Chapter 37: Saving Lives

After obtaining the Yuan Spirit Pill, Hua Changxi devoted most of her energy to advancing her cultivation; to her dormitory mates, aside from spending about an hour each morning cleaning medicinal herbs, she seemed to be resting at all other times.

Time flew, and seven days passed.

On the fifteenth day of the twelfth lunar month, Hua Changxi submitted the cleaned medicinal herbs to the Second Bureau as usual and then prepared to return to her room to cultivate.

However, while passing the ditch, she saw that the laborers of the Sixth Bureau had all put down their tasks and were gathering around their respective Third Stewards, who appeared to be assigning some mission.

Seeing Du Ruo speaking with Lu Qingluo and others, Hua Changxi thought for a moment and quickly walked over.

Upon seeing Hua Changxi approach, Du Ruo said nothing to her but continued speaking: "The First Bureau has a batch of medicinal herbs that must be processed before the New Year; they are short-staffed and need to transfer some laborers from our side to help. Who among you is willing to go?"

Hearing this, Hua Changxi immediately raised her hand enthusiastically: "Steward Du, I am willing to go!"

Wang Yunchu snorted: "Who wouldn't be willing to do such a thing? One can learn the technique of processing medicinal herbs and earn extra income."

Since entering the twelfth month, the amount of medicinal herbs delivered to the Medical Bureau had decreased by more than half compared to previous months; they now only needed to clean two hundred plants of medicinal herbs each day.

Although the work had become easier, their monthly allowances would decrease accordingly.

Helping at the First Bureau was not unpaid; every year at year's end, the First and Second Bureaus would request laborers from the Third Bureau to assist, and those who went would receive a subsidy.

Such a good opportunity would make anyone's heart flutter.

Sister Shi also chimed in: "Yes, I am willing to go as well."

Sister Lin and Aunt Zhao immediately followed suit: "We are also willing to go."

The others echoed their sentiments one after another.

Du Ruo stated: "Each group has only two spots."

Upon hearing this, everyone immediately began discussing amongst themselves.

Wang Yunchu spoke first: "Steward Du, Qingluo's older sister is an apprentice in the Apprentice Hall and has taught Qingluo a great deal of pharmaceutical theory; she will certainly have no problem processing medicinal herbs."

Du Ruo showed agreement: "Qingluo is steady and reliable; she counts as one for helping at the First Bureau. Who will be the other?"

Hua Changxi spoke up again: "Steward Du, I also understand pharmaceutical theory and know how to process medicinal herbs."

Hearing this, Du Ruo showed no reaction and continued looking at the others.

Wang Yunchu and the others exchanged glances, until finally Sister Lin smiled and said: "Let Yunchu go; although her tongue is sharp, she has often stood up for us, and she is quick-witted; together with Qingluo, she will surely not disgrace our group."

Du Ruo glanced at Hua Changxi, nodded in agreement, and said: "Very well, our group will send Qingluo and Yunchu." With that, she turned and left.

Once the steward departed, the others went back to cleaning medicinal herbs, leaving Hua Changxi standing alone in place.

"Hmph~"

After standing for a while, Hua Changxi exhaled a mouthful of turbid air and turned to return to her dormitory.

Watching her depart, Wang Yunchu immediately made faces at Lu Qingluo: "Sister Qingling was right; someone like Hua Changxi cannot establish a foothold in the Medical Bureau."

"I admit she is very capable; nowadays, probably no one in the Laborer Hall dares to provoke her, but likewise, no one dares to get close to her."

Lu Qingluo nodded: "Changxi's nature is too solitary." Fighting alone works nowhere.

After returning to her dormitory, Hua Changxi tried hard not to recall the scene of being ostracized just now, forcing herself to calm down and begin cultivating, yet the flow of spiritual energy remained obstructed.

Hua Changxi had to stop cultivating; after all, she was still affected by others.

She asked herself: Had she done anything excessive? Why was the hostility from outsiders so great?

"Did I do wrong?"

At home, apart from her Sixth Brother, her relationship with her other siblings was not very harmonious; now that she was in the Laborer Hall, she was equally unwelcome.

With so many brothers and sisters in the family, conflicts were inevitable, but let that pass for now.

Hua Changxi carefully recalled her experiences since entering the Laborer Hall.

She had not helped Wang Yunchu wash medicinal herbs, nor had she swapped shifts with Sister Shi; she was merely guarding her boundaries. Even if she was capable, there was no reason she should allow others to exploit her, was there?

Was it wrong?

Of course not; if she hadn't acted that way, that would have been a grave mistake.

As for actively befriending Yu Gui and cooperating with Eunuch Yu to refine pills, that was even more correct.

"I am not wrong!"

She should not doubt herself; was it not simply a matter of not being liked?

Her purpose in entering the Laborer Hall was to upgrade her data to obtain inheritances and to improve her cultivation.

Now these goals were being achieved step by step; as for expanding one's network, having one was good, but if not, there was no need to force it.

After comforting herself, Hua Changxi felt much better and was able to calm her mind to cultivate once again.

Lu Qingluo and Wang Yunchu went to help at the First Bureau the next day; upon returning that evening, both happily recounted their experiences at the First Bureau.

