A Western Doctor’s Happy Farming Life[1] 159

‘Stop before going too far’, Song Qinghan definitely knew this principle himself, so he nodded, “Your Majesty, you’ve got a noble identity of dignity, probably it is countable by only fingers to count the frequency you have bent to someone else. Yet, he who walks on bare foot is not going to be afraid of the ones who get shoes, I mean, being mercy is always the only way out to gain more friends.”

Noticing that Song Qinghan was still bothering by his so-called ‘principle’, the Imperial Noble Consort got his expression even more sullen, he took up the tea cup again and took a sip, trying to cover up the great grievance hidden in his eyes.

Hening looked at the Fifth Prince who was showing a confusion on face, and then he delivered a wry smile, saying, “It’s your turn now.”

The Fifth Prince intended to imitate the Imperial Noble Consort by saying the same words, yet at the next moment he found both Hening and Song Qinghan were staring at him at the same time, he felt a bit frightened suddenly for some reasons, and then uttered reluctantly after a short while of dither, “I shouldn’t take advantage of power to bully you, I will make a self-inspection myself.”

To his surprise, Song Qinghan didn’t bother to deliver a lecture like he delivered to the Imperial Noble Consort. “Alright then.” Song Qinghan sounded.

Noticing that Hening and Song Qinghan had already at the gate and were about to leave, the Fifth Prince politely made a bow in a respectful way to the Imperial Noble Consort, and then rushed out to follow.

“Hey, why didn’t you give me a lecture like you gave to the Imperial Noble Consort? Were you afraid that it would offend me or not?”

Song Qinghan glanced at him strangely, he never expected that out there in this world someone would be that eager for an unpleasant statement, he smiled and uttered, “Well, what am I afraid from you? You’re just a lowly prince who just escaped from the misery fate to marry barbarians for your luck. Yet you won’t be that lucky in your entire life anyway, you’re doomed to be banished, oh sorry, to marry the minority nationalities.”

“As for why I didn’t deliver a ‘lecture’ to you, of course I showed no interest on you and don’t expect you to be better. It’s good for you to keep your personality yourself, keep your nature, and naturally there definitely will exist someone ahead to punish you anyway.”

After that, he followed up in behind of Hening without showing any interest to linger and get a further conversation with the Fifth Prince. And then two of them got onto the carriage. The image of the dreadfully silent imperial chambers gradually faded away in sight.

The Fifth Prince was left alone there. He clenched his fists with the emotions in his eyes changed. His mind was filled with nothing but unfathomable emptiness as if he was just kicked by someone in the head.

On the other side, Song Qinghan burst out into laughter holding his stomach while the carriage slowly left the palace.

Since he finally got out of the palace now, he could laughed as loud as he could because there would be no eye on them keeping watch.

Staring at Song Qinghan who was laughing bending forward and backward, Hening delivered a faint smile in indulgence, “Is that so fun? Have you vented all your anger yet?”

Song Qinghan nodded like a chicken pecking on rice and said excitedly, “Although it didn’t cause any substantial impacts to them, it’s really exciting to see them suffer emotionally. Well, such people like them should be punished mentally rather than physically!”

Probably the Imperial Noble Consort would never feel any grievance if his position was to be threatened, instead he would just be much more inspired. Yet if his momentum was to be weakened by the external force, that would totally be the cruelest treatment for someone like the Imperial Noble Consort who got the noble dignity.

Obviously, Hening thought the same way, but he still felt a little regretful. He sighed, “It’s a pity that with my ability, I can’t do something further temporarily. And it probably will be a bad thing if I push him so hard. Good thing that you have worked off your anger, but coming with a bad news that you should escort me for the journey now.”

Noticing that Hening was blaming himself for nothing, Song Qinghan waved his hand and said calmly, “Hey, it’s alright, okay? Nothing needs to be taken that seriously. It’s our own willingness to escort you to the border, it’s not what you have thought about that we’re forced to. And moreover, I’m already so tired of living in the state capital now. Though I get no idea about what the life in the barbarian place will be like, I don’t think it will be worse than the life in this state capital where we live in no peace!”

Hening carefully discerned on the expression of Song Qinghan, and finally came to be at ease when he found Song Qinghan was saying so sincerely, he pondered for a brief moment and then slowly said, “Well, joining the war does get a bright side for us, we don’t have to go further in the barbarian areas temporarily. And furthermore, due to the fact that I get a specific identity, we won’t be forced to the front line. At that time you two will be guarded by my power and do whatever you want.”

His tone of voice was quite flat, yet the momentum was rather powerful. Song Qinghan could even imagine how he could rely on Hening’s power to ‘act tyrannically’ at the border area.

Fortunately, he wasn’t that kind of person, so he just smiled and didn’t say anything.

Song Qinghan commenced packing up his package as soon as he got home. Wu Dahu hadn’t come back yet because he had to stick to his post since he was officially assigned as a member of Imperial Guard. So his current schedule would be like this: get up early before the sun rise, and back home when it’s dark

Song Qinghan didn’t waste time to wait for Wu Dahu to come back, he gathered Hualian and Yuan Wenxuan and got them informed about his next plan, and at the same time inquired of their ideas towards the problem.

The snack shop which run by Hualian was a going concern in the bustling area, so Song Qinghan and Wu Dahu hadn’t long worried about the economic supply for Hualian.

As for Yuan Wenxuan, Song Qinghan was actually a little guilty. After all, he was not the child’s biological father, so he couldn’t take care of him in all aspects in details. Moreover, he had taken him further and further away from his beloved father Yuan Boshu, which had made a fainter chance for him to meet his own biological father.

