Chapter 107: Zhang Xia

Chen Ji looked outside the medical hall. The front of the steamed bun shop was already empty, as if no one had ever stood there gazing at them.

He opened his mouth and said, "First, we need to figure out if this person is tracking the prince or the county princess. Prince, has this person ever tracked you alone before?"

The prince shook his head. "No."

"County princess, when you go out alone, have you encountered this person?"

Bai Li replied, "Yes, I have. I remember at the Lantern Festival temple fair last year, my brother and his jianghu friends were drinking, and I took my maid to guess lantern riddles. That person was also hiding in the crowd secretly watching me."

"Did County Princess mention this to Yun Fei Madam?"

"I did. My mother told me not to overthink it, that it might just be a coincidence."

Chen Ji was slightly startled.

According to a normal person's logic, if their own daughter was being tracked by a strange man, the first reaction would be to send people to protect her, not tell her not to overthink it.

Yun Fei likely knew who that person was.

However, at this moment, a burst of hoofbeats interrupted Chen Ji and the others' thoughts. A date-red steed suddenly stopped at the door of Taiping Medical Hall.

The people in the medical hall stopped talking and their gazes all turned towards it. That date-red steed and the person on the steed seemed born to be the protagonists on a stage, always the most dazzling ones, whether singing qingyi or huadan roles.

The date-red steed was dripping with sweat, steaming with mist in the early winter sunlight.

The wood-inlaid-with-silver saddle was embedded with gold threads and gems. On the saddle, a girl in red clothes flipped down from the horse, casually tossing the horse whip in her hand. The steed, as if it had a spirit, took the whip in its mouth.

The reins didn't need to be tied anywhere; the date-red steed simply stopped at the medical hall door and didn't go anywhere.

The girl, wearing neat polo attire, walked directly into Taiping Medical Hall and loudly asked, "Who is Chen Ji?"

Everyone subconsciously looked towards Chen Ji. Chen Ji, standing behind the counter, calmly said, "I am."

The girl, acting as if no one else were there, walked to the counter and carefully examined Chen Ji's wooden hairpin, his grey cloth clothes that had been washed until they had lost their starch and turned white.

The girl across the red wood counter looked at Chen Ji and directly asked, "Have you read books?"

"I have."

The girl asked again, "Among the Da Xue, Lun Yu, Meng Zi, and Zhong Yong, which one are you most skilled at?"

Chen Ji was startled. "I am not skilled at any of them."

The girl frowned slightly and asked again, "Among the six arts of li, she, yue, yu, shu, and shu, which one do you master?"

Chen Ji thought for a moment and replied, "Jiu Shu should still be acceptable."

The girl's brows furrowed even tighter. "Do you know how to write poetry? If you have written any, take it out for me to see."

Chen Ji shook his head. "No."

Liu Qu Xing, She Deng Ke, Bai Li, the prince, and others exchanged glances, still not understanding the situation.

This girl seemed to have fallen from the sky, appearing suddenly and aggressively.

The girl stood in front of the counter examining Chen Ji, silent for a while, seemingly struggling.

Finally, she straightforwardly rolled up her sleeves and placed her slender wrist on the counter. "Diagnose me."

Chen Ji said softly, "This girl, I am just a small apprentice at this Taiping Medical Hall. My skills are not yet complete, and I cannot yet diagnose for people. That old man over there is my master. For diagnosis, you should find him."

*Clang.*

The girl took out a silver ingot from her waist pouch and slapped it on the counter, saying harshly, "I want you to diagnose me."

Chen Ji was just about to say something, but he saw Yao Laoren had already put the silver ingot away.

Yao Laoren, while stuffing the silver ingot into his sleeve, slowly said, "If the patient has this request, we as doctors should comply with their wishes. After all, heart disease is also a disease."

The girl looked at Chen Ji. "Your master has spoken, don't dawdle."

Bai Li, seeing her arrogant attitude, immediately wanted to step forward to argue but was pulled back by the prince.

Chen Ji sized up the girl. She had a deep red jade hairpin on her head, translucent like the evening fiery clouds, and a pair of phoenix eyes full of sharpness.

But how could he know how to diagnose?

Originally, when he first transmigrated, Chen Ji had thought about supplementing some medical knowledge. Later, he discovered that Yao Laoren's personal disciple was not taught medical arts but the path of the Shanzhu, so he completely gave up.

Now, how could he diagnose for people?

Chen Ji was silent for a moment, then said, "Girl, you are well. I now need to ask you some questions. After you answer, I will make a judgment based on my assessment, categorizing it into five levels: 'none,' 'very light,' 'medium,' 'severe,' and 'very severe.' Is that okay?"

This he was familiar with.

The girl opposite the counter was startled at first, then her face became serious. "Are you playing with me?"

Chen Ji calmly said, "It was the girl who first came to play with me."

The fiery girl frowned. "When did I play with you?"

