Chapter 66: Two Officials

The beginning of the story was always gentle to extreme, but the ending was always incomparably cruel.

How much happiness was there during the game, and how brutal was the beating afterwards?

In the main hall of Taiping Medical Hall early in the morning, She Dengke and Liu Quxing stood in a row in front of the counter.

Old man Yao returned from the backyard with two bamboo strips and beat the two until they cried and howled like ghosts: "Learning to not return home and drink alcohol all night, right? Your fathers and mothers dug out tuition silver to send you here just so your pulse-taking is inaccurate? When can I rely on you to inquire about diagnosis for patients?"

Liu Quxing cried and howled: "Master, I can take an accurate pulse! The one who takes inaccurate pulses is She Dengke!"

She Dengke cried so much that he blew snot bubbles: "Liu Quxing, you big grandfather!"

At this moment, Old man Yao fiercely turned around and looked at Chen Ji, who was watching from the bamboo chair: "And you!"

Chen Ji rolled his eyes upward: "Master, my wound hurts."

After saying that, he pretended to faint.

However, Old man Yao didn't care about that. Bamboo strips rained down on his head and face, beating Chen Ji awake and making him wail: "Master, I have a wound, I have a wound!"

"Now you remember you have a wound! Why didn't you think of it when you were playing!"

Old man Yao randomly beat the apprentices in a chaotic manner, breaking one bamboo strip and then changing to another. Only then did everyone know why the other person directly brought out two bamboo strips.

After beating the apprentices, Old man Yao looked at Shizi again: "Shizi went to Donglin Academy to study for three years, and after returning, he spends every day lingering in flower-smoke places. It seems the teachers at Donglin weren't that good either."

Shizi subconsciously agreed: "Indeed, not that good..."

He suddenly realized he had said the wrong thing and quickly smiled to find a supplement: "No, don't misunderstand. Yesterday was really too happy. We truly connected on a spiritual level..."

Old man Yao slowly raised his hand. Shizi quickly shrunk back and hid behind Bai Li, muttering in a low voice: "Presumably you were also this willful when you were young."

Bai Li stepped forward and supported Old man Yao's arm: "Just don't be angry, don't stoop to their level."

Old man Yao raised his eyebrows: "Were you not there last night? Step back."

Bai Li hung her head disheartened and retreated back into the line.

Old man Yao looked at Liang Gou'er again: "You eat well and drink well living in my Taiping Medical Hall, and then you lead my apprentices astray."

Liang Gou'er also hung his head: "Don't worry, next time I definitely won't lead them to not return home at night."

Old man Yao glared, his beard all puffed up, "Still have a next time!"

This old man with white hair, just like everyone's elder, fairly scolded everyone except Liang Mao'er. Shizi and Bai Li, Liang Gou'er also hung their heads without retort...

However, what was strange was that, logically, Old man Yao was only an imperial physician in Jing Wangfu, but the way he scolded Shizi and the County Princess felt so reasonable and natural to Shizi and the others.

Imperial Physician Yao said in a cold voice: "All of you stand here properly and reflect!"

After saying that, he turned around and returned to the backyard. The crowd let out a long sigh of relief.

Liu Quxing sobbed: "Master's beating was too brutal."

Liang Gou'er lazily leaned against the counter, his elbow supporting the tabletop: "You should be content. In this day and age, it's not bad that someone is still willing to teach you. If someone had severely beaten me back then, perhaps I wouldn't have drunk alcohol every day..."

Liang Gou'er looked at Shizi: "You and the County Princess don't need to stand here being punished. The old man can't control you anyway. Why did you come to be scolded?"

Shizi joked: "What are you saying? Good friends must share prosperity and hardship!" At this moment, a knocking sound came from outside the door: "Is Imperial Physician Yao in?"

The crowd in the medical hall all breathed a sigh of relief. An outsider had come to save them!

Imperial Physician Yao slowly returned to the main hall. He glanced at She Dengke: "Go and open the door!"

She Dengke hurried out. In a moment, he led a guest into the backyard.

