Chapter One Hundred and Two: The Person of the Huang Family

"Madam, Dr. Luo is here," said the maid in green.

"Luo Shijiu greets the Second Madam of the An household," An Yi said, curtsying.

"Dr. Luo, please, there is no need for such formalities. Have a seat." Madam Huang pointed to a round stool placed before the arhat bed. "Bring tea."

Once An Yi was seated on the stool and the maid had served the tea, Madam Huang asked with a smile, "What a coincidence. You, Doctor, share the same surname as our own Madam Luo. May I ask where you are from?"

"My home is in Hezhou." An Yi’s reply did not directly answer the question, yet it led Madam Huang to assume she was a native of Hezhou.

"That is an even greater coincidence! Our Madam is also from Hezhou. Perhaps you are even distant relatives," Madam Huang said, beaming.

"It truly is a coincidence." An Yi’s expression remained unchanged, though her wariness toward Madam Huang deepened. To be suspicious over a mere common surname meant this woman was definitely not as kind as she appeared. She would need to be on her guard. "However, as far as I know, no one in my family married into the An household. I expect the Madam and I simply share the same surname."

"Our Madam only arrived in the capital two years ago. Since you both lived in Hezhou, surely you must have crossed paths?" Madam Huang continued to probe, her gaze burning as she looked at An Yi. With an elegant oval face, arched brows, eyes as bright as autumn water, a straight nose, and cherry-red lips, An Yi was a true beauty.

"Though Hezhou is not as large as the capital, it is not easy to encounter any one person—especially since I spent the last two years studying medicine and rarely ventured out." An Yi did not look like An Qinghe or Madam Luo; her features combined the best traits of her grandmother, Madam Liu, and her maternal grandmother, Madam Zhang. She had no fear that Madam Huang would discern the truth from her appearance.

"Dr. Luo, you seem quite young. When did you begin your medical studies?"

"My family has been in the medical profession for generations."

"You are a young woman; why study medicine?"

"It is convenient for a woman to study medicine to treat the ailments of other women."

Madam Huang gave a subtle nod and asked, "Why not practice in Hezhou instead of coming to the capital, where you are a stranger?"

"I do not treat common illnesses; I specialize in difficult and rare cases. One cannot be confined to a single place," An Yi lied smoothly.

"I heard just now that you were treating the Princess’s Kang-le County Lady for nausea. Why have you come to my residence today?"

"The County Lady has recovered. During our casual conversation yesterday, the Princess mentioned that your Madam was suffering from an eye ailment. As a physician, it is my duty to relieve a patient’s suffering. I informed the Princess and came to your residence. Please forgive my presumptuous visit, Second Madam." An Yi wanted to see Madam Luo as soon as possible, using the Princess’s name as a shield.

A glint of realization crossed Madam Huang’s eyes, her thoughts racing. The throne in the inner palace remained vacant, and the Noble Consort, Virtuous Consort, Pure Consort, and Radiant Consort were all contenders. Yet, the Emperor had delayed making a decision. Princess Lanyi was the Emperor’s most cherished sister and had always remained impartial. Did her decision to send a physician now signal that she was supporting the Noble Consort?

Having the Princess’s support would be a boon, but this physician was the Princess’s person. Using her would mean handing the Princess a bargaining chip, forcing her to obey the Princess’s every command in the future. If she refused, the Princess would surely shift her support to the Virtuous Consort or others. Obtaining the Princess’s favor was no easy feat; she could not afford to lose it. *Very well,* she thought, *if this is what it takes to fulfill my wish, I will deal with the consequences later. I have already spent months playing the part of a subservient wife.*

Having made up her mind, Madam Huang’s smile grew warmer, and her suspicion faded slightly. "My Madam has suffered from this eye ailment for months; she can barely see. How confident are you, Dr. Luo, that you can cure her?"

"Second Madam, I have not yet examined the patient. It would be inappropriate to make a judgment," An Yi replied. Seeing Madam Huang mention the eye ailment without a hint of worry—and even a flicker of joy—confirmed that she held no genuine affection for Madam Luo. Her hiring of famous doctors was merely a performance.

"I am being too impatient. Dr. Luo, please follow me to see my Madam," Madam Huang said, rising to her feet.

An Yi did not know what was in Madam Huang’s mind, but she was overjoyed at the prospect of seeing Madam Luo so soon.

***

Madam Huang led An Yi out through a side gate. After walking for a while and winding through a grove of emerald bamboo, they came upon a low wall made of yellow mud, topped with straw. Pushing open a wooden door, they were greeted by several mud-brick houses with tiled roofs.

An Yi paused, her eyes flickering. This place was a perfect replica of the An family home in Jingtang Village. A wooden plaque above the door was carved with the words "Jingli Garden."

"My Madam is from the countryside and is accustomed to living in such houses. The Master could not refuse her, so he had this place set up this way. Pray, do not laugh at us, Dr. Luo," Madam Huang said, her tone laced with disdain and mockery.

"Although this place was constructed by hand, it possesses a certain rustic elegance." An Yi smiled, though it did not reach her eyes. This remark alone told her that Madam Huang despised this "countryside Madam" from the bottom of her heart.

Madam Huang gave a soft huff.

The interior was furnished just like the An home in Jingtang Village, though the items were more refined—made of beech wood rather than common timber. Two maids sat on stools in the main room chatting. Seeing Madam Huang enter, they rose to offer their greetings, then called toward the inner room, "Madam, the Second Madam has come to see you."

