical Bureau. “Your people are over there!”

She was annoyed. No wonder he never got promoted and ended up being sent to Suiping to research penicillin. Imperial Physician Huang had professional skills but lacked flexibility and couldn’t read the room.

Unlike the soldiers and medical apprentices who feared Imperial Physician Huang because the emperor sent him, Su Ci didn’t care. She didn’t believe Imperial Physician Huang would dare report such a small matter to the emperor. On her turf, they had to follow her rules!

Mutual respect and peaceful coexistence were essential for everyone, especially for workers.

Su Ci raised her chin and signaled a medical apprentice, Ping An, to show Imperial Physician Huang and his team the medical camp’s rules and regulations. “This is a medical camp, and we often have injured soldiers. You can focus on your research but can’t disrupt the camp’s operations and the treatment of injured soldiers.”

Su Ci smiled, “Imperial Physician Huang, don’t you agree?”

Using a mix of firmness and diplomacy and knowing that Imperial Physician Huang and his team needed her cooperation for their research, she quickly set boundaries and sent them back to the rear courtyard.

She had an office set up in the front yard, bringing peace to her world. Su Ci pulled Su Yan inside and handed her a towel to wipe her hands.

Su Yan took the towel, wiped her hands, and leaned in. “Sis, don’t be mad. Imperial Physician Huang isn’t a bad person.”

He was just a bit too straightforward. After their initial meeting, during which he questioned why a woman wasn’t staying at home with her parents, he didn’t mention it again and didn’t treat her differently. She didn’t mind carrying heavy jars, and even if he was stern, he always explained things clearly in the end.

“I know.” Otherwise, she wouldn’t have handled it the way she did.

Seeing her sister wasn’t angry, Su Yan brightened up, laughing and leaning in to whisper, “Sis, how’s it going? Is the Yang family treating you well? Is Yang Yanzong good to you? How’s his family?”

Yang Yanzong was her brother-in-law now, so calling him “Young Master” didn’t seem appropriate. Halfway through, Su Yan switched to his name, speaking quickly, then whispered, “That old lady Yan didn’t give you a hard time, did she?”

Su Ci burst out laughing. Mrs. Yan wasn’t that old, was she? Su Yan didn’t like Mrs. Yan, and the feeling was mutual. But Su Ci loved her sister’s unrestrained and bold nature.

“No, with Yang Yanzong and Yang Chongying around, how could she? As for married life with Yang Yanzong,” Su Ci rested her chin on her hand, “it’s good. The Yang family is fine; everyone knows each other well, and he’s good to me.”

Su Ci’s married life was going well. Mrs. Yan might have some complaints, but that was normal. She wasn’t everyone’s favorite, so it was natural for some people not to like her. As long as they kept it to themselves, it was fine.

So far, Yang Yanzong was indeed good to her. He was handsome, strong, and had great stamina—a perfect combination. Apart from the nervous first time, their second wedding night was truly satisfying. Su Ci adapted quickly, savoring the experience. It was worth every moment.

So, regarding the question about her married life, Su Ci’s answer was that she was quite satisfied. She touched her chin, believing she would soon find a new way to relax—although the situation might not allow her to relax truly, she still longed for a comfortable life.

Making life as comfortable as possible at all times is the true essence of relaxation! Otherwise, lying down when you can and still lying down when you can’t, waiting for death, isn’t that foolish?

After quickly resolving the issues with Imperial Physician Huang and his team, the medical camp soon returned to peace.

The medical apprentices under Su Ci’s supervision found their footing and resumed their orderly work, starting to dry out the easily dampened medicinal materials. Amid the sweet and spicy aroma of the herbs, Su Ci had little to do, so she propped up her feet in the room, teaching Su Yan about the properties of medicines and essential wound treatment tips while occasionally dealing with questions from Imperial Physician Huang and others.

Starting from scratch in medicine was quite difficult. Su Yan learned basic wound treatment well but struggled with the properties of medicines. Like Su Rong, she found it hard to understand and integrate this knowledge fully. Thinking a bit deeper always leads to new problems.

Su Ci, resting her chin on her hand, watched Su Yan struggle and asked, “Sis, do you want to do something else?”

Su Yan’s eyes lit up, “Can I?”

…

Su Ci stayed at the medical camp until the early evening before heading home. Imperial Physician Huang was very dedicated to his research, and Su Ci wasn’t in a hurry, so she spent over an hour discussing things with him.

By the second watch, the sisters leisurely walked home. Su Yan wanted to escort Su Ci back to the Yang family, but Su Ci refused. With a few guards following at a distance, she had no safety concerns. She first took a left turn to visit her parents, chatted with them for a while, and then slowly headed to the neighboring house.

