Luo Tan woke up once during the night.

As fate would have it, while Shen Xin’s party was searching throughout the capital city for Shen Miao’s whereabouts, Luo Ling was watching over Luo Tan and Gao Yang at the residence when he suddenly received intelligence from his subordinates saying that suspicious individuals had been spotted in the western part of the city. Thinking of Shen Miao, Luo Ling entrusted Luo Tan to Gao Yang and hurried to the west side of the city with his men.

Only Luo Tan and Gao Yang remained in the house.

When Luo Tan awoke, there were only two servant girls attending to her—they were Shen Miao’s Bailu and Shuangjiang. Seeing her awake, they were overjoyed and said, “Young Miss has finally awakened.”

Luo Tan felt heaviness in her body. Lifting the covers to look, she saw a white bandage wrapped around her midriff under her inner clothes. Seeing this, Bailu, thinking Luo Tan was worried about future scarring, comforted her: “Young Miss has survived a great calamity, which means good fortune awaits. The wound was quite severe that day, which terrified the Master and Mistress. They invited many physicians, but none could help. It was only the Imperial Physician Gao whose medical skills were exceptional. Not only that, but Imperial Physician Gao also left a prescription. As long as Young Miss applies the medicine as directed, the scar will be very light, almost invisible in the future.”

Luo Tan rubbed her forehead, seemingly remembering something, and asked, “How many days have I been unconscious?”

“Young Miss, you’ve been unconscious for nearly three days,” replied Shuangjiang.

“Three days?” Luo Tan was startled, suddenly remembering something, and anxiously asked, “What about my younger cousin? Has she been found?”

Bailu and Shuangjiang’s expressions darkened as they shook their heads.

Luo Tan’s heart sank gradually. She asked, “How are my aunt and uncle doing now?”

“The city has been sealed off. The Master and Mistress have been out searching for Young Miss’s whereabouts every day, but there’s still no news,” said Shuangjiang. “Right now, we don’t know how Young Miss is doing.”

“It’s been three days already. How can there still be no news after three days? Those people aren’t sorcerers—they couldn’t have made a person vanish into thin air, could they?” Luo Tan said heatedly.

Bailu and Shuangjiang looked at each other, but could only lower their heads in silence.

Luo Tan clenched her fists, her heart filled with anxiety. She remembered seeing those two villains knock Shen Miao unconscious and carry her into a carriage, and then… Luo Tan’s heart stirred as she suddenly recalled what Shen Miao had told her in the carriage.

“Remember, if you successfully escape, find a way to send a message to Prince Rui’s residence. Tell them there’s a deal to be made, with the price to be discussed later.”

Shen Miao had told Luo Tan in the carriage that if anything happened, she should seek out Prince Rui. Although Luo Tan was puzzled about how Shen Miao could have a private connection with Prince Rui of Da Liang, during those two years in Xiao Chun City, Luo Tan had clearly understood Shen Miao’s character—she wouldn’t do anything without purpose. She stood up and was about to walk outside when Bailu and Shuangjiang were startled and quickly came over to support her, saying, “What does Young Miss intend to do? Let us servants handle it. Young Miss is not yet well; we mustn’t let the wound reopen.”

When Luo Tan stood up, she felt a wave of weakness throughout her body. Having lain in bed for too long, her legs felt soft and feeble, which annoyed her, who was accustomed to martial training and considered herself robust. Nevertheless, she said, “I have some matters to attend to. Don’t worry about me.”

Before she finished speaking, a strange male voice was heard from outside, saying, “Where do you want to go?”

Luo Tan raised her head and saw a young man walk in from outside. The man was dressed in white, with the air of a refined gentleman, and quite handsome. He was carrying a basin, which he casually placed on a small table. He took out a fan from his waist and leisurely waved it, asking again, “Where are you going?”

Luo Tan frowned, “Who is he?”

Shuangjiang quickly explained, “This is Imperial Physician Gao from the palace, the one who healed Young Miss. He is currently staying at our Shen residence to conveniently administer acupuncture and change Young Miss’s bandages.”

