Chapter 128: The Marriage of Children

After Xiangqin stepped aside, Han Songyan stepped forward, peeled back Young Master Gong’s eyelids, and examined his eyes carefully. "It's fortunate; his eyes aren't too inflamed. The lime shouldn't have gotten in too deeply. Xi'er, go gather some herbs for a poultice. Let him keep it on overnight; his vision shouldn't be significantly affected."

An Yi obediently gathered several herbs for external eye care, crushed them into powder, mixed them with water into a paste, wrapped it in cloth, and applied it to Young Master Gong’s eyes.

Han Songyan poured the medicinal decoction for nourishing blood and healing injuries into Young Master Gong’s mouth. The young master was still able to swallow, and the bowl was emptied quickly.

Han Songyan set the bowl down and said, "Xi'er, it is getting late. I will take you home first; he will stay here."

An Yi glanced at the unconscious Young Master Gong and replied, "Just have Han Liu take me back. His injuries are so severe; it is better if you stay behind to look after him."

Han Songyan thought for a moment and said, "Han Liu, you must ensure Miss An gets home safely. Do you understand?"

"Don't worry, Fourth Young Master. I will certainly deliver Miss An safely to Young Master An," Han Liu replied.

An Yi, accompanied by Xiangqin, went out with Han Liu and left the Jihuai Hall.

Inside the carriage, An Yi sternly warned Xiangqin, "Let tonight's events be buried in your stomach. Do not tell anyone."

"This servant understands."

Upon returning home, An Yi only mentioned going to the Hu residence to treat Madam Hu's illness, saying nothing of saving Young Master Gong on the road.

With An Yi back, Madam Luo and An Kang were relieved. Only An Qinghe was somewhat displeased that Han Songyan had not escorted her back personally. "How could you let a coachman bring Xi'er back?"

"Fourth Young Master is always well-mannered. There must be a reason he didn't bring her back," Madam Luo said, speaking in his defense as she had a very favorable impression of him.

"A patient with an emergency arrived, and Fourth Young Master couldn't leave," An Yi said, covering a yawn with her hand.

"I told you, Fourth Young Master is not the type to be ignorant of propriety," Madam Luo said with a smile.

An Qinghe looked at Madam Luo, then at An Yi, and smiled meaningfully. "Xi'er, if you're tired, go back to your room and rest."

The An siblings left the Jingli Garden and returned to their respective rooms to rest.

Lying in bed, An Yi did not ponder who Young Master Gong had offended. Instead, she wondered why she encountered him every time he was injured. Was it her fate to study medicine just to treat his wounds?

An Yi did not dwell on these questions for long before falling into a deep sleep.

Elsewhere, the An couple washed up and got into bed. An Qinghe embraced Madam Luo and asked, "Xi'er will reach the age of fifteen next year. What kind of family should we look for?"

"Family background isn't important; as long as he cherishes Xi'er, that's enough." Madam Luo suddenly thought of something and sat up abruptly. "Brother Qinghe, do you already have someone in mind?"

"Why are you getting up? You'll catch a chill." An Qinghe pulled her back into his arms. "What do you think of Fourth Young Master Han?"

"Fourth Young Master?" Madam Luo pondered for a moment. "He is seven or eight years older than Xi'er. Isn't that gap a bit too wide?"

"Older is better; he will know how to cherish her. Earlier, when I said he didn't bring Xi'er back, she defended him. Since Xi'er is willing, we shouldn't stand in their way. Xi'er is our precious daughter; she has suffered enough outside, and we cannot let her suffer anymore."

Madam Luo thought for a moment and said, "Fourth Young Master is twenty-one or twenty-two this year. His grandfather passed away two years ago, and he has been in mourning. I wonder if he is already betrothed?"

"Boning is on good terms with him; we can just have Boning ask."

Madam Luo pursed her lips. "How can the girl's family be the ones to initiate such an inquiry?"

"We won't ask directly; we'll have Boning make subtle inquiries. If he isn't betrothed and is willing to marry Xi'er, we can settle the matter and have her marry when she turns eighteen." An Qinghe was convinced that An Yi liked Han Songyan.

"That's waiting another four or five years. I wonder if he would be willing to wait?" Madam Luo frowned with concern.

"If he is willing to be betrothed, he will certainly be willing to wait," An Qinghe said with certainty.

"Even if he is willing to wait, I fear his elders might not be," Madam Luo said, her worries unresolved.

"There is no need to worry about that. I am, after all, a Second-Rank official. The eldest master of the Han family is currently at home observing mourning; he would certainly welcome this marriage. Not to mention waiting four or five years, he would even be willing to wait seven or eight," An Qinghe said with a confident smile.

"You've thought things through for Xi'er, but what about Zhuzi? Zhuzi is nineteen; it's time his marriage was settled as well."

"I have plans for Boning's marriage. Don't be impatient; just wait to drink the daughter-in-law's tea," An Qinghe said with a smile.

"Which family's daughter is it? What does she look like? What is her character?" Madam Luo asked impatiently.

"It's very late. Sleep; I have the morning court session tomorrow." An Qinghe closed his eyes and feigned sleep.

Madam Luo tapped him in annoyance but obediently stopped asking, tucking the quilt in carefully.

An Qinghe opened his eyes slightly, looked at his wife in his arms, and leaned over to kiss her forehead.

