As the days passed by, Pei Cijing felt that his little life had finally returned to normal.
Reading.
Eating.
Sleeping.
Being chased for his manuscripts!
Every morning, he would wake up to Shen Ninghuan's soft and gentle urging, dawdle through dressing and washing up, and then be pressed at his desk to pore over those classic texts and policy essays. After lunch, he would take a half-hour nap—and nowadays, this half-hour was the time he looked forward to the most all day.
Because Cheng Lu was recovering from her injuries.
The period of postoperative recovery was the most crucial time.
Although Imperial Physician Hua said the surgery went very smoothly, and although the top-grade wound medicine had astonishing effects, Shen Ninghuan was still worried. She spent most of her day at the Jing'an Courtyard, personally keeping an eye on Cheng Lu's daily life and diet, terrified of even the slightest mishap.
Pei Cijing expressed his understanding of this.
After all, that "former prince" was now a genuine patient who had suffered a knife wound and lost blood, making him extremely weak. The sick and injured came first, so it was only right to let him have a comfortable time for a while.
Not to mention—
Nowadays at noon, his wife would come back to take a nap.
This was simply an unexpected delight.
Cheng Lu was recovering and also needed to rest at noon, so Shen Ninghuan took advantage of this free time to return to the Anle Residence for a lie-down. Even though it was only for two hours, and even though the two of them just lay side by side quietly doing nothing—for Pei Cijing, this was enough!
He was no longer alone in a lonely, empty bed. That familiar sweet fragrance had returned to his pillow, and his stubborn "midday insomnia" was cured without any treatment.
Pei Cijing even felt something else.
His studying efficiency had improved significantly over the past few days.
After all, a good afternoon nap meant plenty of energy for the rest of the day, making him more vigorous when writing essays. After Shen Ninghuan read a few of his newly written policy essays, her eyes curved into a smile as she praised him, saying he had "made great progress lately."
At the time, Pei Cijing had humbly waved his hand and said, "Not at all, it's all thanks to my wife's good teaching."
But in his heart, he silently muttered:
'It's mainly because I slept well during my midday nap.'
'If I could have my wife come back and sleep with me every noon, I'd even be willing to test for the top scholar!'
Of course.
He wouldn't say these words out loud.
If he said it, his wife might pinch his cheek and say, "What nonsense is my husband talking about?" Looking at it that way, perhaps it wasn't something he couldn't say. Pei Cijing thought about that scene and felt a sweet joy in his heart.
All in all.
His life over these past few days had been quite comfortable.
The only annoyance—was that old man, Imperial Physician Hua, who was getting a bit bothersome!
...
"Is the Second Young Master Pei at home?"
A familiar voice rang out from outside the courtyard gate. The hand Pei Cijing used to hold his brush trembled slightly, leaving a long ink mark across the paper.
He lifted his head and looked out the window.
Sure enough.
That elderly figure was standing at the courtyard entrance, carrying a medicine box in one hand and a bulging cloth bag in the other, his face covered in a beaming smile. It was none other than Hua Yuan, the Head of the Imperial Hospital.
Pei Cijing took a deep breath.
Here he comes again.
How many times has it been now?
On the third day after the surgery, Imperial Physician Hua came for a "follow-up consultation," saying he wanted to check on the healing of Miss Cheng's wound. At the time, Pei Cijing thought the old man was quite responsible, making a personal visit and being so meticulous.
On the fifth day after the surgery, Imperial Physician Hua came again, claiming it was a "routine check-up" to see if there were any signs of fever or infection.
Pei Cijing thought that was acceptable too.
After all, the first few days after surgery were the most critical, so it made sense to visit more often.
On the tenth day after the surgery, Imperial Physician Hua came yet again. He called it "dressing change guidance," personally demonstrating how to change the wound dressing and how to observe the healing progress.
Pei Cijing started to feel that something was off.
On the fifteenth day after the surgery, Imperial Physician Hua came once again. He called it a "pulse follow-up" to check on the recovery of her qi and blood.
Pei Cijing was already numb to it.
Today, on who-knows-what day after the surgery, Imperial Physician Hua was back yet again. Pei Cijing put down his brush and looked at Shen Ninghuan beside him with a face full of helplessness.
