After Rescuing The Sickly White Moonlight - Chapter 3

Chapter 3: An Accident; Qingyun’s Health Improves

Through the carved window frames of the Zheng family study, fragmented golden light filtered in. Lin Yu watched the light spots dancing on the table, his heart filled with infinite despair.

Yesterday, the Tutor had only stayed for a short while; he inquired about how Zheng Qingyun’s homework had been progressing over the past few days.

Zheng Qingyun handed his assignments to the Tutor for inspection. After checking them, the Tutor was very satisfied.

Then, Lin Yu’s memory became painful.

The Tutor’s questions were like a machine gun, “rat-tat-tat,” hurled toward Lin Yu. As soon as Lin Yu finished answering one, the next arrived. Cold sweat broke out on his forehead until the Tutor felt it was sufficient and finally stopped.

Lin Yu felt as if he had come back to life.

A survival after a disaster.

After the Tutor understood Lin Yu’s level, it was time to establish the rules.

“Young Master Lin, my requirements are few. In class, do not be distracted and do not interrupt without permission. After-class assignments must be completed on time, and the content learned each day must be reviewed. If there is anything you do not understand, you may come and ask me.” The Tutor’s tone softened slightly.

Lin Yu looked up at the familiar face and nodded in agreement.

The Tutor Zheng Heng had hired for Zheng Qingyun was named Fang Wenqiu. He was a successful candidate in the imperial examinations (Jinshi) and was a fellow disciple under the same master as Lu An, the tutor for the Eldest and Second Young Masters. His family was well-off, and he had no intention of becoming an official. Being close to Zheng Heng, he had come to the Zheng manor to serve as a tutor.

Once Fang Wenqiu left, Lin Yu instantly wilted, slumping onto the table as if he wanted to bury his head into the wood.

Zheng Qingyun comforted him: “Brother Xiao Yu, don’t worry. I will help you with what you don’t know.”

Lin Yu turned his face to look at Zheng Qingyun, suddenly remembering that back then, when he first entered the Zheng manor, his heart was full of fear and unease. His parents had passed away suddenly, and he would often cry at night, leading him to neglect the assignments left by Mr. Fang.

Finally, on one occasion, Mr. Fang threw his half-finished homework onto the ground, scolded him harshly, and warned him: “If you don’t want to learn, you don’t need to come here anymore.”

Lin Yu was annoyed at his own lack of focus, but he didn’t know what to do. He wanted to study seriously, but he could never settle his mind; he always recalled the terror of being engulfed by the floodwaters back then. That night, he had a nightmare.

Waking with a start from the nightmare, he caught a faint scent of medicinal herbs beside him. It was Zheng Qingyun lying next to him, his hand still resting on Lin Yu’s abdomen. His eyes were tightly shut, but he didn’t seem to be sleeping very soundly; sensing movement beside him, he instinctively gave two light pats.

The next day, Zheng Yanzhang sent him his old textbooks and told him to speak up if he needed any help. Zheng Qingyun would also help him review and preview after every class.

In this way, Lin Yu slowly caught up with Mr. Fang’s pace.

Lin Yu never doubted Zheng Qingyun’s promise of “I will help you,” because the other truly gave his all to help him.

Lin Yu pulled himself together: “It’s alright, Qingyun. I was just startled by Mr. Fang’s imposing manner. Don’t worry about me.”

Zheng Qingyun nodded.

Having learned it all once before, a sense of familiarity always returned when studying it again. Lin Yu quickly caught up to Zheng Qingyun’s progress.

Fang Wenqiu was quite amazed. This child had seemed unfamiliar with everything during the questioning on the first day, yet his talent turned out to be quite high.

Since Zheng Qingyun changed his prescription, Lin Yu also occasionally made some medicinal cuisine as late-night snacks for him. His health was visibly improving day by day.

The weather had been very good these past few days. Zheng Qingyun even practiced a few moves with Zheng Zhili’s martial arts master. His body, which hadn’t moved for a long time, suddenly became active, and when he woke up the next day, even his bones felt a bit sore.

Lin Yu gave him a massage before he went to sleep, which at least reduced the pain a little the next day.

Zheng Qingyun was very happy. Although the physical pain hadn’t decreased, his heart was satisfied.

Lin Yu didn’t tell him to rest for two days before practicing again. He knew that because of his health, Zheng Qingyun had barely exercised since birth; he would let him do what made him happy.

However, every night he would come to massage Zheng Qingyun and bring hot water for him to soak his feet.

Lin Yu would also sometimes spar with Zheng Zhili, though it was usually a one-sided beatdown.

Even though he had learned martial arts from his mother in his second life, he never had a winning chance against Zheng Zhili at most, they could fight to a draw.

Zheng Zhili, on the other hand, really enjoyed practicing with Lin Yu and would often drag him out to start as soon as it was morning.

The autumn air was crisp and refreshing.

