Chapter 11: A Thousand Matches? So What?
Everyone’s eyes were fixed on the hand reaching out from the sedan. Their faces were full of confusion.
Those colorful granules were pretty, yes, but if someone said they were medicine, they would not believe it. It was not as if they had never seen medicine before.
Medicine had to be prescribed by a doctor, then decocted over fire, just like what Crown Prince Jiao’s side was doing.
Crown Prince Jiao frowned slightly. What kind of trick was he playing now?
He looked toward Hua Yong.
Hua Yong looked rather disdainful. Writing a prescription was not writing an essay. What was the point of making it all colorful and flowery?
He already felt that treating these refugees was beneath his status, so his tone inevitably turned somewhat sarcastic.
“Taking medicine recklessly can kill people. Don’t cause someone’s death just to show yourself off.”
After saying that, he looked toward Crown Prince Jiao.
“Your Highness, rest assured. The other side knows nothing about medicine. He is merely trying to take a shortcut and gain some reputation. He is not worth mentioning.”
His voice was quite loud, though no one knew if he was trying to show off or something else.
Crown Prince Jiao gave a faint hum. This man was far too arrogant. Did he truly think he had any great ability?
At that moment, Chen Bai also stepped out of the sedan.
Qi Zheng was the first to react. He took the medicine, had someone fetch water, and then ordered it delivered to the refugees.
Shang Wangshu frowned slightly. Hua Yong’s words were not without reason. Medicine truly could not be taken recklessly. They must not allow a tragedy to occur because of this competition. Besides, he considered himself experienced and knowledgeable, having seen far more than ordinary people, but even he had truly never seen medicine like this.
He was just about to speak, but the refugees took the medicine and water, glanced only once at Chen Bai, and stuffed the medicine straight into their mouths.
This…
Hua Yong grew somewhat angry. He had just reminded them that medicine could not be taken at random, yet they still acted like this. Had they not heard him?
“Ungrateful fools who don’t know whether they live or die.”
In truth, the refugees did not know why they did it either.
They only knew that if they refused to take it, then the red-robed man who had gently called them subjects of Great Qian instead of treating them as beggars would lose.
People were truly strange. Some people spent a lifetime together and could not develop the slightest fondness for one another. Others could make people offer them unbelievable trust with only a few words and a few expressions.
Chen Bai watched the refugees swallow the medicine and quickly reminded them, “Don’t chew it.”
Unfortunately, he was still a little too late.
Among the refugees, a child’s face scrunched up like a bitter melon.
“It’s… so bitter.”
Bitter?
When the other refugees heard this, they felt even more reassured. How could medicine not be bitter? The more bitter it was, the more effective it must be.
An older refugee beside the child quickly held the water to his mouth.
“Child, this is good medicine. You mustn’t spit it out.”
Who would willingly die of illness if they could live?
Chen Bai felt miserable on the child’s behalf. He knew very well what it tasted like when the medicine was bitten open and dissolved in the mouth.
But suddenly, another refugee said in confusion, “Strange. Why are mine sweet?”
Everyone around them froze.
Medicine could have different flavors? How odd.
Chen Bai thought to himself that it was probably the sugar coating on the outside of the pills. It was nothing unusual.
Seeing that everyone’s attention had shifted to the other side, Crown Prince Jiao felt displeased. He had long grown used to being the center of attention, the focus of every gaze.
With a dark expression, he muttered softly, “Putting on airs.”
Then he looked at Hua Yong. “How much longer?”
Hua Yong lowered his head. He seemed to sense Crown Prince Jiao’s anger.
“This prescription needs… needs to simmer for a full hour.”
Crown Prince Jiao’s face darkened. It would actually take that long. But no matter how foolish he was, he could not possibly say something stupid like “boil it faster.”
The scene seemed to divide into two groups. Crown Prince Jiao’s side quietly boiled medicine, while everyone gathered around Chen Bai’s side to watch the excitement.
