Chapter 62: Returning to the Princess's Estate

Consort Wan was confined for three months, and the Third Prince received twenty heavy strokes to help him learn his lesson so that, despite his age, he would no longer fail to recognize true character.

The Third Prince was the Prince's own nephew, yet the Prince had watched coldly as the Third Prince received his punishment before stepping into the imperial study to discuss matters with the Emperor.

Upon hearing the outcome, Yu Yuanzheng bluntly uttered a single phrase: serves him right.

In her view, the punishment was still too light; he should have taken fifty strokes.

"My Lady, he is an imperial prince after all. How could the Emperor possibly hit him that hard? It was merely a gesture to show the Prince and appease his anger. On the surface, the Third Prince did not commit an unforgivable crime," Jiang Hua analyzed.

"That is true. Very well, let the matter rest," Yu Yuanzheng said with a helpless sigh.

Just as she finished dinner, Chunlei returned, bringing back a bottle of high-proof liquor. Yu Yuanzheng took a sip and estimated it to be at least sixty degrees.

The strongest spirit she had tasted in her past life was fifty-two degrees, yet this one felt even fiercer as it scorched her throat.

Wielding a blade upon one's face was no trivial matter; infection had to be strictly avoided, or all previous efforts would be wasted.

At the end of the Hour of Hai (eleven o'clock at night), Yu Yuanzheng "fully armed" herself and, with the assistance of several guards, slipped back out of the Prince's Estate.

Even so, the news eventually reached the Prince's ears.

It was difficult for the Prince's secret guards to overlook such movements, as their competence was exceptionally high. However, the Prince chose to turn a blind eye. Knowing the men he had trained himself, he realized that if an action won the approval of all six guards and involved a collective operation, it certainly could not be anything bad.

Yu Yuanzheng smoothly arrived at the back door of the Grand Princess Huining's Estate.

Once again, the elderly matron from before led her to the same courtyard.

Grand Princess Huining was already waiting.

"Greetings, Grand Princess Huining," Yu Yuanzheng saluted with clasped hands.

"Divine Doctor, no need for formalities. My child is entirely in your hands." The Grand Princess harbored deep guilt toward her daughter.

"Rest assured. After tonight's treatment, as long as Lady Xiangling strictly follows my instructions for post-care, she will be able to face people again in three months. Naturally, it will not compare to skin that has never suffered injury, but a touch of rouge will essentially conceal the rest," Yu Yuanzheng offered reassurance to set her mind at ease.

"Very well."

"Mother, I am afraid." Although Lady Xiangling desperately longed to recover her appearance, the thought of a blade touching her face still filled her with dread.

"Do not worry, My Lady. I will use a local anesthetic to alleviate your pain," Yu Yuanzheng comforted her.

She possessed immense patience with her patients. Every patient harbored terror before an operation, and at such times, a physician's soothing guidance was essential. This was one of the mandatory lessons in medical school.

In Yu Yuanzheng's eyes, an eighteen-year-old girl could not yet be considered truly an adult.

"Really?"

"Really."

Yu Yuanzheng had long since prepared aconite extract with its heavy toxicity removed, which worked remarkably well as a topical anesthetic.

"Grand Princess, could we add a few more candles? Let the room be a bit brighter," Yu Yuanzheng requested upon noticing only two lamps were lit.

Hearing this, the old matron immediately complied.

Yu Yuanzheng first untied Lady Xiangling's hair, then combed it into a ponytail. To Lady Xiangling, this gesture felt intensely intimate. She had never been in such close physical contact with a man before, and she could not help her heart from racing, followed by a sudden flush of heat across her cheeks.

Yet she managed to suppress it entirely.

Yu Yuanzheng then applied the anesthetic liquid to her face. While waiting, she thoroughly sterilized all her instruments.

She washed her hands repeatedly with liquor. It was terribly wasteful—distilled laboriously by Chunlei and Liu Mingde over the entire afternoon—yet she used it all in a single go.

When the time was right, she lightly pricked Lady Xiangling's face with a needle.

"Does it still hurt?"

"No pain."

It was ready.

"Grand Princess, do you wish to step aside?" Yu Yuanzheng asked, fearing the Grand Princess might be frightened by her daughter's bloodied face.

"There is no need," Grand Princess Huining declared with resolute firmness.

Yu Yuanzheng picked up the tiny blade and began her work on Lady Xiangling's face.

Gently excising the old scars and carefully peeling away a microscopic layer of hyperpigmented skin tested a practitioner's skill to the utmost, yet Yu Yuanzheng executed every movement with meticulous precision.

The process took more than half an incense stick of time before she finally stopped.

Thanks to Yu Yuanzheng's superior skill, there was very little bleeding, as the incisions remained strictly superficial.

Next came the application of ointment; bandages were unnecessary. From then on, it was simply a matter of waiting for scabs to form.

"Done."

With everything completed, Yu Yuanzheng examined the patient's face from left to right.

