Chapter 60

Seeing Xie Hengzhi’s gaze, Yiling immediately realized that her worries were not unfounded.

When he raised his eyebrow slightly, Yiling felt as though he could see right through her.

“You know Doctor Meng?”

Simply knowing someone leaves room for vague explanations.

But Yiling had instinctively blurted out the intimate “Yun Niang,” making it difficult to hide.

“Doctor Meng?”

Yiling’s gaze shifted hesitantly toward Meng Qingyun. Feigning surprise, she stretched her neck slightly, pretending to examine her.

Meng Qingyun cooperated by removing her face mask. Looking at that familiar and endearing face, Yiling suppressed the surge of emotions in her heart and continued pretending, exclaiming, “Oh, it seems I mistook you for someone else.”

She turned back to Xie Hengzhi and awkwardly explained, “Our family once hosted a distant relative with the single-character name ‘Yun.’ Her features are quite similar to Doctor Meng’s.”

After finishing, she even smiled sheepishly. “I was just wondering how Yun Niang, who never even stepped out of the house, suddenly decided to take up medicine.”

Xie Hengzhi’s suspicions significantly diminished. He nodded slightly before asking, “And this distant relative of yours, was she also unable to speak?”

Too many coincidences would seem suspicious, so Yiling dared not affirm his question.

“Not exactly. It’s just that after her husband’s family encountered misfortune, she suffered severe trauma and chose to isolate herself, refusing to speak to others anymore.”

“I see,” Xie Hengzhi nodded. “That really is quite the coincidence.”

“I’d rather it wasn’t a coincidence and that Yun Niang were actually here. After all, it’s been so long since I’ve—”

Before Yiling could finish her pitiable speech, Xie Hengzhi stood up and left with Meng Qingyun to prepare the prescription.

Yiling: “…”

Well, impolite is impolite.

At least judging by his demeanor, he probably wasn’t suspicious anymore, right?

Yiling exhaled slightly, realizing her back was already damp with a fine layer of cold sweat.

That was close—she had nearly given herself away.

As for Yun Niang…

Yiling fixed her gaze on her retreating figure, wanting to approach but not daring to. She could only watch from afar.

Years ago, when she was eight, Yiling had accompanied her parents to Shangjing. Frail and often ill, she was constantly plagued by various ailments.

It so happened that Meng Qingyun’s father was practicing medicine in Shangjing at the time and was highly reputed. The Yi family invited his accomplished daughter to the Yi residence to personally care for Yiling.

At the time, Meng Qingyun was only seventeen or eighteen, yet her medical skills already surpassed those of many seasoned doctors.

She was calm, meticulous, and patient. Her prescriptions changed daily, and she gradually adjusted Yiling’s eating habits, even encouraging her to go horseback riding and enjoy the outdoors with Yiyun.

Over seven years, Yiling finally shed her sickly constitution and grew close to Meng Qingyun as though they were sisters.

However, in the year of Yiling’s coming-of-age ceremony, Meng Qingyun announced that she would be traveling with her father to refine her medical skills and bid farewell to the Yi family.

Although Yiling was reluctant to see her go, she could tell that Meng Qingyun had long grown weary of life in Shangjing and had only stayed out of obligation to her promise.

After that farewell, they went their separate ways.

Since Meng Qingyun wandered from place to place without a permanent residence, Yiling couldn’t even write her letters, as she didn’t know where to send them.

She never imagined that when they met again, the person she knew so well would remain the same, yet she herself could not acknowledge her.

Even the simple wish to ask about her life these past years or inquire about her father’s health was stifled by Xie Hengzhi’s presence, leaving her unable to speak.

Perhaps it was the relief of knowing she wasn’t infected, or perhaps it was due to Meng Qingyun’s exceptional medical skills. Either way, by the afternoon, after taking her first dose of medicine, Yiling’s fever had subsided.

She even managed to drink over half a bowl of the spicy ginger porridge Xie Hengzhi brought her.

The following afternoon, Meng Qingyun returned to check Yiling’s pulse and adjusted her prescription.

