Prime Minister

Chapter 219, Section 218: [To the Underworld]

The 20th year of Taihe, the fourth day of the third month.

It was supposed to be an ordinary day, but early in the morning, shocking bad news spread rapidly throughout the city.

Xu Zhiwei, a renowned physician from Jimintang, died of illness at the young age of nineteen.

Many people initially dismissed the story as a malicious joke. Since arriving in Yangzhou last autumn, Dr. Xu had treated countless patients in just a few months, making Jimintang a household name in Yangzhou. The name of the miracle doctor was being spread far and wide.

Two months ago at the grand banquet at the film studio, Xu Zhiwei revealed her true face to the world for the first time. Her stunningly beautiful appearance was enough to captivate people, and her benevolent heart of doing good deeds and relieving suffering earned her great respect from everyone.

After the banquet, Xu Zhiwei disappeared. The official explanation given by Jimintang was that the divine physician was recuperating from illness.

The people who came for medical treatment felt sorry for her, but they hoped that the miracle doctor could recover soon. Moreover, the other doctors at Jimintang were also skilled, so Xu Zhiwei's disappearance did not cause any controversy. On the contrary, people often went to Daming Temple to pray for her.

No one could have imagined that Dr. Xu would pass away so tragically.

Within half a day, the whole city was shaken, and countless people rushed to the vicinity of Jimintang to pay their respects.

The Jimin Hall was under martial law at this time.

Xue Huai, the Assistant Magistrate of Yangzhou, personally led his officials to the scene. In addition, the carriages of local gentry such as Qiao Wangshan, Shen Bingwen, and Huang Dezhong also appeared outside Jimin Hall.

The doctor and manager of Jimintang were filled with grief, but also had many questions in their hearts.

In fact, they didn't know much about Xu Zhiwei. They only knew that this woman with superb medical skills came from the Hangzhou headquarters and that her attendants were all people sent by the headquarters.

She was taciturn and aloof, seemingly indifferent to all worldly affairs except for healing the sick and saving lives.

These doctors respected her, but kept their distance because of her mystique and her background at the main hospital.

Now that she has passed away suddenly, this grief is inevitably mixed with confusion and unease—how could such a genius doctor, who was almost a prodigy, be so easily taken away by an illness?

Surrounded by government officials and Shen Bingwen, Xue Huai entered the somewhat oppressive front courtyard of Jimintang.

He was dressed in plain clothes, his expression solemn and dignified. His gaze swept over the kneeling and weeping people in the courtyard, the bewildered doctor and the steward, and finally settled on the portrait of Xu Zhiwei hanging there. It was painted according to her appearance when she appeared in Yingyuan. Her face was beautiful, but her eyes carried an indescribable coldness and aloofness.

Beneath the portrait, there is only a solitary ever-burning lamp.

"quiet!"

Yue Zhenshan gave a low shout, his voice, imbued with official authority, silencing the cries of grief and commotion that filled the courtyard.

Xue Huai stepped forward, his heavy voice clearly reaching everyone's ears: "Fellow villagers, fellow members of the Jimintang Medical Association. Today, I have come here with you all because of the passing of Physician Xu, a great loss to Yangzhou Prefecture and even the entire medical community of Jiangnan! Physician Xu was a skilled and benevolent doctor who saved countless lives and benefited the people since he came to Yangzhou last year. However, Heaven is jealous of talent, and the divine doctor succumbed to a terrible illness and passed away. I am heartbroken to hear this tragic news!"

"I know that the passing of Physician Xu is not only a tragedy for Jimintang, but also a pain for the entire city of Yangzhou and all those who have benefited from his kindness! Although Physician Xu was not born in Yangzhou, he has spread his benevolence and love throughout this land. Therefore, I hereby declare in the name of the Yangzhou Prefectural Government that Physician Xu shall be buried with the respect due to a Yangzhou physician!"

In the name of the government, he bestowed upon Xu Zhiwei the honor of "Yangzhou Medical Officer" and announced a grand funeral, which was almost the highest honor that could be given to a commoner who was not an official in the local area.

This is not only a definitive assessment of Xu Zhiwei's medical skills and benevolent heart, but also an official endorsement of his achievements, instantly silencing any possible criticisms and speculations.

"Your Excellency is wise!"

Qiao Wangshan was the first to bow in response, and local gentry such as Shen Bingwen and Huang Dezhong also bowed in agreement.

Xue Huai nodded slightly, his gaze turning to the doctors in charge of Jimintang: "My colleagues, there is no need for excessive grief, nor for worry about the future of Jimintang. Although the divine physician has passed away, his spirit of helping the world will live on forever. The government will work with all the virtuous people present to fully support Jimintang in continuing to practice medicine and help the world, and to carry forward the benevolent heart and skill of the divine physician Xu. The most important thing now is to handle the funeral arrangements properly. The divine physician was aloof and reserved in life and did not like noise, so the funeral arrangements should not be too extravagant, but should focus on expressing our grief. The mourning hall will be set up inside Jimintang for the people of Yangzhou to pay their respects for seven days. After seven days, an auspicious time will be chosen to bury the divine physician next to Daming Temple in the west of the city."

"My lord... Your kindness is profound, and everyone at Jimintang is deeply grateful!"

An elderly doctor, who was also the nominal head of the Jimintang Pharmacy in Yangzhou, was so moved that tears streamed down his face. He led everyone in kneeling down to express their gratitude.

Inside and outside Jimin Hall, white banners fluttered, and more and more people came spontaneously, burning incense, offering flowers, or silently shedding tears. Soon, the area in front of the mourning hall was piled high with simple offerings to express their condolences. The crowd surged but remained orderly, and a solemn dignity permeated the grief.

