Unexpected Guest
Feng Yu Heng gave Xuan Tian Hua an intravenous injection of anesthetics. She then brought him directly into the operating room inside her space. After looking at the x-ray, the results were not beyond her expectations. There was soft tissue damage and a simple fracture.
She hesitated for a moment as she tried to decide on whether to use plaster or an externally applied Chinese medicine. In the end, she chose the latter. The reason was because there was a very good medicine in this pharmacy. In her previous life, the Feng family had an ancestral bone mending powder. It used many kinds of expensive Chinese medicines to create this powder. In Chinese medicine, external remedies were for treatment, while ingested remedies were supplementary. A course of medicine needed to be taken over three days and three nights. Normally, after three to six days of treatment, the pain and swelling from the fracture would die down and circulation would improve. Treatment would be considered complete after three to four courses. She had wanted to give that medicine to Xuan Tian Ming a long time ago, but she never had a chance to.
Feng Yu Heng turned around and left the operating room to begin searching through a cupboard.
When Xuan Tian Hua woke up, Huang Quan had happened to bring food into the room.
He opened his eyes in a daze and felt that he had experienced a very long dream. In this dream, he was in a very odd place. All around him, there were odd decorations, and there was a very pungent smell that he could not quite describe. Feng Yu Heng was at his side the entire time, swaying back and forth. It seemed that she had put something on his injured foot. He could not see clearly, as his eyelids began to feel heavy. He then fell asleep once more.
“What time is it now?” He propped himself up in bed and asked Huang Quan.
Huang Quan saw that he had woken up and was startled at first. She then put the food on the table and happily said: “Young miss said that your Highness would wake up at noon and told this servant to prepare the food. She really was accurate.”
Xuan Tian Hua was stunned. It was noon. That meant he had slept for an entire morning.
He then lifted the blankets at looked at his foot. It actually was wrapped up in a white cloth that faintly smelled of medicine. The shock caused him to recall the odd place in his dream.
Xuan Tian Hua shook his head and only wondered what sort of odd dream he had. He actually did not recognize a single thing he saw.
“Your Highness, please eat a little first.” Huang Quan moved the food to a small table near the bed and spoke carefully.
Xuan Tian Hua, however, did not begin eating. Instead, he asked: “Where is your young miss?”
Huang Quan replied: “She is outside distributing hot tea. With this Winter disaster, a large amount of citizens in the capital have suffered, especially those in the Northern and Southern parts of the capital, where the houses are less sturdy. Some houses have even been flattened by the storm. Many people do not have a place to go, and Hundred Herb Hall received some, but the amount of space is limited. Not all of them can be brought in. Second young miss set up a canopy outside the entrance where a cup of free tea is given out each day. First, the tea can warm up the body, and secondly, the tea contains some supplements from medical herbs. They can more or less strengthen the body.”
He no longer asked and quietly began to eat. After he finished eating, he insisted on going outside to take a look.
There was nothing Huang Quan could do. She thought a little, but Feng Yu Heng did not say that he could not get out of bed. In fact, she had even left behind a cane. It seemed to be permission for Xuan Tian Hua to go out for a walk.
Thus, she handed the cane over and helped him stand up. She then successfully brought him out to the entrance of Hundred Herb Hall.
At this time, Feng Yu Heng was handing out cup after cup of hot tea. The clerks of Hundred Herb Hall were helping out too. One by one, they handed them out to the citizens who had lined up. The citizens were also very self-conscious, as they formed a long line. After they received their tea, they would stand off to the side to drink it. After they finished drinking their cup of tea, they would return it to one of the collection places then pick up their tools and return to cleaning up the snow.
Huang Quan told Xuan Tian Hua: “Right now, many people in the capital are voluntarily sweeping up the streets of the capital. They are mostly people who have received help from Hundred Herb Hall. Young miss said that people should not only take care of sweeping the area before their own doors. The capital belongs to everyone, so they can not rely entirely on the government to come take care of things. As for the people who came later, young miss promised that they would be able to receive free help in the future.”
Xuan Tian Hua previously only knew that Feng Yu Heng was very skilled in medicine. After that, he felt she was odd and knew what she liked and disliked. Today, however, he discovered that this girl had grand ideas. Although her actions were bold, her plans were thorough. She would always find a way to save people from a seemingly desperate situation.
He leaned on the cane and walked forward. Standing next to Feng Yu Heng, he took the ladle for the hot tea and helped her fill each cup.
Some of the citizens recognized him and began to kneel to wish him a long life. Xuan Tian Hua, however, waved his hand and used his usual refined voice to say: “Today, this prince and county princess Ji An are both just clerks for Hundred Herb Hall. If you truly wish to remember this favor, then remember that it came from Hundred Herb Hall.” After he finished speaking, he continued to ladle tea.
The citizens stood up and were all extremely moved. They all spoke repeatedly of how Prince Chun and county princess Ji An were living Bodhisattva. If they were not around, who knows how many would have frozen to death.
Feng Yu Heng smiled bitterly. Standing next to Xuan Tian Hua, she quietly said: “In truth, the requests of the citizens are very simple. They only want to eat their fill, be warm, have a place to live, and that’s it. But even if it’s just that, there are some people who can not enjoy such things. Seventh brother, take a look at them. Some are sick, some are only wearing a single layer of clothing, some are holding children, while some are still children. I am a doctor. I want to save as many people at possible, but I only have one pair of hands and this one Hundred Herb Hall. If, in the future, the capital of every province has its own existence like Hundred Herb Hall, wouldn’t things be much better?”
Xuan Tian Hua nodded, “Naturally, it would be better, but there is only one of you, Feng Yu Heng.” The real meaning was that there were plenty of medical shops in Da Shun, but not a single boss wanted to use their money on the citizens like her.
