Huangfu Chen looked at the tallest building in the city and shook his head helplessly. “He should still be in there. I’ll go and see him first, you can go find my aunt.”
“Master, I think he came looking for you.” Ye Zhen tugged at his sleeve. “If you want to go to Zhao Jia Island, go ahead.”
“I know.” Huangfu Chen gently smiled. “Go back.”
Ye Zhen stared at her master’s back. It wasn’t until he entered the Wangjiang that she and Quan Fu left for the medical bureau.
Once there, she went looking for Qi Jin, told her about the situation of the villagers so that her mind could be completely relieved.
Qi Jin sighed with emotion. “If it wasn’t for you, the consequences of this plague would have been unimaginable.”
Ye Zhen also studied the 《Qi Medical Classics》, but she felt that it was her lingquan that made the difference. “Imperial Physician Qi, don’t say that. I did it with my master.”
“You’ve been taking care of your master for a few days. Go back and rest. Don’t worry about the medical bureau and the village. I’ve reported the treatment of the plague to the imperial court. You’re the one who contributed the most. There’s no need to refuse,” Qi Jin said with a smile. She didn’t mind Ye Zhen stealing her credit at all. Her life was saved by this little girl. If it wasn’t for her, she wouldn’t have been able to escape death.
“Imperial Physician Qi, I’ll go back first.” Ye Zhen smiled. She cared naught about credit.
Qi Jin smiled and nodded. “Go back quickly.”
Ye Zhen got into the carriage, but she was suddenly unwilling to return to the house that Mo Rongzhan had arranged for her. Now, anything related to him made her feel very uncomfortable. She didn’t want to remember how considerate and gentle he was to her. That made her feel even more… vexed.
“Go to Wangjiang,” she instructed in a low voice.
Quan Fu, who was driving the carriage, was stunned. “Miss, aren’t you going back?”
“It’s still early. Wangjiang Restaurant is so famous. Let’s try their signature dishes today.” She casually found an excuse. Before coming to Huaijiang, she had never heard the name of Wangjiang Restaurant.
The epidemic in Huaijiang City had been resolved, should I return to the capital with Master? But if I don’t go back, how will I deal with Lu Lingzhi?
The more Ye Zhen thought about it, the more irked she was. In the end, she decided to simply not think about all this.
When she arrived at Wangjiang Restaurant, she told Quan Fu to head back. She wanted to find a quiet corner to sit down in but didn’t expect to meet an acquaintance.
“Why are you here?” Mu Xue came down the stairs and happened to notice the woman walking in. She eyed Ye Zhen gloomily, certain that she was here to look for Zhao Tianji. “You think that Second Young Master is someone you can see whenever you want? Even if you’re here, he won’t see you.”
“Who told you that I came to see Zhao Tianji?” Ye Zhen resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She did not want to pay any attention to the other woman’s inexplicable hostility.
Mu Xue snorted coldly, convinced that the other’s words were mere excuses.
Ye Zhen didn’t want to argue with her. Just as she turned to leave, the corner of her eyes swept over the thing in Mu Xue’s hand. She suddenly stopped and pointed at the dagger* in her hand which was about a foot long. “Where did you get this dagger from?”
[*It can be a short sword as well as a dagger, they aren’t all that different … we will be using the terms interchangeably here.]
“What does this have to do with you?” Mu Xue sneered and put away the blade.
“Miss Mu, can I borrow your dagger to take a look?” Ye Zhen took a deep breath. She hoped that she had seen it wrongly and did not want it to be something that she was once familiar with.
“Why should I show you my things?” Mu Xue snickered coldly and dashed upstairs.
If it was anything else, Ye Zhen wouldn’t have cared at all, but… Her uncle never left the dagger. Unless he entered the palace, he would always carry it. Why does Mu Xue have Uncle’s dagger?
Ye Zhen followed suit. “Miss Mu, I don’t have anything else in mind. I just want to take a look —”
“Yaoyao, what’s wrong?” Huangfu Chen and Zhao Tianji were sitting opposite each other. When they saw the little apprentice chasing after Mu Xue, they couldn’t help feeling a bit confused.
Mu Xue ran behind Zhao Tianji and complained, “Second Young Master, I don’t know why she insists that I give her the dagger Uncle Ye gave me.”
Ye Zhen did not have time to explain to Huangfu Chen. She said to Zhao Tianji, “Island Lord Zhao, the dagger looks familiar, so I want to take a look. Please ask Miss Mu, to let me have a look.”
“Is this the way to react over a trivial matter?” Zhao Tianji said unhappily, “Mu Xue, give the dagger to Miss Lu.”
“Second Young Master!” Mu Xue stomped her feet in protest.
Zhao Tianji frowned and said, “Isn’t it just a dagger? Let Miss Lu have a look.”
Mu Xue shot Ye Zhen a malicious look, handed over the dagger to her reluctantly, then warned, “Uncle Ye gifted it to me, it’s already my best concession to let you take a look.”
“Who is Uncle Ye?” Ye Zhen asked, pretending to be casual. She remembered that Uncle’s style name* was Ye Shi.
[*When a child is born in ancient China, he or she is given an official name. This name symbolises his/her parents’ expectations for him/her. When the child reaches the age of 20, he adopts a second official name (style name).]
“He’s the number one strategist by our Eldest Young Master’s side. He’s the smartest and most powerful person on our island,” Mu Xue said, glancing at Huangfu Chen.
Ye Zhen took the dagger and examined the complicated patterns on the scabbard. This is indeed Eldest Uncle’s Cang Ying*! Shocked, she pulled out the dagger and saw two words on the sharp hilt: Ye Shi!
[*name of the short sword/dagger. 藏 cáng= to conceal; to hide away; to harbor; to store; to collect. 影 yǐng = picture; image; film; movie; photograph; reflection; shadow; trace.]
It is Eldest Uncle’s handwriting!
“Uncle Ye on your island… Where did you get this short sword?” Ye Zhen’s voice was a little hoarse. Her heart was hinting at a terrifying possibility, but she didn’t want to believe it.
Mu Xue took Cang Ying back. “This is something Uncle Ye always wears. Do you think you can get such a good blade casually?”
Ye Zhen’s expression turned ugly as she whispered, “Uncle Ye… What’s his name?”
Zhao Tianji narrowed his eyes and looked at her. “Could it be that you and Ye Shi are acquaintances?”
He was indeed called Ye Shi! No, impossible! Eldest Uncle is clearly dead, how could it be him? She forced a smile and said, “I just like this short sword very much, that’s why I asked.”
“If you like such a short sword, I can give it to you,” Zhao Tianji said with a smile.
Ye Zhen lowered her head and walked away to stand behind Huangfu Chen. Her heart was already in a mess. She could not believe that the Ye Shi that Zhao Tianji had mentioned was the Ye Shi she had guessed.
Why would a dead person appear again? Did someone fake Ye Yisong’s identity?
Zhao Tianji brushed aside the matter and looked at Huangfu Chen. “Have you considered it clearly? Are you coming to Zhao Jia Island with me or not?”
Huangfu Chen sighed. “I’m afraid the people on your island won’t welcome me.”
“You saved a lot of people in the past. Just explain it to them,” Zhao Tianji said.
“Let me think about it….” After all, going to Zhao Jia Island was different from going to other places. He(HFC) needed to consider it carefully.
♚♚♚
