The more Xiao Tian thought about it, the more annoyed he became, while the other two were chatting more and more enthusiastically. Finally, they set the date for the treatment.
After leaving the Lu Mansion, Yi Qing said to Baozi, "I'm going shopping in a while. Do you want to stay in the carriage with Uncle Xiao or come with me?"
Xiao Tian asked, "What do you need to buy?"
"You won't understand," Yi Qing replied indifferently. After that, she was as stingy with words as possible and refused to say more.
Baozi's eyes lingered on the two of them for a moment, then he couldn't help asking, "Mom, did you and Uncle Xiao quarrel?"
"No," they answered in unison.
However, after a brief eye contact, they both averted their gazes as if nothing had happened.
Yi Qing found a shop selling all kinds of goods from the north and the south.
This shop was rather special as it was opened by a person from the south of the Yangtze River.
The south of the Yangtze River was rich, and its overseas trade was well - developed. Many people went overseas to seek their fortunes, exchanging porcelain, tea, and silk for ivory, jewels and other things. It was a high - risk but highly profitable business.
Many of these rare items were then sent to the north - south shops in the capital to make even greater profits.
Yi Qing was very familiar with the shopkeeper. As soon as she entered, the shopkeeper came out to greet her in person and said with a smile, "Miss Yi, it's been a long time since you last came."
Yi Qing smiled and replied, "It has been a while. Business is booming, Shopkeeper Sun."
Xiao Tian, holding Baozi's hand, stood behind her. He couldn't help thinking that Yi Qing could also be very amiable when she wanted to have a chat.
Shopkeeper Sun made a few modest remarks and then said, "Miss Yi, are you here to ask about the thing you inquired about last time? The ship hasn't returned yet, or it may have returned but the news hasn't reached us. Please be patient. I'll surely send someone to inform you as soon as it's found."
Yi Qing nodded and glanced at Xiao Tian from the corner of her eye. She said in a calm tone, "Thank you, Shopkeeper Sun. It's not that I'm trying to rush you, but this thing is really important. If we can get that kind of tree bark, dealing with miasma will be no problem."
Sure enough, Xiao Tian's expression changed.
Miasma was actually malaria. There was no miraculous cure for it here, and the army often suffered heavy losses because of it when marching south.
Malaria could be prevented and treated, but the people here didn't know that.
Yi Qing had been asking Shopkeeper Sun to help her find the bark of the cinchona tree for several years, but she had never told him its purpose.
Shopkeeper Sun looked surprised and asked, "Miss Yi, is what you said true?"
Although he wanted to make money, he had agreed to help Yi Qing mainly because he didn't want to offend a customer. In his opinion, looking for some tree bark was a waste of time. Even if he found it, how much silver could Yi Qing give him? It would be better to focus on other goods.
So in the past few years, he had just casually mentioned it to some familiar sailors when they were about to go overseas, and sometimes he even forgot about it.
But when he heard that it could cure miasma, his business sense immediately made him nervous and excited.
Yi Qing said indifferently, "What would I gain by lying to you? It's a pity that I haven't been able to obtain it. Otherwise, I would have proven it long ago."
Shopkeeper Sun said, "Okay, okay, okay. I'll write a letter right away to urge them and see if they've brought it back this time."
If they didn't have it this time, they would have to go on a special trip to look for it on the next voyage.
After the emperor ascended the throne, he banned the sale of official titles and emphasized the imperial examination system, which basically cut off the possibility for merchant families to buy official positions.
However, the emperor was very generous to some righteous merchants who had helped him in the past and had rewarded them handsomely.
So these merchants, who had made a fortune but lacked official titles to glorify their ancestors, were eager to make contributions.
But if it were that easy, there wouldn't be enough official positions for the emperor to distribute.
However, if they could really develop an antidote for miasma, the contribution would be great. They didn't dare to dream of a high - ranking official position, but a sixth or seventh - rank official position was quite achievable.
Shopkeeper Sun didn't dare to think about it for himself, but the owner of the shop definitely wouldn't miss such an opportunity.
Yi Qing could tell from his expression that he was interested. She said calmly, "Then I'll trouble you, Shopkeeper Sun."
Shopkeeper Sun then carefully asked for her address. He repeatedly told the shop assistant to serve tea and snacks and invited Yi Qing to sit down. He carefully asked her some questions about the cinchona bark.
Yi Qing answered them all without a single flaw.
After they got back, Xiao Tian asked her, "Why did you do that?"
"What do you mean?" Yi Qing was sitting in front of the brazier, holding a cloisonné copper hand - warmer. She said indifferently.
"If it's really a way to deal with miasma, why did you tell Shopkeeper Sun? Aren't you afraid that he'll ask for too much?"
Yi Qing replied, "I was afraid they wouldn't take it seriously if I didn't tell the truth. Moreover, I don't want to be in the limelight. I just want to get more silver."
"You could have told me if it's true."
"No, I don't want to do business with you, even if it's mutually beneficial," Yi Qing said, looking at Baozi sleeping on the kang. "Anyway, Xiao Jinghan is Baozi's biological father. For Baozi's sake in the future, I won't have too much contact with his father's killer."
"You..."
"The truth is often unpleasant, so don't ask anymore," Yi Qing said indifferently. "Don't worry. I don't hate you personally. I may despise you, but I won't hate you."
Xiao Tian sneered, "Then thank you."
"You're welcome."
"You! What I want to say is, why are you still pretending in front of me? Do you think I don't know that Baozi's biological father is not General Xiao at all?"
"If you want me to change my story," Yi Qing waved two slender fingers in front of his face, "first, find out who Baozi's real father is; second, let Xiao Jinghan rise from the dead to expose me."
Xiao Tian ignored her. Instead, he turned around and went to find Lu Tianzuo.
"Go and investigate her treatment of the Prince of Qi back then. See who she contacted in the border area and who is most likely to be Baozi's biological father!"
The Prince of Qi, Chu Ning, was the seventh younger brother of the current emperor, Chu An. Although they were not born of the same mother, they were now on very good terms.
"Shall I kill them?" Lu Tianzuo asked.
Xiao Tian replied, "Nonsense!"
All he wanted was the truth.
Lu Tianzuo said, "I guess it won't be a good person. Otherwise, why would Yi Qing deny it? But it's hard to say. Maybe Yi Qing did it on purpose to avoid the Huai'en Marquis Mansion."
"Don't talk about those things. Just go and investigate first."
"Yes!"
Xiao Tian also went when Yi Qing was treating Lu Tianxun's leg.
Apart from Lu Tianxun, only he and Yi Qing were in the room.
Yi Qing asked him to be her assistant, so she kept him there.
Lu Tianxun was sitting there calmly, showing the grace of a gentleman.
He bowed to Yi Qing on the bed and said, "Thank you, Miss Yi."
"Don't worry. Drink this," Yi Qing said as she handed him a bowl of Mafeisan (an anesthetic).
Lu Tianxun took the bowl, smiled at Yi Qing, and drank it all in one gulp.
Yi Qing helped him lie down slowly and said, "Go to sleep peacefully."
Xiao Tian stood beside them, looking extremely solemn.
"Let's start," Yi Qing said as she reached out to lift the quilt off Lu Tianxun. After taking a look, she shook her head and said, "You're so disobedient."