Ch68.2 - I don't want to marry you

The room was filled with an oppressive silence.

After a long moment, the young master finally spoke. “Mei, you’re just an ordinary person. You don’t have a pharmacist’s license, and even trying to treat someone is wrong.”

That’s right, you’re just an ordinary person. This world is dark, silent, and suffocating. Don’t you understand that yet?

But Jian Mei, sitting on the small chair next to him, didn’t slump in defeat. He took a deep breath and said, “Well then, I’ll go to the capital to study next spring!”

The young master looked at him, surprised.

“Would passing the pharmacist certification exam be enough?” Jian Mei asked cheerfully, his eyes narrowing slightly with a faint smile and a gleam of light in his gaze. “Then I won’t be violating the law anymore.”

The young master knew Jian Mei was right but still said, “But you won’t change anything. The healing priests have a lot of power. You can’t change that…”

Jian Mei replied, “It’s okay. If I can help even one person, that’s something. If I can save even one patient, that’s one person saved. As long as I can do something, that’s enough.”

Jian Mei’s voice was always soft. Just like his father had expected, the young master suddenly felt that Jian Mei had a strong and unyielding resolve. Jian Mei’s status and appearance weren’t extraordinary, yet the light in his eyes and around him shone so brightly. At that moment, the young master seemed to see a glimmer of hope in the small room.

Most great people weren’t great because they brought victory to a hopeless world, but because they had walked a hopeless path and ultimately achieved victory.

……

A few days later, Jian Mei went to Pingping’s house early in the morning. With the Lantern Festival approaching, Pingping’s mother had prepared some small pastries for him to pick up on his day off.

Since Pingping’s house was somewhat remote, Jian Mei usually hired a carriage. But having run out of gold coins recently, he decided to take the carriage part of the way and walk the rest.

As he was about to pass a bend in the road, he came across a small farmhouse. Under a tree near the door sat a middle-aged man who had been napping but suddenly began coughing violently, struggling to breathe.

Jian Mei hurried over and helped the man up, his voice filled with concern. “Are you alright?”

The emperor paused for a moment, then shook his head lightly. “I’m fine.”

Jian Mei noticed the emperor didn’t seem well and asked, “Would you like me to take you to the hospital?”

“No need, no need.” The emperor took a deep breath and said, “It’s just an old sickness.”

If this were Earth, Jian Mei might have believed him, but on Stan Star, most people’s response was always “no need.” Many people wouldn’t seek medical help unless their illness was serious or unbearable. They would endure as much as possible, only going to the hospital when it became truly unbearable. Clearly, the emperor was probably the same.

The emperor sat there, glanced at Jian Mei, and smiled. “Thank you, young man.”

Jian Mei shook his head. “No need to thank me. If you don’t mind, may I check your pulse?”

The emperor blinked. “What does checking the pulse mean?”

Jian Mei patiently explained, “Well… it’s a method of checking your body, but I won’t use any divine power. I know a few simple remedies that can help identify any issues. Don’t worry, it’s completely safe.”

The emperor seemed intrigued. “Alright, go ahead and try.”

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The emperor asked, “How do you know?”

“Excessive strain damages the body’s vital energy, and each organ has its own role, with the heart being the most affected,” Jian Mei said softly. “Chest tightness, palpitations, coughing, and shortness of breath—did they start last winter, and have they worsened this winter?”

The emperor nodded. “Yes.”

Divine healing only worked on visible wounds and injuries, but this kind of self-inflicted heartache couldn’t be healed so easily.

At this point, the emperor was genuinely impressed by the young man’s abilities and humbly asked, “Do you think my condition can still be treated?”

While the priests had assured him that his health was fine, the emperor knew deep down that he didn’t have much time left.

Jian Mei also understood. From what he could tell, the emperor probably had only a year or two to live if things continued as they were. But with proper nourishment and care, there was hope for improvement.

Jian Mei didn’t want to bring any negativity, so he replied, “Of course, your condition can still be treated, but you’ll need to take proper care of yourself.”

The emperor assumed Jian Mei was about to use some form of divine technique and asked, “Do you need to perform any divine magic to heal me?”

Jian Mei shook his head. “I don’t have divine powers.”

The emperor was momentarily stunned. He had heard about this young man before—the herbal medicine packets he made had helped countless poor people get medicine. It was also known that he didn’t have divine powers, but to his surprise, that turned out to be true. He asked, “So, what do you suggest to treat this?”

Jian Mei opened his mouth to speak but hesitated.

He didn’t have a medical license, so he couldn’t practice medicine or offer treatment. Although herbal medicine could be exchanged for points, it wasn’t his place to meddle in such matters.

“Hmm… I’d recommend you go to the hospital,” Jian Mei said after a pause. “You need to seek treatment as soon as possible. You can’t let your illness drag on any longer. If you don’t get treated soon, it could become life-threatening.”

The emperor smiled wryly. “I see… Actually, I’ve already been to the doctors, but… my illness is something they can’t treat.”

Jian Mei froze. He had always thought that the healing priests could heal anything.

As they were talking, a woman walked out of the house. She was wearing a veil, but her presence was undeniably graceful. When she saw them speaking, she froze for a moment, then was about to speak when a cool breeze passed by. The emperor began coughing again, his body shaking from the effort, and he looked to be in significant pain.

The woman rushed over, clearly anxious, and asked, “My lord, are you okay?”

The emperor shook his head lightly. He then looked at Jian Mei, smiled faintly, and said, “Thank you, doctor. I appreciate your help, and I’ll follow your advice.”

