Chapter 86: An Unspeakable Mood

Yin Ruxin escorted Qin Haizhou out of the small courtyard, then returned to the bedroom carrying a bowl of hot porridge. As she fed the porridge to Yang Yaozong, she asked, “Will letting Meng Kuo go cause any trouble?” Ever since she began to suspect that Yang Yaozong’s identity was far more complex than merely Crown Grand Tutor—and even guessed that he had played a part in thwarting the eldest prince Jing Min’s escape—she had wanted to ask him about Meng Kuo’s capture. Unexpectedly, before she found the right moment to inquire, Yang Yaozong had already released Meng Kuo. Meng Kuo was her trusted aide, so naturally she was glad he had been set free. She knew Yang Yaozong had done it entirely for her sake, but she still worried that he might suffer punishment for so casually releasing a major criminal who had aided Jing Min’s escape.

Yang Yaozong smiled gently. “It’s nothing to worry about. Besides, I have plans for Meng Kuo. Tomorrow, I want him to accompany your elder sister as she escorts your master’s coffin home. I’ve had Bruno train two servants at the Nangong estate, specializing in the cultivation of sweet potatoes and other new crops. I intend to send one of them, along with some sweet potato seedlings and seeds, back to your hometown with your sister and the others. He’ll stay there to teach your people how to grow and nurture sweet potatoes. Once your sister has arranged your master’s burial, she can return. Meng Kuo will stay in your hometown for now to protect that servant—his safety is paramount. For the first planting, do as I told you before: choose a secluded spot and start with a small trial. Let’s see how the crop fares before expanding the planting.”

Seeing Yang Yaozong fulfill each promise he had once made, Yin Ruxin could not help but shed silent tears. Her eyes fixed on him, she said, “I’ll make all the arrangements. I’ll be sure to keep that servant safe.”

Yang Yaozong wiped away her tears. “Silly girl, don’t cry. What matters to you matters to me too. Aren’t your people my people as well? Come now, stop crying. If you keep this up, you’ll turn into a little monster.”

Yin Ruxin gave a watery laugh and chided him softly, “Even if I become a little monster, you’re not allowed to dislike me.”

Yang Yaozong chuckled, “Never. No matter how you change, my Ruxin will always be dear to me.”

She pouted, half-teasing, “That’s more like it.”

Yang Yaozong smiled with pursed lips. “I haven’t told you much about the Secret Intelligence Bureau. Let me explain it to you now.”

He then told her how, at the emperor’s special request, he had established the Secret Intelligence Bureau, outlining its functions, responsibilities, and his management of it.

Listening intently, Yin Ruxin pressed his hand to her cheek, gently rubbing it, her eyes misting over. In a soft voice, she said, “You never wanted to do all this, but for me, you chose to enter officialdom. You created the Secret Intelligence Bureau—it’s like the emperor’s eyes and ears. The responsibility is immense, and the dangers are even greater. Now, trying to withdraw would be near impossible.”

Yang Yaozong smiled reassuringly. “It’s not impossible to step back, but the Bureau is newly established and needs time to run smoothly. Since I founded it, I must bear its responsibilities. Don’t worry, I’ll be fine. Besides, you’re now part of my Bureau too. We’re husband and wife, united in heart and purpose—there’s nothing we can’t overcome together.”

Soothed by his words, Yin Ruxin replied with a soft reproach, “You always know just what to say.”

That afternoon, Mu Qinghan finished examining Yang Yaozong, and while packing up her medicine chest, carefully explained to Yin Ruxin how to prepare the herbs she had brought for him.

Yang Yaozong had coughed up more blood, though less than the day before, but he still felt utterly exhausted and weak. After Mu Qinghan finished her explanations, he managed to say feebly, “Miss Mu, do you think tomorrow I could… go out for a walk?”

Mu Qinghan glanced at the open window. “What do you think? The room is well-ventilated; there’s no need for you to get up. Rest for a few days. There’s still some stagnant blood inside you. Even after it is cleared, you’ll need several days of medication to heal your damaged meridians and organs. If you move about too soon and injure your meridians again, what then?”

Yang Yaozong truly had urgent matters to attend to—issues involving the King’s loyalist plot. Even if he could not report to the emperor, he needed to inform the Crown Prince. He was also anxious to visit the Virtuous Prince and verify some suspicions. Frowning, he asked, “Isn’t there a way to clear all the stagnant blood today?”

