Chapter 1100 - 1102: The Disappearance of the Female Doctor_1
Chancellor Si Yuanhang wasn’t so agitated, he smiled and said, "Elder Jiang Ge, no matter how you put it, Jiang Yichun is your own grandson. It’s good to support justice over family, but you can’t neglect both justice and family, right?"
"I don’t have such a disgraceful grandson who goes so far as to hit people in court—such behavior must not be condoned!" Mentioning his grandson, Elder Jiang Ge was particularly agitated and began to shout, his voice growing hoarse by the end.
Sitting at his desk, the Emperor finally had enough. He slammed his palm onto the table, and everyone instantly went quiet.
"You’ve been arguing since the morning council, and now you’ve continued into the Imperial Study Room. Do you not wish to give me peace? I have already said I am unwell. All of you, leave. I will handle Jiang Yichun’s matter myself," the Emperor said wearily.
"Shouldn’t there be some explanation to Chengshui Country?" Elder Jiang Ge asked unwillingly.
The Emperor suddenly grabbed a book from the desk and threw it fiercely to the ground, his entire demeanor like a lion ready to charge at any moment, "When has Danliang ever feared Chengshui? What explanation is needed?"
"Your Majesty!" Elder Jiang Ge cried out in grief, fell to his knees and said, "Indeed, Danliang does not fear Chengshui, but there is no need to stir up strife between two nations over such an ignorant person, especially when the whole incident started with a shameless woman."
Bai Guanghe, in a fit of rage, pointed at Elder Jiang Ge, "Don’t play the seniority card here. Are you a loyal official of Danliang or of Chengshui? If Chengshui wages war over such a trivial matter, it will be their loss. Besides, who in Chengshui would take up Zhou Jue’s cause?"
Seeing another argument brewing, the Emperor, in irritation, swept his sleeve and walked out on his own.
Since none of them would leave, he, the Emperor, had to. Who could blame him when the obstinate and rigid old man inside was a venerable elder from three reigns, highly trusted by the Former Emperor?
Seeing the Emperor leaving, the ministers also dispersed. Bai Guanghe, recalling Elder Jiang Ge’s earlier remark about being "shameless," spat at him before departing.
Gu Yuanfeng, who had been on rather friendly terms with Bai Guanghe, leaned in and said, "Uncle Bai, don’t be angry. Elder Jiang Ge is nothing but a seeker of fame, willing to disregard everything for his reputation. Remember his younger son from back in the day..."
Bai Guanghe sighed. "After all, he does have many students and has always maintained a frugal and disciplined life. The Former Emperor praised him more than once for his integrity and unwavering righteousness. His repeated pressure on His Majesty does indeed make it difficult for His Majesty."
"He is being too harsh on Jiang Yichun, though. Despite the past incident being disgraceful, the child is innocent, and so many years have passed since then," Gu Yuanfeng sighed. "It’s also quite pitiful for Ruozhu."
Bai Guanghe’s expression flickered, and he remained sullen and silent afterwards.
Gu Yuanfeng kept glancing at him, feeling puzzled. Bai Guanghe was usually very neutral, and it was unusual for him to take such a stand and be so impassioned. Was it because he had taken a liking to his junior, Jiang Yichun?
He found it strange but, fearing he might upset Bai Guanghe, he kept his curiosity to himself.
When Bai Ruozhu got home, she explained the situation with Jiang Yichun to her parents. News of today’s events would soon spread throughout the capital, and she thought it was better to worry her parents with her account than to let them hear rumblings. What she didn’t know was that when her second brother returned from school with the rumors, the story had morphed into one in which Captain of the Right Imperial Guards Jiang Yichun, in a fit of rage over a beauty, had furiously beaten the Chengshui royal who had slighted his wife.
Less than a day had passed, and yet the story had morphed into this. Bai Ruozhu was astonished. However, she heard that many in the Capital praised Jiang Yichun for doing well, for enhancing the national prestige of Danliang Country; but there were still some who said Bai Ruozhu was a femme fatale.
Of course, the term femme fatale was not recounted by Bai Zepei, but something Bai Ruozhu found out through her own investigations. She listened and gave a wry smile; in this matter, she was truly innocent. Wasn’t it because she had presented the Suturing Technique to the Imperial Court, which then failed to keep the matter confidential?
The next day, Elder Jiang Ge continued to plead with the Emperor at the morning court to severely punish Jiang Yichun and accused his wife, the Bai Family, of not maintaining a woman’s virtue. He requested the Emperor to revoke her imperial edict and ban her from entering the Palace again.
The Emperor, upon hearing this, also became enraged and said, "Does the Empress Dowager have to look at your face to see whom she wants to meet in the Palace? Elder Jiang Ge, you may be a minister who served three Emperors, but you’re overstepping your bounds!"
The Emperor was new to the throne, and his authority was not very high. Additionally, he had a practice of hiding his brilliance and nurturing his perception, and he was also very good-tempered, so there were rarely moments when the Emperor became angry and everyone fell silent as cold cicadas. Of course, Tang Yin was also a wise ruler, and Danliang Country had never had a tradition of tyrannical autocratic emperors.
The Court was in a heated debate, and the news quickly reached Bai Ruozhu’s ears. Gritting her teeth, she cursed "meddlesome grandpa" to herself, got up, left the room, and gave Jianqi some instructions.
A troublesome man is called a "meddlesome father," and someone as old and irritating as Elder Jiang Ge could only be called a "meddlesome grandpa." But Bai Ruozhu wasn’t someone who couldn’t handle him; now, it was truly time to show him some colors.
After arranging some matters and soothing her son for a while, Bai Ruozhu went out to the Commerce Association to inquire about some things. The trip went very smoothly, and she found the answers she was looking for; however, not long after leaving the Commerce Association, Bai Ruozhu suddenly spotted a familiar figure.
It was the figure of a woman in her twenties, someone she had seen more than once. The woman always had her face covered, and Bai Ruozhu couldn’t see her entire face, only remembering the woman’s full forehead and the shape of her hairline when her hair was tied up.
Previously, the Imperial Court had dispatched four doctors to Beiyu City to learn the Suturing Technique from Bai Ruozhu. One of them was a woman, a few years older than Bai Ruozhu. Through daily interactions, and with Bai Ruozhu’s keen attention to detail, how could she not recognize her?
She frowned, thought carefully, and finally remembered that the female doctor was named Ling Shan, which she heard accidentally mentioned by one of the doctors.
This time, Bai Ruozhu got a clear view of the woman’s appearance; she had a delicate look. Although she was not stunningly beautiful, she was certainly pleasant to the eyes.
However, Bai Ruozhu had heard before that only two of the four doctors had been found; the other two were missing, and it was assumed that they were no longer alive. So why was Ling Shan appearing here?
Bai Ruozhu hid inside the Commerce Association, staying out of Ling Shan’s sight, and watched her actions from a distance.
Two guards followed her, one of them reminding her with a stern face, "Madam, the master ordered that you must not wander off. Please hurry and finish buying the medicinal materials and return to the Guest House."
"Shut up, are you even in a position to lecture me? Believe me or not, I could have Grandpa chop you up and feed you to the dogs?" Ling Shan’s face revealed a cruel expression as she glared fiercely at the guard.
The guard hung his head and dared not speak further, but a look of contempt flashed in his eyes, seemingly holding Ling Shan in low regard.
Bai Ruozhu’s expression grew darker and darker. The guard’s attire was not in the style commonly worn by the people of Danliang, and the mention of a "Guest House" meant that Ling Shan was...