"Dr. Sun, how is she?" In a bedchamber of the Lou Mansion, Lou Baili anxiously inquired as Sun Huaiyi put away his acupuncture needles.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Sun Huaiyi sighed, his expression grim. He took Wang Lanzhi''s withered hand to check her pulse again, then sighed once more.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"Lord Lou, I''m afraid my limited skills are of no use here. The old madam already suffered from dementia and is advanced in years. This brief moment of lucidity, coupled with such a tremendous shock, has wounded her spirit deeply. She seems to have lost the will to live."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Lou Baili looked at Wang Lanzhi with a pained expression. She remained motionless as before,pletely unresponsive, not even moving her eyes.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"s," Lou Baili let out a long sigh. His mother was finally paying the price for his mistakes, but the cost was far too great.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Ever since fainting from the grief of learning about Qingzhi''s death, Wang Lanzhi had been in this state upon waking - neither crying nor smiling, neither agitated nor calm. She was like a soulless walking corpse. Maids had to force her mouth open to feed her, and doctors had to prescribe medication for her to sleep.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
In just one month, the olddy who used to run about calling for Qingzhi had wasted away to skin and bones.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Her cheeks werepletely sunken, just skin stretched over bone with no flesh visible, resembling a skeleton. This made her eyes appear evenrger, but her gaze was murky and vacant, a chilling sight to behold.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Everyone knew that Wang Lanzhi was slowly dying.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Though she still breathed and her heart still beat, she was no different from a living corpse, surrounded by an imprable aura of death.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Sun Huaiyi packed up his medical kit and bowed to Lou Baili. "I shall take my leave, my lord." As he walked out, he found Lou Yuhuan leaning on a cane by the door, having stood there for who knows how long.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"Old Master!" Sun Huaiyi bowed again.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"Dr. Sun, there''s no need for formalities," Lou Yuhuan said, reaching out to steady him. He then looked into Sun Huaiyi''s eyes and asked, "Tell me honestly, how much time does my wife have left?"<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"Well..." Sun Huaiyi hesitated, knowing many nobles considered such talk taboo. He feared incurring their wrath.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Lou Yuhuan sensed Sun Huaiyi''s concern. "Don''t worry, Dr. Sun. I''m prepared for the worst. Please, speak freely."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Sun Huaiyi bowed again, keeping his head low. Steeling himself, he answered truthfully, "The old madam has at most one month left."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
The man before him remained silent for a long while. Sun Huaiyi didn''t dare raise his head, anxiously awaiting a response. Finally, Lou Baili''s voice came from behind: "Yan Cui, please see Dr. Sun out."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"Yes, sir," a young woman''s voice replied.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Sun Huaiyi felt immensely relieved. He bowed to both men, saying "I take my leave," and followed the maid called Yan Cui towards the mansion''s exit.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Only father and son remained. Lou Baili looked at Lou Yuhuan''s grief-stricken face and opened his mouth to say, "Father..." but found himself at a loss for words.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Lou Yuhuan gazed into the distance. After a long while, he murmured, "That direction... it''s southwest, isn''t it?"<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"Yes."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Lou Baili understood the meaning behind this seemingly random question. Lingshan Town was under the jurisdiction of the Baoji County Government, whichy to the southwest. That was where Qingzhi had spent thest few years of his life.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"After Ming''an finishes his exams, let''s go there as a family," Lou Yuhuan said heavily. "We''ll bring your mother''s ashes with us."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"Father!" Lou Baili''s eyes suddenly reddened.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"If your mother were still conscious, she would want this. To be buried in the green mountains alongside Qingzhi - she would ask for nothing more."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Lou Yuhuan gazed long at the sky in that direction. The light and clouds reflected in his eyes, revealing boundless sorrow.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"Baili, you should go now. Ming''an will be here soon, and it''s your turn to teach him today. Don''t tell him about any of this mess. The metropolitan examination is in a few days; we shouldn''t affect his mood." Lou Yuhuan turned back, earnestly instructing his son.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
After Lou Baili left, Lou Yuhuan entered the room.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
One month left. They had been husband and wife for a lifetime, and now Wang Lanzhi was dying. He didn''t know how much longer he himself would live.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Liu Ming''an finished his sses at the Imperial Academy and came to the Lou Mansion as usual, entering the familiar study.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
For the past few dozen days, three generations of the Lou family had taken turns tutoring him, not just in academic subjects andposition, but also in the ways of officialdom, principles of conduct, and the current political situation.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Liu Ming''an studied diligently, his mindset quite different from before.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
