After Marrying The Paranoid God of War (Rebirth) - Chapter 37
After obtaining Huo Pingxiao’s consent, Ruan An immediately sent Wei Yuan along with a few attendants from the Marquis’ residence to make a trip to the night market after curfew.
The next morning, as usual, Ruan An went to Ping’an Hall to see patients.
Wei Yuan was very efficient and directly brought the several medicine merchants to the medicine hall.
There were five medicine merchants in total, all dressed in simple brown short robes. It was apparent that they had not completed any business in the official yamen and could not stay long in Chang’an.
So, upon hearing that someone wanted to purchase a large quantity of the medicinal materials they had, all five merchants showed a look of joy on their faces.
Even if they couldn’t stay in Chang’an, earning a large sum of money and returning home in glory was very good.
The medicine hall was not very spacious, and it became quite cramped and narrow once it was filled with people.
Ruan An was worried that patients might suddenly visit, making it inconvenient to talk with these merchants, so she left Tian Ya and Tian Jiang there while she found the nearest tea house. She had a servant bring some tea and snacks, and sat down to have a detailed talk with the merchants.
“Old doctor, don’t worry. All of us come from Jiannan Zizhou, and although our families are poor, we have been in the business of selling medicines for generations. We are not like those merchants who don’t understand medicine and can’t process it. The medicines we have are the best from the Shunan medicine mountains.”
To Ruan An, the accent of these merchants was very familiar. It turned out they were her fellow townsmen from Jiannan.
Jiazhou is not far from Zizhou. It’s said that the medicine mountains in Jiannan are the most abundant, and the most prosperous medicine market in Jiannan is in Zizhou every September.
In her youth, Ruan An often went to Zizhou with her master and mistress to sell medicines in early autumn. The medicine market there was not just about selling herbs; it was like a regular market, selling all sorts of things.
Every year, there were miraculous stories from the Zizhou medicine market, like meeting immortals.
For example, a local official met an elderly man at the market and bought a pill from him. After taking it, the official was free from illness for the rest of his life.
Or, for instance, a filial son from Shu whose mother was gravely ill came to the Zizhou medicine market looking for a miracle cure. Fortunately, he received help from a long-bearded Daoist, who gave him a Nine Turns Resurrection Pill.
After his mother took it, she miraculously recovered from her illness and was brought back to life.
Ruan An, however, had never encountered any immortals or miracle medicines in Zizhou. Those who claimed to be enlightened medicine merchants were mostly frauds, not even understanding the basic properties of medicines.
But encountering people from Zizhou in Chang’an still made Ruan An quite happy.
“Hmm, I also come from Shu, and I know that the medicinal materials from Zizhou are excellent. So, how many types of medicinal materials do you have on hand?”
“You also come from Shu?”
One of the merchants put down his tea cup, looked at Ruan An in disbelief, and asked again, “May I ask if you are Ruan Gu from Jiazhou?”
Ruan An smiled modestly, tacitly acknowledging it.
Seeing that the old lady in front of them was indeed Ruan Gu, the merchant joyfully said, “If it’s Ruan Gu buying medicines, we can give you an even better price.”
These merchants had heard of the rumors between Ruan Gu of Jiazhou and the Marquis of Dingbei after coming to Chang’an.
However, in their opinion, the relationship between the Marquis and Ruan, a medical woman, must be proper, as Ruan was an elder and the Marquis was not even forty yet.
How could a young man and an elderly woman be involved?
It must be those rumor-mongers spreading falsehoods, trying to attach a scandalous rumor to their famous doctor from Jiannan.
But the fact that Ruan, a medical woman, had the Marquis of Dingbei as her backing in Chang’an was indisputable. Otherwise, there wouldn’t always be a tall and imposing official watching over their actions, which seemed quite intimidating.
After Ruan An finished talking with the merchants, Wei Yuan suggested, “I think, Ruan Gu, the amount of medicinal materials you want to buy this time is quite substantial. According to what those merchants said, not all of these materials are processed. After buying them, you might need to find a place to process them properly.”
