That evening after dinner, Ji Zizhao received Chen Gang's reply.
However, before Ji Zizhao could read it, Xiang Yin from the Embroidery Academy arrived.
Xiang Yin had originally been filled with gratitude because the Eldest Young Lady had once shielded the people in the embroidery academy from the Second Young Lady's whip. But now, upon learning that the Eldest Young Lady had killed Zi Qiao without batting an eye, that gratitude had escalated into fear.
Now, she stood fearfully at the door, not daring to take another step inside.
Ji Zizhao, seeing Xiang Yin trembling as if she might flee at any moment, smiled faintly. "You've come so late. Is there something the Second Sister needs?"
Xiang Yin curtsied, not daring to lift her head, and held out the small porcelain bottle she clutched tightly. "This, this is what the Young Lady asked me to deliver to the Eldest Young Lady."
Ji Zizhao took it and looked. It was Qing Guo Ning Gao.
In this era ruled by monarchs, the royal family, in order to better maintain their power, had almost monopolized all luxury and prestige.
Qing Guo Ning Gao involved many precious and rare medicinal ingredients. A piece the size of a fingernail could heal scars as deep as bone within three days. However, the formula for this medicine had long been monopolized by the imperial family for emergency treatment of royalty and nobility.
When her maternal grandfather returned triumphantly from a campaign, the Emperor had bestowed several bottles of Qing Guo Ning Gao upon him.
At that time, it had caused many people to covet it.
Her maternal grandfather, knowing its preciousness and unwilling to use it himself, had distributed these bottles of Qing Guo Ning Gao among the four sisters of the Ji family upon his return.
It was because of this that Ji Zizhao had enhanced the medicinal effects of Qing Guo Ning Gao and created the even more exquisite Jialan Cream.
Ji Zizhao clearly remembered that her Second Sister had treated this Qing Guo Ning Gao like a treasure all these years.
Yet now, it was being sent to her hands.
Ji Zizhao rose, took a bottle of Jialan Cream from the shelf, and handed it to Xiang Yin. "Tell the Second Sister that my arm injury is no longer a concern. Consider this a return gift. Have the Second Sister keep it with her; it can stop bleeding and save a life in a critical moment."
Xiang Yin accepted it with trepidation, but muttered, "I'm afraid I can only deliver it to the Young Lady tomorrow."
Ji Zizhao raised an eyebrow.
Xiang Yin added, "When I arrived, the Young Lady had just fainted."
Ji Zizhao: "..."
Indeed, tempering her mindset was not an easy task for her Second Sister.
After Xin Lan saw Xiang Yin out, Ji Zizhao finally opened Chen Gang's reply.
Upon receiving Ji Zizhao's letter, the four major medical halls had replaced Huang Qi with American ginseng according to Ji Zizhao's method.
Due to the price fluctuation, the common people who came to get medicine naturally had questions. However, given their trust in the four major medical halls, they agreed to the newly revised prescription.
Unexpectedly, by the afternoon, feedback was received: the medicinal effect of American ginseng was far greater than that of Huang Qi.
Thus, the common people had no further doubts.
Other medical halls saw this and followed suit. In just one day, Huang Qi had been completely replaced by American ginseng.
The Jin family's pharmacy, which had been heavily purchasing Huang Qi, was completely stunned. They didn't even open for business that afternoon.
Ji Zizhao threw the letter into the candlestick and lit it. She was not surprised by the reaction.
Huang Qi is sweet in taste, slightly warm in nature, and enters the spleen and lung meridians.
While short-term consumption of medicine with added Huang Qi was harmless, long-term use could easily lead to internal heat.
The mild-natured American ginseng perfectly compensated for this drawback.
The Jin family's pharmacy was adept at grasping trends but lacked understanding of the flexibility of medicinal ingredients. If not for their reliance on the Xuanping Marquis's manor as their backing, they would have been forgotten by now.
Shui Ling hurried in. "Eldest Young Lady Ji, Shui, Shui Huan is awake!"
Ji Zizhao rose and followed Shui Ling out of the main house.
