Chapter 71
TN: Unedited. I will put up the edited version once KitKat is done with it.
By the end of August, all the sweet potato fields had been harvested. The yield was two to three buckets more than expected. After allocating a portion to be sowed the following year, the remaining were distributed to each district for local officials to promote the benefits of sweet potatoes, encouraging more farmers to plant and stock up on them.
Although the people of Yanzhou were unfamiliar with this new crop, they have an unshakable faith in the General and Wangfei. When they knew that the General and Wangfei were encouraging the people to stock up on the sweet potatoes, everyone who could afford it took their food reserves or silver to exchange for the sweet potatoes.
As such An Chang Qing was faced with another issue. Although the sweet potato yield was better than they had expected, it was still not enough to supply to every household in Yanzhou. Just as he was trying to figure out a way, Zhou He Lan, who was given an assignment in the south, had returned with several wagons, currently waiting at the gate.
Previously, Zhou He Lan was tasked with establishing a trade route for the jadite within the areas such as Qing Zhou and Yong Zhou. An Chang Qing did not involve himself with this matter. It was Xiao Zhige who had been exchanging letters with Zhou He Lan. Suddenly seeing Zhou He Lan back at the manor, An Chang Qing couldn’t help but be surprised. His tone was slightly raised when he asked, “He Lan?”
Zhou He Lan was a bit more tanned than when he left. His height had also increased and his facial features were a lot more pronounced. After the few months of toughening in the south, he had gained an air that An Chang Qing had seen in his previous life.
Zhou He Lan bent and saluted, “Wangfei, He Lan have lived up to your expectation.”
An Chang Qing smiled and asked the guards to open the gates and welcomed him in along with the wagons.
After entering, Zhou He Lan counted the goods before presenting to An Chang Qing. Only then did he realize that the whole caravan was transporting sweet potatoes.
Seeing An Chang Qing’s pleasantly surprised expression, Zhou He Lan explained, “In a previous letter from Wangye, it stated that Yanzhou had started to cultivate sweet potatoes from Yuze but there is going to be a shortage. And so I had someone find a way and brought back more from Yuze.”
Sweet potatoes in Yuze was abundant and worth little. Yuze’s commoners only use them as feed for livestock and food reserves. As such Zhou He Lan was able to procure over ten wagons cheaply and brought them back with him to Yanzhou.
An Chang Qing looked at the sweet potatoes and couldn’t hide the big smile on his face, “Just as I was getting worried that we will not have enough.”
An Chang Qing had the servants line the wagons in the yard while he invited Zhou He Lan for tea in the main hall. Xiao Zhige had already been notified and not long after, he arrived at the manor on horseback.
When Xiao Zhige entered, upon seeing Zhou He Lan, his first words were: “Do you have any news?”
Zhou He Lan nodded then told the guards to withdraw, leaving only a middle-aged woman behind. “Yes but it’s not convenient to speak here.”
As the four headed for the study, An Chang Qing looked at Xiao Zhige and Zhou He Lan with questioning eyes. Xiao Zhige then explained to him unpromptedly, “I’ve previously sent a letter to Zhou He Lan, asking him to find information on the mermaid tribe.”
Da Ye’s southern counties shared a border with the Yu Ze Empire. It just happened that Zhou He Lan was sent to the south to do business and with his loyalty to An Chang Qing, Xiao Zhige was willing to divulge An Chang Qing’s pregnancy to him, prompting him to conduct an investigation on the mermaid tribe in Yu Ze.
Zhou He Lan had received the task but up until now, there hadn’t been any progress. On the other hand, the jade business was booming day by day. And yet, this time, Zhou He Lan had left it behind to return to Yanzhou. Upon hearing this, Xiao Zhige knew that he must’ve found something.
And Zhou He Lan had indeed managed to dig up something. “Some time ago, I found a way to disguise myself and sneaked passed Yu Ze’s border and into the capital. Along the way, I pretended to be a traveling merchant and continuously sought out information on the mermaid tribe but to no avail…”
As it faces the ocean, many of the Yu Ze empire’s folk tales revolve around the sea. Even so, Zhou He Lan couldn’t find anything connected to the mermaid bloodline. He then changed route and instead searched for news on men who bore the red markings and the ability to give birth. As it turned out, he really did manage to find a woman with such knowledge.