To be honest, Su Ci adapted quite well to her married life. It was so close that when she stepped out, she still saw the same crooked poplar trees, and she even knew about the new clumps of weeds growing in the nearby alleys. The only thing she needed to get used to was sleeping in the new rooms.

Su Ci leisurely returned to her new home. At this hour, Yang Chongying and Mrs. Yan had already retired, so she didn’t even need to chat with them, so she went straight to the East Grand Courtyard.

The East Grand Courtyard connects to the front courtyard, with its gate located behind Yang Yanzong’s outer study. The outer and inner residences are separate, as the outer study involves many official and external affairs, including confidential matters. Even Mrs. Yan, Yang Yanzong’s mother, cannot easily enter the front area.

Expanding the East Grand Courtyard as the new residence might have been Yang Yanzong’s idea, but Su Ci was extremely satisfied with it. She leisurely returned to the East Grand Courtyard. The courtyard was spacious, allowing Yang Yanzong to practice martial arts. The main house was their new residence, with Yang Yanzong’s inner study on the left and a room for Su Ci on the right. According to the maid, the room was arranged as per the Young Master’s instructions for the Young Madam.

Su Ci strolled around the courtyard, even expressing interest in installing a swing on one side of the courtyard wall. The maid had already lit the lamps in the main house, casting a warm orange glow on the red silk and paper cutouts, creating a festive and newlywed atmosphere.

Su Ci toured the main house and then took a bath. After bathing, she sent the maid to rest, as serving two people with the help of a few guards was tiring enough.

Yang Yanzong returned at the third watch of the night. Su Ci was still awake. As he tossed his whip into the courtyard, the door to the main house was half-open, with a soft orange light spilling out. Su Ci, dressed in white nightclothes and wrapped in a new fox fur cloak, sat at the table, writing and drawing by candlelight.

“Not sleeping yet? What are you writing?” The man entered, bringing a cold wind with him. The journey from Yangdu was long, and he was covered in the chill of the night.

“Waiting for you!” Su Ci looked up and smiled at him. She was actually recalling the extraction method for artemisinin. Ether and solvent gasoline were impossible for her to obtain, so after some thought, she decided on the 60%-70% ethanol extraction method as the most feasible traditional method. She wrote and drew, crossing out and finalizing the steps for the ethanol extraction method.

Of course, Su Ci wasn’t entirely honest. She sweetly smiled at Yang Yanzong, showering him with compliments.

Yang Yanzong smiled and snorted—this sweet-talking, clever little girl.

Returning home on a cold night, with a half-open door and a warm light, the feeling of someone waiting for him was different. Seeing her bright smile, he felt pretty good.

Today, Yang Yanzong had gone straight to Yangdu to report to the Left Guard, familiarized himself with the environment, and met his colleagues and subordinates. He left in the evening, returned to Suiping, and then visited the Sixth Prince’s residence for almost two hours.

Overall, it was a non-stop day, and he hadn’t even had dinner.

The guards brought in water, and Yang Yanzong removed his cloak and cuffs to wash up. When Su Ci heard he hadn’t eaten, she called for the maid and decided to make a large bowl of meat sauce and vegetable soup noodles, along with two refreshing side dishes. She made extra for the group of young men who had returned with Yang Yanzong.

The cook skillfully lit the stove, and soon, the steaming noodles and side dishes were ready. They were placed on the table where Su Ci had been writing. Yang Yanzong came out after washing up and devoured the food quickly.

Su Ci, feeling peckish, couldn’t resist the fresh, fragrant early spring chives and picked some directly. Yang Yanzong glanced at her and lightly scolded, “No manners. If you want to eat, can’t you use another pair of chopsticks?”

Su Ci grinned and winked at him.

After Yang Yanzong finished eating, Su Ci handed him the paper she had written earlier, nudging it towards him. “What I mentioned this morning, it’s done.”

Yang Yanzong glanced at it but didn’t give it to A Zhao. Instead, he instructed, “Let’s first see how the morning prescription works.”

If the first prescription was effective and the malaria didn’t spread widely, there would be no need to introduce this new one.

Yang Yanzong had noticed that the cold extraction method was different from the current boiling and decoction methods. This was very characteristic of Su Ci’s personal style. It wasn’t something that could be easily passed off by a rural doctor.

If it really comes to that, they can only provide the finished medicine.

He folded the prescription and put it in his pocket. As they got up and returned to the inner room, Yang Yanzong said to Su Ci, “In a few days, I might have to go on a mission.”

Su Ci blinked, “The sunken silver in the river?”

