Chapter 286 - 284: A Late Night Visitor (2 Updates)

Chapter 286: Chapter 284: A Late Night Visitor (2 Updates)

Xu Jing chuckled lightly and said, "Although Doctor Yan says this, she should know in her heart that the speed at which she trains disciples cannot match the large medical halls. Large medical halls can simultaneously recruit many capable and experienced doctors to train disciples together, producing a large batch of doctors who can stand on their own in a short period of time.

Moreover, to put it bluntly, even doctors trained by large medical halls cannot guarantee complete loyalty, as I mentioned before. Everyone has emotions and desires; some people may leave their benefactors for various reasons after completing their training and embark on a completely different path. These unexpected situations are also what we must consider.

If I may ask boldly, has Doctor Yan trained so many disciples over the years, and did every disciple fully inherit Doctor Yan’s will, carrying Doctor Yan’s hopes to bring medicine to the world?"

Yan Ci’s face suddenly changed.

Xu Jing’s words obviously hit a sore spot for her.

Before she could say anything, a few little girls behind her suddenly started chattering loudly—

"No way, I remember Senior Sister Chen left to get married right after finishing her training. After that, she never came back to diagnose anyone... She even met her husband because of her medical skills, and later, when she brought her child to see Master, Master didn’t even let her in because she was so angry."

"And there’s Senior Sister Yun. I remember Senior Sister Yun’s family was very poor, and she always wanted to make money. She secretly diagnosed people for the large medical halls and charged very high consultation fees under Master’s name. Master was so disappointed and directly expelled Senior Sister Yun from the apprenticeship..."

"And Little Cai’er; her family was very poor as well. Her brother had a gambling problem and was drowning in gambling debts. Little Cai’er was initially studying medicine with us, but halfway through, her parents forcibly took her home. Who knows how she is now..."

Yan Ci’s face suddenly darkened, and she scolded sternly, "You are all so unruly, interrupting while the Master is speaking? Go back and write the entire ’Inner Scripture’!"

"Ah!"

The little girls immediately cried out, dared not gossip anymore, and hurried back.

’Inner Scripture’ had many characters; writing it all down would ruin their hands!

Yan Ci’s face was unsightly after being publicly embarrassed, and she said nothing for a long while.

Xu Jing looked at her and said, "Doctor Yan, what happened to you likewise happened to us at Tianyi Hall. Even for me, I cannot guarantee that the disciples I train will completely follow my intentions in using their medical skills once they graduate. After all, it is their life, and I cannot control their lives. I can only try to make myself stronger and attract more people to follow me."

Even the Emperor cannot ensure that all his officials are loyal and patriotic, or that none will suffer unexpected incidents while serving the country diligently till the end.

The imperial examination every three years is to continuously select talent.

Such a massive talent selection and training system is far beyond what one person can achieve.

"Moreover, my Xinglin Hall..."

"Enough, Miss Xu, I am tired today, please go back!"

Yan Ci suddenly interrupted Xu Jing coldly and said, "Xinlian, see the guest out!"

Xu Jing was slightly taken aback, seeing Yan Ci determined to have them leave, her lips pursed subtly. Not confronting directly, she said, "I’ll be staying in White Poplar Village for a while, hoping Doctor Yan can consider my proposal. Even if we walk different paths, our intention to practice medicine for the world is the same..."

Before she could finish speaking, the little girl who had led them in earlier came running in, performing a formal courtesy, saying, "Please, guests, follow me."

Xu Jing had to stop her words, looked once more at Yan Ci, who had already turned and walked into the inner room, and followed Xinlian out.

As they stepped out of the door, Xinlian slammed it shut with a bang, practically engraving "Not Welcome" in bold letters on the door.

Some villagers who had gathered outside to watch whispered to each other and distanced themselves further.

"See, they were indeed sent by that man, and were chased out by Doctor Yan. Fortunately, I didn’t point them the way."

"Exactly, I found them suspicious from the beginning! Who knows what would happen if we accidentally angered Doctor Yan."

"Even if they weren’t sent by that man, we still need to be wary. Have you heard about what’s happening in the city recently? The world is getting more chaotic; as I see it, we should be wary of anyone not from our village!"

Chunyang looked around uneasily, leaning closer to Xu Jing and said, "Mistress..."

Xu Jing remained calm, "Don’t mind them; this is just the first day. Doctor Yan is a rare talent and not easy to invite."

The difference in medical philosophy was also something Xu Jing was grudgingly resigned about. Both she and Yan Ci were mature doctors and had no need to prove each other wrong. The biggest issue was that they both recognized the rationale behind each other’s philosophy, yet found it genuinely challenging to give up their longstanding beliefs to accommodate a different approach.

To succeed, time was needed for mutual accommodation.

After Xu Jing finished speaking, she turned to Cheng Xiao and said, "Take me to the house you rented beforehand."

Earlier, she had Cheng Xiao send someone to rent a courtyard.

Upon arriving at the rented courtyard, Xu Jing discovered it was, by chance, not far from Doctor Yan’s home.

Cheng Xiao said, "Lingzhou is near the border, and every winter, the nearby Beiliang and Beifan frequently attack the border. So the villagers with means move south for winter. The owner of this house went south for winter, which is why they rented it to us."

Xu Jing couldn’t help but frown slightly.

The reliance on the military governor by the previous dynasty stemmed largely from the threatening foreign enemies around them. Cui Han incident happening close to winter was a potential trigger for foreign invasion if mishandled.

Could this be what the mastermind intended?

Xu Jing thought for a moment and said, "Deploy a few more guards outside tonight. I find this village somewhat peculiar. Also, send someone to investigate the hunter named Jiang living in the mountains."

Cheng Xiao was momentarily surprised, becoming nervous, "Is there a problem with the hunter?"

Now that he’s the only one accompanying Mistress, if she comes to any harm, apologizing with his life would be inadequate.

"I’m not certain, just a suspicion; go check it out."

"Understood!"

In the time that followed, Xu Jing organized her baggage inside; before long, night had fallen. The whole village was permeated with a tantalizing aroma of food. From the courtyard, one could see plumes of smoke gently drifting into the night sky, set against a canopy of twinkling stars, exuding a distinct tranquility and leisure unique to rural village life.

When Chunyang brought the meals out, he couldn’t help but smile, "This scene makes me think of our days back in Hutou Village."

In the blink of an eye, so much time had passed, and their circumstances, along with Mistress’s, had drastically changed.

Xu Jing chuckled softly and said, "No more nostalgia; come and eat. The nights are cold; you should eat more to stay warm."

Just after they finished their dinner, the main door suddenly sounded with a knock; Xu Jing raised her eyebrows slightly.

It’s just their first day in White Poplar Village, and already someone was visiting?