Tang Dynasty Puppet Doctor

Chapter 5 A Glimpse

The night was as dark as ink, the candlelight was dim, and a young girl in a white shirt was standing by the door. She was so thin and pale that she looked like a ghost, which once again scared the maids and made them scream.

"Ghost!"

"Everyone, be quiet! What are you yelling about? That's Wu Niang!"

When Old Lady Wang shouted, everyone seemed to have a backbone and immediately came to their senses. They saw the frail Fifth Lady walking towards them and handing a jade ring to Murong Huan.

"My name is Wang Xueying. Thank you for what you said to me just now, and thank you for the dream you gave me. I will never seek death again. You saved my life, and I, Wang Xueying, am willing to repay you with my whole life. I will give you this jade ring as a token of my love. If you ask for anything, I will do my best to help you!"

Ah Shu was so hungry that she couldn't tell how much the jade ring was worth. She could only mutter, "Ah? Is this the consultation fee the young lady paid?"

Wang Xueying smiled and called out hurriedly, "Mother!"

Liu then took out a bag of silver and handed it to Ah Shu.

"The jade ring is just a token of my love. This is the consultation fee I paid to the girl, and..."

Liu said, and then called another maid over. The maid was holding a food box that was still steaming. She said breathlessly, "These are the meat buns I bought from the street corner stall. I give them to you two young ladies. I hope you don't mind!"

Ah Shu's eyes lit up instantly. If she hadn't considered her girl's face, she would have almost snatched the box of meat buns.

"I don't mind, I don't mind. Thank you very much, auntie, and thank you, Madam, and Miss Wang."

She slowly took the food box and replied with a smile.

"Ah Huan, let's go!"

Murong Huan nodded, and without even looking at Old Lady Wang and the sisters-in-law and servants who were staring at them in amazement in the yard, he took Ah Shu and walked out the door.

"By the way, girl, what's your name so I can remember to repay you in the future!" Wang Wuniang suddenly called out.

"Li Linghuan!"

……

"Li Linghuan? Who is he? His surname is Li. Could he be a member of the Li Tang royal family?"

It was not until Murong Huan and Ashu had left for a long time that Old Lady Wang reacted. However, she recalled all the famous royal descendants of the Li clan, but could not find anyone named Li Linghuan.

Wang Sanlang said, "Mother, this person is not a member of the Li clan. I have already checked and there is no such person among the Li Tang clan."

"That's good, that's good. Otherwise, if he is really the descendant of a royal prince and has any connection with our Wang family, we will be targeted by cruel officials like Zhou Xing and Qiu Shenji. If our Wang family wants to maintain its strength and survive in this struggle between the aristocratic families and the imperial power, we must stay away from these royal families.

The Saint's spies are everywhere. In addition to the inner guards and secret guards, even commoners can come to Luoyang, the capital of the gods, to report secrets and receive preferential treatment from the Saint. No one can escape the Saint's eyes."

"Yes, mother!"

"Also, since Ying has woken up, as a father, you should try to enlighten your daughter!"

There seemed to be a struggle in Wang Sanlang's eyes. Finally, he sighed and replied, "Yes, son, I will find a way!"

"And this doctor named Li Linghuan, find someone to follow her and find out where she came from?"

"Yes!"

……

On an early spring night, a cool breeze blew by, and I felt a little cold on my body, but fortunately, I had some hot meat buns to fill my stomach, which slightly dissipated the biting cold.

"Ah Huan, it's delicious, please have another one!"

Ah Shu handed Murong Huan a meat bun, but Murong Huan refused it.

"No need, I'm full, you can eat it yourself!"

"Ah Huan has a really small stomach. He says he's full after eating one, but I ate three in one go and still feel hungry."

At this point, Ah Shu felt a little embarrassed, "Since Ah Huan doesn't want to eat it anymore, I'll eat it all."

After saying that, he wolfed down the last meat bun.

Ah Shu wiped the oil stains from her mouth and looked at the lanterns hanging everywhere in Sigongfang. Even at the hour of Xu, the lights were still on.

"Luoyang City is still better. It's so lively at night." Ah Shu sighed, then suddenly remembered something and looked at Murong Huan: "By the way, Ah Huan, how did you know that the Wang family in Sigongfang has a sick and dying young lady?"

"I don't know either. I just feel like I should be here and I have to do this."

"Oh." Ah Shu nodded, but was puzzled. "Then why did Ah Huan say his name was Li Linghuan when the young lady asked him? Ah Huan's medical skills are so good. If they get out, he will definitely gain a good reputation. Maybe we can make money from practicing medicine in the future!"

As she spoke, Ah Shu happily picked up the medical fee given to them by Mrs. Liu from the Wang family, saying that it was a hundred gold coins, enough for their food and accommodation for a while.

Murong Huanwei paused and thought carefully, but still couldn't come up with a reason.

Finally, he could only answer: "I don't know either. I just want to remember this name and let others remember this name. I want her to live again and live in people's hearts."

"Besides, I don't know how to treat common diseases. My master only taught me how to heal people's hearts."

When she said this, a hint of sadness gathered in Murong Huan's eyes, but she herself didn't know why she was sad.

Ah Shu sensed something was wrong and immediately clapped her hands and laughed, "Oh, I see. The name Li Linghuan must have been given to Ah Huan by an immortal. Since it was given by an immortal, it must be an excellent name!" "Girl, even if you can't cure illnesses, being able to heal people's hearts is also very good. You healed the heart of the fifth lady of the Wang family. That shows the benevolence of a doctor and has accumulated great virtue."

is it?

Murong Huan smiled and said nothing more. At this moment, he suddenly heard a "bang" sound. A night watchman walked by and shouted: "It's dry, be careful with fire!"

