Chapter 20

Chapter 20

The White Snake and the Green Snake

Chu Wuji recognized the voice; it was the maidservant from the Palace.

He went to the wall, instinctively wanting to say “Please come in,” but then he remembered that he was the master of this house. How could he invite guests to climb over the wall? It would make them seem like accomplices in thievery.

Chu Wuji opened the door and was surprised to find that Si Que was accompanied by a young girl, the cat-loving Princess Yao’er.

He invited them in, served them tea, and went to the kitchen sink to find two fresh shrimp for the little white tiger.

Wen Yao’er and Si Que looked around the courtyard. It was simple and unassuming, but clean and tidy. Sitting by the tea stove, enjoying the cool evening and the moonlight, it had its own charm.

Si Que remarked, “Fresh shrimp are usually not rare, but recently they’ve become as scarce as snowflakes in summer. Brother Chu is quite generous, directly feeding them to the little white tiger.”

The Palace didn’t usually store ingredients themselves. Most of the time, they would simply order whatever they wanted and easily obtain it. But lately, even the procurement manager was having trouble getting fresh shrimp.

However, with so many other food choices in this wealthy household, they didn’t pay much attention to it.

Chu Wuji waved his hand with a smile and explained, “I bought these a while ago. We’ve been eating other things recently and forgot about the shrimp in the sink. Princess Yao’er and Miss Si Que, what brings you here so suddenly? Is there something urgent?”

“It’s not exactly urgent. We were planning to visit you recently, but seeing that you kept your doors closed during the day, we figured you were avoiding the commotion and decided to come at night instead.”

After Si Que finished speaking, Princess Yao’er picked up the little white tiger and approached Chu Wuji. She tilted her head up and looked at him with her bright, round eyes.

“Mother has approved. I want to hire you to work at the Palace, Brother Chu. You won’t have to do any chores on ordinary days, just be there to manage this little white tiger when it grows up! We can discuss your monthly salary!”

“So suddenly?” Chu Wuji blinked.

“Not really. Mother approved it the day we came back from the outing. But we couldn’t find you these past few days because your door was always closed, so we had to wait until today to tell you.”

Wen Yao’er looked at Chu Wuji with anticipation, hoping he would agree quickly.

She wanted him to move into the Palace tonight. Then she would have someone to tell her those rare and interesting stories and perhaps learn about more peculiar cats from him.

Looking at the cute girl’s eager eyes, Chu Wuji wanted to pat her head, but he didn’t want to violate the complicated rules of these noble families and cause any unpleasantness. He instinctively raised his hand, but then changed direction and reached for the silly little white tiger instead.

However, just as Chu Wuji was about to pet the little white tiger’s head, Princess Yao’er moved the creature aside and offered her own head instead, nuzzling his palm affectionately.

With the little princess’s bodyguard right next door, Chu Wuji cleared his throat and said casually, “White tigers are benevolent creatures. This little fellow isn’t shy at all, which means it knows who its savior is. Unlike ordinary wild beasts, it won’t harm its benefactor when it grows up. You can rest assured!”

Seeing him speak so knowledgeably, Wen Yao’er became even more curious, her eyes sparkling with excitement. “How does Brother Chu know so much? Have you seen many cats before?”

“Sort of. Wild golden shaded Chinchillas. Golden shaded kittens can be both silly and ferocious, but rarely as intelligent as this little white tiger.”

“Golden shaded? Is that a big orange cat? My nickname is Xiùhǔ*, which also refers to a big orange cat!”

[TL/N: “Xiùhǔ” : A Chinese nickname meaning “Embroidered Tiger,” often used for tabby cats with distinctive markings.]

“Yes, the Xiùhǔ you mentioned.”

Si Que, listening from the side, felt that the little princess and Chu Wuji weren’t talking about the same thing.

The “Xiùhǔ” the little princess mentioned was just a majestic-looking orange tabby cat. The Xiùhǔ that Chu Wuji mentioned was probably a real tiger from the mountains.

However, Si Que sensed an underlying meaning and confirmed, “Brother Chu, it sounds like you’re unwilling to accept the Palace’s offer? Could it be that someone else has already made you an offer? Don’t worry about that, I can handle it.”

