Not knowing how much ti had passed, a bowl of dicine was finally fed.
Wu Huanzhi breathed a sigh of relief, then imdiately called out, "Mr. Su.
The female dical Director glanced back at them but wasn’t in a hurry to co over. Instead, she took sothing out and made a mark on the patient’s wrist before helping them lie down comfortably. Only then did she rise and walk over to them. Although the surroundings were filled with a foul stench, as she approached, a subtle dicinal fragrance wafted toward them.
She bowed to Wu Huanzhi and greeted, "Mr. Wu."
Wu Huanzhi said, "This is Young Madam Yu Wen. Young Madam, this is the dical Director of the Imperial dical Bureau—Su Qinglan."
Shang Ruyi looked at her and nodded.
Su Qinglan, true to her na, had a pair of gentle eyes. Even though she had single eyelids and slightly drooping eye corners, they exuded a sense of compassion. Her voice was especially gentle as she spoke, "Greetings, Young Madam."
Wu Huanzhi added, "Young Madam wants to ask about the situation here, Mr. Su. Please explain. I have matters outside to attend to, so I won’t be accompanying you anymore."
After speaking, he gave Shang Ruyi a strange look, sighed, and turned to leave.
Shang Ruyi didn’t ask much. She rely watched his silhouette fade into the distance before turning back to look at Su Qinglan. The latter’s gentle eyes also carried a hint of inquiry as she gazed at her. When their eyes t, an indescribable emotion seed to arise.
After a mont of silence, Su Qinglan asked, "I wonder if the Young Madam has any questions. If not—there’s dicine simring on the stove."
Shang Ruyi thought for a mont and said, "I’ll help you."
"...?"
Su Qinglan widened her eyes, showing a look of surprise. But seeing Shang Ruyi unbothered by stepping into the mud mixed with horse manure and urine with her embroidered shoes, and undisturbed by the severely ill people around, she seed to understand sothing.
So she said, "Thank you for your trouble."
With that, she led Shang Ruyi and Wo Xue toward another stable.
As they walked, Shang Ruyi took in the sight of Su Qinglan. Su Qinglan was not tall, with a slender fra. Though she wore a veil covering half her face, it was clear she had delicate features. She seed to be around twenty years old, which was not unusual whether she remained unmarried or was wed to a husband. However, having ascended to the position of dical Director at the Imperial dical Bureau was indeed rare.
It seed that Su Qinglan sensed Shang Ruyi’s gaze. As they walked, she said, "Does the Young Madam think that as a woman, I’m unfit to serve as a female dical officer?"
Shang Ruyi shook her head, "No, I am a woman too, how could I look down on won?"
"..."
"I am rely, indeed a bit surprised. I hadn’t expected there to be a female dical officer in the Imperial dical Bureau."
Su Qinglan gave a faint smile and said, "My mother was a dical Director during Emperor Wen’s reign."
"Oh?"
"When Empress Du was still alive, there were indeed many female officials in the court. My mother was one of them. Later—when the late Emperor moved the capital to Luoyang, many dical officers from Daxing City were taken away, but my mother stayed. Eventually, she passed away. I studied diligently, inherited her profession, and also took the position of dical Director. However, I never got the chance to serve the late Emperor."
"..."
"As for the people of Daxing Palace, many ca and went, leaving as the only female official here."
"I see."
As they spoke, they arrived at the stable. Here, several stoves were lined up, with dicine pots simring on them, releasing a dicinal fragrance that was quickly overpowered by the surrounding stench.
Su Qinglan had just set down an empty dicine bowl when two more pots of dicine were ready.
Seeing Su Qinglan sowhat overwheld, Shang Ruyi was about to step forward when Wo Xue, who was behind her, stepped forward and softly said, "Young Madam, allow this servant to do it."
With that, she joined Su Qinglan in pouring the dicinal liquid from the pots into clean bowls, leaving the dregs behind. Su Qinglan then took out two paper packets from a bundle nearby, opened them, and added the dicine inside to the pots, filled them with water, and placed them back on the stove to brew.
Next, she added firewood to the two stoves beside them.
Shang Ruyi looked at her busy figure. Apart from the patients, there weren’t any others around, so she asked, "Don’t you have any help?"
Su Qinglan didn’t lift her head, only saying, "The people outside...they believe there’s still hope, so they’re outside."
"What about you?"
"?"
Su Qinglan finished adding the firewood, wiped the sweat from her forehead, then lifted her head to look at Shang Ruyi, her eyes slightly bending into a smile, "There are patients here too."
Although her words were light, Shang Ruyi felt a slight heaviness in her heart.
And after saying that, those eyes slowly dropped, revealing a sorrowful expression, "Unfortunately, I still can’t save them."
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