Chen Ji raised his head and saw Manager Yuan of Baimu Pavilion smiling with narrowed eyes, carrying two bags of things, including fruits, pastries, and even a string of fresh lamb legs.

At this moment, all dreams, all song girls, all sweet wine vanished like smoke because of Manager Yuan's visit. Everything from last night seemed like just a good dream.

Since being injured, Chen Ji seemed to be far from disputes, learning fighting skills in the green mountains on one side and being led around by Shizi on the other.

His life was substantial and steady, as if the shadows of the past were already far gone, never to return.

But he knew that what was to come would always come.

Old man Yao asked: "My Taiping Medical Hall just restocked medicinal materials a few days ago. Why did Manager Yuan personally come here again? There's no need to do business."

Manager Yuan smiled cheerfully and replied: "A clerk from Baimu Pavilion said they saw Chen Ji being carried on the street yesterday and that he should be injured. I just thought I'd come to see him."

Chen Ji knew that it must have been his showing off with Shizi and the County Princess yesterday that attracted the attention of the Jingchao Military Affairs Department.

He knew the opponent might come, but he didn't expect them to come so quickly.

Old man Yao glanced at Manager Yuan and said indifferently: "Manager Yuan is a busy person, yet he actually came to my Taiping Medical Hall to visit a small apprentice."

Manager Yuan didn't care about Old man Yao's sarcasm: "Little Doctor Chen often came to my Baimu Pavilion to buy medicinal materials before. We hit it off the moment we met, so I brought some things to visit him.

You go ahead and be busy. I'll chat with little Doctor Chen."

Old man Yao nodded: "Okay, then you two chat. She Dengke, go fetch water. Liu Quxing, go mop the floor. Liang Mao'er, go cook. Liang Gou'er, go sleep."

Liang Gou'er said awkwardly: "I'm eating and living for free in Taiping Medical Hall. It's fine if you tell me to go, there's no need to be polite."

"Okay, then go chop firewood!"

"Good!"

Shizi quickly flattered with a smile: "We'll also go do some work and then leave. Bai Li, go find a cloth and wipe the table in the main hall..."

Bai Li laughed: "Okay!"

Manager Yuan took advantage of everyone being busy and asked in a low voice: "Did you find that escaped spy the night before last?"

Chen Ji shook his head and said seriously: "That night, I was severely injured and fainted. I don't know anything about what happened afterwards.

But since the Secret Service hasn't come to arrest me by now, presumably they haven't caught him."

Manager Yuan stood in the main hall with his hands behind his back, deep in thought. The atmosphere in the main hall suddenly solidified like ice.

The door of Taiping Medical Hall was still closed. The morning light outside the window shone through the white paper on the window into this dim room.

Chen Ji silently observed the other person's expression and didn't say a word.

After a moment, Manager Yuan asked: "Have any people from the Military Affairs Department come to find you in the past two days?"

Chen Ji shook his head: "No."

Manager Yuan stared at Chen Ji: "Really no?"

Chen Ji looked back calmly: "Really no."

Manager Yuan no longer dwelled on this topic. He changed the subject: "The previous batch of goods has already been transported north. I'll give you one day's time. Figure out a way to inform that important figure in Wangfu that the next batch of goods should be handed over.

As long as this batch of goods is in place, Department Master will immediately set off south."

Chen Ji said with difficulty: "But Department Cao adult, you see I'm injured like this. How can I contact that important figure? Can we talk about it after my injury is healed?"

Manager Yuan's face sank. He actually bent down and reached out to press on the wound on Chen Ji's thigh.

Chen Ji was struck as if by lightning. Large drops of sweat fell from his forehead. In just a few breaths, the back of his clothes was soaked with sweat, but he dared not make a sound.

Liang Gou'er was just in the backyard. If Chen Ji shouted, the other person could hear him, but what would happen after that? It would let everyone know that he was a spy for the Military Affairs Department.

No, he couldn't be exposed.