Wen Yao’er, who thought they were still talking about cats, only realized what was happening after hearing Si Que’s words.

Confused, she looked at Chu Wuji expectantly. If he could work for others, why not for her family?

Chu Wuji apologized and explained, “No, it’s just that I’m used to freedom and find it difficult to follow all sorts of rules. If I accept the Palace’s offer and end up breaking those rules, I would feel ashamed to face Princess Yao’er and Princess Consort Jing’an.”

“It has nothing to do with the salary or anything like that. It’s purely because I know myself well.”

Si Que didn’t doubt his words. Chu Wuji had left the Palace entourage behind and run off on his own. This was indeed an outrageous act that most people wouldn’t do.

“Then what are your plans, Brother Chu? Will you stay at the martial arts division?”

“If there were no unexpected events, I planned to wait for the next two rounds of competition to finish, obtain the pill I want, and then return to help Mother manage the medical clinic. After that, I would go into the mountains to gather medicinal herbs and valuable animal bones like tiger bones to supplement our income.”

The little white tiger trembled slightly upon hearing this.

Si Que noticed Chu Wuji’s phrase “if there were no unexpected events” and confirmed, “So there are unexpected circumstances now?”

Chu Wuji glanced at the inner room. Some things were better said away from his godmother. He lowered his voice and said, “Yes, my mother isn’t well. I need to find a renowned physician to examine her.”

Si Que understood and also lowered her voice. “You’re being naive. Renowned physicians aren’t easy to access, but the Jing’an Palace can summon one with a single word!”

“The Princess Consort isn’t asking you to be a Palace guard, just offering you an idle position, helping to look after that little white tiger. Brother Chu, you can arrange your own schedule and it won’t interfere with taking care of your mother.”

“Yes, yes, yes!” Princess Yao’er nodded repeatedly beside them.

Chu Wuji hesitated slightly but had to acknowledge the logic in Si Que’s words.

This was the Lihuo Kingdom’s territory. What renowned physician couldn’t the Jing’an Palace summon?

If even the Jing’an Palace couldn’t do it, it would be even harder for him to find one. Besides, he was pressed for time; his godmother’s condition couldn’t be delayed!

After weighing his options, Chu Wuji no longer hesitated. He nodded and said, “Alright, if the Jing’an Palace has any requests in the future, please let me know. But I hope the matter of inviting a renowned physician can be arranged as soon as possible!”

Chu Wuji didn’t want to appear greedy, but he couldn’t help but ask, “By the way, can the Jing’an Palace obtain the Black Jade Soul-Returning Pill?”

Assuming his competition plan went smoothly, he could only take one pill from the imperial treasury, not as many as he wanted.

But what if his godmother’s condition improved after taking one pill, but she needed more?

If the Jing’an Palace could provide one or two more, it would be much more reassuring!

It took Si Que a moment to recall what the Black Jade Soul-Returning Pill was. She shook her head and replied, “Difficult. It seems only the late Emperor used that pill. Without an urgent need, even the Princess Consort might not be able to obtain it.”

After all, the imperial treasury wasn’t the Jing’an Palace’s personal treasury. If it were that easy to take things from it, the imperial relatives would have emptied it long ago.

Chu Wuji sighed inwardly but maintained a calm expression. “I was just asking, don’t worry about it.”

With the matter settled, Si Que prepared to take the little princess back.

After waving goodbye to Chu Wuji, Princess Yao’er held up the little white tiger, offering it to him for petting, seemingly to make up for his missed opportunity earlier.

Just as Chu Wuji reached out to pet the tiger cub’s head, Princess Yao’er pulled it back and offered her own head instead, her soft hair brushing against his palm.

Satisfied, the little princess finally left with Si Que.

Chu Wuji: “…”

***

Meanwhile, Shang Liangzheng started arranging the participants for the competition, trying to put as many “sharks” in Chu Wuji’s group as possible, hoping to provide some comfort to Minister Yu.

Yu Hualong, after being ridiculed by his wife and denied access to their bedroom, was forced to spend the night in the study.

