Thinking carefully, it really seemed to be so.
At that time, Xie Xuanying had drawn his bow and nocked an arrow, aiming at the bandit, but the bandit’s position was only half a horse’s head away from Cheng Danruo, and the arrow really did graze her cheek.
But then she fell from the horse, and the situation was urgent, so he had not paid much attention. In addition, the horse had been pierced by the fence, and a great spray of blood had splashed out, leaving both of them covered in quite a bit of blood, so it was only natural to assume it was the horse’s blood.
What was to be done about this? Xie Xuanying could not help but worry.
It was not that he was coldhearted and felt that a broken hand did not matter while a facial injury was more serious. A man, a true man, could still establish merit and achievement even with a broken hand – who among soldiers did not bear some wounds? Moreover, Guard Qian had already married and had children, and with the marquis estate looking after him, he had no worries behind him.
It was different for a woman.
Although people of the time took a wife valuing family background, upbringing, and character, men understood men, and who did not like a beautiful woman? If a scar remained on her face, it would be no surprise if she suffered for a lifetime.
He could not help glancing over several times.
Cheng Danruo was just tidying up the equipment when she suddenly noticed him looking repeatedly, and could not help finding it strange. Following his line of sight, she touched her face, then suddenly understood and said with a smile, “They are all flesh wounds for me. It is nothing serious.”
Xie Xuanying said, “Will it leave a scar?”
“It depends on how the recovery goes.” She did not take it seriously, and walked to the window and called, “Zi Su, is the medicine ready?”
“It is ready.” Zi Su hurried in carrying the medicine. “Should Guard Qian drink it now?”
“Yes.” Cheng Danruo called, “Guard Qian, wake up. Drink the medicine.”
Qian Ming was muddled, his lips murmuring, no one knowing what he was saying.
Cheng Danruo said, “Call Mo Dian to come help and pour the medicine down.”
“All right.”
Mo Dian, as his name suggested, was a dark-skinned, round-faced, big fellow. Tonight he was to keep watch for Yan Hongzhi, and had never slept soundly. He came as soon as he was called.
“This is Yuzhen San,” Cheng Danruo explained. “It dispels wind and relieves convulsions, relieves pain and stops bleeding. It is best taken early.”
This was a commonly used formula in traditional Chinese medicine for treating tetanus, recorded in the Pharmacopoeia of the People’s Republic of China. Its main ingredients were Tiannanxing, Fangfeng, Baizhi, Tianma, Qianghuo, and Baifuzi, ground into powder and stored. It had anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative damage, and anti-hypoxic effects, and had a certain therapeutic effect on tetanus.
Of course, one should not expect it to replace tetanus antitoxin.
As for the method recorded by the ancients of taking it mixed with a child’s urine, that could be skipped, unless Guard Qian was willing to use his own… oh, no, that was wrong. Even if he was willing, it would not do.
Mo Dian nodded, grabbed Guard Qian, took the medicine bowl, and poured the prepared medicinal liquid down his throat.
Cheng Danruo let out a breath, finally able to relax slightly. “I am going to sleep for a while. Zi Su, you go rest too. After I check on the situation early tomorrow morning, I will write a new prescription.”
Xie Xuanying said, “Thank you for your hard work, Miss Cheng.”
Cheng Danruo ought to have exchanged a few polite words, but she was truly so exhausted that she had no strength to speak. She smiled at him and then hurried back to her room to rest.
The moment her head touched the pillow, she fell asleep instantly.
This sleep was truly deep and dark. None of the life-and-death fright could compare with the overwhelming force of exhaustion.
She slept soundly, and when she woke the next day, the sun was already high in the sky.
Zi Su was not there, so she took the opportunity to bolt the door, lightly brushed the jade, and took out medical dressings from her travel bag to change the bandaging on the leg wound.
She had transmigrated while transporting medical supplies, and among the items she had on her, the most plentiful were medical supplies.
After returning yesterday, she had immediately disinfected and bandaged the wound and taken medicine.
Unfortunately, modern supplies could not be used on the ancients. She could only ensure that before performing surgery on Qian Ming, her own disinfection was basically thorough, which reduced the possibility of infection somewhat.
After quickly changing the dressing, Cheng Danruo took out her handheld mirror and looked at her face.
The wound was on her face – how could she possibly not care? But compared with the danger at the time, the present situation was already a blessing from heaven.
