Chapter 33: Dragon Saliva Grass

Su Yunqing unfolded the letter, which contained three full pages.

Madam Cheng watched her expression closely, observing it shift slowly from calm to joy. Only when Su Yunqing folded the letter and looked at her did she ask, "What does it say?"

Su Yunqing could not suppress her delight. "Madam, there is hope for the eldest brother."

"Oh!" Madam Cheng’s lips trembled with excitement. "Is this true?"

Su Yunqing nodded. "It is. Look." She handed the letter to Madam Cheng. "Doctor Ma writes that Dragon Saliva Grass has a miraculous effect on paralysis. As long as we can find it, the eldest brother will soon be able to stand again."

Madam Cheng’s hands shook as she read. "But in all my years, I have never heard of such a medicine. Where are we to find this Dragon Saliva Grass?"

Su Yunqing pulled out the last page and pointed to a line of text. "According to Doctor Ma, the grass grows on cliffs by the sea. When the tide comes in, it is soaked in seawater; when the tide goes out, it is exposed to the sun. It withstands the battering of giant waves without breaking and endures the scorching sun without wilting..."

Madam Cheng looked up. "A cliff? Is it not found on ordinary beaches?"

Su Yunqing shook her head and pointed to another section. "It says here that the grass relies on specific nutrients found in 'black copper stone.' Without both the stone and the seawater, it cannot survive."

Madam Cheng hurriedly gestured to someone outside. "Someone, quick! Fetch Doctor Liu." She turned to Su Yunqing and said, "Doctor Liu has practiced medicine for so many years; he must know where to find it."

Madam Cheng and Su Yunqing waited impatiently at the main gate until Doctor Liu arrived in a hurry.

"Madam, you are in such a rush to see me. Is something wrong with the Master or the eldest young master?"

Madam Cheng waved her hand. "No, no. I only wish to ask if you have ever heard of Dragon Saliva Grass."

Doctor Liu paused for a moment, then looked up. "I have heard of it, but it grows in extremely harsh environments and is nearly impossible to obtain. Even in all my years of practice, I have never laid eyes on it."

Madam Cheng’s face fell with disappointment. "Then... where could it possibly grow?"

Doctor Liu pondered for a moment. "As far as I know, there are black copper stones under the cliffs on the sea-facing side of Longyin Mountain, a hundred miles away. Whether the grass grows there, however, is impossible to say."

Longyin Mountain? Su Yunqing’s eyes brightened at the name. "Very well, we shall go to Longyin Mountain. If there are black copper stones and seawater, we must be able to find the grass."

Doctor Liu’s eyes widened in astonishment. "Young lady, are you joking?"

Su Yunqing looked at him, confused.

Doctor Liu continued, "If it were that easy to get, with the Cheng family's wealth, would I not have suggested searching for it long ago? Longyin Mountain is currently surrounded by imperial soldiers. Those inside cannot come out, and those outside certainly cannot get in."

"Furthermore, those cliffs are massive; who knows where the black copper stone is? Even if you find the stone, it doesn't mean the grass is growing there. Besides, the cliff faces are severely weathered and prone to frequent rockfalls. Even though this medicine is worth its weight in gold, no one has ever found it—many have lost their lives trying."

"This..." Madam Cheng lowered her head, rendered speechless.

Su Yunqing placed her hands on the older woman's shoulders and said to the doctor, "As long as there is hope, we should not give up. If we don't try, how will we know? What if we are the ones to find it?"

Madam Cheng seemed to have lost all hope. "Qing'er, did you not hear what the doctor said? No one has ever found it, and many have died..."

"Just because others haven't found it doesn't mean we won't. There are always exceptions," Su Yunqing said firmly. "I must go. Even if there is only a sliver of hope, I must try."

Before arriving at the Cheng house, she had prepared herself for the scorn and contempt of the family, much like that of Concubine Zhang. She had no choice—because of her father’s dying wish and the ten-thousand-tael dowry, she had not fled.

Yet, she had not expected that after Cheng Ji and the master of the house were injured in the north, Madam Cheng would harbor no resentment toward her, despite nearly losing her husband and son. The Madam treated her with affection, as if she were her own daughter, and never excluded her from family discussions.

She had nothing left to offer in return but her own resolve to restore Cheng Ji to health. Looking at the gray hairs on Madam Cheng’s head, she knew what the eldest son meant to her.

Madam Cheng said earnestly, "I am grateful for your heart, but I cannot let you take this risk. Setting aside whether the grass can be found, you cannot even climb that mountain."

Doctor Liu agreed. "Indeed. The soldiers have spent vast resources surrounding Longyin Mountain for nearly two months, trying to starve them into submission. But Song Lang of Longyin Mountain has some method—not only does he refuse to bow to the imperial court, but he even sent men to wipe out a large force of Japanese pirates at sea."

Su Yunqing whispered, "You know that the people of Longyin Mountain destroyed the pirates?"

Madam Cheng raised a finger to her lips. "The common people know. Although the officials reported that Prefect Tian led the defense, the truth came out when the people from Longyin Mountain rescued a dozen women from the pirates at Zhusha Islet and returned them safely."

Su Yunqing asked tentatively, "In the eyes of the people, are the men of Longyin Mountain not bandits?"

Doctor Liu smiled. "They are bandits."

Su Yunqing smiled, too. In these times, when officials are not truly officials and bandits are not truly bandits, everyone has their own scale by which to measure them.

When Cheng Ji heard that Su Yunqing was determined to go to Longyin Mountain, he was strongly opposed. "There will always be brave men for enough money; we can hire someone. There is no need for a young woman to go herself."

Madam Cheng sighed. "The word is out. If someone is willing to risk their life for money, that would be for the best."

"Mother, you must stop her. The Su family is gone; she is the last of Elder Su's bloodline. We have a duty to protect her. I would rather never stand again than have her come to harm on my account."

Madam Cheng nodded. "Rest assured, I will not let her go."

At that moment, Su Yunqing had already changed into men’s clothing, strapped a dagger to her leg, and was preparing to leave. Just as she was instructing Zhuhua on how to cover for her if the Madam asked, Cheng Cong entered.

"Oh, Third Young Master, finally brave enough to show your face?"

Ignoring her teasing, Cheng Cong curled his lips. "Don't think that just because you gave me medicine for the swelling, I am grateful to you."

Su Yunqing’s expression remained unchanged. "I didn't think so, I don't expect it, and you needn't be."

A coldness, unbefitting his ten years, flashed in Cheng Cong's eyes. "If you can bring back the medicine and cure my elder brother, I will honor you from this day forth. But if..."

"It is not needed, I dare not accept it, and please move aside."

Su Yunqing cut him off, pushed him stumbling to the side, nodded to Zhuhua, and stepped out the door alone.