Chapter 15: Wouldn’t That Be Letting Him Off Too Easily?

Chen Yueru grew anxious. “How could you just let her go? She hasn’t even examined your father yet.”

Tan Yunge raised her head slightly, her face full of mockery. “You have no idea how ruthless that so-called Miracle Doctor is. I ran into her just yesterday in the street while I was handling the young lord’s romantic entanglements, and she insisted on interfering. She spirited that woman away and nearly ruined my face in the process.”

“Nothing good ever comes of meeting her. Mother, how could you invite such a person to treat Father?”

“Besides, though she calls herself the Miracle Doctor, she’s never shown her face, and from what I saw, she’s barely twenty and a woman at that. What medical skill could someone so young possibly possess?”

Chen Yueru stamped her foot, desperate. “But your father is already on the brink! Yunge, nothing must happen to him. If he’s lost, what am I supposed to do? What will your little brother do?”

“I know she’s young and a woman, but I made inquiries—Madam Wang from the merchant family in the western city once suffered the same affliction as your father. They invited every famous physician in the capital, all to no avail. The Miracle Doctor had only just arrived in town, and out of desperation, they invited her. With a single treatment, Madam Wang awoke. After three days of medicine, she was completely cured, as if nothing had ever happened. I saw her myself, both when she was gravely ill and after she recovered. It was real.”

Chen Yueru bit her lip, her face pale as paper. “No matter what, at least let her examine your father. If you have grievances with her, bear them for now. Wait until your father recovers, then seek her out if you must.”

Pulling Tan Yunge aside, Chen Yueru lowered her voice. “All the collateral relatives have gathered, just waiting to see your father breathe his last so they can divide and snatch whatever they can. Your brother is still too young to take your father’s place at court. If your father truly falls, everything in the Tan household will likely be seized by them.”

“And remember, it’s because of your father that you married the Prince’s heir. His position may not be especially high, but it’s something to rely on. If your father’s gone and this house falls into other hands, you’ll have nothing to fall back on. Life in the heir’s household will become difficult. The young lord is already fickle and if he brings in another woman with some standing, then you…”

Tan Yunge gritted her teeth. “Why should I be afraid? I have a son! And I won’t let any other woman bear the young lord’s child.”

Chen Yueru glared at her in fury. “The Prince’s heir is turning a blind eye now, but if the Prince himself decides to keep concubines and other children hidden from you, do you think you can stop it? You must understand, your family is a woman’s lifelong support. I married poorly because I had no powerful family behind me…”

Seeing her mother about to revisit old grievances, Tan Yunge frowned, growing ever more irritable. “Enough, I know, stop talking.”

Chen Yueru quickly turned away. “Steward, the Miracle Doctor can’t have gone far. Go and bring her back, no matter what it takes. You must get her back.”

“Yes, madam.” The steward hurried off. Only then did Chen Yueru turn back to Tan Yunge, still pleading. “If you truly don’t want to see her, you can avoid her when she arrives.”

The word “avoid” struck a raw nerve in Tan Yunge’s heart. Instantly, she remembered what Tan Qingjiu had said earlier, and her voice rose sharply. “Avoid her? Why should I be the one to avoid her? If anyone should leave, it’s her, not me. I want to see for myself just how skilled she really is.”

“If she examines Father and anything happens to him, I’ll make sure she bears all the blame for his death.”

That wretch, daring to provoke her and stand in her way at every turn.

She would make her regret it.

She’d force her to kneel and beg for mercy.

The carriage bearing the plaque of the Miracle Pavilion moved slowly. Inside, Tan Xingyou held a slingshot in his hand, his face brimming with pride. “Hahaha! Didn’t I say we should bring the slingshot? Earlier, Brother didn’t want me to bring it, but I insisted, and see how useful it was?”

He pulled the slingshot taut. “Pop!”

“I took that ice ball straight from the fruit plate. I hit Tan Yunge right on her Feng acupuncture point. It’ll leave half her body numb for a while—without acupuncture, it won’t recover easily.”

“And once the ice ball melts, even if she suspects something, there’s no evidence to pursue.”

Tan Xingyou laughed gleefully. “I really am a little genius.”

Tan Qingjiu and Tan Xingqi exchanged glances, smiles flickering in their eyes.

“Yes, you’re the cleverest.”

Tan Xingqi watched the pace of the carriage. “Mother, what are we waiting for?”

Xingqi was always sharp; Tan Qingjiu wasn’t surprised and only curled her lips. “Naturally, we’re waiting for someone from the Tan household to come and invite us back.”

“I looked over the description of Tan Yun’s illness that the steward gave yesterday. I can say with certainty: in the whole capital, only I can cure him.”

“And from their account, Tan Yun’s illness is already at death’s door—no medicine will help. Even if Tan Yunge quarrels with me, Chen Yueru would never truly let him die.”

Tan Xingyou was intrigued and leaned over to rest on Tan Qingjiu’s lap. “Mother, do you really intend to save him?”

“When you lived at the Tan household, didn’t Tan Yun ignore you, letting Chen Yueru and Tan Yunge bully you? If you ask me, his illness is nothing but karma—he brought this on himself. Why not just let him die?”

Tan Xingqi shook his head, holding a different view. “Tan Yun killed Grandfather, tried to drown Mother, and allowed others to torment her. If we just let him die now, wouldn’t that be letting him off too easily?”

“We ought to cure him, then make him suffer, piece by piece, watching everything he cares for slip away, watching himself waste away—only then will our anger be sated.”

Tan Qingjiu’s gaze fell on Xingqi’s face. Her own son, so ruthless—she liked it.

She laughed. “Very well, we’ll do as Xingqi says. My mother died bearing a false accusation, the truth still hidden. My revenge is not yet done—how could I let him die so easily?”

No sooner had she finished speaking than voices called out behind the carriage. “Miracle Doctor, please wait! Please wait!”

“Stop the carriage.”