Luo Tan furrowed her brow. Although she had a somewhat masculine demeanor, lacking the gentleness of most women, she shared with countless other women an appreciation for beautiful things. Previously in Xiao Chun City, if there was a handsome young actor on stage, Luo Tan would drag Shen Miao along to reward the performer, showing how much Luo Tan valued men’s appearances. Under normal circumstances, encountering such a handsome gentleman in white, Luo Tan would have been cordial. But with her mind preoccupied with Shen Miao’s safety, she wouldn’t have appreciated even a celestial being. She said, “Physician Gao, I have urgent business.”

Gao Yang was momentarily taken aback. He had been called “Lord Gao” and “Imperial Physician Gao,” but never “Physician Gao,” which made him feel like a common doctor from some marketplace who would hurriedly grab his medical box and rush out when summoned.

For the typically fastidious and self-admiring Gao Yang, this was almost unbearable.

He glanced at Luo Tan again. The young lady’s skin tone was not as fair and delicate as that of ladies in the capital, but had a healthy wheat color. Even in her weakened state, she stood there like a vibrant plant, exuding a certain straightforwardness. As she frowned at Gao Yang, her somewhat pretty features became more defined. It was the first time Gao Yang had seen someone who, three days after being stabbed, could be so full of life. Recalling his shock at first seeing Luo Tan’s wound, Gao Yang couldn’t help but marvel. Such an injury would be difficult for even ordinary men to endure, yet Luo Tan, a young lady, had managed to hold on until she was found, showing a remarkable will to live.

Gao Yang considered himself someone who cherished and protected the fairer sex, but he disliked frightening tigresses with terrible schemes and tactics like Shen Miao, and he also disliked rough, strong-willed women without a hint of feminine weakness like Luo Tan. He immediately said, “General Shen and Madam Shen invited me to heal the young lady. I have done so, but if the young lady now runs about causing her condition to worsen, I cannot accept the blame for ineffective treatment. Therefore, I request that the young lady refrain from moving about freely.”

Luo Tan was anxious in her heart but forced herself to patiently explain, “I have urgent business outside. I will personally inform my aunt and uncle later that this has nothing to do with you. Is that acceptable?”

“It is not,” said Gao Yang. “As an ‘Imperial Physician,’ I must take responsibility for my patients.” He heavily emphasized the words “Imperial Physician,” hoping Luo Tan would understand that he was different from those marketplace doctors.

Luo Tan had not noticed his emphasis, which only served to make her angry. She snapped, “You’re just a doctor who treats illnesses. What right do you have to control me?”

“First, I am an Imperial Physician. Second, Brother Luo Ling entrusted you to me before he left. If you truly have urgent business, I can run the errand for you. Please feel free to tell me,” Gao Yang replied.

Luo Tan bit her lip. Shen Miao had told her at the time that the matter concerning Prince Rui must not be told to anyone else; it was because Shen Miao trusted Luo Tan that she had shared this with her. Luo Tan had always been stubborn, and given Prince Rui’s sensitive position, she knew that this information could not be disclosed to outsiders, not even to Shen Miao’s maids. She glared fiercely at Gao Yang.

“If the young lady changes her mind, it would be best to take the medicine first. Once you’ve taken the medicine and your body recovers sooner, you’ll naturally be able to attend to your urgent business,” Gao Yang said with a smile.

Luo Tan had Bailu bring the medicine bowl, and she drank it all in one go with several audible gulps, displaying quite a heroic manner. After finishing, she slammed the medicine bowl down with a “bang” and said to Gao Yang, “Is that satisfactory now?”

“I am impressed,” said Gao Yang, giving Luo Tan a respectful gesture. Good medicine is bitter, and the medicine brewed for Luo Tan, given the severity of her injury, was unbearably bitter. Even smelling it was unpleasant, yet Luo Tan had swallowed it without changing her expression—worthy of praise for her iron-like fortitude!

Luo Tan said, “I want to rest now. May I trouble Imperial Physician Gao to leave early? Bailu, Shuangjiang, you two also withdraw. I can’t sleep with people in the room. It’s too noisy.”

Gao Yang left the room with the two maids, a smile on his face.

After everyone had left, Luo Tan stood up, ran to the window, and looked outside. Bailu and Shuangjiang were sweeping the courtyard at the other end. She quickly rummaged through the room for outer clothes and a cloak, putting them on in a few moments. After some thought, she gathered all the external medicine bottles from the table into her sleeve, moved a stool from the room to the window, and began climbing out the window!