However, today Liu Ming''an sensed that Lou Baili seemed preupied as he lectured, his words sometimes disjointed and inconsistent.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
When the lesson ended, Liu Ming''an returned to his residence on Late Winter Road. As expected, he found Zhou Yi waiting at the door with a jug of wine.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
For many days now, Zhou Yi had appeared punctually at this time. Liu Ming''an had grown ustomed to it.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
He opened the door and let Zhou Yi in without saying much. Zhou Yi sat down on a stone bench in the courtyard. Liu Ming''an brought out cups, which Zhou Yi filled. Then, regardless of whether Liu Ming''an drank or not, Zhou Yi downed cup after cup until he was thoroughly drunk.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Liu Ming''an frowned at Zhou Yi, who looked much more haggard. He wanted to say something but ultimately swallowed his words.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Because he knew nothing he said would make a difference.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
About a month ago, Zhou Yi had suddenly shown up at his courtyard with wine. Liu Ming''an had happily gone to greet him, wanting to chat, but found Zhou Yi in a daze, ignoring him and focused solely on drinking.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"Brother Zhou, what''s happened?" Liu Ming''an had asked with concern, seeing Zhou Yi''s unusual behavior.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"Brother Liu, I''m in a bad mood. Don''t ask. I just want to drink some wine here and leave when I''m done," Zhou Yi had replied listlessly, eyes downcast. After that, he didn''t speak another word until he drank himself into oblivion.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Of course, Liu Ming''an wouldn''t let Zhou Yi sleep in the courtyard. He half-dragged, half-carried him to the empty room that was always avable, wiped his face, took off his shoes, tucked him in, and only then returned to his own room.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Everyone has moments of dejection, and everyone has secrets. So although Liu Ming''an was curious, he didn''t pry further, thinking that given Zhou Yi''s typically carefree and energetic personality, he''d probably feel better after sleeping it off.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
But this time, Liu Ming''an had guessed wrong.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
The issue troubling Zhou Yi was clearly much more serious than he had imagined.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
When Zhou Yi showed up with wine for the third day in a row, Liu Ming''an was beside himself with worry.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"Brother Zhou, I consider you my own brother. What''s happened? Won''t you tell me? Maybe we can figure something out together?" Liu Ming''an had pleaded, humbling himself to get Zhou Yi to open up.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Zhou Yi had paused in his drinking and turned to look at Liu Ming''an for a moment. A bitter smile crossed his lips. "Brother Liu, why don''t you have a drink with me?"<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Liu Ming''an had quickly agreed, thinking Zhou Yi might confide in him after drinking. But he was wrong again.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"Brother Liu, forget it," Zhou Yi had stopped Liu Ming''an from pouring more, hugging the wine jug to himself. "You still have to take the imperial examination. You can''t risk getting drunk and muddled. Let me drink alone!"<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"Brother Zhou!"<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Liu Ming''an had been desperate. In his heart, Zhou Yi was his closest friend, like an elder brother. He couldn''t bear to see him so dispirited.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"Brother Zhou, how about I skip the Imperial Academy tomorrow and we go fishing instead?" Liu Ming''an had suggested. Zhou Yi loved fishing so much; perhaps it would cheer him up.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"No!" Zhou Yi had shouted vehemently, tly refusing. "I''ll never go fishing again, not for the rest of my life!"<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Liu Ming''an had noticed how Zhou Yi emphasized the words "fishing" with particr force.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
After that, Zhou Yi came with wine every day, drinking himself into a stupor and falling asleep where he sat. Liu Ming''an would have one cup with him, then carefully carry him to bed once the wine was gone. They had fallen into a kind of unspoken routine.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Tonight was no different. Zhou Yi drank quietly while Liu Ming''an sat with him after finishing one cup.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Soon the wine jug was empty, and Zhou Yi was drunk. Liu Ming''an went to Zhou Yi''s side, put his arm over his shoulder, and helped him towards the room.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"Bastard! You bastard!" the semi-conscious man cursed over and over. Liu Ming''an''s ears were growing numb from hearing it so often.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"Brother Zhou, who on earth has offended you? Won''t you tell me? Even if I can''t help directly, I could ask the Lou family to intervene on your behalf. If you''d just tell me..."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Liu Ming''an coaxed gently, as if soothing a child, hoping Zhou Yi might reveal the truth in his drunken state.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"Bastard! You''re a bastard! I hate you..."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Zhou Yi was still immersed in his own thoughts, cursing incoherently.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0