Chapter 14: Is This the Time to Take a Master?

Inside Jiaohua Garden, Lin Jiaojiao sat on the bed, having Bai Zhi massage the acupoints on her head. As soon as she saw the House Physician Liu Shouyi arrive, she sent Bai Zhi away to help look after the child, then smoothly extended a slender, jade-like hand from under the quilt so Liu Shouyi could take her pulse.

Liu Shouyi had come to Jiaohua Garden this time wrapped up tightly, terrified that Lin Jiaojiao might pass smallpox on to him; he even had his mouth and nose covered with a white cotton-linen cloth.

After setting down his medicine chest, he took out a silk handkerchief, spread it over Lin Jiaojiao's snow-white wrist, and began to check her pulse.

"Liu Dafu, do I look like someone who has caught smallpox to you?" Lin Jiaojiao blinked those beautiful almond eyes of hers and teased Liu Shouyi.

Liu Shouyi looked up and saw that her fair, oval face no longer had any red rashes; he checked her lotus-root-like arms repeatedly, and there wasn't a single red rash on them either.

In an instant, he understood: her smallpox was fake, but her bluffing was real!

"The Concubine does not have the smallpox epidemic," Liu Shouyi shook his head helplessly, "Please do not make fun of me anymore."

Lin Jiaojiao let out a scoff, "Then what about my chest pain?"

"This..." Liu Shouyi carefully checked her pulse again, confirming that Lin Jiaojiao was not ill, but once he met her gaze, he understood her intent and replied, "There is a slight heart ailment; it still requires careful treatment and attention to rest."

The words "slight heart ailment" made Lin Jiaojiao burst into laughter, which scared Liu Shouyi into thinking he had said the wrong thing again, and he nervously pulled back the hand he was using to check her pulse.

"What are you afraid of? It's not like I'm going to eat you." Seeing Liu Shouyi so terrified, Lin Jiaojiao laughed until her eyes curved into crescents, "You helped me yesterday, so I will naturally return the favor."

"I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare!" Liu Shouyi was in a rush to leave Jiaohua Garden; he truly did not dare to provoke Lin Jiaojiao anymore—who knew what outrageous things this Concubine might make him do next!

Lin Jiaojiao was not annoyed; she smoothed the black hair at her temples and said with a smile, "As for my smallpox yesterday, you can just tell the outside world that it was an allergic reaction."

After saying this, Lin Jiaojiao explained the symptoms of an allergy and even detailed which Chinese herbal medicines could alleviate allergies, methods for skin allergies, methods for nasal allergies, and so on.

Liu Shouyi, who had originally intended to leave, found his heels as if glued to the ground; he was so engrossed in listening that he couldn't move his feet, taking it very seriously.

"The most severe is a throat allergy, which can cause a person to quickly suffocate and die. The most effective method at that time is to immediately perform a tracheotomy to maintain oxygen supply. One also needs to administer an anti-allergy shot, and for someone in anaphylactic shock, one needs to administer adrenaline for emergency rescue." As Lin Jiaojiao spoke, she unconsciously recalled how her teachers looked when lecturing in university classrooms.

Life back then was truly comfortable.

Liu Shouyi stood to the side, wishing he had pen, ink, paper, and an inkstone to record it all. His desire for knowledge drove him to keep asking: "What is an anti-allergy shot? What is adrenaline? And this tracheotomy—where is the trachea located?"

Lin Jiaojiao's "homesick" thoughts were interrupted, and she refocused her gaze on Liu Shouyi: his diligent and earnest appearance right now was just like herself during class.

"Anti-allergy shots and adrenaline don't exist here, and the risks of a tracheotomy are too great, so the best method is to simply not come into contact with the allergen."

Liu Shouyi suddenly realized, "If that is the case, then if someone has difficulty breathing after consuming almonds, the best method is to not eat almonds!"

"Correct!" Lin Jiaojiao nodded happily and praised, "Truly, the child is teachable!"

"They exist," Lin Jiaojiao said, but she soon remembered that this was ancient times and there were no relevant drugs available for emergency rescue, so she could only spread her hands in resignation, "It's a pity that they cannot be produced here."

At this moment, Lin Jiaojiao felt an inexplicable sense of accomplishment, as if she were tutoring an elementary student with a strong thirst for knowledge—the key was that this student was also quite obedient.

After finishing, Lin Jiaojiao added, "I don't have anything else to repay you with, but there is no problem with me telling you about medical knowledge. Next time, we can talk about something else."

