Chapter 268: A Healer’s Compassion

Chapter 268: A Healer's Heart

The mission to rescue the Crown Prince was urgent and had to be kept secret—otherwise, the Crown Prince would lose credibility at best, and his faction would be mocked and suppressed by Prince Lian's faction; at worst, it could destabilize the court and make the Crown Prince's unknown fate even more dangerous.

Meng Wan had no choice but to leave Chu Ci to treat Qin Jiao while he and Chi Yu rushed back to Qinzhou City to find Song Tingzhou. He hinted at the severity of the matter to Song Tingzhou and spent the whole night soothing him through actions. The next day, he said goodbye to the grumpy-looking man and returned to the military camp.

Chu Ci had already gained experience treating impetigo. Given Qin Jiao's status, the military doctors in the camp had spared no effort to save him first, so his condition remained stable and was not among the most severe. A few doses of medicine and his special ointment would have him fully recovered.

Although Chu Ci was highly skilled in medicine, the number of sick soldiers in the army far exceeded just Qin Jiao, the Commander. Eighty thousand soldiers—even if you split Chu Ci into ten, it wouldn't be enough.

At the Miao family in Xiwu Prefecture—

"Miss Qing Xing, are you really going to Qinzhou?" Xu Wenjun, still looking gentle and refined, had worry in his eyes.

"My grandfather and the others are currently treating patients in Pubei County. I've already delayed too long detoxifying you, so now I need to catch up." Qing Xing loaded her things onto the carriage one by one, and not just her—her younger siblings were also busy.

They were going to load all the usable herbs from the shop onto the carriage to help with the disaster in Qinzhou.

Seeing that Qing Xing wasn't budging, Xu Wenjun's calm and composed expression finally changed. He grabbed her hand as she was moving the herbs, his voice rising higher than usual. "Qing Xing!"

Qing Xing paused, staring at their overlapping hands, her ears turning bright red. Bai Wei didn't understand adult subtlety, but Xiaoji and Ren Dong exchanged glances before pulling Bai Wei into the pharmacy.

Bai Wei, confused, asked innocently, "Third Brother, Fourth Brother, why aren't we working?"

Ren Dong was mute, but Xiaoji smiled gently. "We're not working outside anymore. Let's find herbs in the shop instead. Wei'niang, do you want to help?"

Bai Wei immediately forgot her earlier question. "Yes! Yes!"

Only Qing Xing and Xu Wenjun remained in the Miao family courtyard. "Mr. Xu, rest assured, your poison is mostly cleansed. If you weren't too weak to endure more intense detoxification methods, you wouldn't have to wait much longer…"

"Qing Xing!" Xu Wenjun pursed his lips. "Am I worried that you won't help me finish the detox? Lord Song has sent word back. Now, official notices have been posted in the Xiwu Prefecture government office, every county town, and every market town! The epidemic in Qinzhou is severe, and no civilians or merchants are allowed to go there privately!" The epidemic had reached such a level—rare in a century—that who knew if those who went could return alive.

Qing Xing wasn't foolish. Xu Wenjun had practically made his ambiguous feelings clear. She withdrew her hand and murmured, "But I still need to go. Mr. Xu, rest assured. We've successfully treated impetigo before in Maolin Town. As long as we're careful and avoid contact with the patients' wounds, we won't get infected. Even if we do…" Qing Xing's voice trailed off under Xu Wenjun's intense gaze. "Even if we do, it can be treated."

Qing Xing was usually easygoing and agreed to almost everything. This was the first time Xu Wenjun had seen her so stubborn.

Of course, he knew that Qing Xing's family were all skilled doctors. But what worried him more than the epidemic was human nature. During great disasters, even children could be eaten. Qing Xing was such a gentle and kind-hearted girl that even a fallen piece of wood could scrape her skin.

"Do you really have to go?" Xu Wenjun's face turned pale. He was almost driven mad by Qing Xing's attitude.

"Mr. Xu." Qing Xing placed her medical case on the carriage and turned her back to him. "Many people are waiting for my help. How can I, as a physician, turn a blind eye?"

"Am I not your patient?" Xu Wenjun retorted.

"Mr. Xu's illness is not serious, but the people of Qinzhou are on the brink of death," Qing Xing replied without hesitation.

Xu Wenjun barely managed to keep his composure. Feeling so dismissed by Qing Xing, he finally couldn't bear it and stormed out of the Miao family courtyard.

Xiaoji came out of the pharmacy with his younger siblings, carrying wrapped packets of herbs. "Big Sister, why did Mr. Xu leave? Should we go say goodbye before we go?"

