Dingbei Hou's doctor brother

A eunuch in a green robe and a long sash was carrying a large basket of herbs and throwing it to the guillotine table, clapping his hands and giving orders.

"You two, cut all of this up later."

Wu Ji's eyes widened in surprise, "What? So many? My father-in-law hasn't finished cutting the baskets he brought earlier."

The eunuch looked impatient and said, "I asked you to do some work, why are you talking so much nonsense?"

"Being able to work in the Imperial Pharmacy is a blessing you've earned over several lifetimes. So many people want to come but haven't had the chance. Now that you're here, you must learn the proper pharmaceutical manufacturing process. If you try to be cunning or dishonest, you'll be punished and expelled from the palace."

Wu Ji glanced at the person beside him with displeasure and retorted, "Why do we have so much more medicine than they do?"

The eunuch said "Hey" and swung the whisk in his hand on the edge of the table.

"You want to get beaten if you talk back again?"

Wu Ji gritted his teeth, staring at the pretty boy's back with disgust, and the force of the guillotine in his hand became stronger and stronger.

"It's obvious these people did it on purpose."

Su Chengfeng took a handful of tongcao and continued cutting it, whispering.

"There are only two kinds of people who come to the Forbidden City: those who bully others, and those who are bullied."

Wu Ji immediately confirmed himself, "We are the second type."

"Then why don't you shut up right now." Su Chengfeng scolded, "Finish cutting these baskets of herbs first."

Lu Ziqing looked back in annoyance. He didn't know what to say, so he just raised his head and turned thousands of words into a sigh.

The medicine room was spacious and bright, filled with steam and a strong smell of herbs.

Five rows of wide and long stoves were filled with imperial doctors decocting medicine. Each of them was guarding his own stove, and there was an eunuch beside him to monitor the cooking process.

Lu Ziqing stayed by the stove for nearly an hour. He felt so hot that he wanted to vomit. In addition, the stove fire was burning, and his clothes were soaked with sweat and stuck to his neck, making him very uncomfortable.

He raised his arm to wipe the sweat from his chin, took out some of the boiled medicine, divided it into three portions, and drank it together with several supervisors.

After signing with Li Limu, the eunuch put the medicine into the medicine box and sealed it.

Time flies and it is already four quarters past You.

The afterglow of the setting sun shines on the glazed tile eaves of the palace complex, making it look magnificent and golden, as if it were coated with a thicker and more dazzling layer of gild.

The three of them walked down the street yawning, twisting their waists and pounding their shoulders.

"Brother Lu, I'm so hungry. I'm so hungry that I can eat a cow." Wu Ji said with a bitter face, holding his stomach.

"I only managed to get a little white rice at noon, and that was a mouthful for me and Brother Chengfeng. The palace is so big, how come we can't even get enough to eat?"

In the palace, servants have to serve their masters in their daily lives and must be on call at all times.

If you are delayed for a small matter like going to the toilet, you will be punished, so it is also a rule that you cannot eat a full meal.

There is no such rule in the Imperial Medical Service, but the doctors without ranks and the odd jobs eat the latest, so naturally there is nothing left.

Su Chengfeng glanced at the person who was complaining and jokingly said, "With your small body, you would have starved to death before being beaten to death."

Lu Ziqing stared at him and said helplessly: "You have such a big mouth."

When they reached the main street, they saw a gray-covered, double-axled carriage parked at the intersection, which was particularly eye-catching.

The carriage is made of black nanmu wood with gold-plated carved patterns. It is several times larger than an ordinary carriage and is extremely luxurious.

A young coachman came towards them and bowed slightly. "Excuse me, are you Mr. Lu?"

"I am indeed." Lu Ziqing asked doubtfully, "I wonder if you are..."

The driver smiled and replied, "The carriage ahead is from the Dingbei Marquis's Mansion. I've been ordered to come pick you up. Please come in, Mr. Lu."

The carriage from the Dingbei Marquis’ Mansion?

Lu Ziqing got on the carriage in a daze, and it took him a while to remember what Lieutenant General Yang had told him.

He drew aside the curtains and saw the street was wide and quiet, with the residences of noble families on both sides.

Three quarters of an hour later, the carriage stopped in front of the Dingbei Marquis Mansion on Dongming Street.

The mansion was filled with guards, and the gate was very wide, which was completely different from the black lacquered mansions along the road.

When the servant in the mansion saw the carriage, he immediately stepped forward to serve.

Lu Ziqing and the other two followed him into the main gate of the Marquis' Mansion, where the servants were busy hanging lanterns everywhere.

At this time, an old man with a peaceful face came out from the second gate and saluted.

"Mr. Lu is here. I am Wen Zhong, the steward of this mansion. Dinner is ready. Please follow me."

Lu Ziqing: “…”

The luxurious carriage and the servants serving at the mansion of a noble family are really puzzling.

Wu Ji followed behind and peeked in, quietly asking, "Brother Lu, what is your relationship with the Marquis? We're being treated so well."

Lu Ziqing also wanted to know the answer to this question. Even if he did as the young general said, he would have to repay him.

Then recommending him to the Imperial Hospital was enough, why invite him to the palace? He was somewhat uncomfortable with such a reward.

Su Chengfeng nudged Wu Ji and whispered, "There are a lot of people here, don't ask around."

Wen Zhong led people through the second gate, around the middle gate, and walked directly to the east courtyard of the inner house from the side corridor.

Xiao Si was secretly watching along the way. This distinguished guest who could enter the inner house was dressed simply and did not look like a person of status.

According to the regulations of the official aristocracy, only family members and close relatives could live in the inner house, and ordinary guests could only stay in the guesthouse in the outer house.