Some even curiously asked the refugees who had taken the medicine, “How is it? Is it working?”
Chen Bai thought to himself, Did they think it was an immortal pill? That it would work the moment they swallowed it?
Qi Zheng moved closer to Chen Bai. “How long until it takes effect?”
Chen Bai thought for a moment. “About one hour.”
These people were emaciated and obviously ill, but that also meant the results would show more quickly.
Qi Zheng nodded. That happened to be around the time Crown Prince Jiao’s medicine would be done boiling.
Chen Bai thought for a moment. “Give them some food.”
These people must have been hungry for a very long time. Their bodies had lost resistance; even a minor illness could drag on into a serious one.
Qi Zheng looked at Chen Bai strangely. A demon who did not act like a demon, and even had a compassionate heart. How strange.
Previously, although he had made transactions with Chen Bai, he had never lowered his guard.
But for some reason, he now felt that perhaps he had been worrying too much. Many people could not even compare to this demon.
Without saying anything, he had someone fetch some pastries.
Chen Bai only had the pastries distributed to the refugees on his own side. It was not that he had any particular intention, but sending food to the other side’s refugees at this moment would be unwise. If someone turned around and accused him of putting something in the food, he would not be able to defend himself even with a hundred mouths.
The crowd waited amid discussion. Even Shang Wangshu looked over at the patients’ conditions from time to time. He was still somewhat worried.
Chen Bai thought, Then wait.
In the end, they did not wait very long, roughly just over an hour.
Suddenly, someone shouted, “Look at these refugees. Don’t they look much better?”
They had originally been exhausted. After eating some food, and after the medicine had taken effect for about an hour, their condition had probably begun to improve.
Whoosh.
Everyone was drawn over by that person’s voice. After all, even with a cold, it would usually take several days to see improvement.
Shang Wangshu also walked over and directly asked the refugees, “How do you feel?”
“My body feels much better.”
“My stomach feels like there’s a warm current inside it. It’s very comfortable, and I have strength again.”
Chen Bai thought, That’s because you ate. My medicine isn’t miraculous enough to do that.
Their answers were messy and varied.
But whether it was their energy, spirit, or physical condition, they truly seemed different from the start.
Especially when compared to the dozen or so patients nearby who were still clutching their stomachs in pain, the contrast became even clearer.
“It actually worked so quickly?”
“His medical skills are far too impressive.”
The gazes directed at Chen Bai changed.
Chen Bai was just about to humbly say he did not dare accept such praise, and he truly did not dare. It was merely that the medicine was good. It had little to do with him. If he encountered some complicated or rare illness, he would be helpless.
The reason he had been certain he could win was because he could register online and consult a medical expert, was it not? He had said long ago that Crown Prince Jiao’s opponent was not only him alone.
Although this time, he had not needed to use his backup team.
At that moment, a somewhat sharp voice rang out. “Impossible. What strange and rare medicines have I not seen? It can’t possibly get better this quickly.”
It was Hua Yong, his face full of doubt.
If not for the fact that these refugees had been brought by Duke Shang, who knew what else he might have said.
Chen Bai smiled. “Whether it’s possible or not, won’t you know by checking for yourself? As a physician, how can you deny it outright before you have even examined them?”
Hua Yong could no longer care about anything else, because he truly refused to believe it. He directly reached out and placed his fingers on one patient’s wrist.
A while later, Chen Bai asked directly, “Well?”
Everyone also pricked up their ears.
Hua Yong’s face turned green and white by turns. He did not want to admit it at all, but if they found another physician to examine them, the truth would be confirmed immediately. Under so many watching eyes, he could not lie, because he would be exposed too easily.
He had actually lost.
Crown Prince Jiao had praised him and made his name known, taking him before countless nobles to show him off. And now, he had actually lost to a nameless nobody.
Just now, he had arrogantly humiliated the other party in a loud voice, saying the other party was merely showing off and knew nothing of medicine.
His face burned painfully.
