❛ ━━･❪ ❁ ❫ ･━━ ❜

"Yi-Nuo!" Mei shouted upon seeing the female laying drenched on the damp stone floor.

"This was too much for her," she voiced to the male, Physician Zheng, who hurried behind.

He placed the back of his hand onto her forehead, brow furrowed gently.

"She has a slight fever, it's not too bad...but we need to leave as soon as possible....i'm going to have to carry her...please forgive me, Wu Yi-Nuo." He voiced, apologizing for the necessary act of touching the female.*

He knelt and gently grasped her shoulders and legs, lifting her from the ground with ease.

"Lead the way...I need to go back to her quarters to get her things before leaving,"

"Yes, sir," Mei voiced.

They hurried across the courtyard under the early morning sun, earning awkward looks as they passed by other maids and servants.

Mei opened the door to Yi-Nuo's quarters, allowing him to enter and gently place her on her bed.

"I'm going to mix some medicine for her real quick...gather her clothes and other things,"  He told the girl.

"Yes sir...right away!"

He got to work immediately with the supplies from his bag he had left there before.

Ginger, chrysanthemum and cinnamon ground up and mixed with boiling water made a tea that was sure to help with her fever. 

As he poured a small cup, he saw the woman's eyes open slowly.

She began coughing, and he brought the cup to her and helped her drink it.

"Why am I...here?" she muttered, clearing her throat as he placed the empty porcelain cup on the side table.

"Miss Wu....I'm afraid the circumstances require you to leave the forbidden city...I'm going to take you to my father's clinic, for now." He explained in a quiet tone.

Yi-Nuo's eyes widened as she sat up in her bed.

"W-what? You mean...his majesty pardoned me? Why do I have to leave?" 

The man shook his head.

"Well, not exactly. I know this is sudden...But we must leave as soon as possible."

He reached into his sleeve and got out the brown bottle.

"They found this in your room. It's nitric acid."

Her eyes widened, and her stomach immediately formed a knot. She had never seen that glass bottle before in her life...so how had it gotten inside her room?

"I know where it comes from, though. It would be extremely difficult for a servant from the palace to get their hands on, which Is why I believe it was planted there."

Yi-Nuo swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat as she looked to her lap.

Her hands were trembling...her mind swarming with thoughts.

She put her lips in a line and sighed.

"I really didn't do it.....you know." She mumbled, tears stinging in her eyes.

The man inhaled sharply, nodding as he stood.

"I know. I believe you." He voiced, his tone unwavering.
"That's why I'm going to investigate. We're going to prove your innocence so you can return here safely.....ok? I promise."

Yi-Nuo glanced to him, catching his gaze as he organized his medical bag.

He looked young...though Yi-Nuo could tell he was experienced....smart. She couldn't help but find his charming demeanor somewhat handsome, but that wasn't important right now.

At that moment, Mei walked in carrying a silk bag full of her clothes and other items.

"Physician Zheng...I've got her things right here."

Yi-Nuo looked to her, and the girl rushed over to her side.

"Yi-Nuo....i'm so sorry...." She voiced, grasping the females hands gently. "It's going to be so lonely here without you...."

"Don't worry, Mei. I'll be back before you know it....and I'll send letters, too....ok? You don't have to worry..."

She reached out and pat the girls head, a small laugh escaping her lips as she smiled.

"Yi-Nuo...." She pouted before looking to the male. "Make sure to take extra good care of her....or you'll have me to face!"

The man laughed with a nod.

"Don't worry, she's in good hands,"

❛ ━━･❪ ❁ ❫ ･━━ ❜

At the gates leading outside the forbidden city, Yi-Nuo bid a tearful farewell to her friend, Tao Mei.

Physician Zheng led her across Tian'anmen square, the vast stone courtyard that seemed to swallow them up the further they got from the city gates.

"I haven't been outside the forbidden city in 6 years....I'm sure a lot has changed..." Yi-Nuo spoke up, earning the males attention as they walked side by side.

"Six years? I'm sure you're right. The city of Beijing has grown a lot..."

Yi-Nuo nodded, her expression dim. Her body felt like deadweight. With everything that had happened since last night, she felt as if it had been the longest couple of hours she had ever lived. 