Chen Ji said, "You are not here to be diagnosed. As soon as you entered, you asked some random things. I don't even know who you are or what your name is. Being able to answer those questions was already very polite."

The girl pursed her lips. "I just wanted to see what you have learned after two years in the medical hall."

Chen Ji calmly said, "What I have learned or haven't learned has nothing to do with you. I think you are also a straightforward person. If you have something to say, say it directly. There's no need to beat around the bush to test."

The girl did not get angry but slowly calmed down. "You are indeed as rumored in the streets."

"What is rumored about me in the streets?"

The girl thought and said, "The streets rumor that you have a dull and eccentric temperament, with unpredictable mood swings. You often gamble excessively and frequent places like Hong Yi Xiang. You came to Taiping Medical Hall as an apprentice because you were driven out by your family."

Chen Ji nodded. "They rumor all truths. Indeed so."

The girl was startled. "You don't defend yourself?"

Chen Ji smiled. "Since it is a fact, there's no need to defend... or rather, no need to defend to you."

The girl raised her eyebrows. "My name is Zhang Xia."

"Zhang Xia?" Chen Ji looked to the side with a slight confusion. Liu Qu Xing anxiously gestured, but no one could understand what he was gesturing.

Zhang Xia was puzzled. "You haven't heard of me?"

Chen Ji sincerely said, "I haven't heard."

Zhang Xia, standing outside the counter, acting as if no one else were there, said to herself, "You don't need to pretend not to have heard of me. I came to the medical hall today to instruct you on some matters: In the future, where I want to go and what I want to do are my business, don't meddle. If you must nitpick, it will only bring you unhappiness."

"As long as you behave well, I will send you silver every month to spend. But you must not go to the gambling house again, and you must not go to Hong Yi Xiang again. If I find out you are losing my face outside, I will cut off your silver."

"Right, also, have less contact with the Chen family. On festivals, I will arrange gifts for you to send, but you better go back less."

Taiping Medical Hall fell silent.

She Deng Ke's hand, holding the copper scale for weighing medicine, was suspended in mid-air. Liu Qu Xing's mouth was open wide enough to stuff a whole bun. The prince was pulling Bai Li's arm with increasing force.

Yao Laoren slowly stroked his pure white beard, his expression complex.

Chen Ji lightly sighed. "Zhang Xia, is there some misunderstanding? I don't understand what you're saying at all."

Zhang Xia placed both hands on the counter and said in a low voice, "My father is currently in your Chen residence. Do you say you don't understand? I came here just to give you a reminder, to teach you how to get along in the future."

Chen Ji, seeing the other person speak straightforwardly, then threw all the pieces in his hand into the chess basket and shuffled the board. "Zhang Er Xiaojie, I don't even return to the Chen residence. They also can't decide my matters. I can see you look down on me. Since that's the case, why not go directly and persuade your father to dismiss this absurd idea?"

Zhang Xia shook her head. "This is my parents' order. It's fine that they decide. Additionally, for me, living with whom is the same, as long as they are obedient. You don't need to feel wronged. As the legitimate daughter, marrying you, this son of a concubine, is also giving you face. In the future, you won't have to worry about food and clothing and can live a good life."

Chen Ji looked at Zhang Xia across the counter. "Please go back and tell Lord Zhang that today I will sign the contract with Jing Wang. Please don't think about the cement formula anymore. Zhang Er Xiaojie, no matter what you think, I temporarily have no plans to marry and establish a family. Please go back."

Zhang Xia was surprised. "You don't fancy me? On what basis? You and your legitimate brother Chen Wen Zong are worlds apart. I don't know what father sees in you."

Bai Li finally couldn't help but say, "What you said earlier, what's the difference from marrying into the family? Even if Chen Ji is a son of a concubine, he absolutely won't be so spineless as to marry into your Zhang family!"

Zhang Xia glanced sideways at Bai Li. "Who are you? What does my matter with him have to do with you?"

Bai Li said angrily, "We are all his close friends and cannot tolerate you belittling him like this! Also, you say he is not as good as Chen Wen Zong. We just think he is a hundred times better than Chen Wen Zong and Chen Wen Xiao!"

Zhang Xia was puzzled. "Are you crazy? Chen Wen Zong just won first place in the provincial examination today, proficient in the Four Books and Classics, skilled in the six arts of a gentleman. You say Chen Ji is a hundred times better than Chen Wen Zong? Better in what way?"

Bai Li was so angry that the veins on her neck popped. "Just better than Chen Wen Zong!"

Zhang Xia didn't argue with Bai Li anymore and turned her head to Chen Ji. "If you don't fancy me, that's fine. Go yourself and tell your father to dispel my father's thoughts. If you dare not say it, then do as I just said."

After saying that, Zhang Xia turned and left the medical hall.

She stepped out of the medical hall threshold, took the whip from the steed's mouth, and flipped onto the horse. "Zao Zao, home!"