Chapter 134: Entangled Roots and Complex Nodes

Although Anyi prescribed the right medicine and Old Madam Gan was not suffering from a terminal illness, her condition had been misdiagnosed for so long that she did not wake up immediately after taking the medicine.

The expressions of the Gan family members grew even worse, and their gazes toward Anyi turned unfriendly.

With an unchanged expression, Anyi pressed a few acupuncture points on Old Madam Gan and checked her pulse once more. Her pulse was much steadier than before, proving the diagnosis was correct. Looking back, she said, "The old madam will wake up soon. Go and prepare some clear porridge and a few side dishes."

Gan Shanxing nodded slightly, signaling a maidservant to follow Anyi's instructions.

A quarter of an hour later, Old Madam Gan woke up.

The Gan family members crowded around her, asking how she felt all at once, squeezing Anyi out of the circle.

"My chest doesn't hurt as much, my mouth isn't numb anymore, and I feel hungry. I want to eat something." Old Madam Gan's response came as a pleasant surprise to the Gan family; this was the first time since falling ill that she had proactively said she was hungry and wanted to eat.

The clear porridge and side dishes were quickly brought in. After finishing the meal served by the maidservants, Old Madam Gan recovered much of her vigor. Upon learning that it was Anyi's prescription that had improved her condition, she looked at Anyi with softened eyes and smiled, saying, "To have such exceptional medical skills at such a tender age—you have a limitless future!"

Anyi smiled calmly and replied, "If this humble maiden were a man, I would certainly be very happy to hear the old madam's words."

"Yi Zhu and Bao Niang were both famous female physicians, and Qiao Jiawei Niang of the previous dynasty was truly a hero among women. From your countenance, I can see that you possess a spirit not a whit inferior to that of any man." Old Madam Gan looked as though she held high hopes for Anyi to make a name for herself across the land through her medical arts.

"Your words make this humble maiden blush with shame, Old Madam. My father is not willing for me to be a physician. The only reason I came this time was because Princess Lanying was worried about your health." Anyi reiterated that her presence here was at the behest of Princess Lanying.

"If not for the princess's kind intentions in recommending a skilled female physician like you, I would still be bedridden," Old Madam Gan smiled.

"My medical skills may not be as profound as those of the imperial physicians, but as a woman, I understand that a woman's constitution differs from a man's, and the medication must be tailored accordingly. That is why I was able to cure the old madam with a single dose."

"What you say is true; women and men are indeed different." Old Madam Gan smiled faintly. "May I ask which renowned physician your esteemed father is?"

"My late father is An Qinghe." Without the hesitation usually felt when speaking one's father's given name directly, Anyi stated it outright.

A flash of sharp insight crossed Lady Li's eyes as she smiled and said, "What a coincidence! Your esteemed father's name sounds identical to that of the Grand General Guarding the Frontier. I wonder if the characters are the same as well?"

"My father is none other than Grand General An Qinghe." Anyi replied frankly, knowing this could not be kept hidden anyway.

The room fell into silence once more, as none of them had expected Anyi to be a young lady from the General's Mansion.

Sitting in the outer parlor, Gan Shanxing furrowed his brows deeply. What did Princess Lanying mean by sending a general's daughter to treat an illness? And why would An Qinghe allow his daughter to show her face in public and make this trip? Shifting his gaze, he looked at Gan Shanyu, who was sitting nearby sipping tea, lost in thought.

Old Madam Gan broke the silence with a smile, saying, "A fierce daughter of a military household—no wonder you possess a spirit not inferior to a man's. This old woman's eyes are not yet failing; I saw it at a single glance."

Seeing that Old Madam Gan's gaze was somewhat unfocused and her voice lacked strength, Anyi said, "The old madam has not yet fully recovered, so it is not advisable for you to speak too much. Please lie down and rest."

Having exerted herself to speak for so long, Old Madam Gan was indeed feeling somewhat fatigued. She smiled and said, "Very well. Once I recover fully, we shall talk again."

