After returning, Xiao Langyan had a high fever and was in a coma for two days and two nights.
Surprisingly, the blood stasis on his legs and feet dissipated quickly. The ghost doctor and the imperial doctor worked together to prepare medicine and treat him, and the high fever finally subsided.
Although the person was awake, he became unusually silent.
The government affairs were delayed for several days, and ministers came to visit and persuade him one after another. At some point, rumors spread among the people that Queen Zhaoyuan disliked the emperor and was seriously injured, so she abandoned him and even gave up her children.
The rumor spread wildly for a while, then suddenly disappeared without a trace.
Half a month after Shen Dingzhu left, Shen Lan's horse ran back alone.
His horse is called Ta Xing, and it has followed Shen Lan on the battlefield. It is a very intelligent horse that knows the way.
When Xiao Langyan asked Shen Lan to give the horse to Shen Dingzhu, he actually had the last extravagant hope that if Shen Dingzhu regretted it, he would not be able to find his way home.
However, only Ta Xing came back, not her.
From this day on, Xiao Langyan returned to government, but the name Shen Dingzhu became a forbidden word.
Xiao Langyan himself didn't mention it. He took the initiative to take medicine every day. In his spare time after handling government affairs, he read medical books, as if he wanted to find a solution for himself.
One month after Shen Dingzhu left, someone came to the palace to offer medicine.
A large amount of dandelion grass was used as medicine, and Xiao Langyan recovered quickly. The man and woman who presented the medicine in the future were treated as honored guests, and they were given beautiful clothes and precious horses. The woman named Wei Wan was also granted the title of royal pharmacist.
*
Two months later, the entire Jin Kingdom ushered in the cold winter lunar month.
Snowflakes flying all over the sky, carried by the cold north wind, not only piled up on the bricks and tiles of the capital, but also fell on the soil of Chengzhou.
It was noon, and the sky was full of fine snowflakes, blowing with the wind.
In Rongan City, Chengzhou, there was only one shop open on the street, with a green cloth carriage parked at the door. The shopkeeper, Mr. Shi, came down with a food box and entered the shop.
"Azhu, you've been busy all day. Let's have something to eat. It's cold today and no one will be here. Let's close up early and go back." The old man smiled kindly and put the food box on the counter.
The slim figure behind the counter had a strand of black hair falling on her fair cheeks. The brocade jacket on her body was very loose, and her exposed wrists were as white as snow.
"Uncle Ren, just wait a minute. I'll just finish these two strokes. Mrs. Yuan from the east of the city wants to take this thing to celebrate the governor's birthday. She will come to pick it up early tomorrow morning. Her matter is important and cannot be delayed."
Under Mr. Shi's gray hair, there is a smiling face.
He sat on the chair, drank the hot tea to ward off the cold, and nodded: "Okay, don't worry, I'll wait for you to finish working together and go back."
At this point, there was a sound of horse hooves running by outside. Mr. Shi heard the sound and walked to the door to lift the curtain and took a look outside.
He was a little surprised: "Hey! He's from the government, braving the snow to post the emperor's list."
The beauty behind the counter was so focused that she didn't raise her head or answer the question.
Mr. Shi had a warm and cheerful personality and couldn't help but join in the fun. He wanted to see what was written on the imperial list, so he went there holding an umbrella.
After a while, he came back and stamped the snow off his shoes at the door.
"Hey, there's going to be a war, and there's a notice for recruitment into the army."
The beauty holding the pen paused for a moment and asked casually: "Are we fighting again? Wasn't it just a one-year break?"
"The emperor's list didn't say who to beat, but I guess it's the Northern Liang Kingdom. Besides them, who else will make the emperor hate him so much? The previous beating was not pleasant, but this time he may be trying to destroy them all in one go. "
The beauty didn't answer.
Mr. Shi took a sip of tea and suddenly remembered: "Azhu, I remember you said that you stayed in Beiliang Kingdom for a while, and you repaired paintings and antiques for a noble family?"
"Yes," the beauty nodded slightly, "it's the Xu family."
"Ouch! That's a big customer. Everyone in our business knows them. No wonder your skills in repairing calligraphy and paintings are so exquisite. I heard that Shopkeeper Xu has a sharp eye and can tell the authenticity of a painting just by touching it with his eyes closed, right? real?"