Besides, being unable to discuss marriage easily was not necessarily a bad thing.
Footsteps came from outside the door, and Zi Su knocked. “Miss?”
Cheng Danruo opened the door, and the maid came in carrying hot water. “I guessed you would be awake by now.” Deftly rolling up her sleeves, she brought out a toothbrush and tooth powder, and asked, “Food is being kept warm on the stove. What would you like to eat?”
“No hurry.” She said, “How are the others doing?”
Zi Su said, “The old gentleman is already awake, and Guard Qian has woken once too.”
Cheng Danruo nodded. After washing up and hastily eating a couple of steamed buns to fill her stomach, she went to Yan Hongzhi’s place.
Xie Xuanying seemed to have just gotten up as well. His hair still carried a faint dampness, most likely because he had just bathed, and he had changed into a dark cyan jacquard silk straight robe.
That shade of cyan – no one knew what dye had been used – was dyed very beautifully, like vast waves after rain. What was even rarer was that even though the beauty looked haggard, he was not made to appear dull or diminished by it.
Cheng Danruo forced herself to look away. “How do you feel?”
Yan Hongzhi had originally had tonsillitis, and after being tossed about for half a day yesterday, his illness had worsened further. His throat was hoarse and soundless. “A little weak.”
Cheng Danruo took his pulse for him. His heartbeat was normal, with a slight low fever.
“Still the same as before. Drink more water, rest more, and do not overexert yourself physically or mentally.” She still used the original prescription.
Yan Hongzhi sighed. “One cannot but yield to old age.”
Xie Xuanying quickly said, “Sir, rest easy. I am here for everything.”
“That you could return safely naturally means I no longer need to worry.” Although Yan Hongzhi said this, he still had to admonish him. “I know you feel indignant in your heart, but local military and administrative affairs are governed by the Three Provincial Offices. Do not rely on your family background to make things awkward for others.”
“Yes.” Xie Xuanying said, “I know my limits.”
Yan Hongzhi could not help laughing. What sense of limits could there be in a young man’s hot blood? He said, “Although this matter was excusable under the circumstances, it still wounded someone’s pride. I have already sent a letter to Jinling, asking Rixin to mediate on our behalf.”
Lin Xin, courtesy name Rixin, was one of Yan Hongzhi’s disciples. He was thirty-two years old and served as the education commissioner of Nanjing Prefecture.
The so-called education commissioner was in fact the official in charge of schools. The position was subordinate to the Surveillance Office, but it did not handle judicial or penal matters. It was specifically responsible for local administrative education work, such as selecting students, holding provincial examinations, and evaluating teachers, and was generally held by a jinshi.
And the Regional Military Commission of Jiangnan Province was located in Jinling.
Doing so was enough to show how well Yan Hongzhi understood his student, as well as how, despite never having served as an official himself, he was quite familiar with the ways of the officialdom and human affairs.
“Thank you.” As Xie Xuanying spoke, seeing that Yan Hongzhi’s throat was hoarse, he hurriedly poured him a cup of water and served it to him, then took his leave.
After moistening his throat, Yan Hongzhi quickly noticed Cheng Danruo’s leg injury. “Is Miss Cheng’s injury serious?”
“Just a flesh wound, nothing serious.” Cheng Danruo finished writing the prescription and handed it to Mo Dian. “Twice a day, taken after meals.”
Yan Hongzhi could not help feeling guilty. “I have brought trouble upon you, Miss.”
“Natural and man-made calamities – there is no need for you to feel bad.” Having transmigrated many years ago, Cheng Danruo had already deeply realized that ancient times were not modern society. The common people found it hard to enjoy long-term stability, and no matter how one lived, it was bitter.
She still had to go see other patients, so after offering a few brief words of comfort, she also took her leave.
Xie Xuanying had not gone far again.
Before Cheng Danruo could ask, he took the initiative to say, “Miss Cheng, I am beset with many matters and cannot attend to my teacher. Could I entrust the miscellaneous affairs of this inn to you?”
To make such a request was also because there was no other way.
Yan Hongzhi was ill and someone had to stay behind to handle matters, but aside from him, the guards, stewards, and personal attendants were all servants and had no standing to make decisions. Cheng Danruo, by contrast, although of low birth, was a guest. In an emergency, acting according to circumstances, it was not excessive for her to preside over affairs on his behalf.
