A Man of Honor or Defenseless Against Beautiful Women?
Lu Song looked at Feng Yu Heng and asked with great uncertainty: “The treatment that Princess is talking about, how… much will it cost?”
Feng Yu Heng blinked: “It’s not much, but it will cost at least 100 taels.” She really did not ask for an exorbitant amount, and this was a result of the Lu family becoming more reserved and obedient, in addition to the two prime ministers working together to produce difficult test questions to deal with the people of the eighth prince’s faction. That could be considered a contribution, thus she decided on the price of 100 taels. If this was in the past, when the matter with Lu Yao had just occurred, if she did not demand one million taels, her name would not be Feng.
Lu Song visibly let out a sigh of relief and said: “Then would princess please write up the bill! I did not bring that much money with me and will definitely have a servant from the manor send it over later. Please do not worry.”
Feng Yu Heng smiled and did not say anything else, as she casually wrote up a prescription then handed it to her assistant. Only then did she bring Lu Song behind a divider. Ren Xi Tao was not permitted back there and could only wait outside. During this time, he could faintly hear the sound of Lu Song seemingly throwing up a few times. He was very curious but knew that he could not violate the rules of peeking on someone else’s examination, thus he endured and did not move.
Roughly two sticks of incense in time later, Feng Yu Heng helped Lu Song out. Lu Song’s complexion was horrible, and he had experienced the agony of a gastroscope. That terrible feeling was such that he did not even have the courage to recall it.
“The results should be back tomorrow. There’s no need for Lord Lu to come to Hundred Herb Hall personally. You can just send someone that is able to understand the spoken language.” She told Lu Song: “During these next few days, try to eat a bit less and eat fewer hard things. The stomach needs to heal. I will prescribe you some more medicine. The cost of the medicine will be included in the examination fee, and that won’t exceed 100 taels.” She once again emphasized the examination fee, and Lu Song felt a little more at ease. Although 100 taels was not a small sum, at the very least, the Lu family would be able to afford it. It would be better than Feng Yu Heng demanding the world of them, letting them know that the illness could be treated, while also making it clear that she would not treat him. That would be the ultimate despair.
Coming out of Hundred Herb Hall, Ren Xi Tao continued to accompany Lu Song. He did not have much to say; however, he was an earnest person. He insisted on escorting Lu Song back to his manor before feeling at ease to return home. This caused Lu Song to feel quite moved. Thinking about it some more, Gu shi was not at home today. The only female family member present was Lu Ping. Could he use this opportunity to have Lu Ping meet Ren Xi Tao? Just based on Feng Yu Heng calling Ren Xi Tao “older brother,” if this relationship worked out, he would have an indirect connection with Feng Yu Heng. In the future, he could have Lu Ping get along well with her, and the Lu family would have become part of Feng Yu Heng’s circle.
The more he thought about it, the more that he felt it was reliable. In addition to this, Feng Yu Heng had said that there was not too much wrong with him, and she had prescribed some of Hundred Herb Hall’s good medicine for him. Lu Song’s immediately felt quite a bit more relaxed, and there was even a bit of spring to his step, causing Ren Xi Tao to feel a bit confused.
When Lu Song arrived home, the “notice for payment” from Hundred Herb Hall had arrived a long time ago. The servant saw him return and asked: “Master spent 100 taels at Hundred Herb Hall? Earlier, someone from Hundred Herb Hall sent a bill, but neither you nor madam were home, thus we lowly ones could not make that decision.”
Lu Song nodded, “There was indeed such a thing. Immediately have someone send the banknotes over. Also, call the eldest young miss out. Just say that there is a guest here.” As he said this, he invited Ren Xi Tao into the manor. Fearing that he would refuse, he quickly added: “Young general has saved this prime minister today. Unfortunately, this prime minister is ill, and it’s inconvenient to have you stay for a meal, but regardless of what is said, we should have you stay for a cup of tea. I hope that young general will not decline.”
