Zhao Baozhu was completely focused on examining the wound on Cheng Wenxiu’s ear. The more he looked, the more concerned he became. If the injury healed poorly and left an obvious scar, it might affect Cheng Wenxiu’s future examination prospects.
While he was studying the wound, he suddenly noticed Cheng Wenxiu’s expression change out of the corner of his eye.
A hand suddenly reached over and seized his wrist. Before Zhao Baozhu could react, he staggered forward several steps and collided with a warm chest.
Startled, he looked up at Ye Jinghua.
Why was Young Master pulling him away? As the thought crossed his mind, a sharp pain suddenly came from his wrist. Ye Jinghua was gripping him with considerable force. Zhao Baozhu could not help frowning slightly.
Then the five fingers gripping his wrist suddenly loosened, and instead gently rested against his back. “Physician Qi has arrived. Don’t block him from treating the patient.”
Only then did Zhao Baozhu notice that Physician Qi, dressed in a gray robe and carrying a medicine box, was entering from outside. Realizing what was happening, Zhao Baozhu hurriedly stepped aside and ended up standing close beside Ye Jinghua.
After entering, Physician Qi first greeted Ye Jinghua and Zhao Baozhu. Then he quickly identified the patient, walked around to Cheng Wenxiu’s side, and frowned as soon as he saw the wound on his ear.
“This medicine was poorly chosen. The inflammation hasn’t subsided, and excessive damp heat has been added. Pus has formed inside the wound.”
Cheng Wenxiu sat in the chair with his head lowered.
For some reason, the smile he had worn earlier was gone, and his face seemed faintly pale.
Thinking he had been frightened by Physician Qi’s words, Zhao Baozhu quickly asked: “Physician Qi, is there a way to treat it? He still needs to study. If it leaves a scar, that would be terrible.”
Maintaining the dignified bearing of a renowned physician, Physician Qi stroked his beard and nodded. “That won’t be difficult.”
Hearing that, Zhao Baozhu relaxed. Physician Qi skillfully took out a silver needle. “I’ll first use acupuncture to drain the pus and toxins. Then I’ll apply medicine to reduce swelling and eliminate infection. It should heal completely within a month.”
Zhao Baozhu let out a long sigh of relief. Seeing that Cheng Wenxiu still looked unwell, he assumed the young man was afraid of needles and comforted him: “Wenxiu, don’t worry. Physician Qi’s medical skills are excellent. It won’t hurt too much.”
Only then did Cheng Wenxiu slowly raise his head. His gaze lingered briefly on Zhao Baozhu’s face before he forced a small smile. Then he shifted his eyes toward the person standing behind Zhao Baozhu.
Ye Jinghua’s eyes were half-lowered. One hand rested on Zhao Baozhu’s shoulder.
At the same time, Physician Qi located the acupuncture point and inserted the needle.
Cheng Wenxiu let out a muffled groan. Lowering his head, veins stood out faintly on his forehead. Physician Qi promptly wiped away the pus and blood that seeped from the wound.
Zhao Baozhu frowned as he watched but before he could look for more than a moment, a hand suddenly covered his eyes.
Startled, Zhao Baozhu instinctively reached up to remove Ye Jinghua’s hand. “Young Master, let me see. Wenxiu looks like he’s in a lot of pain.”
Ye Jinghua casually caught Zhao Baozhu’s hand in return. “How can an external injury be compared to an internal one? Physician Qi knows what he’s doing.”
By then, Physician Qi had already withdrawn the needle and efficiently bandaged the wound. Taking out a small porcelain bottle, he handed it to Cheng Wenxiu. “This is wound medicine. Change it twice a day. It should last about a month.” Then he produced paper and brush, wrote a prescription, and handed it over. “This is for oral medicine to reduce inflammation and pain. Take it twice daily as well.”
Throughout the entire treatment, Ye Jinghua remained beside them, his hand firmly resting on Zhao Baozhu’s shoulder. The moment Physician Qi finished speaking, Ye Jinghua said: “Lu Tan, escort Scholar Cheng home.”
Lu Tan was one of the few Ye family servants who had remained at the county yamen. Normally, when Ye Jinghua handled official business, he rarely used him, instead assigning tasks to Zhao Baozhu’s subordinates. As a result, Lu Tan usually stood quietly to one side, the sort of taciturn person who wouldn’t make a sound even if stabbed with an awl.
But when Ye Jinghua gave an order, he immediately responded and walked toward Cheng Wenxiu.
Zhao Baozhu opened his mouth. Instinctively, he wanted to step forward. Yet he was reluctant to pull his hand away from Ye Jinghua’s. After hesitating, he decided that Cheng Wenxiu had just undergone treatment and should return home to rest as soon as possible.