Before dawn the next day, he started spreading false information.

‘Just spreading rumors might not be enough. If Chu Wuji goes to those physicians directly, he’ll confirm their whereabouts.’

‘Should I kidnap those old men and throw them into Yunhe Town? But that could implicate me!’

Yu Hualong wanted Chu Wuji to venture into Yunhe Town himself, and the key was for him to go voluntarily. Yu Hualong had to distance himself from any responsibility.

If something happened to those physicians in Yunhe Town, he would be in trouble too!

Life as a son-in-law was indeed difficult, but he still had his pride and dignity in public, along with the guarantee of a comfortable life. If he got himself implicated and lost his current wealth and status, it would be a truly foolish mistake!

Just as he was feeling frustrated, Yu Hualong heard some news from his friends: the old physicians in the capital had gone to Yunhe Town themselves!

Yu Hualong was incredulous. “What’s going on? Are those old men tired of living? Yunhe Town is unsafe, why would they go there?”

“You don’t know, Young Master. Those old physicians went to snatch up medicine.”

These old doctors had extremely high standards for medicinal herbs; it was a matter of their medical reputation.

As the saying goes, “Tangerines grown south of the Huai River are tangerines, but north of it, they become bitter oranges.”

This meant that the same plant, grown in different locations, would yield different results. Specific medicinal herbs had to be collected from specific regions for prescriptions to be truly effective.

The renowned physicians had herbs from all over the world in their medicine cabinets. Only the common and insignificant ones were grown in their own medicinal fields.

In the past, these precious herbs were transported by river by merchants.

This was the time of year when they would replenish their stock and purchase medicinal herbs.

Now, with the problems in Yunhe Town, the merchant ship carrying the herbs was stuck there.

Yu Hualong suddenly understood, but he was still puzzled. “That doesn’t make sense either. Why would those old men go themselves? Can’t they just send their apprentices to fetch the medicine?”

“Young Master, you’re not aware of the situation. In each batch of medicinal herbs, only a few are of the highest quality. Not every plant is the same. If your family sends a young apprentice to fetch the medicine, what if another family sends a senior physician himself?”

It was like Yu Hualong and his father-in-law visiting a brothel together. If they both took a liking to the same girl, would Yu Hualong dare to compete with his father-in-law?

The same principle applied to these old physicians competing for herbs. If your family sent an apprentice, they would definitely lose to an elder who came in person. So in the end, it became like a group outing for the old physicians to snatch up the best herbs.

River transportation wasn’t cheap. Merchant ships carrying medicinal herbs would only set off after accumulating enough cargo, perhaps only making one trip a year.

If they didn’t seize this opportunity, a certain drawer in their medicine cabinet might remain empty for an entire year, forcing them to frown and worry when prescribing medicine and even swallow their pride to buy herbs from their competitors.

Yu Hualong, despite living in the capital for so many years, had never known about this practice of the old physicians. He laughed and said, “This is truly heaven helping me! These old men are practically walking into their own doom. I’m just kindly informing Chu Wuji. I’m actually doing a good deed!”

He called his attendant and instructed him seriously, “The competition is approaching. Chu Wuji will definitely show up at the martial arts division in the next few days. When he does, mention the old physicians and tell him they’re in danger in Yunhe Town. Trick that boy into going there!”

If Chu Wuji didn’t go to Yunhe Town, Yu Hualong couldn’t force him. He would just treat it as a fleeting moment of joy.

But if Chu Wuji really rushed to Yunhe Town in a moment of fervor, then Yu Hualong would have something to truly look forward to!

***

In a secluded and tranquil mountain valley,

Dreamlike white mist drifted and faintly gathered into the form of a giant white snake, almost coiling around half the mountain.

“Xiao Qing, long time no see…” A voice from an unknown source echoed through the deserted valley.

As the voice faded, a green snake slithered out and transformed into a valiant and heroic woman in green clothes.

The woman in green looked at the giant white snake formed from mist, her eyes filled with sadness and unwillingness. She bit her red lips and asked, “Sister, is this worth it… That body of meritorious deeds is your heart’s blood, are you really giving it up like this?”