She Is Such A Jerk, And Yet She’s The One Crying! - Chapter 32.1

Afternoon, Qiang Ning followed Lin Dongruan to Jiang Weilan’s estate. The two of them once again encountered that crazed dandy. This time, he still maintained his profligate demeanor; upon seeing them, he was still filled with suppressed rage.

Jiang Weilan said with a conciliatory smile, “Doctor Lin, this is my unworthy son, Zhang Lihan. You see, this…”

Lin Dongruan nodded silently, but the dandy was having none of it.

Zhang Lihan pointed at the two of them, utterly dissatisfied. “What audacity! Do you know where you are? Men! Throw these criminals who have broken into my estate out of here!”

Jiang Weilan raised his hand and gave Zhang Lihan a swat on the head. “Shut up.”

Zhang Lihan clutched his head and stared at Jiang Weilan for a moment, asking, “My father doesn’t even manage me much; what right do you have…”

Practiced in the routine, Jiang Weilan ordered men to tie him up, then invited Lin Dongruan to take his foolish son’s pulse. “Please do not take offense, Doctor Lin. When he goes mad, he doesn’t even recognize his own father.”

Lin Dongruan nodded silently and prepared to take the pulse.

“Sister.” Quick-handed, Qiang Ning placed a handkerchief over the wrist, fearing Lin Dongruan might touch the dandy directly. “Use a cloth.”

Zhang Lihan’s illness had persisted for many years. Lin Dongruan took his pulse for a long time before asking Jiang Weilan, “Did your son suffer any shock before falling ill?”

Jiang Weilan recalled, “There were no particular changes.”

Lin Dongruan asked again, “Half a month prior to that, did he meet any strangers or go to any unfamiliar places?”

“Meet any strangers…” Jiang Weilan’s words cut off halfway as his eyes suddenly sharpened, his gaze burning. “When he was seven years old, that was the first time I took him to the capital.”

As for whom they met in the capital, there was naturally no need to ask.

Sanqi County was considered affluent, and its geographical location was extremely vital. Since ancient times, there was the description that “the Sanqi Gorge Pass is difficult to cross.” Jiang Weilan had brought his son to the capital to see the Late Emperor; he had not secured any official rank or prosperity for his only son, but had instead first triggered the Late Emperor’s suspicion.

This single audience had directly planted the seeds of misfortune that led to over a decade of idiocy.

It was only half a month after leaving the capital that his only son had become crazed. Jiang Weilan had never associated this matter with the visit to the capital, and he had never heard of such a delayed-onset madness.

—Back then, the Late Emperor likely intended to use his only son as a hostage, but subsequently made no further moves, keeping him in the dark without explanation. Over a decade had passed, the Late Emperor had passed away, and even after learning the truth, he still did not dare to think deeply or ask more questions.

Princess Regent Qiang Ning was right here, and he had already sought her patronage. Even for the sake of his only son, he could not dig the Late Emperor out of the imperial tomb.

For a moment, Jiang Weilan was overwhelmed by a mixture of emotions.

Qiang Ning, of course, understood the hidden meaning in Lin Dongruan’s words. Having witnessed another side of her father, she couldn’t help but find it novel. When her father was alive, he had never valued her as a daughter. After her mother passed away, her father only allowed her to remain in her fief, using the excuse that “the fief is remote and travel is inconvenient” to exempt her from imperial audiences, focusing single-mindedly on cultivating her younger brother.

For all these years, because she rarely entered the capital, she had never even seen Lin Dongruan’s face, let alone had the chance to meet her sooner.

Her Lin Dongruan had been given away to others for so many years for no reason; to say she wasn’t jealous would be impossible.

Although she was the first princess of the Rong Dynasty and the legitimate child of the Empress, she had lost the qualification to vie for imperial power simply because she was a woman. The resentment and loneliness that had been suppressed for all these years surged in her heart once more. Qiang Ning turned away silently, not letting anyone see the emotions roiling in her eyes.

Seeing that Zhang Lihan’s illness involved royal secrets, Lin Dongruan naturally stopped probing. She only added one final remark: “If you seek to untie the knot, you must find the one who tied it. Although this illness is a form of madness, it is not irreversible. Your son’s mind is like a thin mist obscuring the clouds; if you want the clouds to clear, you must find the antidote from back then.”

Lin Dongruan looked pityingly at the crazed Zhang Lihan, thinking to herself that this was exactly like the Late Emperor’s usual methods. Back then, when he entrusted his heir to her on his deathbed, he had also afflicted her with a difficult-to-cure strange poison. However, in order to continue utilizing her, he had mercifully not driven her mad, but had secretly left the antidote with the New Emperor.