Zheng Heng mentioned the autumn hunt, and Lin Yu’s heart stirred. He only heard Zheng Heng say: “The Emperor has decided to go hunting in two months and has asked the Crown Prince to select the participants.”

The next morning, an attendant of the Crown Prince delivered an invitation, asking Zheng Heng to bring his family along.

When Lin Yu heard the news, he was decocting medicine for Zheng Qingyun. He listened to Zheng Qingyun discussing the autumn hunt with great excitement. The speed at which he fanned the fire kept increasing, and he almost accidentally fanned the flame out.

In the previous life’s autumn hunt, he and Zheng Qingyun did not go. The Emperor and the Crown Prince encountered danger. To save the Crown Prince, Zheng Zhili injured his arm, leaving behind a permanent ailment that prevented him from participating in the military examinations, meaning he could not become the Great General he had dreamed of being.

Furthermore, a rift grew between the Emperor and the Crown Prince, and the Second Prince, supported by Suo Lou’s faction, slowly began to show his prominence.

Lin Yu took a deep breath, suddenly remembering that the Crown Prince would come to the Zheng manor to stay for two days in a month.

Lin Yu decided to start with the Crown Prince first to see if there were any anomalies.

Zheng Qingyun looked at Lin Yu, who had been wilting just a moment ago but now seemed suddenly revitalized, completely bewildered.

The medicine was ready, and under Lin Yu’s “service,” Zheng Qingyun finished the dose.

Lin Yu had researched other snacks to relieve the bitterness for Zheng Qingyun, but he kept a strict watch on them, not letting Zheng Qingyun eat too much.

Mainly, Zheng Qingyun’s teeth were still developing, and Lin Yu was afraid he would have toothaches later, so he only gave him a little when he took his medicine.

Lin Yu was sweating profusely at the martial arts field, his wooden sword soaked with perspiration.

His gaze swept over the mottled shadows of trees on the wall of the eastern courtyard.

Today, Mr. Fang had matters at home, so they had a day off. Lin Yu’s biological clock woke him up and he couldn’t go back to sleep, so he simply got up to move around.

Zheng Qingyun, however, had been staying in bed often these past two days. After waking up, he was always lethargic. They saw a doctor, but the doctor couldn’t find any problem, only saying he needed proper rest.

When Lin Yu decocted medicine for Zheng Qingyun, he also carefully searched through the herbs but found no problematic ones.

Since the incident with Physician Zhou, Zheng Heng bought medicine in separate parts from different pharmacies. Upon bringing them back, he would have the manor physician and Lin Yu check them again to ensure there were no issues.

Lin Yu, however, always felt something was wrong but couldn’t put his finger on it, so he could only continue to observe.

In the blink of an eye, the Crown Prince had been at the Zheng manor for several days.

Having finished his morning exercise, Lin Yu wiped the sweat from his face. The morning weather was quite cool, with only a thin layer of sweat on his body.

He was just about to go back to wash up when he saw Guanqi, who attended to Zheng Yanzhang, running across the corridor holding a medicine box: “Young Master Lin, this is insect-repellent ointment that the Eldest Young Master brought back. These are for the Third Young Master and you. I still have to deliver one to the Crown Prince.”

Lin Yu took them in a flurry and thanked him: “Many thanks. Qingyun always says mosquitoes are biting him at night, making him sleep poorly. This is truly a timely rain.”

Guanqi smiled, explained how to use it, and prepared to leave.

At that moment, the sound of shattering porcelain came from the northwest corner gate. When the two arrived, they saw a maidservant had accidentally tripped, overturning the tray in her hand. The soup bowl on it was also smashed.

Lin Yu and Guanqi helped clean up, and the maidservant thanked them repeatedly. The broken shards were quickly gathered, but Lin Yu’s fingertips were stained with a bit of the medicinal soup.

He lifted his hand to sniff at his nose. Inside, there was some Dang Gui (Angelica Sinensis) and Shu Di (Rehmannia Glutinosa), with a faint, almost imperceptible scent of bitter almond. These were all medicines to supplement the qi and blood.

Lin Yu helped the maidservant up and asked: “Who was this medicine for?”

The maidservant had a woeful face and was quite anxious: “Answering Young Master Lin, it was for the Crown Prince. What should I do? The medicine is all spilled…”

Lin Yu handed the maidservant a handkerchief to wipe her face and comforted her: “It’s alright. The prescription is still there; just brew another bowl. Don’t be afraid.”

Once the maidservant calmed down, she went to the manor physician to get the herbs.

Two archways north of the eastern courtyard was the Chengxin Hall, where the Crown Prince usually resided while at the Zheng manor.

After the maidservant left, several people wearing gray-blue palace uniforms turned the corner and headed toward Chengxin Hall.

Lin Yu stared at the eunuch leading them. Under the gray-blue palace uniform, that person’s wrist had a winding mark like a snake.

He remembered seeing something similar while interrogating Suo Lou’s subordinates in the dungeon.