In the side room, the candlelight was dim.
On the bed, Shui Huan, who had regained consciousness, stared blankly at the ceiling with a heart as dead as ashes.
Tears, one after another, like pearls from a broken string, rolled down her eyes.
It was disgust, and an inexpressible release.
Her cool fingers silently wiped away the tears that streaked her cheeks.
The numb Shui Huan didn't notice at first. When she came to her senses, she saw that the Eldest Young Lady was standing beside her, tirelessly wiping away her unstoppable tears.
Shui Huan had already learned from Shui Ling that it was the Eldest Young Lady who had saved her. She was naturally grateful to the Eldest Young Lady. "Eldest Young Lady, please don't touch me. I am too dirty and might stain the Eldest Young Lady's hand."
Ji Zizhao's voice was calm and gentle. "The countless wounds on your body, both large and small, were all treated and sutured by me. Even your life was saved by me. You despise your body so much, but I care about the life I've preserved."
Shui Huan cried and shook her head. "But, but I..."
Ji Zizhao took her trembling hand. "Do not judge another's suffering, nor try to counsel them toward kindness. I have no right to advise you to let go of what you have experienced. But Shui Huan, you must understand a truth: the suffering was inflicted by others, but your life is your own. I know there is much injustice in this world, but who among those who wish to live is not carrying a heavy burden? Shui Huan, I know the Zhao family has wronged you, and I will avenge you. But how you will stand up, and whether you can stand up again, no one can help you except yourself."
Shui Huan's pupils trembled. Her mouth parted as she looked at the Eldest Young Lady, who was as calm as still water.
No one had ever spoken to her like this. Even her own mother, who had sold her to the Ji family, had only warned her that she was born to be a slave, and that people like her, so lowly, had no right to stand tall.
But now, the Eldest Young Lady... she...
Yes, she couldn't fall. If she fell, who would take care of the Young Lady?
The Young Lady!
As if a thought struck her, Shui Huan tightly grasped Ji Zizhao's hand. "Eldest Young Lady, please, please save my Young Lady! That Zhao family is a man-eating abyss! My Young Lady is being beaten to death by the Zhao family's eldest son!"
Shui Ling gasped, covering her mouth with shock, her eyes wide.
Ji Zizhao's heart constricted. "Shui Huan, do you know what you are saying?"
Shui Huan struggled to kneel on the bed and swore to the heavens. "Eldest Young Lady, you may not know, but the Zhao family's eldest son is simply a beast in human skin. Since my Young Lady married into the family, she has lived in constant fear and anxiety. If she uttered a single word that displeased the Zhao family's eldest son, she would suffer blows and kicks that she could not resist. This has happened day after day, year after year..."
Before Shui Huan could finish, tears began to stream down her face again. "My Young Lady did not want her family to worry, so she endured it all. The Zhao family's madam would often come forward and threaten and coerce my Young Lady whenever the Zhao family's eldest son abused her, saying that if she dared to inform the Ji family, the Zhao family's eldest son would divorce her and expel her from the Zhao family!"
Ji Ziyan, who understood her mother so well, dared not and did not wish to cause her mother shame by complaining.
Fortunately, Ji Ziyan later became pregnant, and Zhao Liang somewhat restrained himself.
But that day, after Zhao Liang had been drinking with Sun Tang, he furiously sought out Ji Ziyan for an explanation. Disregarding Ji Ziyan's pregnancy, he grabbed her by the hair, demanding to know why she was meddling in the Ji family's affairs, and warned her not to interfere further.
Shui Huan's voice was hoarse with tears. "My Young Lady merely said that the Ji family's affairs were not idle matters. The Zhao family's eldest son then grabbed my Young Lady's head and slammed it violently against the wall. My Young Lady, her strength failing, collapsed to the ground. The Zhao family's eldest son then asked if she knew her mistake. The usually yielding Young Lady refused to apologize or admit fault. The Zhao family's eldest son then proceeded to stomp on her stomach, kick after kick, until blood stained her skirt..."