In the end, it was Ye Ningxin who convinced the Prince. Although she would be traveling away from home, having Shopkeeper Qian along meant there would be someone to look out for her.
Worried that the two men at home might not eat well, Ye Ningxin specially prepared some minced meat sauce and left it there. She had stir-fried pork bits with sweet bean sauce, so when it was time to eat, all they needed to do was scoop a spoonful into their noodles, add a few slices of green vegetables and some chopped scallions, and it would be ready.
This way, even if they couldn’t cook, they could still boil noodles for themselves—convenient and quick.
After carefully instructing Fu Sheng about household matters, Ye Ningxin set off with her small bundle.
She didn’t have many changes of clothes anyway, and these things could be bought after arriving in Qingzhou Prefecture. The most important thing was to pack enough Weight-Loss Pills, as these were their secret weapon for this trip.
On the road, Ye Ningxin rode in Shopkeeper Qian’s family carriage. However, since it was inconvenient for men and women to share the same carriage, Shopkeeper Qian hired another carriage from outside.
The scenery along the way was beautiful. White clouds drifted across the azure sky, and when they reached higher ground, they could see the layered peaks of distant mountains. Birds sang in the forests, and wildflowers of various colors could be seen everywhere by the roadside.
The closer they got to Qingzhou Prefecture, the wider the roads became.
Gradually, there were more pedestrians, and the buildings in Qingzhou Prefecture were far more impressive than those in Zhiyang County. After traveling for more than half a day without any delays, they arrived inside the city of Qingzhou Prefecture in the afternoon.
After settling into an inn, Shopkeeper Qian went to the prefectural office to deliver his visiting card.
With nothing to do at the inn, Ye Ningxin went downstairs to wander around casually.
The streets here were much livelier than those in Zhiyang County, and the goods sold were more novel and exquisite.
Ye Ningxin saw a stall selling clay figurines, where the owner crafted tigers and monkeys so vividly that they looked lifelike. She thought to herself that she must buy two on her way back to bring to Fu Sheng as toys.
When she reached a shop selling rouge and cosmetics, Ye Ningxin found it hard to move on.
Although the cosmetics of this era were simple and crude, their packaging boxes were exquisitely crafted.
Moreover, most of the rouge at the time was made from plant extracts, giving it a pure and clean fragrance.
How could a beauty-loving young girl resist the temptation of cosmetics?
Just as she was dazzled by the selection at the shop, she overheard two maidservants discussing Prefect Song’s daughter.
“I heard that many doctors went to the Song residence today, but they were all chased out by the young lady,” said a maid in yellow clothes.
“Why? I heard she had stopped eating and drinking before and almost died. Weren’t the doctors there to treat her?” asked another maid in pink clothes.
The maid in yellow replied, “It’s a matter of the heart! Can a doctor’s medicine cure matters of the heart?”
The maid in pink said, “That’s true. I heard she’s been a big eater since childhood, and her figure is twice the size of an ordinary person. Scholar Li probably refused the marriage because he was afraid he wouldn’t have any advantage in bed after the wedding.”
“Tsk, tsk, you silly girl, what nonsense are you talking! How can you say such things!” The maid in yellow covered her mouth with her hand, and the two of them giggled as they left the cosmetics shop.
It seemed that the matter of the Song family’s daughter was now known throughout the city, Ye Ningxin thought.
This was good news for her.
The more people paying attention, the more who would understand the situation once the matter was resolved, which was essentially free advertising for her Weight-Loss Pills.
So she had to seize this opportunity.
After selecting a box of tomato-red rouge, Ye Ningxin went to the neighboring clothing shop and chose a white, floor-length “Smoke-Gathering Plum Blossom and Flowing Water” skirt, paired with a magnolia-and-butterfly cloak. Since crossing over, this was the first time she had bought such elaborate clothing. The light, mist-like gauze, along with a golden silk belt, made her appear slender and elegant.
For Ye Ningxin, this was her battle attire for the next day.
Not long after returning to the inn, Shopkeeper Qian also came back.