She was hungry, too. Starving. It had drained her energy immensely to kneel in the cold for so long, she felt as if she could eat a table worth of dishes.

At that thought, she felt her stomach growl loudly.

"!"

She paused in her steps, her cheeks becoming red as the young man's grin widened.

"You know, I'm feeling pretty hungry myself. How about we get something to eat before going to my father's clinic?" He voiced, earning a shy nod from the girl.

She averted her gaze as they continued walking in silence.  They arrived at the gates soon after, where they showed a gold seal to the eunuchs guarding them, showing that they had permission from the emperor to leave.

They then entered into the bustling capital city of Beijing, home to all kinds of trades and imports, as well as exports from other countries.

As they strolled the streets, they passed by porcelain shops, blacksmiths, fabric shops and other places Yi-Nuo hadn't been to in years.

Her gaze caught on a specific vendor-cart, A delightful aroma was emanating from the woven steamer baskets.
A woman selling dim-sum buns, filled with mushrooms and bamboo shoots.

She couldn't help but watch for a moment as the woman expertly crafted the food.

"Ah, good morning Young master Zheng! You're out early today, and I see you have a beautiful lady with you...who might you be, Young miss? His fiancé, perhaps?"

Yi-Nuo's eyes went wide at the woman's words, her cheeks becoming a light shade of red.

"Eh?? N-no, I'm nothing like that-"

"She's a student," He added with a smile. "Studying acupuncture under my fathers clinic...but she's going to work as an assistant for the time being,"

Yi-Nuo was surprised at the speed at which he came up with a cover, but also grateful at the same time.

"Y-yeah...I'm that." She muttered, fiddling with the hem of her sleeve.

"Ohh, I see...never the less, you do know that the last time I asked, this fine young man was single...there seems to be a shortage of those nowadays, you don't want to pass up a good opportunity, young lady," The woman continued while looking to Yi-Nuo.

"Don't worry, Mrs Cho...I've got someone I've dedicated my life to." Physician Zheng said with a small chuckle.
"But can we get two servings of baozi, please?"

Yi-Nuo glanced to him as he handed the old woman a few copper coins, smiling and laughing as she continued to tease him like a grandmother.

She didn't know why, but his words just now seemed to spark the slightest amount of disappointment in her mind.

"I've got someone I've dedicated my life to."

Of course, a handsome, kind man like him would get swooped up by the first beautiful woman that laid eyes on him. But why should she care? She just needed to get her name cleared, so she could return to the palace and resume normal life.
She hoped that Mei could get along without her...

"Here you go," he voiced, handing her three warm buns on a thin fabric napkin.

"Thank you...um, I should have a few taels in my bag...I'll get into it later and pay you back,"

"Don't worry about it..you've been through enough...so it's my treat," he smiled as he took a bite of his bun.

"Oh....thats really kind of you....thank you so much..." She voiced, lips tugging at a smile.

He waved away her thank you's, and the two of them continued forward.
They arrived in a quieter area of the city.

A wood sign hung off one of the doors with the words "Medicinal herbs and acupuncture." Etched into it.

"I'm back, Ba," He called out as they entered past the latticed sliding doors.

Yi-Nuo glanced around the room, her eyes gaining a curious sparkle.
The wooden walls were filled with shelves of different herbs and medicines,  as well as scrolls that showcased acupuncture points and different parts of the human body.

"**Xiao Bao...there you are!" An old man's voice replied, and he soon emerged from behind a white curtain leading to another room.

"I heard there was an accident at the palace last night...I figured you'd be there till morning, what happened?" He questioned, his tone worried as he examined his son.

"Yeah, you're right...Consort Cheng...she was poisoned, she didn't make it...they're not sure who did it, though." The young man explained.

"Oh...that's terrible." The man replied, brow furrowed slightly "...what kind of poison? Must have been a strong kind to be able to grant her death that soon...hm?" 

The younger nodded.
"It was nitric acid...someone must have attained it from an alchemist..."

"I see..." he nodded, his expression becoming solemn as he went silent.

His gaze finally landed on the girl, who cowered shyly behind the young man.

"Oh? Who's this? I didn't see you there, young lady...are you a patient?"

Yi-Nuo came forward as the young master stepped to the side.

