Once the Swallow’s Nest began its operations, Murong Yan never visited again. At the same time, he no longer permitted Zuo Canglang to go there. He was unwilling to let anyone other than Leng Feiyan have any visible connection to the place.
Consequently, whenever Zuo Canglang snuck over, she had to rely on her lightness skills to leap over walls and rooftops, never using the door and never appearing before others.
Leng Feiyan knew almost nothing about the Kingdom of Yan. Establishing a network of contact stations and recruiting her own people was no easy task, even with financial backing. Zuo Canglang knew this well, which was why she defied Murong Yan’s orders to visit in secret.
Under a solitary lamp, wine and food were set out. Leng Feiyan drank with her while Yang Lianting sat to the side. Leng Feiyan was truly at her wit's end. "I’m a complete nobody right now. How am I supposed to recruit my own people?"
Zuo Canglang suggested, "The streets are crawling with thugs and hooligans. Start by finding a few who are quick-witted. Surely you have ways to control such people?"
Leng Feiyan snapped irritably, "What kind of talk is that! If I do that, won't my Swallow’s Nest just become a gathering place for scoundrels?"
"First," Zuo Canglang countered, "these people are a menace to the commoners when left outside, but here, they will be under your control. You would be acting on behalf of Heaven. Second, such people are often well-informed and connected to various local powers. There are things they can accomplish far more easily than others. Third, they don't require high wages; the cost is low."
Leng Feiyan thought it over. "That makes sense. I can certainly handle catching a few thugs." She patted Zuo Canglang’s shoulder, finally showing a hint of a smile. "Come, come, let’s drink."
Zuo Canglang shared a cup with her. Beside them, Yang Lianting spoke up, "These people might not be obedient at first. I can concoct a medicine for you to keep them in check."
Leng Feiyan felt relieved. "Good brother, it seems I haven't doted on you in vain!" As she spoke, her hand reached for Yang Lianting’s face. He dodged backward. "Leng Feiyan!"
Leng Feiyan wore a mischievous smirk. Yang Lianting was indeed a young master of a noble house; the older he grew, the more refined his features became. Standing anywhere, he was the picture of elegance and grace. It was no wonder Leng Feiyan teased him constantly.
The three of them were people of action. The next morning, Yang Lianting purchased medicinal ingredients and prepared a white pill. The pill was not lethal, but the formula was extremely complex—no ordinary physician could possibly devise an antidote. Once an ordinary person ingested it, they would need a dose of the antidote every twelve hours; otherwise, when the poison flared up, the pain would be unbearable.
Leng Feiyan and Zuo Canglang weren't idle either. Masking their faces, they scoured the city for hoodlums. By the end of the day, there weren't even enough thugs left on the streets to satisfy their needs!
Once forty-odd thugs were tied up like rice dumplings and piled inside the Swallow’s Nest, Yang Lianting handed the pills to Leng Feiyan. With their part done, Zuo Canglang and Yang Lianting left the Swallow’s Nest, taking different paths to avoid drawing attention.
Suddenly, as they walked, Yang Lianting stopped in his tracks. Zuo Canglang turned back and saw him staring at a window of a tavern. Inside, a man dressed in crimson was drinking and listening to music with others. Zuo Canglang approached and asked, "What is it?"
Yang Lianting’s fingers clenched into a tight fist. After a long silence, he said, "It’s nothing. It’s late; let’s go back."
Zuo Canglang glanced again at the man at the table. "Wen Weishu?"
Yang Lianting gritted his teeth so hard his silver fillings seemed to ache, and the veins on his forehead bulged. Zuo Canglang said, "I believe seeking revenge now would be unwise."
Yang Lianting said slowly, "I know. But the enemy is right before my eyes, living a life of leisure and pleasure! While my grandfather, my parents, and everyone in the Yang family..." His voice rose in pitch. Zuo Canglang placed a hand on his shoulder, and he finally calmed down. Then he said, "A-Zuo, you cannot understand how I feel. When the Yang family was executed, my grandfather was already sixty-six years old. You don't know what a good man he was... My father suffered through horrific torture and died a miserable death in prison before he could even reach the executioner’s block. I watched with my own eyes as he was beaten to death..."
He lowered his head, not wanting her to see the glint in his eyes. Zuo Canglang said softly, "Don't cry."
Tears like broken pearls hung from Yang Lianting’s long lashes. "I won't cry. I want him to pay in blood."
Zuo Canglang looked up into the tavern and whispered, "He will."
***
The Swallow’s Nest grew in numbers, but just as Leng Feiyan had predicted, it truly became a den of scoundrels. Yang Lianting spent these days living in the villa, studying many medical texts, yet Murong Yan had still not given him an assignment. Instead, Murong Yan took Zuo Canglang to various medical clinics, either to buy medicine or to feign illness for a consultation.
Zuo Canglang could already guess a few parts of his intention. Upon leaving a clinic’s gate, she asked, "Does My Lord wish for Yang Lianting to open a clinic in Jinyang?"
