People in the Qin Dynasty sought good fortune and avoided misfortune.

Chapter 3, Talking about Illness

Hu Meiren, behind the curtain, slightly raised her head to look at Xu Qing outside. Although she couldn't see his face clearly, she could tell from his voice that he was not very old.

Why would the Imperial Medical Academy send a young man to treat me? Hu Meiren was a little puzzled, but then she figured it out.

Clearly, their own anorexia left them helpless, and they ultimately pushed a young man to take the blame.

"I've never heard of you before. Please come in." Hu Meiren's voice was very soft, and she seemed extremely weak.

"Yes."

Xu Qing picked up his medicine box and walked behind the curtains. After passing through two layers of curtains, he arrived at the bedside. Only a thin curtain remained between him and Hu Meiren.

With the two layers of curtains gone, the two could clearly see each other's faces.

Looking at Hu Meiren's face, Xu Qing's eyes flashed with surprise. Hu Meiren's appearance was almost identical to that in the anime.

She had delicate, willow-leaf eyebrows, slightly upturned eyes like a fox, and a gaze that seemed to hold the waters of spring. She had a high nose bridge, lips like a touch of cinnabar, and skin as smooth as cream, radiating a soft, pearly glow.

The slight sickly look between her brows did not detract from her charm; rather, it added a touch of delicate, sickly beauty.

Xu Qing quickly regained his composure, not daring to look any longer, and hurriedly lowered his head.

However, Xu Qing's gaze was still drawn to the red agate bracelet in Hu Meiren's hand, and he seemed to be deep in thought.

While Xu Qing was amazed by Hu Meiren's appearance, Hu Meiren was also surprised by Xu Qing's youth.

Although Hu Meiren knew from his voice that Xu Qing was a young man, she was still somewhat surprised when she saw him.

The other person looked to be under the age of 18; I never expected that a place like the Imperial Medical Academy would have such a young medical officer.

Besides being young, Xu Qing's appearance surprised Hu Meiren even more. He had a face like jade, eyes like cold stars, lips like painted vermilion, teeth like pearls, and a slender body, like pine and bamboo braving the frost.

In particular, the youthful vigor between his brows impressed even Consort Hu, who had spent many years in the harem.

Everyone says that Song Yu, a handsome man from the State of Chu, is the most handsome man in the world. But now that she has seen Xu Qing, Hu Meiren thinks that Song Yu is probably just so-so.

Having lived in the inner palace for many years, Consort Hu was always surrounded by either the elderly Prince Han An or palace attendants. Seeing such a young physician made her feel a little relieved of the depression and pent-up emotions she had been experiencing.

"Since the King sent you, then you may make a diagnosis."

After saying this, Hu Meiren stretched out her fair, white arm from behind the curtain.

A palace maid took out a thin gauze and placed it on Consort Hu's arm to prevent the two from having skin-to-skin contact.

Xu Qing took a deep breath and placed his hand on it. His medical skills were only mediocre; he couldn't diagnose anything by taking the pulse.

In any case, including the Imperial Physician Wen who was beaten to death, all five medical officers believed that Consort Hu's illness was caused by worry, so it was basically true.

Although she already had some guesses in her mind, Xu Qing still wanted to be cautious, and at the same time, she thought about what she would say next.

Hu Meiren looked through the thin veil at Xu Qing, who was carefully taking her pulse and had a slight frown. The thought that such a handsome young man might be beaten to death because of her made her feel a little reluctant.

"Well, I know my own illness. If he can't cure me, I'll just beg the king to let him go," Hu Meiren thought to herself.

Xu Qing was naturally unaware that he had escaped a calamity because of his appearance. He was still thinking about what he would say later, and after he had thought it through, he withdrew his hand and looked at the beauty Hu behind the curtain.

