Chapter 645: Mao Li Xiulang

Gao Zhiming couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy: "A Provincial Graduate really is different—just a bit smarter than the rest of us."

Chen Liutao and Qu Zhixing stood to one side with their blades in their arms, snorting coldly to themselves: Hmph, you're underestimating our Lord Xue—he's far more than just a Provincial Graduate!

Only four people and one cat were left in the room.

Master Xuanmiao's gaze fell directly on Xue Shao. This was her second time meeting him; the last time was at the seaside last year, when he had come running to warn her that Pan Yun was in danger.

She looked at Xue Shao, then turned back to Pan Yun: "You two…"

"Last night was rather rushed; there were many things I didn't get to say," Pan Yun said, pointing at Xue Shao. "Let me reintroduce—Xue Shao, Fourth Senior Sister, he's the nephew of Xue Shaoqing, the one you owe a favor to."

Master Xuanmiao, who had just opened her mouth, immediately closed it again and silently stared at Xue Shao.

Tao Ji looked at Master Xuanmiao, then at Pan Yun, and finally greeted Xue Shao in a friendly manner: "When we were young and roaming the jianghu, we happened to run into Xue Shaoqing on his inspection tour of the border. We owed him a great favor back then."

Xue Shao was slightly surprised: "I've never heard my uncle mention this."

Pan Yun said quietly: "Probably because Xue Shaoqing used that favor on me, and felt the debt was settled, so it wasn't worth mentioning."

Xue Shao caught the hint of grievance and tactfully said nothing.

Pan Yun then continued: "When Senior Brother and Senior Sister crossed the sea, I was in Jingcheng clearing my father's name."

Master Xuanmiao: "Since you're here, able to join the Celestial Masters' Mansion's bandit suppression, and even have two Embroidered Uniform Guard at your side—did you succeed in clearing his name?"

Pan Yun nodded: "I did. I even gained a little bit of acquaintance with the young Emperor."

"And then?" Master Xuanmiao asked her. "Was that bit of acquaintance enough to change the sea ban policy and send troops to wipe out the sea bandits?"

"Definitely not. So I found a better reason," Pan Yun flashed her a brilliant smile. "Shikoku has a huge silver mine. I thought the young Emperor and his court ministers would surely be willing to change their minds."

"How big?"

"It can produce over a million taels of silver a year."

Master Xuanmiao's cold expression cracked slightly, but she remained aloof: "Are you certain?"

Pan Yun nodded emphatically: "I'm certain!"

Master Xuanmiao fell into thought, then said after a moment: "Well, it's not impossible…"

The four talked in the room for a long time. When the door finally opened, everyone waiting in the courtyard immediately turned to look.

Pan Yun looked at Master Xuanmiao, and Master Xuanmiao tilted her chin toward her.

Pan Yun smiled slightly and stepped out first, addressing those waiting outside: "We will be staying at Ichibata Temple for two to three days. Take this chance to enjoy yourselves. Once we leave here, there may not be another opportunity."

Gao Zhiming and the others exchanged glances and answered in unison.

Master Xuanmiao called out Wang Cong and Miao Zhen's names: "You two, come with us."

Master Xuanmiao took them to meet Mao Li Xiulang.

After a morning of negotiations, this Mao Li Xiulang had—without his own knowledge—been promoted to an important ally of Pan Yun's, so she and Xue Shao went along as well.

Mao Li Xiulang lived on a mountain not far from here, his house hidden behind dense forest, roughly fifty-some meters higher in elevation than their residence.

Pan Yun noticed that they liked to hide their houses behind trees.

It was certainly convenient for concealing ninjas, but also convenient for concealing mosquitoes and bugs.

Pan Yun walked and looked the whole way, pretending not to notice the faint breathing hidden in the trees, and stopped with Master Xuanmiao before a large gate.

A beautiful middle-aged woman in her thirties came out with quick, clicking steps, bowed to them in greeting, then stepped aside and bent her head: "Honored guests, please—"

Master Xuanmiao walked in first.