So he simply called out from a distance: “Wenxiu, get plenty of rest. Come back to work after your injury heals.”
Cheng Wenxiu turned back as though wanting to say something. Lu Tan stood beside him, appearing to support him, though in reality his grip on Cheng Wenxiu’s arm was more coercive than helpful. There was no possibility of breaking free. In the end, Cheng Wenxiu never managed to exchange more than a few words with Zhao Baozhu before being half-escorted, half-forced out of the yamen.
Zhao Baozhu watched them leave before finally withdrawing his gaze. Relieved, he turned to Ye Jinghua and said gratefully: “I really have to thank Young Master. You’re always thinking of everything for me.”
His gratitude was completely sincere. He had witnessed Physician Qi’s skill firsthand and knew how difficult it was to find a truly good doctor. Both he and Cheng Wenxiu were benefiting from Ye Jinghua’s connections.
Hearing this, Ye Jinghua lowered his eyes toward him and suddenly asked: “What position does he hold under you?”
Zhao Baozhu blinked. “You mean Wenxiu? He handles clerical work for me and sometimes helps with accounting.”
Ye Jinghua neither approved nor disapproved. Instead, he asked: “You said he’s studying?”
“Yes.” At the mention of that, Zhao Baozhu brightened. “Wenxiu recently passed the xiucai examination. He’s quite a promising young talent.”
Ye Jinghua glanced at him again. Something flickered through his eyes, darkening them slightly.
Only then did Zhao Baozhu realize something. He hurriedly added: “Of course, no one can compare to Young Master.”
There was no one else in the room now. Ah Long had gone to the kitchen to oversee the meal preparations, and Shanyi had disappeared somewhere unknown.
With a somewhat ingratiating smile, Zhao Baozhu took Ye Jinghua’s hand and gently swung it. “Young Master is the most remarkable. There’s nobody in the world who can compare to you.”
Only then did a hint of a smile appear on Ye Jinghua’s face. He lightly flicked Zhao Baozhu’s nose. “Stop sweet-talking.” Then he casually drew him close and led him toward the rear hall. “If he intends to pursue the examinations, wouldn’t it be better for him to focus on studying? Anyone can handle clerical work.”
Following along beside him, Zhao Baozhu considered the suggestion. The more he thought about it, the more reasonable it seemed. Now that the county examination was over, there were less than two years until the provincial examination. If Cheng Wenxiu wanted to compete, he truly needed time to concentrate on his studies.
After leading him inside and sitting down, Ye Jinghua said: “If you truly can’t find anyone, I can transfer someone from the prefectural office.”
Zhao Baozhu nodded. “Once Wenxiu’s injury heals, I’ll discuss it with him.”
Hearing that answer, Ye Jinghua’s expression revealed neither pleasure nor displeasure. Although they sat on opposite sides of the table, their hands remained linked. The palms of Zhao Baozhu’s hands bore calluses from farm work during childhood, but the backs of his hands were smooth. Ye Jinghua’s finger lightly traced the fair skin there. Then he asked: “How did he get injured?”
The moment the subject came up, Zhao Baozhu became animated. “It’s all because of that damned You bandit.”
Frowning indignantly, he recounted how You Jiang had suddenly attacked in the courtroom and bitten Cheng Wenxiu’s ear. He concluded angrily: “That villain is truly detestable! He dared to commit such an act in open court, completely disregarding the laws of the empire. That alone proves how tyrannical and arrogant he was in the past. A scoundrel like that deserved to be executed. Otherwise the people’s outrage could never have been appeased.”
Then he paused and sighed. “It’s just that Wenxiu got dragged into it and suffered for no reason.”
After finishing, he looked toward Ye Jinghua. Only then did he notice that Ye Jinghua had somehow become tightly frowning. The hand gripping his own had tightened. The jade thumb ring on Ye Jinghua’s finger pressed coldly against the back of Zhao Baozhu’s hand.
Startled, Zhao Baozhu asked: “Young Master, what’s wrong?”
Hearing him, Ye Jinghua seemed to emerge from some dark train of thought. He looked up. The sight of his expression startled Zhao Baozhu. Ye Jinghua’s eyes were dark and heavy. His brows were drawn tightly together.
At first glance, there was even something faintly sinister about him.
Zhao Baozhu unconsciously softened his voice. “Young Master… did I say something wrong?”
Ye Jinghua stared at him. “Such a thing happened? The men in your yamen don’t look weak to me. Couldn’t several of them restrain a single You Qian? They actually allowed him to injure someone in court?”
