“Definitely.” Tang Xiaohua nodded. “It’ll usually be at the Yue Family Hall.”

“Then did you go looking for the Night Prince?” Xiao Yingtao asked softly.

“I don’t think so.” Tang Xiaohua shook her head. “During this time, even though I’ve been in a cold war with Yue Jianfei, we’ve still gone about our days at the Yue Family Hall as usual.”

“If he sent someone out looking for the Night Prince, there’s no way I wouldn’t know.”

“Besides, I’m not even sure whether that letter really came from the Emperor’s own hand.”

“If it really is the Emperor, could you two just brush it off like it’s nothing?” Feng Jiu’er looked at Tang Xiaohua, knitting her brows slightly.

“Why not?” Tang Xiaohua glanced at Feng Jiu’er and picked up her teacup again.

“Yue Jianfei has never much cared for the Emperor to begin with, and as for small fry like us, the Emperor wouldn’t bother putting us in his mind either.”

“As for that letter from the palace, I’m curious too, but curious is curious — when I’m in a bad mood, even if the Emperor wants to see me, I won’t see him!”

Tang Xiaohua took a sip of tea, her gaze landing on Feng Jiu’er again.

“You wouldn’t happen to be part of the imperial family, would you?” She composed herself, brows lightly furrowing. “You’re so pleased with yourself — you’re not actually some commandery princess or princess, are you?”

Tang Xiaohua narrowed her eyes halfway, then withdrew her gaze.

“Whatever, it’s out now anyway — I doubt you’d dare say anything in front of the Emperor. But it’s not bad, being able to be sworn sisters with a princess or commandery princess.”

Feng Jiu’er looked at Tang Xiaohua and shook her head. “However pleased with myself I am, I’m nowhere near you — you don’t even put the Emperor in your eyes.”

“Those who don’t put us in their eyes don’t deserve to be put in ours either,” Tang Xiaohua went on.

“Every year we pay no small sum into the state treasury, so naturally the Emperor won’t come looking for trouble with us.”

“As for anything involving the palace, Yue Jianfei never takes it on. You, though—”

“You turn down business that makes you money?” Feng Jiu’er frowned.

“That’s right. Anything involving the palace is bound to be trouble. We just want a peaceful life — we don’t want to court disaster.” Tang Xiaohua nodded quite earnestly.

“Jiu’er, what do we do then? After all we’ve done, hasn’t it all been for nothing?” Xiao Yingtao looked anxiously at the two women at the head of the table.

“So you don’t know how much trouble I’m in — will Sister Hua help or not?” Feng Jiu’er raised an eyebrow, a faint smile at the corner of her mouth.

She could tell Tang Xiaohua wasn’t finished speaking yet.

Tang Xiaohua gave a light cough and set her cup down on the table.

“Since the two of you have been busy at this for so long, I don’t want to disappoint my two little sisters.”

“Besides, if we don’t help, wouldn’t you stop treating my father and my father-in-law?”

Feng Jiu’er smiled faintly, leaning back against her chair.

“As a healer, I don’t like to stand by while someone dies. But to treat the two elders, I need to have the time to do it.”

“If the Yue Family Hall isn’t willing to help, I’ll have no choice but to go looking for him myself.”

“The Night Prince matters too much to me — I can’t let two patients delay my search for him.”

“Oh?” Tang Xiaohua looked at Feng Jiu’er, narrowing her eyes further.

She wasn’t surprised by Feng Jiu’er’s words, nor angry.

“What are you to the Night Prince? Why do you say he matters so much to you?” Tang Xiaohua asked softly.

“If I remember right, the Night Prince never took a wife in his life — could you be his illegitimate daughter?”

Feng Jiu’er frowned and nodded. “You can think of it that way.”

“Don’t you say you never concern yourself with palace affairs? Then why do you even know whether the Night Prince has a woman or not?”

Tang Xiaohua glanced sideways at Feng Jiu’er. “Aren’t you from the Feng Clan?”

“What makes you say that?” Feng Jiu’er asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Someone from the Feng Clan — how could they not know the Night Prince?” Tang Xiaohua said in a deep voice.

“Back then, if the Night Prince hadn’t refused the woman the late Emperor had chosen for him, all for the sake of the woman he loved, the one sitting on the throne now would be him.”

“Something from that long ago — only people your age would know it.” Feng Jiu’er replied with a smile.

“What do you mean by that? Are you saying my sister Hua is old?” Tang Xiaohua glared at Feng Jiu’er. “Is this any attitude to have when you’re asking someone for a favor?”

“You’re not young, no — but you still look youthful.” Feng Jiu’er picked up her cup and brought it toward Tang Xiaohua.

“If I still looked like you at forty, I’d have nothing to complain about.”

Tang Xiaohua glanced at her, then leaned over and poured her a cup of tea.

“I know you’re anxious, so I won’t beat around the bush anymore. Since this concerns the Night Prince, whether it’s me or Yue Jianfei, we’re both willing to help.”

“Of course, it would be better if it wasn’t the Emperor looking for him.”

“All these years, everyone in the Feng Clan has known the Emperor treats the Night Prince badly, sending him off to fight day after day. That our country has stayed this stable owes no small debt to the Night Prince.”

Tang Xiaohua set down her cup and continued. “I heard long ago that the Night Prince had gone missing, and that the Emperor is searching for him.”

“I wonder — could the Night Prince have gone into hiding to enjoy his later years in peace?”

“If he really has hidden himself away and is living freely and at ease, then dragging him out and handing him back to the Emperor to be sent off to fight again — wouldn’t that trouble our conscience too?”

“What exactly is your purpose in looking for him? Tell me. If this turns out to be bad for the Night Prince, sister or not, I won’t help.”

Feng Jiu’er raised her cup and leaned toward Tang Xiaohua.

Tang Xiaohua looked somewhat puzzled but still picked up her own cup and clinked it against Feng Jiu’er’s.

“What does this mean?” Tang Xiaohua asked in a low voice.

“For the Night Prince having such a devoted fan in you — let’s drink to that.” The words had barely left her mouth before Feng Jiu’er raised her cup and drained it in one go.

Being the daughter of Feng Li, she naturally hoped that her father was admired and respected by the common people.

Hearing Tang Xiaohua’s words, Feng Jiu’er felt a warmth in her heart!

Tang Xiaohua frowned, lifted her cup, and downed it in one gulp.

She set the cup down and said softly, “What fan, what not-fan? If you don’t make your purpose clear, I can drink the tea, but I still won’t help.”

“I know.” Feng Jiu’er nodded. “I came to thank you on the Night Prince’s behalf.”

“Just go ahead and search for the Night Prince with an easy mind. Like you, I can’t bring myself to like the current Emperor. But my love for the Night Prince runs far deeper than yours.”

“Sister Hua, I can’t reveal my identity just yet. For now you’ll have to choose to trust me, because I’m your sister, aren’t I?”

“Just as you guessed, the Night Prince’s earlier disappearance really was him hiding away to enjoy himself. It’s just a shame that now he’s been abducted.”

“Right now, he really is missing.”

“The Night Prince was abducted?” Tang Xiaohua’s brow furrowed sharply. “What exactly is going on?”

“One more thing, I’ll say it up front — your love for the Night Prince definitely doesn’t compare to mine!”

“I love him to death. If it weren’t for the fact that I never had the slightest chance back then, I’d have gone straight to the capital to find him.”