"I'm Wu Yi-Nuo...I came to work,"

"That's right, she needed a job and somewhere to stay, so I offered her work...we have a room open from the servant that left a few months ago.....she can take that, right?"

The old man nodded quickly.

"Oh, Of course, of course! That's great...it's been quite a hassle to get along without a servant, and I'll have you know that I pay handsomely....5 taels a week, and it includes housing, food and medicine. You'll be comfortable here, I can guarantee." He explained, his smile wide. Yi-Nuo saw the clear resemblance between father and son.

"Ah...thank you so much." She bowed her head with a small smile.

"I'll work hard."

❛ ━━･❪ ❁ ❫ ･━━ ❜

"I hope you don't mind doing some work...it was the first explanation that came to mind." The young master voiced bashfully as he showed Yi-Nuo to her room.  

She shook her head.
"Nope! I doesn't bother me, I really don't mind...It's what I know, anyway...and 5 taels is nearly four times what I get payed at the palace....it's really kind of Mister Zheng to offer that."

The young master nodded, his smile widening.

"That's my dad for you. He taught me since I was young to be generous with others, it's no different for himself either...." He voiced before pausing for a moment. "Anyway, I'm glad this worked out, here's your room. Feel free to get comfortable and have some rest, you've had a long night. I'll just be in the front if you need anything."

Yi-Nuo thanked him and bowed her head, watching as the young man walked to the hall.

She set her bag down on the simple wooden bed.

In the room, there was a small desk by a window, a closet and a vanity, as well as a basin for washing up.

It was a simple room...not as fancy as the palace, but Yi-Nuo didn't mind it.

A heavy sigh left her lips as she opened the bag and began looking through her things.

It seemed Mei had left out all of her clothes...which was understandable. They would have taken up too much space in the bag. She would have to make do with the ones she was currently wearing for now.

She didn't have much, but what she did have was of great importance to her.

But something among the items wasn't quite familiar to her...until took a closer look and recognized it to be Mei's hair pin.

It was silver with small white blossoms, as well as a red tassel that hung from a pearl at the end.

There was a letter, too. She opened it up to see Mei's rushed handwriting.

Yi-Nuo,

Please stay safe. I don't know what I'd do without you, so try your hardest to prove yourself innocent and hurry back, ok? I'll do some investigating of my own, as well. Tell Physician Zheng that he needs to provide you with housing and food...maybe you can do some work or something, I just don't want you ending up on the streets. You've been through enough in your life....but just know that you always have me...ok?
Don't skip meals and drink plenty of water, and please send me a reply when you have the chance.

- Tao Mei.

Yi-Nuo felt tears well up in her eyes.
She gently folded the letter back up and placed it on the desk, then got her writing supplies out and began to write her back immediately.

Though she was exhausted from the night before. She had barely gotten any sleep, so she found herself drifting off at the desk.

❛ ━━･❪ ❁ ❫ ･━━ ❜

The woman's eyes fluttered open quickly. She blinked away the last bit of sleepiness, then stood and stretched her arms.

The window in front of her was now letting in warm afternoon sunlight, and the toned down sounds of the city.

'Did I really nap that long?' She wondered as she stood.

She fixed her hair in the mirror before leaving the room, She glanced around the hall as she came to an open door at the end of it.

She peeked in quietly, catching glances of the messy room. Books were sprawled all over the floor, as well as papers and scrolls with notes. The desk and walls were full of anatomy studies and acupuncture point guides.

"Something catch your eye?" A voice asked.

Yi-Nuo flinched slightly and looked to meet the young masters gaze.

"Ah! Um...I-I wasn't snooping, I promise!...I was just-"

As she stumbled over her words, the young man began laughing.

"You don't have to worry, I was only teasing. Anyway...I take it you rested well? it's nearly dark now."

Yi-Nuo cleared her throat, her cheeks tinted pink in embarrassment.

"Y-yes, I did...thank you." She muttered as she smoothed out her Hanfu. The silk was now all wrinkly from being wet and then dried.

"That's good, I'm glad,"

It was silent for a moment, as an air of awkwardness floated between them.

"I'm going to the market," he voiced quickly after he cleared his throat. "My dad needs some supplies, and I'm going to speak to the alchemist about the nitric acid."