Moreover, the Marquis' Mansion had never received any guests to stay overnight.

The East Courtyard will be the residence of the young master in the future. Even if the family in the mansion dwindles and there are no boys or girls left, the courtyard must be left empty and will never be given to guests to live in.

Although no one has ever lived in the East Courtyard, it is extremely clean and servants come to clean it every day.

In Chongcuixuan, there are lush green bamboos, flourishing flowers and plants, lights on and hot meals already prepared, making the courtyard look particularly warm and elegant.

"Then everyone, please have dinner first," Wen Zhong said. "If you need anything, please let me know."

Lu Ziqing bowed and said, "Thank you very much."

After Wen Zhong left the house, Wu Ji grabbed the chopsticks and started eating like a starving ghost. Even though his mouth was bulging, he still couldn't stop eating.

"Oh my god, what kind of delicious food is this? This is the first time I've eaten it in my life."

Seeing his satisfied look, Lu Ziqing smiled and said, "Eat slowly, don't choke."

Su Chengfeng glanced at the starving ghost, put his chopsticks into the fish plate, and teased him.

"Eat slowly, or you might choke to death."

"puff--"

Wu Ji spat out a big mouthful of food in anger and ordered a full banquet. Su Chengfeng had no time to react and a lot of food crumbs splashed on the back of his hand and chopsticks. It was a living retribution.

Lu Ziqing was eating the food in his bowl and escaped the disaster.

Wu Ji froze in place, food still stuck to his mouth, his eyes darting left and right, meeting the murderous gazes of two people standing beside him.

He looked at Lu Ziqing and grinned awkwardly, pointing at the next door, "It's all his fault."

This remark immediately earned the victim a chopstick-tip on the back of his hand.

Wu Ji retracted his hand in pain, rubbed the back of his hand back and forth with his other hand, and said aggrievedly.

"Brother Lu, look at him. First he cursed me, and now he's hitting me.

Lu Ziqing shook his head helplessly.

These two people can't be quiet for a quarter of an hour when they are together.

To be honest, it was also Wu Ji's own fault that he was a bit careless in his work and was often scolded by Su Chengfeng.

Gradually, the two of them spoke and acted more and more casually. In Lu Ziqing's words, they had no rules.

After eating the hot soup and eating the rice, they felt much more energetic and the three of them toured the courtyard.

Lu Ziqing discovered that not only was the front yard fresh and elegant, but the backyard behind the room also had a unique view.

He pushed open the back door and walked out. There was a long corridor running through the left and right, and in front of him was a beautiful lotus pond.

On the opposite rockery, small waterfalls flow into the pool in an orderly manner.

The evening breeze was gentle, the fragrance of flowers was refreshing, and the green bamboos were swaying gently in the wind. Lu Ziqing seemed to have the illusion that he was in a paradise.

At this time, Wu Ji came through the hall from the front yard and shouted "Wow".

"Brother Lu, this mansion is so huge and beautiful. There are so many pavilions, towers, and courtyards that I can't even take in all of them."

"When I first entered the mansion, I was thinking, 'It took me a whole cup of tea to get here from the outer courtyard gate. How can the Marquis live in such a big house all by himself?'"

Lu Ziqing just smiled and said nothing, and Su Chengfeng continued with an expressionless face.

"How can the mansions of powerful nobles be big? Which one of them isn't..."

"Old Su," Lu Ziqing said, "Be careful with your words. We are staying in someone else's house temporarily. Don't be rash or act rashly. After we get familiar with each other for a while, we can find another place to stay. You are tired today, so you should go to bed early."

It was Buji's first time enjoying a luxurious mansion, and he was full of energy, as if he had been injected with chicken blood, and talked endlessly about all sorts of things.

Su Chengfeng really didn't want to hear such boring questions as how to make fried snakes delicious, whether chicken manure is effective in treating bloating, and why southern girls are born with fair skin.

Soon he fell asleep on the low table.

Wu Ji dragged Lu Ziqing until three quarters past midnight before he pulled the man lying on the low table up and dragged him back to the side rooms.

"This kid is really good at chatting."

Lu Ziqing pounded his shoulder and sighed, pulling half of the door with one hand and was about to close it when he saw Xiao Yan suddenly walk to the door from the side.

The scarlet official uniform and black gauze hat looked so noble that it made people feel distant. It was completely different from the tight armor he wore during the Northern Expedition. He didn't recognize the person for a moment.

When Xiao Yan arrived at Shoukang Palace, he was invited by the Empress Dowager to chat for a long time. Later, he went back to the Duke's Mansion to have dinner before coming back.

"I saw the light was still on in the room, so I came over." Xiao Yan asked, "Is the military doctor used to this place?"

Lu Ziqing bowed, "I am deeply grateful for your recommendation to the Imperial Hospital... and for your hospitality. It is we who are causing trouble here."

Xiao Yan smiled and said, "Military doctor, you are too polite. Besides me, there are only a bunch of young people living in this mansion. No one else will bother us."

"You can treat this place like home and stay as long as you want. I may be busy with military affairs and rarely be here on weekdays. If you need anything, just tell Wenbo."

After he was granted the title of Marquis, he moved out of the Duke's Mansion and lived alone. He would only return to the Duke's Mansion when he came back from a campaign or when he had free time on weekdays.

The next day, the court officials argued endlessly about whether to kill or not the Crown Prince Chishuo.

Xiao Yan listened for a while, and after leaving the court, he went straight to the training ground.

Yang Zhounan returned from the training ground, wiped his sweat, and asked, "What did the court say?"