Chapter 170

Chapter 170

Smallpox was a highly contagious and deadly disease. Wang Ying, daring not to be careless, immediately ordered Lin Sui’s courtyard to be quarantined, forbidding anyone from entering without permission.

In the entire Chen family, only Aunt Chen had contracted smallpox as a child. Since one gains immunity after a single infection, she was entrusted with Qing Er’s care.

All of Qing Er’s worn clothes were burned and replaced with new ones. Lin Sui and Wang Ying each returned to their rooms to bathe and disinfect themselves by fumigating with mugwort leaves.

Once everything was in order, the two set out for Qingfeng Temple to ask the Taoist master to come down the mountain and save the child.

On the carriage ride out of the city, Lin Sui looked dazed, his gaze unfocused as he stared blankly into space.

Wang Ying knew he was worried about the child. “Qing Er is blessed with good fortune; she will surely be fine. Look at Aunt Chen—she had smallpox and has lived a long, healthy life, hasn’t she?”

Lin Sui snapped out of his reverie and nodded.

“Sister-in-law, do you think the Li family was behind Qing Er’s smallpox infection?”

Wang Ying was stunned. “Are you saying the Li family intentionally tried to harm Qing Er?”

Lin Sui replied, “Initially, I thought the Marquis entrusting Qing Er to me was somewhat abrupt. But now it seems he was well aware of the Li family’s malicious intentions. If he had led the army to the border, they would surely have targeted Qing Er. It’s a pity I didn’t grasp his meaning earlier, giving the Li family an opportunity to strike…”

The more Wang Ying thought about it, the more she believed Lin Sui’s suspicions might be correct. Otherwise, why would the child suddenly contract smallpox out of the blue? And what about the worn-out, coarse cloth dress she was wearing when she arrived—the kind typically worn by servants—why was it on Qing Er?

Fortunately, they had burned it all earlier. If it had been discarded and picked up by someone else, who knows how many people might have been harmed!

If Qing Er were to die from the illness and Li Mu were also killed in battle, the Wuping Marquis estate would legitimately become the property of the Li family. Even if Lin Sui was Qing Er’s adoptive father, it would be of little use.

The sheer viciousness of the Li family was truly chilling.

Half an an hour later, the carriage arrived at the foot of Qingfeng Mountain. At this time of year, the snow and ice on the mountain had not yet melted, and no worshippers were making their way up to burn incense.

Bundled in their cloaks, the two carefully climbed the slippery steps, making their way up the mountain step by step.

The soles of ancient shoes were not slip-resistant. The leather bottoms slid on the snow like ice skates, making Wang Ying’s heart pound with fear. She nearly fell several times along the way.

After much effort, they finally reached the top, only to be told by the temple priest to turn back, as Taoist Master Qingxu had entered seclusion.

Lin Sui hurried forward and pleaded, “We are here to beg the Taoist Master to save a life! The child has smallpox. We heard that Taoist Master Qingxu can cure it. We implore you to help!”

“My master has entered seclusion for spiritual cultivation. Please return, kind benefactors.”

Lin Sui knelt on the ground and began kowtowing. “Please, we beg you to help us. The child is only five years old…”

The Taoist priest hesitated. “It’s not that I refuse to help, but my master has just entered seclusion and cannot come out.”

Wang Ying also stepped forward to plead. “We have nowhere else to turn, which is why we came to seek Taoist Master Qingxu’s help. The child is the only daughter of Wuping Marquis. The Marquis has led his troops to the border to defend our country. How can the Taoist Master just stand by and let his only daughter die of illness at home?”

After a moment of hesitation, the Taoist priest said, “Please wait here, kind benefactors. I will inform my master.”

Wuping Marquis and Taoist Master Qingxu were old acquaintances. Previously, when Qing Er suffered from shingles, the Marquis had also sought the Taoist Master’s help.