Yi-Nuo tensed her jaw, her gaze flickering to the brown bottle in his hand.

"I'm coming with you....I can't just stay here and do nothing. I need to prove that I didn't have anything to do with Lady Cheng's death."

A smile formed on his face.

"Ok, let's head out then."

The two left out the clinic doors and entered the city once more.

It wasn't as busy now, but there were still people shopping and yelling out their wares and such.

They strolled across the stone pathway, and eventually came across a small store at the end of the alley.

There was a single lantern hung off the awning that Illuminated the wood sign below it.

"Apothecary - Alchemist."

"This is it," He voiced quietly, motioning to the lattice door with a cloth hung over it.

He pulled the door open gently, peeking inside as he lifted the cloth.

"Ah, Young Master Zheng! Come in, come in." An old woman's voice called out.

He glanced to Yi-Nuo and motioned for her to follow him inside.

As she entered behind him, she got a strong scent of dried herbs and medicines.

The counter in the front was currently full of fresh ginger that seemed like someone was peeling and grinding.

An old woman came out from behind the counter, a smile gracing her face as she grasped the young man by his shoulders.

"Young man! Every time I see you, you get more handsome...when are you going to find a nice lady to settle down with, hm?"  

She laughed and glanced to the side, catching a glimpse of Yi-Nuo who cowered shyly behind the man.

"Ah! Speak of the devil....is this beauty your fian-"

"She's an assistant!" He added quickly with a small laugh. "We've come with an urgent matter,"

Pink dusted Yi-Nuo's cheeks. That made twice in one day...she had the feeling that this was going to become a normal occurrence.

"Oh, well, in that case... go ahead! Tell me what you need,"

The young master got the small brown bottle from his sleeve and set it on the counter gently. 

"Well, you see...I need to know if this bottle of Nitric acid is from you,"

The woman picked up the bottle and began examining it. She removed the fabric and the glass stopper, then sniffed the contents.

"Hm....I believe the bottle is mine, but I haven't mixed nitric acid in years...and the last time I did, it was for a foreigner who needed it for some kind of blacksmith thing....breaking down metals, things like that."

The male's expression dimmed.

"Oh, I see, then....well, thank you anyway, Mrs Liu....would it be possible for you to give me a list of ingredients in your mixture? Perhaps there is another way to find out the details."

"Of course! I'll do that real quick, wait just one moment..."

She disappeared behind the counter once more, leaving the two in silence.

She came out a few moments later with a piece of paper folded up, as she bid them farewell out the door.

"Well....one dead end already," Yi-Nuo muttered, kicking the dirt with her feet.

"Not exactly," Young master Zheng voiced, examining the paper in his hand.
"You see....we already know that someone went through the trouble of changing bottles, to avoid it getting traced back to the apothecary that created it...."

She nodded, a sigh escaping her lips.
"I suppose that's true,"

As they walked slowly back across the stone pathway, The young master noticed her gloomy expression.

"We'll go out again tomorrow...I know of a few more places someone could have obtained this...we can't loose hope yet, right? It's going to be a challenge, but we'll prove your innocence...no matter what." He stated.

His smile widened as she met his gaze.

"Now come on, let's go pick up those things for my Ba..."

❛ ━━･❪ ❁ ❫ ･━━ ❜

Inside the forbidden city

The sound of a calligraphy brush viciously stroking across paper filled the room that was lit by a few small candles.

The person folded the paper up quickly and handed it to the servant waiting by their side.

"Take this to Fang-lu. Tell him that the young physician is top priority."

"Yes, of course....I will deliver it immediately."

-

Authors note—-Footnotes.

* In this time in China, it was considered extremely inappropriate for a man to touch a woman and vice versa when they were not related by blood or marriage. Even for physicians or emergencies, it was seen as taboo and disliked. For this reason, females often suffered from a lack of proper medical assistance. Though, Female doctors also became more popular around this time.

** Xiao Bao is often used in Chinese culture as a form of endearment toward loved ones. It translates to 'little treasure.'

Authors note:

Milk tea here! Thank you for reading this chapter...this is one of my first original stories, so I apologize if there are any plot holes / errors and things like that, never the less, I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments! <33