"Lu Shi saved my life, so it's only right that I repay his kindness. I walk and sit upright, and I'm not afraid of gossip. If I were to only worry about gossip and neglect my savior's life or death, I would never be able to live with myself. Young Madam, I beg you, please let me stay."
Cai Qing's words were earnest and full of sincerity, which moved Feng Jin to some extent. She truly couldn't bear to deceive Cai Qing any longer.
"If Lu Shi knew about this, I doubt he would let you stay either. Cai Qing, this is not a small matter; it concerns your reputation for life. You must understand the power of public opinion. If you have to face endless rumors and pointing fingers in the future, will you still want to stay?"
If the matter were to be spread, it would only damage the reputation of a woman. Feng Jin laid out the consequences to Cai Qing, letting her make her own choice.
After a moment of silence, Cai Qing finally spoke, "I... I am not afraid. I beg the Young Madam to let me stay and care for Lu Shi."
Cai Qing knelt solemnly before Feng Jin, pleading to stay.
"You may rise."
Feng Jin quickly helped Cai Qing up. "If you have truly thought this through, I will definitely not stop you. If you wish to stay, then stay."
"Many thanks, Young Madam."
"I will send more men to protect you all, and I will ensure nothing happens to you..."
Feng Jin gave Cai Qing a few more instructions before rising and leaving.
...
Early the next morning, Ling Mo Han secretly dispatched a troop of men to transfer Lu Shi to a safe location. Only then did the group set off.
Cai Qing sat in the carriage, watching over the still unconscious Lu Shi, her heart clenching with anxiety. She repeatedly checked Lu Shi's wounds.
Before they left, the Young Madam had instructed her to take good care of Lu Shi's wounds and not let them reopen.
The carriage departed in the morning and did not stop until evening.
Cai Qing lifted the carriage curtain. The first thing she saw was a courtyard, surrounded by unfamiliar sights, which made her tremble.
"Where is this place?"
"Young lady, you need not worry. This place was purchased by the Young General years ago. The surroundings are all ordinary farming households. Rest assured, you can stay here."
The one who spoke was a Black Armored Guard who had changed into disguise and was specially assigned to escort them.
Cai Qing felt slightly relieved. "Please carry Lu Shi into the room first. I still need Doctor Lin to examine Lu Shi."
Feng Jin, worried about any unforeseen circumstances for Lu Shi on the road, had asked Lin Zhi to accompany them for an added layer of assurance.
"No matter, let's go inside first,"
Lin Zhi said calmly. If the Young Madam hadn't promised to teach him a set of acupuncture techniques in exchange, he would never have followed them to this desolate place.
Upon arriving at the room, Lin Zhi examined Lu Shi. "He is recovering quite well. Despite the bumpy journey, his wounds are fine. It seems you have taken great care of him; you've put in a lot of effort."
Hearing that Lu Shi was alright, Cai Qing finally breathed a sigh of relief. The journey had been very rough, and she had been worried that Lu Shi might encounter further problems. Now, she could finally relax.
"Doctor Lin, when will he wake up? It's not a solution for him to remain unconscious like this."
He had been unconscious for a whole day and should have woken up by now, but Lu Shi showed no signs of regaining consciousness, which made Cai Qing worried again.
"He should wake up soon. I will write you a prescription. Crush the herbs and brew them for him to drink."
"Alright..." Cai Qing nodded quickly and went with Lin Zhi to get the prescription.
"Grind the herbs according to the prescription, brew them for half an hour, then pour them out and continue brewing for another half an hour. Give it to Lu Shi to drink, and he should wake up tonight."
Lin Zhi handed the written prescription to Cai Qing. The reason Lu Shi was still unconscious was due to excessive blood loss earlier, leading to a severe deficiency in both qi and blood, which was why he hadn't woken up for so long.
His prescription included many herbs that replenished qi and blood, and Lu Shi would awaken quickly after drinking it.
Cai Qing nodded in agreement, memorizing everything Lin Zhi had said. "I'll go get the medicine now."
Clutching the prescription tightly in her hand, Cai Qing hurried out. After asking several people and wandering around, she finally found a pharmacy.
"Shopkeeper, please dispense the medicine according to this prescription."
Cai Qing handed the prescription to him.
"Young lady, I'm truly sorry, but I don't have the 'Centennial He Shou Wu' in this prescription. However, I do have 'Decade He Shou Wu.' The medicinal effects are not much different. How about you take the Decade He Shou Wu?"
Cai Qing's mind immediately recalled Lin Zhi's instructions: she must dispense the medicine exactly according to the prescription.
"No, I must dispense the medicine exactly according to the prescription, without any deviations. I'll go to another shop to check."
Taking back the prescription, Cai Qing walked out.
"Young lady, this is a small town. You won't find Centennial He Shou Wu here..."
The shopkeeper shouted after Cai Qing's retreating back, but Cai Qing seemed not to hear him and walked straight ahead.
Cai Qing searched all the pharmacies in the town but could not find the Centennial He Shou Wu. Dejected, she sat down by the roadside. Without the Centennial He Shou Wu, how could the prescription be dispensed?
After a pause, Cai Qing re-entered the first pharmacy. She would have to take some Decade He Shou Wu back and let Lin Zhi examine it first. She couldn't go back empty-handed.
"Young lady, you've returned. Did you not find the Centennial He Shou Wu?"
The shopkeeper was not surprised by Cai Qing's return; it seemed to be within his expectations.
"Shopkeeper, please dispense the medicine according to this prescription, but the He Shou Wu should be packaged separately. Be sure to give me plenty of He Shou Wu."
Cai Qing handed him the prescription again, instructing him with a worried look.
"Alright, I will give you plenty of He Shou Wu."
Taking the prescription, the shopkeeper dispensed the medicine. "Young lady, all the herbs in this prescription are for replenishing qi and blood. Has someone been injured?"
Cai Qing's eyes darted, and she replied defensively, "No, it's my sister-in-law. She just gave birth and her body is weak. The doctor prescribed some medicine to help her recover."
This town was not large. If news of someone being seriously injured spread, it would quickly become known to everyone. They needed to be careful for now.
"Alright, young lady, your medicine is ready. Here is some donkey-hide gelatin cake. It's the best for nourishing the body after childbirth. Consider this a gift from me. If it proves effective, you can come back to buy more."
"Thank you very much, shopkeeper. You are truly a good person."
Cai Qing thanked him repeatedly, took the medicine, and hurried away, running back all the way.
Upon reaching the courtyard, she rushed to show the medicine to Lin Zhi.
"I searched the entire town and couldn't find the Centennial He Shou Wu. I only managed to buy some Decade He Shou Wu. See if it can be used in the medicine?"