The second and third days were the same, but on the fourth day, just as Hua Changxi returned from submitting the cleaned medicinal herbs to the Second Bureau, she saw the two of them had come back.

Not only them, but all twenty female laborers from the Sixth Bureau who had gone to help had returned.

Each of them looked pale, their expressions restrained.

Glancing at their complexions, Hua Changxi needed no inquiry to guess that something must have gone wrong during the processing of the medicinal herbs.

They resembled the laborers she had encountered on the day of the apprentice examination, those who had cleaned Fire Crystal Grass and become contaminated with Fire Poison.

Seeing Du Ruo and the other Third Stewards summon Steward Leng, Hua Changxi looked no further; she reasoned that given the relationship between Steward Leng and Eunuch Lu, treating Lu Qingluo and the others should not be a major issue.

Indeed, Steward Leng did not neglect Lu Qingluo and the others; he sought out Eunuch Lu, obtained a bottle of pills, and administered them to the twenty female laborers, including Lu Qingluo, who had gone to help.

Afterwards, Lu Qingluo and Wang Yunchu returned to their room to rest.

Everyone assumed that after taking the pills given by Eunuch Lu, Lu Qingluo and the others would recover, but who could have expected that in the middle of the night, painful moans from Lu Qingluo and Wang Yunchu rang out in the dormitory.

"Qingluo!"

"Yunchu!"

"What is wrong with you?"

Sister Shi and the others lit the oil lamp and were greatly startled to see Lu Qingluo and Wang Yunchu drenched in sweat from pain.

"Why are their bodies so ice-cold?"

"Look, they're still shivering."

"Something isn't right with Qingluo and Yunchu; we must go tell Steward Du."

Soon, the people in the dormitory had fetched Du Ruo.

Du Ruo assessed the conditions of Lu Qingluo and Wang Yunchu, said not a word, and immediately ran to find Steward Leng.

"Steward Leng has a terrible temper; disturbing her this late, who knows if she'll be displeased?"

"Who cares about that now? Qingluo and Yunchu's condition clearly cannot be delayed."

"Let us hope Steward Du returns quickly."

After roughly half an hour, Du Ruo returned, holding two packets of medicine: "Hurry and decoct this medicine, then have Qingluo and Yunchu take it."

After taking the medicine, Lu Qingluo and Wang Yunchu improved and grew quiet.

Seeing this, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

However, by the next morning, the two had begun breaking out in cold sweats and shivering again.

"Why haven't they recovered yet?"

Shi Sao and the others fetched Du Ruo again; seeing Lu Qingluo and Wang Yunchu's illness relapsing, Du Ruo steeled herself to seek out Steward Leng once more.

By the time Du Ruo arrived, several third-tier stewards had already gathered in Steward Leng's room, all begging for medicine.

Steward Leng had not slept well all night and looked haggard: "Do not panic. I asked Eunuch Lu, and he said those female laborers are fine; they will just suffer a few days. Endure it, and it will pass."

Du Ruo urged anxiously, "But they are shivering; is that truly nothing serious?"

Steward Leng glanced at Du Ruo: "If Eunuch Lu says it is nothing, then it is nothing. If anything truly is wrong, it is a problem with their own bodies."

Du Ruo fell silent; after a long pause, she summoned her courage again: "Steward Leng, the medicine you gave last night was very effective; could you possibly give us more..."

Steward Leng cut Du Ruo off directly: "There is none left. Do you know how hard I had to beg Eunuch Lu to get that medicine? One dose costs several taels of silver. I have already done my duty by those laborers."

"Enough, my head is spinning; you may all leave."

"As for those female laborers, those who can endure it should rest in the dormitory; those who cannot should go home. They may return only when they have recovered."

Du Ruo exchanged glances with the other third-tier stewards, then departed with faces full of helplessness.

In Hua Changxi's view, the problems afflicting Lu Qingluo and Wang Yunchu were no great matter; after finishing her morning cultivation and seeing Du Ruo go to Steward Leng again, she went to eat breakfast.

After breakfast, as Hua Changxi exited the dining hall, she saw Shi Sao summoning Lu Qingluo's elder sister, Lu Qingling.

"Qingluo!"

Lu Qingling's face was fraught with urgency, yet she did not lose her composure in her haste; she immediately began examining Lu Qingluo's condition, and after finishing, asked Shi Sao and the others to help watch over Lu Qingluo before hurrying away from the Sixth Bureau.

Watching her departure, Hua Changxi surmised she was returning to the Apprentice Hall to beg for medicine.

Paying it no further mind, Hua Changxi went to the storehouse to collect medicinal herbs.

"Sister Changxi."

As soon as Hua Changxi arrived at the storehouse, Yu Gui waved to her.

"Sister Changxi, my godfather has stocked another batch of discarded medicinal herbs over at the Qihuang Hall; remember to go there after finishing your duties today."

Hua Changxi hummed an acknowledgment, pushed the herbs back to wash them, and once cleaned, went straight to the Qihuang Hall.

By the time she returned from the Qihuang Hall, night had already fallen.

