Jinyi Spring

Chapter 130 An Impregnable Wall
The old Duke secretly told Shangguan Yunqi the secret of Feng Chuchen's background, and Shangguan Yunqi was shocked.

That child was actually the bloodline of the Emperor and Lady Xiao?
Considering that she was raised by Xiuzhi herself, it's no wonder she's so outstanding.

He didn't entirely believe the "Red Hare" story from back then. He speculated that it was possible Xiao had given birth to a stillborn child with unusual appearance, which the Xue family used as an excuse. Another possibility was that the Xue family had secretly sabotaged the process and framed her.

Regardless of the reason, it was all a vicious scheme devised by the Xue family to bring down Empress Xiao and the eldest prince.

He had discussed this matter with Princess Yanghe, who firmly believed it was the former possibility. She felt that the dream the Empress Dowager had was a warning from heaven, and that the stillborn child born to Lady Xiao must have looked too frightening, which was why the Xue family exaggerated it and framed it as "Red Hare".

Yanghe did not trust the Xue family, but he had unwavering faith in the Empress Dowager.

Shangguan Yunqi was older than the Ming brothers and the Xiao siblings, and had practically watched them grow up, sharing a deep bond with them. He was heartbroken when Changqing and Xiao Wan were forced to separate. He also felt great sympathy for the Xiao family's later plight.

But as the emperor's son-in-law, and because his youthful brilliance had aroused the royal family's suspicion, he dared not act rashly, no matter how many doubts he had, and could not even utter a word of questioning.

Now that he has learned of this matter, the old Duke and Princess Changning are determined to stand up and exonerate Xiao Shi, so he naturally feels obligated to do so.

Thinking back to the painstaking efforts Xiuzhi made to protect that child back then... I felt even more heartbroken. That woman was the most intelligent and kindest.

After hearing Ming Shanyue relay Cai Shiyong's words, Shangguan Yunqi suddenly realized, "I remember, when I was fighting in Zhongnan in my early years, I did hear about a tribe... oh, it was the Li tribe."

"It is said that when the Li people select a successor to the holy maiden, they will have the baby girl undergo a kind of 'breath-holding' ritual. Whether that 'breath-holding' is like a state of suspended animation, and what kind of secret method is used, is unknown."

During her month in the valley, she happened to encounter the Li people in the neighboring deep mountains choosing a successor to their holy maiden, and Xiuzhi said a few words to them.

The old duke widened his eyes and said, "Oh, is that so? I've never heard of it before?"

Duke Ming shook his head; he had never heard of it either.

Shangguan Yunqi glanced at Ming Shanyue, clenched his fist and coughed softly, saying indistinctly, "Ahem, I heard it from an old friend in the area."

Ming Shanyue understood; he must have heard it from Doctor Feng in the Valley of Heartlessness.

These words were like a ray of light, cleaving a crack in the fog of those years. It's highly likely that the old female doctor Cai used this "breath-holding" method to put the child, who had suffered such a calamity upon entering the world, into a state of suspended animation. And what unique method did the old doctor Feng use to bring the child back to life from that suspended animation?

The next step is to confirm Feng Chuchen's true birth date.

This was enough to excite them.

Ming Shanyue was filled with regret. If she had told Shangguan Yunqi about this earlier, she wouldn't have gone through so many detours.

The group discussed how to protect Feng Chuchen and be wary of the Xue family before dispersing.

Ming Shanyue returned to his bedroom, opened his large hand, and in his palm lay a clear, emerald-green jade bead.

He just showed the beads to those people.

He stared blankly at the jade bead, pondering how to get Aunt Wang to tell the truth. He needed to strike decisively without causing her any suffering…

Ah Xuan, who was sleeping, was woken up. It glared at its owner, who had disturbed its peaceful sleep, with displeasure. Seeing its owner playing with the pretty beads again, it stuck its little beak out of the birdcage, pulled out the small wooden stick that was locking the door, flew out, and then flew to the big hand.

It held its tail high and nudged the bead with its mouth, playing with it with great interest, occasionally calling out, "Little bead...even the lotus cannot compare to a beauty's makeup..."

The crisp sound was particularly striking in the quiet night.

Ming Shanyue glared at the little thing and whispered a reprimand, "Don't shout."

"Little Pearl, Little Pearl, even the lotus cannot compare to the beauty's makeup..." Ah Xuan flapped his wings, his clear voice ringing out in the quiet room.

Ming Shanyue glared at the little thing and decisively locked the beads into the drawer.

Ah Xuan was unhappy. He raised his little head and called out "Little Pearl" twice. Suddenly, taking advantage of Ming Shanyue's unpreparedness, he pecked off a strand of hair from his temple, then spread his wings and flew towards the small window.

"Hey, it's getting late..."

Ming Shanyue reached out to grab it, but only touched a passing breeze.

He watched helplessly as the small dark figure flew into the soft moonlight and disappeared in an instant.

