CH 128

Villainous Fake Eunuch (5)

“You…”

Song Xu Yi was struck with disbelief, unsure of how to react. She looked towards the old doctor, but he avoided her gaze and tightened his grip on the reins.

The man in the carriage turned his head and gave Song Xu Yi a stern look, causing her heart to race. Suddenly, a powerful force hit her waist, and she was hoisted onto the carriage.

“Doctor, there appears to be room for two more in the carriage. Would it be a bother if we joined you?” The man spoke slowly as he peered towards Auntie Wang, who was in hot pursuit.

The old doctor remained silent, but the woman in the carriage nodded anxiously. The man let out a light chuckle and pulled Song Xu Yi onto the carriage.

The two horses groaned under the added weight as they slowly made their way forward. Auntie Wang, who was chasing after them, observed the two individuals board the carriage and ceased her pursuit.

Song Xu Yi crammed herself into a corner of the carriage and watched as the old woman held the child in a tender embrace, offering comfort in a soothing voice. She reflected on the hundreds of villagers who regarded the old doctor as their savior, causing her brow to furrow in concern…

The carriage slowly trudged through dozens of houses in Wangjiazhung, passing by white mourning banners hanging from homes and weathered village plaques. Eventually, they arrived at the sole road leading out of the village.

The old woman in the carriage visibly relaxed upon leaving the village, and the child, who was missing a tooth, smiled and presented Song Xu Yi with a crumpled ball of candy.

“This is for little Qiu!”

The elderly woman witnessed the child’s gesture and anxiously glanced at the man sitting beside Song Xu Yi with his eyes shut. She quickly scooped the child into her arms.

Song Xu Yi had been observing the two individuals closely. When she noticed the child’s wandering gaze and drool trickling from the corner of his mouth, she confirmed within herself that the child was mentally challenged.

Despite being unaware, the mentally challenged child still wanted to offer candy to Song Xu Yi. The elderly woman became nervous and ended up smacking the child.

The child let out a wail, and the old woman’s tears flowed down her cheeks.

“Why are you so witless?” The old woman wept bitterly. “Your grandpa didn’t want us, and now, as an elderly woman, how am I supposed to care for you alone?”

“Didn’t I tell you?” The old doctor’s rough voice sounded from the front, subdued. “My son is a man of his word, and he pledged to take care of you. He will never break his promise…”

“But what about you?” The old woman gazed forward, her expression becoming increasingly anxious. “We’ve been married for half our lives. Are you going to let me watch you stray down the wrong path?”

“This isn’t the wrong path,” the old doctor clarified, though his voice was tinged with guilt. “I’ve almost uncovered the general formula, and with time, we can undoubtedly eradicate this epidemic.”

“With time, with time! You said the same thing last time!” The old woman’s tone grew more agitated. “But by the time you unravel the formula, my son will have already passed the seven-day mourning period!” As she spoke, the old woman wiped away her tears once more. “I’ve spent half my life with you. Don’t I comprehend you? If this epidemic hadn’t spiraled out of control, would you have contemplated sending us away?”

“The ailment gets better and then worsens again. More and more people are succumbing, and half of Wangjiazhung is experiencing coughs. Although your formula can cure them once, what about the second and third bouts?”

The elderly physician fell silent.

In the carriage, the only sounds were the old woman’s weeping and the foolish son’s candy-sucking.

Song Xu Yi pursed her lips and gazed at the physician’s frail figure outside the carriage with mixed emotions. She had believed that the physician wanted to flee, but to her surprise, he intended to send his family away and stay with Wangjiazhung to survive.

“System, I need to contact Gu Ruyu first, then bring him back to Wangjiazhung,” Song Xu Yi pondered for a while and spoke softly to the system in her mind, “I believe the physician’s prescription is effective, but people in this era are unaware of disease prevention. Even though many in Wangjiazhung have died, they continue to hold feasts and improperly dispose of the deceased, leading to secondary and tertiary infections. The physician cannot handle it alone, and I want to assist him…”

“But you just managed to escape!” The system was caught off guard by Song Xu Yi’s decision to return to Gu Ruyu and exclaimed, “It will delay your mission…”

“Zheng Lian is currently secure, but the lives of those in Wangjiazhuang are in jeopardy,” Song Xu Yi attempted to persuade the system. Suddenly, the man next to her opened his eyes, embraced her, and quickly crouched down.

The man’s chest was incredibly solid, and Song Xu Yi collided with it unintentionally, feeling like she had hit an iron wall, nearly shedding tears.

At that moment, the horse pulling the cart let out a mournful wail, and an arrow whistled by, lodging in the carriage wall.

What was going on? Song Xu Yi widened her eyes and heard the sound of approaching horses from the front.

