Chapter 65: Doing It on Purpose

The post station.

The station master, keeping watch at the entrance, hurried forward as soon as Song Shiwei and her party appeared.

"Please come in, everyone," he said with a warm smile. "Hot water and meals are already prepared. Would you like to wash up first, or have your meal?"

Zhang Huai pulled out half a tael of silver, pressed it into the man's hand, and smiled. "Sorry to trouble you, Station Master."

"We'll wash up first, and then have dinner."

"Also, there is a bit of trouble outside. Could I trouble the Station Master to handle it?"

This silver had been given to him by Eldest Miss Song, who had even added another half-tael, telling him to buy some wine and meat.

The station master looked outside and spotted a few ruffian-like vagrants lingering about, instantly grasping Zhang Huai's meaning.

"Rest assured, I guarantee I'll take care of it."

Lowering his voice, Zhang Huai offered a reminder: "These fallen officials might have a chance to rise again someday."

"Besides, their connections are quite extensive. Small people like us should avoid offending them whenever possible and leave ourselves a way out."

Having escorted prisoners many times, he had witnessed plenty of guards deliberately tormenting those in custody just to display a sense of superiority.

Patting his chest, the station master promised, "I would never do such a thing, nor am I foolish enough to lose my mind."

After all, he had been tipped off beforehand; he wasn't stupid enough to make things difficult for the Song family.

Zhang Huai left it at that, knowing enough was enough.

The group dispersed into their respective rooms.

As before, the Song family female relatives shared one room, the male members another, and the bailiffs a third.

Seeing Zhang Huai step out, Third Brother Wang exchanged a meaningful glance with the other bailiffs and lowered his voice.

"We cannot go on like this. Otherwise, failing our mission is a minor issue, but losing our lives is a major one."

"The problem is that we are poisoned. Unless this poison is cured, we have no way of completing our mission."

"There is a medical clinic here. Let's sneak over to find a doctor; I refuse to believe this poison cannot be cured."

Without further ado, Third Brother Wang and the others slipped out of the post station and headed straight for the most renowned medical clinic in Changshun County.

The clinic was bustling with people.

Some had come to consult doctors and collect prescriptions, while others were merely spectators.

The sudden appearance of the bailiffs immediately drew considerable attention.

"Look, look, it's a few bailiffs. Are they here to see a doctor?"

"Isn't that obvious? Coming to a medical clinic without seeing a doctor, are they here to make arrests?"

"These bailiffs don't look like locals. Judging by their travel-worn appearance, they must be from out of town."

"If they really are from out of town, they can only be here to see a physician."

After a brief, low-voiced exchange with the shopkeeper, Third Brother Wang and his companions were led to a private parlor in the back courtyard.

Before long, an attendant brought in tea and pastries.

"Please wait a moment, gentlemen; the physician will be here shortly," the shopkeeper said with a smile.

No sooner had his voice trailed off than a middle-aged physician arrived.

"Take a look at these gentlemen," the shopkeeper instructed.

Giving a nod of assent, the middle-aged physician walked up to the bailiffs. "Please extend both hands so I may feel your pulses."

Third Brother Wang and the other bailiffs extended their wrists, placing them on the table.

"Doctor, we have been poisoned."

"Yes, yes. The poison we contracted requires an antidote every half a month. Is there any way for you to cure it?"

After taking the pulses of Third Brother Wang and his men one by one and asking a few detailed questions, the middle-aged physician finally spoke. "You are indeed poisoned, but..."

Pausing for a moment, he continued, "The poison you carry is not easily cured."

"Not simply difficult in the literal sense, but the required medicinal herbs are exceedingly rare and exorbitantly expensive."

Third Brother Wang and the others felt as though they had been struck by lightning.

They had never imagined that the obstacle to curing the poison wasn't the lack of an antidote, but the scarcity and high cost of the ingredients.

"Doctor, just how rare and expensive are these herbs?" Third Brother Wang asked, refusing to give up hope.

The middle-aged physician replied, "To name just one essential herb, it costs at least fifty taels of silver."

"Even if you manage to find that single herb, you would still need three others before the poison could be completely eradicated."

Hearing merely the fifty-tael price tag, Third Brother Wang and his companions felt their hearts turn to ash.

Even if they emptied their family coffers, they could never scrape together fifty taels of silver, let alone for just one ingredient among several.

"Doctor, is there truly no other way?" one of the bailiffs asked.

"There is," the middle-aged physician said, "but it only treats the symptoms, not the root cause, and it inflicts severe damage on the body."

"This poison of yours cannot be entirely cleared; it will still flare up periodically."

At a complete loss, Third Brother Wang and his men wondered if they were destined to remain under the Song family's control forever.

The shopkeeper and the middle-aged physician exchanged a subtle glance. Wanting a cure?

That was entirely out of the question!

Finding no path to a cure, Third Brother Wang and the others could only slink back to the post station in defeat.

Coincidentally, they ran into Song Shiwei, who was strolling through the main hall.

At the sight of their crestfallen appearance, Song Shiwei immediately guessed that they had gone out seeking a remedy.

Observing their ashen complexions, she knew instantly that they had returned empty-handed, and her mind finally settled at ease.

"Where have you gentlemen been?" she asked with a gentle, charming smile.

Mistress Liu approached carrying a cup of water.

Glancing at the bailiffs with utter disdain, she handed the cup to Song Shiwei. "Have some water, Eldest Miss."

Third Brother Wang and his men felt a mixture of hatred and fear toward Song Shiwei.

Previously, they had escorted prisoners from prominent noble families, yet none had ever possessed such breathtaking audacity as to poison the bailiffs.

"Eldest Miss Song," Third Brother Wang forced a stiff smile and bowed politely, "a few of us brothers went out for a stroll to see if we could pick up a little something for a midnight snack."

Song Shiwei let out an "oh." "Is that so?"

"Yet looking at you all now, something seems rather amiss. Did something go wrong out there?"

Third Brother Wang repeatedly insisted everything was fine. "It's just that things here are too expensive; we couldn't afford anything."

Detecting a hidden meaning behind his words, Song Shiwei narrowed her eyes slightly. "If you gentlemen are short on silver, you could simply have told me."

Retrieving two taels of silver from her sleeve, she handed them to Third Brother Wang. "Take this for the brothers to buy some wine."

Taking it felt wrong, and refusing it felt wrong; Third Brother Wang stood there in awkward silence.

"Do you find the silver too little?" Song Shiwei produced another two taels from her sleeve, thrusting a total of four taels into his hands. "Take it, take it. My family isn't short of this little bit of silver."

It felt as though several slaps had landed across Third Brother Wang's face—stinging and humiliating, breeding an even deeper venom within him.

The Song family's silver merely came from Song Shiwei currying favor with the Prince of Ding; what on earth did she have to gloat about here?

"No need, no need!"

Before his words fully faded, he grabbed the other bailiffs and scurried away in a flurry.

Calmly tucking the silver back into her sleeve, Song Shiwei took the bowl from Mistress Liu's hand and took a sip of water.

"Eldest Miss, why did you give silver to Third Brother Wang and the others just now?" Mistress Liu asked in bewilderment.

"To provoke them," Song Shiwei replied indifferently.