Manager Yuan said in a low voice: "I don't like people bargaining with me. How to contact him is your duty, not mine.

You should appreciate being left alive. Don't want to affect my plan."

At this moment, Bai Li walked back from the backyard with a twisted cloth. She was in a good mood and was still humming a little tune.

Manager Yuan looked up at her and said to Chen Ji in a low voice: "No matter what method you use, I'll only give you one day's time."

"Understood."

Manager Yuan turned to leave. He pushed open the door but stood still inside the doorway, seemingly blocked by someone.

Chen Ji's gaze went past him and saw a person outside the door wearing a bamboo hat, patched clothes, and straw shoes. They held a short knife in their hand and stood with their head hanging low in the thin morning mist, their face not visible.

The other person and Manager Yuan faced off, neither speaking, but killing intent spread.

Wait, this was another Department Cao of the Military Affairs Department!

Chen Ji suddenly realized: Just like the Secret Spy Department has twelve zodiac animals, there is more than one Department Cao in the Military Affairs Department. There are two in Luo City alone: one is the fat man pretending to be Manager Yuan, and the other is the thin man who once wore a green-faced, fierce-toothed mask and used a short knife.

Chen Ji sensed danger and turned to Bai Li, who was wiping the table: "County Princess, can you help me pour a cup of water to drink?"

Bai Li, unaware of everything that was happening, just smiled and replied: "Okay, I'll go pour you some water now."

After Bai Li left, Chen Ji heard Manager Yuan calmly say to the other Department Cao: "What are you here for?"

The opposite Department Cao chuckled coldly: "What are you here for again?"

"Luo City is under my management now. You need to correct your position, Zishu."

After saying that, Manager Yuan got into the horse carriage and left in a hurry.

The Department Cao wearing the hat quietly watched Chen Ji for a long time before leaving.

Chen Ji was confused. Why would the two Department Caos gather in front of Taiping Medical Hall?

At this moment, Bai Li brought a cup of boiled water: "Here, it's just the right temperature."

Chen Ji didn't take the water but raised his head and sized up County Princess Bai Li: "County Princess, can I trust you?"

Bai Li laughed and said: "Of course you can, I'm very reliable."

Chen Ji suddenly stood up from the bamboo chair and struggled to limp outside. When he reached the door, he turned back to look at County Princess Bai Li: "Close the door properly after I leave and help me keep this a secret. Thank you..."

Chen Ji took advantage of the fact that there weren't many people on the street yet and quickly made his way to the wall behind the cloth shop.

Just as he turned into this small alley, he was stunned to see Hei Yun squatting on the white wall and gray tiles, followed by more than ten calico cats bowing their heads and listening to orders.

Opposite Hei Yun, a half-blind calico cat was squatting on the gray tiles, also followed by more than ten cats, including fat orange cats and tuxedo cats.

A big war was about to break out.

Chen Ji had no time to think about what was happening. He immediately waved to Hei Yun: "Hei Yun!"

Hei Yun meowed: "You retreat first. Don't let blood splash on you later."

Chen Ji: ... There's killing intent. He said: "Don't fight yet. I have something very important to ask you."

Upon hearing these words, Hei Yun immediately withdrew its killing intent and looked at Chen Ji: "What's wrong?"

Chen Ji said: "Just now, a man wearing a hat left Taiping Medical Hall and went south.

He had patched clothes and a pair of straw shoes. If you chase him now, you can definitely catch up.

You must help me quietly follow him. I want to know his real identity!"

Hei Yun meowed, no longer bothering with the group of cats it had been confronting earlier. It turned and led more than ten calico cats to disperse into each alley, chasing south.

At the same time, a horse carriage slowly stopped in front of the medical hall:

Jin Zhu lifted the carriage curtain and jumped down. He came to the front of Taiping Medical Hall with narrowed eyes and a smile, and knocked on the door.

Bai Li came to the door and asked cautiously: "Who is it?"

Jin Zhu was also stunned to hear the County Princess's voice: "Hello, I am Chen Ji's friend. I heard he was injured and came to visit him."