When in Rome—they changed into wooden clogs at the door before entering. But whether it was Master Xuanmiao, Pan Yun, or Miao Zhen, they all strode forward with great ease and flair.

The room was large, with wooden planks on the floor. On the table sat a blue-and-white porcelain vase imported from China, freshly arranged with a bouquet. To the right, leading into the inner chamber, hung two door curtains—the first a pearl curtain, the second a light, sheer smoke-blue gauze curtain.

Xue Shao saw it at a glance and said softly to Pan Yun: "That's the famous Yanluo gauze from Suzhou."

Pan Yun was more direct: "How much?"

Xue Shao paused, then said: "Even the most ordinary kind costs a hundred taels per bolt. This is tribute-grade—rarely seen among common folk…"

Pan Yun muttered: "What the Emperor uses isn't necessarily better than what common folk have."

Xue Shao said nothing.

Great Ming law also forbids merchants from wearing yellow, purple, or bright red—but to this day, how many merchants still obey?

Half the people on the streets dressed in red and purple are wealthy merchants.

Passing through the curtain, Pan Yun saw the person lying on the couch—no, on the bedding.

Perhaps sick people were afraid of the cold, they had laid a quilt on the couch. Mao Li Xiulang had grey-white hair, a thin face, and his whole person exuded an air of illness—but that air of illness struck Pan Yun as off.

Pan Yun had been looking at the room's furnishings, but the moment she saw the person, her gaze settled entirely on him.

Miao Zhen also stared at the person on the couch, and couldn't help exclaiming "Eh?" as she stepped forward two paces.

Tao Ji's expression was calm: "You've seen it, haven't you? Cong'er, Miao Zhen, come up here and take his pulse."

Besides Mao Li Xiulang and the beautiful woman, there was also a young man and a middle-aged man in the room.

The young man knelt by the couch, while the middle-aged man stood respectfully beside it. The moment Tao Ji spoke, he immediately raised his head, swiftly glanced at Wang Cong and Miao Zhen stepping forward, then stepped ahead and half-blocked them: "Divine Physician Tao, who are these people?"

Tao Ji introduced them: "This is my junior sister Pan Yun, these two are my junior nephews. My yuanli is exhausted; I've only recovered a little today, so I asked them to lend me a hand."

He said: "With their help, Lord Mao Li will recover faster."

The middle-aged man looked at the young man, who promptly rose and bowed slightly: "In that case, we are in your debt, Divine Physicians."

Though he said so, the young man turned and had the middle-aged man go invite Zen Master Master Bao Hai.

Clearly, he wanted them to treat the patient under Master Bao Hai's supervision.

Tao Ji was indifferent either way, and while waiting, introduced the two to Pan Yun: "This is Lord Mao Li's most trusted retainer, Yoshikawa Hirono. This one is Lord Mao Li's legitimate son, Mao Li Xiulang."

Pan Yun greeted them in a friendly manner.

Zen Master Master Bao Hai arrived quickly. He had a very festive look—round face, very friendly appearance. When he smiled at people, his eyes curved into crescents, looking even friendlier.

His behavior was friendly too. As soon as he came in, he sat to the side and let them proceed with their inquiries and treatment.

When there were questions the three of them—Mao Li Xiulang included—couldn't answer, he, as the former attending physician, would chime in with supplementary explanations.

Wang Cong and Seeing Miao Zhen took turns treating Mao Li Xinfu.

Pan Yun was not skilled in medicine, but she craned her neck to watch for a while; the moment Seeing Miao Zhen stood up, she sat down in turn and felt the patient's pulse.

Once she finished taking the pulse, she already had a clear picture in her mind.

She pried open his eyelid to look, and before Mao Li Xiulang could speak, she let go and asked, "Has he woken up yet?"

Mao Li Xiulang replied at once, "He woke up yesterday after Divine Physician Tao made his move, and this morning he was awake again for two quarter-hours, ate a little, and then fell back into a deep sleep."

But compared to before, this was already quite good—before Tao Ji appeared, Mao Li Xinfu had been in a continuous coma for twenty-three days.

Chan Master Master Bao Hai said that if he did not wake up again, he might truly die. (End of chapter)