From the beginning to the few remaining pages, this is the first appearance of a woman in the handwritten notes.
Even Master has never mentioned himself, not even a complaint, as if she, his disciple, had never existed by his side.
This is not exactly a woman, but a girl.
Miss Jun subconsciously reached out to touch her own face.
What exactly does Chu Jiuling look like? She could hardly remember, but this thought was fleeting and it was clear that this was not her portrait.
The girl in the portrait is only about four or five years old.
She was already ten years old when she followed Master.
Miss Jun looked closely at the portrait, if one could say it resembled...
Her hand touched the eyes of the portrait.
These eyes resemble her Master.
Is this, Master's child?
Master actually had a family and children? But if he had a family and children, why would he have ended up wandering away, never mentioning it, nor returning?
Are there really people in this world who don't want to be with their family?
Miss Jun frowned deeply, looked at the portrait again, and flipped the page.
The next page was still a portrait, the same girl's portrait, only older by a few years, about seven or eight.
Miss Jun was beginning to understand, and quickly flipped onward.
Page after page.
Around ten years old.
About eleven or twelve years old.
About thirteen or fourteen years old.
And flipping stopped abruptly, as the page was blank.
It's over? Miss Jun paused in disbelief, flipping further until the last page of the handwritten notes, which was blank.
It's all read.
Miss Jun stroked the handwritten notes feeling a bit desolate.
The seemingly thick notes, how did they end so quickly?
She lowered her head looking at the blank paper.
It's really over, there's no more...
An inexplicable sourness hit the tip of her nose, and tears fell on the blank paper, instantly blurring.
"Miss."
Liu'er's voice came from outside, Miss Jun exhaled, blinked away her tears, and looked up.
Liu'er wasn't looking at her but rather at a letter in her hand.
"Miss, it's a letter from Doctor Feng from the capital," she said, glancing at the name on it before handing it over.
Doctor Feng?
No news is the best news, and he wouldn't contact unless there's an issue.
What happened?
Miss Jun's eyes narrowed as she took the letter.
..............
"Master! It's absolutely true!"
In the empty Imperial Hospital's office, Doctor Geng's voice echoed.
Although his voice was loud, it did not make the room lively but rather more desolate.
Imperial Physician Jiang frowned at him.
"Is there really trouble?" he said, a spark of excitement flickering in his eyes, yet his expression remained calm.
He had to stay calm, after experiencing so many hopes followed by just as many disappointments, all because of Jiuling Hall.
From initially expecting Jiuling Hall to be despised by doctors in the capital, waiting for it to be scorned by the public, hoping it becomes involved in a disaster with the Imperial Family leading to the emperor's wrath, to simply dying in a smallpox epidemic, to ruin in Yunqi's hands, every expectation ended in disappointment.
Whether it was natural or man-made disasters, Jiuling Hall had not fallen as he had wished.
Recently, just when Chu Jiuling had disgracefully left the capital, and without the divine doctor presiding over Jiuling Hall - what kind of medical hall was it? Jiuling Hall was finally about to be finished, right?
Imperial Physician Jiang was invigorated, prepared to reclaim his territory, but unexpectedly, the nobles who came to him for treatment were still few, and they still specified those imperial physicians who had been mentored by Jiuling Hall.
Moreover, many imperial physicians and other doctors, when prescribing, even prescribed Jiuling Hall's medicines.
Jiuling Hall still had business every day, even though Miss Jun and that male shopkeeper were not in the capital, another lady presided over it instead.
This girl would meet every person who came with a prescription to get medicine, although she was not a Doctor. She would see sick people and the doctors who prescribed the medications, listen to the explanations about the illnesses, and after personally witnessing this, she would deliver the medication.
Miss Jun was not in Jiuling Hall, yet the medicine was still being continuously made, all by this girl's hands.
This girl was neither Miss Jun nor Miss Jun's apprentice, she only claimed to be from the accounting room.
Could medicine produced by someone from the accounting room be genuine?
"Would eating it kill you?" someone sharply questioned.