Qing Xing silently packed the herbs. She knew her words had been too harsh. After a long pause, she said quietly, "No, Mr. Xu has other matters to attend to. Let's not disturb him."

The three Miao siblings tidied the house and locked the front door. Qing Xing skillfully took the reins, while Xiaoji, with his bad leg, would later switch with Ren Dong to drive.

"Big Sister, that looks like Mr. Xu," Xiaoji suddenly said as the carriage neared the city gate.

Xiaoji didn't see Xu Wenjun himself, but recognized his servant driving a carriage. It seemed they were also traveling far, followed by a long line of wagons.

Qing Xing reined in the horses. Even though she knew Xu Wenjun couldn't see her inside his carriage, she instinctively turned her head slightly to avoid him. "He's probably going back to his hometown. Let's wait for the Xu family's convoy to pass before leaving the city."

To go to Qinzhou, one had to leave through the south gate. Xu Wenjun, returning to Huizhou Prefecture, would use the north gate. Since they were heading in opposite directions, Qing Xing planned to wait for the long line of wagons to pass before departing. But the last wagon stopped right beside hers.

The carriage curtain was lifted from inside. Xu Wenjun's usually warm expression was now cold as ice, but his words took Qing Xing by surprise.

"If I were to propose to you and ask you to come to Huizhou with me, would you agree or not?"

Qing Xing was stunned in the carriage, her emotions complex. She didn't answer his question. Instead, she lowered her head and began to recount, "The first person I ever cured was a beggar. I was so happy at the time—I couldn't tell if it was because of my medical skills or because I had saved an innocent life. But later… that beggar still died—not from illness, but from starvation."

Back then, Qing Xing was still young. When she saw the beggar's hunched figure on the street, she felt as if she had touched some truth about the world and understood something.

Elder Miao had told Qing Xing that this was a necessary experience for every physician.

Physicians are a ray of light for patients, who have walked in darkness for so long, worn out their heels, and damaged their hearts, until they saw this glimmer of hope.

Patients see physicians as saviors, but physicians are also human—mortal and fallible. They carry too much, and they, too, can fall into self-doubt, unable to extricate themselves.

If an ordinary person experienced too much despair, they might deliberately harden their heart, so that next time, they wouldn't be devastated by another life slipping away before them.

That's not necessarily a bad thing, Xu Wenjun thought coldly.

"I went home and was sad for a long time. But the little dog I had picked up dragged its dying hind legs to lick my hand. At that time, it didn't even have the strength to eat." Qing Xing still kept her head down, her voice muffled, as if she were crying.

"I didn't help that beggar much, but I saved that little dog. Even though it only lived in the Miao family for three years…"

"As long as I'm alive and can treat people, I won't ignore anyone I can save—because I am a doctor—a female doctor."

Most people live to protect themselves from harm.

Only a rare few, like Qing Xing and Yan Changsheng, swim against the current.

Xu Wenjun closed his eyes to rest, refusing to watch the Miao family's carriage drive away without hesitation.

"Master, aren't you going to follow and ask Miss Qing Xing for her decision again?" the servant ventured cautiously.

Ever since Xu Wenjun had made a stunning comeback with the canned goods from Zhen Guan Workshop, the Xu family no longer dared to underestimate him. Even the clan leader had grown quite appreciative of him.

Xu Wenjun gave a bitter laugh. "That girl has the whole world in her heart. Why should I still bother? Do I look that pathetic?"

The servant dared not ask further. He cracked his whip, and the horses' hooves clattered rhythmically on the smooth cement road, muffling a barely audible sigh.

—

When the Miao family's carriage reached the city gate, Qing Xing found many wagons already gathered there.

"Manager Huang? Physician Wang? What are you all doing here?" Qing Xing was surprised to see familiar faces. Manager Huang was a medicinal herb merchant from the city, and Physician Wang was a local doctor.

Besides them, there were many other herb merchants and physicians.

Manager Huang clasped his hands to Qing Xing. "News came from the Shijian Post Station. Meng Fulang asked us to help in Qinzhou. We've all benefited from Meng Fulang's care; how could we refuse such a small favor?"

Besides, Meng Wan paid for the herbs, and the Shijian Post Station covered the transport costs. The herb merchants only needed to send a manager for handover.

The physicians were more straightforward than the merchants. Physician Wang said, "My wife's family is from Qinzhou. She's worried about her parents and brother's family. I have to make this trip."

Since there were many bandits in Qinzhou, on Meng Wan's instructions, they deliberately waited for Qing Xing to join them.