Looking at his pale face, Mu Qinghan frowned as well. “The pain just now nearly drained you. Do you really think you have the strength for another round of needles? I could do it, but I doubt you could bear it. And even if the blood is cleared, you still need time for your meridians and organs to heal. Since you have nothing else to do, take things slowly and rest well.”

Yin Ruxin watched Yang Yaozong with deep concern. She knew his anxiety stemmed from affairs of state—especially matters discussed that morning with Qin Haizhou—and his eagerness to recover. But to her, nothing was more pressing than his wellbeing. She coaxed him gently, “Just listen to Doctor Mu. Restoring your health is the most important thing right now.”

Yang Yaozong smiled. “It’s all right, I can endure it. Miss Mu, please go ahead with the treatment. Besides, you’re busy—I don’t want you to keep running back and forth for me.”

Mu Qinghan snapped, “You think I enjoy dragging out your treatment?” She was genuinely angry. She flung open the medicine chest and swiftly unrolled a cloth filled with gleaming silver needles. “You said you could bear it!” Without looking at Yin Ruxin, she added, “Please bring me an oil lamp. I need to disinfect the needles—and I’ll need your help to hold him steady so he doesn’t faint while I work.”

After another round of needling, the stagnant blood was finally expelled from Yang Yaozong’s body. He was so pale and drained that he lay motionless on the bed with his eyes closed—his strength entirely spent. If not for Yin Ruxin wiping the sweat from his brow, it would have poured off him like rain.

Yin Ruxin felt as if she shared his suffering; as she watched him bite back the pain, her own eyes filled with tears that she could not hold back.

Although Mu Qinghan was still annoyed, she performed the needling with utmost care. Concentrating so intently, a fine sheen of sweat gathered on her forehead and nose, and she too looked exhausted.

Yang Yaozong, eyes closed and voice barely audible, murmured, “Th-thank you… Miss Mu.”

She knew the pain he had endured from these needles was akin to scraping the very bone—each one a deep, piercing agony. That he had managed two such treatments moved her to respect his endurance, though she remained outwardly cross. “Don’t thank me. Just rest. I’m leaving.”

After seeing Mu Qinghan out, Yin Ruxin brought her elder sister, Yin Ruyun, to the bedside upstairs. “Sister, could you help restore his meridians with your inner energy? I’ll go keep Master company in the front hall.”

Yang Yaozong called weakly, “Ruxin…”

She turned to him with concern. “What is it?”

He said, “When Brother Qin brings Meng Kuo, tell him to go to the Nangong estate—have Bruno prepare the servant and seeds for your journey. Then have Brother Qin bring them here. At dawn tomorrow, they’ll set out…” He glanced at Yin Ruyun standing by the bed, then at Yin Ruxin. “They’ll set out with Ruyun. The sooner they leave, the sooner they’ll return.”

Yin Ruxin was unfazed by his casual use of her sister’s name and nodded. “Alright, I’ll tell Brother Qin. Don’t worry.”

Yin Ruyun, however, blushed at being addressed so familiarly in front of her sister, her heart fluttering inside her chest.

Noticing her sister’s shy, flustered manner, Yin Ruxin called her in puzzlement, “Sister?”

Yin Ruyun, her gaze evasive, glanced quickly at her before pretending composure. “Very well. I’ll begin restoring his meridians now.” She sat on a round stool by the bed, took Yang Yaozong’s wrist, and began gently channeling her energy into him.

As Yin Ruxin left the room, Yang Yaozong said softly, “Be careful on the road tomorrow. Please take care of the servant who’s traveling with you to your hometown.”

Yin Ruyun understood the importance of planting sweet potatoes in their hometown. Yang Yaozong’s actions warmed her deeply. Perhaps because of the intimacy that had grown between them, she nodded gently. “Don’t worry. In the days I’m away, be sure to look after Ruxin. I’ll return as soon as possible.”

Yang Yaozong managed a weak chuckle. “Look at me now—it’s she who should be looking after me.”

Yin Ruyun smiled rarely, her voice soft. “Why don’t you sleep a little? You’ll feel much better when you wake.”

She watched over Yang Yaozong as he drifted into a faint sleep, her beautiful eyes brimming with unshed tears. Ever since they had, by circumstance, shared the deepest intimacy, it was as if he had taken up residence in her heart. She yearned for him, yet dared not approach even though he was so near. She felt ashamed to face Yin Ruxin, her feelings tangled and inexpressible. Escorting her master’s coffin home in the morning would at least allow her a few days’ respite away from both Yang Yaozong and Yin Ruxin, and she felt relieved at the prospect. In her heart, she kept telling herself, “Once I return from home, it will be better. I will let go. I must let go.”