Green Mountain
Chapter 89 - 71. Three No Help Policy

Chapter 89: 71. Three No Help Policy

The rooster crowed at dawn, and Chen Ji emerged from a battlefield in his dream. He slowly got up, limping to the main hall of the Medical Hall, and settled down in a bamboo chair to wait for Miss Xibing.

Liang Mao’er changed into a set of gray cloth clothes and got up early to fetch water.

Chen Ji wanted to help sweep the floor, but Liang Mao’er pressed him down into the bamboo chair, "Your injury still needs a month to heal, don’t move around. I can handle the chores in the Medical Hall by myself."

Chen Ji curiously said, "Actually, you can see that everyone doesn’t mind you guys staying here, so Brother Mao’er, you don’t have to rush to finish all the chores."

Liang Mao’er spoke in a low voice, "It doesn’t matter how much work I do, as long as you don’t blame my brother for not helping yesterday, he has his reasons."

"Why did he set up the Three No Help Policy for himself?" Chen Ji wondered, "Did he often deal with the Ritual Supervision before?"

Liang Mao’er, carrying a shoulder pole, stood in the main hall in silence for a long time, and finally said, "Actually, I lied before, my sister-in-law didn’t completely lose contact after she left."

"Where did she go?"

Liang Mao’er hung his head, "When my sister-in-law left the Ning Dynasty, she was discovered by the Spy Department. The Heavenly Horse intercepted her at the border town, she was no match for them and was caught on the spot. At that time, the Prime Minister sent someone to find my brother, saying he wouldn’t send my sister-in-law to the inner prison but would send her back to Luocheng City, with the condition that my brother must not be an adversary to the Ritual Supervision ever again, and also, he must assist Ritual Supervision three times."

"Why didn’t your sister-in-law come back?" Chen Ji suddenly realized, the Ritual Supervision must have suspected the identity of that female swordsman long ago, waiting for her to flee and then using her to constrain Liang Gou.

Liang Mao’er smiled, "My brother agreed to the Prime Minister’s conditions, but he didn’t let the Ritual Supervision send my sister-in-law back. Instead, he chose to let the Ritual Supervision set her free."

Chen Ji was silent for a moment, surprised by the answer, "That Miss Yan’er at Hongyi Lane... she resembles your sister-in-law, doesn’t she."

"Yes," Liang Mao’er smiled naively and left, "I’m going to fetch water, I still have to cook later."

As he was leaving, he saw Miss Xibing, lifting her skirts, hurrying toward the Medical Hall along the bluestone road of Anxi Street, just brushing past Liang Mao’er at the threshold.

Chen Ji got up smiling to greet her, "Miss Xibing, why have you come to the Medical Hall so early?"

Upon seeing Chen Ji, Miss Xibing hurriedly said, "Chen Ji, I came to find you. Bai Bore was injured by some villain again, the Lady called for you to treat him... I don’t know who could be so vicious to harm Bai Bore twice! Absolutely despicable!"

Chen Ji felt slightly ashamed and lowered his head, "Miss Xibing, I can’t go to the Prince Mansion to treat him. I was stabbed by a villain a few days ago, and my leg injury has not yet healed."

According to the principle of intelligence transmission, Chen Ji should have communicated important information directly with Consort Yun to avoid miscommunication.

However, there were people from Jin Zhu watching from the opposite building, and if he, limping, went to the Prince Mansion, it would definitely arouse Jin Zhu’s suspicion.

Chen Ji stood next to the rosewood counter, lifted a brush and said, "I will write a prescription for you, get the herbs later and bring them back, just apply it externally to Bai Bore."

Miss Xibing hesitated for a moment, "Alright."

Chen Ji weighed the herbs, wrapped them in butter paper, and tied them with hemp rope. After tying it up, he also stuffed the prescription into the crevice of the hemp rope, "Go back, apply it externally twice a day, and Bai Bore will be fine."

Miss Xibing took the medicine package from his hands and returned to Feiyun Garden.

Outside the Covered Building of Feiyun Garden, from inside came the gentle voice of Consort Yun, "Princess Bai Li, Mr. Wang said you’ve been dozing off in class lately. This won’t do. Your father will definitely have words with you when he returns."

Princess Bai Li muttered, "Mr. Wang is a great scholar, how can he speak ill behind others!"

Consort Yun playfully slapped the palm of Princess Bai Li, "This isn’t speaking ill, this is being responsible. Don’t talk like that about Mr. Wang in the future."

"I know..."

At that moment, Miss Xibing quickly stepped into the room, "Lady, Dr. Chen was injured and couldn’t come, but he wrote a prescription and prepared the herbs. Dr. Chen said that Bai Bore just needs to apply some medicine to his external injuries."

"Miss Xibing, put the medicine package here first, and go tell Xitang that the Prince has sent a message with an express horse. He has already prepared the military provisions and is ready to return; let Xitang organize people to thoroughly clean the Prince Mansion, especially Jing’an Palace and Mingzheng Hall, even the glass roofs must be cleaned," said Consort Yun before turning to Princess Bai Li, "Princess Bai Li, go review your lessons. You have to submit your calligraphy to me tonight, or I’ll cut your monthly salary... Princess Bai Li?"

