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Fu Yicen turned to Chu Yu, asking, "Given his current state, can he be taken out today?"

Chu Yu advised, "Dress warmly, ensure his arm is secure, and avoid touching the wounds. Just ensure he doesn't get tired."

Waving his hand dismissively, Chu Yu urged, "Quickly, take him out."

"Today is the Laba Festival; it's lively outside. How about a stroll?" Fu Yicen proposed.

Crowds were what Zhou feared most. It felt like... whenever he approached others, he would be scorned or bullied.

Despite his apprehensions about Fu Yicen's plan, Zhou hesitantly nodded in agreement.

Hearing there was a festival, Chu Yu haphazardly rolled up his herbs and joined them in their carriage.

The carriage jostled gently. Initially, Zhou clung to Fu Yicen in fear, but gradually his attention shifted to the herbs Chu Yu was sorting.

"Yu Dun Herb…"

Chu Yu picked up one of the plants, murmuring its name and stuffing it into a cloth bag.

Zhou shook his head, pointing to another slightly sharper-leaved herb, softly correcting, "That's the actual Yu Dun Herb."

Chu Yu emptied the bag and upon comparison, realized his oversight.

His eyes lit up, turning to Zhou, "You know about herbs?"

Chapter 13: Rescuing the Young Man from the Southwest.

Like a turtle, Zhou Rendong shrank his neck and hid in Fu Yicen's embrace, too timid to speak to Chu Yu.

Fu Yicen playfully ruffled Zhou's hair, chuckling, "It's okay; Chu Yu is one of us. He won't harm you."

Chu Yu laughed heartily and, holding a bunch of herbs, approached them, coaxing like one would a child, "These herbs are such a mess, I can't distinguish them. Will you help me?"

Zhou Rendong looked up at Fu Yicen. Seeing no objection but rather an encouraging nod,

he hesitated for a moment before extending his tentative hand, sliding out of Fu Yicen's embrace to sit by Chu Yu, meticulously sorting the herbs.

"What's this?" Chu Yu intentionally picked up a herb uncommon in the capital, seeking an answer.

Zhou recognized it with just one glance, murmuring, "Dendrobium."

"What's it used for?"

"It clears internal heat and treats diarrhea in children." Speaking of herbs, Zhou's eyes sparkled, his usual timidity absent.

Delighted, Chu Yu continued, "How is it prepared?"

Without a moment's hesitation, Zhou replied, "Clean it, sun-dry, and use the whole plant."

"Impressive!" Chu Yu patted Zhou's thigh, bursting into laughter, "Who taught you?"

Zhou flinched, reminding Chu Yu of the injury Fu Yicen had inflicted on that very thigh. Suppressing his delight, Chu Yu shot Fu Yicen a reproachful look.

"I-I taught myself," wincing from the pain, Zhou scratched his face sheepishly, "Someone once gave me a medical book."

Hearing this, Chu Yu looked mildly surprised.

Recognizing herbs with such proficiency solely from a book?

Zhou Rendong is a promising medical student indeed!

Fu Yicen's face lit up with astonishment as well.

Holding Zhou close once again, he poured him some warm water to sip, asking, "Do you want to study medicine?"

Zhou's almond eyes widened, a barely concealed joy in them, cautiously asking, "C-can I?"

"You can." Fu Yicen's slender fingers brushed Zhou's cheek, gently, as if hoping to protect the glimmer in his eyes.

"You have a mentor right here."

Fu Yicen subtly pointed his chin towards Chu Yu.

Chu Yu, though not particularly busy, was initially reluctant, waving off the suggestion, "I don’t take apprentices."

Seeing the light in Zhou Rendong's eyes dim, Fu Yicen gave Chu Yu a chilling glance which sent a shiver down Chu's spine.

Angrily glaring at Fu Yicen, Chu Yu retorted, "Don't push people too far!"

Seeing Zhou Rendong's hopeful expression, he pondered for a moment, "Alright, I can teach you. Later on, I'll introduce you to my master, and you can be my junior disciple."

Chu Yu's master was an elusive top healer, renowned throughout the world. Convincing him to take on a disciple was akin to attempting the impossible.

Fu Yicen initially thought Chu Yu was just being perfunctory. As he was about to console Zhou Rendong, he noticed Zhou nodding excitedly at Chu Yu, making affirmative hums, showing a zest for life he hadn't seen before.

Chu Yu burst into laughter at Zhou's antics, causing the corners of Fu Yicen's lips to curve into a pleasing smile.

Zhou Rendong scratched his face awkwardly, biting his lip, clearly at a loss.

He had been so wrapped up in his moment of pride that he forgot to gauge Fu Yicen's reaction.

Fortunately, Fu Yicen wasn't angered.

As he was lost in thought, the carriage jolted. Caught off guard, Zhou Rendong was thrown forward.

"Ah!"

With a swift movement, Fu Yicen reached out, grasping Zhou Rendong's waist, pulling him into a protective embrace, gently stroking the back of his head.

"What happened?" Fu Yicen asked with a cold tone.

The coachman, alarmed, reported, "General, there's someone blocking the way!"

Setting down the panting Zhou Rendong, Fu Yicen whispered, "Stay here with Chu Yu. I'll handle this."

Zhou Rendong obediently nodded, watching Fu Yicen as he agilely descended from the carriage. Noticing Chu Yu engrossed in examining some herbs, Zhou Rendong snuck to the carriage window, peeking outside.

There, in front of the carriage, knelt a blood-soaked young boy.

The boy, around fifteen or sixteen, had a pale face. He held a petition written in blood, bowing deeply to Fu Yicen.

"I beg the general to champion justice for a commoner like me..."

He repeated the plea, his voice frail.

Fu Yicen, hands clasped behind him, looked down authoritatively, "You should present your petition to the judiciary. What right do you have to block the general's carriage?"

The boy crawled forward on his knees, wrapping his arms around Fu Yicen's legs, sobbing, "I escaped from the southwest, wounded by bandits. Desperate, I didn't know where the judiciary was. They said this was the general's carriage, and so I..."

His breathing labored, he seemed on the verge of fainting.

Fu Yicen frowned, deep in thought, as if piecing something together.

In a previous lifetime, floods in the southwest had led to widespread disease. The national treasury was depleted, and though Fu Yicen, with other officials, had managed to raise relief funds, they were embezzled by local corrupt officials.