Chapter 9: Even a Tiger Will Not Eat Its Own Cubs

Jiu Jin unceremoniously pushed aside the old woman blocking the way and helped her young mistress move forward a few steps.

She possessed immense strength; with Yu Linlang protected in front of her, no one could get close, leaving most onlookers to do nothing but stare and huff in frustration.

The master and servant walked straight to the entrance of Huichun Hall, only to find a medicinal apprentice wrestling with a burly man. It was clear the youth was no match for the man, as he was pinned to the ground, taking blow after blow.

An old woman sat slumped nearby, wailing and slapping her thighs. "The quacks at Huichun Hall can't treat my child! Now they're getting angry and hitting people!"

The old woman slapped her legs with rhythmic intensity, screaming and wailing, "Oh heavens! Is there no justice or law left in this world?"

A young physician, his face flushed red, supported a panting elderly doctor as he stammered in defense, "You—you must stop this nonsense! Your child was clearly breathless when they were brought here! We are doctors, not... not immortals! How can we treat a corpse?"

"Bullshit!" The old woman sprang to her feet, cursing with a shrewish fury. "When my Erniu was brought here, she clearly still had breath! You misdiagnosed her! My perfectly good child has been lost to the hands of quacks like you!"

"You!! How can you be so unreasonable!" The young physician's face turned purple, his eyes welling with tears of rage.

"Who is being unreasonable?" The burly man, having been pulled away by two onlookers trying to mediate, turned back and roared, "You quacks at Huichun Hall kill people and bully us farmers—is that your idea of reason?"

"We know that in the eyes of you nobles, we are nothing but dirt in the fields or weeds in the corners! But my Erniu's life cannot just be brushed aside like this!"

"Child, did you hit your head?"

A gaunt, thin woman was clutching an infant and weeping silently. Hearing Yu Linlang's soft inquiry, her body stiffened.

She had been standing a few paces from Yu Linlang, but seeing the girl approach to inspect, she hurriedly pulled the child back to avoid her.

"Yes, she just... she just accidentally bumped her head." The old woman stepped forward quickly to block the crowd, wailing in a loud, piercing voice, "It was just a minor bump, who knew the quacks at Huichun Hall would treat her to death? My poor Erniu, she was only five months old when she passed!"

Yu Linlang glanced at the wailing old woman. "I just took a look, and I noticed your granddaughter has depressions on both sides of her head. This is clearly not what you described as an 'accidental bump.' You should just report this to the authorities."

She looked up at the elderly doctor at the entrance of Huichun Hall. "Since there is a dispute, why not report it to the officials? Call for a coroner to examine the injuries; the truth will be known immediately. There is no need to bicker here and block the road; it is highly inappropriate."

"Yes, yes, report it! Report it right now!" The elderly doctor snapped out of it and nodded repeatedly.

He had been so overwhelmed and confused by this family's commotion that he had lost his bearings, but facing the clear, piercing eyes of this young lady, he felt a strange sense of calm.

The old woman was startled and began shouting indignantly, "Report it? Report what? Do you think we don't know that you clinic owners all have connections in the imperial court? What's the use of reporting it? It'll just be officials protecting their own!"

Yu Linlang almost laughed aloud. "Old woman, you are standing on the main street of Weizhou Prefecture shouting that officials protect their own. Where do you think you are placing the Governor of Weizhou? With such reckless speech and contempt for the imperial court, let me remind you: you could be beaten with thirty heavy boards in the street and thrown into prison for the crime of slandering a government official."

The old woman looked stunned, her face turning from green to yellow before she slumped to the ground, resuming her act of rolling around and wailing.

The burly man rushed forward to pick up his mother, turning to glare fiercely at Yu Linlang. "Why are you intimidating my mother? She's just a village peasant; what does she know about slander?"

Seeing a medicinal apprentice running into the crowd to report the matter to the authorities, the man grew anxious. "Forget it, forget it! I won't waste any more words with you. Just compensate me with one tael of silver so I can go back to my village and bury my poor daughter, and we'll call it even."

The onlookers couldn't help but sigh.

"You blocked the road and caused such a scene, and now you want to run away? It won't be that easy," Jiu Jin sneered.

The man turned and glared at the master and servant. "What do high-and-mighty noble ladies like you know? We farmers just want the clinic to pay for the funeral costs!"

"The officials are here!" someone shouted from the crowd, startling the mother and son, whose faces turned even paler.

"Ah, why are they here so fast?" The old woman scrambled up, patted her clothes, and grabbed her son's hand. "Let's go, let's go! Don't argue with them. We're just unlucky. Let's move!"

The mother and son tried to grab the dull-looking woman holding the infant and pull her along to flee.

However, the crowd was congested, making it difficult to escape.

The people of Huichun Hall were no fools; seeing them trying to slip away out of guilt, they rushed forward to intercept them.

An agile apprentice managed to snatch the child away and turned to shout, "Officers! Officers!"

The crowd was pushed aside by soldiers to make way. Jiu Jin shielded her mistress as they moved to the side.

A group of bailiffs in official attire approached, escorting several high-ranking officials.

Everyone's attention was immediately drawn to a handsome man who stood as elegant as a pine tree and possessed hair as white as frost.

White hair at such a young age was a sight that stirred melancholy.

"Please, Heir," Yu Shoudao said, bowing with sweat pouring down his face, inviting the brothers Mu Zhao and Mu Feng to lead the way.

Today had been a disaster. They had come to the city gate to welcome the Heir, only to run into a shrew shouting insults at officials in the street, leaving them all unsettled.

Mu Zhao nodded. His eyes, deep and brilliant like a sea of stars, scanned the surroundings. He turned and whispered to his attendant, "Go and invite Lord Lu and the others over."

"Yes."

The young physician of Huichun Hall hurriedly supported his grandfather and stepped forward, kneeling heavily before Yu Shoudao. "My Lord, we have been wronged!"

Yu Shoudao, with a grim expression, bowed slightly toward Mu Zhao. "This is the Heir of the Marquis of Xuanping, and the appointed Pacification Commissioner appointed by the imperial court. I am Yu Shoudao, the Governor of Weizhou. Tell us everything that has happened."

The young physician recounted the events smoothly, focusing on the important details, and looked at Yu Shoudao expectantly. "My Lord, we at Huichun Hall can swear to heaven that the child brought to us was already dead. We speak nothing but the truth."

"Ha! Whether the child is dead or not, let this Miss Yu examine her and find out!" Mu Feng suddenly jumped in front of the crowd, wearing an expression that suggested he was enjoying the show as he looked at Yu Linlang and her servant.

Yu Linlang had been standing silently to the side, secretly observing this "good father" she had never met. Being called upon so suddenly left her momentarily stunned.

Hearing the words "Miss Yu," Yu Shoudao and the others also turned to look at her.

As their eyes met, Yu Shoudao felt that the young lady's gaze was as pure as snow and as cold as ice.