When Yi Qing came out, her clothes were covered in blood, nearly scaring Mrs. Yuan into fainting. Fortunately, Yuan Hetong was there to support her.
"How is it?" Yuan Wenqu asked excitedly.
"It's a success, but we need to observe for a day." Yi Qing sounded exhausted. "The situation is better than I expected."
Maybe the Yuan family had taken good care of Miss Yuan. Yi Qing had originally planned to remove Miss Yuan's uterus, but in the end, she managed to preserve it.
"Can we go in and take a look?" Yuan Wenqu asked eagerly.
"It's better not to. Has the medicine I told you to boil been ready?"
"Yes, it's ready." Yuan Wenqu told someone to bring it over.
"Good." Yi Qing took the medicine and went in.
After cleaning up the operating table, moving Miss Yuan to a new bed and getting her to take the medicine, Yi Qing let out a sigh of relief.
Fortunately, Gan Ermei was strong. There was no need to call others for such things, which could prevent Miss Yuan from being in contact with too many people.
"What's this?" Gan Ermei was looking at a strange, human - like thing in a wooden box.
This teratoma was very large. Its head was fully developed with a lot of hair, looking extremely eerie. "Take it out and let the Yuan family bury it," Yi Qing said.
"Okay." Gan Ermei took it out.
Yi Qing lay on a small couch to rest for a while. It was time for lunch when the Yuan family came to call her. When she got there, she found only Mrs. Yuan.
"Madam Xiao," Mrs. Yuan said with an awkward expression. "What exactly was that thing taken out from my daughter's belly? Could it really be that my daughter... had an affair with someone?"
"Mrs. Yuan, you're overthinking," Yi Qing knew what was going on. The teratoma was in a human shape, and Mrs. Yuan must have thought Miss Yuan was really pregnant. "To be exact, it was Miss Yuan's twin."
"Twin?" Mrs. Yuan didn't understand.
"When you were pregnant with Miss Yuan, it should have been a twin pregnancy. But for some unknown reason, before full development, one embryo entered the other. At first, there was no problem. When the environment was suitable, the one that entered Miss Yuan's body started to develop and formed a teratoma," Yi Qing explained.
She thought it was necessary to clarify this.
Mrs. Yuan was shocked. "So I was supposed to have two daughters?"
Yi Qing didn't think it must be daughters. "It's just a very rare pathological change. There's nothing to worry about."
Hearing Yi Qing's words, Mrs. Yuan felt relieved. "Will she really never be able to bear children in the future?"
"Not necessarily. If she recovers well and takes good care of herself for a few years, she may still be able to have children."
Mrs. Yuan let out another sigh of relief. "Madam Xiao, you've done us a great favor. Our Yuan family will never forget it. In the future, if you have any requests, just let us know."
"Well, there is actually one thing," Yi Qing was never one to be polite. "Can I ask Mr. Yuan some questions?"
"What's that? After lunch, Madam Xiao can ask whatever you want," Mrs. Yuan said with a smile.
After lunch, Yi Qing finally regained her energy. Yuan Wenqu didn't know what Madam Xiao wanted to ask and felt a bit nervous. What if Madam Xiao asked some inconvenient questions?
"I've heard that Mr. Yuan has extensive knowledge. Do you know about the Northern Di Temple?" Yi Qing asked directly.
"The Northern Di Temple?" Yuan Wenqu was surprised. "Of course I know. What do you want to know, Madam Xiao?"
"I want to know if the Northern Di Temple is important to the Northern Di people?"
"Very important," Yuan Wenqu said directly. "The Northern Di people are different from us in the Great Jin Dynasty. They believe in the true god Shaman. Every Northern Di emperor has to go to the temple for baptism and receive the power bestowed by the Shaman god. Otherwise, they won't be recognized by the Northern Di people. So the Northern Di Temple has a supreme status among the Northern Di people."
"Can outsiders enter?" Yi Qing didn't expect it to be so troublesome.
"Unless they get the joint approval of the Northern Di emperor and the high priest, they would rather destroy the temple than let outsiders in."
Yi Qing felt even more troubled. "Then how can we get their approval?"
"The Northern Di emperor is relatively easier to deal with. If the royal family of the Great Jin Dynasty intervenes, they might give some face. But I don't know how to persuade the Shaman high priest. As far as I know, except for the Shaman believers who are qualified to enter the temple and the direct blood relatives of the Northern Di royal court, no outsiders have ever entered the Northern Di Temple." Yuan Hetong once wanted to go to the Northern Di Temple but later gave up.
"The Northern Di people and our Great Jin Dynasty have always been at war. Hasn't our army ever reached the Northern Di royal court and captured the temple?" Yi Qing didn't think it was impossible.
"Madam Xiao, you haven't seen the Northern Di Temple. It's on top of a snow - capped mountain. There's only one way to get there, and it's impossible to attack. Moreover, there's no need to capture it."
Yi Qing remembered what Xiao Jinghan had said about the war between the Great Jin Dynasty and the Northern Di people. "I think there is a need. The Northern Di Temple is the spiritual pillar of the Northern Di people. As long as the temple stands, the Northern Di people will rise again. If it's captured, the Northern Di people will lose their spiritual support."
Yuan Wenqu stared at Yi Qing in disbelief. Her words were so bold, yet there was some truth in them. "This matter involves the gods. Madam Xiao should be more cautious."
Yi Qing wanted to say he was superstitious but held back. "Thank you, Mr. Yuan, for your advice."
"I only know so much. I'm glad I could help, Madam Xiao."
Yi Qing stayed to watch over Miss Yuan for half a day. Miss Yuan woke up with a slight fever. Fortunately, Yi Qing had made full preparations, and everything was under control.
"Madam Xiao, can I follow you and help with surgeries in the future?" Gan Ermei asked carefully after much hesitation.
Yi Qing also had this idea. Gan Ermei was strong and good with a knife. It was not easy to find such a person.
"Yes," Yi Qing nodded.
"Really?" Gan Ermei was happy.
"Following me will be very hard, and sometimes there may even be life - threatening situations."
"I'm not afraid," Gan Ermei said seriously. "I never knew what I liked to do before. My family is in the pig - killing business. People say women shouldn't do that, but I still did it. Today I just realized that a knife can also save lives. I will definitely follow you well in the future."
Yi Qing nodded. "Then go home and tell your family. From now on, you'll stay in the general's mansion."
"Now?" Gan Ermei thought there were still things to do here.
"Yes. Here's a hundred taels of silver for your family. It can help them live a better life," Yi Qing was always generous to those who followed her.
"I can't take it."
"It's for your family. It will be deducted from your monthly salary," Yi Qing waved her hand and told Gan Ermei to leave.
She sat in Miss Yuan's room reading. At dusk, she gave Miss Yuan another dose of medicine. Miss Yuan had taken Ruyi Cakes for too long, and her body was severely damaged. Her wound would probably take a long time to heal.
She had planned to stay at the Yuan family's place for the night and leave the capital with Xiao Jinghan the next day. But not long after dinner, someone from the Duke Di's Mansion came and said that the Duke Di was injured and asked her to go there quickly.
Yi Qing instantly had a bad feeling. She was worried that Bai Yutang had done something to her grandfather. So she told the Yuan family how to take care of Miss Yuan, then grabbed her things and rushed to the Duke Di's Mansion.
The Duke Di's Mansion was heavily guarded. A doctor was kneeling on the ground, bandaging the Duke Di. Bai Yutang was tied to a pillar on one side, with a smug smile on her lips.
"Qing'er, you're finally here. Hurry and take a look at your grandfather," Mrs. Di pulled Yi Qing and cried.