Yiling had wanted to take the opportunity to speak with her, but with Xie Hengzhi standing nearby the entire time, she never found the chance.

The third day was the same, and Yiling didn’t even dare to show any special treatment to Meng Qingyun, fearing that Xie Hengzhi might grow suspicious.

By the fourth day, Yiling’s body was nearly healed, and even the rash on her chest had faded.

After lunch, she couldn’t sit still. She paced back and forth in the narrow room and frequently glanced out the window, waiting for Meng Qingyun to come and check her pulse.

As the time approached, she turned her head and saw that Xie Hengzhi was still standing in front of her, which made her feel a bit anxious.

He’d rather stay in this room and space out every day instead of going outside to put on a show.

Yiling bent down and approached Xie Hengzhi from behind.

“Don’t you dislike the weather outside recently?”

Xie Hengzhi, who had been deep in thought at the desk, turned around.

“?”

Yiling glanced at the window. “Oh, yes, the weather has been a bit gloomy lately. But, Lord, think about it, if the patients knew that you were still out there patrolling in this weather…

Wouldn’t they be so moved that they’d recover?”

Xie Hengzhi: “… Shut up.”

Yiling: “…”

So fierce.

After a moment, Xie Hengzhi dusted off his sleeves and stood up.

Before leaving, he pointed at the medicine bowl on the desk.

Yiling, afraid that he might change his mind, drank the entire bowl of medicine in one go, as if she were drinking alcohol.

She even turned the bowl upside down to show that she hadn’t left a drop.

Seeing how desperately Yiling tried not to look at him, Xie Hengzhi, with a serious face, left the room with a sense of self-awareness.

Fifteen minutes later, the familiar footsteps echoed in the courtyard.

Yiling immediately sat at the table, nervously waiting for Meng Qingyun.

She noticed the strange scribbles left by Xie Hengzhi on the desk and pushed them aside, irritated.

“Madam, Doctor Meng has arrived to check on you,” Spring Ye’s voice rang out.

Yiling quickly said, “Please invite Doctor Meng in.”

The door was pushed open from the outside. Against the light, Meng Qingyun walked in quietly.

She bowed to Yiling and then set down her medicine box, calmly taking out the items she needed.

While taking Yiling’s pulse, she sat on the embroidery cushion beside her, slightly turned away to avoid directly looking at Yiling.

This way, it was easier for Yiling to carefully observe her face.

As the familiar scent of medicine wafted from her, Yiling felt like she was transported back to her carefree youth.

Without realizing it, she had been staring at her for a long time, and Meng Qingyun noticed the strange, lingering gaze.

She looked at Yiling in confusion, wanting to speak but hesitating.

Yiling snapped back to reality and smiled complexly.

There were many things she had wanted to ask, but now she didn’t know how to begin.

Finally, she could only ask, “Doctor Meng, why did you come to Songyuan County?”

Meng Qingyun expressed through sign language that she was here for free medical consultations.

Yiling wasn’t surprised.

After all, Meng Qingyun and her father had been providing free medical help to the poor for years. Only when they were short on funds would they go to wealthy areas to earn consultation fees.

Yiling asked again, “Did you come to Songyuan County alone?”

Meng Qingyun nodded.

Yiling: “What about your father… or your husband? Didn’t they come with you?”

Meng Qingyun: “I’m not married, and my parents are no longer in this world.”

So, Mr. Meng had passed away…

That meant Yun Niang was all alone in this world.

Yiling’s heart trembled, and the other questions she wanted to ask got stuck in her throat.

At that moment, Meng Qingyun finished taking her pulse and turned to write the prescription.

Yiling knew that she needed to concentrate when writing prescriptions and didn’t like being disturbed, so she sat quietly and said nothing.

Soon, Meng Qingyun handed her two prescriptions, one for Yiling’s illness and the other for the people at the Zhang residence to prevent the plague. They needed to take it daily.

Yiling took the prescriptions and asked, “By the way, Zhang Xianling fell ill and was sent to Beitan Fang a few days ago. How is he now?”

Meng Qingyun lowered her eyes and shook her head.