Before long, Taoist Master Qingxu emerged. The elderly man, already in his seventies with white hair and beard, was still spry. After hearing the details of the child’s condition, he followed the two down the mountain.

By then, Qing Er had already fainted twice from high fever, scaring Aunt Chen half to death.

Following instructions, she avoided overdressing the child and instead used a cloth dampened with warm water to wipe Qing Er’s neck, armpits, and groin to bring her fever down.

Small red rashes had begun to appear on the child’s neck and hands—these were the smallpox lesions. Over time, they would spread across her entire body, forming pus and even appearing in her eyes. In severe cases, this could lead to blindness or death.

Even in modern times, smallpox was a terrifying disease with no specific cure. Most treatments focused on providing nutritional support while relying on the patient’s own immune system to fight the virus.

Naturally, there was no specific cure for smallpox in ancient times either. However, Taoist Master Qingxu had a method of acupuncture and bloodletting that could significantly reduce the harm caused by the disease. He had used this method to save patients before, with no lasting effects.

By the time the carriage arrived home, it was already noon. As soon as the carriage stopped, the three hurried to the west courtyard.

At the entrance, Taoist Master Qingxu stopped the two men. “This disease is extraordinary. Once infected, it is difficult to cure. Please wait outside, gentlemen.”

“Thank you, Taoist Master.”

Not long after, Chen Rong and Li Shi arrived upon hearing the news. “How is Qing Er?”

Wang Ying replied, “We have already invited Taoist Master Qingxu. Mother, Third Aunt, please return home. Keep the children close these next few days, and do not let anyone come over.”

“Alright, understood.” Li Shi knew the severity of smallpox. Years ago, an outbreak in Tianyang County had killed hundreds of people, and she had lost two of her aunts to that epidemic.

Chen Rong’s eyes were filled with worry. “That poor child. She must recover.”

Tears welled up in Lin Sui’s eyes. He had already lost one child—one who never even had the chance to see the world. Now, after finally being blessed with a daughter, she had contracted such a terrible illness…

Wang Ying sent the two back to the main courtyard. Since she had been in contact with Qing Er, she decided not to interact with Yuan Bao for the next few days until the incubation period had passed.

As time slowly passed, the sun began to set in the west. Finally, the door opened, and Taoist Master Qingxu emerged, looking worn out.

The two hurried forward to ask, “Taoist Master, how is the child?”

Taoist Master Qingxu took two steps back. “I have used acupuncture. Her life should be out of danger, but the rashes will need to gradually emerge and heal. These next few days, she must be carefully cared for, or else scars may form on her face and body.”

“Thank you, Taoist Master!” Lin Sui exclaimed, overcome with emotion, kneeling and kowtowing.

“Get up. I did not come for your sake. Wuping Marquis is off fighting for our country. Though I have no personal relationship with him, I respect his character. For anyone else, even a fortune in gold would not have brought me here.”

Taoism emphasizes following the natural way and accepting fate. He had forcibly broken his seclusion, damaging his heart meridian and likely shortening his lifespan. This, perhaps, was his tribulation.

Taoist Master Qingxu did not stay long. After gathering his belongings, he prepared to return to the mountain. Wang Ying quickly asked Er Shun to prepare a carriage to take him back.

The old Taoist truly had real skill. After the acupuncture, the child’s fever subsided, and she regained enough energy to eat. That evening, she consumed a large bowl of porridge and two boiled eggs.

Being able to eat was a good sign. With nourishment, her resistance naturally improved. After six or seven days of recovery, she gradually healed, though two plum-blossom-shaped scars remained on her cheeks.

This was already a lucky break. Without Taoist Master Qingxu’s help, it was uncertain whether the child would have survived.

After this incident, Lin Sui no longer dared to send the child back and kept her by his side to raise her. Over time, Qing Er grew increasingly attached to him, and their bond became deeper than that of biological father and daughter.

The Li family remained unaware of the events at the Chen residence. Since Qing Er was taken away, Mrs. Li had been sending people to inquire about the situation.

