CHAPTER 484: CHAPTER 416: SOMEONE IS COLLECTING MEDICINAL HERBS

Sold out completely?

Shang Ruyi paused for a moment, thought for a bit, and then asked, "So, all those herbs loaded on that carriage just now were bought from your place?"

The shop owner smiled and waved his hand, saying, "It’s said that our shop has limited stock, so it’s impossible to have so much."

"Then—"

"Those seem to be bought from elsewhere, apparently all talcum and atractylodes."

Shang Ruyi frowned again upon hearing this. The shop owner looked at her, then rubbed his hands and smiled, "I wonder if this lady is looking to buy something?"

Originally, Shang Ruyi intended to go to a larger pharmacy, but since she’d been inquiring here for half the day, it felt impolite to leave empty-handed, so she said with a smile, "Sorry to trouble you. I need half a pound of sour jujube seed, three liang of schisandra, and one liang of salvia."

The shop owner hurriedly and eagerly replied, "Yes, ma’am, I will prepare it for you right away."

He then ran inside and came out shortly with three pre-packaged bags of herbs. Tushere took them and gave him money before accompanying Shang Ruyi back to the carriage.

Chang Wan asked, "Young Madam, are we heading home?"

Shang Ruyi thought for a moment and replied, "No, let’s go to Changsheng Pharmacy for a look."

Tushere and Chang Wan exchanged a glance, bewildered—Shang Ruyi had just bought herbs at that small shop, why go to Changsheng Pharmacy now?

Although puzzled, they dared not question further and could only instruct the coachman to drive. They continued along, and after about the time it takes to burn an incense stick, they arrived at Changsheng Pharmacy. Indeed, this shop was much more spacious than the previous one, and the patrons inquiring and purchasing medicine were noticeably more well-dressed.

No sooner had the carriage stopped in front of the door than a young attendant came out to greet them.

The young attendant smiled and said, "I wonder what this lady needs to purchase?"

Without alighting, Shang Ruyi raised the curtain and instructed the young attendant to package more of the herbs she had previously bought, only in larger quantities. Just as the young attendant agreed and was about to head inside to get the herbs, she stopped him, saying, "Also, bring me two liang of magnolia bark and two liang of atractylodes."

The young attendant was clearly an apprentice at the pharmacy; upon hearing the names of the herbs, he smiled and said, "The lady must be buying sour jujube seed and those herbs to help someone at home with insomnia, to calm the mind; as for magnolia bark and atractylodes, they treat heat illnesses and epidemics. Does someone at home have such an illness?"

Shang Ruyi replied, "Not really, just thought to prepare in advance because of the heat."

The young attendant smiled apologetically, "I hope the lady will forgive us. We still have stock of the first few herbs, but we’ve just run out of magnolia bark and atractylodes."

"...? "

Shang Ruyi frowned.

Sold out again.

And just now.

She thought for a moment and asked, "Did someone just buy them from here with a carriage?"

The young attendant laughed, "Exactly. It’s strange; although it’s been hot, some households do buy these herbs early to ward off heat illnesses, but it’s now past mid-August, and the heat won’t last long. I’m not sure why someone would come to buy so much and completely clear our stock. Our boss originally wanted to keep some for emergencies, but the buyer offered a high price and took away even the last scrap of herbs."

"..."

"So, I hope the lady forgives us."

"..."

Shang Ruyi, naturally, wouldn’t trouble such a young attendant, so she smiled and said, "No problem, just give me the herbs you do have."

"Yes."

The young attendant agreed and went off, returning shortly with the herbs. Tushere took them, stored them properly, and paid the bill, then turned to ask Shang Ruyi, "Miss, shall we go home now?"

Shang Ruyi pondered for a moment and said, "No rush, let’s walk along this street for a while."

Tushere and Chang Wan had no idea what she intended to do but could only obediently follow. The carriage strolled down the long street for some time, stopping at the entrance of another pharmacy, where Shang Ruyi sent Tushere to inquire; once again, they had just sold out of magnolia bark, atractylodes, and talcum.

After visiting two more pharmacies, it was the same result.

Even Tushere found it odd and couldn’t help but ask, "It’s strange; we’ve asked several pharmacies, and these herbs are all sold out. Are they that much in demand?"

Chang Wan also asked, "Young Madam, why are we buying these herbs?"

Shang Ruyi shook her head, "Not for anything particular, just asking."

Saying this, she glanced at the sky, noting it was nearly noon and waved her hand, "Alright, we should head back."

The coachman then turned the carriage around, and all the way back, Shang Ruyi sat within, swaying with its movements. Having hardly slept the previous night, she soon felt drowsy, but the tension that gripped her mind prevented her from fully resting.

Even though she’d only visited a few pharmacies along this street, both large and small, it seemed that inside Daxing City, all the pharmacies were experiencing the same situation—talcum, magnolia bark, and atractylodes were all bought out.

Someone is collecting these herbs.

One might say this was just marketplace commerce; if there’s a buyer, there’s a seller, and it has little to do with her; besides, her family doesn’t really need these herbs.

Yet, inexplicably, she felt an odd unease in her heart.

Especially just now, that fleeting flash of light.

It was a kind of indescribable, almost eerie, familiarity.

As she pondered deeply with confusion, the carriage reached the Duke Mansion. Chang Wan went to put away the herbs in the storeroom, and Tushere assisted Shang Ruyi off the carriage. Just as they entered through the big gate, someone came to report that the Duke and the two young lords had returned.

Upon hearing this, Shang Ruyi hurriedly walked inside.

Just as she reached a corridor some distance away from their quarters, she saw Mu Xian coming out from inside, his face showing a hint of seriousness, seemingly absorbed in thought. It wasn’t until Shang Ruyi walked up that he returned to his senses. Upon looking up and seeing Shang Ruyi, who was smiling at him, he said, "What are you thinking about, not even watching where you’re going?"

Mu Xian quickly bowed, "Young Madam."

Shang Ruyi said, "Didn’t Feng Chen have you go outside the city to arrange for the people brought back from Wanggang Village? How come you’re back so soon?"

Mu Xian replied, "The people are settled, and I hurried back because—"

At this point, his expression grew even more serious, and he said softly, "The Second Young Lord is preparing to go on an expedition."

"Expedition?"

Shang Ruyi was taken aback, then quickly realized, "Fufeng?"

Mu Xian nodded.

Shang Ruyi was somewhat surprised. Last night at the family banquet, she and Yu Wenye had coordinated to strive for him the opportunity to lead the military expedition to Fufeng, yet Yu Wenqian’s casual remarks overshadowed their plans by simply stating that the matter would be discussed at today’s court meeting—such discussions at court would likely be more challenging than at the family feast last night. After all, compared to Yu Wenye’s recent rescue of her by going south to Jiangdu, which had almost no impact on the court, Yu Wenqian’s feat of capturing Daxing City without deploying a single soldier was seen as an unparalleled achievement in the people’s eyes. With such merit, it was almost a foregone conclusion who the court ministers would favor.

Therefore, Shang Ruyi didn’t hold much hope regarding who would be dispatched.

Unexpectedly, after just one court meeting, Yu Wenye was decided!

She felt both astonished and delighted, yet also more puzzled, asking, "How was this settled so quickly? Did the court ministers all agree for Feng Chen to lead the expedition?"