Murong Yan glanced at the plaque of the pharmacy behind them. "There are many masters of the healing arts in Jinyang today. He is young; I fear it will not be easy for him to make a name for himself. Besides... we do not have the time to spend ten or twenty years building the reputation of a divine physician."
Zuo Canglang said, "So, My Lord is searching everywhere because you intend to spend some silver to make him famous overnight?"
Murong Yan was slightly startled. He looked her over anew and asked slowly, "What makes you think that?"
Zuo Canglang replied, "While Jinyang has many masters of medicine, Yang Lianting’s skills are not weak. At the very least, he has no trouble with common ailments. What he needs is an opportunity. If a somewhat reputable physician were willing to sacrifice their own reputation—by making a misdiagnosis that Yang Lianting then corrects... My Lord has visited almost every major clinic these past few days. I imagine you are looking for a physician who values silver more than their own signboard."
A smile like rippling water spread across Murong Yan’s lips. After a long moment, he said, "Still, it is you who understands my heart."
Zuo Canglang lowered her head. Murong Yan said, "Let’s keep looking."
Zuo Canglang suggested, "Now that Feiyan’s Swallow’s Nest has some manpower, perhaps we should let them help with the search."
Murong Yan said, "This matter must be kept strictly confidential; too many people will only ruin it. The three of you have been close since childhood, and helping each other normally is fine. But for the sake of our future grand ambitions, we must act with caution. You should not have too much contact with one another."
Zuo Canglang’s expression turned solemn. "Understood."
Two days later, in Tianping Alley, a man suddenly fell into a violent frenzy. Dr. Xie of the Hall of Returning Spring happened to be passing by. After checking the pulse, he declared the man dead and told the family to prepare for the funeral.
A handsome young man passing by asserted that the person was merely in a state of suspended animation and could still be saved. The two sides argued back and forth, and the commoners pointed and stared, gathering in a crowd.
Dr. Xie, having his pride wounded by a youth, flew into a rage. He made a grand boast: if the youth could bring the man back to life, he would never practice medicine again for the rest of his life. The young man then applied golden needles to specific acupoints. An hour later, the patient slowly woke up.
In an instant, word of this event spread like wildfire, becoming known to everyone in Jinyang.
The youth with the "miraculous touch" gradually became famous. His name spread even faster—the name Yang Lianting officially appeared before the medical masters of Jinyang. Dr. Xie of the Hall of Returning Spring gifted his clinic to Yang Lianting and left Jinyang with his entire family to return to his ancestral home.
Yang Lianting renamed the Hall of Returning Spring to the Hall of Virtue and Benefit. On the first day of its opening, nearly a hundred people lined up for consultations.
Zuo Canglang stood with Murong Yan at the other end of the long street. Seeing that the Hall of Virtue and Benefit could not hold so many patients, many were forced to queue outside. Murong Yan said, "From here on, it is up to him."
Zuo Canglang remained silent for a long time before saying, "He will not disappoint My Lord."
Murong Yan turned to look at her, his hands resting on her shoulders. He said softly, "The three of you are all dragons and phoenixes among men. I will not disappoint you either."
On the streets of March, catkins filled the city and willows swayed. When he spoke those words, the sunlight was like crushed gold, slanting across his sharp profile. His gaze was gentle, powerful, and resolute. Even in the face of adversity, he gave off a sense of boundless hope and courage.
Yang Lianting indeed did not fail their expectations. Although the number of patients seeking medical help daily was countless, he never wrote a single incorrect prescription. Furthermore, possessing the hot blood of youth, if poor people came for medicine, he would charge as little as possible, or even nothing at all.
Though the Hall of Virtue and Benefit had been open for only a short time, its reputation grew larger by the day. The name of "Divine Physician Yang" spread among the common folk, just as Yang Xuanhe’s name once had.
Yang Lianting could not manage alone, so he naturally hired several assistants. Leng Feiyan and Zuo Canglang often visited in secret, which was inconvenient if they were seen. Fortunately, both were skilled in lightness arts, so the chances of the pharmacy assistants discovering them were slim. For the sake of these two, Yang Lianting lived alone in a separate courtyard and never allowed others to enter.
***
In the blink of an eye, it was April, the time of the Qingming Festival. The palace was busy with sacrificial rites. In the past, these rites included hiring opera troupes to perform ancestral plays, as well as shamans to perform rituals and merit ceremonies.
However, this time, the envoys from West Jing had not only taken five hundred Yan women but also a significant amount of gold, silver, and jewels. With the national treasury empty and the people’s resentment boiling, the King of Yan did not intend to hold a grand celebration. He simply ordered the Sect Leader of the Baiyu Sect to preside over the sacrifice.
The Baiyu Sect was the state religion of Great Yan. Its members were all skilled in medicine. Its Saintess was said to be able to bring the dead to life and regrow flesh on bone, possessing heavenly abilities. When outsiders mentioned her, they did so with deep respect and dared not offend her.