Surely, that little bastard must have contracted the disease from the smallpox-infected clothing. Why was there no news after so many days?

Mrs. Li grew restless and sent people to inquire at the city’s medical clinics. Finally, they learned that Li Qing Er had indeed contracted smallpox.

“Excellent! Once this little wretch dies, and if Li Mu also perishes on the border, this vast marquis estate will belong entirely to my son!”

Master Li hesitated. “Isn’t this too ruthless… What if he doesn’t die on the border…”

“He won’t be able to trace it back to us. The child died at the Chen family’s home—what does that have to do with us?”

“Right. Without evidence, he can’t pin this on us.”

Under the flickering candlelight, the couple resembled ferocious ghosts as they schemed to seize the estate of the Marquis, Li Mu.

Despite all their scheming, they never expected that Qing Er not only survived, but their two grandsons accidentally entered the room where Qing Er had been confined. That very night, the boys developed a high fever...

*

Meanwhile, Chen Qingyan did not meet the long-revered Lord Liu—Liu Yaozhi—until the second day after arriving in the capital.

At first glance, he almost mistook him for Liu Changyi’s father, as the resemblance between the two brothers was striking, as if carved from the same mold. However, their manner of speaking revealed entirely different personalities.

Liu Changyi's father was gentle and soft-spoken, while Elder Liu was stern and carried a cold, imposing demeanor that made interactions feel quite intense.

Lord Liu first inquired about their studies. After listening, he tapped the table lightly with his finger and said, "A few years ago, I had intended to bring you to the capital for your education, but your father insisted on keeping you in the prefectural city. Still, with Lu Zhongqi as your teacher, I was relatively at ease.

It’s a pity your results remained mediocre over the years. I initially thought you wouldn’t become a provincial scholar, but surprisingly, you managed to become one."

Liu Changyi scratched his head sheepishly. "I was a bit too playful in earlier years and didn’t focus fully on my studies. It wasn’t until I met Qing Yan and the others that things clicked for me."

Liu Yaozhi stroked his beard and nodded. "It’s not too late. Just perform well in the Metropolitan Examination."

"Yes, I will certainly work hard!"

Then, turning to Chen Qingyan beside him, Lord Liu’s eyes revealed unmistakable admiration. "I’ve read your provincial examination papers. They carry some of your teacher’s distinctive spirit."

Hearing this, Chen Qingyan quickly clasped his hands and replied modestly, "I still have much to learn. Your praise is too generous, my lord."

"Is your teacher still in Jizhou? How is his health?"

"His health remains fairly robust. However, after the Metropolitan Examination, he left Jizhou for Shanzhou."

"Hahaha," Liu Yaozhi chuckled, "I knew he wouldn’t stay idle. It’s a shame he refuses to come to the capital. With his talent, he certainly deserves a place in the Imperial Academy." Liu Yaozhi and Liang Boqing were old acquaintances. Years ago, when Old Liang went to Jizhou, the two had attended a Poetry Society together.

Both were drawn to each other’s brilliance and met privately several times after the event before going their separate ways. And just like that, over ten years had passed.

"My teacher has no desire to be confined to one corner of the world. His greatest wish is to travel and explore the vast landscapes."

Liu Yaozhi sighed with emotion. "How I envy him. I, too, wish to travel, but this whole situation at court makes it impossible to break free."

Chen Qingyan thought to himself: My teacher, in turn, envies Lord Liu. Yet, for the rest of his life, he will never return to the court.

After chatting for a while, Liu Yaozhi suddenly brought up the military conflict at the border. "Have you two heard about the war in the northwest?"

Liu Changyi shook his head. The army had not yet set out when they departed, so he was unaware.

Chen Qingyan, however, had learned of the news from his husband. After a moment of contemplation, he said, "I have heard a little. If my guess is correct, the northwest conflict must have reached a critical point by now."