……

Doctor. So now, could he really be called a doctor?

Jian Mei suddenly remembered the images of his grandfather and father, both of whom had dedicated their lives to healing the sick and saving lives. The true meaning of being a healer lay in benevolence.

If Grandpa knew that he had just let someone suffer without offering help, what would he think?

If the divine powers of the hospital couldn’t save him, then this person before him might die in less than a year. He really would die, and Jian Mei could have been the one to save him.

Seeing the man struggling to breathe, Jian Mei felt his heart tighten. After hesitating, he stepped forward and said, “I can prescribe you an herbal remedy, but you have to promise me two things.”

Imperial Concubine Xi glanced at Jian Mei with some understanding, probably thinking this was just about asking for money.

But the emperor simply looked at Jian Mei quietly and asked softly, “What are the two things?”

“First, you can’t tell anyone about my treatment of you. No neighbors or family, this matter must remain a secret.”

The emperor was a little surprised but still asked, “And the second?”

Jian Mei spoke softly, “The second is that you need to relax, stop overthinking, and follow my treatment. Don’t stop the medicine and avoid overworking yourself.”

Imperial Concubine Xi was surprised and asked, “Young man, aren’t you going to ask about the fee?”

Jian Mei hesitated for a moment before asking, “Well… how much can you offer?”

He had been serious when talking about illness earlier, but the hesitation in his voice now made him seem a bit awkward, evoking a sense of affection from the people around him.

The emperor asked, “What if we’re living in difficulties?”

He thought Jian Mei would say something like, “If you’re living in difficulties, just pay whatever you can.”

But to his surprise, the young man replied, “Then, forget it.”

Imperial Concubine Xi and the emperor were both stunned.

“I can tell you’ve been through a lot. All that exhaustion has really worn you down, and I’m sure life hasn’t been easy for you.” Jian Mei said, his face serious, his tone gentle. “If it’s really too much, then don’t push yourself. You should be kinder to yourself.”

The priest in the hospital couldn’t treat all illnesses, and he was just an ordinary person. But at that moment, the emperor suddenly felt that, even though the boy lacked divine power, there was something about him that seemed to glow with true divine light.

……

Instead of relying on the great priest in the palace, the emperor actually drank a bitter concoction made by some unknown little doctor. It sounded a bit crazy, but it was true.

Imperial Concubine Xi had even tried the medicine herself at first, then asked, “Your Majesty, there’s nothing wrong with this, is there?”

The emperor replied slowly, “If there was anything wrong with this medicine, those patients with cold symptoms would have already had problems.”

Imperial Concubine Xi thought that made sense.

She felt a bit more at ease that ever since the emperor began drinking Jian Mei’s medicine, his cough didn’t seem to flare up as often. It really did seem to be effective.

Jian Mei couldn’t visit often—he only came on his days off. Each time, he would stay for a bit, do a check-up, and then ask if they had been taking their medicine properly.

Imperial Concubine Xi and the emperor rented a humble little house, and they were only staying there temporarily because Wu City closed for the winter. They had no choice but to settle in a small town with the best weather.

Today, Jian Mei came again.

After spending a little over half a month together, Jian Mei and the emperor had gradually become friends. Whenever they had free time, they would chat casually. The emperor, who was used to dealing with all kinds of affairs and powerful figures, was both feared and admired by the ministers in the court and carefully served by the concubines in the palace.

But in front of Jian Mei, who had no idea of his true identity, he could speak freely. Sometimes, the little doctor even scolded him:

“Aiya, I told you to drink the medicine while it’s still hot.”

“No one’s complaining to me, so can you stop bringing up other issues?”

“Can you stop sitting in the draft? Can you please take better care of your health?”

Most of the time, the emperor just humorously took the scolding.

More often than not, they would sit together, and the emperor would occasionally tell Jian Mei some strange and interesting stories. When he was in a good mood, he would casually mention, “Those days are behind me. Now that I’m older and my health isn’t great, all I want is to live out the rest of my days in peace. Everything else… I’ll leave it to my children and grandchildren.”

Jian Mei gently asked, “Do you have any grandchildren?”

“No,” the emperor sighed. “I still have two sons, but neither of them is married. My second son is fine, but my youngest… he’s always busy working, more exhausted than I am, and he doesn’t even think about getting married. Sometimes, I worry he might stay single forever, and I’ll never have grandchildren.”

Jian Mei said, “Well, if his career is that great and he’s really outstanding, people will definitely be pursuing him. You don’t need to worry.”

“The number of people pursuing him is countless,” the emperor said with a bit of pride. “Not to brag, but regardless of gender, I’m sure there’s no one who wouldn’t want to marry my son or join our family.”

“……”

Uncle, are you maybe a bit too confident?

Jian Mei thought he should humble his ego a bit and replied, “Who said that? Of course, there are people who wouldn’t want to! I wouldn’t!

The author has something to say:

“The rich’s wine and meat stink, while corpses freeze along the roads” — From “A Poem Written on the Way to Fengxian County” by Du Fu.

In “Zhang Jingyue’s Complete Works: Miscellaneous Treatises on Deficiency Damage,” Zhang Jingyue pointed out: “Exhaustion harms the body, and while each of the five organs has its own primary function, the heart is most severely impacted.”

In “Classic Case Analyses of Zhang Xichun,” Zhang Xichun described the pulse as: “The left pulse is weak and floating, indicating a severe deficiency in both blood and energy, while the right pulse is slightly hurried. This pulse pattern suggests exhaustion and overwork.”

Translator’s Notes:

Last update for this week! See you on Monday again.