Water Margin: The opening scene involves assassinating Emperor Huizong of Song and forcibly taking L

"Sister-in-law An, my brother has traveled a great distance to Jiankang Prefecture all for..."

Shi Xiu recounted the epidemic in Xucheng and Lin Chong's illness on Liangshan.

"The lives of Instructor Lin and the disaster victims of Xucheng are all in imminent danger. Please, sister-in-law, persuade Doctor An to make this arduous journey."

Chapter 162 The Benevolence of a Healer

After listening to Shi Xiu's story,

After a moment's hesitation, Madam An immediately agreed.

"I am honored by Chief Zhao's high regard, and I accept this task on behalf of my husband!"

Zhao Yuan never expected things to be so easy. He had originally thought that persuading An Daoquan's wife would require quite a bit of talking.

Unexpectedly, the woman was indeed as Shi Xiu had described: straightforward, open-minded, and with a compassionate heart.

"On behalf of Instructor Lin and the disaster victims of Xucheng, I thank you, Madam and Physician An!"

After Zhao Yuan finished speaking, he glanced at Ruan Xiaoqi.

The latter understood and instructed his three guards to open the bundles they were carrying.

Inside were thirty garlic-shaped gold bars, each weighing ten taels.

Zhao Yuan instructed them to place all the gold bars on the table.

"Madam, this three hundred taels of gold is a small token of Liangshan's appreciation. Please accept it!"

"Does Chief Zhao look down on us?"

Madam An frowned and said unhappily, "Although we are not heroes of the martial arts world, saving lives and helping the sick is what we medical practitioners should do. Even without this gold, does that mean we shouldn't go to Shandong?"

"Madam has misunderstood,"

Zhao Yuan hurriedly said, "I have heard Brother Shi Xiu mention that Madam and Doctor An often provide free medical consultations for the poor. Sometimes they not only do not charge for the consultation, but they also pay for the herbs themselves."

"This time, we invited Physician An to Shandong, which means Liangshan owes a favor to the people of Jiankang Prefecture. Please accept this money, Madam, and use it to provide free medical treatment to the poor in the future. This will also be considered as Shandong repaying the favor to Jiankang Prefecture."

"this......"

Madam An hesitated for a moment.

She and An Daoquan have been providing free medical services for many years, not only to help the poor, but also to accumulate good karma and hope that God will have mercy and allow them to have children to keep them company as soon as possible.

However, the free clinic was very expensive. Although An Daoquan was extremely famous in Jiankang Prefecture, he could barely keep Jishetang from losing money.

With these three hundred taels of gold, the free clinics at Jishetang can continue for another three to five years.

"In that case, I thank Chief Zhao on behalf of the poor people of Jiankang Prefecture!"

Madam An accepted the gold and then inquired when they would depart for Shandong.

"I have chartered a passenger boat, which is docked at the Yangtze River pier outside the city. As for the departure time, the sooner the better!"

"My good-for-nothing husband has gone off to who-knows-where again! But no matter what, he'll always be home before dark,"

Madam An thought for a moment and said, "If it's early, my husband and I will go out of the city tonight to find Chief Zhao. If something delays us, we will definitely get to the Yangtze River by tomorrow morning."

After agreeing on the time and place, Zhao Yuan and his entourage took their leave.

Having left Jishetang, Zhao Yuan felt much more relaxed, having achieved his goal.

Thinking of leaving tomorrow and parting ways with Shi Xiu,

So he took this brother to a restaurant and they continued drinking.

Shi Xiu was also very sad, especially with her troublesome aunt at home.

Feeling troubled, I was about to drown my sorrows in alcohol.

They then drank bowl after bowl of wine in a frenzy.

Knowing his thoughts, Zhao Yuan decided to risk his life to accompany him.

The two drank from noon until dusk.

Zhao Yuan was already swaying unsteadily, while Shi Xiu had already fallen asleep from drunkenness.

"Let's go, let's take Brother Shi Xiu home first!"

