bookcurios Chapter 1458 Arrest
Chapter 1458 Arrest
Layer upon layer of thick oilcloth was lifted, revealing neatly stacked ingredients such as Bupleurum, Scutellaria baicalensis, gypsum, Forsythia suspensa, and honeysuckle, which are key medicinal materials for treating the epidemic.
The quantity was plentiful and the quality was excellent. These were all top-quality goods that could only be found in the imperial pharmacy. Compared with the withered and broken grass roots in the village, they were worlds apart.
Lin Yiwan stared at the bag full of life-saving medicines on the table, her pupils contracted sharply, her heart trembled, and she could hardly believe her eyes: "Ziyu, where did you find this? This village seal is as strict as iron, and even people from outside can't get in, let alone top-quality medicines from the Imperial Pharmacy. How did you manage to get past the officials' blockade?"
Mo Ziyu, leaning on the edge of the table, gasped for breath. Her small chest heaved violently, and her lips, purple from the cold, trembled slightly. She first stood on tiptoe, struggling to reach out and check on Zhan Miao, who lay unconscious on the bed. Her clear eyes were filled with anxiety: "Aunt Miao, how is she? I secretly climbed over the back mountain and entered the city!"
He was still young, and his speech still carried a touch of boyish naiveté, but the worry and urgency in his tone were completely genuine.
“The officials at the village entrance wouldn’t let me in, saying it was a dead end and anyone who came out would be killed. I didn’t dare reveal my identity, fearing I’d be stopped and sent back, so I went around to the back of the mountain and climbed out along a small path on the edge of the cliff. The snow was too slippery, and I fell several times, my hands were all cut!”
As Mo Ziyu spoke, she subconsciously pulled her hand back, revealing several fresh abrasions on it, which had turned white from the wind and snow. "I was afraid the herbs would get wet and be useless, so I kept them warm in my arms. Great-aunt, these herbs can save Aunt Miao, right? They can save the people in the village, right?"
Lin Yiwan squatted down, took his small, cold, and stiff hands in her hands, and felt a sudden pang in her heart when she touched the tiny wounds. Shock and heartache overwhelmed her.
Mo Ziyu was pampered by Princess Youyi and was spoiled so much that she would cry even if she got a small scrape. But now, in order to save Zhan Miao and deliver medicine, she left the village alone.
Having broken through layers of blockades and climbed treacherous cliff paths, covered in grime, they fearlessly charged into this deadly place.
He's still just a kid.
"Are you crazy?" Lin Yiwan's voice was strained, her eyes uncontrollably reddening, tears welling up in them.
"What if something goes wrong while you're climbing the cliff? What will your mother do?" she asked in a stern voice.
Mo Ziyu raised her little face, her eyes shining brightly, without a trace of fear, only stubborn determination: "I'm not afraid! Aunt Miao and my great-aunt are protecting me, I can't do nothing."
Despite his young age, his words were resounding, carrying a sense of responsibility and sincerity beyond his years.
The wind and snow poured in through the open door, making his thin body shiver slightly, but he stood straight, like a small pine tree stubbornly standing tall in the cold wind, refusing to bend or back down.
When Zhan Xiaobai outside saw that it was Mo Ziyu, its wary growling gradually subsided. It drooped its tail and approached the door, gently rubbing its head against the boy's clothes, as if to comfort him or to acknowledge his presence.
Looking at the young boy before her, so innocent yet so bravely endearing, Lin Yiwan could no longer hold back her tears. She reached out and pulled Mo Ziyu into her arms, gently patting his back, her voice choked with emotion: "Silly child, such a silly child!"
The small body in my arms was warm and resolute, like a beam of light that suddenly burst into the endless darkness, tearing a gaping hole in the suffocating gloom that filled the room.
Lin Yiwan released him, raised her hand to wipe away the tears from the corners of her eyes, and gently brushed away the snowflakes from the top of his hair. Hope and fighting spirit rekindled in her eyes: "Now that we have the medicine, let's hurry up and save her together. Your Aunt Miao has a high fever and is unconscious. She has developed a rash all over her body. If her fever doesn't break soon, it will be dangerous. Let's save her together, okay?"
Mo Ziyu nodded vigorously, her little face full of seriousness: "Okay! I'll listen to my great-aunt!"
The room instantly sprang into action.
Under the dim candlelight, Lin Yiwan was in charge of administering acupuncture to protect the heart meridian, while Mo Ziyu was busy on tiptoe in front of the stove, carefully sorting and weighing the medicinal materials according to Lin Yiwan's instructions.
He was young and not even as tall as the stove, so he moved a low stool over and stood on it. His little hands were red from the cold, but he moved quickly and meticulously, even dispensing the medicinal herbs exactly as they were.
"The fire shouldn't be too strong or too weak; a slow simmer is best for the medicine to be effective!"
As he brewed the medicine, he mumbled the knowledge that Lin Yiwan had taught him. His childish voice echoed in the room, dispelling the deathly silence and despair of the past few days.
Lin Yiwan watched his small figure moving between the stove and the medicine furnace, her heart filled with mixed emotions. This pampered young man was more innocent and responsible than those scheming adults in the court.
Before long, a rich medicinal aroma filled the air, bitter yet reassuring, dispelling much of the sickness in the room. Mo Ziyu carefully carried the medicine bowl and followed Lin Yiwan to the bedside, her little face full of nervousness: "Grandmother, let me feed her. I'll be gentle so Aunt Miao won't choke."
Lin Yiwan nodded and helped Zhan Miao stand up slightly. Mo Ziyu then held the medicine bowl, scooped up the medicine little by little with a small spoon, gently blew on it to cool it down, and then carefully brought it to Zhan Miao's lips.
Zhan Miao was unconscious, her jaw clenched, so he patiently pried it open little by little, his movements as gentle as if he were handling a rare treasure, afraid of hurting her.
After feeding him a bowl of medicine, Mo Ziyu's forehead was covered in fine beads of sweat, and his little face was flushed, whether from exhaustion or heat, it was hard to tell.
He reached out and gently touched Zhan Miao's forehead, his eyes instantly lighting up, his voice filled with surprise: "Great-aunt! The fever has gone down a bit! It's not so hot anymore! Aunt Miao is saved!"
Lin Yiwan quickly reached out to touch her daughter's forehead. Sure enough, her daughter's feverish forehead temperature had dropped slightly, her breathing had become more even, her tightly furrowed brows had relaxed a little, and even the red rash on her neck had faded a bit.
After days of anxiety, Lin Yiwan finally breathed a sigh of relief, her eyes welling up with tears again.
Just then, a series of neat and heavy footsteps came from outside the house, accompanied by the crisp sound of armor clashing. They came from afar and headed straight for the small house. They were definitely not ordinary village guards on duty, but well-trained soldiers.
Lin Yiwan pushed open the door and saw many masked soldiers standing outside.
She asked in a low voice, "Who are you?"
The leader spoke first: "We heard that there is a patient with the plague in this house, and we have come to take her away!"
Lin Yiwan's expression changed drastically. Zhan Miao had only just begun to recover; how could she possibly take her away?
At this moment, Zhan Yan had already led his guards to the back mountain to search for herbs; she had to delay until he returned.
She immediately said, "You can't take her away. Do you know who we are?"