Chapter 1248 - 1157: Lady Chancellor 96
When Yin Shuangshuang pushed the door open and entered, the room wasn’t as tense as she had imagined. She glanced around the room. It was tidy, with the only mess being some broken porcelain pieces near Doctor Ying by the table corner, probably from a teacup, and there were water stains on the table.
Ying Chang’an and Heng Yue were sitting across each other at the table. Seeing Yin Shuangshuang enter, they both looked up at her. Yin Shuangshuang observed them and found their expressions relatively calm, not suggesting any major conflict.
Yin Shuangshuang breathed a sigh of relief, walked up to them with a smile and said, "Imperial Doctor Heng, Doctor Ying, what happened here? Aren’t you old acquaintances? In case of such rare reunion, why argue?"
Yin Shuangshuang’s words surprised Heng Yue and Ying Chang’an for a moment, but they quickly relaxed. Both had witnessed Yin Shuangshuang’s sharp mind, so it wasn’t surprising she realized they knew each other.
Heng Yue, serious and responsible by nature, remained silent, whereas Ying Chang’an, with a more volatile temper, snorted at Yin Shuangshuang: "How perceptive you are, figuring out we’re old acquaintances with just one glance. No wonder your health is poor; your heart’s filled with too many holes."
Yin Shuangshuang’s mouth twitched. She sighed helplessly: "Doctor Ying, why mock me so? It’s quite straightforward to analyze.
Although the argument was heated, there was no anger on your faces, indicating no real anger. In an argument, you’re sitting very close at each end of the table.
Your hands are so close on the table that they can easily touch. Such intimate closeness is not something quarreling strangers would usually tolerate.
Though there are pieces of broken porcelain on the floor, suggesting a fit of anger, the teacup broke at the table corner, where tea splashed. Doctor Ying, you must have accidentally knocked over the cup.
Most importantly, you both aren’t the type to argue rudely with strangers during the first meeting, so apart from being old acquaintances, I can’t think of any other reason."
Doctor Ying chuckled twice, "You’re right, this Heng Yue, the great Imperial Doctor, and I are actually brothers from the same master. Back then, we had fierce debates on whether to enter the court or stay among the people.
He insisted that entering the court allowed access to rare medical texts, beneficial for improving medical skills. I believed in the necessity of practice, that staying among the people offers more opportunities to hone our craft. In the end, neither could convince the other, so we parted ways.
We haven’t met for years. Suddenly meeting today, we excitedly discussed a prescription, but differing opinions made us argue again. No worries, though. We grew up arguing like this, it’s nothing serious.
By the way, since you are now our mutual patient and have received treatment from both, you might as well evaluate which of us is more skilled in medicine."
Yin Shuangshuang never expected the conflict to extend to her, quickly smiling with a compliment, "Well, both of your medical skills are excellent, each with its strengths. I know nothing about medicine and dare not rashly evaluate whose skills are better."
Upon hearing this, Ying Chang’an curled his lips and spat out, "Cunning." Heng Yue also looked silently at Yin Shuangshuang, showing disdain for her evasive response.
Yin Shuangshuang: "..."
What did she ever do to deserve this? She shouldn’t have stepped in to mediate.
In the end, Yin Shuangshuang was made to undergo pulse checks by Heng Yue and Ying Chang’an. After a day of ancestral rituals, portraits, and traveling, Yin Shuangshuang was quite worn out.
Already unwell, now with a headache, her condition was seen through immediately. And then she was jointly reprimanded by Heng Yue and Ying Chang’an before being allowed to rest, only after drinking a bowl of bitter medicine, over which the masters quarreled again.
Yin Shuangshuang was curious about who was the senior brother and who was the junior, but when she asked, both claimed to be the senior, and refused to acknowledge the other as junior, which led to another argument.
The two argued loudly over her, causing Yin Shuangshuang’s head to buzz. She wished she could just go back in time to hit herself, for her loose mouth.
Exhausted, Yin Shuangshuang collapsed onto the bed, thinking she wouldn’t get involved with the brothers’ business again. She had no desire to be a helpless victim.
The next day, having been excessively tired the previous day, she overslept until nearly noon. Under the watchful eyes of Ying Chang’an and Heng Yue, she was made to drink a bowl of bitter medicine. Just as she was about to have her delayed breakfast, the butler Mr. Li reported that County Magistrate Bai Hengru had come for a visit.
Yin Shuangshuang had to set aside her meal and go to the front hall to receive the guest. Yin Shuangshuang roughly knew why Bai Hengru was visiting; it was likely to give an answer regarding the matter she’d previously discussed.
In fact, Bai Hengru himself was already inclined towards the Emperor’s side. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have had ties with Mr. Nameless, an opponent of the aristocratic families and advocate of reforms.
Sure enough, after the initial pleasantries, Bai Hengru declared his deliberated response from the past few days: "Mr. Yin, regarding the matter you mentioned last time, I’ve made up my mind. My family and the Chu Family are willing to pledge allegiance to His Majesty."
Yin Shuangshuang displayed a gentle smile: "County Magistrate Bai, I assure you, you will not regret today’s decision."
Having decided to side with the Emperor, Bai Hengru didn’t hesitate but straightforwardly asked: "Mr. Yin, how can I now serve His Majesty?"
"It’s simple. Despite the disdain from greater aristocratic families, both Bai Family and Chu Family rose through commerce. Your commercial network far exceeds those large families.
Now, you must utilize all your trading routes to drive a trend, helping the Emperor extract as much money from the aristocratic pockets as possible."
As Yin Shuangshuang spoke, she clapped her hands. Ying Yi and Yan Yi immediately brought in numerous exquisite glass products.
The clear, crystal-like glass cups reflected every detail, almost scaring Bai Hengru, who had never seen such a glass mirror, thinking his soul was captured. There were also various fragrant, exquisitely shaped soaps.
Although Bai Hengru was an official, his family’s primary occupation was commerce. His commercial acumen was no less sharp than in officialdom, almost instantly grasping the value of glass and soap.
After being inundated with ideas on leading trends, advertising, building brands, presenting to aristocratic families, navigating their spending habits, engaging in Lady Diplomacy, socializing with men, and other strategies both overt and covert, Bai Hengru left with a spinning head.
Standing outside the Yin Mansion, Bai Hengru turned back to look at the gate, and after a long while, muttered: "What a terrifying woman. Luckily..." I chose not to become her enemy.