maidservant

Unfortunately, after a few days, Yunshan did not find the scent of musk deer on anyone. Before going on duty that day, Yunshan returned to the pharmacy to find out what was going on.

"How is Zhong Si these days?"

When Li Meng heard Zhong Si's name, her eyes lit up instantly, as if she had found a topic to talk about.

She moved closer to Yunshan and said excitedly:

"A few days ago, I don't know who touched her 'vital organ', but the beads on the pen got stained. It was a real bummer, and everyone scolded her!"

After hearing this, Yunshan was moved. It seemed that the strong scent of horse musk had been discovered by Zhong Si.

Yunshan tentatively asked Li Meng, "Have you figured out what made it dirty?"

Li Meng waved her hand and said nonchalantly, "I haven't heard of it, but I guess someone accidentally dropped something on it! Our pharmacy is busy transporting all kinds of medicinal herbs and essential oils all day long. With so much going on, who can be so careful and hide from her treasure?"

Li Mei said this while shaking her head with a helpless smile on her face.

"She treasured it very much and immediately washed it several times with soap nuts. I took a glance and saw that her fingertips were wrinkled."

Yunshan heaved a sigh of relief after hearing this. That was good. It looked like there weren't any major flaws revealed for the time being. She nodded and thought about other options.

The next day, Yunshan went back and forth to the library to carry medical books. In addition to the books needed by the imperial physicians, Yunshan also borrowed a few books on gynecological treatments that Situ Zhen had mentioned to her.

Yunshan was walking carefully with a thick stack of medical books in her arms. When she passed by the gate of the Imperial Hospital, suddenly, a medical book slipped from her arms and fell to the ground with a "bang".

She was holding other things in her hands and it was inconvenient for her to bend down to pick them up.

Just then, a royal doctor reached out and helped her pick up the book.

"Thank you!" Yunshan looked up and saw that it was the deputy director of the Imperial Hospital. She was slightly surprised and then said,

"Master Wen? Thank you so much! Thank you for your trouble!"

Lord Wen had a kind face. He gently placed the medical book on the stack in Yunshan's arms.

Just then, Yunshan suddenly noticed the bracelet on his wrist inside his sleeve.

The string was made of dark wood, with unique green ripples. In the middle of the string of wooden beads, there was a jade bead that was green to the point of bluish, which was particularly eye-catching.

The color and texture of this bead are so similar to Zhong Si's.

Lord Wen walked away from her, but Yunshan stood there in a daze.

Could it be Master Wen? This thought flashed through her mind, but soon, she began to doubt herself again.

Lord Wen and his wife live in harmony and have a deep affection for each other, and they have always been praised by everyone.

Although his wife had been married to him for more than ten years without having children, he still insisted on not taking a concubine. This matter was widely circulated among the noble ladies in Kyoto, and everyone praised his loyalty and righteousness.

Would such a person really have an affair with Zhong Si?
After returning to the pharmacy of the Imperial Hospital, Situ Zhen saw that Yunshan was talking little today and seemed to be lost in thought. He thought she was not feeling well, so he reached out and took Yunshan's pulse.

"You're as strong as an ox, and there's nothing wrong with you. Why are you being lazy today?"

Yunshan came back to her senses and looked at Situ Zhen. After a moment's hesitation, she asked, "If we, the people in the Imperial Hospital, consult a doctor and get medicine, do we need to register and pay for the consultation and medicine?" Situ Zhen looked at her with some confusion, but still explained patiently:
"It's reasonable to say so, but the imperial doctors themselves are more or less aware of whether a patient is ill or not, and they rarely consult each other. Even if they occasionally prescribe medicine for a patient's condition, they turn a blind eye. Who would really supervise which doctor takes an extra medicine or two?"

Situ Zhen thought Yunshan had discovered who had stolen the herbs, so he kindly reminded her, "Just take care of yourself and don't meddle in other people's business."

Yunshan listened and thought deeply. She secretly wondered if it was Master Wen himself who was infertile.
In order to verify this guess, Yunshan found an opportunity to ask Aunt Zhuang.

"Mrs. Wen had been desperate to have a child in her early years. Lord Wen had determined that her body was not suitable for childbearing, but she still insisted on asking Lord Wen to prescribe her a prescription, and even avoided the pills that Lord Wen had asked the pharmacy for to help him conceive."

Aunt Zhuang wiped her hands and recalled,

"Many people knew about this at the time. She was so determined to have a child for Master Wen that she even believed in the Taoist spells."

After Aunt Zhuang finished speaking, she curiously asked Yunshan in a low voice, "Why are you suddenly asking about the couple?"

Yunshan didn't want to get involved, so she quickly covered it up, saying, "Just asking. Master Wen has been childless and yet he hasn't taken a concubine yet. It's truly rare in this world."

Aunt Zhuang nodded, straightened her back, and continued:

"That's right. At that time, everyone just urged Madam Wen to take a concubine for her husband and raise a child under her own name, which was also a good idea. But when Master Wen found out, he directly stated that he had promised Old Taishan that he could only take a concubine if he was childless by the age of 40. Everyone just praised him for his loyalty and keeping his promise."

Aunt Zhuang spoke with a touch of emotion on her face, "But Madam Wen was like a possessed woman that year, and the pharmacy didn't want to get involved. Only Master Zhong took the trouble to change all the pills for Madam Wen. I heard that Madam Wen even invited her into her house and often chatted about personal matters."

"But not long after, perhaps he realized he was completely unpredictable and gave up on the idea. He stopped seeking medical treatment and medicine, and their interactions became less frequent."

Yunshan listened to Aunt Zhuang talking about the past, and gradually she understood what was going on.

She had several ideas in her mind.

Firstly, Zhong Si had been to the mansion many times and had the opportunity to get to know Master Wen. Master Wen was about thirty-eight this year, which was about the same age as Zhong Si.

Secondly, Lord Wen’s attitude of not taking concubines can really attract Zhong Si.

Thirdly, Zhong Si has rich knowledge of pharmacology and Lord Wen has superb medical skills. If the two of them get close, they will probably appreciate each other.

If this was true, then Zhong Si was indeed hiding their relationship. After all, Master Wen was the deputy director of the hospital, and his reputation was as important as his medical skills. Moreover, his greatest reputation was his generosity towards his wife.

With a specific goal in mind, Yunshan began to pay attention to Lord Wen's every move.

She discovered that Lord Wen really cherished the beads.

When washing hands, always remove the beads and place them on the table. The dark wood that has been polished for a long time is not easy to be stained by water, so this habit is reasonable.

However, even when taking a nap, Lord Wen would take it off and place it on the silk in the drawer.

"Has Lord Wen always cherished his necklace so much?" Yun Shan asked Situ Zhen casually.

Situ Zhen said casually, "I heard that Madam Wen asked for it to ward off evil spirits for him."

After hearing this, Yunshan wondered: Is it really "Madam"? Which "Madam"?

The truth has been revealed. Since Zhong Si cares so much about their reputations, this is a weakness that can be easily controlled. (End of this chapter)