Chapter 756 The Eight Principles of Yong

When Duan Rong awoke from the bed, the light inside was already quite bright.

He lifted the curtain and saw that the floor mat Ruyi had laid was already tidied up. Then he lazily stretched his waist, slid down from the bed, and dressed himself in clothes and shoes.

He walked around the screen and found the room door open but saw no sign of Ruyi.

Duan Rong walked straight to the basin stand, where he saw that the basin had already been filled with half a basin of clear water. He then washed himself with the cold water; had Ruyi been there, she would have poured some hot water for him. Actually, the hot water kettle was just in the corner nearby, but Duan Rong was too lazy to bother.

The cold water invigorated him a lot, and after wiping his neck clean, Duan Rong slowly strolled out the door.

As Duan Rong stepped out of the door, he saw Chou Luan sitting on the large green stone, staring blankly at the clouds in the sky, his eyes vacant.

Meanwhile, in another corner of the courtyard, Ruyi was squatting there, fanning the stove with a palm fan. On top of the stove was a medicine pot, bubbling and steaming white vapor...

So the girl was brewing medicine!

As vapor spurted out from the medicine pot, the courtyard was already filled with a faint scent of herbal medicine...

Just as Duan Rong stepped out of the door, he caught Ruyi’s glance from the corner of her eye.

Ruyi immediately stood up, holding the palm fan, bowed to Duan Rong, and greeted, "Sir, you’ve gotten up?"

Duan Rong looked at Ruyi and smiled slightly, noticing a streak of black soot on Ruyi’s pale face.

Ruyi said, "Sir, would you like breakfast? I’ll go to the kitchen courtyard to fetch it."

As Ruyi spoke, she was about to put down the palm fan and go fetch the food box from the room.

Duan Rong glanced at the sun and said, "It’s already mid-morning; why bother with breakfast now? Just eat with lunch."

A wind blew past at that moment, and Duan Rong sniffed the herbal scent, then said, "The medicine is ready; no need to brew any more."

Ruyi glanced questioningly at Duan Rong and said, "Judging by the time, it should be ready indeed."

However, Ruyi did not know Duan Rong had just gotten up, and was standing far away at the door, yet how did he know the soup was ready?

Ruyi wrapped the handle with a thick towel, picked up the bottom of the blackened medicine pot, and with the other hand, grasped the handle of the palm fan, supporting the pot spout.

With such a posture, she carried the medicine pot to Chou Luan, without greeting him, squatted down, and poured the steaming potion, gurgling into Chou Luan’s wine jar.

"What are you doing?!"

Chou Luan, whose hopes were dashed, cared only about his wine.

He initially thought Ruyi was ill and was brewing medicine, but did not expect Ruyi to pour the medicine straight into his wine jar. The wine was only just opened; why wouldn’t he be angry?

"Let her pour!"

Just as Chou Luan was about to react, Duan Rong stopped him.

Chou Luan’s body froze, and a hint of confusion flashed in his vacant eyes.

Ruyi continued squatting there, pouring the medicine soup, and said, "It’s medicine the sir ordered for you."

Upon hearing that, Chou Luan looked up at Duan Rong.

Duan Rong said, "It can treat your ailment but won’t save your life. Just to alleviate the symptoms a bit, make you feel better."

Duan Rong’s meaning was clear: as long as Chou Luan kept drinking like that, no one could save him.

Chou Luan awkwardly stood up from the large stone, clasped his hands towards Duan Rong, and said, "Thank you, sir!"

For the first time, some emotion was present in Chou Luan’s usually indifferent voice.

Duan Rong only responded softly, then turned back into the room. He knew Chou Luan had no desire to live; the greatest grief is a dead heart! No medicine can cure!

After Ruyi finished pouring the medicine soup, she stood up, gave Chou Luan a glance, then carried the medicine pot to the side room. Duan Rong had instructed that the pot could be boiled twice; the medicine could still be brewed again.

Chou Luan glanced at the wine jar not far from his feet, and the strange herbal smell still lingered in the air.

Last night when Duan Rong came back, he merely brushed several acupoints on him, and Chou Luan felt much better. That sir, I don’t know his origins, looking so young, yet has such skills in Medical Dao.

Back then, he merely saw him cough a few times and had already grasped his symptoms.

Chou Luan held the mouth of the wine jar with one hand, lifted it, and poured a mouthful into his mouth.

The wine mixed with medicine soup, down the throat, made Chou Luan frown suddenly, his gaze flashing a touch of sorrow.

Bitter and intense!

This taste, isn’t it just like his life? Chou Luan couldn’t help but take another big gulp.

A big mouthful of wine swallowed, Duan Rong’s image surprisingly flashed in Chou Luan’s heart.

That young sir, even the Director of the Imperial Secretariat Zhu Zhengfu had to kneel and bow, indicating his identity is indeed extraordinary. And he, however, was just a remnant ghost, an outcast; in front of Zhu Zhengfu, he was merely used like a weapon. This point, from Zhu Zhengfu’s gaze upon him, he had long clearly understood.

Yet the young sir in this separate courtyard, with such a status, could humble himself to associate with him, even ordering Ruyi to brew medicine for his ailment.

If it were in years past, someone treated him like this, he’d repay with life and death!

But now, he was just an empty shell, his heart bleak, already unable to raise any will to follow.

He seemed like a corpse in the bottomless deep sea, continually sinking downwards, surrounded by nothing but darkness...

Duan Rong rested in the room for a while, and it was already noon.

Ruyi went to the main kitchen courtyard and brought back a rich feast.

After lunch, with nothing else to do, Duan Rong began teaching Ruyi how to write.