Ren Xi Tao had originally planned to leave after sending him back, but with Lu Song saying this, if he did not even stay for a cup of tea, it would look like he was looking down on Lu Song for falling ill, and that would not be too good. Thus he could only nod and follow Lu Song into the Lu manor’s main hall.
The servant quickly brought out the tea, and Lu Song politely said: “This tea was awarded by His Majesty from before the Festival of Pure Brightness*. Young general, please try some.”
Ren Xi Tao took a sip. It was indeed good tea, and after repeatedly praising it, he wanted to leave, saying to Lu Song: “Lord Lu’s body is not well and needs to rest more. Xi Tao staying will cause a disturbance. Having had some tea, I will bid farewell for now!”
Just as this had been said, he suddenly smelled something fragrant coming from outside the hall. As a grown man, and a military man at that, he did not like this sort of fragrant smell, and he could not help but frown. Turning around, he found that there was a member of the Lu family walking over. Wearing a water-blue dress that reached the ground and a simple, blue flower hairpin made of jade, she was plain but elegant. But when he looked at this girl once more, she had a delicate face that was shockingly beautiful. No matter how plain the clothes, they could not hide such a strikingly beautiful face. For a split second, Ren Xi Tao suddenly recalled that the Feng family once had a daughter named Chen Yu, and her beauty was able to shake the world. But Feng Chen Yu had already died. Who was this girl in front of him?
In an instant, that surprise had covered up that fragrance that had assaulted his senses. After Lu Ping had put in a small amount of effort into displaying her beauty for the sake of the family, even if it was Ren Xi Tao, he could not help but be subdued by this sort of beauty. There was actually such a beauty in this world?
All of this was seen by Lu Song, and he could not help but let out a sigh of relief. In the beginning, he had been mad at Lu Ping, blaming her for applying so much of that fragrance, and who knew where this pungent smell had come from. Even as her father, he began to feel a bit nauseous, so what of the Ren family’s son? But seeing the current situation, it seemed that Ren Xi Tao did not express any displeasure aside from his initial frown at the smell of the fragrance. His eyes remained firmly fixed on Lu Ping and never left.
Lu Song felt that there was a chance for this matter. Seeing Lu Ping walk over to him, salute, and call him father, he finally said: “Today, the madam has left the city to pray to the Bodhisattva of medicine. Speaking of which, it was for the sake of this prime minister’s illness. For the time being, the family does not have anyone to take care of the guests, but the young general is the benefactor that saved this prime minister’s life. This is this prime minister’s eldest daughter. Just let her take this prime minister’s place in giving thanks to the young general!” After saying this, he quickly said to Lu Ping: “Today, father coughed up blood on the street and was about to faint. Fortunately, I met young general Ren, which allowed me to survive. Ping’er quickly thank the young general!”
Lu Ping obeyed and turned around, taking a couple steps forward. She then bowed to Ren Xi Tao and said: “Young general, for saving my father’s life, Lu Ping is exceptionally thankful.” That was all. She straightened her back, but there was not much of a smile on her face. She did not even take a look at Ren Xi Tao, as she just stood in the middle of the room, quietly allowing the smell spread from her body.
The smell was extremely disgusting, and it continued until the servants in the hall could no longer endure that Ren Xi Tao finally stood up, returning the gesture and saying: “It was just a simple matter. It was no problem. Young Miss Lu is truly too courteous.” His tone was very polite, and he had returned to normal from his earlier shock. In regards to that pungent fragrance, he did not have any further reactions. He just sat back down on his chair and calmly sat there. It was as though the earlier experience had never occurred, as he casually drank tea. He then stood up and bid farewell to Lu Song.
It was not convenient for Lu Song to keep him longer, but he used his illness to not personally send him off, as he had Lu Ping send him out. Ren Xi Tao did not refuse it, but he did not speak to Lu Ping much from the hall to the entrance of the manor. He did not even take a glance at Lu Ping. It was only after exiting the manor’s gates that he turned around and saluted once more, saying to Lu Ping: “Young Miss Lu, please quickly go back! I hope that you will take good care of lord left prime minister. Hundred Herb Hall wrote a prescription. Young Miss must remember to keep an eye the left prime minister to ensure that he takes his medicine. Xi Tao bids farewell.” After saying this, he left without turning back.