Shen Ninghuan was sitting by the window embroidering a handkerchief. Noticing his gaze, she looked up and gave a faint smile. Her smile clearly spelled out the words: "I was right, wasn't I?"
Pei Cijing sighed.
His wife had been right from the start. Imperial Physician Hua had indeed set his sights on him. Follow-up consultations, routine check-ups, dressing change guidance—they were all just excuses!
The drinker's heart is not in the cup, but in the scenery. The old man's true goal was the "medical books" he had in his collection, as well as the formula for that top-grade wound medicine!
Pei Cijing stood up and smoothed out his robes.
He stepped forward and walked outside.
Since the man was already at the door, it wouldn't be right to shut him out.
Besides, every time the old man came, he brought gifts. When you eat someone's food, your mouth is short; when you take someone's gifts, your hands are soft. Although Pei Cijing was lazy, he wasn't the kind of person to ignore basic etiquette.
"Imperial Physician Hua, you've arrived." He walked to the courtyard gate, cupped his hands in greeting, and wore a perfectly measured smile on his face. "Please come in, come in."
Hua Yuan chuckled and returned the greeting, following him into the courtyard.
The two took their seats in the main hall. A maid served tea, and Hua Yuan picked up his teacup to take a sip, but his eyes kept darting toward the study.
Pei Cijing pretended not to notice.
"Imperial Physician Hua's visit today," he got straight to the point, "is it to see Miss Cheng?"
Hua Yuan set down his teacup and stroked his beard. "Exactly, exactly. Miss Cheng did go under the knife, after all. Her wound should be starting to heal by now, but this old man needs to see it in person to feel at ease."
Pei Cijing nodded. "Then please make your way to the Jing'an Courtyard. My wife is over there; I'll have her show you in."
However, Hua Yuan waved his hand. "No rush, no rush. When this old man entered the estate just now, I already had someone notify the Jing'an Courtyard. Lady Shen said Miss Cheng just took her medicine and is resting, so she asked me to wait a moment."
Pei Cijing: "..."
So you just came to my place first, is that it?
Hua Yuan looked at him with a beaming smile. His gaze held a bit of anticipation, a bit of flattery, and a bit of the shrewdness unique to an old fox.
"Second Young Master Pei," he lowered his voice, "those scrolls of medical books you lent this old man last time, I have finished copying them. I brought them specifically to return to you today."
As he spoke, he took several booklets out of that bulging cloth bag, held them with both hands, and respectfully offered them over.
Pei Cijing took them and casually flipped through the pages.
They were the medical manuscripts he had been compiling over these past few days.
Every day, he set aside some time to gradually summarize the medical knowledge instilled in him by the system into writing—causes of disease, pathology, treatments, prescriptions, acupuncture...
He wrote down whatever he could write and drew whatever he could draw.
Since Imperial Physician Hua wanted to borrow them, he wasn't the type to hoard his knowledge. If the things he knew could be passed on and save a few more lives, it didn't seem like a bad thing.
So every time Imperial Physician Hua came for a "follow-up," he would lend the newly compiled manuscripts for him to copy. Once copied, they were returned, and new ones were borrowed.
Over time.
It had almost become a fixed routine.
"You've finished copying them, Imperial Physician Hua?" Pei Cijing asked.
Hua Yuan nodded repeatedly. "Finished, finished. This old man burned the midnight oil these past few days and finally managed to record everything. The medical books in Second Young Master Pei's collection are truly gems of wisdom, with every sentence being exquisite. In my forty years of practicing medicine, I have never seen such detailed and thorough discourses."
The more he spoke, the more excited he became, his eyes shining brightly.
"Especially that surgical section. The treatment of knife wounds is incredibly meticulous. If I had this medical book to guide me back when I was practicing in the eunuch-making room, I would have avoided so many detours!"
Hearing this, Pei Cijing felt a bit guilty.
All of that knowledge had been directly poured into his brain by the system. He was only responsible for writing it down. How could he deserve such high praise as "every word is a gem"?
"Imperial Physician Hua, you flatter me too much," he said modestly. "It is merely the accumulated wisdom of our predecessors; I simply organized it on their behalf."
Hua Yuan waved his hand. "In any case, Young Master Pei's willingness to lend this medical book to this old man for copying shows a broad-mindedness far beyond ordinary men. I thank you."
He paused, then took two exquisite porcelain boxes from his cloth bag and placed them on the table.