“This is Lady Guo. Her family had been physicians for generations and her grandfather had once assisted a man in giving birth.”
Upon Zhou He Lan’s introduction, Lady Guo stepped forward and saluted with a slight awkwardness. She was a woman with a short build and plump body. She had a round and honest face. Seeing the the three people’s eyes on her, she responded nervously, “Yes, I used to follow my grandfather during his medical visits and have seen him helping a man give birth. That man has red markings on his neck which look like fish scales.”
Xiao Zhige tried to restrain his excitement and asked, “Does Lady Guo know midwifery? What’s the difference between men and women giving birth?”
But the lady shook her head and said, “I do not know. I was too young at the time, and my grandfather did not let me enter the room.”
Before Xiao Zhige could show his disappointment, the Lady Guo continued, “Although I did not witness the process back then, I happened to find within my grandfather’s belongings notes on the prenatal pulse analysis and the birthing procedures.” She then pulled out a letter and handed it to Xiao Zhige.
After some hesitation, she added, “The writings might seem illogical but it’s definitely authentic. Back then, my grandfather was a well known doctor in Fu Liang. It’s just that my skills were inadequate and I couldn’t inherit his talents.”
Xiao Zhige flipped over the notes and saw the several scrambled words: June 1st, the patient is about to give birth. The fetus is in the abdomen but men has no means of reproduction. Only through a cesarean section can the baby be retrieved.
Xiao Zhige’s gaze fixated on the words cesarean section for a long time before finally saying, “These notes are of great importance to me. Does Lady Guo have any requests? Whatever it is, I will offer it to you in exchange for the notes.”
Lady Guo turned to look at Zhou He Lan and stammered, “Zhou gongzi had promised me two thousand silver taels.”
Xiao Zhige thought that she would demand an exorbitant amount but unexpectedly, she only demanded two thousand silver taels. Xiao Zhige looked at Zhou He Lan to verify and saw that he nodded. “That’s correct. Lady Guo’s daughter is seriously ill and needs a large dosage of expensive medicine. For her to come with me, I had promised her two thousand silver taels.”
So that was the case. Xiao Zhige was somewhat relieved, “I’ll have the servants prepare the silver for Lady Guo. However, we still need to verify the authenticity of the notes. I would like to ask Lady Guo to stay in the manor for a few more days. After we have confirmed the notes’ accuracy, we’ll have someone escort you back home.”
Lady Guo thought briefly and nodded.
After sending Lady Guo to her room, Xiao Zhige had sent someone to get Hu Shifei. He then sat down and handed the notes to An Chang Qing.
These notes, it clearly detailed the late doctor’s first encounter with the impregnated man till his passing after giving to his daughter.
But the clearer the details, the more alarming the pregnancy process became. And perhaps there was an agreement with the patient, the late doctor did not mention the patient’s name or any other personal information. The only thing they could tell was that this patient was alone and his body was in a bad condition from the start.
When the patient first came into contact with the late doctor, he was already four months pregnant. It was not obvious looking at his body but the morning sickness was more extreme than a woman’s. The worst part was that he was not able to eat and could only take plain porridge every day. His feet were also severely swollen causing him much difficulty when walking. He was also highly sensitive to heat and had to stay in a dark room most of the day.
An Chang Qing frowned as he read on. Although he did not experience morning sickness or got his legs swollen, it was true that he did not do well in the heat. With this, he could partly tell that there is some truth to these notes.
Because of the solemn events recorded in the notes, the atmosphere in the room had turned somber. By the time Hu Shifei arrived, he was greeted with three gloomy faces.
He bowed and hurriedly accepted a stacks of papers from Xiao Zhige.
“Look through and see if it’s credible.” Xiao Zhige ordered.
Hu Shifei wasted no time and began flipping through the notes. For a long time, only the sound of pages flipping could be heard in the room. Finally, Hu Shifei spoke with excitement, “This doctor Guo is quite extraordinary.”
“So are the notes credible or not?”
