Chapter 3 Could It Be His Father?

Tan Xingyou quickly pushed through the crowd, keeping close behind the man. The man seemed to sense someone was tailing him and, after weaving through several turns, slipped into a dark alley.

Tan Xingyou suspected nothing and hurried after him. Just as he reached the mouth of the alley, two guards suddenly appeared, blocking his way.

Tan Xingyou’s eyes darted about as he craned his neck to peer into the alley, stomping his foot and shouting, “Who are you? Why are you blocking me? My dog ran in there! I have to go find my dog—why are you stopping me?”

The two guards exchanged glances, frowning at the sight of such a young child. “There’s no dog here. Leave at once!”

Tan Xingyou gritted his teeth. He had clearly seen someone run in, and that person looked so much like him—could it be… his father?

“I truly just want to find my dog!” Tan Xingyou declared, making to dash inside.

“Insolence!” There was the sharp sound of blades drawn.

Tan Xingyou froze, quickly plasters a smile on his face. “Ah, sorry, sorry, perhaps I was mistaken. I’ll look elsewhere.”

Turning back to the main street, Tan Xingyou saw a crowd gathered in front of the public notice board, and his attention was immediately drawn there.

At the inn, Tan Qingjiu had just finished attending to two patients and barely had time to catch her breath when Tan Xingyou’s boisterous voice rang out: “Mother, mother! Come quickly, look what I’ve brought you!”

Tan Qingjiu had no desire to look.

She could never quite figure out where things had gone awry. Both her children were born on the same day, from her own womb, yet their natures couldn’t be more different.

Tan Xingqi was calm and quiet; Tan Xingyou, on the other hand, was almost too lively.

As soon as Tan Xingyou was old enough, he was forever running about outside. Worse still, he always brought home all sorts of “treasures”—centipedes, scorpions, all manner of unknown herbs, even poisonous plants.

He always claimed, with a straight face, that since his mother was a physician, all these things could be used as medicine—they were valuable.

Once, he even poisoned himself with a plant he’d brought home and had to be saved by Tan Qingjiu herself.

With a sigh, Tan Qingjiu went to the doorway and looked at Tan Xingyou hurrying up the stairs. “What is it this time?”

In Tan Xingyou’s hands was a sheet of bright yellow paper.

Paper?

What fresh nonsense was this? At least it wasn’t some bizarre creature or dangerous plant…

As Tan Qingjiu wondered, Tan Xingyou rushed up and, with both hands, held the large paper out before her. “Ta-da! Look, Mother.”

At a glance, Tan Qingjiu saw two large characters: Imperial Edict.

Before she could examine it, Tan Xingyou rattled off an explanation, “Prince Duan is suffering from a strange illness. His Majesty has posted an imperial edict, summoning miracle doctors to Prince Duan’s manor. Anyone who can cure him will be named a National Physician, receive a state salary, and be rewarded with ten thousand taels of gold…”

“Mother, didn’t you say it was the heir’s wife from the Prince Ding’s manor who schemed against you and stole big brother away?”

“Didn’t you say you wanted to treat the capital’s nobility in hopes of making powerful connections, seeking justice, and getting big brother back?”

“This is a golden opportunity! So I tore down the edict and brought it to you.”

No sooner had Tan Xingyou finished speaking than several soldiers entered the inn. “Who just took down the edict?”

“We are ordered to escort you to Prince Duan’s manor to treat His Highness.”

Tan Xingyou quickly raised his hand. “Here! It was me. I took it on behalf of my mother. My mother is a miracle doctor—she can cure Prince Duan!”

Tan Qingjiu frowned and descended the stairs. “Is it so easy? If you tear down the edict, can you go straight to Prince Duan’s manor? Is there no selection?”

The soldiers glanced at each other, an odd look in their eyes. “There was no one else—you were the only one who answered the call.”

“Come, the carriage is ready. We go at once.”

Tan Qingjiu instructed Xingqi and Xingyou to wait for her at the inn, then boarded the carriage.

After some distance, urgent shouts arose from outside. “Stop! Stop! I am the physician’s maid, here to bring her medicine chest. Let me aboard!”

“Stop the carriage.”

Tan Qingjiu lifted the curtain and looked out at the waiting maid. “She is indeed my maid, Qingdai. Let her on.”

The carriage stopped. Qingdai climbed in, and only then did the carriage resume its journey.

After putting away the medicine chest, Qingdai lowered her voice. “Mistress, I have inquired and confirmed—only the young master answered the edict. Because, in the capital, everyone knows Prince Duan’s illness is most terrifying when it flares up.”

“Oh?” Tan Qingjiu narrowed her eyes. “How so?”

“I’ve heard that Prince Duan’s sickness is not of the body, but…” Qingdai tapped her forehead meaningfully, “of the mind. Madness.”

“When the fits come, he recognizes no one—attacks and kills indiscriminately.”

“Once, His Majesty summoned numerous doctors to treat him, but not one could cure Prince Duan. Some even encountered him in a fit and were…” Qingdai drew her finger across her neck in a slashing motion, then continued, “After several such incidents, His Majesty dared not summon any more physicians. Instead, Prince Duan was granted his own residence, moved out.”

“But that was only for show. In truth, the so-called Prince Duan’s manor is nothing more than a splendid prison. His Majesty has locked the prince inside, with many guards stationed there, to prevent him from causing havoc during an episode.”

Tan Qingjiu raised an eyebrow. “If that’s the case, why has His Majesty posted the edict again, summoning miracle doctors? Is he not afraid Prince Duan will kill again?”

“That’s because…” Qingdai dropped her voice even lower, “Prince Duan has killed again.”

“This time, it was the princess consort His Majesty himself bestowed upon him.”

“I heard that, seeing Prince Duan already over twenty and still unmarried, and being told by the manor’s doctors that his illness had improved and attacks were rare, His Majesty decided to grant him a wife.”

“But on the very night of their wedding, Prince Duan had a sudden fit and killed her.”

“They say, when he lifted her bridal veil, his expression changed. He claimed there were insects crawling out of her body, and then, shouting about catching them, he gouged out her eyes, heart, and other organs—barehanded.”

Tan Qingjiu could only hold her forehead in exasperation. Look at the wonderful task Tan Xingyou had found for her!