Chapter Twenty-Five: Xue Yang, Have You Lost Your Mind!?

When Xue Fanzhi returned, Xue Jingren had already gone to the main residence to check on Xue Yang.

At that time, Xue Yang had not yet awakened. As Xue Jingren entered the outer room, he saw a thin, short old man with a goatee speaking with Lady Jin.

The old man’s eyes were small and round, glinting with shrewdness.

He said, “If you won’t tell me how the injury happened, how am I supposed to treat it?”

Lady Jin’s eyes were swollen as she replied, “Isn’t this clearly an external injury? You just need to tend to the wound; why must you know how it happened?”

Doctor Li’s tone turned mocking. “Oh, so you’re the doctor, are you? Then by all means, treat him yourself. Why bother summoning an old man like me?”

Lady Jin was at a loss for words, stifled by his retort, but her concern for Xue Yang’s injury outweighed her pride, so she recounted the entire incident.

After hearing her out, Doctor Li sneered, “So it’s simply a case of reaping what was sown, isn’t it?”

Lady Jin was briefly stunned before snapping, “How can you speak like that? Are you a doctor or not? If you’re incapable, we don’t require your services!”

Doctor Li picked up his medicine chest and turned to leave without another word.

Fuming, Lady Jin called after him, “Aren’t you one of our household’s servants? How dare you act so brazenly?”

Doctor Li halted and spun around sharply. “And who’s the old fool claiming I’m a servant of your house? Ha! If you wish to order me about as a servant, go ahead, but I won’t listen, and you’ll only end up offending me.”

“Don’t think there’s no consequence to offending me. The head of the Xue family’s injury—if you want to make sure he doesn’t end up lame, you’ll need my care. But unless you can come up with ten taels of gold, I won’t treat him!”

With that, he strode out.

Lady Jin, trembling with rage, flung down her handkerchief. “Old scoundrel! Go then—who needs you?”

Xue Jingren didn’t quite understand what had transpired, but as Doctor Li passed by, he greeted him politely, knowing the man was connected to his great-uncle.

Doctor Li, observing his gentle and refined demeanor, laughed aloud. “A bad stalk can still yield a fine shoot!” he remarked, departing with a hearty chuckle.

Xue Jingren entered and asked Lady Jin, “What happened?”

Seeing her son, Lady Jin finally found her pillar of support and began to sob. “Eldest, your father’s been injured—badly! What are we to do?”

Xue Jingren, always the honest one, replied, “Naturally, we call for a doctor. Wasn’t the man just now sent for by second great-uncle? What did he say?”

“That was the old scoundrel just now!” Lady Jin burst out. “He splinted your father’s leg and applied some ointment. Isn’t that enough? But that Doctor Li insists that external medicine won’t suffice—he wants to prescribe a decoction as well. He’s clearly a fraud!”

How could second great-uncle keep a charlatan around?

Just as Xue Jingren was about to speak, a groan of pain came from within—the sign that Xue Yang had awakened.

Lady Jin’s body trembled, her eyes darted, then she quickly grabbed Xue Jingren’s hand and whispered, “Eldest, your father doesn’t yet know his leg is broken. You mustn’t mention the fracture, or your seventh sister will be scolded!”

After all, it was Xue Jiaoyue who had caused Xue Yang’s leg to break.

Xue Jingren frowned. “The head of the family isn’t a fool. He’ll know whether his leg is broken.”

Lady Jin whispered back, “That old scoundrel gave your father a splint and pain medicine—he can’t feel a thing right now. If he didn’t insist on the decoction, I’d trust him.”

It was only because Xue Yang was numb for the moment.

Xue Jingren felt the plan was bound to fail. “He’ll find out sooner or later.”

Lady Jin shook her head. “Let it be later, then. Perhaps he won’t blame your seventh sister.”

Xue Jingren doubted Xue Yang would ever blame Xue Jiaoyue; she was his darling, after all.

But their affairs were not his concern, so he agreed readily.

The room fell silent again. Remembering she hadn’t yet brought her son to see his father, Lady Jin called, “Go in and have a look!”

Before they entered, Xue Jiaoyue had been tending to Xue Yang, not for any other reason but to see whether he would blame her.

As Xue Yang stirred, she quickly called, “Father, you’re awake?”

His leg still aching, Xue Yang tried to move but couldn’t. Anxiously, he asked, “How’s my leg?”

Seeing the pain twisting his face, Xue Jiaoyue’s heart fluttered with guilt, but she still spoke with sorrow, “Father, you fell and were hurt. It’s my fault—if Eighth Sister hadn’t brought second great-uncle here, I wouldn’t have been so afraid of dragging you into trouble.”

In the end, it was all Eighth Sister’s fault.

Xue Yang’s expression darkened. Irritated, he asked, “Where did that little wretch run off to? See how filial Seventh Daughter is—did Eighth Daughter cause trouble and then flee?”

His shout tugged at his wound, and he cried out in pain again.

Then, as if remembering something, he asked, “Is my injury serious? Why is it splinted?”

Xue Jiaoyue, seeing Doctor Li hadn’t returned, decided the doctor was unreliable—he’d said it was a fracture, but perhaps it wasn’t.

“Doctor Li said you’ll need ten days to half a month to recover.”

A hundred days to heal bone and sinew—ten days or so meant it wasn’t serious.

Xue Yang’s heart eased, and his spirits lifted. He immediately thought of Xue Fanzhi and asked, with a sour face, “Where has she gone? And your mother?”

Xue Jiaoyue, envious that Xue Fanzhi had been summoned by second great-uncle, replied with a tearful grievance, “Father, why does everyone favor Eighth Sister? Everything I do is always wrong. What have I done to deserve this?”

Xue Yang was frantic with worry—if not for his leg, he’d have sat up. “Who’s been bullying you?”

Choking on tears, Xue Jiaoyue continued, “After you lost consciousness, Eighth Sister went off cheerfully to entertain the princess. I wanted her to wait until you woke, but she said, ‘Is the princess not more important than Father?’ She insisted on going, and second great-uncle didn’t stop her. I told her she shouldn’t!”

“That ungrateful, unfilial wretch!” Xue Yang roared, furious. “Tell her to come here at once! I don’t care who she’s entertaining—she’s my daughter, and now that I’m hurt, she won’t be allowed to leave my side for a single step!”

But what use was it if only Xue Fanzhi was kept from leaving?

Xue Jiaoyue continued her tearful sobbing.

Xue Yang consoled her, “There is an order to elders and juniors; when guests come, it is the elder sister’s duty to step forward. Your second great-uncle is just getting senile. Don’t worry—so long as the princess remains, I’ll see to it that only you can approach her.”

“Father, Seventeenth Sister said the Xie family is hosting a banquet to welcome new arrivals in Jiankang—they will surely invite the princess. If I become close to the princess, she’ll bring me along, won’t she?”

“The Xie family is hosting a banquet?”

“Of course!” Xue Yang’s mind was racing with calculations—if Seventh Daughter was going, why shouldn’t he? He’d have to find a way to go as well.

The Xie family’s banquets were attended by the most influential clans—far beyond the reach of lesser families like the Xues.

While the two were speaking, Lady Jin and Xue Jingren entered.

Xue Yang still remembered Xue Jingren’s defiance. That son had always been distant. He barked, “Only now do you come to see me? Where’s Eighth Daughter?”

Xue Jingren was about to protest, “Can’t you stop blaming Eighth Sister?” when a servant announced at the door, “Master, Madam, Eighth Mistress is here!”

Xue Jiaoyue’s eyes dimmed.

Xue Yang’s fury flared. “Send her in at once!” he shouted.