The Baiyu Sect had once been viewed as demons by the people of the Western Regions, who could not tolerate them. Out of desperation, they fled to the Kingdom of Yan. At that time, Murong Yuan was still a prince; he respected their medical path and extended a helping hand. He not only allowed them to reside in Yan but also designated Mount Guye to the north of Jinyang as the sect’s headquarters.
Because of this, the members of the Baiyu Sect were utterly loyal to the Kingdom of Yan. After Murong Yuan ascended the throne, the sect’s reputation grew as they practiced medicine and performed good deeds. He eventually bestowed upon the Baiyu Sect the title of the State Religion of Great Yan, and the common people raised no objections.
The people of the Baiyu Sect usually did not enter the palace unless a noble was ill or to preside over grand sacrificial ceremonies. The one who came to perform the merit rituals this time was the Saintess of the Baiyu Sect.
Zuo Canglang had long heard of her celestial beauty but had never seen her. She tried every possible way to catch a glimpse of her face, but the Saintess wore a veil, making it impossible to see clearly. By the time the ceremony ended, it was already night. The King of Yan held a banquet in the palace, and the officials took their seats in order. Crown Prince Murong Ruo, the Fifth Prince Murong Qing, and the young Princess Murong Shu were all in attendance.
However, when Murong Yan arrived, the inner attendant looked embarrassed—there was no seat for the Second Prince, Murong Yan! The attendant was too terrified to speak. After a while, the Head Eunuch from Queen Li’s side came over and said in a mocking, high-pitched voice, "Second Prince, please do not blame us. It truly wasn't the servants' carelessness, but rather that His Majesty did not explicitly state that the Second Prince was to be included. As servants, we did not dare to take matters into our own hands..."
Zuo Canglang kicked him. "Bastard! His Majesty ordered all civil and military officials to attend. How could there be a need for a separate—"
Before she could finish, the eunuch said, "His Majesty said the civil and military officials, but the Second Prince currently holds no title or office. How can he be counted among them?"
Zuo Canglang wanted to kick him again, but Murong Yan said softly, "Enough."
Zuo Canglang was fuming with rage, and the eunuch could see she was not one to be trifled with. In this situation, if he were beaten—as long as he wasn't killed—it would be for nothing. He turned around and left, leaving Murong Yan and his guard standing there.
Zuo Canglang was livid, but Murong Yan only smiled, his face as calm as a bright moon. "Why bother lowering yourself to his level?"
Zuo Canglang said, "But..."
Murong Yan interrupted her. "Let’s go."
Zuo Canglang said angrily, "We’re just going to let it go like this?"
Murong Yan replied, "He wouldn't have the courage; it must be the Queen’s intention. If we truly make a scene, it will only play into her hands."
Zuo Canglang looked up at him. He gave her a reassuring smile and said, "After my mother died, I stayed in the palace for eight years. I’ve long since become numb to such things. It’s a shame that you have to suffer this indignity along with me."
In that moment, for the first time in her life, Zuo Canglang tasted the sensation of a heartache. She gazed at him and said slowly, "I truly wish I could have been by My Lord’s side since that time."
Murong Yan was slightly taken aback. A smile touched his lips, one capable of melting an entire winter. He said softly, "It is not too late now."
Master and servant slowly walked out of the palace. The cold moon hung high, and the sparse trees and flowers swayed in the night. The vast imperial palace was silent and infinitely desolate. Murong Yan said, "I have passed through here countless times, but this time is better than any before."
Zuo Canglang was startled. He smiled and said, "This time, at least I have you."
For a moment, Zuo Canglang wanted to step forward and take his hand. But she didn't. He had a woman he loved, who would soon become her mistress.
Some things appear to be right before your eyes, but in truth, you cannot have them—you will never have them. Leng Feiyan thought she would do something foolish, but in reality... she felt she wouldn't.
*I want to guard you like this, to watch you rule the world and revitalize Great Yan, fulfilling your promise of a peaceful and prosperous era. Whatever you have seen, whatever you have loved, whatever you desire—if you give the command, I will bring it before you.*
*Even if I turn into smoke and mist.*
***
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 闻纬书 | Wen Weishu | The enemy of the Yang family. |
| 回春堂 | Hall of Returning Spring | (Huichun Tang) The original medical clinic. |
| 德益堂 | Hall of Virtue and Benefit | (Deyi Tang) The renamed clinic run by Yang Lianting. |
| 杏林 | Xinglin | "Apricot Grove," a poetic term for the medical profession. |
| 慕容若 | Murong Ruo | The Crown Prince of Yan. |
| 慕容清 | Murong Qing | The Fifth Prince of Yan. |
| 慕容姝 | Murong Shu | The young Princess of Yan. |
| 拜玉教 | Baiyu Sect | The state religion of Yan (Worship Jade Sect). |
| 圣女 | Saintess | The holy female leader of the Baiyu Sect. |
| 姑射山 | Mount Guye | The headquarters of the Baiyu Sect. |
| 李王后 | Queen Li | The current Queen of Yan. |