Beyond Song Qinghan’s expectation, Hualian and Yuan Wenxuan took the initiative to request to go there with them together.

“Since I had made up my mind to follow you, Young Mistress, I had swore to the Buddha that I will be the loyal servant to you if I’m alive and your spiritual guard if I die. So no matter where you’re heading to, I will follow without any grievance. As for the snack shop here, it’s all your belongings since I am just in charge of looking after it. It’s all blessed by you, Young Mistress, so that it can be run so well. No grievance I will nurse no matter what decision you will make, sell it or whatever.”

Hualian looked very sincere when he said so. Towards his sincere heart, Song Qinghan had always seen it in his eyes. He admitted that at the very beginning when he first hired Hualian in this family, he did distrust him more or less. Yet as the time went by, the worry about that had already long faded away.

Yuan Wenxuan also spoke as followed, but his analysis was more rational than Hualian who got more emotions within his words.

“Master, I also know how my current medical skills are. Even if the Huichun Shop in this capital is willing to continue teaching me, I am not willing to stay any longer because I can be sure that what I learn with them is far inferior to what Master can teach me. Furthermore, the war is always cruel to the common people struggling for the livelihood, so a large quantity of doctors should be required in the border area now. At that time, I can lend a hand to them and at the same time promoting my practical ability.”

“As for my father,” he paused, seemingly trying to suppress his emotion. After a while, he confessed, “You don’t have to worry about that. Since he is willing to send me out with you, he naturally has made various plans with mental preparation. He hasn’t expected me to go back to see him for at least in the coming ten years, so you don’t have to feel guilty at all.”

Hearing so, Song Qinghan suddenly felt quite delightful in his mind while the previous worries were all dissipated at once.

Just then, Wu Dahu came back. When he saw the packed luggage in the yard, he smiled and said, “Coincidentally, we’re going to set off the day after tomorrow, I was just worried that we wouldn’t get our package packed in time.”

Even though Song Qinghan was mentally prepared, he was surprised when he heard the departure time and then asked in surprise, “So urgent?”

Wu Dahu looked a little solemn and said in a low voice, “It seems that the Northern minority didn’t intend to stop the attack so far. And they seemed have been supported by some other forces which made them even more fiercer in speed occupying the cities. The guards in the border area aren’t able to resist against such a savage typed force at all. The armed force has already set off today, and we will follow them in behind later and become a backup reinforcement for supporting them.”

After listening to his words, Song Qinghan’s expression became more serious. He thought about it carefully and nodded, “Alright then, and tomorrow we will get all things sorted here and be all prepared for setting off at any time if required.”

After a night of silence, the next morning Luo Haiyun visited Song Qinghan early when the family was at their breakfast as if he had already known the fact that Song Qinghan was about to leave.

Seeing that Luo Haiyun’s expression was not that good, Song Qinghan thought something had happened to the village. He put down his chopsticks and wiped his mouth, frowning and asking, “What’s wrong? No progress updated in that village?”

Luo Haiyun was stunned. After a while, he came to realize that Song Qinghan was talking about the Qingyin Village. He subconsciously answered, “The villagers have burned all the chickens themselves, and all their used clothes and quilts and get them all changed with new ones. At the same time we provide them with the medicine for free. From the current situation, it gets quite a good effect on them.”

Song Qinghan nodded as if he had predicted this result. He said calmly, “Alright, that’s a good news. I won’t go there anymore in the ensuing treatment since I have to prepare all the package thing for the upcoming journey, in case that we won’t be adapted to the environment there.”

Every place has different customs and environments. Although Song Qinghan didn’t know what the border was like, from his knowledge he could still come to know that it would be a place far cry with the state capital and provincial areas, no matter from the aspect of climate or the geographical environment.

Therefore, although it was troublesome, he still had to bring more supplies, especially the herbs and other medicines, so as to avoid any situation that he might encounter something beyond his control.

Well, the scalpels should be treated nicely either. Even though he had made order to the blacksmith that the scalpels should be made of quality material which possessed a great capacity to resist against corrosion with a great durability. But what if something unexpected happened? If one day the tools were of malfunction, he would totally be a ‘cleverest housewife without rice to cook’.

Seeing that he was deep in thought, Luo Haiyun hesitated for a moment before gritting his teeth and telling him his purpose.

“The Imperial Hospital has heard about the affairs of the Qingyin Village. Just as they were informed that you were involved in the treatment thing, they all wanted to advise to the Emperor to persuade you to stay. But I know that you’re surely unwilling to stay yourself, so I just pacify them not to confess. Yet fire cannot be wrapped in paper, if the Emperor finally find out that you’re involved in this matter, probably he will just make order to let you stay and get enrolled in the Imperial Hospital.”

Song Qinghan was stunned. He did not expect that Luo Haiyun would bring such news.

“Then what should I do? Why did the doctors in the Imperial Hospital intend to do so?”

Luo Haiyun’s expression was not that relaxed suddenly. He shook his head and answered, “When a person who is much stronger than someone appears, he who has already got a high position will resort to keep his status. So there are two ways for him to choose in order to make that real, to acquire the personnel, or to destroy him. I think the doctors in the Imperial Hospital intended to do so.”

Song Qinghan’s couldn’t help laughing, he had never thought that he would be so powerful in the eyes of the doctors in the Imperial Hospital as a threat. If he was really enrolled into the Imperial Hospital, and finally the doctors came to realize that he didn’t even get a basic ability to recognize the herbal medicines, they probably would tease and laugh over his ‘self-proclaimed’ talent?