"Please, ask the Second Madam to come in," Madam Luo’s voice drifted from the inner room.

An Yi’s heart trembled. She clenched her hands tightly inside her sleeves, using every ounce of her self-control to suppress her overwhelming emotions so she would not rush into the inner room to see the mother she had not seen in over two years.

Madam Huang reached up to adjust the gold hairpin in her hair. "Let us go in."

An Yi followed behind Madam Huang into the inner room. Madam Luo sat on the bed, her complexion fair, though her eyes were red and swollen. She wore her hair in a round bun adorned with two jade pins, dressed in a tea-colored printed jacket and a pale green long skirt. She held a handkerchief in her hands, her gaze unfocused as she stared ahead.

An Yi lowered her eyes, afraid to look at Madam Luo any longer. She feared her self-control would shatter, that she would run over, hug her, and sob, "Mother." She feared the flicker in her eyes would reveal everything to the shrewd and sophisticated Madam Huang.

"Sister, I have brought a famous doctor today to check your pulse," Madam Huang said, walking over to sit beside Madam Luo and taking her hand with a warm smile.

"You have gone to such trouble again. My eyes cannot be cured; there is no need to spend more silver on doctors," Madam Luo sighed softly.

"Sister, please do not say that. It costs very little to treat you. This famous doctor will surely be able to cure your eyes. Besides, if you don’t get them cured, how will you help the Eldest Young Master choose a wife?"

Madam Luo smiled. "Even if my eyes were cured, I would not be the one to choose. You must put more effort into that matter."

"Sister, why talk of trouble? Although I have only been married into this family for a few months, I am still a member of the An family. The Eldest Young Master’s marriage is a grand affair for our household. I will certainly handle it with care and find a young lady of equal social standing to be our Eldest Young Mistress. You just rest easy and wait to drink your daughter-in-law’s tea!"

"Good, good, good," Madam Luo said, her face lighting up with a smile.

Seeing how Madam Huang’s few words had delighted her mother, An Yi sighed inwardly. Her mother, who lacked any cunning, was no match for this woman.

"Dr. Luo, please come over and check my Madam’s pulse." Madam Huang stood up, wiped her hands with a handkerchief, and tossed it aside.

Seeing this, An Yi was even more certain of Madam Huang’s contempt for her mother. She opened her small medicine chest, took out a pulse cushion, walked over, and sat beside Madam Luo. "Madam An, please extend your hand."

Madam Luo’s expression suddenly changed drastically. She asked nervously, "Who? Who is speaking?"

An Yi pressed her lips together. She knew her mother had recognized her voice. Those who cannot see have exceptionally sharp hearing, and her voice had not changed much in two years.

"Sister, it is Dr. Luo speaking," Madam Huang said, glancing at An Yi. "She is the famous doctor I hired for you. She is here to check your pulse."

"Dr. Luo? Dr. Luo!" Madam Luo’s tears began to fall. "It is not my Xi’er... it is not my Xi’er."

An Yi gritted her teeth, struggling to keep her composure.

Madam Huang frowned and leaned forward to persuade her. "Sister, the girl has been gone for over two years now. How can your body endure if you weep like this every day? The girl was sensible and obedient; she knew you didn't mean to abandon her. She wouldn't blame you. Please, stop grieving and take care of your health."

An Yi frowned; such words were like adding fuel to the fire. Sure enough, hearing this, Madam Luo wept even more bitterly. "Xi’er, my Xi’er... it is all Mother’s fault. If I hadn't done such a foolish thing, you would not have died."

A faint smile crossed Madam Huang’s lips. "Sister, do not cry. You acted out of kindness, sacrificing yourself to save another. The girl’s spirit is in heaven; she would not blame—"

Before Madam Huang could finish, An Yi had already reached out and pressed the acupoint to induce sleep. She had determined that Madam Huang did not have good intentions toward her mother and did not want her to continue provoking her.

"Dr. Luo, what are you doing?" Madam Huang asked, looking at An Yi in surprise.

"Her emotions were too volatile; it was impossible to check her pulse," An Yi said. She supported Madam Luo, laid her down gently on the bed, placed the cushion under her wrist, and pressed her fingers against her pulse.

Madam Huang’s eyes flickered as she sat on a chair, watching An Yi.

An Yi lowered her gaze, carefully checking the pulse. "Madam An is suffering from excessive grief, which has led to depression. That is why she is constantly despondent and eating less."

"The previous doctors said the same. Dr. Luo, do you have a way to treat her?" Madam Huang asked.

An Yi pondered for a moment. "I will first prescribe a formula to calm her spirit and nourish her energy. Once her emotions stabilize, I will proceed with acupuncture."

"Bring paper and ink," Madam Huang commanded.

A maid brought the writing materials. An Yi picked up the brush and wrote the prescription: Jujube seeds, yam, ophiopogon, baical skullcap...

The An residence did not have the wealth of the Princess’s estate, keeping only a few tonics like angelica and ginseng. Madam Huang sent a maid to buy the herbs from a pharmacy outside.

"Dr. Luo, the hour is late. I have already had a meal prepared; please come to the Zhuijin Courtyard to dine," Madam Huang said politely.

"I apologize for the intrusion." An Yi desperately wanted to stay by Madam Luo’s side to care for her, but she could not. Forcing herself not to look at her mother lying on the bed, she hardened her heart and followed Madam Huang back to the Zhuijin Courtyard.