Zhao Yuan stood up unsteadily: "Then we'll return to the passenger ship and wait for Doctor An and his wife to arrive!"

Hu Sanniang quickly stepped forward to support Zhao Yuan, while Wang Dingliu and Ruan Xiaoqi helped Shi Xiu up.

"Oh, right, brother,"

Ruan Xiaoqi suddenly asked, "I just asked Xiao Liu. The butcher we encountered on our way to An Shenyi's clinic with Brother Shi Xiu was Zhang the butcher who was having an affair with Brother Shi Xiu's aunt!"

"Should we step in and get rid of this trouble for Brother Shi Xiu?"

"this......"

Zhao Yuan was also somewhat tempted, but then he looked at Shi Xiu and shook his head.

"Forget it. Brother Shi Xiu is focused on observing mourning for his uncle. He is also an extremely shrewd man. He probably knows perfectly well what happened between that butcher Zhang and his aunt. The reason he hasn't taken action is firstly because he lacks evidence, and secondly because he doesn't want to get into legal trouble and ruin his mourning period."

"If that butcher Zhang gets into trouble now, the authorities will definitely implicate the Shi brothers, and then his wish to observe mourning for his uncle will be ruined..."

“Brother is right, I acted impulsively,” Ruan Xiaoqi nodded.

Hu Sanniang, supporting Zhao Yuan, suddenly remembered something and reminded him, "Brother, Physician An and his wife are ordinary people who don't know martial arts. If they leave the city overnight to meet the passenger ship, it will be a journey of more than half an hour. What if they accidentally encounter bandits on the way?"

Zhao Yuan thought for a moment and then instructed, "Here's what we'll do: Xiao Qi, after you two take Brother Shi Xiu home, go to Xiao Liu's hotel and wait there. After that, go back to the passenger ship with Doctor An and his wife!"

"Don't worry, brother, I understand!"

Ruan Xiaoqi responded and then, together with Wang Dingliu, helped Shi Xiu out of the hotel.

After they left, Hu Sanniang went to the back room to ask the shopkeeper for a bowl of fresh fish soup. After feeding it to Zhao Yuan, he immediately became much more sober.

"Let's go back to the passenger ship!"

..........

Meanwhile, Ruan Xiaoqi and Wang Dingliu helped Shi Xiu back to West Street.

Passing by the butcher's stall on the way, the two remembered Zhao Yuan's instructions and refrained from causing trouble for butcher Zhang (077).

But the butcher saw the drunken Shi Xiu.

Thinking back to how he and his aunt hadn't seen each other for many days because Shi Xiu had been home day and night,

Now that Shi Xiu is drunk, isn't this the perfect opportunity for an adulterer to steal away his wife, like dry wood meeting a raging fire?

Thinking of this, Butcher Zhang's heart immediately burned with excitement.

Without even bothering to do business anymore, he gathered up the pork from his stall, hung it in the well, and then...

He tidied himself up a bit and then headed excitedly toward Shi Xiu's house.

And at the same time,

An Daoquan, who had spent most of the day wandering around the brothels, returned to the clinic.

As soon as he entered the back room, he saw the stack of garlic-shaped gold on the table.

An Daoquan asked in surprise, "Madam, where did all this gold come from?"

"What? You didn't know?"

Madam An sneered, "Didn't you go to treat Shi Xiu's aunt? This is the consultation fee he brought!"

"what?"

An Daoquan was stunned for a moment, then saw that his wife had a sullen face.

He immediately realized that his affair had been discovered.

He was about to explain with an awkward smile

Madam An said coldly, "Keep your words to yourself. As for this gold, it was given by Chief Zhao of Liangshan Marsh in Shandong..."

Chapter 163 An Daoquan Seeks Prostitutes in the Middle of the Night

Lady An recounted the entire story of the epidemic in Xucheng and Lin Chong's illness.

"I've already agreed to this on your behalf. So, tell me, when are you leaving? Now or tomorrow morning?"

"this......"

An Daoquan looked helpless: "Madam, this matter is of great importance. Why did you make this decision on your own without consulting me?"