The little one wasn't done playing and went to find Qingxin Fagu or Miss Feng again?
A thought suddenly flashed through Ming Shanyue's mind: Could it be that Miss Feng also possessed such a bead, which Ah Xuan had once seen? That's why, upon seeing the small bead, Ah Xuan exclaimed, "Even the lotus cannot compare to the beauty's makeup"?
This speculation excited Ming Shanyue again, as if a glimmer of light had pierced through the dark fog.

He walked to the window. A crescent moon hung in the deep blue sky. As he gazed at it, the crescent seemed to transform into two smiling eyes, like distant mountains shrouded in mist, with a bright vermilion dot in the middle…

Late at night, in the Feng family courtyard in Baima Village, an orange light shone through a small window.

The room was dimly lit by candlelight. Feng Chuchen sat at the table, still resting her chin on her hand, lost in thought...

Suddenly, two soft, gentle cries came from outside.

Then, there were two more "woof woof" sounds from the puppies.

Feng Chuchen immediately beamed and got up to open the door.

Two gray wolves stood in front of the main house. On the back of one wolf was a wolf cub, and on the head of the wolf cub was a small bird.

It's the antibiotic family and Ah Xuan; the ribbon on his leg is still there.

Feng Chuchen chuckled and opened the door wide. "Welcome, distinguished guest."

Then he raised his voice and called out, "No rush, Uncle Wu, Aunt Wu, our distinguished guests have arrived! Cut some meat to serve them."

Big Head had already pushed open the door to the woodshed and followed them inside.

The courtyard immediately became noisy.

Feng Buji and Shaoyao arrived at the door of the main room. Feng Buji wanted to go inside, but Shaoyao stopped him.

Uncle Wu and Aunt Wu each carried in a bowl of sliced ​​pork and mutton, placed it on the ground, and said with a smile, "Please enjoy, distinguished guests."

The antibiotic family all gathered around and began to happily eat the meat from the bowl.

Feng Buji shook off Shaoyao's hand, went into the room, and stared blankly at them.

Feng Chuchen smiled and squatted down, first stroking the hairs on Cephalosporin's back, and introduced, "This is Cephalosporin, and this is my younger brother."

Feng Buji grinned widely and squatted down to pat Cephalosporin's back. "You look so impressive. I'm Little Feng Feng. Ah Xuan mentioned me to you, right? I'm its friend, which means I'm your friend too."

Cephalosporin glanced at him indifferently and continued eating his meat.

Feng Chuchen then introduced Qingmei and Amo. Qingmei's expression was as indifferent as Cephalosporin's, while only Amo gave a very polite "ooh" and stuck out his tongue.

Whether it's an animal or a person, "cubs" are always the cutest. Feng Buji was overjoyed and squatted beside Amo, stroking its fur from time to time and telling it how much he loved them.

Feng Chuchen peeled sunflower seeds and fed them to A Xuan, saying, "A Xuan is so good. He knew we were coming back, so he brought them over to visit us again."

Ah Xuan didn't seem hungry today. He didn't eat sunflower seeds, but he kept pecking at Feng Chuchen's hand and called out "Little Pearl" a couple of times.

Feng Chuchen initially thought "Little Pearl" was someone it had just met and didn't pay much attention.

Seeing that it wouldn't eat the sunflower seeds, Feng Chuchen asked someone to bring some crushed peanuts and egg yolks, but the little guy still wouldn't eat them. Instead, it kept pecking at Feng Chuchen's hand and calling out "Little Pearl".

Feng Chuchen realized something; it wanted to play with that little bead.
Even if Xiaozhuzi weren't around, it's impossible to let her play with it in front of so many people.

Huh, why does it say "little pearl"... Could it be that Ming Shanyue also has one and taught it to say it?

If Ming Shanyue truly possesses such beads, I wonder how many he has uncovered...

Feng Buji came over and forcibly grabbed Ah Xuan, teaching it to say Xiao Amo's name. After many repetitions, it finally learned it.

Fluttering its wings and calling, "Little Momo, Little Momo..."

"Haha, Ah Xuan is really smart."

Happy times always fly by, and the first rooster crowed from the direction of the village.

Feng Chuchen said reluctantly, "It's almost dawn, you should go back."

The family took them to the backyard and watched them and Ah Xuan disappear into the night.

Back in the courtyard, Feng Buji had already fallen asleep on Uncle Wu's back.

After breakfast on the eighth day of the fourth lunar month, Feng Chuchen and his group returned to the Feng residence in Beijing with a large amount of fresh vegetables and half a cartload. Aunt Wang and her son had already returned the day before.

When they reached the fork in the road, Feng Buji took half of the vegetables and fruits to the Hu family's house, saying he would go home after dinner.

Upon arriving at the alley entrance, Feng Chuchen got out of the car and walked straight into the clinic.

She didn't notice that under the old willow tree on the riverbank ahead, a slightly worn blue-curtained mule cart was quietly parked.

Inside the carriage, Ming Shanyue and Song Xian sat facing each other. They had just taken a quiet ride around the area. At this moment, Ming Shanyue lifted a narrow corner of the carriage curtain and gazed outside.

Returning here, his state of mind was completely different. His gaze swept over the lintels of the connected houses and clinics, silently calculating how to forge them into an impregnable fortress, ensuring the safety of the person inside.

