Unlimited estates for rural beauty-Chapter 555: Asking for Votes (4)
Dugu Chen calculated that the time was about right and leaped out of Prince Fu Residence’s yard, pretending to be a famous Divine Doctor named Yin Nan, waiting near Prince Fu Residence.
Inside her space, Feng Xuxu hid in a corner within Prince Fu Residence, peering out at the chaos that had engulfed the residence. The butler was at his wit’s end, with cold sweat running down his face. Overnight, the masters of the residence had all fallen ill, and no fewer than a dozen footmen had been dispatched to find the best doctors in Yezhou Prefecture.
In no time at all, footmen seemed to have unearthed doctors from who knows where, as they hurried into the residence carrying medicine chests, dispersing to various courtyards to treat the ailing masters.
Feng Xuxu watched for a while but did not see Dugu Chen. Just as she was hesitating, wondering if the plan had failed, she saw him strolling into the residence, unhurriedly carrying a medicine chest; from afar, he very much resembled a Divine Doctor.
Feng Xuxu laughed, and as if sensing her gaze, Dugu Chen glanced toward the corner where Xuxu was hiding and slightly curled his lips before following the footman into the residence.
The butler examined the Divine Doctor, who carried an aura of purity and immortal-like presence, then brought several herbs for the self-proclaimed Divine Doctor to identify. Dugu Chen looked down at the butler with disdain: "Not to mention these few herbs, even if you mixed in some more, I could still identify them all with my eyes closed."
"Oh, is that really so?" The butler had only meant to test him a little, yet the answer he received was astonishingly impressive.
"Hmph, why would I, a Divine Doctor, need to deceive anyone?" he said, his lips curling up in a sneer.
The butler looked at the Divine Doctor’s demeanor, not seeming like a charlatan, but skepticism arose nonetheless; after all, just as trouble occurred in the residence, this Divine Doctor had appeared conveniently on time. Yet, for the Prince’s safety, he decided to test him one more time.
"Divine Doctor, please wait a moment; this old servant will be right back." This time, the butler did not send the footmen to fetch the herbs from the storeroom, but went himself.
A span of time enough for a cup of tea to brew is neither short nor long. The butler, holding a tray, hurried back inside.
Dugu Chen looked over and saw the tray covered with a cloth before he intentionally closed his eyes. In a brief moment, he named thirteen different herbs. With each name he said, the butler’s eyes widened a bit more. When Dugu Chen finished, he let out a cold laugh, opened his eyes, and smilingly looked at the butler: "It seems the butler has made a mistake; there is a weed among those."
"Truly a Divine Doctor; that grass was intentionally placed there by me. My apologies for the offense earlier, but as it concerns my lord Prince, I had no choice," the butler hurried to say.
"Oh! So it turns out the Prince is sick; that explains it. I understand," expressed Dugu Chen, feigning surprise, and then nodded his head to show his understanding.
"Then please, Divine Doctor, follow this old servant to see the Prince," the butler invited, bending forward with an inviting gesture. Once the Divine Doctor nodded, the butler led the way into an exquisitely furnished courtyard.
I did not check this separate courtyard during the nighttime surveillance. Now, in the light of day, its opulence was all too apparent. Far beyond the mention of the long corridor, carved from the finest white jade, the further in you went, the more guards there were in the yard. Every few steps, you would see guards standing watch, not to mention the Hidden Guards lurking in the shadows, spying on me.
Following the butler through another Moon Gate, they finally arrived at Prince Fu’s bedroom, where at the door stood two towering guards with eyes as sharp as eagles and breaths as steady as theirs, their faces clouded in somber gloom. They looked at the butler and then fixed their gaze on Dugu Chen: "Butler, are you unaware of the rules of this residence?" they asked, their voices as chilling as a xiao’s melody.
The butler’s expression was dark as he bowed and said, "Loyal Guard, this is the Divine Doctor from Yin Nan, whom I personally invited to treat the Prince."
Zhongyong glared at the butler with an arrogant expression, "Acting on your own initiative."
The butler nodded awkwardly, his smile stiff on his face, and upon seeing this, Dugu Chen merely adjusted his brows and rolled his eyes, "Hmph, since it’s not a sincere visit to treat an illness, this Divine Doctor does not have extra time to accompany you, goodbye." He said coldly, angrily flapping his generous sleeves, he turned and walked away. He had only taken a few steps when the sword of the Loyal Guard behind him blocked his path.
"What a joke, do you think you can come and go as you please here?" Zhongyong looked angrily at the arrogantly faced Divine Doctor.
Dugu Chen glanced disdainfully at the sword pointed at his chest, only to sneer, while the other party stood frozen on the spot, looking at him with disbelief, "What... what have you done to me?"
"Anyone who points a sword at this Divine Doctor ends up dead, and you are no exception." He looked at him sarcastically, his eyes were like those of a person looking at a corpse, devoid of pity or sympathy.
After a round of three clapping sounds, a hearty laughter followed, unseen but heard, "Hahaha, the temperament of the Divine Doctor from Yin Nan is indeed as the outside world describes, unconstrained and mercurial."
Dugu Chen turned to look at the tightly closed door of the bedroom, feeling very surprised, and after a brief pause, he composed himself and addressed someone behind the door, "Hmph, I just can’t stand those who bully others relying on their power, alas, there seems to be no shortage of such people in this world." His voice carried a hint of helplessness, as if encountering such situations were a common occurrence for him.
Zhongyong maintained his earlier pose, without moving an inch, upon hearing the words about bullying with power, rage grew within him, and the blood in his body flowed more quickly due to his anger, hastening the onset of the poison in his body.
"Shush! Calm down, or you’ll die even faster," he said with a smile in his eyes, looking at Zhongyong, whose face had already turned purplish-black.
There was no further movement from the person inside the room, Dugu Chen moved his fingers slightly, a mocking smile appeared on his face. He turned and began to walk away.
Another guard, although looking unpleasant, did not stop him, allowing the Divine Doctor to walk away with an air of arrogance.
Just as Dugu Chen had reached the courtyard outside, the door behind him was opened from the inside. A man who appeared to be in his mid-fifties emerged, of average height, lean, dressed in dark cyan clothing, with a ruddy complexion and bright, spirited eyes shining with sharpness.
"Divine Doctor, please wait a moment." The voice that spoke was full of vigor, showing no signs of poisoning.
Upon hearing the door open behind him, Dugu Chen, who was walking in the courtyard, let out a sigh of relief, his heart slightly easing up. It seemed that Prince Fu was not so simple. Hearing his words, Dugu Chen’s steps faltered, and he turned to look at him. His long eyelashes concealed the brief glimmer in his eyes, and with pursed lips, he smiled sarcastically, "What, do you wish to be like him too?"
Prince Fu followed his gaze to Zhongyong and then emotionlessly shifted his focus, chuckling, "The Divine Doctor really has quite a sense of humor. I wish to live for a few more decades, I haven’t had my fill of this world’s splendor, why would I seek my own demise!"