Zhang Xianling was already elderly, and once he fell ill, his body deteriorated much faster than other patients. He hadn’t been out of bed for a long time and might not last much longer.

Hearing about the county magistrate’s condition, Yiling fell silent.

It seemed that the plague was indeed spreading quickly…

Before she could ask anything else, Meng Qingyun began packing her medicine box and told Yiling that she needed to hurry back to Beitan Fang to care for the patients.

Though reluctant, Yiling knew she couldn’t keep talking.

However, when Meng Qingyun pushed open the door, Yiling noticed that the sunlight outside had been covered by thick clouds, and she inexplicably had a sense that a storm was coming.

Under the gloomy sky, Yiling couldn’t help but call out, “Doctor Meng!”

Meng Qingyun turned around and asked if Yiling had any other instructions.

Yiling paused for a moment, then spoke, “Where do you usually live? If… If there’s an emergency, I can find you.”

Meng Qingyun smiled at her and gestured a series of motions.

Yiling’s heart sank.

She… was at Beitanfang day and night.

After Meng Qingyun left, Yiling sat restlessly in the room, staring at the ink used by Xie Hengzhi, lost in thought.

Since the Zhang Xianling fell ill and was sent to Beitanfang, Mrs. Zhang had been locking herself in her room and not going out.

The already quiet Zhang residence seemed completely lifeless.

A few days ago, with Xie Hengzhi accompanying her constantly, Yiling didn’t feel afraid.

Now, alone in the Zhang residence, she felt a sense of unease surrounding her.

She regretted sending Xie Hengzhi away.

After all, he was only putting on a show at Beitanfang, and it would have been better if he stayed at the Zhang residence to keep her company.

Half an hour later, Yiling truly could not sit still any longer and climbed up the watchtower once again.

The scene of Beitian Fang was noticeably different from what she had seen last time.

At first glance, Yiling had this thought, but she couldn’t pinpoint exactly what had changed.

After observing carefully for a while, she realized what was wrong.

The last time she looked at Beitian Fang from afar, all the infected people were housed in the temple’s side rooms or tents outside. The patients lying in the open were behind, out of her sight.

So, the whole Beitian Fang had looked like a gray, still painting, with only a few doctors and monks constantly moving around.

But this time, she could clearly see many people moving between the tents.

No, they were more like dragging their broken bodies to flee.

They were trying to escape from Beitian Fang but were constantly blocked by the soldiers with long spears, who harshly stopped them.

In the densely packed tents, heads poked out, seemingly searching for a chance to escape.

Even though she couldn’t hear the sounds of Beitian Fang, this sight still made Yiling’s heart race with fear.

Where was Xie Hengzhi? Why wasn’t he doing anything?

Yiling scanned Beitian Fang over and over, even focusing on the windward side for a long time, but she didn’t see Xie Hengzhi’s figure.

No way… did he even give up pretending?

Yiling had been standing at the watchtower for nearly an hour.

By the time dusk fell and the lights in Beitian Fang flickered on, Yiling was finally convinced that Xie Hengzhi would not appear there.

Where did he go?

Back in her side room, Yiling immediately called for the two guards Xie Hengzhi had left for her and inquired about his whereabouts.

Both guards shook their heads, claiming they didn’t know.

Yiling had no choice but to wait in the room.

But after a long time, instead of Xie Hengzhi returning, she received bad news.

A man hurriedly ran into the Zhang family’s estate and urgently shouted, “Imperial Commissioner!”

Yiling’s brow twitched, and she quickly walked over to the door.

“He’s not here. What do you need him for?” she asked.

The man stared blankly at Yiling. “You… you are…”

“She is the Imperial Commissioner’s wife. Hurry and speak!” said Chun Ye, standing by the door.

Hearing the commotion, the weary Mrs. Zhang also came out of the house, standing under the eaves and asking, “What happened?”

The man stood in the middle of the courtyard, shouting loudly, “Beitian Fang has erupted into chaos! Many of the patients say the plague cannot be cured and that they are just waiting to die in Beitian Fang. They are gathering to escape! They’ve clashed with the guards!”

Mrs. Zhang trembled, nearly unable to stand.

