Chapter 21

Chapter 21: The Art of Acupuncture In the afternoon, while Ling Jiayue was still sitting in the courtyard drinking tea and eating pastries, Doctor Lin was invited into the residence. Ling Jiaxuan had personally gone to fetch him. When Ling Jiayue heard that Doctor Lin had arrived, she was in no hurry to see him. She simply continued drinking her tea at her leisure. She was certain that Doctor Lin was a medical fanatic who would not be able to sit still and would come looking for her himself. Sure enough, barely two hours after Doctor Lin entered the residence, he declined the offer to rest and came on his own to Ling Jiayue’s courtyard. He said that since he had already entered the residence, Miss Ling’s health should come first, and he would diagnose her pulse before doing anything else. As they spoke, Ling Jiayue had not even finished her pastries when Doctor Lin arrived at her courtyard. “Yue'er, girl, this old man is here. Tell me if you feel uncomfortable anywhere, and I’ll make sure to nurse you back to health.” Accompanied by the old man’s voice, Doctor Lin entered Ling Jiayue’s courtyard. Ling Jiayue instructed Lingzhu to clear away the tea and pastries and invited Doctor Lin to sit. She then told Lingxue to pour him tea and serve him some pastries before smiling and saying, “Doctor Lin, why don’t you see where I’m feeling unwell?” “In that case, hold out your hand and let me take your pulse.” Doctor Lin stroked his beard as he spoke. Ling Jiayue did as he said and extended her hand. Lingxue covered her wrist with a light veil. After taking her pulse for a long while, Doctor Lin said in surprise, “Yue'er, girl, there’s nothing wrong with you. Why did you say you needed this old man to nurse you back to health?” Lingxue interjected from the side, “Our Miss is proficient in medical arts herself. If she were ill, she wouldn’t have invited you here. She asked you to come for another reason.” Doctor Lin gave a foolish grin. “As the saying goes, a physician cannot heal himself. There’s nothing wrong with Yue'er, girl, asking me to come.” “Do not be rude,” Ling Jiayue scolded. Lingxue closed her mouth sullenly, but Doctor Lin laughed heartily. “It’s all right, it’s all right. Lingxue, girl, you’re straightforward and speak your mind. It’s rather endearing.” Only then did Lingxue give a playful smile. Ling Jiayue then said, “Yue'er has been lax in disciplining her servants, and I’ve made a fool of myself before you, Doctor Lin. I invited you here because of the art of acupuncture.” The moment Doctor Lin heard the words “art of acupuncture,” his eyes lit up. He asked, “Yue'er, are you planning to teach me everything you know about acupuncture?” Ling Jiayue nodded. “Yes. I’m only a young lady confined to her boudoir and cannot compare with you, Doctor Lin, who can travel everywhere to practice medicine. In order to allow acupuncture to heal more people, Yue'er is willing to teach you everything I know. I only hope you won’t think it beneath you to learn from me.” Doctor Lin truly was a medical fanatic. He actually rose to his feet and bowed deeply to Ling Jiayue. “Yue'er, girl, you are selfless and public-spirited. I will certainly not let your kindness go to waste. I will use acupuncture to treat the people of the world.” Ling Jiayue smiled and helped Doctor Lin to his feet. The two of them then devoted themselves to discussing the art of acupuncture. At the same time, in the Third Prince’s Residence, Elder Xu was sitting in the reception hall drinking tea and waiting for the Third Prince to meet with him. Elder Xu had made up his mind to try to persuade the Third Prince today. After some time, Mu Yuyang finally arrived in the reception hall to meet with Elder Xu. He had taken off the court robes he wore to the morning assembly and was dressed only in ordinary household clothes. Although he wore not a single dragon-patterned accessory, the Third Prince still possessed an imposing presence that inspired awe without anger. When Elder Xu saw the Third Prince arrive, he immediately stood and bowed, greeting Mu Yuyang. The Third Prince, who was usually flamboyant and hot-tempered, appeared quite amiable at that moment. He helped Elder Xu up and said, “There’s no need to be so courteous.” Seeing that the Third Prince was willing