The Princess and Her Rough-Rider Khan
Chapter 399 - 398 You’re Smart (First Update)

Chapter 399: 398 You’re Smart (First Update)

Li Xianyun finished with the patient she was seeing and stood up to go to the second courtyard.

The children were about to leave, and it was only proper to say farewell.

Ten consultation rooms were open at the same time, and when patients were queuing, there were specially appointed palace servants watching over them. They would call the next patient into whichever room became available.

So even if a physician needed to step away to relieve themselves, it wouldn’t delay the patients from being seen.

As Li Xianyun entered the second courtyard, before she even reached the east wing, she had already learned from the guards that several Khitan commoners had come to meet her.

Three families had come, including the family of the little boy who had been poisoned.

His mother was holding his hand, the father was holding his sister’s hand, and the parents of the other two children had also come.

Aside from them, a few other relatives had come—when a child was missing, it tugged at the heartstrings of the entire family.

Upon seeing Li Xianyun, both the adults and children knelt down together, with the women bearing tears in their eyes.

"Thank you, Princess Consort, for saving my child."

Li Xianyun helped them up and in response to their heartfelt gratitude, she comforted them and personally saw them out the door.

When they went out, many of the patients there saw it.

A good number who knew of the matter were finally able to put their minds at ease.

The welfare of young children always causes concern; fortunately, they met the Princess Consort, and there was no need for them to be sold or to live in misery.

After Li Xianyun saw the children and their families out, she returned to the east wing of the second courtyard.

There was only one boy left waiting there, about seven or eight years old. He was taller than his peers but was thin and pale.

Li Xianyun had noticed yesterday that he was different from the other four children.

He would play with the others but was quiet and rarely showed a smile.

When Li Xianyun came in, the boy quickly stood up and called out, "Sister."

Li Xianyun walked over to take his hand, had him sit down, and then sat beside him in a chair.

"Saiji, don’t worry, your parents are on their way to pick you up and will arrive soon."

Despite the short time they had been together, Li Xianyun had a good memory and had remembered the names of all five children.

Saiji said obediently, "I’m not worried. Our home is far away and it’s not convenient to travel. We have many brothers and sisters at home, and when father leaves, he always needs to make arrangements, which can take some time. I know this; I just feel like I’ve troubled you."

From his words, one could tell his family was poor, but his demeanor was neither servile nor haughty, which was quite admirable.

Moreover, he was thoughtful towards his parents and reluctant to cause trouble for others—a truly considerate child.

Li Xianyun smiled and said, "My child, how could you possibly trouble me? It’s fate that we met and the fact you’re the last to leave means we have the strongest bond."

It was just as Yelu Yan had said, Li Xianyun really knew how to comfort others.

At the sound of her words, Saiji’s eyes lit up. He was filled with gratitude and admiration for Li Xianyun, and hearing her say this made him extremely happy.

"You can rest easy here. I’ll have Youlan and Guard Jin keep you company. If you get bored, you can help out at the pharmacy," Li Xianyun continued.

Saiji was very sensible. It would be agonizing for him to just sit around doing nothing; better to have him do something within his abilities to make him feel more at ease.

Indeed, as soon as Saiji heard this, he immediately replied with enthusiasm.

Li Xianyun took Saiji’s hand and led him to the pharmacy.

There was a line of patients outside the pharmacy waiting for their prescriptions, and Wu Mu was there with two palace servants, preparing medicines according to the prescriptions.

Upon seeing Li Xianyun, Wu Mu came forward to kneel and pay his respects.

Li Xianyun supported his arm and said in a low voice with a laugh, "There are no strangers here, there’s no need to be so formal."

Privately, Wu Mu always called Li Xianyun "sister."

Li Xianyun, pulling Saiji along, said to Wu Mu with a smile, "I’ve brought you a helper."

Wu Mu replied with a smile, "It just so happens that my position here is indeed in need of more hands, and you’ve come at the perfect time."

Saiji smiled shyly.

Wu Mu handed Saiji over to the palace servants in the pharmacy.

Li Xianyun gave him a look and walked to the side; Wu Mu conscientiously followed her.

This place was far from the crowd, a place to speak some more personal matters.

Li Xianyun looked at him and said, "I’ve been rather busy these past few days and haven’t had the chance to speak with you. Are you dissatisfied with being in charge of the pharmacy?"

Wu Mu had always wanted to advance in medicine; being put in charge of the pharmacy meant he did not get to interact with patients for diagnoses, and Li Xianyun feared he might feel displeased.

Wu Mu, taken aback for a moment, then said with a smile, "Why would sister think so? How could I be dissatisfied with sister? This is clearly a special consideration from sister to me."

"Oh?" Li Xianyun said with a smile.

"Sister put me in charge of the pharmacy for two reasons, I believe. One is because the pharmacy is a critical place, and sister had to find someone she trusts to take responsibility. That sister thought of me, I could not be happier; and second, sister’s action is to help me improve my medical skills. Through the conditions and prescriptions sent over by you and the imperial physicians, I’ve learned a great deal."

Especially with the prescriptions sent by Li Xianyun, each one was a delightful surprise to Wu Mu, and he couldn’t help but marvel at Li Xianyun’s superb medical skills.

He kept this thought to himself. Li Xianyun was kind and sincere, not someone who enjoyed flattery.

Li Xianyun said with a smile, "You’re smart. If you have understood this on your own, I need not say much. However, I must remind you of one thing: if someone tries to sabotage things, they will likely start with the pharmacy. Thus, you must be vigilant at all times, keeping a watchful eye and ear out. If you notice anything unusual, inform me immediately."

Wu Mu suddenly felt the weight of a great responsibility on his shoulders, but the feeling of being trusted was truly wonderful. "I understand," he replied.

Saiji indeed turned out to be a hardworking and clever individual, quick with his hands and feet, intelligent, and greatly helpful to the pharmacy.

By 11 AM, Xuanyi Pavilion would close for an hour so the imperial physicians could have a meal and rest.

Diagnosing by observation, listening, questioning, and pulse-taking, as well as prescribing medicine, was mentally taxing.

Li Xianyun had Ge Lei give out palm-sized slips of paper to the patients in line, each inscribed with a number indicating their turn.

With this, patients were able to go have lunch or attend to other matters during midday, and when business resumed in the afternoon, they could line up in order according to the numbers on their slips, without fear of losing their place.

This method was unique to Shangjing.

Other medical establishments would also close for an hour at midday.

During the closing hour, the clinics would shut their doors, and patients, fearing the loss of their place in line, had to queue outside.

The clinics turned a blind eye to this, taking pride instead in the long lines outside their doors, considering it a testament to their outstanding medical expertise, and gave no thought to the inconvenience and difficulties faced by the patients.

The practice by Xuanyi Pavilion was truly considerate of the patients. As they marveled at how ingenious the method was, they also felt gratitude toward the princess for her benevolence.

At midday, Li Xianyun called Saiji over to have lunch with her and also invited Jinwu, Bater, and Youlan to sit down and eat together.

Youlan and Bater sat down comfortably.

It wasn’t their first time sharing a meal at the same table with Li Xianyun.

But Jinwu felt somewhat embarrassed; how could a guard dine at the same table as the revered princess?

If the Khan found out, would he skin him?

Li Xianyun said with a smile, "Guard Jinwu, please sit down. The Khan will not blame you for this."

Jinwu reluctantly sat down, inwardly grumbling that the princess was just like the Khan, both possessing sharp insight into people’s hearts—any slightest scheme of his was immediately detected.