Wife, Please Stop Running Away!

If you talk about Chang, there is only the Chang family that served the Yans for decades. It all started from the first reign of the Yan Dynasty after oppressing the tyrannical ruler of the former empire. The Chang Family is a group of respected scholars that helped the Yans to raise their bloodline.

It could be said that the reason for the empire's prosperity is due to the close management of the two families.

Due to this reason, the relationship between the two kins is always good. There is no so-called 'internal conflict' happening since the interest of the two families differs from their goals. Actually, the two families had become so familiar that only marriage is needed to connect the bloodline.

Unfortunately, there is no way for the two families to come in terms of "marriage". It might be the work of the gods or some supernatural forces that no matter what generation the two families had, they will always bore the same children. That is as though the natural force is not letting them become one as a whole.

Well, that is quite comforting though. The Yans carried great power alone, excluding all the resources each individual had. One command from the Yans is enough to conquer an empire. On the other hand, the Changs are known for their cleverness. They have guided the power the Yans carried and used their brains to bring it to the maximum output.

These two families are already strong in the premise of friendship, what possible devastating effect will they bring if they will be united? This thought is enough to cause an imbalance of power. The imagination is enough to show how they could trample countries all over whilst garnering great riches.

So, as to make things still fair, the gods made the two families close but never connected. This is what the elders used to say whenever they see their younger generations playing around. Seeing the similarities between the two families showed that they could not do anything but a compromise.

To explain further, let's say, the first generation of Yan Empire is all males. The first generation of the Changs are also males, so it is impossible to get their sons married. Having same-sex marriage is possible in terms of carrying the concubine title but they never thought of doing it. The same thing happened in the next generations, up to the next, and the next...

Though there are instances that a daughter and son were born in each family, it is still impossible to make the two a couple since they furiously showed their disgust. Simply saying, they could be the best of friends but marriage is pretty much out of the way. They can stay in the same room naked the whole year and nothing will happen between them.

It is very impossible.

This trait continued until recent times. Yan JinLong and Chang Jie had become friends since they were young so one could say that they were close. However, this closeness made the two of them promise to not have their children marry the other family at all costs. Still, the disgust remained on their blood so having the two families as one is infinitely impossible.

As of now, the main branch of the Chang family has two promising successors. The firstborns were twins. We already know the eldest of the twins, Chang Jie. Chang Jie is a renowned scholar who made it to the top using pure intelligence. It could be said that he is the youngest scholar from the Chang Family who made it through the exams without failure.

Chang Jie showed his promising talents when he was still young. While children of his age are still starting to walk and talk, Chang Jie is already calculating numbers. This kind of strange behavior caught the attention of his family so they started tutoring him early. This made him take the imperial exams much earlier.

Though, nobody knows who would become the next emperor during that time. Yan JinLong who is just a small figure at that time befriended the young scholar. And so, just by that, sealing Yan JinLong's fate as the next ruler became clear. But this story will not be told in this part.

On the other hand, the younger twin brother is called Chang Jian. Unlike Chang Jie, Chang Jian did not show any kind of abnormal behavior. He is like any other kid who likes to play around. Though, it doesn't mean that his intelligence is inferior to Chang Jie. Considering the modern test of IQ and EQ, Chang Jian is able to defeat his twin brother.

Chang Jian showed his dislike towards the job of the scholars. For him, becoming a scholar is just earning a job that only requires the person to sit down, read some papers, and sign it. His adventurous character did not allow him to stay in one place so he did not pursue the thing Chang Jie likes.

Though, Chang Jian's interest in medicines is quite obvious. He will spend long periods watching physicians make medicines from herbs, or would wander around the forest to look for medicinal plants. There are even times when he was able to prescribe an effective treatment towards a common sickness.

The two brothers walked on different paths but they were still close to each other. Chang Jie had become a minister while Chang Jian became a physician. This said, aside from being identical twins, the difference between the two is that Chang Jie can be seen very often in the court while Chang Jian is almost out seldom in. This is because Chang Jian is a renowned philanthropist. His motto in life is to serve the less to become rich.

