Chapter 270: War at the Northern Border (1) (1/2)
“If you want to cure Madam’s illness once and for all, you need a single medicinal ingredient. However, this ingredient only grows in the high mountains of the extreme north…”
The medicinal ingredient that Great Doctor Miao needed was a type of alpine flower. It was also one of the rarest alpine flowers and was called ‘Snow Mountain Mists’. It grew only on the peaks of snow-capped mountains and would only bloom at the coldest times of the year. After blooming, it would wither away in just two to three days. To be able to use it in medicine, the flower had to be picked right before it withered, otherwise it would lose all its worth as a medicinal ingredient.
It was known to grow in the border between the Great Wu Dynasty and the Tuhuns’ territory- Mount Ah-Ming.
In another three months, it would be time for the ‘Snow Mountain Mists’ on Mount Ah-Ming to bloom.
This rare ingredient was hard to preserve and there weren’t many fields that required the use of it. Most doctors didn’t even know of the medicinal uses of this flower, so it was impossible to find it on the market.
Even Great Doctor Miao had only incidentally found out about its uses during his younger days when he had wandered all over the land.
Great Doctor Miao spoke bluntly to the various members of the He Family gathered in the parlour. The treatment for Countess Jing’an’s body couldn’t be delayed for too long. Even if he personally helped stabilise her condition, she could only go on like that for another two years. If they couldn’t find this ‘Snow Mountain Mists’ flower within two years, then there would be nothing he could do.
After Great Doctor Miao finished explaining the situation, he left the parlour to write a prescription for Countess Jing’an.
Only Matriarch He, the eldest son He Changqi, the second son He Changjue, and the newlywed wife of the third son, Chu Lian, were left in the parlour.
The joy that had been present on their faces earlier had disappeared. The matriarch’s expression was so serious that the wrinkles on her face creased further.
When Chu Lian noticed this, her heart ached for the matriarch. She tried to reassured the old lady by saying, “Grandmother, at least there’s some hope for Mother now. And it’s not as if this type of flower is completely unheard of. Having some hope is better than having none at all, isn’t it?”
Matriarch He took in a deep breath and patted Chu Lian’s hand. “You’re right, Lian’er. At least there’s some hope for your mother’s illness now. I should be happy instead.”
Silence reigned in the parlour for a while more before He Erlang abruptly stepped forward and knelt before Matriarch He. In a firm voice, he said, “Grandmother, let me go to the north to search for this flower for Mother!”
Right after He Erlang spoke, He Dalang also knelt down in front of Matriarch He. “Grandmother, don’t let Erlang go! Erlang hasn’t even gotten married yet. I’m the eldest son of this family. When Father left to protect the border, he instructed me to take care of Grandmother, Mother, and my two younger brothers. It’s obviously me who should go on this trip to the north!”