Ruan An nodded and replied softly, “It’s best to choose a location in the suburbs. I was thinking, instead of opening another pharmacy in the city, it might be better to start a medicine garden in the suburbs. This way, we can grow some herbs on the wasteland and be self-sufficient.”
“How much gold and silver would it take to acquire a farmstead in the suburbs?”
Wei Yuan smiled and respectfully answered, “Lord Marquis happens to have a vacant farmstead in the suburbs. When I went to inspect it recently, it was overgrown with wild grass and has been unattended for quite some time. If you turn that place into a medicine garden, Lord Marquis’s farmstead can also be put to good use and not be left idle. The Imperial Pharmacy and the Inner Treasury often go to private pharmacies to buy medicinal materials. If you manage the medicine garden well, the profits in the future will be substantial.”
Like the pharmacy Ruan An runs, where people come for both medicines and medical consultations, the scope of a medicine garden would be much larger than a small pharmacy, capable of supporting a large family with its annual revenue.
Ruan An’s greatest wish in her previous life was only to open a small pharmacy or medical hall.
Yet, unexpectedly, in this life, just as her pharmacy was starting to take off, she was now about to start a medicine garden.
Not long after Ruan An returned to the mansion from the pharmacy, Steward Su, according to the previously agreed date, brought Huo Xi back to the Marquis’s residence on time.
“Lord Marquis, Madam, it happens that both of you are at home. Master has specifically sent me to inform you both that after the official school break, he plans to send the young master to the Imperial College to study alongside the third son.”
After Steward Su reported his matter, he left the residence.
Ruan An called Huo Xi to her side, her expression showing a bit of worry as she asked with concern, “Xi’er, you will just be four years old after the break. Are you sure you want to go to the Imperial College to study with the older brothers and sisters?”
Huo Xi nodded his little head, his bright eyes showing determination, “Mmm, Xi’er wants to go.”
Ruan An didn’t want to dampen her child’s enthusiasm, so after patting the boy’s little head, she stood up and looked at Huo Pingxiao for help, silently mouthing to him –
What to do if Huo Xi insists on going to the Imperial College?
Huo Pingxiao nodded at Ruan An.
“Thud, thud –”
The man curled his fingers and knocked heavily on the table, commanding in a stern voice, “Huo Xi, come here.”
This time, the man didn’t call him a little ghost, and his tone and demeanor were quite serious.
Huo Xi’s chubby little face didn’t show any fear, but instead, he obediently walked to the stern man.
Huo Pingxiao glanced at him threateningly, lowering his voice, “Little ghost, even if you start your official career early, I won’t write a letter of divorce for your mother. So give up on that idea.”
Huo Xi’s expression still carried the innocence and naivety of a child. He asked in a childish voice, “Daddy, it’s my own wish to go to the Imperial College. Why are you bringing up a letter of divorce?”
Halfway through speaking, the boy feigned confusion, “Ah, so Daddy means, as soon as I start my official career, I should write a letter of divorce for Mom?”
Huo Pingxiao snorted coldly, not immediately exposing Huo Xi’s scheming.
This little rascal had clearly heard his conversation with Ruan An earlier and was now playing dumb with him.
“Young man, stop trying to sow discord here.”
After saying this, Huo Pingxiao, under Ruan An’s astonished gaze, lifted the boy by his little arms, holding the bewildered bundle upright, and strode out of the hall, commanding coldly, “Prepare the carriage, to the Prime Minister’s residence.”
Madam Gao had just arrived at the Tongjian Garden, eager to spend some time with Huo Lang. She hadn’t even had a chance to speak a few gentle words to him.
Then she saw Huo Pingxiao, holding the helpless-faced Huo Xi in one hand, bursting in with a formidable presence.
After putting Huo Xi down, Huo Pingxiao immediately questioned, “Why didn’t you discuss with me beforehand about sending Huo Xi to the Imperial College?”
Huo Lang glanced at him and replied indifferently, “So many officials’ children are breaking their heads trying to get into the Imperial College, and your son can enter now. What’s there to be angry about?”