"Physician Xu, how is my illness? Is there any hope for treatment? Or is it that pulse diagnosis alone is not enough to determine the cause, and we need to observe, listen, and inquire?" Hu Meiren's voice was still weak, but compared to before, it carried a hint of lightness and charm.

"How could I dare to offend such a beauty? However, I do need to ask a few questions. May I inquire with your personal maid?" Xu Qing asked.

"Ruotao, go ahead," said Hu Meiren.

"Yes."

Xu Qing carried the medicine box and stepped out from behind the curtain. The palace maid named Ruo Tao followed her out, and the two walked to the doorway.

"I wonder if you have any questions for me?" Ruotao asked.

"How long has the beauty been suffering from anorexia? Was there anything unusual before it started? What did she come into contact with?" Xu Qing asked three questions in a row.

"The beauty has been anorexic for about six days now. Before that, she was not acting strangely, but for some reason, she has been unable to muster any interest in food for a while."

“My beauty enjoys watching plays. Eight days ago, a troupe of witchcraft from the State of Chu came to perform, but she didn’t go,” Ruotao said.

Hearing this, Xu Qing interrupted Ruo Tao, who was about to continue speaking, and hurriedly asked...
"Do you know what happened before the beauty was in a bad mood? For example, what she saw, who she met, and so on?"

After thinking it over carefully, Ruotao seemed to suddenly remember something and said...

"Some time ago, the king bestowed many treasures upon the beauty. When she saw those treasures, she was in a good mood, but suddenly her mood soured and she lost interest afterward."

"In the days that followed, the beauty always played with a string of red agate beads, and often looked at the beads and shed tears of emotion."

“Occasionally I also hear the beauty reciting poetry, something like, ‘To continue the lineage of ancestors, to build a house with a hundred walls’ or something like that.” Hearing Ruotao’s words, Xu Qing breathed a sigh of relief, the tension in his heart disappeared, and a smile appeared on his face. He had confirmed the source of Hu Meiren’s worries.

When he saw the agate bracelet in Hu Meiren's hand, he felt that the bracelet looked somewhat similar to the Fire Rain Agate that appeared in the original novel.

Ruotao learned that Hu Meiren was reciting a poem, which was about her late mother and grandmother. This poem comes from the Book of Songs, Minor Odes of the Kingdom, Si Gan, and is about family harmony.

Through various actions, Xu Qing guessed that the reason why Hu Meiren became ill with worry was because she saw the bracelet made of fire rain agate.

In the original story, Hu Meiren was the second daughter of Huoyu Gong, the richest man in Baiyue at the time, and Huoyu Gong became the richest man in Baiyue by virtue of Huoyu Agate.

Originally, Huo Yugong's family lived in harmony, wealth, and peace. However, the states of Han and Chu joined forces to attack Baiyue. During the campaign against Baiyue, Li Kai, the Right Sima of Han, fell in love with Huo Yugong's eldest daughter. The two were a perfect match, and it should have been a beautiful story.

However, Liu Yi, the Left Sima of Korea, had lustful intentions. He not only wanted to seize Huo Yu Gong's eldest daughter, but also wanted to take over the wealth of Huo Yu Manor.

So the other side colluded with the Three Wolves of Broken Hair, jointly looted Fire Rain Manor, framed Li Kai, and caused Li Kai to be surrounded by the Hundred Yue army.

In the end, Liu Yi eliminated the Three Wolves with Broken Hair and seized the treasure of Fire Rain Manor and the eldest daughter of Fire Rain Duke, who is now Madam Hu.

Hu Meiren, the second daughter, entered the palace by a twist of fate and became a concubine of King Han An.

Although the two sisters missed each other, they were unaware that the other was in Xinzheng City.

Looking at Xu Qing's smiling face, Ruotao asked...
"How can you still laugh when the beauty is seriously ill? Could it be that you have already found a way to cure her illness?"

“I have a plan, but I need to confirm it again. Please allow me to take the beauty’s pulse again,” Xu Qing said confidently.

