He was often called Meng Xian.
The two were led by a group of stern-looking palace attendants, passing through the rear garden and heading toward the grand palace courtyard ahead. The young eunuch trailing beside Lian Zhi looked particularly sullen, most likely already punished.
Yu Jinnian wanted to say something to him, but the other quickly avoided him and hurried ahead.
Ji Hong leaned closer and whispered softly, “Don’t worry. His Majesty’s summons is likely just to ask a few questions.”
“…” How could he not worry?
As they neared the garden’s exit, Ji Hong tilted his head slightly, slowed his pace, and removed his outer robe, draping it over the boy’s shoulders. “Wear this. Appearing in court with blood-stained clothes is both inauspicious and improper.”
Yu Jinnian noted that Ji Hong’s attire was elaborate, and even without the outer layer, it still looked appropriate. Thus, he obediently slipped his arms into the sleeves, letting Ji Hong fold the cuffs neatly and adjust the waist sash to completely cover the bloodstains. Only then did they continue forward.
Passing by a small hall, Yu Jinnian spotted Lian Zhi from afar. With sharp eyes, he noticed one of Lian Zhi’s hands was slightly curled at his chest, a white bandage wrapped around the wrist. When they approached, Lian Zhi bowed and then announced their arrival. Moments later, a young eunuch inside opened the doors and invited them in.
The emperor was younger than Yu Jinnian had imagined but still exuded imposing authority. He reclined on a Luo Han couch, reading memorials. Standing quietly beside him was an elderly eunuch, likely the Grand Eunuch Feng Jian whom Ji Hong had mentioned. Yu Jinnian dared not look around, and Ji Hong partially shielded him.
The imperial consort, sitting nearby and gently rubbing her slightly rounded belly, showed a flicker of surprise upon seeing him. She quickly concealed it, smiling warmly yet discreetly observing him.
Ji Hong, being both a close courtier to the emperor and the imperial consort’s younger brother, was often exempt from the formal kneeling rituals. However, considering that the boy beside him had never bowed to anyone—let alone the heavily ritualistic royal family—Ji Hong led him to kneel properly. They bowed to the emperor and then to the imperial consort. Only after the emperor finished reviewing the memorials and said “Rise” did they stand.
Ji Hong discreetly helped Yu Jinnian up, careful to avoid drawing attention, though he hadn’t anticipated the imperial consort noticing. She smiled faintly, glancing at Ji Hong before praising Yu Jinnian to the emperor. “Your Majesty, look! Such skill at such a young age—little master Yu already wields miraculous hands that revive the dying. Truly a blessing for our dynasty… Your Majesty?”
The emperor stared at Yu Jinnian, deep in thought, and only returned to himself when the consort called out. He clenched the armrest carved with golden dragons, then abruptly said, “Lift your head and let me see you.”
Yu Jinnian, perplexed, raised his head as instructed.
The consort teased, “Your Majesty, what about little master Yu has captivated you so?”
The emperor stepped off the couch, approached Yu Jinnian, and suddenly raised his hand, pointing vaguely in the air. After a moment’s thought, he exclaimed with wonder, “You remind me of someone.”
The consort playfully chided, “Is this another one of Your Majesty’s old flames?”
“Suniang!” The emperor affectionately called her by her childhood name, their deep bond apparent. He caressed her hand and sighed, reminiscing. “Do you remember when I fell gravely ill at Prince Rong’s residence? The Imperial Physicians tried everything, but nothing worked.”
The consort pouted, feigning annoyance. “How could I know? I was a child then, never stepping out of the house, busy embroidering all day.”
“You? Embroidering? You were lucky if the embroidery didn’t prick you!” the emperor teased. The consort laughed coquettishly, urging him to continue. “At that time, the entire Prince Rong household was on edge, nearly preparing for my funeral. Then, one evening, a street doctor appeared.”
In ancient medicine, practitioners were classified into three tiers. The highest was the Imperial Physician Bureau, reserved for royal family members but often constrained by caution and protocol. The middle tier consisted of established physicians in various government offices or reputable clinics. At the bottom were the *lingyi*, or “bell doctors,” itinerant healers dismissed by noble families.
These *lingyi* roamed the streets, carrying medicinal satchels and bells or drums. They endured all weather, their jingling sounds alerting impoverished families that a healer was near. Among them were skilled practitioners, including those from Taoist or Buddhist traditions, but their itinerant nature also allowed charlatans to blend in, peddling dubious remedies.
This was the origin of the saying: “Let’s see what medicine you’re selling in your gourd.”
Yu Jinnian mused: Could it be that this street doctor cured him?