"Is this of great importance? I think you're just reluctant to part with those vixens in the brothels, aren't you?"

Madam An sneered: "In short, I have already agreed. If this trip to Shandong can cure the epidemic and save tens of thousands of lives, perhaps Heaven will take pity on us and grant us a son or daughter."

At this point, Madam An reached out and touched her belly, her face full of anticipation.

Looking at his wife's expression, An Daoquan swallowed back his complaints and dissatisfaction.

The couple had been childless for many years, and An Daoquan had become somewhat despondent, but Madam An still had not given up hope.

"Let's set off tomorrow morning. I'll organize some medical books on epidemics tonight and take them with me to Shandong; they might come in handy."

An Daoquan thought for a moment and then said.

"Then I'll go to sleep now."

Madam An turned and left the back room.

An Daoquan flipped through the medical books for a while, then his gaze involuntarily drifted back to the pile of gold on the table.

He suddenly remembered something: his trip to Shandong to treat the epidemic...

It will take at least two or three months, and could take as long as six months to a year.

Recently, he had become infatuated with a prostitute named Li Qiaonu in a brothel, and had already spent a lot of money on her. The two were deeply in love.

Leaving without saying goodbye at this time is clearly inappropriate.

Thinking of this, An Daoquan took out two garlic-shaped gold bars from the gold on the table, put them in his pocket, and walked towards the door.

......

In the hotel by the woods outside Jiankang City,

Ruan Xiaoqi and Wang Dingliu were sitting at the door.

They kept an eye on the official road while drinking and chatting.

"Brother Xiaoqi, what does Liangshan Mountain stronghold look like? Could you tell me about it?"

Wang Dingliu asked curiously, "I've only heard Brother Shixiu mention Liangshan's chivalrous deeds and its upholding of justice, but since Brother Shixiu has never been to Liangshan, he doesn't know what the stronghold looks like. I've been curious about it for a long time."

"Our Liangshan stronghold is located in the middle of an 800-li (approximately 400 km) stretch of marshland. The entire Liangshan mountain range consists of Liangshan, Qinglong Mountain..."

Ruan Xiaoqi recounted the details of Liangshan in detail.

Wang Dingliu was filled with longing.

"Brother, listen to me, our brother is truly remarkable! Back in Shijie Village, that scoundrel Wang Lun tried to harm you, but you turned the tables on him, not only killing Wang Lun but also taking over Liangshan and becoming its leader!"

Ruan Xiaoqi recalled, "Back then, the entire mountain stronghold had a population of only a thousand, but now, in just over three months, the population of Liangshan has exceeded ten thousand! The number of soldiers who went out to fight alone has exceeded a thousand, and that doesn't even include the garrison, the navy, and the women's army."

"Brother Xiaoqi, I've asked you to be my deputy. I wonder what kind of achievements our navy has made at Liangshan?" Wang Dingliu pressed.

Upon hearing his question, Ruan Xiaoqi immediately felt embarrassed and could only change the subject.

"Originally, there were only three of us brothers as naval commanders on the mountain, each leading a naval force. However, on the way to Jiankang Prefecture, my brother took in Fei Bao and his four brothers. Then we met you here. Now, the Liangshan navy has eight leaders!"

"Brother always plans carefully before acting. He has suddenly added five leaders to the navy. After returning to the mountain this time, he will definitely expand the navy!"

"By then, when our navy gets into arguments with the leaders of the cavalry and infantry, we'll have more confidence!"

At this point, Ruan Xiaoqi burst into laughter.

"quarrel?"

Wang Dingliu was stunned when he heard what Ruan Xiaoqi said.

You actually believed it?

Ruan Xiaoqi laughed heartily: "The leaders of our mountain stronghold are all chivalrous and loyal, with a bond that would risk their lives for each other! What's arguing? When we have nothing to do, we even pick up knives and spears and spar with each other!"

At this point, even the usually outspoken Ruan Xiaoqi let out a rare long sigh.

"Only someone like my brother could bring so many heroes together!"