The sound of hooves was harmonious and forceful, indicating that more than one person was coming.

The man frowned and lifted the curtain to peep outside.

A troop of sturdy soldiers, numbering over a hundred, stood about ten meters away. Each soldier rode a big horse, their bodies encased in armor, making the old doctor look even smaller and more stooped.

“The County Magistrate has ordered a strict ban on people leaving Wangjiazhuang. Anyone who disobeys will be executed!”

The leader of the troop looked down on the group of people with disdainful eyes, as if gazing at insects.

No doctors, no medicines, no officials…

Song Xu Yi observed the group of people and instantly had an unpleasant suspicion. However, the old doctor seemed oblivious to the present circumstances and got off the carriage, walking a few steps forward to explain, “I am a doctor. We only came to visit relatives, not to break the law…”

Before the old doctor could finish, the general already picked up a bow, drew an arrow with a cold expression, and aimed it at the old doctor, saying, “Move closer, and I’ll kill you without hesitation!”

The feathered arrow landed close to the old doctor’s leg, producing a whirring sound, proving the general wasn’t joking.

The old doctor froze in place, trembling, taking a while to comprehend what had transpired. He looked at the general with excitement and said, “You can’t do this! It’s attempted murder! Many people in Wangjiazhuang have not contracted the disease. This epidemic is not incurable…”

“Not incurable?” The general jeered at the old doctor. “The Imperial Doctor dispatched by the Emperor has diagnosed it as a terminal illness. How dare a rustic quack question the medical expertise of the Imperial Doctor?”

“What a fool from the countryside!”

“Anyways,” the General lifted his bow once more, aiming the sharp arrow at the old doctor. Seeing the sorrowful expression on the old doctor’s face, he sneered again, “Our elite soldiers are patrolling this road. I suggest you be smart and go back to Wangjiazhuang immediately!”

……

The elderly doctor stood amidst the army and the carriage, his face flushed and his hair disheveled, resembling a humorous jester.

A selfless hero such as him should not have to endure such treatment!

Song Xu Yi clenched her fists in anxiety, her lips tightly sealed as she disembarked from the carriage.

Disregarding the General’s bow and arrow aimed at her, as if to prove a point, Song Xu Yi approached the old doctor and helped him up, whispering gently, “Please take care of yourself, old doctor. Millions of people rely on you for salvation.”

The old doctor was taken aback. In his mind, Song Xu Yi was a rude and cowardly thief who sought to depart Wangjiazhung forcefully. He never expected her to speak so sensibly.

Nonetheless, her words made perfect sense.

The old doctor glanced at the troops and turned his horse’s head with an indignant expression.

As they boarded the carriage, Song Xu Yi caught the gaze of the man who had been staring at her, but his eyes betrayed an unfamiliar complexity and indifference. She smiled instinctively, but he pursed his lips and looked away.

“This must be the County Magistrate’s doing,” the old doctor said sternly, waiting until the soldiers were no longer visible to speak. “I will find a way to report this and sue him before the Emperor!”

Song Xu Yi opened her mouth to reply, but in the end, she remained silent: “The caliber of elite soldiers like these is not something a County Magistrate can summon. It is probable that the Emperor gave the order.”

The Emperor has been fixated on elixirs for years, believing he can cheat fate. Though he’s arrogant, he’s also fearful of divine retribution. In ancient times, people viewed illness as punishment from the heavens. Maybe the Emperor sees this epidemic as a personal retribution and wants to keep it under wraps.

Song Xu Yi stayed silent, but the man beside her sneered, “What if this is all the Emperor’s doing?”

“That’s impossible—” The old doctor reflexively denied it, but the Emperor’s recent behavior made his voice trail off until he fell silent.

Song Xu Yi was surprised the man shared her thoughts and looked at him. He leaned against the carriage wall and closed his eyes, as if he hadn’t spoken.

The carriage slowly returned to the village.

It was now night, the wind cold, and the sounds of mourning and music drifted from the village. Yellow paper fluttered in the air, and the white flags at the village entrance looked forlorn and desolate in the darkness.

The old doctor stayed silent, looking at the scene. The woman in the carriage sighed with relief and said with a smile, “Life and death are predestined. Don’t worry too much. Since fate has brought us this far, I’ll go with you.”

The old doctor’s eyes shimmered with tears. He lowered his head and said nothing.

Upon entering the village, Song Xu Yi and the man got off at the entrance to conceal the old doctor’s wife and grandson in the carriage. It was impossible to leave now. Song Xu Yi thought for a moment and planned to offer her assistance at the old doctor’s home and study the epidemic together. The man suddenly turned around, looked at Song Xu Yi with a deep gaze, and asked, “If I found a way to escape Wangjiazhung, would you come with me?”