Most of his time, he would spend it running around the poorest lands of the empire to treat people that could not afford to go to the capital for medication. He would give them his medicine and would give some aids free of charge. This made him a famous figure all over the empire.

Though, Chang Jian disliked using his family influence so he uses alias and changes his appearance when facing common people. He called himself the "Healing Master" with the appearance of an old man with a wrinkled forehead, grey beard, and short grey hair.

In this appearance, nobody will relate him to Change Jie even if they will stand side by side. They are identical twins so this feat is pretty much amazing. Chang Jian's crossdressing is topnotch that even his mother will not recognize him. Just perfect!

At present, Chang Jian is sitting on his makeshift office. It was just an abandoned wooden house in the slums that only has dirty rags for curtains and a thin paperboard for doors. The table that he has is even filled with holes with termites hissing on the bottom part. The chair that he was sitting was repaired earlier on when he fell down the other day from breaking a leg from it.

Chang Jian is just lazily leaning on the table as he played on a couple of vials on the corner of his table. These vials are often filled with the usual contents used for treating colds, coughs, and treating wounds. Some vials have dried leaves soaked in some fluid while some root crops are fermenting under alcohol on the other.

His hands are just rolling an empty vial when the object rolled a bit further. He quickly caught the vial before it falls, just in time to see another paper to flutter down due to his actions. This paper was kept under the compartment of the old table that has no cover. When he moved, the paper was caught on his clothes so it followed suit and fell.

He picked up the paper while the other hand returned the empty vial to its place. Chang Jian patted the dust from the paper and reads the contents once again. He received this letter yesterday and Chang Jian already knows the contents of the paper even without reading it. Actually, he would have left the capital if only that one customer did not come.

The letter is a summon coming from the emperor. It was sent from the barracks where the fight between territories is happening. Just a week ago, the emperor left with his men to come up front with the invaders. It is said that the invasion on the borders is worse this time so they will surely take time for the soldiers to return.

Usually, the usual set-up for the emperor's caravan is composed of his soldiers, cooks, and physicians. The physicians are highly needed during this time to treat wounded soldiers. Chang Jian had gone to war before but it was only when he was a student. As for now, he will not be called unless he is very needed.

This summon letter just proved that something dire happened on the battlefield.

He could have gone yesterday but Chang Jian knows that even though he is needed, his presence is not urgent. After all, the physicians the emperor carried weren't ordinary. They are masters in their field so Chang Jian coming is just an addition to the members of the elite.

Also, the last customer that wanted to meet him seems to be very worried. It was a young boy that seems to be only ten years old, yet the circumstances reflected on his eyes made him look older. Chang Jian would never dare to refuse such a costumer so he extended his stay for a day.

He was feeling weird with that kid. He could have brought the patient over, or if it is not possible then Chang Jian is willing to accompany the kid in their place. However, that kid refused the offer and just asked for his assistance. The kid also specified that he will be coming back on the next day at the same time.

Chang Jian wondered if the kid is bluffing but he still stayed for reassurance. He thought of many reasons why the boy said that kind of phrase. Maybe that kid has a relative who has a contagious illness that's why the kid only appeared when it is already very late at night? Or maybe that person is an influential figure so it has chosen a time where there are almost no people on the streets to meet him?

Whatever reasons, Chang Jian will be waiting. It will not hurt him to believe that young man's words.

The physician on his disguise idled around as he waited for the kid. He was roaming around on his small kitchenette when he heard the familiar voice calling. Chang Jian adjusted his expression as he made his voice sound hoarser. He filled a glass with water and drank it before going out.

Chang Jian has been doing this kind of work for years so his acting like an old man had become proficient. Even his voice changed to an extent that one would assume that he is already in his sixties despite aging in early thirties. He had also mastered having that scholarly-old vibe that makes people see him as an experienced person.

However, that did not stop the "old physician" to almost spraying the water that he just drank out to the guests.

Well, if it wasn't the infamous favorite wife of the emperor, then who could it be?