In his eyes, the gazes around him were like knives cutting into his bones, full of mockery.
His face flushed red. Then, without saying a word, he flicked his sleeves and left.
When he passed the place where the medicine was being boiled, he was so furious that he kicked over several fragrant medicine pots.
The refugees on that side turned deathly pale. Without the medicine, what were they supposed to do?
The surroundings were deathly silent.
Anyone could see what the result was.
Qi Zheng said, “Just now, Imperial Brother was still saying that the retainers in my residence lack rules. Why do I feel that it is instead Imperial Brother’s retainer who lacks upbringing?”
Chen Bai glanced at Qi Zheng. He really did have a vengeful personality. He refused to miss even the smallest opportunity.
Chen Bai also frowned slightly. Hua Yong had actually left just like that. As a physician, should he not be responsible for his patients?
He sighed and looked at the patients opposite, whose faces were filled with desolation. Then he said to Qi Zheng, “There is still some medicine in my sedan. I’ll bring it over. Have someone distribute it to them.”
Qi Zheng: “…”
This retainer of his was indeed more pleasing to the eye than those people in Crown Prince Jiao’s residence.
Crown Prince Jiao’s expression was also rather poor. Hua Yong had just sworn so loudly that the other party did not understand medicine at all, but now it was his own side that had lost.
If someone had thinner skin, they would probably have dug a hole and crawled into it.
But he could not leave. No matter what, he had to win back his face. The competition this person had agreed to was not only one round.
Crown Prince Jiao himself did not know how he managed to turn the expression on his face into a smile. “Imperial Brother’s retainer truly has some ability. Why don’t we continue to the next round?”
Chen Bai looked at the smile on Crown Prince Jiao’s face and thought, Isn’t it tiring to pretend?
Such a person was indeed frightening. His face had clearly been so dark just now, yet now he acted as if nothing had happened.
Qi Zheng looked at Chen Bai.
Chen Bai said, “Why is Your Highness the Crown Prince in such a hurry? Wait until I have distributed the medicine to these refugees.”
Qi Zheng: “…”
Everyone: “…”
Why did it feel like he was mocking Crown Prince Jiao? A dignified crown prince cared only about his own dignity and his desire to compete, yet did he not see that there were patients all over the ground?
Shang Wangshu also frowned slightly. It was not wrong for a person to care about face, but doing so without knowing priorities was going too far.
Previously, he had thought the crown prince behaved appropriately and possessed both virtue and conduct.
Perhaps this was only a momentary lapse.
One had to say that people all had labels in others’ minds. Even for Shang Wangshu, changing his impression of someone was not so simple.
The one presiding over the competition was Shang Wangshu. He said, “Settle these patients first, then proceed to the second round.”
To be honest, at the beginning, he had only intended to borrow the private physician from the crown prince’s residence to save these patients. He had never thought there would be a second round.
But now, for some unknown reason, he actually felt a little anticipation for the second round.
What kind of person would dare to declare such bold words—one against a hundred?
He had seen countless geniuses and famous scholars, but never had anyone been so confident as to say they could stand at the peak of every field.
“Perhaps his medical skills just happen to be extraordinary, and Crown Prince Jiao simply ran into him in his area of expertise,” Shang Wangshu could not help thinking.
No one in the surrounding crowd left. Instead, more and more people gathered.
Chen Bai had Qi Zheng distribute the medicine to the patients, then said to them, “One dose of medicine may not be enough to cure you completely. If you still feel unwell, you may come directly to the Second Prince’s residence for more medicine.”
He was now, after all, a retainer of Qi Zheng’s residence. Since he had said this publicly, if these patients came to fetch medicine, the guards would not dare make things difficult for them.
After handling this side, Chen Bai glanced at Crown Prince Jiao, who looked somewhat impatient.
He thought, What’s the rush? Even if you don’t want to keep competing, I’m not willing to stop.
A single victory or loss might not hurt Crown Prince Jiao much.
Then what about ten rounds? A hundred rounds?