“Heavens… please save the people of Songyuan County!”

The man, tears in his eyes, turned to Yiling and asked, “Lady, where is the Imperial Commissioner? We haven’t seen him in Beitian Fang for several days. Has he given up on us?”

“How could that be?” Yiling, though also frustrated with Xie Hengzhi’s disappearance at this critical moment, could only cover for him. “The court is paying great attention to the plague in Songyuan County. The commissioner is extremely busy and is thinking of ways to handle the situation!”

Seeing the man still kneeling, Yiling added, “I’ll immediately send someone to inform the commissioner. You should return and make sure the head of Beitian Fang reassures the patients, and don’t let the soldiers harm them!”

Only then did the man get up from the ground and quickly leave the Zhang estate.

At this moment, in the mountains, a hundred miles away.

Li Chun stood under a tree, with two horses grazing beside him. He had been waiting here for a long time.

As the sky darkened, Li Chun thought of reminding Xie Hengzhi that it was time to return, but he saw him continue walking deeper into the mountain.

This was clearly an abandoned village.

Though overgrown with weeds and the remaining walls almost buried in earth, the traces of scattered houses and wells could still be seen.

The trees here grew so well that the land must have been fertile.

Because of this, the sight of these ruins, showing signs of past habitation, seemed particularly cruel—

If the villagers had simply moved away, and the houses had collapsed over the years, it would have been fine.

But these blackened bricks seemed to indicate that there had once been a brutal fire here.

Xie Hengzhi walked step by step deeper into the village, finally stopping in front of a house.

Or rather, what was left of a house, with only half a wall standing.

He lowered his head and saw a burned beam lying in front of him, charred by the fire.

In this desolate and isolated village, looking at these ruins, he seemed to hear many sounds.

Women laughing while washing clothes by the stream, children crying inside the houses, and the rustling sound of the wind through the wheat fields in early autumn.

Looking back, the buildings of Songyuan County were barely visible in the distance.

He squinted his eyes, and his dark pupils seemed even gloomier on this overcast winter day.

Fire was the most useful weapon in this world.

It could wipe out everything that couldn’t be solved, reducing it to ashes, leaving nothing behind.

“Let’s go, Li Chun.”

Xie Hengzhi took one last look at the ruined village, and as he turned around, he saw a hunched, middle-aged man walking toward him.

The man wore coarse clothes, carried an old bag on his back, and held a piece of paper, walking while looking around.

When he stopped several feet away, surveying the remaining ruins, his face was filled with disbelief.

Seeing Xie Hengzhi nearby, he staggered over, his wrinkled face covered in dirt from the journey.

“Young brother, is this Yunxiang Village?” he asked urgently. “I haven’t gone wrong, have I?”

Xie Hengzhi looked at his graying hair but didn’t speak.

The man thought he had made a mistake and mumbled to himself, “It’s impossible. I drew a map when I left home all those years ago. How could I have gotten it wrong?”

He looked up again at the square tower on the mountain top and muttered, “That’s right, it’s here!”

Despite being away from home for many years, he still clearly remembered this tower, which all the villagers of Yunxiang regarded as a landmark.

No matter where he went, whenever he was on his way back and saw this tower, he knew he was almost home.

“You haven’t gone the wrong way.”

Xie Hengzhi suddenly spoke up, giving him a definite answer: “This is Yunxiang Village.”

At these words, the man froze for a moment. His pupils shook violently, and his legs trembled.

“This is Yunxiang Village? How… how did it change like this? I… I’ve only been gone for twenty years; how could it have changed so much… what happened here…”

Xie Hengzhi didn’t answer his question.

While the man was still in shock, Xie Hengzhi turned and walked toward Li Chun.

The two mounted their horses and gradually rode away, only then hearing the man’s heartbreaking cries, calling for his parents.

When night fell, the sound of carriages and horses finally echoed outside the Zhang mansion.

Yiling knew that Xie Hengzhi had returned and quickly stood up to wait at the door.

As soon as Xie Hengzhi entered, she immediately said, “Something happened in Beitian Fang today!”