Upon entering the Sixth Bureau, she heard cries of desperate pleading coming from the rear courtyard.

"Steward Ling, I beg you, do not send me away; I cannot lose this job."

"No one is sending you away; we are merely asking you to go home to recuperate. Once you have recovered, you may return to the Laborer Hall."

"I will not go back; I will stay here at the Sixth Bureau."

"Do you not know your own body? You whimper at every minor ache or pain; others need to rest at night, and you will disturb them. Listen to me: go home, heal your body, and come back then."

"But if I return home, my family will not hire a physician for me. Steward Ling, I will endure it; I promise not to make a sound tonight, and I will not disturb anyone else."

Hua Changxi walked into the rear courtyard and saw a female laborer kneeling before Steward Ling Xiao, clutching her leg and begging bitterly while suppressing her pain.

In the dormitories further away, several similar scenes were unfolding.

Even within her own dormitory, someone was weeping.

"Qingluo, why don't you ask your sister again to see if she can help Yunchu? You know Yunchu's family situation; if she returns home while ill, her stepmother will surely torment her."

Although Lu Qingluo remained weak, she was no longer breaking out in cold sweats, and her complexion had improved significantly.

Clearly, Lu Qingling had obtained medicine from the Apprentice Hall that morning, alleviating Lu Qingluo's suffering.

Lu Qingluo looked distressed: "Steward Du, my sister knows Yunchu; if she could help, she certainly would not ignore her."

Du Ruo sighed and looked at the others in the room: "Tonight, please be more accommodating; if Yunchu does not wish to go home, do not force her."

As soon as she finished speaking, Wang Yunchu's weeping grew louder, laced with suppressed sounds of pain.

Hua Changxi frowned tightly; sending injured female laborers home—did the Laborer Hall have no intention of treating them?

Just as Hua Changxi was about to enter the room, a sudden scream erupted from the adjacent chamber.

"Sister Zhuang!"

"Help! Someone come quickly! Sister Zhuang cannot breathe!"

Hearing this, Hua Changxi immediately turned and ran toward the neighboring room.

"Move aside!"

Hua Changxi rushed into the room, saw that Sister Zhuang's face had turned blue-purple from suffocation, leaped onto the bed, and immediately began administering emergency aid.

The people in the room were already panicked; seeing Hua Changxi appear suddenly, they did not stop her. Only when Sister Zhuang gasped an "Ah" and resumed breathing did they regain their senses.

Upon looking closely, they realized their rescuer was none other than Hua Changxi, the subject of so many rumors, and their expressions grew complicated.

After Sister Zhuang could breathe again, Hua Changxi examined her body once more; having confirmed the cause of her illness, she got off the bed, left the room, and returned to her own dormitory.

Inside the room, Du Ruo, Shi Sao, and the others looked somewhat uneasy upon seeing Hua Changxi.

They had also witnessed Hua Changxi administering aid to Sister Zhuang from outside the room just moments before.

Hua Changxi paid no heed to their thoughts and looked at Du Ruo: "Steward Du, Lu Qingluo and the others were poisoned while helping the First Office prepare medicinal ingredients; the First Office should take responsibility."

Because Hua Changxi had become entangled with Eunuch Yu from the storeroom, Du Ruo had greatly disliked her, yet seeing her urgency to save lives just now, that slight dislike in her heart diminished somewhat.

"The pills Qingluo and the others took last night were provided by the First Office. The people from the First Office said their own laborers often encounter such situations and are always cured by taking these pills."

"They claimed the pills did not work for our people, that it had nothing to do with them, and that it was due to our own physical constitutions."

Hua Changxi thought for a moment, retrieved brush, ink, paper, and inkstone from her cabinet, quickly wrote down three types of medicinal herbs, and handed them to Du Ruo: "Tell Steward Leng that these three herbs can cure the poison afflicting the female laborers; one dose will bring immediate recovery."

Du Ruo took the prescription, hesitating slightly.

Hua Changxi said: "Steward Du, if the First Office truly encounters such matters frequently, you need only give this prescription to Steward Leng."

Du Ruo glanced at Hua Changxi, then took the prescription and left the room.

"Immediate recovery?"

Upon hearing Du Ruo's words, Steward Leng's eyes flickered, and his expression shifted from previous impatience to curiosity.

Du Ruo nodded: "That is what Hua Changxi said."

Steward Leng paused briefly: "I recall now; this Hua Changxi seems to have been personally recruited into the Laborer Hall by Eunuch Jia." Saying this, he stood up.

"I am, after all, the steward of the Sixth Bureau; I cannot bear to watch my subordinates suffer. I shall make another trip on their behalf."

Watching Steward Leng go directly to seek Eunuch Lu, Du Ruo immediately felt relieved, happy that Wang Yun and the others might be saved, yet feeling somewhat complicated that the prescription had come from Hua Changxi.

Du Ruo had originally intended to wait for Steward Leng's return and confirm the outcome before going back, but after waiting for more than half an hour with no sign of him, she could only return to the Sixth Bureau first.

Upon returning to the Sixth Bureau, she saw Eunuch Lu and Steward Leng directing people to decoct medicine, leaving Du Ruo somewhat dumbfounded.