"Lady Xiangling, from this moment on, you must watch your diet. Absolutely no dark-colored foods; for the first seven days, it is best to eat only white foods seasoned with nothing more than a touch of salt. Once the scabs form and fall off, you may begin applying the ointment I have prepared for you. When the ointment runs out, you may retrieve more from a shop named Ten Days Hall on Minle Street. There will be no charge for the medicine; I only collect the consultation fee for today."

Yu Yuanzheng detailed the post-treatment instructions. Both Grand Princess Huining and Lady Xiangling listened with utmost concentration.

"If any issues arise, you may also leave a message at Ten Days Hall, and I shall return as soon as I receive word," Yu Yuanzheng added with exemplary responsibility.

Grand Princess Huining nodded upon hearing this. This divine doctor was truly exceptional—devoid of arrogance and brimming with responsibility.

Lady Xiangling cast several lingering glances at the masked Yu Yuanzheng, a sweet sensation of being cared for and cherished welling up in her heart.

The procedure went smoothly, and Grand Princess Huining, true to her word, handed over ten thousand silver banknotes on the spot. Having witnessed the entire process, she knew full well that none of the old fogies at the Imperial Hospital possessed such skill.

Returning to the Prince's Estate by the same route, Yu Yuanzheng finally found herself with fewer demands on her time in the days that followed.

Mother Ye had also selected the two young maidservants. Both were only thirteen years old—thin and petite, one with a round face carrying a cheerful air, and the other with an oval face possessing a gentle delicacy.

They had previously worked on courtyard chores.

"Eldest Young Madam, these two are very diligent and quite young. Once properly trained, they can serve Eldest Young Madam for many years to come," Mother Ye explained.

"Mm. What are your names?" Usually, Yu Yuanzheng paid little attention to domestic affairs in the courtyard and barely recognized their faces, let alone their names.

"This maid is called Xiao Qin," the round-faced girl said, bowing with practiced propriety.

"This maid is called Xiang Zhi," the other added shyly.

"Very well. Since Mother Ye thinks well of you, I approve as well. From now on, you will follow and serve by my side, learning closely from Ziyue and Jiang Hua. Most importantly, nothing that happens in our courtyard is ever to be leaked outside unless I specifically command you to do so. Even if the Prince or Princess questions you, you must keep your tongues guarded. Do you understand?"

"This maid understands." Both young maids shrank back slightly, feeling a twinge of fear toward Yu Yuanzheng.

It seemed they indeed required a period of strict discipline.

With the addition of the two maids, Yu Yuanzheng's pill-making progressed much faster, and the variety expanded considerably.

Within the span of a month, Yu Yuanzheng took on two more patient consultations.

One of them was the eldest son of the Chancellor of the National University. The young man had squandered his youth and somehow contracted a venereal disease, which physicians from the Imperial Hospital had repeatedly failed to control. Driven to desperation, his family had spent a fortune to summon the divine doctor.

However, Chunlei strongly objected to taking the case, deeming it too foul for Eldest Young Madam's eyes.

Yet, tempted by the prospect of another ten thousand taels of silver, Yu Yuanzheng insisted on going.

"Chunlei, I shall merely take his pulse and write the prescription. You can inspect his condition for yourself and report back to me."

Unable to sway her, Chunlei reluctantly escorted Yu Yuanzheng—disguised in men's attire—to the residence.

Based on the severity of the patient's condition, Yu Yuanzheng prescribed a medicated wash, a topical ointment, and an oral decoction.

To everyone's surprise, half a month later, it proved genuinely effective.

Yu Yuanzheng's reputation as a divine doctor grew even more resounding.

The other case involved a wealthy merchant in the capital whose elderly grandmother had fallen ill. The matriarch suffered from chronic migraines that robbed her of sleep, growing more haggard by the day.

Unable to bear watching his aging mother endure such torment, the wealthy merchant spared no expense in dispatching men to Ten Days Hall to invite the divine doctor. He was, of course, received by old man Lin before the message was relayed to Yu Yuanzheng.

This particular ailment could not be permanently cured; it could only be managed and alleviated through medication and acupuncture.

After two treatments, the elderly woman was able to sleep peacefully. The merchant readily handed over ten thousand taels for the consultation fee, with the cost of the medicine billed separately.

Naturally, Yu Yuanzheng seized the opportunity to promote her ready-made medicinal pills.

Once her reputation spread, the pills sold even better at Ten Days Hall. Of course, without Chunlei's deliberately exaggerated prices from the first time, she kept the rates fair and reasonable, as Yu Yuanzheng intended to build a long-term enterprise.

On her way back one day, realizing it was growing late, Yu Yuanzheng instructed Chunlei to take a shortcut.

Driving the carriage through a narrow alleyway, Chunlei hoped to shave a little time off their return to Ten Days Hall.

Instead, Chunlei caught sight of a familiar figure from the Prince's Estate.