"This humble maiden will come to visit the old madam again tomorrow," Anyi said as she stood up.

Old Madam Gan narrowed her eyes slightly and said, "Eldest daughter-in-law, see Miss An out on my behalf."

Anyi bowed to Old Madam Gan and was escorted out by Lady Li. As they reached the second set of gates, the gatekeeper hurried in to report that the Grand General An had arrived.

Since An Qinghe had already reached the entrance, it was impossible to let him leave just like that. Gan Shanxing and his brother went out to welcome him, brought him into the hall to be seated according to host and guest, drank a cup of tea, and exchanged polite pleasantries before the father and daughter took their leave.

***

The next day, Anyi came to the mansion once more to check Old Madam Gan's pulse.

Old Madam Gan had already taken the medicine three times and was now able to walk on her own feet. This came as an ecstatic relief to the Gan brothers, who had already prepared themselves for the mourning period of losing their mother, and they rewarded Anyi handsomely.

Lady Li also resolved to find a day to thank Princess Lanying for her recommendation. Regardless of the princess's underlying motives in sending Anyi to treat Old Madam Gan, the outcome was a joyous blessing for the Gan family.

Having successfully completed the first task entrusted to her by Princess Lanying, Anyi turned her attention to persuading Madam Luo. "Mother, Aunt Huang is a concubine. Previously, when you were in poor health, you had no choice but to let her take your place in social engagements. Now that you are well, if you still let her go out in your stead, others will think Father favors concubines over his wife. If the imperial censors catch wind of this and submit a memorial to the Emperor, His Majesty will hold Father accountable."

"This is a family matter of ours. His Majesty is busy with affairs of state and won't bother with such trivial matters," Madam Luo smiled.

"Who says he won't? Just take a look at this book and see what is written inside." Anyi shoved the book she was holding into Madam Luo's hands.

Madam Luo flipped through it and read about officials who were dismissed from office for favoring concubines over their wives. Her expression changed drastically, and she said with troubled hesitation, "But I don't know how to socialize. Going out will only bring shame to your father."

"Mother, when you face those ladies, you don't need to be so nervous. They are no different from the aunts in Jingtang Village—they all love gossiping about other families' affairs. If you don't know how to reply, just listen first and keep it in mind. Next time, you'll know how to chat with them."

"Not knowing what to say is a minor issue; the main thing is that their deportment is so elegant, while I am just a country woman. Being together with them will only make me look utterly crude and vulgar," Madam Luo said, full of shame.

"Mother, please don't say that. 'In the morning a common tiller of the fields, by evening seated in the Son of Heaven's hall.' If you trace back three or four generations of any noble household in the capital, their ancestors were all tilling the fields. Even Aunt Huang's family—her grandfather was also a farmer's son."

"They have been in the capital for a long time and have long since become wealthy families who understand all the proper rules and etiquette, whereas I know nothing," Madam Luo said despondently.

"Rules and etiquette can be learned. Tomorrow, I will go find Eighteenth Senior Sister and ask her to help find someone who can teach us etiquette. When the time comes, Mother and I will study hard together, and then when we go out to socialize, we certainly won't be any worse than them," Anyi smiled.

Madam Luo pondered for a moment, nodded heavily, and said, "I will study hard."

"Mother is wonderful!" Anyi praised.

That night, Anyi went to bed early in high spirits. Little did she know that beneath the seemingly ordinary and peaceful veil of night, a manhunt was quietly underway.

The next day, Anyi kept her appointment and went to the Hu residence to see Hu Qingyue. First, she paid a visit to Madam Hu (Qin), exchanged a few polite greetings, and then accompanied Hu Qingyue to her personal courtyard.

After exchanging a few casual remarks, Anyi expressed her gratitude and went straight to the point, "Eighteenth Senior Sister, I would like to ask you for a favor."