The next day, as soon as the sky brightened, Young Master Gong regained consciousness. He reached up and tore off the medicinal compress, forced himself to endure the pain, and sat up. Looking at the unfamiliar room, he looked suspicious. Where was this? Where was Xi'er? Was it an illusion? Had Xi'er not appeared at all?

Footsteps approached from outside the door. Young Master Gong threw off the quilt, leaped from the bed, and dashed to the door in a single motion. His face, which had regained a hint of color, turned pale again; his lips trembled slightly from the agony.

With a creak, the door opened. Han Songyan walked in carrying a bowl of medicine. Young Master Gong reached out and grabbed his throat.

"Young Master Gong, I am a friend of Xi'er. My surname is Han, and I am the physician of this Jihuai Hall," Han Songyan stated calmly.

Young Master Gong did not loosen his grip, clutching Han Songyan’s throat tightly as he asked in a low voice, "Where is Xi'er?"

Han Songyan gasped for air, struggling to breathe. "Xi'er has gone home. This is the backyard of Jihuai Hall; it is not convenient for her to stay here."

"I want to see Xi'er." Young Master Gong would not be at ease until he saw her.

"I will have someone fetch Xi'er. Drink your medicine first. You are severely injured and should not be walking about." Han Songyan, being of a gentle temperament, did not grow angry despite the young master’s suspicion.

"What is this medicine?" Young Master Gong looked at the black, murky liquid with vigilance, unable to trust this stranger.

"This is a decoction to nourish blood and heal injuries. You already drank two bowls last night." Han Songyan looked at him. "If I wanted to harm you, I wouldn't have helped Xi'er save you last night."

"What is Xi'er's formal name? How many people are in her family, and what are their names?" Young Master Gong’s suspicions would not be easily dispelled.

"Xi'er's formal name is An Yi. There are five people in her family. Her father, An Qinghe, is the General of the Town Army; her mother is Madam Luo; her eldest brother is An Kang; her second brother is An Jian. Before moving to the capital, they lived in Jingtang Village, Lingling County." To eliminate his wariness, Han Songyan answered honestly, even answering things he hadn't asked.

"What is the name of the physician in Jingtang Village? What is his relationship to Xi'er?" Young Master Gong’s face grew paler, and a layer of cold sweat broke out on his forehead.

"Xi'er is the apprentice of Physician Lu."

The suspicion in Young Master Gong’s eyes dimmed slightly. He released his grip, took the bowl, and took a small sip. The bitter taste spread across his palate. He glanced at Han Songyan, gritted his teeth, and deciding to gamble on it, drank the medicine in one gulp. Once the bitterness subsided, he said, "I want to see Xi'er."

Han Songyan rubbed his neck and adjusted his collar to hide the finger marks. This man was so heavily injured, yet his grip was still so strong; if he hadn't been hurt, he might have been strangled to death. "I will have someone go fetch her. Please, go back to bed. If you keep moving around like this, your wounds will tear open again."

Young Master Gong’s wounds had indeed reopened. Enduring the immense pain, he pressed his lips together, walked slowly back to the bedside, and sat down. He sat bolt upright with his legs slightly apart, his gaze fixed on Han Songyan like a torch.

Han Songyan looked at Young Master Gong, who sat in a defensive posture, and sighed inwardly. He knew that if he tried to examine the wounds now, the young master would refuse, so he hurried out to have Han Liu go to the An residence to bring An Yi.

Han Liu had already repaired the roof of the carriage overnight. Upon hearing the order, he immediately drove to the An residence to fetch An Yi. An Yi, who was just about to head to Jihuai Hall with Xiangqin, boarded the carriage and went straight to the backyard of Jihuai Hall.

Han Songyan stood outside the door and, seeing An Yi, walked forward to meet her. "Xi'er, as soon as he woke up, he demanded to see you."

"He didn't cause too much of a scene, did he?" An Yi asked.

"No." Han Songyan hid the fact that Young Master Gong had grabbed his throat.

An Yi walked to the door and knocked. "It's Xi'er, I'm coming in."

Young Master Gong had been sitting on the bed for over an hour, his energy and stamina pushed to the limit. Seeing An Yi walk in, the smile had yet to fully form on his face before he collapsed backward.

An Yi saw Young Master Gong lapse into unconsciousness again and sighed helplessly. Resigned, she stepped forward to unfasten his clothes. The bandages were soaked with blood. Not only had the wound on his right waist reopened, but the wounds on his chest, back, and arms had all torn open as well. Seeing blood on his trousers, she frowned—what had he done? Had he been in a fight?

Han Songyan brought gold-wound powder and clean cloth. An Yi stepped out while Han Songyan dressed the wounds and changed him into a clean undershirt. He wasn't as tall as Young Master Gong, so the clothes were a bit short on him.

By the time the ordeal was over, it was already noon.

Han Songyan fed Young Master Gong a large bowl of medicinal porridge. After lunch, An Yi walked around the courtyard once and returned to the room. "Fourth Young Master, it is not convenient for him to stay here. It would be better to find a more secluded place for him to recuperate."

Although Han Songyan had built a wall to separate the front and back yards after taking over Jihuai Hall, he would sometimes stay in the back yard when he finished making medicine late. If he locked the door, people from the front could not enter the back. But the door couldn't be locked forever. If Young Master Gong stayed for a day or two, it wouldn't be noticed, but staying longer would inevitably invite suspicion.