The post station staff led the way, and as they traveled, more physicians and herb merchants joined the convoy.

"Miss Qing Xing, you're here too." Someone in the convoy recognized Qing Xing.

Qing Xing, Xiaoji, and the others were pleasantly surprised to see the arrivals. "Brother Jin, you came too!" The newcomer was a physician from Heshan County, also a fellow young man, and Xiaoji and the others hadn't seen him for a long time, so they felt a sense of closeness.

"My father received a letter from Meng Fulang, saying that Qinzhou is short of doctors, so everyone came. He originally didn't want to bring me along, but I pestered him until he gave in."

Brother Jin's family had been barefoot doctors for generations. Before, when Heshan County was poor, his family wasn't much better off than ordinary farmers. When Meng Wan vigorously promoted sugarcane cultivation, his family even went to plant sugarcane.

Later, as more people were willing to spend money on medical treatment and no longer simply stayed home to die when they fell ill, his family resumed practicing medicine in the county town. The Miao people had also helped them a lot. Brother Jin later went out to treat the sick and save lives, inspired by Qing Xing and the others.

"Xiaoji and the others are in the carriage. Would you like to come in and talk to them?" Qing Xing asked with a smile.

Brother Jin readily agreed, "Sure! Don't sit outside driving the carriage anymore. Let my second brother drive for you. He has nothing else to do anyway."

Brother Jin's second brother had once proposed to Qing Xing, so having him drive would have been awkward. Qing Xing politely declined.

These compassionate physicians gathered in increasing numbers, all heading together to the land of Qinzhou.

Meanwhile, Meng Wan, who had used his influence to summon so many doctors, had already embarked on his journey to a foreign land.

"Fulang, why don't we enter directly from the southern part of Qinzhou? Why take a detour?" Chi Yu, riding his horse, asked in confusion.

Meng Wan was holding a foreign language book, studying until his head was spinning. Hearing this, he tossed the book into the carriage and leaned back. "Entering Annam from the military camp is closer—just row a small boat across. But will the Annam guards let us in? Huh?"

Chu Ci picked up the book and started reading it himself.

Chi Yu scratched his head. He understood, sure, but felt that Fulang's temper was becoming increasingly irritable.

Up ahead, one of Xia Yuan's men rode up to report, "Meng Fulang, it's getting dark, and it might rain soon. There's a small town ahead. Lord Xia says we'll rest there tonight and set out early tomorrow morning."

"Whatever Lord Xia says," Meng Wan replied, wanting to just give up.

Qin Xiaoyun had repeatedly begged them. The matter of the crown prince could not yet be reported to the court. If any mistakes occurred later, the Qin family would bear full responsibility, hoping only that this time Xia Yuan could take Meng Wan to investigate the crown prince's whereabouts.

They had planned many contingencies for this journey, meticulously detailed.

First, the route: they couldn't enter Annam directly from Qinzhou, given the tense relations between the two countries.

They decided to sail from Beihai and go around to Taiping City in Annam. Taiping City was close to the Annam capital and not too far from the border—a good landing spot.

Meng Wan and his group traveled day and night without rest, finally reaching the border between Qinzhou and Beihai.

After days of roughing it on the road, they no longer had to sleep in the carriage. Meng Wan and Chu Ci got off, with Chi Yu guarding them.

Xia Yuan only brought a servant and the thin man who had reported the news. Chi Yu secretly told Meng Wan that the servant was also skilled in martial arts.

Good—both sides had experts; if trouble came, each would protect their own master.

The two carriages carrying Xia Yuan and Meng Wan rumbled along with the sound of distant thunder as they entered this "small town."

Only upon entering did they realize it wasn't really a town—just a roadside village. There was only a two-story wooden building by the roadside, with an inn's banner hanging above.

The banner was unusual, with a golden fish dangling below it. But the craftsmanship was limited, making the fish too abstract.

As Xiang Yun's apprentice, Meng Wan had some skill in painting, which made his mouth twitch at the sight.

"Grandfather, take it slow." He looked away from the banner, got off the carriage, and then walked around to support Xia Yuan, playing the role of a devoted grandson—despite not being blood-related—quite convincingly.

Xia Yuan patted Meng Wan's arm through the fabric and smiled kindly. "Good, good."

The others: "…"

"Xiaoyu, go knock on the door," Meng Wan ordered Chi Yu.

"Alright, I'm on it."

Chi Yu hurried up to knock on the door. "Innkeeper! We want to stay the night!"

After a moment, the door opened, revealing a middle-aged man wrapped in a cotton coat. He looked as if he had just woken up and said impatiently, "We're closed. No guests."