"What favor? Just name it, Senior Sister will certainly help you," Hu Qingyue said without a moment's hesitation.

"I would like to request an elderly palace maid who has been released from the palace to come to my home and assist my mother." Anyi had wanted to find someone for a long time, but lacking connections and unwilling to let the princess's estate get involved, she had delayed until now.

"No problem. In a couple of days, I'll send someone over to your place," Hu Qingyue answered readily.

"Thank you." With the purpose of her visit achieved, Anyi smiled brightly.

"Such a small matter, what is there to thank me for?" Hu Qingyue laughed.

Anyi stayed for lunch and then took her leave. Her carriage departed the Hu residence and rolled forward slowly. As they passed South Willow Bridge and turned into Yongshun Street, she heard loud, piercing screams ahead, accompanied by the frantic neighing of horses.

The coachman pulled the horses to a stop and said, "Miss, it looks like something has happened ahead, and the road is blocked."

"Go and ask what is going on and when the road might clear. If it's going to take too long, we can take a detour," Anyi instructed.

The coachman got down from the carriage and went ahead to inquire. Returning shortly after, he reported, "Miss, it's the fifth young master of the Huang family whose carriage ran over someone—he nearly killed a person. When he tried to leave without a word, people stopped him, and now they're arguing noisily. The yamen officials are dealing with it now, and the road should clear up soon."

"Which Huang family?" Anyi was extremely sensitive to the surname Huang.

"It's Aunt Huang's concubine-born younger brother, Huang Tang," the coachman replied.

Remembering An Kang's words, a thought stirred in Anyi's mind: could this incident have been arranged by him?

After a short while, the matter was settled and the road cleared.

The coachman drove the carriage forward. Anyi lifted the edge of the carriage curtain to look outside; many yamen runners armed with broadswords were stationed along the street. Suddenly, amidst the crowd, Anyi caught sight of a familiar face.

Li Guyu!

Anyi's eyes shifted slightly. What was he doing here? Could this matter have something to do with him?

The carriage rolled slowly past. When Anyi looked back, she discovered that Li Guyu had already vanished from the crowd. She smiled faintly—his lightness-gongfu was truly exceptional.

By the time she returned home, it was late in the *shen* hour (around 4:00 PM). Han Songyan had been waiting for her at the gatehouse for quite some time.

"Xier, something has happened!" Han Songyan lowered his voice and said.

"What has happ—" Anyi suddenly reacted, "Young Master Gong is in trouble."

"Late last night, a group of people suddenly burst in to capture him. He fought with them for a long time. Dongqing was injured and knocked unconscious during the fight. When he woke up, Young Master Gong was already gone from the room—it's unknown whether he was captured or escaped." Hearing the news, Han Songyan had been badly frightened as well.

"How is Dongqing?" Anyi asked.

"He suffered a head wound and two knife gashes on his back, but he'll recover after resting for a few days."

Anyi frowned slightly. "How did word leak out so that people found out where he was staying?"

"I discovered someone was tailing me, so I stopped going to the outer city to see him. Dongqing never came to the inner city either; I always sent my foster brother into the city to relay messages and fetch medicine. My foster brother usually comes and goes just like that without arousing suspicion, so I simply can't figure out how word leaked." Han Songyan was utterly baffled.

"Who could it be?" Anyi asked.

"I don't know who they were. Dongqing said they were all masked and dressed in black martial arts attire." Han Songyan rubbed the space between his brows. "With not a single clue, we don't know who captured him, nor where to look to find and rescue him."

"When the princess's estate captured him last time, they weren't masked. It shouldn't be the princess's people who took him," Anyi analyzed.

"Aside from the princess's estate, what other powerful figures has he offended?" Han Songyan asked.

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*Translator's Notes:*
*Only ten days left until my baby takes the piano grading exam, and then I'll finally be liberated!*
*Dear friends, please don't abandon Xianxue; continue to support me, okay!*