AMLFS Chapter 62

Song Zigen’s coughing blood had the entire Song family anxious, but after seeing all the famous doctors in the capital, there was no improvement whatsoever.

Lin Rugui sat on a soft stool in front of the bed, wiping away tears. Song Zigen leaned against the soft pillows on the bed, looking at his wife, and a pang of heartache arose in his heart.

He knew that his days might be numbered, and although his expression was gloomy,

Song Zigen still tried to put on a brave face and comforted his wife, “I’m fine, don’t worry. Didn’t the imperial physician say that it’s because of stagnation in the heart? Now that Huaixi is back, I feel much better and I’ll be fine.”

“You’re justcoaxing me.”

Lin Rugui raised her eyes and wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief, “So many doctors have come and gone, but none of them have a good look on their faces. They’re all helpless, how can I not be worried?”

How could his body withstand coughing like this every day? How many days does he have left to live?

Song Huaixi had also become depressed these past few days because of Song Zigen’s illness, and the little dimples on his face hadn’t been seen for a long time.

Back in the courtyard, Song Huaixi saw a white-haired old man squatting in his yard, looking at the flowers and plants on the ground.

Song Huaixi was puzzled and stepped forward to ask, “Old Grandpa, who are you?”

The old man had his white hair tied into a bun on top of his head, fixed with a twig. He had a kind and benevolent look on his face.

His clothes weren’t exactly ragged, but they were quite strange. The weather was still a bit cold. The old man was dressed in plain cloth, with small pockets on his chest and back. Many small gourds hung from his waist.

He exuded an air of otherworldly grace, free from worldly constraints.

The old man stood up from the ground, circled around Song Huaixi, and suddenly grabbed his wrist.

Song Huaixi’s eyes widened suddenly: “Old Grandpa…”

“Shh!” The old man pressed two fingers on his pulse: “Calm your heart, calm your breath.”

Seeing his serious expression, Song Huaixi had no choice but to comply. The old man stroked his beard, looked him up and down, and released his hand.

“A deficiency, difficult to nourish later in life.”

“What?” Song Huaixi didn’t understand and asked, “Who are you?”

“Me? Saying it will scare you to death. I am the famous divine doctor Ouyang Tongji, worth a thousand gold, coming and going without a trace, the dragon seeing its head but not its tail.”

After Ouyang Tongji finished speaking, he proudly put his hands behind his back and looked at the flowers and plants on the ground. Just by looking at the small buds emerging from the ground, he knew what kind of flowers were planted.

“What dragon? What tail?”

Song Huaixi didn’t understand those words, but he noticed that he was a doctor. His eyes lit up immediately, and he said excitedly, “Then can you cure my father?”

Ouyang Tongji turned to look at him, saying in a wise and unhurried manner, “Of course, there is no disease in this world that I cannot cure.”

Hearing him say this, Song Huaixi was so happy that he couldn’t close his mouth. He temporarily forgot to ask why the old man was in his yard. He stepped forward, grabbed his sleeve, and was about to walk towards Song Zigen’s yard.

“You’re so amazing, you’ll definitely be able to cure my father. Let’s go quickly!”

“Hey, wait!”

Ouyang Tongji reached out and brushed away the hand that was grabbing his sleeve.

He reached out and stroked his beard, muttering and complaining.

“I don’t come down from the mountain easily, but this time you brought me here without giving me any benefits, and you want me to treat the illness? The herbs in my mountain are very precious, for you, I haven’t seen my treasures for three days.”

The confused Song Huaixi actually understood what he meant, and quickly went into the house, took out all his treasures, and stuffed them into Ouyang Tongji’s arms.

“These are also my treasures, can I exchange them with you? Can you cure my father?”

Song Huaixi stood in front of him, his eyes full of expectation.

Ouyang Tongji looked at the objects in his arms. Some wooden figurines, exquisite embroidered small ball, comic books, and beautiful kites.

At a glance, it was obvious that they were the owner’s beloved objects. In Song Huaixi’s eyes, these were very precious objects.

Ouyang Tongji shook his head and put the pile of things back into his arms: “These are all things that children like, I, an old man, have no use for them. Do you have any gold?”

Gold?

Seeing a blank look appear on Song Huaixi’s face.

Ouyang Tongji rubbed his index finger and thumb together, his eyes flashing with shrewdness, not at all like his initial charitable appearance: “I like things that are golden, soft, and leave a mark when you bite them.”

Song Huaixi hugged the things in his arms and rummaged through them, feeling somewhat dejected, and shook his head: “I don’t have…”

Before he could finish speaking, he was interrupted by a low voice, Zhao Fangye’s voice came from the courtyard gate.

“Divine Doctor Ouyang, don’t tease my Prince Consort. This Prince has plenty of gold. If the Divine Doctor wants it, just say the word, and this Prince will offer it all.”

Zhao Fangye walked to Song Huaixi’s side, put his arm around his waist, looked down at the little things in his arms, and a smile appeared on the corner of his lips.

