Chapter 256: Learning Medicine from Miss Mu

Prince Jia just laughed: "The Heir Apparent and Young Master Qilin have such a good relationship."

Qilin: "Enough, who says they have a good relationship with him?"

"It was I who first despised you." Gu Rongjin put his arm around Mu Yuanzhi's shoulders, "Now I love the house but not the crow—go cry, you little devil!"

"Perfect, from now on don't always act as if you're my master."

"Speaking of masters, I also want to find a good master for my son." Prince Jia said.

Mu Yuanzhi exclaimed in shock: "Your Highness has a son?!"

He always seems like he's not yet married.

Gu Rongjin: "I've never heard you have a son—how old is he?"

"At my age, it would be strange not to have children." Prince Jia laughed: "I already have four sons and two daughters, and my youngest daughter is eight years old."

Qilin's jaw dropped: "Six, six?!"

Prince Jia: "I'm only a few years younger than the Emperor."

"You look very young, Prince." Mu Yuanzhi said, and this was not just polite talk.

She often forgot that this person was the Emperor's younger brother, and in fact his age was roughly the same as the Emperor's.

Qilin was still in shock: "So the Prince is actually only a few years younger than the Emperor's uncle?!"

He looks like the uncle's son!

Prince Jia couldn't help but chuckle: "You guys like this, I'm actually quite pleased."

Mu Yuanzhi curiously asked: "Prince, what about your family?"

"I just brought him back from the Infant Void State these past few days." Prince Jia said, "My four sons are already sixteen this year; he grew up in the Infant Void State, and it's hard to find a Han Chinese master for him, so I've been worrying lately about who to get to teach him."

Gu Rongjin thought for a moment and said: "There's no need to worry; Shi Huai is the best choice—versed in both literature and martial arts, capable of fighting in war. It would be perfect for him to become the young master's teacher."

"Actually, I originally intended... for you..."

"Definitely not!" Qilin interrupted Prince Jia's words with a serious expression: "He teaches martial arts in an extremely violent way! Ordinary people can't withstand it!"

Gu Rongjin: "Stop slandering me? Just say whether I taught you or not."

"That's another matter."

"But, Prince, it's not that I don't want to; it's simply that Shi Huai is more suitable. My martial arts are more suited to wandering the jianghu, and since the young master is someone you have high hopes for, he should study under Shi Huai." Gu Rongjin said.

Prince Jia pondered and felt it made sense: "You're right, but I don't know if General Ji would be willing to take on this disciple."

"I don't want that! I want to study medicine under Miss Mu!"

A voice of indeterminate gender burst in, everyone turned their heads, and saw a brocade-clad jade-like person whose gender was equally indistinguishable stride in.

Who is this?! Could it be Prince Jia's fourth son?!

The named Mu Yuanzhi was completely bewildered, wondering how she had suddenly gotten dragged into someone else's father-and-son affairs.

"Di'er, no rudeness—entering without announcing yourself?" Prince Jia put on a stern face and said sternly.

Mu Yuanzhi was still seeing Prince Jia so stern for the first time.

In her impression, this Prince was like a graceful gentleman, warm and smooth like jade.

But she knew that someone who could hide their light and accumulate strength while a hostage, then burst forth, must not be simple; they must be a person of deep foresight, cautious yet bold and decisive.

Pei Di pressed his lips, obediently calling out everyone's name in turn.

Prince Jia's complexion only then improved, and he said to Mu Yuanzhi: "This child has been mischievous since childhood; if he keeps pestering you to teach him, come tell me—he faints at the sight of blood, so he's not cut out for medicine."

Mu Yuanzhi: "Having a blood phobia certainly makes being a doctor difficult."

Some things cannot be overcome just by wanting to.

"Do you have to see blood to study medicine?" Pei Di flinched, and after catching a glimpse of Prince Jia's expression in his peripheral vision, his momentum suddenly dropped by half; finally he only spoke softly, his eye sockets red, not knowing whether he was angry or wanting to cry.

Perhaps because he looks so young, Mu Yuanzhi felt he was especially like the cat she had previously raised.

Clearly, she is only two years older than him.

"Alright, this matter is not to be brought up again; don't bother Miss Mu, she still has to prepare supplies for the army and is very busy." Prince Jia waved his hand, "Alright, you may go now."

"Son, taking my leave."

Pei Di left, unwilling and fuming.

After the little interlude's farce ended, Mu Yuanzhi still kept thinking about that boy she had just met.

She always felt he hid many things in his eyes; just now he wasn't fooling around, but genuinely wanted to study medicine with her.

After coming out, Mu Yuanzhi told Gu Rongjin and Qilin that she had something to do and needed to leave first; Gu Rongjin asked what it was, and she only gave a mysterious smile, saying she would tell him later.

She wandered alone in the garden, and soon discovered that the person she was waiting for had arrived, though he kept following her without showing himself.

"The young master keeps hiding his head and showing his tail—is he a stalker?" Mu Yuanzhi teased.

Pei Di was instantly provoked, his eyes widening: "Who's the stalker?! I just happened to be passing by!"

He looked at Mu Yuanzhi, wanting to speak but stopping, his lips pressed together repeatedly, a look of great indecision.

Mu Yuanzhi asked him: "Why do you want to study medicine?"

"My mother is ill." Pei Di's voice choked, "Her illness has never improved; they say it's from overwork, accumulated strain leading to disease. She's seen many doctors, imperial physicians, wandering jianghu practitioners, even Daoist alchemists, but none have helped. This time our whole family returned from the Infant Void State, but only my mother cannot endure the hardships of travel, so she remains alone in the Infant Void..."

After hearing this, Mu Yuanzhi's favorability toward Pei Di instantly rose.

Truly a filial child.

"Does your mother's household have a resident physician?" Mu Yuanzhi asked.

Pei Di nodded, "It's useless; that household physician can't cure my mother's illness either, only prescribing tonics that aren't absorbed even when taken. Looking at her, she grows thinner day by day, and she may soon be unable to get out of bed."

As he spoke, his eye sockets reddened again.

"Let me try: I'll draw up an acupuncture therapy plan and send it over, have the household physician administer the acupuncture to your mother, then prescribe a few doses of medicine. Tell me her specific symptoms."

Mu Yuanzhi's words let Pei Di's hope rise again.

He had indeed heard that Miss Mu's medical skills were formidable!

Pei Di nodded vigorously, telling Mu Yuanzhi all the details of his mother's symptoms, big and small, and fearing that he hadn't been thorough enough, he often repeated it several times.

Mu Yuanzhi listened carefully, then had someone fetch paper and brush to write the prescription and draw the acupuncture diagram.

They sat down in the pavilion in the garden, and Pei Di summoned a servant to boil tea, specifically instructing to use the finest tea leaves and spring water.

Pei Di's eager gaze fixed on Mu Yuanzhi's ailment, as if he had seized a lifeline.

"Miss Mu, once the fighting here is over, could you accompany me to Yingxu State?" Pei Di pleaded, "I can agree to anything you want!"

If we go now, Father the King will certainly not agree.

We can only wait.

"You'll agree to anything?" Mu Yuanzhi repeated without lifting her head.

"Anything!" Pei Di said without thinking.

Mu Yuanzhi: "Alright, I promise you."