"Okay, please follow me." Ruotao was also happy to hear that her beauty was saved.

A servant's life, both honor and disgrace, depends entirely on her master. Lady Hu was the most favored person in the entire Han royal palace besides Lady Mingzhu, so her status as a personal maid naturally rose accordingly.

Ruotao led Xu Qing back into the curtained area. Hu Meiren looked at the two who seemed relieved and wondered why they acted as if they had resolved a major issue after only exchanging a few words.

"My beauty, please allow me to take your pulse again," Xu Qing said.

Hu Meiren didn't speak, but stretched out her fair arm again, and Xu Qing placed his hand on it through the gauze, saying at the same time.

"My beauty, I am aware of your condition and have a treatment method."

"Oh?" Hu Meiren looked at Xu Qing with more curiosity. "What's your plan? What herbs do you need?"

"No herbs are needed. The beauty's illness is caused by worry, and it cannot be cured by medicine. It requires another approach," Xu Qing continued, halfway through her sentence.

"I wonder if the beauty has ever heard of talking about illness."

"Talking about illness? What kind of treatment is this? Why have I never heard of it before?" Hu Meiren looked at Xu Qing with curiosity in her eyes. She found that this young man, who was as handsome as Song Yu, was not only exceptionally good-looking, but also had an unpredictable and intriguing demeanor.

“Talking about illness is a special treatment method. It does not require medicine. It only requires the doctor to talk to the patient to treat the patient, especially for illnesses like Meiren's, which are caused by worry and stagnation of qi,” Xu Qing said.

"Since you know how, why don't you hurry up and treat the beauty?" Ruotao urged from the side.

"I do know how, but I need a quiet environment," Xu Qing said.

Ruotao looked at Hu Meiren, who glanced at Xu Qing hesitantly before nodding to Ruotao and saying...
"Except for Ruotao and Eunuch Han, everyone else should leave."

Han, the eunuch, was King An of Han's personal attendant, so he was bound to stay.

"Yes." The palace maids and eunuchs outside left the palace, leaving only Xu Qingruo, Tao Hu Meiren, and Han Eunuch outside the curtains.

After everyone had left, Xu Qingqing cleared his throat and spoke.

"My lady, the illness is quite simple. I will now tell you a story, and you will simply need to listen attentively."

Upon hearing Xu Qing's words, both Consort Hu and Eunuch Ruotao looked at him with great curiosity. Using stories to cure illness was a method they had never heard of before.

"This story about the beauty is short, so please listen carefully." Xu Qing took a deep breath and began to tell the tale.
"It is said that there was once a man who was good at business and took advantage of the right time, which made his family the richest and most prominent in the area. He also built a manor. After accumulating a lot of wealth, he did not become rich and heartless. Instead, he was charitable and helped the poor."

"He was not only highly praised by the locals, but although he only had two daughters, his family was harmonious and happy. His two daughters were exceptionally beautiful and intelligent from a young age, and their sisterly bond was excellent; they ate and lived together."

Xu Qing's voice was slow and steady. Ruo Tao and Han, the eunuch beside him, didn't seem to notice anything, but Hu Meiren on the bed was somewhat moved.

As Xu Qing recounted the story, he couldn't help but recall his childhood. Back then, before the Fire Rain Manor suffered its calamity, he and his sister lived a carefree and happy life under their father's doting care.

Seeing the look of reminiscence in Hu Meiren's eyes, Xu Qing knew she was already in the zone, so he continued speaking.

"If nothing unexpected happens, these wonderful times will accompany this family for the rest of their lives."

"Unfortunately, disaster was imminent. The elder of the two sisters, while traveling, happened to meet a wandering knight-errant. This man was handsome and virtuous, and the two fell in love at first sight."

"Unfortunately, fortune and misfortune are intertwined. The young knight had a mission to fulfill, so he secretly pledged his love to his sister and left the manor with a token of their commitment."

(End of this chapter)