Ah Shu couldn't help but said in surprise: "Ah Huan, we definitely can't go back tonight. We have to find a place to sleep first."

Murong Huan also stopped and looked around. She saw many lanterns not far away flashing warm light like stars in the night sky. A familiar doubt gradually gathered in her eyes.

Yes! It's too late, there's no going back!
And she doesn't seem to want to go back!
"Yes! I'm sleepy too. I need to find a place to rest. Let's go to Baihua Tower!"

"Baihua Tower? What is that place? Are there a hundred flowers in the tower? Just like thousands of peach trees in bloom, isn't it beautiful?"

Baihua Tower! Sigongfang!
So familiar! But she couldn't remember where it was, and she didn't know why it felt so familiar.

Murong Huan shook his head again: "I don't know, but Master once said that the Baihua Tower in Sigongfang, Luoyang City, can accommodate guests for a night of fun. Since it can be a complete pleasure, it's not too late for us to go now!"

"Yes! Since that Taoist priest said so, it must be an excellent place! Then let's go to Baihua Tower to sleep for one night and return to the Su family tomorrow morning!"

"it is good!"

The two were wondering which direction to go when the sound of hurried horse hooves was heard on the street again. The "clack clack" sound came from far away and got closer, making the quiet night become lively and noisy.

Ah Shu quickly pulled Murong Huan aside and saw a group of soldiers wearing dark red Qianniu jackets galloping on their horses. Each of these people held a long sword and looked aggressive and not easy to mess with.

"Who are they? They look so fierce!"

Ah Shu couldn't help but sigh, and Murong Huan replied, "It's the Qianniu Guard!"

"What are the Qianniu Guards?"

"Their duty is to protect the Imperial Palace, specifically to wield the Imperial Sword and serve as the Emperor's personal guard."

"Oh, then why are so many Qianniu Guards running out onto the street so late at night?"

"Maybe something big happened, and these Qianniu Guards were ordered to investigate someone!"

Ah Shu said "oh", and in an instant, a look of extreme shock flashed in her eyes.

"Ah Huan, how do you know so much?"

As soon as she finished speaking, a group of Qianniu Guards suddenly rushed to her. One of them, a red-clad Qianniu Guard wearing golden armor and a tiger-head helmet, quickly drew his sword from his waist and placed it on Murong Huan's neck. He demanded sternly, "Who are you? It's almost curfew, why are you still wandering around here?"

Ah Shu was so frightened that she quickly knelt down and took out a fish token and handed it to the Qianniu guard. "We are not bad people. My daughter is the granddaughter of General Su, the Duke of Xing. We have come to Luoyang to look for our relatives. This fish token was left by my daughter's father. Please take a look, General, and release my daughter!"

The Qianniu Guard took the fish token and looked at it carefully. A strange suspicion flashed in his eyes. He glanced at Murong Huan again and was about to give the order: "Take him away!"

At this moment, a very clear voice suddenly came from the cold wind. This voice seemed to come like walking on the moon with the wind. It sounded very light, but it was even clearer in this not-so-quiet night, as if only this person's voice was echoing between heaven and earth.

"Wait, let me see the fish talisman!" he said.

Upon hearing the sound, the Qianniu Guard Leader looked towards a slowly approaching carriage and saw that the carriage was hung with the emblem of "Xiao Family" and in front of the carriage sat a young man with a strong build and a very stern expression.

The night wind blew, and the green curtain of the sedan chair was slightly rippled, revealing the silver hair of the person inside.

Just by catching a glimpse of the silver hair, the expression of the Qianniu Guard Leader became frightened and solemn.

"promise!"

He respectfully handed the fish token to the young man in front of the carriage, and the young man then handed the fish token into the carriage.

Time seems to have stood still, and it is extremely quiet.

Just as the Qianniu Guard was waiting anxiously with beads of sweat on his forehead, the familiar voice sounded in his ears again.

"Let them go!"

"But--"

"Your duty is to protect the Saint and the people of Luoyang City. If you want to conduct a drastic investigation, seal off all the gates and prohibit anyone from entering or leaving. If necessary, mobilize the Dali Temple, the Luozhou Governor, and all the officials of Luoyang County to investigate all suspicious individuals entering or leaving the Divine Capital. Don't waste your time on two powerless young ladies!"

The Thousand Oxen Guard leader hesitated for a moment, and under the intimidation of the young man's gaze, he finally said, "Yes!" and flew away in disgrace with the rest of the Thousand Oxen Guards.

Murong Huan and Ashu turned their eyes to the carriage with blue wool embroidered curtains. Ashu was about to thank them, but the person in the carriage whipped the horse and galloped forward without even looking at them.

The sound of horse hooves clattered, the night wind swept up the green curtain, and between the half-rolled pearl curtains, a face suddenly appeared.

"So beautiful!"

Before Ah Shu could take another look, that face flashed by, leaving a faint impression in the hearts of both of them like a dragonfly skimming the water.

"Girl, that man just now..." Suddenly coming to her senses, Ah Shu seemed to have just remembered something important, "He took the fish talisman that your father left for you and hasn't returned it yet!"

"What should we do, Ah Huan? Without this fish token, how can we prove our identities to the old lady of the Su family?"

Ah Shu was getting anxious. In eight years, the Su family had never sent anyone to Taoyuan Village to see the girl. Who would know what she looked like now? Without the fish talisman left by the young master, would the Su family recognize the girl?
Murong Huan, however, didn't seem to share Ah Shu's concerns. Instead, he said calmly, "He wants to lead us somewhere. Let's go! Follow that carriage!"

(End of this chapter)