Faced with the rapid questioning, Zhao Baozhu hurriedly explained: “It wasn’t really their fault. Everything happened too suddenly. Tao Rui and the others didn’t react in time. Besides, nothing major happened. Afterward, I beat him up.”
The moment those words left his mouth, Ye Jinghua’s gaze sharpened instantly. “What?”
Zhao Baozhu immediately choked on his next words. Under that stare, cold sweat appeared on his forehead. He did not dare say another word.
Ye Jinghua stared at him for a long time. Then he lowered his eyes. His hand slowly relaxed, and his fingertips gently rubbed the red mark left by the jade ring against Zhao Baozhu’s skin. After a lengthy silence, he said quietly: “You’ve become quite formidable now.”
The half-cold, half-mocking tone instantly sent goosebumps across Zhao Baozhu’s back. He shrank his neck like a quail.
Ye Jinghua glanced at him. Closing his eyes briefly, he seemed to be forcibly suppressing his emotions. After taking a long breath, he opened them again and drew Zhao Baozhu in front of him. Holding both of his hands, he said: “In the future, you must never personally fight with men like that. Do you understand?
“If something happens, let your subordinates handle it. You have so many yamen runners. They aren’t being paid to stand around doing nothing. Why should you need to do it yourself? What if some blind fool injured you?”
Zhao Baozhu knew he had been in the wrong. Still, part of him felt unconvinced. Back in his village he had been something of a local bully himself. Besides, You Qian had been tied up. What was wrong with giving him a few punches? He kept those thoughts to himself.
Yet Ye Jinghua seemed to see right through him.
His tone grew harsher.
“Did you hear me?” His brows knitted tightly. His jaw flexed. There was even a trace of gritted teeth in his voice. “If you dare do it again, I’ll personally deal with you.”
The threat made Zhao Baozhu’s heart tremble. He didn’t even want to imagine how Ye Jinghua intended to “deal with” him. Immediately softening his voice, he said: “Young Master, I understand. Please don’t be angry.”
But Ye Jinghua continued staring at him without speaking. At this point he had completely forgotten about Cheng Wenxiu. All he could think about was what might have happened if You Qian had injured Zhao Baozhu. After Zhao Baozhu spent quite a while coaxing and apologizing, Ye Jinghua finally pulled him onto his lap and held him there.
Only after sitting quietly together for some time did he gradually calm down.
***
Afterward, Cheng Wenxiu indeed remained at home to recover. Worried about his condition, Zhao Baozhu wanted to personally visit the Cheng family. But Lu Tan proved remarkably perceptive. He took medicinal supplies and visited first. When he returned, he informed Zhao Baozhu that the wound was healing well and that the swelling had already subsided.
Only then did Zhao Baozhu relax.
Meanwhile, Ye Jinghua seemed to have settled permanently into the Wuya County yamen. Every day they worked together and rested together. Ye Jinghua watched him eat, drink medicine, and take care of himself. Sometimes Zhao Baozhu’s throat would itch at night. Before he could even cough more than once or twice, a cup of warm honey water would already be in his hands.
Seeing such meticulous care, Zhao Baozhu felt deeply touched. Life seemed as though it had been soaked in warm water, comfortable, sweet, and gentle. He became increasingly reluctant to part from Ye Jinghua and gradually stopped asking when he planned to return to the prefectural offices.
After all, no matter where Ye Jinghua stayed, he always seemed extraordinarily well-informed. Everything happening throughout the province remained under his control.
Following Ye Jinghua’s orders, the other magistrates eventually submitted the official documents they had been instructed to write. One day, when Zhao Baozhu entered the yamen, he found Ye Jinghua reviewing the memorials that had been delivered.
Ye Jinghua frowned slightly.
Without writing a single comment, he handed them back to Ah Long. “Send it back. Tell him to rewrite it.”
Ah Long answered obediently, took the document, turned around, and hurried out.
Without even asking, Zhao Baozhu knew it had to be another submission from one of the magistrates. Smiling, he said: “Still not good enough? I think you’ve already sent their documents back quite a few times, Young Master.”
Ye Jinghua sat in his chair with his eyes closed, looking somewhat lazy and relaxed. Without even looking, he raised a hand and caught Zhao Baozhu’s. “They didn’t write it sincerely.”
Zhao Baozhu found that amusing. Of course the magistrates weren’t sincere. This was practically cutting flesh directly off their bodies. He suspected Ye Jinghua knew exactly how much wealth and influence those men still had hidden away and had no intention of stopping until he squeezed every last drop from them.