Xue Huai personally lit an incense stick before the coffin, and then spoke a few more words of comfort to the doctors and stewards kneeling beside him before leaving amidst the respectful farewells of the crowd.

……

While Yangzhou was plunged into mourning as thousands flocked to Jimintang to pay their respects to the legendary physician, the bustling canal wharves in Zhenjiang Prefecture remained as lively as ever, with sails standing tall and the shouts of peddlers filling the air.

A fast horse galloped from the north, passing through the bustling streets, and finally stopped at the side gate of a deep house on the bank of the canal. The house had white walls and black tiles, no plaque above the door, and only two faded old lanterns hanging on it.

The knight dismounted, handed a finely rolled-up piece of paper to a gray-clad man at the door with an expressionless face, and whispered a few words.

The man nodded and silently walked through several courtyards, arriving at a study in the backyard with its doors and windows tightly closed and the light dim.

Inside the room, Liu Ying sat listlessly facing an unfinished chess game. The black and white pieces on the board were entangled and locked in a fierce battle, just like the turbulent and conflicted emotions in her heart.

"What's the matter?"

Liu Ying's voice carried a hint of displeasure at being interrupted, and she did not look up.

The man in gray bowed and presented the note with both hands: "Reporting to the Holy Maiden, an urgent report from Yangzhou."

Liu Ying frowned as she took the note. It contained only one line of small print, written in the code of the Holy Church.

"After the order to return to the dust was completed, Xu had already passed away from illness. Xue gave him a proper burial, and all was well."

The thirteen cold words, like thirteen red-hot steel needles, instantly pierced Liu Ying's eyes and penetrated deep into her mind!

"Clap!"

Liu Ying's fingertips trembled, and a black jade chess piece she was holding fell straight onto the floor tile, shattering into pieces with a crisp, abrupt cracking sound.

The man in gray was Liu Ying's confidant. Seeing this, he sighed silently and retreated quietly.

Liu Ying felt as if all her bones had been removed, and she leaned back in her chair, her face draining of color in an instant, becoming even paler than the white wall outside the window.

She abruptly closed her eyes, and in the darkness, countless fragments of the past surged forth.

On that snowy December day, she was ordered to kill the real Ling Ying. She intended to burn the scene to ashes, but a small, delicate hand grabbed her cold clothes. The weak, almost imperceptible force, like a thin thread, unexpectedly entangled her poisonous heart.

On that peaceful and tranquil spring day, when the toddler Xu Zhiwei first called her "Auntie" in a babbling voice, her soft and sweet voice and dependent eyes were like a delicate yet warm little flower, smoothing out the wrinkles in Liu Ying's heart.

And when she was teaching the girl step by step, her little face was full of grievances but stubbornness, with her lips pursed.

And when the girl successfully treated a critically ill patient on her own for the first time, the light in her eyes made Liu Ying unable to help but smile slightly in a secluded corner.

The past is like a knife, tearing Liu Ying's heart apart piece by piece.

Since issuing that order, she has been hiding in this secret stronghold, and has no interest in managing the affairs of Jimintang, because she sees Xu Zhiwei's face whenever she closes her eyes.

She knew she was responsible for Xu Zhiwei's death, but she didn't have the courage to defy the patriarch. Moreover, this time it was her negligence that threatened the Holy Church, and the other high-ranking members of the church would not stand by her side.

If she insists on protecting Xu Zhiwei, the inevitable result will be that she will be stripped of her position as Holy Maiden, and the Ancestor will send experts to forcibly execute Xu Zhiwei.

"Why are you so foolish... You don't have to listen to me..."

Liu Ying murmured to herself, her eyes filled with unbearable grief and guilt.

Although she was forced by the pressure exerted by the patriarch to send a warning to Xu Zhiwei using the sect's secret mark, Xu Zhiwei could have easily pretended not to see it. Who knew that she would actually choose that path.

At this moment, Liu Ying seemed to have forgotten that Xu Zhiwei was the child she had raised herself. Although they were aunt and niece, they were no different from mother and daughter. From childhood to adulthood, Xu Zhiwei regarded every word she said as divine revelation and engraved that nurturing grace into her bones and blood.

Once upon a time, Liu Ying was incredibly proud of Xu Zhiwei's maturity and intelligence, but now she wishes she wasn't so mature.

"Ugh……"

A soft sigh suddenly rang out.

Liu Ying turned her head and saw Hu Jiaoniang walking gracefully in a plain white dress, her eyes filled with regret. She sighed and said, "Zhiwei is such a sensible child. She was afraid of implicating her sister, so she ended her life so decisively."

Liu Ying said coldly, "What are you doing here?"

Hu Jiaoniang stopped by the window and comforted her with apparent kindness: "Sister, Zhiwei is gone, don't be too sad. Besides, this may not be a bad thing for you. After all, that girl was Lingying's orphan. If she survives this time, and one day finds out that you killed her birth mother, I'm afraid there will be a scene that you don't want to see at all."

A hint of mockery flashed in her eyes, clearly a ridicule of Liu Ying's hypocrisy.

Liu Ying personally killed Xu Zhiwei's mother, raised her to be the face of Jimintang, and forced her to commit suicide. She has done all sorts of evil and is utterly depraved. Now she is putting on such a grief-stricken act. I wonder who she is putting on this show for.
A sudden gust of wind arose in the study.

The next moment, Liu Ying was in front of Hu Jiaoniang, her right hand gripping the other's throat, and she squeezed out a sentence through gritted teeth: "Do you really think I wouldn't dare to kill you?"

Hu Jiaoniang stared at her intently and smiled, "Sister, news has come back from Yangzhou that Xu Zhiwei will be buried in seven days. Aren't you going to go and take a look?"

Liu Ying's gaze sharpened slightly, and she slowly released her grip.

(End of this chapter)