He told Ye Ningxin that many physicians had come from all directions, hoping to visit the prefect’s daughter to diagnose her illness. The next morning, they would go to the prefect’s home along with over a dozen other physicians.
Ye Ningxin was mentally prepared for this. After all, with a reward of 1,000 taels of silver at stake, it was inevitable that many would flock to the opportunity.
But she was confident of victory.
…
The next day, after getting ready, Ye Ningxin went with Shopkeeper Qian to visit the prefect’s home. For convenience, she deliberately wore a veil hat. To outsiders, she simply claimed to be Shopkeeper Qian’s female apprentice.
Several physicians were already waiting in the outer hall. Once everyone had gathered, the Steward led the group, in a grand procession, to the rear courtyard of the prefect’s home.
Miss Song Qianqian of the Song family lay on her bed in the inner chamber, hidden behind heavy curtains, with only her arm exposed.
The physicians took turns stepping forward to check her pulse.
After each diagnosis, they returned to write down their own prescriptions.
Once all the physicians had finished their examinations, the Steward said, “Since everyone is here to diagnose the young lady, my master has said that you may discuss together and propose the best treatment plan.”
“This…” Everyone gasped in surprise. No one had expected the host to want a jointly discussed prescription. How would the reward be divided then?
The Steward, being astute, noticed everyone’s silence and added, “As for the reward, of course, all participants will share it. In the end, the more one’s prescription is adopted, the larger their share of the reward.”
In such a situation, the first to speak would naturally have the greatest advantage.
So, a white-bearded elder hurriedly spoke up first: “The young lady’s illness is caused by excessive worry and anxiety, compounded by previous physical depletion, leading to a deficiency of both qi and blood. To cure her, she must first be nourished. My prescription includes ’50 grams of cinnamon, 100 grams of angelica root, 50 grams of white peony root…'”
As the elder listed more and more medicinal ingredients, the other physicians voiced their objections: “Esteemed elder, that’s enough! Leave some room for the rest of us!”
After the elder finished, others began offering their own suggestions: “According to my prescription, white peony root should be 100 grams!”
“The prescription should also include bupleurum root. Bupleurum belongs to the liver and gallbladder meridians—how can a prescription for soothing the liver and relieving depression lack it!”
…
Everyone was merely adding or subtracting from the elder’s prescription, with the overall approach remaining the same.
Shopkeeper Qian glanced at Ye Ningxin but was blocked by the white veil of her hat, unable to see her expression.
At this moment, Ye Ningxin was smiling happily. Listening to these physicians’ prescriptions, she knew Miss Song would never agree to them.
Sure enough, hearing that no one could offer anything particularly special, Miss Song spoke from behind the curtain: “Steward, have them all leave.”
The crowd, who had been enthusiastically discussing, froze in confusion, unsure of what the young lady intended.
The steward, following orders, began ushering people out: “Everyone, please leave for now. The young lady is tired and wishes to rest.”
“Wait!” Ye Ningxin spoke up for the first time.
“I believe Miss Song is dissatisfied with the prescriptions offered because what she wants to address is her obesity, not physical weakness. Everyone has been discussing how to nourish the body, which goes against the young lady’s intentions.”
“But if we don’t nourish the body first, it’s already too depleted. Addressing obesity immediately would only worsen the condition, wouldn’t it?” the white-bearded elder from earlier voiced his objection.
“I have a way to help Miss Song lose weight while also replenishing her body’s deficiencies,” Ye Ningxin stated with certainty.
“Really?”
“That sounds like wishful thinking!”
“She must be after the reward money, trying to swindle the prefect’s family. If she harms the young lady’s health, it’ll be hard to undo the damage!”
…
The crowd murmured, all expressing objections to Ye Ningxin’s claim.
Even Shopkeeper Qian wasn’t sure whether what Ye Ningxin said could truly be achieved.
He had seen the Weight-Loss Pills before but hadn’t been involved in their development. So far, the pharmacy had only sold one batch, with no feedback on their effectiveness. Could this medicine really be as miraculous as Ye Ningxin claimed?