That person had confessed it was a mark of the organization, but it was easily mistaken for a scar, so not many people noticed it, making it convenient for operations.

So, was the mark on that person a scar or a brand?

Guanqi suddenly spoke, interrupting his thoughts: “Young Master Lin, then I shall take my leave first.”

Lin Yu snapped back to attention and said: “I will inform the Crown Prince on behalf of that maidservant. I’ll take that ointment over while I’m at it.”

Guanqi nodded, gave the three boxes of insect-repellent ointment to Lin Yu, and went to find the Eldest Young Master.

Lin Yu first returned to his room, lightly wiped the sweat off his body, and then entered Zheng Qingyun’s room. Zheng Qingyun was still lying on the couch taking a nap.

He placed the ointment on the table with light footsteps but unintentionally kicked a chair, making a noise.

Zheng Qingyun woke up upon hearing the sound. Lin Yu, standing before him, smiled at him with slight embarrassment.

Zheng Qingyun rubbed his eyes to wake himself up.

“Qingyun, insect-repellent ointment sent by Big Brother. Didn’t you say mosquitoes were biting you? You can apply a little on your body and see if it works.”

Zheng Qingyun nodded.

Lin Yu prepared to go find the Crown Prince. He walked to the entrance of Chengxin Hall, and after a eunuch went in to announce him, he was led inside.

Zheng Yanzhang had an excellent relationship with Crown Prince Liang Yi’an; thus, Lin Yu often encountered the Crown Prince during his time at the Zheng manor, and the two were considered nodding acquaintances.

Liang Yi’an was practicing calligraphy at the desk. He was twelve years old this year. The youth had a tall and straight figure, looking quite like he did in the previous life when Lin Yu had nowhere left to go and sought refuge with him on a rainy night.

Lin Yu bowed: “Your Highness, the Eldest Young Master has brought back insect-repellent ointment. There are many mosquitoes these days; it will be better to use it at night.”

Liang Yi’an put down his brush and rubbed his wrist: “Many thanks. Li Quan, take it.”

Lin Yu handed the ointment to Li Quan, then immediately knelt: “I ask Your Highness for forgiveness. I startled the maidservant who came to deliver medicine to Your Highness while I was practicing martial arts this morning and accidentally overturned the soup. Please punish me, Your Highness.”

Liang Yi’an waved his hand dismissively: “I’ve been drinking bitter medicine so much these days that my tongue is numb. It’s just as well I don’t have to drink it.”

Li Quan was ready to cry but followed suit and knelt on the ground: “Your Highness, good medicine is bitter to the taste. If you keep refusing to drink it these past few days, when will your body get better? The Empress also instructed me to have you mind your health. If the Emperor finds out, what shall we do!”

Liang Yi’an pointed at Li Quan, somewhat incensed: “You, Li Quan! You use Imperial Father and Mother to pressure me, don’t you? My body recovered long ago. Isn’t it just a bit of ‘dryness and internal heat’ these days? Is there a need to drink so much medicine?”

Liang Yi’an was determined not to drink the medicine, and Li Quan had no choice. He could only glare fiercely at Lin Yu, as if blaming him for giving the Crown Prince a legitimate excuse not to drink the medicine.

Liang Yi’an dismissed Lin Yu and began practicing calligraphy again. Li Quan stood to the side with a long face, grinding ink.

After leaving the room, Lin Yu brushed past the eunuch he had noticed earlier at the corner. He noticed a strange smell on that person and couldn’t help but look at him a few more times.

However, before he could remember what the smell was, the person had already walked away.

Lin Yu narrowed his eyes slightly, staring at the person’s back.

He turned to go back; Zheng Qingyun was still waiting to review lessons with him.

Lin Yu waited for Zheng Heng to return before quietly slipping into his study to tell him what he had discovered.

Zheng Heng told him not to make a fuss. He had someone quietly invite the manor physician. After confirming the situation, he took the physician and Lin Yu under the cover of night to slip into Zheng Yanzhang’s study.

Liang Yi’an had long been waiting there with Zheng Yanzhang. Zheng Qingyun was also present. After listening to the explanation from the physician and Lin Yu, Liang Yi’an was somewhat puzzled: “Why go through all the trouble just to mess with these tonics?”

Lin Yu asked the physician to check Liang Yi’an’s pulse. After doing so, the physician said respectfully: “The Crown Prince has a ‘hot’ constitution. Summer and autumn are inherently dry and hot; if one is over-supplemented, it is actually easy to fall ill.”

Lin Yu said in a heavy voice: “The autumn hunt is in half a month. If it’s a hunt, there should be fierce beasts, right? Fierce beasts are very sensitive to the smell of blood. If something unexpected happens then.”

Zheng Qingyun tapped his finger lightly on the wooden table and added: “Assassination might not be the goal. If His Highness were to be injured because of this, an investigation would conclude it was merely an accident.”