A Shocking Dream

Chapter 158

When Lin Wunian, dressed in plain clothes and carrying a medicine basket, appeared at the gates of Linzhou City like a divine warrior, no one had high hopes for this young, female healer. Yet, she worked tirelessly day and night, shuttling between hospitals, brewing medicine, taking pulses, and administering acupuncture. Her technique was skillful and precise, and her gaze was focused and determined beyond the ordinary.

Under her skillful care, the sick, suffering from coughing, shortness of breath, high fever, and coma, gradually recovered. Families who had previously despaired of death regained hope. She also taught everyone epidemic prevention methods, using herbal fumigation to dispel pathogens and concocting nourishing soups. Her benevolence benefited everyone in the city, young and old. The epidemic was finally brought under control, and Linzhou slowly regained its former vitality.

Now, at the city gates, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and his officers and men were receiving the cheers and praise of the people, surrounded by flowers and fruits, but Lin Wunian was nowhere to be seen. Someone murmured, "Could it be that Doctor Lin didn't like the crowds and left first?" Someone else retorted, "How could that be? Such a great achievement should be admired by all the people."

Qin Rongchen sat on her horse, gazing at the bustling crowd below, listening to their whispers filled with curiosity about Lin Wunian. A faint smile played on her lips. A gentle breeze brushed against her clothes, and she seemed to picture Lin Wunian running through the plague-ridden Linzhou.

Lin Wunian, a female doctor as gentle as the gentle breeze and bright moon, had just arrived in Linzhou when the epidemic, like thick ink, stained the city with a gloomy despair. She entered alone, her hair casually tied back, her plain clothes often stained with medicine, but her eyes shone with fearlessness and determination. While other doctors hesitated, fearing infection and the difficulty of treating the disease, she plunged into the hospital, her slender fingers firmly on the patient's pulse, diagnosing and prescribing medicine, and personally tending the furnace while she brewed the medicine, staying awake all night.

As a woman, she defied prejudice, applying a medical method that combined exquisite ancestral formulas with bold, refined folk remedies, achieving remarkable results. Under her care, patients overcame their pain and regained their vitality. The streets of Linzhou gradually became vibrant with laughter, children, and the bustle of the marketplace. For Daqi, this compassionate and skilled treatment was undoubtedly an auspicious sign, the beginning of hope after the gloom of illness.

But now, with her work accomplished, everyone longed for her to return to the capital to receive her rewards and enjoy unparalleled glory. However, Qin Rongchen knew that Lin Wunian had no desire to return. She had her own free world, free to delve into difficult and complex diseases, unencumbered by the formalities and formalities of the capital's dignitaries. Though prosperous, the capital harbored complex human relationships and hidden political intrigues. For her medical aspirations, it felt like a cage, not a home.

For the past five years, Qin Rongchen always wanted to keep Lin Bingshuang by his side. He had considered arranging all the mansions and luxurious houses in the capital, hoping to give her stability and honor.

Until the epidemic in Linzhou subsided and the people praised Lin Wunian's achievements, Qin Rongchen watched the people eagerly await her return to the capital, but he knew she would not step into this prosperous cage. During the days and nights of waiting, watching the swallows return to their nests under the eaves and the flowers bloom and fade in the garden, he finally realized that love should not be a rope that binds, but a wings that lifts.

Now, Qin Rongchen imagined Lin Wunian, perhaps amidst the verdant mountains and clear waters of distant lands, treating the villagers or searching for rare medicinal herbs amidst the mist. A smile played on her lips, her eyes filled with gentle blessings. "As long as you are happy, free, and living a good life, that is the most precious thing in the world to me." Her soft whisper drifted away on the wind, as if to convey this feeling of relief and love to that person.

Qin Ruoyu was in the bustling crowd, the noise was endless. But at that moment, his eyes were like being drawn by a magnet, fixed on a familiar figure - Yuanyuan.

Months passed like a gust of wind, leaving no trace, yet sculpting a more vibrant beauty into her. She was dressed in a white dress, her figure lithe and graceful, her dark hair falling softly over her shoulders. Her eyes, shorn of their former immaturity, were now graced with a touch of charming grace. Qin Ruoyu instinctively stopped his horse, wanting to reach her, but before he could take a step, he paused.

Yuanyuan's eyes were smart but full of expectation. She searched around with passion and eagerness. Qin Ruoyu was too familiar with this expression. She was looking for Lin Wunian, and never waiting for him.

The market was bustling with activity, and Yuanyuan, slender and graceful, was anxiously looking around. At that moment, she met Qin Ruoyu's gaze. It was a polite glance between friends, calm and collected, but it left Qin Ruoyu with mixed feelings.

Yuanyuan's brows furrowed slightly, a hint of confusion and inquiry in her beautiful eyes, clearly wondering why Lin Wunian hadn't appeared with them. Her gaze seemed to be silently asking, "Where did she go? Why didn't she come back with us?" Qin Ruoyu smiled bitterly and wanted to avoid her, but now that their eyes were locked, turning away would have been too abrupt.

With this in mind, Qin Ruoyu leaned over and whispered a few words to the attendant beside him, his expression solemn and a little helpless. He explained that Lin Wunian had been delayed and could not come with him, and asked Yuanyuan to wait for a moment. The attendant took the order, walked quickly towards Yuanyuan, and bowed to convey it.

The market was still bustling, the crowds surging like a never-ending torrent. After hearing the attendant's message, Yuanyuan's face flickered with disappointment, the light fading from her eyes like stars obscured by dark clouds. However, she quickly adjusted her demeanor, her lips curling upwards in a polite smile, and she nodded slightly in Qin Ruoyu's direction. That smile concealed a hint of politeness and distance, like the subtle warmth one might show towards an ordinary friend.

Immediately, she turned and hurriedly blended into the crowd, her white dress fluttering like a butterfly, disappearing in the blink of an eye. Yuanyuan fully believed that it must be her uncle-master who had come to pick her up. During these long months of waiting, she and her sister were trapped in Linzhou, like two lonely geese drifting away, and the man had not sent any letters or news.

At first, she spent every day by the window, gazing out at the streets, hoping for the sound of horse hooves to bring familiar news. But as the days passed, hope faded, while worry grew like wild weeds. She knew her uncle-master always played it safe. This time, his disconnection meant he must have encountered a difficult problem, perhaps even fallen into deep danger. All sorts of terrifying thoughts surged through her mind. Therefore, even the slightest sign of her uncle-master's arrival would send her recklessly chasing after him, even if this hasty decision left Qin Ruoyu behind. Filled with mixed emotions, he stood for a long time, gazing in the direction she had left, lost in the clamor, yet seemingly swallowed up by it.

The sun hung high in the sky, casting a thousand golden rays, illuminating the towering palace gates with a gleaming brilliance. The vermilion wall paint at the entrance resembled congealed blood, solemn and majestic. The white marble steps stretched out in layers, seemingly leading to a celestial palace in the clouds. At this moment, the civil and military officials of the court had already gathered here, their robes fluttering, their crowns intertwined, like a colorful yet orderly scene of a court meeting.