He teased him in a low voice: “Huaixi has emptied his family’s coffers.”

“Yes!” Song Huaixi nodded honestly, then looked up at him and said with some dejection: “But I don’t have gold…”

Where did Divine Doctor Ouyang really want his gold? He was just saying it for fun. If gold could solve the problem, they wouldn’t have gone to so much trouble to invite him out of the mountain.

Zhao Fangye amusedly touched his head and said, “It doesn’t matter, what this husband lacks the least is gold.”

Hearing this, Song Huaixi’s eyes immediately lit up and he looked at Zhao Fangye with sparkling eyes: “You’re so amazing, Zhao Fangye.”

Ouyang Tongji couldn’t stand seeing the young couple being affectionate in front of him. He coughed twice: “Cough cough! Since Prince Zhao is here, then what you promised me should be fulfilled, right?”

“That’s natural.” Zhao Fangye turned to Ouyang Tongji: “Divine Doctor Ouyang, please.”

Song Huaixi followed the two into the house in a daze, watching Ouyang Tongji take out a stack of paper with a chess game endgame on it.

“You said you could solve this endgame, that’s why I agreed to come out of the mountain.” Ouyang Tongji set up the chess game, looked at Zhao Fangye: “Prince, as long as you can solve this endgame, then I will treat Minister Song.”

“Naturally.” Picking up a white chess piece and placing it on the board, Zhao Fangye looked at him: “Please, Divine Doctor Ouyang, don’t hesitate to enlighten me.”

This time, Song Huaixi understood that they were going to compete!

As long as Zhao Fangye won, his father could be treated. Song Huaixi immediately became excited.

He poured tea and water for Zhao Fangye, massaged his back and shoulders, and was busy around him.

Zhao Fangye remained calm and unaffected by his interference, but Song Huaixi was anxious. As soon as he saw Ouyang Tongji take away a white piece, he would become apprehensive.

It was as if it was Song Huaixi who was playing chess with Ouyang Tongji, not Zhao Fangye.

Zhao Fangye reached out and pulled the restless Song Huaixi into his arms, while holding the chess piece and placing it with one hand. He held Song Huaixi’s hand to soothe him.

Ouyang Tongji watched the two being affectionate, so angry that he blew his beard and glared. He took away several white chess pieces from Zhao Fangye’s board.

When Song Huaixi saw this, a large chunk of Zhao Fangye’s white pieces were missing from the chessboard. He was so anxious that he gnawed on Zhao Fangye’s fingers, but he didn’t dare to make a sound to disturb him.

Zhao Fangye remained calm, placing the chess pieces casually. His expression did not reveal anything.

The two played chess in the room from afternoon until night. Song Huaixi went from being nervous at the beginning to bored, and finally fell asleep in Zhao Fangye’s arms.

Zhao Fangye ordered someone to take a velvet blanket and cover him, continuing to play chess while holding him.

Ouyang Tongji secretly observed Zhao Fangye, stroking his beard with admiration in his eyes. He had enjoyed this chess game to the fullest, and few people had been able to play with him for so long.

However, there was still some regret in his eyes. He had thought that someone would be able to solve his endgame.

But unexpectedly, Zhao Fangye was still one move short. Ouyang Tongji placed a black piece in the middle of the white pieces, blocking all the air holes of the black pieces.

No matter what the next step was, the white pieces could not escape. Even without the final victory, it looked like the black pieces would win no matter what, and there was no need to continue playing.

Seeing that the outcome of the chess game had been decided, Ouyang Tongji threw the chess pieces into the chess basket, saying with some regret: “It seems that no one can solve my game after all. I can’t help with Minister Song’s matter.”

After saying that, he was about to get up, and the sound of the chair colliding woke Song Huaixi up.

He opened his eyes in a daze and heard what Ouyang Tongji said. His expression immediately became listless.

Zhao Fangye noticed his disappointment. He pinched his cheek: “What’s wrong, don’t you believe in this husband?”

Hearing this, the light in Song Huaixi’s eyes flickered again, he knew that Zhao Fangye would not lie to him.

He immediately nodded and said resolutely: “I believe you!”

Zhao Fangye curled his lips in satisfaction and touched his head: “Good boy.”

Ouyang Tongji watched their interaction from the side and quickly turned back. He looked carefully at the chess game, it was clear that the victory or defeat had been decided. Where was there still a chance to turn things around?

He glanced at Zhao Fangye, Ouyang Tongji thought that this person was probably deliberately mystifying things?

Ouyang Tongji pretended to be kind and comforting: “Prince, no one has been able to solve my chess game until now. It’s normal for the Prince to lose, it’s not shameful.”

“Is that so?” Zhao Fangye placed a white piece in an inconspicuous spot where black and white pieces met in the chess game: “Divine Doctor, take another look. Don’t let the demons in your heart blind you for many years.”