"This is a small token of my appreciation. It is nothing much, but please accept it, Second Young Master Pei."
Looking at the two porcelain boxes, Pei Cijing's eyelids twitched inexplicably.
One box was celadon, about the size of a palm, painted with orchids and very elegant. The other box was white porcelain, slightly larger, plain and unadorned, simple and generous.
"These are...?" he asked.
Hua Yuan stroked his beard with a hint of pride on his face. "The one on the left is a Beauty Ointment, a recipe passed down from my ancestors. It is said that a favored concubine of the previous dynasty used this to maintain her looks. Even past the age of forty, her skin was still like that of a twenty-year-old maiden. People have tried it, and the effects are indeed quite good."
Pei Cijing nodded.
Beauty Ointment, huh? Sounded nice, though his wife probably wouldn't need it. After all, their whole family had already taken the Youth Retaining Pill.
"And the one on the right?" he asked again.
The smile on Hua Yuan's face deepened, and he lowered his voice. "The one on the right is a Virility Pill."
Pei Cijing: "..."
His eyelids twitched even harder.
"Also a recipe passed down from your ancestors?" he asked.
Hua Yuan nodded. "Exactly, exactly. My ancestors served several generations of emperors, and this Virility Pill was specially prepared for the nobles in the palace."
"The medicinal properties are mild, nourishing but not overly heating. Taken long-term, it can make a man—"
"Alright, alright, alright!" Pei Cijing hastily interrupted him, his face turning green. "Imperial Physician Hua, I understand, I understand!"
Looking at his flustered appearance, Hua Yuan stroked his beard and chuckled.
"Young Master Pei, there is no need to be shy. It is only natural for a man. I saw you studying hard every day and feared you were expending too much mental energy, so I prepared this pill as a small token of my regard."
"You can take it with peace of mind. Even the Emperor uses it, there are absolutely no problems with it!"
Pei Cijing: "..."
He was expending too much mental energy?
He studied every day, but he was reading classics and policy essays, not erotic books. How could he be expending too much energy? Besides, his body was in fantastic shape, and his masculine vitality was naturally overflowing...
Pei Cijing took a deep breath, suppressing those messy thoughts.
Forget it.
The old man meant well.
Even though this gift was a bit... delicate. Neither of them was of much use to him.
"Thank you, Imperial Physician Hua." He cupped his hands, trying his best to make his expression look sincere. "I appreciate the thought."
Hua Yuan waved his hand, his gaze drifting toward the study again.
"Um... Second Young Master Pei," he rubbed his hands together, a somewhat embarrassed smile on his face. "If I may be so bold as to ask, do you have any new medical manuscripts today? The previous volumes benefited me greatly, but I've already finished reading them all, and I'm left wanting more."
Seeing his expectant look, Pei Cijing couldn't help but laugh.
This old man.
Truly persistent.
"I do." He stood up, walked into the study, took a stack of newly sorted manuscripts from the desk, and handed them to Hua Yuan. "These are a few treatises on gynecology that I just finished compiling yesterday. If you don't mind, please take them to copy."
Hua Yuan received them with both hands, as if he had obtained a priceless treasure.
He opened the first page, his eyes falling on the dense handwriting, and a look of near-obsession gradually surfaced on his face.
Pei Cijing was very familiar with that look.
It was exactly the same look he had in his past life when he saw a long-abandoned web novel finally update.
"Brilliant..." Hua Yuan muttered to himself. "So postpartum symptoms in women can be treated like this... Brilliant..."
Watching him, Pei Cijing suddenly felt a bit moved.
This old man, although a bit annoying, although he always stared fixedly at his medical books every time he came, and although the things he gifted were somewhat laughable—
His obsession with medicine and his drive to keep learning even in his old age were truly admirable.
"Take your time reading, Imperial Physician Hua," he said gently. "There's no rush. You can also take it home and copy it slowly."
Hua Yuan looked up, his eyes a little red.
"Young Master Pei," his voice choked up slightly. "This medical book of yours has truly opened my eyes. I have practiced medicine for forty years and thought my skills had reached the pinnacle, but after reading this book, I realize I was nothing but a frog at the bottom of a well."
"From now on, I will definitely study it with great concentration, carry forward the medical skills in this book, and treat more common people. Only in this way can I live up to your kindness in lending it to me."
