Chapter 17
Immense Ambition
Hearing this, Ying Jiuque was no longer sleepy. After confirming the location, someone naturally went to investigate, while Ying Jiuque smiled and asked Xie Mingchen for a favor.
“Don’t worry, sister. How could Master Xie refuse? Besides, with your appearance and talents, it would be such a pity if illness were to hinder you. Opportunities like this aren’t easy to come by. Look at the medicinal aroma on you—it’s already soaked in. And medicine isn’t exactly pleasant to take. Sister Jinhua, what do you think?”
Jinhua instinctively nodded.
“Exactly, Fuliu, this—”
She was interrupted mid-sentence by Fuliu.
“Thank you, miss. Then Fuliu will respectfully follow your instructions.”
So eager?
Ying Jiuque’s eyes flashed, watching the scene with a calm smile as if nothing had happened. She quietly waited by the side. Once Xie Mingchen prepared the medicine, she gave Chunyu Shuang a look and smiled, leaving.
Chunyu Shuang, following behind, was puzzled.
Ying Jiuque simply grabbed Chunyu Shuang’s arm and acted extremely affectionate, though in truth she whispered gently into her ear:
“You want an opportunity, don’t you? Well, here it is.”
Chunyu Shuang stiffened. On the way as she sat in the carriage with Ying Jiuque, she hesitated for a long while but couldn’t help asking:
“What exactly do you know?”
“Do you mean about this case or about you?”
Chunyu Shuang hesitated briefly, then pointed at herself.
Ying Jiuque thought it wasn’t that difficult to answer. After all, this world was so biased. In the final years of the previous dynasty, women could still serve in official capacities, but just a few short decades later, how many of those female officials remained? Almost none—they had all vanished.
Given Chunyu Shuang’s age, she must have seen how much freedom women once had. Though she was usually taciturn, almost invisible during investigations, agreeing silently with wherever she went and rarely voicing her opinion, Ying Jiuque knew she harbored immense ambition. Otherwise, why would Emperor Jingtai have chosen her for this?
Or perhaps, she had intentions to gain Ying Jiuque’s trust?
Thinking this, Ying Jiuque found it strange.
“How do you know I’m worth using? I’m just a minor county lord, only in this position because of my late mother’s blessings. As you’ve seen, I don’t meet my father’s expectations. I spent thirteen years in the manor without any favor—just a solitary person. Though His Majesty asked me to investigate this case, everyone knows it’s just a game between the emperor and the officials. If we solve it, we may not be rewarded fairly. If we fail, we’ll be crushed. One wrong step by any high-ranking official and I’d be destroyed. Trusting someone like me—did you have no other choice?”
The carriage fell into a heavy silence. Even Xie Mingchen, who was outside driving, instinctively held his breath. Though usually absorbed in medicine and unconcerned with worldly affairs, he could feel the tension between the two. Everything had seemed harmonious before—why had it suddenly changed?
In the silence, Chunyu Shuang stared at Ying Jiuque’s smiling eyes for a long while, then sighed.
“What thoughts could I have? I merely serve day by day. As long as His Majesty does not revoke my position, I am a staff member of the Ministry of Justice. Though my rank is low, as long as I hold this position, I will obey His Majesty’s orders. Whatever His Majesty commands, I will do.”
“As for choosing you…”
Chunyu Shuang suddenly relaxed and smiled.
“Of course it’s because the county lord has earned His Majesty’s trust. If His Majesty didn’t trust you, why would he assign you such a responsibility? There are indeed people unwilling to be the stone thrown to test the waters, yet even if the stone is chosen casually, even if it will ultimately be shattered, there are always those willing to be it. After all, some people never even get the chance to be a stone.”
I see.
This person harbored a very strong ambition to rise. Even if it meant being crushed, she did not fear it, and she was already mentally prepared for such an outcome.
Although Ying Jiuque did not feel particularly trusted by the late emperor, she deeply respected such a character.
“I can’t guarantee I won’t be tossed aside, but Chunyu, you are indeed a remarkable woman! Don’t worry—I’ll do my best to help. This case might even be solved today. Of course, Wei Yuan will have to put in extra effort too. Our small, scattered team has to show everyone we’re not to be trifled with.”
“Xie, please hurry!”
“All right!”
After two incense sticks’ time, the three looked at the items in their hands and then at each other, grimy and dirty, and shared a tacit smile.
When Wei Yuan sent news, the three simply waited in the courtyard. When the suspects were brought in, they quietly whispered among themselves.
After a brief silence, the leading person asked nervously:
“Miss, what… what is this for?”
Actually, they meant to ask why their home had been turned upside down, but the tall guards around them prevented anyone from speaking.
Ying Jiuque gave Chunyu Shuang a look. Chunyu Shuang stepped forward and showed the items to them.
“Miss Yun, you should recognize this, right?”
Yun Niang glanced at the muddy herbs in Chunyu Shuang’s hand, puzzled.
“Aren’t these just weeds?”
Looking again at her own messed-up vegetable garden, she thought deeply.
“Could these really be weeds from my garden? But why did you pull them out?”
“At this point, pretending is pointless. Miss Yun, you really don’t recognize these?”
“I truly don’t…”
“Good!”
Chunyu Shuang suddenly raised her voice and looked at Jinhua, whose expression had become uneasy.
“Miss Jinhua, so you don’t recognize this either?”
“I… of course not. These are just common weeds—why would they be worth asking about?”
“Miss Jinhua may not understand what it means to be trained at the Imperial Medical Institute. Out of millions in the country, only twenty are admitted each year. Saying one in ten thousand would not be an exaggeration. My colleague, Xie Enliang, has studied medicine since childhood, knows every herb intimately, and was promoted early due to his talent. He is the youngest promising physician in the institute. Just by smelling it, he knows what herb it is. Do you know what that means?”
Jinhua’s eyelashes trembled, but she forced herself to speak.
“What does it mean?”
“It means he can instantly distinguish between weed and medicine. So now, do you still think this is just a weed?”