“Then what if they all belonged to me?” She began to instill the idea of a “chain” into Xuan Tian Hua. All of the bosses will be me. All of the shopkeepers will be taught by me. After they pass, they will be sent to look after shops in various locations. All of the operations will be exactly the same as in the capital. Even the interiors of the shops will be kept the same. Seventh brother, what do you think?”
This was the first time Xuan Tian Hua had heard of this method for opening medical shops. Having heard something novel, he began to carefully think about it. The more he thought about it, the more he felt this was a very good idea. He could not help but repeatedly praise: “No wonder father Emperor conferred you the title of county princess. You are a benefit to society and provide security for the people. There is only one A-Heng in this world.”
Feng Yu Heng was rendered a little bashful from his praise and quickly changed the subject, asking him about something she had always been curious about: “Seventh brother, have you heard whether the Bu family’s young miss is alive or dead?” She remembered that when she left, Bu Ni Shang was suffering from extensive bleeding. In this era, such heavy blood loss was life-threatening.
Xuan Tian Hua told her: “Spies within the Bu family reported saying Bu Ni Shang was saved by an imperial doctor. The Bu family was preparing to send her to a temple in the suburbs of the capital, but given the heavy snowfall in the past few days, it was not possible to leave the capital. She should still be in the Bu family.”
Feng Yu Heng was a little bit dazed by Xuan Tian Hua revealing the existence of spies within the Bu family so casually. It was unexpected and caused her to sigh. Often times, given Xuan Tian Hua’s appearance and attitude, it was easy to forget his true background. In truth, he was also a prince. He was very much similar to Xuan Tian Ming and Xuan Tian Ye. Even if he did not compete for the throne, it did not mean others would not view him as a thorn in their side. Thus, he had to protect himself. Even if he did not want to, he had to participate in each and every competition.
But, for a person like him, something like the throne was not something to be desired. Instead, it was a burden.
“The day before yesterday, it was my birth mother’s memorial day.” Xuan Tian Hua brought up the topic, “That year, she had also died on such a snowy day. Apparently, she had been punished with protracted kneeling by the previous Empress and froze to death.” When he spoke, his hands continued to move. One cup at a time, he filled them steadily; however, Feng Yu Heng could still feel the grief coming from the bottom of his heart. “At that time, I was still young. So young that I can not remember what she looked like. I only heard that the previous Empress had thrown her out of the imperial palace and left her corpse in the cemetery of a small temple. After that, imperial concubine Yun secretly had people rush over and buried her there. She also kept note of location. After I grew up, I would go once a year and bring some food she apparently liked as offerings.”
Xuan Tian Hua turned his head away and looked North as he spoke.
“Unfortunately, there will be no place to hold memorials any more.” He retracted his gaze and began to distribute tea once more.
Feng Yu Heng did not know what she should say. The passing of a loved one was most depressing. The year she lost her mother, there was an entire week where she could not sleep. So long as she closed her eyes, her mom’s face would appear before her eyes. She wanted to reach out and grab her, but there was nothing for her to grab.
In reality, she really hoped that another soul would take her place in that world and continue to live on. Unfortunately, she had been killed in an explosion. Forget about a corpse, it was possible that not even her flesh remained, so how could it possibly hold another soul?
For an instant, she was in a daze and lost a grip on a cup of tea which nearly fell to the ground. Fortunately, Xuan Tian Hua was quick to react and caught it, which prevented it from falling to the ground.
“You have been up for two days and one night. You must be tired. Go back and rest. I will still be here.”
“I’m fine.” Feng Yu Heng shook her head, “Sleep is not urgent. I just felt that sometimes, if familial affections could remain frozen in time at their most splendid times, that would be great. Just like the Feng family at present. If I lived in the time three years ago, if I only lived in a time before something happened to the Yao family, in my heart, father would still be father, and grandmother would still be grandmother. Brothers and sisters would still be loving and close. How could it possibly change to what it currently is now.”
She lamented for a while then did not speak. She only focused on passing out hot tea to the citizens. The number of people lining up increased more and more, causing Wang Lin to run back and forth. Pot after pot of tea was prepared, but it always seemed like there would not be enough for everyone.
The governor dispatched more people to participate in the removal of snow. Some people even said that they saw the imperial guards come out into the streets. Only then did Feng Yu Heng relax slightly. But, she still worried about Xuan Tian Ming’s side. He too was in the mountains, but she did not know what the situation over there was.
Xuan Tian Hua could see her worry and said: “When the snow outside melts a little more and the roads are easier to travel on, I will find someone to send you over.”
She nodded and no longer spoke.
But at this time, they suddenly heard someone shout: “Ah! Someone over there fainted!”
Everyone looked where that person was pointing, and, sure enough, they saw that there was a scholarly looking man who had fallen there. To his side, there was a young page boy who was knelt at his side, repeatedly shouting: “Young master! Young master, quickly wake up. We have already arrived at the capital!”
“Seventh brother, stay here. I will go take a look.” Feng Yu Heng put down the cup of tea in her hand and quickly rushed over.
Xuan Tian Hua gave an order to Wang Chuan: “Quickly follow your young miss.”
Wang Chuan nodded and quickly followed behind Feng Yu Heng.
There were many citizens who had come over, as Feng Yu Heng rolled the person over. Only then did she discover this person’s face was pale white, and his entire body was ice cold. He had already been sent into shock by the cold. If she did not save him in a timely manner, perhaps his life would be in danger.
The young page boy was also shivering from the cold. Both his hands were red and swollen like radishes. He was currently kneeling on the ground, repeatedly kowtowing: “I beg you save our young master. So long as you can save him, the Feng family will definitely give you many rewards!”
Feng Yu Heng was stunned, “What did you say? The Feng family?”