Qiang Jin Jiu (Author : Tang Jiuqing 唐酒卿)

Chapter 147 : Stepmother

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Shen Zechuan had already gotten up before dawn the next day. The courtyard was a little chilly, so he put on a pure-white wide-sleeved outer robe and stood at the desk to look over Yao Wenyu’s prescription.

“His body has been weakened by poison.” Qiao Tianya held onto the teapot and brewed a cup of tea for Shen Zechuan. “It’s by no means an easy feat for him to have managed to preserve his life.”

Shen Zechuan held the teacup with both hands and said, “Given Xue Xiuzhuo’s style, he definitely went all out with the intent to kill.” His brows furrowed for a moment. “… Is there no hope for his legs?”

Qiao Tianya set the teapot down and put the lid on as he replied, “No.”

Shen Zechuan could not bring himself to continue drinking his tea, so he returned the teacup with the undrunk tea back onto the table. “What about his body? Now that he’s staying here, there’s no need to be stingy with the medicine; give him whatever the physician prescribes. Additionally, get a couple of meticulously attentive people to take care of him. We mustn’t be too poor of a host.”

Qiao Tianya fell silent for a few moments.
And so Shen Zechuan understood that Yao Wenyu’s body was a goner too. While they were conversing last night, Yao Wenyu had repeatedly been coughing out blood. He paused for a moment. “Is he awake? I’ll go pay him a visit.”

When Shen Zechuan arrived, he saw the maidservants all waiting in attendance under the eaves, silent as cicadas in cold weather. He put on his usual expression and lifted the bamboo blinds to enter. The lamps were not lit inside the room, giving off an unwarranted vibe of cheerlessness. It was quiet and still within. Shen Zechuan could only catch a vague glimpse of Yao Wenyu’s lonely back view.

As if sensing him, Yao Wenyu turned his head back partially and said through the hanging door curtain, “Vice Commander, please come in.”

It was only then Shen Zechuan lifted the curtain and bowed his head to enter. Qiao Tianya stood in the outer chamber on his own initiative, leaning against the wall as he listened to the chirps of the birds in the covered walkway.

“Autumn is about to fall in Cizhou, and the matter of Huaizhou has been on the Vice Commander’s mind lately.” Yao Wenyu was impeccably dressed. Although he was severely ill, he was still unwilling to present himself before the others all sloppily dressed. It was just that his legs were not in a good state, making it difficult for him to move around. Even though he tried his best to hide it, the bruises on his hands were still conspicuous.

Shen Zechuan did not seem to have seen it. He said, “This matter is indeed worrying. It’s inappropriate to go too early or too late. I’ve discussed it over with His Excellency Zhou for days, and we still have yet to reach a conclusion.”

Yao Wenyu gave a slight nod of his head. “There are two difficulties when it comes to the matter of Huaizhou. The first is Jiang Qingshan, and the second is Luoxia Pass’s checkpoint. If these two difficulties aren’t resolved, then it’ll be hard for the trade routes between Cizhou, Chazhou, and Huaizhou to come to fruition. But if you ask me, neither of these two issues is a tough one.”

Shen Zechuan listened with rapt attention.

Yao Wenyu looked at the new window screens made of gauze. The birds were chirping noisily outside. He coughed a few times. “When Xue Xiuzhuo held the post of Chief Supervising Secretary at the Office of Scrutiny for Revenue, he made the acquaintance of Jiang Qingshan. Both men collaborate for many years working as one. They not only made up for the deficit in Juexi’s tax money, but also turned the thirteen cities of Juexi into Da Zhou’s granaries. It’s only when Jiang Qingshan assumes personal command of Juexi that he can ensure the integrity of Juexi’s governmental affairs, as well as prevent another major case like the Libei’s military provision case during the start of spring this year from happening again. In other words, Jiang Qingshan cannot leave Juexi. Xue Xiuzhuo will definitely transfer him back to Juexi and allow him to continue serving as the Provincial Administration Commissioner of Juexi, so the Vice Commander’s worry that he would be assigned north to Huaizhou is unfounded.”