Just as he was pondering this, he saw Feng Chuchen step down from the mule cart. She was dressed simply, without any makeup, and her face was as clean and bright as white jade. In his eyes, she seemed not to have come from an ordinary street, but rather to approach gracefully from the depths of the sunlight, carrying with her a radiant glow.

Ming Shanyue's heart skipped a beat without warning, like a pebble suddenly thrown into a lake that had been still for many years, creating ripples that were unfamiliar yet clear, unlike anything he had ever experienced before. The palpitation was so intense and rapid that he subconsciously held his breath.

But in just a moment, that pale blue figure disappeared inside the clinic, as if it had never existed.

The light in Ming Shanyue's eyes dimmed suddenly, leaving only a wisp of melancholy. He stared blankly at the door, motionless for a long time.

After a long silence in the car, Song Xian asked in a low voice, "Sir, would you like to stop by the Feng residence on the way?"

Ming Shanyue slowly lowered the carriage curtain and leaned back against the carriage wall. "Let's go back."

After listening to Deputy Manager Hao's report on the clinic's situation over the past few days, Feng Chuchen returned to his residence.

Mu Jin smiled and said, "Just as dawn broke this morning, Lord Ming's personal guard, Master Song, arrived and said that a female prisoner in the imperial prison had died, and it looked like she was pregnant. He asked Aunt Wang to go and check to confirm."

Feng Chuchen didn't think much of it. When her aunt was alive, she was occasionally asked to go to the prison to deliver babies or examine women's bodies, and even corpses.

The imperial prison had midwives who could check for pregnancy. Sometimes, to prevent them from colluding with the prison guards, they would occasionally ask an outside midwife to come and confirm.

She changed her clothes and went to work at the clinic.

Before long, Mu Jin ran over and said, "Miss, Granny Li and Master Guo from the Ming family have arrived, and they brought a large trunk with them."

Feng Chuchen guessed that Kong Xiyan had been involved in the thugs' harassment, and that the magistrate had come to apologize.

Although she was angry with Kong Xiyan, Ming Shanyue and Guo Hei were a great help.

She washed her hands and went to the house.

Mu Jin followed behind and laughed, "Sister Shaoyao didn't scold Master Guo this time, and even poured tea and served them snacks. Master Guo didn't scold Sister Shaoyao either, and even smiled at her."

In the main hall, Granny Li and Guo Hei sat on chairs on the left and right sides respectively, while Peony stood behind an empty chair on the left side of the octagonal table.

This chair is usually where Feng Chuchen sits.

After thinking for a moment, Peony came to Guo Hei, curtsied, and said, "My young lady specifically said that she wants to thank Master Guo. Thank you, Master Guo, for seeing injustice and helping me out, and for helping my young lady and me many times. Thank you."

She thought about these words for a long time and consulted Feng Buji, finding them both pleasant to hear and erudite.

Guo Hei quickly stood up, clasped his hands in a fist and smiled, "Dr. Feng, you're too kind. Miss Shaoyao, it was nothing. Besides, I have great respect for Dr. Feng and would never want to see her suffer. I also admire Miss Shaoyao's loyalty to her master."

Peony loved to hear this, and grinned, saying loudly, "Master Guo is so righteous. Hehe, I was wrong before, I offended Master Guo. The young lady always says I'm reckless and speak without thinking. Master Guo is so magnanimous, please don't be angry with me."

Guo Hei chuckled and said, "I made mistakes before too. I have a short temper and a loud voice. Please forgive me, Miss Peony. Hehe, my husband often says I'm reckless."

Mu Jin chuckled softly, "This servant just realized that Sister Shaoyao is so eloquent."

Upon seeing Feng Chuchen enter the room, Granny Li and Guo Hei quickly stood up.

"Miss Feng."

"Granny Li, Master Guo, please have a seat."

Granny Li recounted the outcome: "The master slapped the young lady across the face, and the old matriarch, the old duke, and the first wife also severely reprimanded her, punishing her by confining her to her quarters for a year and making her copy 'Admonitions for Women' two hundred times..."

"They also said that this is because Miss Feng is alright. If something had really happened, they would have sent her to a nunnery to become a nun. The Old Madam and the First Madam asked this old servant to apologize to Doctor Feng on their behalf. We are sorry that Doctor Feng was frightened."

After speaking, he stood up, curtsied, and presented the gift list.

Feng Chuchen was delighted that Ming Shanyue had actually hit Kong Xiyan: Serves her right!
For a young woman in her prime, being confined to her home for a year is an extremely severe punishment.

Feng Chuchen said, "Madam Xie and Madam Ming are fair and just, and they did not show favoritism. They stood up for the common people. I am deeply grateful to them."

Guo Hei didn't show it on his face, but he sneered inwardly. Aunt Xia and her cousin were just sworn relatives, yet they had acted more respectable and domineering than the real masters over the years. He was thoroughly fed up with them...

He reminded her, "From now on, Miss Feng should be more careful of the Xue family. Apart from the Empress Dowager, there are no good people in that family. The master also said that if Miss Feng encounters any difficulties, she should quickly send someone to inform him, or you can tell me."