Chapter 324: Section 176: Practicing Medicine (Second Update)
The Emperor left the soon-to-be incumbent official without a backward glance.
He was on his way to look for the elder ritual wine official.
The elder official hadn’t included his address in his letter, but the Emperor was not incapable of finding him.
The messenger who delivered the letter had said he was just running an errand for a guest staying at the Eastward Inn.
Eastward Inn, splendid.
The Emperor personally went to the Eastward Inn, but found that the elder official had already left by the time he arrived.
“When did he leave?” The eunuch by His Majesty’s side asked.
The innkeeper replied, “He left a while ago. He goes out every day and only returns late.”
“How many days has he been staying here?” The eunuch probed further.
The shopkeeper glanced at his ledger and replied, “Five nights.”
The Eastward Inn was an unremarkable inn, one so downtrodden that was scorned even as a lavatory for the Emperor.
The Emperor felt deeply saddened when he thought about how the elder official had humbled himself and stayed in such a place for so long.
Green tea indispensable skill number one: self-pity!
The elder official was absolutely proficient in green tea!
The Emperor patiently waited at the Eastward Inn for most of the day, but the elder official never returned. He couldn’t really continue to wait indefinitely, after all, there was still a stack of reports waiting for his attention in the Imperial Study Room.
With a sense of regret, the Emperor left.
If he could have seen him, it would have been alright. But not having seen him, the Emperor felt as if something was left unfinished, always pricking his mind.
This was another trick of the green tea: leaving him eagerly anticipating.
The elder official never failed to impress in his cunning tactics on the officialdom. Back in the day, he had used the same mind game to send the Emperor’s mother, the Empress Zhuang, to the Cold Palace.
Although Zhuang was restored to her position within half a year, he still became the first official in the dynasty to have ever successfully conspired against her.
As soon as the Emperor left, the elder returned to the inn… Truth be told, he had never strayed far; just hiding across the street at a tea house, observing the Emperor.
“Sir, someone came looking for you” The shopkeeper politely informed him.
“Hmmm.” The elder responded, not surprised.
The shopkeeper continued, “Will you be staying tonight? Should I arrange for dinner to be sent to your room?”
The elder official replied, “No, I won’t be staying.”
Why stay and waste money when his purpose was already achieved?
Though the inn was shabby, it still costs two to three hundred copper plates per night.
Recently he had been running low on funds. There were expenses to cover at home, and then there were extortion charges to pay to someone else.
The frugal elder decided to cancel his room reservation.
He planned to lay low for a while.
Keeping a safe distance yet creating suspense was his modus operandi.
Besides, people seldom truly cherish what comes easily.
Having been away from court for so long, the Guozijian was not as it had been three years ago, and neither was he the same worry-free ritual wine official. He had more enemies now, other than Empress Zhuang who could awaken any time, and possibly many more.
He needed the Emperor’s absolute reliance on him.
The family in Bishui Alley were oblivious to the elder official’s cunning.
The old lady hadn’t seen the elder official for several days and assumed he had run away to avoid handing over his private stash of money.
“Granny, I’m going to the Medical Hall.” Gu Jiao tidied up the house, then visited the old lady’s room to inform her.
The Medical Hall was opening today.
The old lady mumbled and waved her hand, “Go on.”
Gu Jiao looked at her quizzically, “Granny, what’s wrong?”
The old lady frowned in confusion, “I’m trying to remember my name.”
Gu Jiao was taken aback, “You remember your name?”
The old lady shook her head, “Your uncle mentioned it.”
Indeed, he recognized her. He even knew her name.
“What is your name?” Gu Jiao inquired.
“Zhuang Jinse,” the old lady said.
Huh? Her surname is Zhuang?
Gu Jiao remained silent.
Gu Jiao left for the Medical Hall.
The second boss seemed clueless inside the Grand Hall.
Gu Jiao went over, “What’s wrong?”
He sighed, “The batch of medicinal herbs we ordered before the new year, the ones we use to make the wound-healing salve for the military camp, we had agreed to pay the remaining amount next month, but now they are asking for the payment ahead of schedule, otherwise they won’t deliver the herbs.”
Gu Jiao had very strict requirements for the medicinal herbs. The wound-healing salve she made had a higher concentration than others and thus required more herbs.
They had paid thirty percent as a deposit.
The Medical Hall had good business since its opening, but the initial investment was so large that they hadn’t made a profit yet. That deposit was made by exhausting the entire savings of the second boss.
The remaining seventy percent were hundreds of taels of silver, which he simply couldn’t afford anymore.
Gu Jiao calmly pulled out a stack of silver bills from her pocket and handed them to him, “Take this.”