Yang Yanzong nodded. In his early years, he had quelled rebellions and defended against foreign enemies in the southwest, so he was very familiar with the region. Even now, half of his trusted soldiers were from the southwest. With this background, the Sixth Prince had chosen him as one of the candidates to go to the southwest without much effort on his part.

Su Ci asked, “Can I go?”

Yang Yanzong thought for a moment, “We’ll go together.”

Yang Yanzong had already recalled most of the good military doctors who had followed him in the past, alleviating the medical camp’s personnel shortage. They could take turns going on missions. However, he wanted to quickly diminish the impact of the old emperor and the young Zhao King’s recovery on Su Ci, so he didn’t want her to stay in Suiping alone during this time.

Oh, that’s great!

Of course, Su Ci was willing to go. She loved excitement and fun, and who would want to stay in Suiping alone with Mrs. Yan?

She beamed with joy and even poured him a cup of tea. Suddenly, she remembered something, “Oh? Are we leaving with him?”

He, of course, referred to the heir. The key question was, had they dealt with him?

Yang Yanzong glanced at her, took the teacup, and his previously relaxed expression turned deep and intriguing. He coldly curled his lips and said, “Ji Yan has cleared out all the people I arranged for him over the years, those familiar with me.”

Ji Yan wasn’t entirely useless. After all, he had been the Sixth Prince’s heir for so many years, going through many major and minor crises. He had the psychological resilience and capability; otherwise, he wouldn’t have maintained his position as the heir. After all, he wasn’t the legitimate son born to the Princess.

Unable to stop the Sixth Prince’s decision, Ji Yan quickly suppressed his anger and began to handle the situation calmly.

Ji Yan proved to be ruthless when necessary. Contrary to his usual anxious demeanor in front of the Sixth Prince, he thought deeply and made a painful but resolute decision. He dismissed the people Yang Yanzong had helped him find—some recommended by Yang Yanzong and others he had specifically asked for, including advisors and managers.

Additionally, anyone who had a good relationship with Yang Yanzong, even slightly familiar ones who would greet him often, including personal servants and guards, were all dismissed. He didn’t want to take any chances.

—Let’s see how Yang Yanzong deals with this.

Ji Yan sneered, reminding himself he was the Sixth Prince’s heir. As long as Yang Yanzong remained part of the Sixth Prince’s household, he couldn’t openly oppose him.

And in secret, who was afraid of whom? With this thorough purge, he believed there were no gaps left. He was ready to see who would come out on top.

To be fair, Ji Yan’s actions were rough but effective. By decisively cutting off those around him, he indeed removed Yang Yanzong’s people from his side.

…

“What do we do now?” Su Ci felt a headache coming on. She had just asked Yang Yanzong, and Ji Yan had no intention of getting involved in the sunken silver incident.

So what now? Without the main character, how could the play go on?

Su Ci, who had been a bit sleepy, threw off her fox fur cloak and lay down on the bed, only to jump up again, wide-eyed and fully awake.

Standing by the bed, Yang Yanzong revealed a mysterious smile, “No problem.”

Did Ji Yan think that Yang Yanzong would be helpless by dismissing his people?

Yang Yanzong snorted coldly.

Su Ci blinked, curious about what he meant by “no problem.” She whispered, “What do we do?”

We? Yang Yanzong smiled, shifting his attention from Ji Yan. Without answering, he stood by the bed, slowly unbuttoning his belt, “Take good care of your man, and I’ll tell you.”

With only one lamp in the room, Su Ci knelt on the bed, curious and excited, watching him. Her white nightgown was slightly open, revealing a hint of pink. Her porcelain face blushed under the red canopy, looking charming and delicate. Her slender waist was faintly visible through the nightgown, and Yang Yanzong’s eyes darkened. He remembered her casual remark in the palace, “It’s okay, it’s not that long,” and vowed to make up for it. He threw his belt aside and pulled her close.

Su Ci: “…”

Hey, it’s almost the end of the third watch, and the diligent ones will be up by the fifth watch. Yang Yanzong was one of those who had to be diligent.

“Hey, aren’t you tired?”

“No.”

Wow, what stamina. But Su Ci’s protests quickly turned into laughter. In just one day, Yang Yanzong discovered her weakness—she was ticklish and sensitive. A little pressure on her ribs made her laugh uncontrollably.

The brass brazier crackled softly, the room warm and cozy. A white foot peeked out from the red bedding, toes curling tightly before retreating. The laughter soon turned into heated breaths.

The brass brazier’s red glow lasted until dawn, gradually dimming. Before falling asleep, Su Ci heard Yang Yanzong getting up and calling someone to change the brazier, quickly warming the room again.

Half-asleep, Su Ci thought, well, it was worth it!

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