“Furthermore, the current Imperial Preceptor of the Imperial College is Chen Duo, a man of integrity and uprightness. Although His Majesty has already approved Huo Xi’s early admission to the Imperial College, if he fails to pass Chen Duo’s examination, the plan will have to be abandoned.”
“The old man, you are too self-righteous. Knowing full well that Huo Xi is not like ordinary children, how could he possibly fail Chen Duo’s examination?”
…
Madam Gao quietly listened to the father and son’s conversation, watching them puffing up their chests and glaring at each other, which reminded her of the early days when she first married into the Prime Minister’s residence.
At that time, Huo Pingxiao was only four or five years old, not yet sent to the academy for moral cultivation and learning.
Time flies so fast; in the blink of an eye, even Huo Pingxiao’s son is now able to walk, and both she and the Prime Minister have aged.
Meanwhile, Madam Gao wasn’t perturbed by the news of Huo Xi going to the Imperial College.
On the other hand, He Xinruo in the second house became extremely agitated upon hearing that Huo Lang was planning to send Huo Xi to the Imperial College.
“The Grandfather is too fond of that child. Huo Xi is only four years old, and he is already sending him to the Imperial College.”
On the day He Xinruo returned to her mother’s home, she spoke these words with a trembling voice due to annoyance.
After hearing her daughter’s complaints, Madam He’s expression gradually became somber.
Since He Xinruo married Huo Changjue, four months had passed. During this time, Madam He had frequently sent nourishing medicines to the Prime Minister’s residence, hoping that He Xinruo would soon conceive a child for the Huo family.
However, there was still no sign of pregnancy.
Children naturally cannot be rushed, but Huo Lang’s health has always been fragile, and he was aging. If he passed away first, given his fondness for his eldest grandson, it was very possible that he would directly pass his Marquis title to Huo Xi.
The more He Xinruo thought about it, the angrier she became. Seeing that her mother remained silent, she gritted her teeth and said, “No matter what, Erlang (Title for second son) is the legitimate son of this family. How can the Prime Minister be so biased?”
“If it weren’t for that cousin from the Fang family bringing a child into the family, this title should have belonged to Erlang!”
Madam He remained calm, asking in a soft voice, “How is the child’s health?”
He Xinruo was initially startled by her mother’s sudden question.
After a moment, she realized what her mother was implying.
He Xinruo’s eyes widened in disbelief, “Mother, you don’t mean…”
“No!”
He Xinruo immediately dismissed the thought from her mind, as she hadn’t completely lost her conscience.
Moreover, Huo Xi was a likable child, and she couldn’t bring herself to harm a little kid.
Madam He glanced at her daughter with a sigh, “Look at you, where is your mind going?”
He Xinruo breathed a sigh of relief and asked in confusion, “Then what did mother mean by that?”
Madam He withdrew her gaze, consoling He Xinruo, “Don’t be anxious. After all, Lord Dingbei is a military man, and the situation in Li Kingdom has been unstable these years. What will happen in the future is hard to predict.”
“Not to speak unpleasantly, but although the people hail him as a war god, swords and spears are blind. Once Lord Dingbei goes to the battlefield, it means one foot is already in the ghost’s gate.”
“If he were to die unexpectedly on the battlefield, Huo Xi would naturally inherit his father’s title first, not the Prime Minister’s Marquis title.”
He Xinruo gradually understood her mother’s implication.
If something unexpected happened in the future and the cousin from the Fang family had only Huo Xi as her child, then Huo Changjue would naturally become the first in line to inherit Huo Lang’s title, leaving no one to compete with them in the second house.
In that case, as long as the cousin from the Fang family could no longer bear children, all the problems she worried about could be easily resolved.
Upon thinking of this, He Xinruo felt no guilt or sense of wrongdoing at all. On the contrary, she felt quite relieved.
She wasn’t wishing for the cousin from the Fang family’s life, just that she would no longer be able to conceive.
Since the Fang family already had Huo Xi as the legitimate eldest son, losing the ability to bear more children was not a significant loss.