to lower himself to help him up, Elder Xu was deeply gratified. He said, “You are a prince. We cannot dispense with proper etiquette.” The Third Prince replied, “In my own residence, you need not be so bound by etiquette.” Only then did Elder Xu take his seat. Once he had settled down, he said, “Does the Third Prince know that, on the day Miss Ling diagnosed and treated me before returning home, she was injured by several death warriors?” The Third Prince narrowed his eyes. “Elder Xu, do you suspect that I was behind it?” Elder Xu said, “That was not my intention. However, when that girl broke off the engagement with you last time, she also humiliated you in front of everyone. I came today to advise you, for my sake, not to quibble with that girl over it.” “Oh? I wonder what charm this girl possesses that has made you speak on her behalf, Elder Xu,” the Third Prince asked. Elder Xu said, “My health has improved greatly thanks to that girl’s acupuncture. Besides, she is warm-hearted, and I truly cannot bear to see her suffer. I know the assassins had nothing to do with you, but regarding the broken engagement, I still hope you can let it go.” The Third Prince pondered for a long while before saying, “Elder Xu, when I was young, I once went out to play and encountered bandits. It was thanks to you being there that you saved my life. Since you have spoken today, I will not refuse your request. Besides, you watched me grow up, so surely you know what kind of person I am?” Hearing Mu Yuyang say this, Elder Xu immediately felt reassured. After exchanging a few pleasantries with Mu Yuyang, he took his leave. As he watched Elder Xu walk away, Mu Yuyang suddenly picked up the teacup on the table and smashed it viciously onto the floor. He shouted furiously, “Hmph! Ling Jiayue! You’ve been lucky enough to escape the last few times, but we’ll see whether you’re still that lucky next time.” The female servants outside heard the commotion and hurried inside to clean up the broken teacup. Unexpectedly, Mu Yuyang’s anger only intensified. Pointing at them, he cursed, “Get out!” The female servant trembled in fright. She did not even dare to clean up the pieces and fled outside on her hands and knees. At the Ling Residence, Ling Jiayue and Doctor Lin felt as though they had finally met kindred spirits. Although Ling Jiayue had taught Doctor Lin the art of acupuncture, Doctor Lin had practiced medicine for many years and, in turn, taught Ling Jiayue a great deal of medical knowledge. The two of them became more and more engrossed in their conversation, completely unaware that the sun had shifted westward. At that moment, Madam Liu sent someone to invite Ling Jiayue to dinner. Only then did Ling Jiayue and Doctor Lin suddenly realize that so much time had passed. Doctor Lin stood and said, “Yue'er, girl, despite your young age, you’ve already achieved such accomplishments in medicine. You’ve truly made me look at you in a new light. Let’s end our discussion here for today. This old man will come bother you again tomorrow.” Ling Jiayue replied, “Not at all. It’s by studying with you, Doctor Lin, that I’ve learned so much. Yue'er has benefited greatly. Tomorrow, I will certainly have tea and pastries prepared and await your arrival.” Doctor Lin stroked his beard and teased her, “Excellent. Even if you didn’t wait for me to come, I would still come anyway.” After seeing Doctor Lin off, Ling Jiayue finally went to Madam Liu’s residence for dinner. Once the meal was over, she returned to her room and sent Lingxue and Lingzhu outside. She sat alone in the room, quietly contemplating the situation. She was now on good terms with Elder Xu and the others, which meant she had gained the backing of wealthy merchants. After enjoying such a pleasant exchange with Doctor Lin today, she had also acquired an invisible source of support. However, since ancient times, the common people had never been able to contend with officials. What was more, the first person she needed to fight was a prince—Mu Yuyang. It seemed that her current strength was still far from sufficient. And even after bringing down the Third Prince, there was still Chu Chaoci! At that thought, Ling Jiayue’s gaze grew even more resolute. No matter how difficult it was, she would have her revenge!