None of that mattered anymore. Lin Dongruan, despite her mastery of medicine, could not find a suitable antidote, nor was she willing to be coerced by the New Emperor into marrying him in exchange for the life-saving cure.

In her life, she followed her heart rather than power. If power and glory were to imprison her free spirit, she would discard them without hesitation.

“Thank you, Doctor Lin, for showing us a clear path.” Jiang Weilan thanked her solemnly, and then extended an invitation: “The hour is late. I have prepared a banquet in the estate for the two of you. I hope Doctor Lin will grace us with your presence.”

This time, Lin Dongruan looked at the dazed Qiang Ning beside her and did not decline again.

“Doctor Lin, deer antler is a special local treasure of Sanqi County. This is a thirty-year-old vintage preserved in my estate—Spotted Deer Jade-Extension Dragon Mountain Wine.” Jiang Weilan raised his hand, signaling someone to pour wine for Lin Dongruan and Qiang Ning, smiling. “Doctor Lin is proficient in pharmacology and medicine; one sniff and you will know the ingredients within.”

In all seriousness, the rarity of this wine was such that even the Emperor of Heaven would only get a small taste.

But this time, he was hosting the Princess Regent and the Imperial Tutor. One was his son’s savior, and the other was the royal nobility he was seeking to rely on; he had to show the greatest sincerity in his hospitality.

Lin Dongruan took the goblet and sniffed lightly, mentally noting the supplements within: deer antler, red snake, white yam, ginseng, cistanche, pepper flower… It truly matched the name of the wine: “Deer” referred to the antler, “Jade-Extension” was the yam, and “Dragon” likely meant the headless venomous snake.

Just one small sip of this thing could greatly nourish Yin and strengthen Yang. Furthermore, it enriched the blood and treated deficiency. For someone like A-Ning, who suffered from heart palpitations and shortness of breath, it was the most suitable tonic.

Lin Dongruan, after just a light sniff, urged Qiang Ning: “A-Ning, this wine is very good for you. Drink more.”

Qiang Ning had been lost in thought and hadn’t heard what Jiang Weilan had just said. She didn’t yet know what kind of wine it was; prompted by Lin Dongruan, she instinctively nodded and drained it in one gulp.

So spicy—

Qiang Ning choked and coughed, causing immediate tension in the room.

After all, acting couldn’t overcome an immediate reaction. Aside from the fool, everyone presents in Jiang Weilan’s estate knew Qiang Ning’s true identity. How could they not care about the Princess Regent’s safety? The moment she coughed, many people visibly stiffened their shoulders.

Lin Dongruan gently patted her back and said with a light smile, “Good wine burns the throat. Don’t be in a hurry, A-Ning.”

Qiang Ning frowned, unable to understand why this wine was so unpleasant. She couldn’t help but ask, “This is wine; why is it so pungent?”

Jiang Weilan hurriedly explained once more. Qiang Ning was completely stunned. She held the empty wine cup in disbelief; her mind filled with the two words: “Deer Antler.”

Was this the “wine that is good for her body” that Lin Dongruan spoke of? Who was she looking down on?

A surge of irritation rose in Qiang Ning’s heart. She set the cup down unhappily, no longer wanting to pay attention to Lin Dongruan.

The banquet continued. Qiang Ning watched the musical performances with boredom when she suddenly felt Lin Dongruan quietly push another cup of wine toward her.

Qiang Ning said with a stern face, “I’m not drinking.”

Lin Dongruan: “A-Ning, you truly need this wine to nourish your body…”

Qiang Ning’s face darkened even further: “Sister, what nonsense are you saying? Who told you I need this wine to…?”

“I have taken A-Ning’s pulse.” Lin Dongruan knew her heart condition was congenital and required high-quality tonics. Thus, she patiently coaxed her to drink: “Nothing about A-Ning’s body can be hidden from me.”

Qiang Ning paused. Though she was unwilling to believe it, she was intimidated by Lin Dongruan’s certain tone—it was true, Lin Dongruan was a doctor of extraordinary skill. If she said she wasn’t capable, she truly had no way to argue.

Finally, Qiang Ning was made uncertain by her words and looked hesitantly at the wine goblet.

Seeing her finally yield, a look of gratification appeared on Lin Dongruan’s face: “Be good, A-Ning. Even if not for yourself, do it for me—drink a bit more, alright?”

Qiang Ning’s hand shook, and she almost lost her composure. What did she just hear?