Chapter 11: The Gathering
Yizhou City was neither too small nor too large. Yet, news quickly spread through casual conversations: a young Doctor had gone to the butcheries and purchased several hundred pig eyes.
The people of Yizhou never ate pig eyeballs, nor had anyone heard of someone specifically buying them. This in itself was a sensational oddity, let alone the Doctor’s claim that he would use the pig eyeballs to make medicine. He intended to treat over a hundred sick military horses at the City South Pasture Supervisory Office.
"Replying to sir," the household servant reported, "the front and courtyard doors of Security Hall are closed; I can’t see what’s going on inside. However, that Li Ang does leave the house every morning, taking his medicine chest, riding a borrowed horse, and heading to the Pasture Supervisory Office, returning home after an hour."
In the backyard of Jifu Hall pharmacy, the worker Yu Liu was reporting to Yu Miaoshui, "As of yesterday, it was the fourth day."
"Hmm..."
Yu Miaoshui frowned deeply. Having already considered Security Hall his, he didn’t want any unexpected complications. "What’s in his medicine chest?" he asked. "Did you find out?"
"No. Every time Li Risheng goes to the Pasture Supervisory Office, he has the stables locked and doesn’t allow outsiders to look."
Yu Liu hesitated, then answered, "I heard from the herdsmen at the Pasture Supervisory Office... that the sick horses’ temperament has improved quite a bit, and their eyes don’t seem as red as before."
Hearing this, Yu Miaoshui’s already dark face grew even gloomier, looking like the bottom of a pot. "Hmph."
"Sir, what shall we do?"
Yu Liu said, "Li Risheng announced yesterday that today, starting at the Chenzheng hour, he would cure all the military horses at once, right outside the Pasture Supervisory Office. By then, many people from the city will go to watch, overshadowing even the Cuju matches in popularity. If he really pulls it off, the Pasture Supervisory Office will pay him a hundred strings of coins."
"Even if he earns a hundred strings, he’ll still owe fifty, won’t he? Why panic?" Yu Miaoshui chastised his servant, though deep down, he too felt a little unsure.