Princess Bai Li snapped back to attention, stood up, took the medicine package from Miss Xibing, pulled out the tucked prescription, and reviewed it repeatedly, finding no hidden message aside from a few typos.

Normally, the medicine package should have been handed directly to the strong servant. Why then would her mother tell Miss Xibing to leave the medicine here in the Covered Building and find an excuse to send Miss Xibing away?

There must be something wrong here.

At this moment, Princess Bai Li’s mind was filled with countless doubts. She suddenly remembered: when she had just returned from Donglin Academy, she had seen Chen Ji here in Feiyun Garden, but had not paid much attention at the time.

Now, knowing that there were issues with Chen Ji’s identity, she felt even more mystified recalling how Chen Ji had once visited to give a consultation.

Outsiders might not understand the situation, but she was familiar with everyone at the Medical Hall and knew that those three apprentices were not qualified to see patients.

Why would someone being pursued by the Spy Department be connected to Feiyun Garden?

At this moment, Consort Yun nonchalantly took a prescription from Princess Bai Li’s hand, "What’s the matter, Bai Li? Suddenly interested in the prescription?"

Bai Li shook her head, "It’s nothing, just looking at what the Imperial Medical Hall prescribed for Bai Bore."

...

...

Outside the Taiping Medical Hall, an ox cart slowly came to a stop, and Manager Yuan jumped down from the cart with a big smile, walking into the hall with a bow, "Doctor Yao, it’s time to replenish the herbs again. I’ve come to deliver them."

Old Yao glanced up at him, "Let’s see the quality."

He leisurely walked over to the ox cart, untied a sack from the cart, and pulled out a monk fruit from the bottom, examining it in his palm.

Old Yao glanced at Manager Yuan, tossing the monk fruit back into the bag, "The quality is not bad, it seems you took care during the collection."

Manager Yuan, still smiling, said, "When has the merchandise of Bailu Pavilion ever had issues? All are definitely the best. Look, what other herbs are you planning to stock up on?"

Old Yao pulled out a list from his sleeve, "Follow the list here, and add ten more aged wild ginsengs. Remember, I don’t want them if they are not at least fifty years old."

Chen Ji paused in the Medical Hall, wondering why his master suddenly needed ten ginsengs.

But then he heard Manager Yuan outside, troubled, "Doctor Yao, who would carry around ten ginsengs for no reason? There aren’t any on the cart, just some commonly used herbs."

Doctor Yao methodically replied, "No matter, just bring them by evening. Keep this in mind, I’ll check the quality of the other herbs."

At that moment, Liang Mao’er, carrying a shoulder pole, briskly returned to the Medical Hall.

Chen Ji immediately noticed a long slash across the chest of the gray cloth on Liang Mao’er’s body, "Big brother Mao’er, what happened to your clothes?"

Liang Mao’er looked down upon hearing this and panicked, "It must have been that person who bumped into me. I will find him... This is She Dengke’s clothes!"

Liang Mao’er and Liang Gou’er had come to the Medical Hall without any spare clothes, so he had only borrowed She Dengke’s clothes to make do.

Now that the clothes were torn, Liang Mao’er became anxious, wondering how he would explain this to She Dengke.

Old Yao, with a stern face, grabbed Liang Mao’er, who wanted to confront the thief, "It’s definitely a habitual thief; you won’t be able to find him. First go and fetch water, later Liu Quxing can sew it for you."

Liang Mao’s eyes were nearly filled with tears, "But you can still see the stitches after it’s mended. She Dengke only has two sets of spare clothes, and his family isn’t wealthy..."

Old Yao sighed, "Don’t be sad, he won’t blame you."

The usually harsh Old Yao couldn’t bear to be stern toward Liang Mao’er.

As Old Yao spoke with Liang Mao’er, Manager Yuan, still smiling, walked back into the Medical Hall. He stood beside Chen Ji and whispered, "Miss Xibing came earlier, did you set the time and place for the second delivery?"

Chen Ji calmly replied, "Tonight at midnight, Hongyi Lane, Golden Workshop, still report ’Luotian’ to the old brothel keeper. We shouldn’t deal in the same place twice, but my leg isn’t in good condition, and I can’t meet with the Prince Mansion directly, so we can only pass on the information through the prescription, using the old place."

"Old place it is," Manager Yuan slowly relaxed, patting Chen Ji on the shoulder with a smile, "Very good! Upon your success, I will definitely report to the Division Head and commend you."

Chen Ji paused, then turned to look at Manager Yuan, "Why did you have to harm someone today?"

Manager Yuan, laughing heartily, answered, "I didn’t know if you’d follow my instructions. Moreover, it’s good for you to understand that even with Liang Mao’er and Liang Gou’er by your side, they can’t support you. Just focus on your work for the Military Intelligence Department, and don’t entertain any other thoughts."

"Understood."

Chen Ji watched indifferently as Manager Yuan and the attendant departed on the ox cart, then turned back to the courtyard. Behind that ox cart, two small Li Hua cats followed.

In the yard, a crow perched on the branch of an apricot tree, watching Chen Ji lie down on a bamboo chair, growing increasingly calm.

Chen Ji slowly closed his eyes, returning once more to the battlefield in his dreams, for there were still many things to do today.