However, she herself did not realize that to some extent, this was the indispensable “housekeeper” of ancient romance, and simply thought it was a matter of looking after the sick, which was of course her unshakable duty.
“As long as you do not disdain me, Young Master Xie, I can give it a try.”
She agreed.
Xie Xuanying felt greatly relieved and specifically instructed the steward, “In all matters, Miss Cheng is to make the decisions.”
Then he left.
Cheng Danruo was in no hurry to do anything else. She first checked the condition of all the wounded.
The casualties were severe.
That Guard Zhao, who had been wounded in the buttocks and had refused to let her treat him, had drawn the main force of the Black Abacus group and been hit by several arrows. He had already stopped breathing before being carried back.
Qian Ming had lost a hand. Among the other guards, some had been wounded in the shoulder by arrows, and some had been cut on the leg. Fortunately, Cheng Danruo’s first-aid skills were up to standard, and she had properly treated all of them.
She wrote different prescriptions for each person and gave them to Zi Su to decoct, then had the lightly wounded take care of the seriously wounded, and instructed them to report promptly if there were any headaches or fevers.
After settling the wounded, the Xie family steward came to ask how Guard Zhao’s corpse should be handled.
“Can he be cremated?” she asked.
The Xie family steward said, “Men of the military do not particularly taboo this.”
The Xia dynasty did not advocate cremation. What it advocated was that “the Son of Heaven is buried after seven months, feudal lords after five months, grand masters after three months, and scholars after more than a month.” But it could not prevent cremation either. The poor could not afford coffins and mostly cremated their dead. It was also common for corpses of those who died away from home to be cremated in a foreign place and the ashes brought back.
Cheng Danruo said, “The autumn tiger heat has not passed, and the weather is hot. To avoid disease, it is better to cremate him.”
The steward nodded and sighed. “Then I will go find a crematorium and prepare more firewood, so that Guard Zhao may suffer less from being burned.”
“Sorry to trouble you,” Cheng Danruo said politely.
He had just left when Nanny Zhang’s husband came over to ask, “For today’s meals, shall we still buy from outside?”
The inn had originally had a cook, but earlier, when the pirates had blocked the door, how would the cook have dared to come? She had simply disappeared. Yesterday’s food had all been bought from a restaurant.
“Yes. I will write out a list for you. There are quite a few forbidden items.” As a doctor, being able to manage patients’ eating was undoubtedly very satisfying to her.
What annoyed her most were people who were supposed to fast but ate anyway, and people who were not allowed to smoke or drink but insisted on doing so.
Steward Zhang gave an “ai” of assent and went off to busy himself.
In the afternoon, the Yan family steward came again to report, saying, “The Li, Sun, and Wang families of Yancheng all sent cards, saying they wished to pay their respects to the master.”
From his tone, Cheng Danruo gathered that they were prominent clans of Yancheng. But although social niceties mattered, they were not as important as life itself. “The old gentleman is ill and cannot be fatigued. Please decline on his behalf.”
The Yan steward asked for instructions. “Should the gifts they brought be accepted?”
Cheng Danruo asked, “Are they usually accepted?”
“Some are accepted, some are not.” Steward Yan looked quite troubled.
The Yan family’s ancestral home was Haining, and they had close ties with the great clans and hereditary families of Jiangnan. It was impossible to constantly shut people out. But Yan Hongzhi’s reputation was such that countless people wished to study under him. If everyone who brought gifts could get through the door, it would cheapen him.
And in such interpersonal dealings, Cheng Danruo could not make decisions on Yan Hongzhi’s behalf, so she said, “Then tell them plainly that no one can make the decision right now, and that the matter can be discussed some days later.”
“I understand.” In truth, Steward Yan thought accepting them would not be a problem either, but he still agreed to do as told.
That things went so smoothly also had its reasons.
Old servants of hereditary families were known for being cunning and difficult. If they wanted to make things hard for someone, they had plenty of ways to torment their master and keep people busy for half a day without accomplishing anything.
Yet because everyone had earlier faced life and death together, and Cheng Danruo had taken the initiative to dress as Xie Xuanying and lure the bandits away, buying a way out for Yan Hongzhi and the others, both the guards and the stewards and young servants felt a measure of respect for her. They did not despise or obstruct her because of her poor origins, and so all matters were handled so smoothly.
This was an invisible yet extremely valuable asset.
It was called: people’s hearts.