“It should be,” Hu Shifei replied, “many of the medical practices recorded in these notes can still be used today. Based on his account, his patient had a poor constitution, that’s why his pregnancy afflictions were different from Wangfei. Wangfei is in good health so there is no need to worry.”
However, this was not what Xiao Zhige was worried about. He closed his eyes and too a deep breath then asked, “If Wangfei were to give birth, is cesarean section necessary for the child to be born?”
Hu Shifei hesitated and spoke honestly, “Yes. Men are different from women physically. Women are born with reproductive organs that men do not have.”
Actually, if the records about the mermaid were true, mermaids were not divided by gender and those who bore the red marks could give birth, then by right, those with the red marks should be different from ordinary people. They should have another set of reproductive organs. But when Yu Xiao was given a check up, the boy was no different from from an ordinary boy.
And now with these notes, he could comewhat confirm his theory: either the records of the mermaid tribe were incorrect or that through the years, the mermaid people had intermarried and slowly lost their special traits. Just like An Chang Qing’s mother, Lady Yu, who also carried mermaid blood but did not have any red markings on her and still could give birth to a son and daughter. There was absolutely no trace to connect her to the mermaid tribe. Even the youngest daughter An Xian Yu was the same.
Hu Shifei had speculated that the inheritance of this special trait could not be predicted and would mostly affect the male offspring.
Upon hearing his words, Xiao Zhige’s face darkened and long silence ensued. When he spoke again, it was in a bleak tone, “What if… we don’t want the child anymore? Can we have an abortion?”
The moment they heard this, everyone was dumbfounded. An Chang Qing was the first to object and looked at him gravely, “Wangye?!”
Xiao Zhige was firm with An Chang Qing this time and tried to explain, “It’s too dangerous to perform a cesarean section. If anything were to happen… I would rather not have this child!”
An Chang Qing grimaced. At the moment, he was not sure what to say. He wanted to accompany Xiao Zhige till their hair turned white but he couldn’t bear to give up the child that had just popped up. He had just finally accepted his arrival and now he had to let him go? He was not willing…
“There might be some other ways…” An Chang Qing said in a low voice, “I don’t want to give up on him.”
For the first time, Xiao Zhige refused to listen to An Chang Qing. He grabbed his shoulder and with some hesitance, he said, “If you like children, we can always adopt. You can choose how many you want but I can’t have you risk your life.” He looked firmly into An Chang Qing’s eyes and spoke with an astringent voice, “I can live without having children but I cannot lose you.”
An Chang Qing was at a loss. His hand unconsciously touched his abdomen, expressing his unwillingness.
Zhou He Lan interjected, trying to lighten up the situation, “The patient in the notes has poorer health compared to Wangfei and he still made it.”
Xiao Zhige shook his head and said firmly, “I refuse to take any risks.”
An Chang Qing was more important to him than his own life, how could he let him take this risk.
The room once again sunk into silence. In the end, it was Hu Shifei who spoke up and offered his opinion, “Actually, it’s not that dangerous. Wangfei is in good health and I’m eight parts confident that I can perform the cesarean section successfully.”
“On the other hand, if it’s an abortion…” Hu Shifei shook his head, “I do not have much expertise to offer. An aborticide for a woman might not be effective on Wangfei. Using it recklessly could ensue unfavorable result.”
An Chang Qing heaved a sigh of relief upon hearing his words. He held Xiao Zhige’s hand which had now turned cold and squeezed lightly.
He turned to Hu Shifei and Zhou He Lan and said, “I have to talk to Wangye. You can take your leave.”
Hu Shifei and Zhou He Lan bowed and retreated after thoughtfully closing the door.
An Chang Qing wasn’t keen on staying in the study. He shook Xiao Zhige’s sleeve and smiled, “I’m a little tired, can Wangye carry me back to the room?”
Xiao Zhige was still not speaking but his gaze has softened. He squatted down to allow An Chang Qing to grab his back.
An Chang Qing leaned his chest on Xiao Zhige’s back as his arms wrapped over his neck and his chin rested on his shoulder. Xiao Zhige gently lifted him up and began walking back to their room.