In face of such doubts, the girl directly swallowed the medicine that the person was going to buy, startling everyone.
"If I do not die in one day, you will not be able to buy medicine from Jiuling Hall for one day," she declared sharply and crisply.
This was even more fierce than Miss Jun at the beginning.
Where was any semblance of a noble spirit to aid the world? Opening a medical hall seemed heavenly, and dignified people would spit in her face.
But Imperial Physician Jiang had overestimated the spine of the capital's citizens. Probably worn down by Miss Jun, they were addicted to such humiliation, and even though this girl was not a divine doctor, they were scurrying eagerly after being scolded by her.
Utterly unreasonable.
It would serve them right if they died.
Thinking this, Imperial Physician Jiang somewhat irritably stood up.
"But this time it is not just any other medicine," Doctor Geng said, "It's the smallpox vaccine."
"Are you absolutely certain?" Imperial Physician Jiang frowned.
Doctor Geng appeared somewhat aggrieved.
"Master, do you not trust me, and instead trust Jiuling Hall?" he said.
Imperial Physician Jiang spat out dismissively, who would trust it.
"The news is still suppressed, but I have discovered that there have been at least seven or eight children who died because of that vaccine," Doctor Geng spoke again in a lowered voice, "The situation over there would be chaotic if not for the feudal authority's intervention."
So many have died?
I always said that this so-called smallpox vaccine was unreliable.
Imperial Physician Jiang's eyes sparkled.
"Such a big issue, and it's still being suppressed?" he said sternly.
Doctor Geng nodded.
"That Feng is suppressing it, insisting it's an isolated incident," he spoke softly, "He claimed that the vaccine is inherently poisonous, and as children have different health conditions, accidents might occur. He said that such incidents could either be caused by the vaccine or some other pre-existing disease, and we cannot blame the vaccine without thorough investigation."
Imperial Physician Jiang sneered.
"Of course, he wants to suppress it, as everything he has is gained from this, and people are always unwilling to lose what they have," he said, "But he's not the only one unwilling, we also won't accept this, nor will the families of those deceased children. I will go and stand up for these poor souls."
Doctor Geng's eyes sparkled.
"Master, what should we do?" he asked.
"Go tell Lu Yunqi, I want to petition for the people," Imperial Physician Jiang said.
Why inform Lu Yunqi when petitioning for the people? Doctor Geng soon understood. There is nothing hidden from the Jinyiwei in this world. If Doctor Geng wanted to petition in front of the emperor, he naturally needed Lu Yunqi as a witness.
"Given Lu Yunqi and Miss Jun's enmity, he will definitely be pleased," Imperial Physician Jiang twisted his beard with a cold smile.
As he expected, once he declared his name, the Jinyiwei from the Northern Administrative Court immediately invited him respectfully inside.
"There are few whom the Jinyiwei would treat with such regard as you, Master," Doctor Geng said in a hushed tone, surprised and flattered.
This was certainly not because Lu Yunqi revered his medical skills, but rather because everyone had the same person they disliked.
An enemy's enemy is a friend, Imperial Physician Jiang was very clear on this point.
"Does Lord Lu know the purpose of my visit?"
So, as he looked at the man sitting grimly behind the desk, he got straight to the point.
Lu Yunqi nodded.
"I know," he said, "There has been an issue with the vaccine."
Imperial Physician Jiang nodded with satisfaction.
"It is our duty to relieve our lord of concerns and to seek welfare for the people," he said, "We cannot allow such harm to life just because someone's influence is strong."
Lu Yunqi nodded again.
"Yes," he said.
"Then I must trouble you, Lord," Imperial Physician Jiang said.
Although Lu Yunqi was polite with him, facing this man and being inside the Northern Administrative Court made one feel uncomfortable.
"I shall take my leave then; I will return tomorrow to present my report," he said, bowing to Lu Yunqi and then turning to leave.
"Imperial Physician Jiang, please wait a moment," Lu Yunqi called after him, his expression and tone as wooden as usual, "There is actually something for which I need your help."
What help?
Imperial Physician Jiang looked at him suspiciously.