The next morning, after breakfast, Qin Liuxi went to the main house where the Old Princess Consort resided, accompanied by Qi Qian.
The main house was spacious on all sides, and the courtyard didn’t have too many precious flowers and plants. There was a large jar in the courtyard with a lotus floating on the surface and two Koi fish inside. Near the south wall, there were two Phoenix Flower Trees, under which a round table and rattan chairs were placed.
While Qi Qian went to pay his respects, Qin Liuxi waited in the courtyard, standing by the door and being curiously observed by a maid.
So this is the doctor who has come to treat the Old Princess Consort? She looks even younger than me.
A nanny walked out and also paused in surprise when she saw Qin Liuxi, but smiled and greeted her, "Is this Doctor Qin? Please follow this old servant, our Old Princess Consort has requested your presence."
"Thank you, Nanny." Qin Liuxi slightly bowed.
Nanny Zhao led the way at the front, with Qin Liuxi following two steps behind. Following her was Chen Pi, carrying the medical box.
Upon entering the room, they were greeted with warmth, as though the floor heating had already been lit despite it only being early autumn, making the room cozy and warm.
"Old Princess Consort, Doctor Qin has arrived," Nanny Zhao said with a smile.
Qi Qian stood up from the Old Princess Consort’s side, saying, "Grandmother, I present to you the person I mentioned to you, Master Buqiu from Li City Qingping Temple, whose family name is Qin. Please don’t be misled by her young age; her medical skills are exceptional."
Qin Liuxi saluted, "I have the honor of meeting the Princess Consort."
"No need for formalities, please have a seat," the Old Princess Consort said with a lift of her hand and a smile.
Qin Liuxi stood up straight and looked over, the smile on her face remaining, but her heart couldn’t help but sigh deeply.
This Old Princess Consort, while of noble status indeed, seemed to have suffered a turbulent fate: losing her mother at a young age, widowed early, and losing her son in her middle years. Could it be that her life was destined to be at odds with her kin?
Despite such a harsh fate, she did not come across as bitter or mean. She looked at you with a gentle smile, her gaze peaceful.
It was either an innately optimistic nature or a world-weary detachment that had mellowed her temperament.
"The young Master told me that Master Buqiu was very young, and I thought to myself, no matter how young you must be an adult. But I didn’t expect you to be of such a young age, and you also..." The Old Princess Consort’s eyes shimmered as she asked with a smile, "Are you truly a Daoist doctor, both a Daoist and a doctor?"
"I am indeed that," Qin Liuxi responded.
Qi Qian interjected at her side, "Grandmother, why not let her take your pulse first?"
"Tsk, don’t be so impatient, it would be embarrassing for Master Buqiu," scolded the Old Princess Consort, and then addressed Qin Liuxi, "Please excuse him, my grandson is pure-hearted and filial. It’s because of my frail health that he worries so."
Qin Liuxi glanced at both her and Qi Qian’s faces, then lowered her eyes and replied, "A filial grandson is indeed a blessing for the Princess Consort."
"That’s true, that’s the blessing I have," the Old Princess Consort said in a voice tinged with a sense of the vicissitudes of life.
Qin Liuxi looked over at Chen Pi, who smoothly opened the medical box and took out a small medicine pillow and passed it over.
"Shall I take your pulse now, Madam?"
The Old Princess Consort nodded, and Nanny Zhao stepped forward to roll up her sleeve slightly and reached for a silk handkerchief, but was rejected.
"The Master is a person of the Daoist house and even younger than Qian’er, not to mention I’m just an old lady, let’s not fuss over formalities."
Nanny Zhao had no choice but to put the handkerchief away.
Qin Liuxi had the Princess Consort lay her hand on the medicine pillow; meanwhile, she herself closed her eyes slightly and pinched a spell out of sight, then placed her hand on the Old Princess Consort’s pulse.
With this examination, Qin Liuxi’s brow moved slightly – indeed, a chart that spells out a life of conflicts with kin.