The beauty laughed: "Maybe, Uncle Ren, it's better not to make me laugh. I can't handle this move safely."
"Okay, okay, I won't tease you anymore." Mr. Shi stood up with his hands behind his back and went to play chess with himself.
However, Shen Dingzhu stared at the painting in front of her, her mind already drifting away.
She had been away from Beijing for almost four months. Judging from the information she had gathered from various sources, Xiao Langyan's leg should be almost healed.
She left decisively at the beginning and stopped in Chengzhou, the closest city to the capital. She knew that she didn't have any skills, so she could only continue to look for reliable antique calligraphy and painting shops.
Perhaps she was lucky. The owner of this antique shop, Mr. Shi, was a warm-hearted and kind man. He had two daughters, but they were both married far away and could not come back.
Seeing Shen Dingzhu's good skills, he kept her, cultivated her heavily, and treated her like his own daughter.
Now she is living in the Shi family. Mr. Shi's wife died young, and there is no one in the family except a few servants.
Shen Dingzhu is comfortable getting along with him.
Mr. Shi knew that she was unwilling to mention the past and never asked her about it. Instead, he said, "Everyone has a past that they don't want to mention. Abo is someone who has been through this and understands."
The business of the shop is good, and Mr. Shi also has some financial resources, but since Shen Dingzhu came to the shop, the business has become even better.
Everyone said that a Xi Tzu-like figure came to Mr. Shi's antique calligraphy and painting shop, with beautiful appearance, ice-cold muscles and jade bones.
People often come to watch in groups and look around at the door of the store. Every time Mr. Shi protects Shen Dingzhu and asks his servants to drive these people away.
The old gentleman cared for her as if he were his own daughter, and Shen Dingzhu also felt that he seemed to be treating her as his own daughter to make up for something.
After Shen Dingzhu finished filling in his calligraphy and paintings, he collected his things and followed Mr. Shi home.
When she passed the drug store on the road, she took a look. It wasn't open yet, so she had to come back tomorrow to take a look.
There was only enough medicine left in the house for her to drink for two days.
Three days later, when the weather finally cleared, Shen Dingzhu took a leave of absence and went to the drugstore to get some medicine.
The old doctor felt her pulse, and the medicine pot next to her was bubbling, and Shen Dingzhu felt drowsy.
After a while, the old doctor took back his hand: "The pulse looks much better than last time, but you didn't sleep well, right?"
Shen Dingzhu nodded and put down his sleeves: "Occasionally nightmares."
"Then I'll give you something to soothe your nerves." After the old doctor said that, a tall man with a tiger-like head came in the door.
When he saw Shen Dingzhu, his eyes lit up: "Ah! That Xi Shi from the Shi family is here to prescribe medicine again. What medicine do you want this time? I don't want your money."
Shen Dingzhu smiled lightly. He was the son of an old doctor and they all called him Yang Da. Unfortunately, he did not inherit his father's medical skills and always helped with manual labor.
The old doctor glanced at his son and threw the prescription to Yang Da: "Get the medicine! You useless bastard."
Yang Da shrank his neck, not daring to fight with Shen Dingzhu anymore, but the more he scratched his head, the more he frowned and became extremely confused.
After Shen Dingzhu left with the medicine, he stared at her back for a long time.
"So every time she comes here, she is prescribed anti-fetal medicine? I really can't tell... why is she six months pregnant? She doesn't look like a person with a belly."
"You brat, you are not allowed to have a relationship with her in the future. She is wearing such loose clothes, and she is deliberately hiding her pregnancy." The old man jumped up and hit him on the head. "Who knows where she came from? Mr. Shi is also confused, he will take everyone home, but you stay far away from now on, don't make him smelly!"
Yang Da touched his head: "I know...but who is Xi Shi's husband? I've never seen him."
The old doctor raised the medical book in his hand: "How dare you say that!"
Shen Dingzhu stepped on the snow and returned to the Shi family's calligraphy and painting shop.
"Uncle Ren, I'm back."
"Look, as soon as I mentioned her, she came back. Azhu, come on, look, your friend is here to see you!"
Shen Dingzhu opened the curtain and entered the door. When he saw clearly the person sitting next to Mr. Shi, he suddenly froze on the spot.