Xie Hengzhi, walking toward the side room, replied, “I know.”

“You know?”

He walked directly into the room, and Yiling quickly followed.

“I’ve already been there,” he said, taking a sip of tea before continuing, “The troublemakers have been suppressed.”

“Suppressed? What good does that do? What are you planning to do about it? This plague seems to be getting worse; even Zhang Xianling has fallen ill. You’re on the imperial payroll;
you can’t just sit back and do nothing!”

Xie Hengzhi glanced at her, seemingly not in agreement with her statement of “sitting back.”

But seeing her so anxious, he had no choice but to say, “I have a solution.”

“A solution?”

The sudden calmness in her heart replaced the previous anxiety. Yiling asked, “What solution?”

Xie Hengzhi didn’t answer, finishing his tea before standing up. “In any case, I’ll handle it. You don’t need to worry. Li Chun and I are going to the watchtower to discuss matters; we won’t be back for a while. If you’re tired, rest first.”

With that, he headed out.

As he reached the door, he seemed to remember something and turned back to point at the table. “You haven’t taken your medicine yet?”

Yiling froze, then quickly picked up the medicine bowl.

She drank it all, not leaving a drop, and only then did Xie Hengzhi leave the side room.

Although Xie Hengzhi didn’t tell Yiling how he planned to resolve the plague in Songyuan County, since he said he had a solution, Yiling knew he wasn’t lying to her.

As an imperial envoy, he had to report back to the emperor, and there was no need for him to deceive her.

As for what his solution was, Yiling guessed it must involve a well-thought-out plan that he couldn’t easily share with her.

And when he said those words earlier, he had a confident look, so it seemed like today was the day he would implement his solution.

Although she was reluctant to admit it, since Xie Hengzhi said he could solve it, Yiling believed that he certainly had the ability to do so.

Because of this, all of Yiling’s anxiousness had unconsciously dissipated after he returned to the Zhang mansion.

She sat by the table, her thoughtful expression just like Xie Hengzhi’s when he sat there earlier today.

She alternated between wondering how Xie Hengzhi would resolve the plague and worrying whether Meng Qingyun, who was always in Beitianfang, might be in danger.

Suddenly, a gust of cold wind blew in from the window gap, making Yiling shiver.

She looked out the window, and her mind flashed to Xie Hengzhi’s appearance as he left.

Didn’t he just wear his outer robe, and he didn’t even take a cloak with him?

Just as she was thinking about it, Haruha entered with a bowl of freshly brewed medicine.

“Madam, this was brewed according to Dr. Meng’s prescription for the master.”

She glanced around the room. “The master’s not here?”

“He went out for a meeting,” Yiling tapped the table. “You can leave it here.”

Haruha nodded and placed the medicine bowl down before leaving.

Yiling stared at the steaming bowl of medicine and pursed her lips.

Considering how he had taken such good care of her these past few days, maybe she should send him a cloak.

If he fell ill too, who would solve the plague?

With this thought, Yiling nodded herself.

Yes, she was doing this for the people of Songyuan County.

She turned to call out, “Chun Ye.”

No one answered.

She called again, “Chun Ye?”

Still no response.

Where did she go? She was just here.

Never mind, with the lack of staff in the Zhang mansion, she would go herself.

A moment later, Yiling walked out of the side room with a cloak in her left hand and the medicine bowl in her right.

Yiling’s room was in the west wing, and the watchtower was built on the east side of the mansion’s back section. She would have to pass the main house where Mrs. Zhang resided to get there.

To avoid disturbing Mrs. Zhang, Yiling deliberately kept her steps light.

She passed her room and rounded the side room before finally seeing the watchtower.

However, Xie Hengzhi had mentioned that he and Li Chun were discussing matters here, yet there was no light at all. It was pitch dark, and not even a shadow could be seen.

Yiling squinted and looked around. She finally spotted Xie Hengzhi and Li Chun in a corner.

She raised her leg to walk over when she distinctly heard Xie Hengzhi’s voice.

“Set fire to Beitian Fang and burn it clean. With no infected people, the plague will naturally disappear.”