Pei Cijing felt a little embarrassed by his words.
"You speak too highly of me, Imperial Physician Hua," he scratched his head. "I am merely organizing the wisdom of our predecessors; how can I deserve such praise? If you can use these medical skills to save people, that would be the best thing possible."
Hua Yuan nodded solemnly and carefully tucked the manuscript into his cloth bag.
They exchanged a few more pleasantries before a maid came to report that Miss Cheng had woken up and asked him to go over and check her pulse.
Hua Yuan stood up to take his leave. When he reached the door, he turned back around.
"Second Young Master Pei," he stroked his beard and said with a beaming smile, "Go ahead and use those Virility Pills first. If the effects are good, I will bring more next time."
Pei Cijing: "..."
He pulled a long, dark face and opened his mouth to say something, but Hua Yuan had already picked up his medicine chest and walked away with brisk steps.
Standing at the courtyard gate, Pei Cijing looked at the old figure's retreating back with mixed feelings.
This old man...
Out of all the things he could have gifted, he just had to give Virility Pills!
He, the Second Young Master of the Pei family, lacked anything but masculine vitality, okay? Just ask his wife about that! Speaking of his performance last night, who was the one begging for mercy over and over?
What a joke!
With red ears, Pei Cijing returned to his room, looked at the two porcelain boxes on the table, and fell deep into thought.
The Beauty Ointment was easy to deal with; he would just hand it over to his wife.
As for the Virility Pill...
He picked up the white porcelain box, opened the lid, and brought it to his nose to sniff. The medicinal fragrance was rich and the scent was mild. It was indeed as Imperial Physician Hua had said: nourishing but not overly heating. It could be considered a top-tier product.
But he had no use for it!
Pei Cijing closed the lid, his gaze sweeping around the room before an idea suddenly struck him.
He would secretly give it to his old man another day.
Although his father was in good shape, he was getting on in years after all. Giving this to him would be making the best use of it, and moreover—
Pei Cijing thought of his father's round, chubby face, and remembered the "my wife is so beautiful" expression he wore every time he looked at his mother. The corners of his lips curled up slightly.
It wasn't that his old man couldn't perform.
But an occasional surge of mighty vigor should help promote their marital affection, right?
...
Early the next morning.
Pei Cijing was sleeping soundly when he suddenly felt a tickle on his face.
He groggily opened his eyes to see Shen Ninghuan sitting by the bed, holding a lock of hair and gently tickling his face with it.
"Husband, it is time to get up."
Her voice was as soft and gentle as a spring breeze in March.
Pei Cijing blinked, and then blinked again, trying to stall for just a little more time in bed.
"Let me sleep a little longer..."
Looking at him like this, Shen Ninghuan could not help but smile.
"No," she said gently, but with a tone that brooked no argument. "The Old Madam sent word yesterday. We are to gather in the main hall of Yifu Hall at the hour of Chen. There are important matters to discuss."
Pei Cijing jolted, instantly wide awake.
The Old Madam!
A gathering!
Important matters!
The combination of these three phrases was no less lethal than Imperial Physician Hua's vigor pills. He shot up and scrambled out of bed so fast that a corner of the blanket was sent flying.
He wiped his face, rubbed his eyes, and started to get dressed.
Shen Ninghuan stood by to help him tie his sash, advising him as she worked, "I am afraid something major has happened today. The Old Madam does not summon the whole family lightly. If she does, it must be urgent."
Pei Cijing nodded, but muttered to himself in his heart.
Major?
What major thing could possibly happen?
Pei Cijing knew the Old Madam's temperament better than anyone. As long as the household was harmonious and stable, she could not be bothered to waste her energy on trivial matters.
Right now, the First Branch and the Second Branch were basically living their own separate lives.
This was actually the Old Madam's doing.
It was to prevent conflicts between the two sides, saving her from having to step out to preside over justice and allowing her some peace of mind.
Therefore, the Old Madam, who preferred peace and quiet, would never gather everyone together unless it was a major event. The time before last, it was because a new bride had entered the family and needed to serve tea, which required the elders' presence. The last time was when Cheng Lu entered the manor, which she had to personally arrange. So, what was the reason for calling everyone together this time?
Pei Cijing's brow could not help but twitch...