Lu Ping stood at the entrance and watched Ren Xi Tao depart. Furrowing her brow, she began to think. When she was in the hall, she had carefully noted when Ren Xi Tao revealed a look of shock upon seeing her face. The look in his eyes was the same as the ones that she had seen in other men’s eyes. At that time, she felt that he was just a normal man that did not have any defense against beautiful women. The family had once thought of marrying her to Ren Xi Tao, but she had applied a large amount of the pungent powder to herself for the sake of scaring off Ren Xi Tao to not be used by the Lu family. But now, it seemed that although this person’s expression improved a great deal from the beginning when she thought about it now, it was possible that he really had been scared off, quickly leaving. He did not even want to say a single extra word!
Lu Ping gently curved her lips into a smile. Her illness had been cured by Feng Yu Heng a long time ago. The Lu family did not know about it, thus she would keep it secret for the rest of her life. She would rather remain single for the rest of her life than become a tool for the Lu family to obtain power.
Lu Ping turned around and returned inside; however, Lu Song had already come out of the main hall. He looked at Lu Ping with a look of disappointment and said: “Did you know that that was the Ren family’s son of the first wife? The current court’s fourth-rank general? Why is it that you don’t put in a bit of effort for yourself? Do you not know what the situation at home is? Both of your younger sisters even gave up their lives for the sake of the family, so why is it that you don’t even think a bit about the family?” While Lu Song spoke, he covered his nose, “There are good fragrances, but you don’t use them. Instead, you use this pungent fragrance. This smells so bad that even I, your own father, cannot bear to continue smelling it, much less the Ren family’s general!”
Lu Ping looked at Lu Song with great disdain, but, in the end, she was not Feng Yu Heng, and she did not have the courage to oppose her family in the same way that Feng Yu Heng had. Facing Lu Song, she would still be respectful; moreover, Lu Song was currently ill, and she also knew it. It was just that there were some things that needed to be said, thus Lu Ping said: “Father might not know, but the fragrance that Gu Shu provided has run out a long time ago. In addition to this, the manor has been running low on funds. Mother has not taken care of purchasing fragrances for daughter for a long time. As for this fragrance, it was daughter that has been buying it with money saved up each month.”
With her saying it like this, what was there that Lu Song could say? Indeed, the family was lacking in money, thus they could not pay too much attention to her. Helpless, he could only wave his hand and have Lu ping quickly return to her own courtyard; however, he began to think about Ren Xi Tao’s earlier actions. He just felt that his earlier shock and changed into calmness in just a blink of an eye. To argue that he did not take an interest in Lu Ping, his initial reaction did not appear to be fake. But to argue that he did, why was it that he left after just seeing Lu Ping? Lu Song thought long and hard about it and felt that the blame would be placed on Lu Ping for using that pungent fragrance. He felt that Ren Xi Tao had most likely been scared off by that smell.
He repeatedly sighed and coughed for a while. When he finally managed to get it under control, he did not cough up any blood, but his body did not have any strength to support him. He could only return to his room to rest with the support of the servants. Lu Ping’s hidden illness had remained a point of concern for him. If that illness was not cured, even if she was a beautiful woman, she would still be a worthless piece!
Hundred Herb Hall quickly received the banknotes sent by the Lu manor. When Yao An was taking care of the account, he quietly said to Feng Yu Heng: “Why was the Ren family’s young master with Lu Song? Really, just looking at people from the Lu family makes me annoyed. Younger sister Heng should not have treated him. Just let him die from his illness.”
Feng Yu Heng helplessly said: “In the end, this place is the Hundred Herb Hall. Saving people from illness is its foundation. Fourth cousin, calm your anger. At worst, just demand more money from them in the future.” After saying this, she did not stay for long, leaving in her imperial carriage with Wang Chuan and Huang Quan. Along the way, however, she also began to think. At a later date, she would need to ask Ren Xi Feng. Her older brother looked like he was quite good-natured. This sort of person could be bullied quite easily…