But in the end, it was all for Zhao Baozhu’s sake.
Tightly returning Ye Jinghua’s grip, Zhao Baozhu said: “Young Master has devoted so much effort to helping us. Both the people and I are deeply grateful for your kindness.” Then he added: “The busy farming season is nearly over now. This year’s harvest is excellent. Would Young Master like to go out and take a look with me?”
After spending the entire day reading official documents, Ye Jinghua turned his head toward him and smiled gently. His eyes were filled with tenderness. “Very well.”
So the two left the yamen and headed toward the fields. When Ah Long heard they were going out, he eagerly followed behind them, running ahead at the front. Sometimes he ran too far ahead and would stop to look back at Ye Jinghua and Zhao Baozhu. He looked exactly like a little dog happily let out to play.
Zhao Baozhu walked beside Ye Jinghua with a bright smile. Though they were not holding hands outside, they remained very close together. Lu Tan followed behind them at a moderate distance. He appeared quiet, but his eyes remained constantly alert, watching their surroundings.
The four of them followed the country road out of town and arrived at the foot of South Hill.
The ruins of the silk workshop had completely vanished. In their place stretched hundreds of acres of fertile farmland. Golden grain swayed beneath the autumn wind in wave after wave. The harvested crops had been neatly stacked into tall bundles. The air was filled with the fragrance of a bountiful harvest.
When the workers in the fields saw Zhao Baozhu arrive, they all stopped what they were doing and greeted him.
“Lord Zhao!”
“Lord Zhao is here!”
“Lord Zhao, have you eaten yet?”
Zhao Baozhu responded to each of them with a smile. “I’ve eaten. Is everyone doing well? Good, good.”
After greeting him, the villagers cautiously began looking at Ye Jinghua. Over the past days, everyone had learned that a new prefect had come to their county. He was even more handsome than the county magistrate. From a distance he looked almost like an immortal descended from heaven. Occasionally, when the county magistrate was absent, it was the prefect himself who heard court cases.
No one knew what good fortune had blessed their county, but they had somehow received two officials whose appearance and bearing were both so extraordinary.
Although Ye Jinghua usually spoke softly and gently, his natural presence was overwhelming. The villagers did not dare greet him as casually as they did Zhao Baozhu. Instead, they watched him respectfully from afar. Occasionally, a plaintiff whose case Ye Jinghua had personally judged would greet him, and Ye Jinghua would return the greeting with a smile.
The two men strolled leisurely through the fields. Though the scenery could not compare to the prosperity of the capital, the wide-open landscape possessed a beauty all its own.
As they rounded South Hill, a slender figure suddenly appeared in the distance.
It was a young village girl dressed in coarse homespun clothing. A long braid hung over her shoulder. She looked about fifteen or sixteen years old. Though not very tall, she was carrying a large shoulder pole. Two baskets hanging from either end were filled to the brim with fruit, so heavy that the carrying pole bent under the weight.
Just as she passed in front of Zhao Baozhu, she seemed to step on a loose stone. Her foot slipped, and she fell toward the ground.
Seeing this, Zhao Baozhu hurried forward and caught her. “Careful!”
He managed to steady the girl but the carrying pole tipped sideways, and fruit came rolling out in every direction. With quick reflexes, Zhao Baozhu caught one that was about to tumble down the hillside. Frowning, he said: “Oh dear, look at this. Where are the adults in your family?”
The latter question was directed at the girl. He was asking where her father or brothers were and why they had left her alone to carry such a heavy load.
The girl’s face immediately flushed red. Her eyes rippled softly as she shyly glanced at Zhao Baozhu. While crouching down to gather the scattered fruit, she said: “Thank you, my lord… My parents are both working in the fields.”
Hearing this, Zhao Baozhu looked at her and frowned as he quickly gathered the fruit that had rolled downhill. “Even so, they shouldn’t leave you carrying all this by yourself. Look at this. Some of the fruit has been bruised. When I see them later, I’ll have to give them a good talking-to.”
The girl neither agreed nor disagreed. Instead, she looked at Zhao Baozhu with eyes filled with gentle affection and smiled softly.
The golden sunlight shone upon her youthful face. She could not be called breathtakingly beautiful, but there was an unmistakable sincerity and warmth about her.
Standing in the shadows with the light behind him, Ye Jinghua watched Zhao Baozhu and the young woman picking up fruit beneath the setting sun.
The young magistrate had lifted the hem of his official robe. His brows were furrowed, making him appear both handsome and spirited. The girl’s braid was glossy black. She had bright eyes, thick brows, and rosy cheeks. The two of them looked remarkably well matched.