Lost in thought, he was startled when the emperor suddenly asked, “Little master Yu, where are you from? Does your family practice medicine? Do you have any other relatives?”
Yu Jinnian quickly calmed himself and answered carefully, “Your Majesty, I come from a small village near Xinan County in Changdu Province. My late parents ran a small business and passed away early. I have distant relatives, but we seldom interact. Thus, there is no one else in my family.”
The emperor seemed momentarily disappointed but didn’t probe further. Instead, he inquired in detail about Min Xuefei’s condition. Pleased to hear there was hope for recovery, the emperor rewarded Yu Jinnian generously with treasures and praised the Duke Li’s household. After chatting for some time, he seemed inclined to continue into the night, but the consort’s visible fatigue prompted him to dismiss them.
Outside the hall, Yu Jinnian heaved a sigh of relief. “Finally free.”
They had barely taken a few steps when a maid called out to Ji Hong. Bowing slightly, she said, “Your Grace, Her Highness requests you visit her when you’re free to reminisce.”
It sounded more like a summons for questioning. Ji Hong nodded and replied, “Understood.”
Walking back toward the Siqi Courtyard, Yu Jinnian now had time to reflect. He realized the imperial consort was Ji Hong’s elder sister and grew curious about the emperor’s story. “What happened with that street doctor? Why didn’t he finish the story?”
Ji Hong pulled him closer, warning him about the cobbled path beneath their feet. Only then did he explain, “I heard about this from Xuefei. There were misunderstandings back then—so much so that they nearly executed the street doctor. Though they didn’t in the end, she still suffered greatly. After the emperor recovered, he felt deep remorse and wanted to repay her. But by then, she had already wandered off and disappeared.”
Yu Jinnian nodded like a pecking chick, then froze. “Wait. The street doctor was… a girl?”
Ji Hong said, “It was indeed a young woman. They say her surname was Xie, with the courtesy name Junmeng. Her medical skills were exceptional, but her whereabouts were unpredictable. She would often enter cities under the cover of dense night fog, ringing her bell, so people called her the *Dream Sovereign*. The commoners simply called her *Dream Immortal*.”
Xie Junmeng. Yu Jinnian felt that he had heard this name somewhere before.
—
Back at Siqi Courtyard, Min Xuefei had not yet awakened, likely overwhelmed by the pain. It would take some time before he could wake up again. Yu Jinnian checked the glass tube on the floor. Though it still had some blood, it wasn’t as severe as before, suggesting the bleeding in his chest had stopped. He emptied the container of blood and refilled it with clean distilled water. Only then did he walk over to the bed and feel Min Ji’s forehead.
It felt slightly warm. Not knowing how the fever would progress, he decided against administering medicine for the time being and chose to observe for a while.
However, the courtyard could not be left unattended. Someone had to watch over Min Xuefei regularly to prevent any unexpected issues.
Yu Jinnian had been busy all day and was startled by the emperor earlier. Now that he had some free time, he felt his hunger gnawing at him. After half an hour of watching over Min Xuefei, he slipped into the kitchen to prepare some food. The main kitchen had just delivered a few freshly plucked ducks, originally meant for brewing nourishing soup for the injured Min Xuefei. Yu Jinnian claimed half a duck, instructing the cooks to rub it with soy sauce, salt, cooking wine, and scallions, then marinate it with cloves.
The remaining half was used to prepare *Codonopsis Duck Soup*. Codonopsis is sweet and mild, balancing the coolness of duck meat, while also nourishing the spleen and boosting energy. Since Min Xuefei had chest and lung injuries, he couldn’t eat solid food yet, but nutritious soup was beneficial.
Yu Jinnian also needed to brew some herbal medicine for Second Young Master Min.
It had been three days since Second Young Master Min’s injury. While the Imperial Physicians had stopped the internal bleeding, the remaining blood stasis caused persistent chest pain. The priority now was to clear the stagnant blood and blocked energy within his chest and ribs. Only after the lungs fully expanded would the focus shift to long-term recovery.
Although Siqi Courtyard was remote, a makeshift pharmacy had been set up. It was well-stocked, even containing century-old ginseng roots, a testament to the emperor’s generosity. However, Min Xuefei didn’t yet need heavy tonics. Yu Jinnian merely glanced at the ginseng roots, pulled out a thin strand to chew on absentmindedly, and closed the box. Behind him, a young eunuch of no more than twelve or thirteen carried a mortar, looking nervous and apprehensive.
Yu Jinnian measured out two qian of Angelica Sinensis, two qian of raw Rehmannia, and two qian of safflower, tossing them into the mortar. Casually, he asked, “Where are you from?”