Upon hearing this, Liu Shouyi's eyes lit up—was this the chance to become her apprentice?

He hurriedly bowed in gratitude, "Then I shall trouble you, Teacher, to preach, teach, and resolve my doubts!"

"No problem," Lin Jiaojiao clapped her hands. She wanted to propose "conditions for exchange," but it would be better if the other party took the initiative to help her.

Otherwise, like yesterday, he was forced to help, and there was no telling when he might "rebel" in the future.

Thinking of this, she put on a distressed expression, "It's just that I can barely protect myself staying here. If I can't even keep myself and my child safe, how can I teach you and resolve your doubts?"

Liu Shouyi understood what she meant; he nodded in heartfelt agreement and replied, "This humble one will find a way to help you leave the mansion as soon as possible."

Seeing that Liu Shouyi was willing to help her, Lin Jiaojiao beckoned him closer and then whispered her plan to him.

Liu Shouyi listened intently while nodding, "Yes, yes, feasible, feasible, good, good, good."

After finishing the plan, Lin Jiaojiao called for Bai Zhi to decoct her medicine. Liu Shouyi knew it was time for him to withdraw, so he cupped his hands and bowed, "Since the Concubine has this heart ailment combined with these hives, she needs to find a place to recuperate properly. I will report the truth to the Master."

Lin Jiaojiao nodded with satisfaction, "I have troubled you, Liu Dafu."

"It is no trouble; this is what I should do. The Concubine should take good care of her health; I shall take my leave."

After Liu Shouyi left Jiaohua Garden, he headed straight for the pharmacy, intending to go to the main hall to explain Lin Jiaojiao's condition to Pei Aosong, but unexpectedly, someone behind the rockery was waving and calling him, "Liu Dafu! Liu Dafu!"

Liu Shouyi looked closely and discovered that the person calling him was Zhao An, a servant from Jinxiu Garden, so he went over and asked, "Zhao An, what is the matter?"

Zhao An's face was pale and bloodless, covered in cold sweat, his cheeks sunken, and his eyes dark.

He held up his trousers with one hand and supported himself against the rockery with the other, looking completely exhausted. He stared at the medicine chest on Liu Shouyi's back and asked impatiently, "Liu Dafu, do you have any medicine for diarrhea? I accidentally ingested croton powder and have been suffering from non-stop diarrhea from last night until dawn."

Seeing his pitiful state, Liu Shouyi replied, "I do."

As he spoke, Liu Shouyi reached into his medicine chest and took out a packet of medicinal powder, "This medicine can stop diarrhea."

Zhao An hurriedly took it, opened the packet, and swallowed it whole. Before the medicine could even take effect, he clutched his buttocks and rushed toward the latrine.

Liu Shouyi looked at his retreating back and muttered to himself, "How could he accidentally ingest croton powder?"

After sighing, he walked toward the reception hall of the Pei Mansion to report to Pei Aosong. Upon learning that Lin Jiaojiao did not have smallpox, Pei Aosong breathed a complete sigh of relief.

He turned and entered the room, prepared two large tables of food, and invited the people from the Dali Temple to sit and drink wine and eat.

Dali Temple Junior Minister Song Shijie sat at the table, motionless as a mountain, pressing down on Pei Aosong's heart and making him feel apprehensive.

He could only offer a forced smile, "I have long heard that the Dali Temple is iron-faced and impartial, but I did not know the discipline was even stricter than in the army."

"Drinking wine easily leads to mistakes," Song Shijie sat upright and asked sharply, "Is the matter of the smallpox infection in the mansion false?"

Pei Aosong hurriedly served him food and replied, "Please rest assured, Lord Song. The House Physician went to see her and said that the rashes on my concubine have already disappeared today; it is not smallpox. Everyone, please be at ease."

Knowing it was not smallpox and that his subordinates would not be at risk of infection, Song Shijie breathed a slight sigh of relief, "Since it is not smallpox but hives, then you should bring her to the Dali Temple to investigate the spy matter properly."

"There is no need to investigate," Pei Aosong poured wine for Song Shijie and said, "This matter is a misunderstanding. The Military Defense Map was not stolen by my concubine; it is still safely in my possession."

"Oh?" Song Shijie raised an eyebrow at Pei Aosong and questioned, "Lord Pei, I never told you that it was your concubine who stole the Military Defense Map. It seems you are well aware of this matter?"