The young eunuch stammered, “The Imperial Tea Room.”
Yu Jinnian continued, “Who sent you?”
The eunuch replied, “Supervisor Lian…”
Adding two and a half qian of peach kernel and half a qian of bupleurum, Yu Jinnian frowned. “Why do you stammer so much? I’m not going to eat you. So, do you know any gossip about your Supervisor Lian? There’s no one else around, tell me.”
The eunuch trembled, his lips quivering as he repeatedly said, “I don’t know, I don’t know.”
Yu Jinnian groaned, frustrated by the lack of entertainment, just as Ji Hong entered and scolded him for teasing the eunuch again. Without being able to bother the young eunuch, Yu Jinnian turned his playful banter toward Ji Hong. The two joked and laughed as Yu Jinnian prepared the *Blood Stasis Expelling Decoction*, which ended up taking half an hour to complete.
Returning to the room, Yu Jinnian personally lit the stove and monitored the medicine pot. By the time the duck was fully marinated, exhaustion hit him. His dark circles felt like they were about to drop to his cheeks. He didn’t have the energy to get up and cook, and with Ji Hong summoned by his imperial consort sister, there was no one to order around. Resigned, Yu Jinnian had the kitchen use Min Xuefei’s duck broth to cook a bowl of noodles for himself.
As he noisily slurped the noodles, the door creaked open behind him. Thinking it was Ji Hong, he turned around, a noodle still dangling from his mouth. “Ah Hong—”
Standing there, however, was a young eunuch in a cyan robe. Upon closer inspection, Yu Jinnian recognized him as Lian Zhi.
Lian Zhi carried a wooden tray with three or four small, gold-rimmed covered bowls. The loose end of the bandage on his wrist peeked through his sleeve, prompting Yu Jinnian to feel the urge to fix it for him. The young eunuch stepped lightly into the room, bowed to Yu Jinnian, glanced briefly at the bed, and then lowered his voice to say, “Master Yu, you’ve worked hard today. I’ve prepared the sleeping chamber with calming incense. Please go and rest. I’ll watch over Lord Min.”
Yu Jinnian considered Min Ji’s current condition and the ambiguous relationship between the eunuch and Min Ji. Since Lian Zhi had volunteered, Yu Jinnian decided it was best not to linger unnecessarily. Quickly finishing his noodles, he stood up and said, “Thank you, Supervisor Lian. Feed the medicine to Lord Min when he wakes. If his fever rises again, please call for me immediately.”
Lian Zhi nodded and signaled for a young eunuch to escort Yu Jinnian to the sleeping chamber.
Once the door closed, Lian Zhi gazed at the drainage tube and the occasional bubbles rising in the container. He appeared conflicted until Min Ji let out a faint groan in his sleep. Taking a deep breath, Lian Zhi tiptoed over and half-knelt at the foot of the bed, studying Min Ji’s sleeping face. After a moment, he hesitantly extended a finger from his sleeve and gently touched the back of Min Ji’s hand, tracing along the bones as if handling a precious porcelain vase.
When Min Ji’s finger twitched unexpectedly, Lian Zhi was startled and released it, causing the hand to drop onto the bed with a soft thud.
“Mm…”
The impact seemed to cause some pain, and Min Ji let out a faint hum. Lian Zhi murmured an apology under his breath and didn’t dare touch him again. Kneeling quietly at the foot of the bed, his dark cyan eunuch robe pooled around him, its three-petal lotus patterns heavy at the hem. Moonlight streamed through the window, highlighting the soft snow-blue inner garment beneath, embroidered discreetly with twin lotus blooms.
After a long while, seeing sweat forming on Min Ji’s forehead, Lian Zhi grabbed a small handkerchief and carefully wiped his face.
Min Ji frowned faintly.
Among palace eunuchs, only the sides of their reproductive organs were typically removed, with complete removal reserved for those who deeply angered the emperor. Lian Zhi had often heard that elderly eunuchs with complete removal emitted a foul odor. Though he wasn’t one of those, he still feared having such a smell, so he always perfumed his handkerchiefs heavily to feel closer to “normal” people.
Realizing that the perfumed cloth seemed to discomfort Min Ji, Lian Zhi rushed to rinse the handkerchief in clean water. Before using it again, he even sniffed himself to ensure no strange odors lingered.
Kneeling once more at the foot of the bed, Lian Zhi tended to Min Ji for the rest of the night, occasionally dabbing away sweat or moistening his lips with tea water. By dawn, completely drained, Lian Zhi finally lay his head on the bed’s edge and dozed off. In his half-conscious state, he thought sheepishly:
“When he wakes up, he’ll definitely scold me again…”