When it came to sneaking out of the house to play, back in Xiao Chun City, Luo Tan and her brother Luo Qian had perfected the art. In the end, even if Luo Liantai locked them in their rooms with iron chains, Luo Tan and Luo Qian would still pick the locks and go about their business.

So being confined to the Shen residence didn’t worry Luo Tan at all. The urgent matter was to quickly go to Prince Rui’s residence and find him. Luo Tan firmly believed in Shen Miao’s words, feeling certain that as long as she found Prince Rui, they would be able to rescue Shen Miao.

However, the wound at her waist had indeed not yet healed, and even a slight movement caused searing pain. Luo Tan didn’t care about that now; she pressed one hand against her wound, successfully climbed out the window, and then skillfully found a corner of the courtyard, pushed aside the weeds by the wall to reveal a dog hole, and crawled through without hesitation.

Luo Tan did all this with remarkable ease, not noticing the white figure standing in the distance, watching her actions with astonishment.

Gao Yang could hardly believe his eyes.

Even if the Luo family was military, even if the customs in Xiao Chun City were bold and unconstrained, even if… Luo Tan was still a young lady from an official’s family. Climbing out windows and crawling through dog holes—she had thought of this. Gao Yang had thought that in Ming Qi, Shen Miao was already an oddity, but he hadn’t expected Shen Miao’s cousin to be equally unusual. Indeed, as they say, “Only family members enter the family door.” He shook his head but still followed her.

Luo Tan was nearly frantic.

When she left, she feared alarming others, so she couldn’t take the Shen residence’s carriage. After coming out, it wasn’t convenient to find another carriage, so she had to walk. Although Prince Rui’s residence wasn’t far from the Shen residence, for someone who had just crawled back from the brink of death, the distance was too great.

Yet Luo Tan didn’t give up.

The Luo family’s descendants had always been known for their perseverance. Even the usually carefree Luo Qian could endure when the moment called for serious determination. Luo Su had taught the younger generation the family motto of never giving up. So although Luo Tan felt dizzy and walked with difficulty, she never thought of abandoning her mission midway.

Gao Yang watched from a distance. He had started leisurely waving his fan, as if watching an amusing spectacle, but by the end, he could no longer wave his fan.

The young lady was wrapped in a cloak, invisible to others, but he saw clearly that Luo Tan was trembling uncontrollably. Every two steps, she had to stop and lean against a wall to rest. No one knew better than Gao Yang how severe Luo Tan’s injury was. Back at the Shen residence, although he had been partly teasing her, what Gao Yang said wasn’t wrong. Luo Tan’s wound could easily reopen, and any movement that tugged at the wound would be extremely painful. He could almost visualize the beads of sweat continuously forming on her forehead.

Yet remarkably, despite all this, Luo Tan never stopped. Each time Gao Yang thought Luo Tan had paused for too long and wouldn’t continue, she would start moving again. This made Gao Yang very curious to see what Luo Tan, ignoring her safety and determined to crawl out even if she had to, was so desperate to do.

This short journey seemed exceptionally long. Luo Tan deeply missed the times when she could skip and jump around. When the three characters “Prince Rui’s Residence” came into view, her legs went weak, and she nearly fell to her knees.

But she didn’t kneel, because a pair of hands from behind supported her.

Luo Tan turned to look and saw the “Physician Gao” in elegant white attire, gently waving his fan, helping her stand up.

“You followed me?” Luo Tan angrily shook off his hand.

“Oh,” Gao Yang frankly admitted, and asked, “You went through all this trouble just to come to Prince Rui’s residence? What do you want with Prince Rui?” Gao Yang had probably guessed Luo Tan’s intention. He had never heard Xie Jingxing mention Luo Tan, so the connection between Luo Tan and Xie Jingxing could only be Shen Miao. Luo Tan looking for Xie Jingxing for Shen Miao’s sake was most likely related to Shen Miao’s whereabouts.

Luo Tan looked warily at Gao Yang before her, her heart very anxious. She hadn’t expected to encounter Gao Yang at this critical moment and felt both frustrated and angry. This man looked decent, yet he would engage in such sneaky behavior as following people. She was annoyed at her current physical weakness; otherwise, how could she not have noticed someone following her? However, Luo Tan didn’t realize that with Gao Yang’s skills, even if she were in perfect health, she might not have detected his presence.

Luo Tan calculated in her mind: Shen Miao’s relationship with Prince Rui absolutely could not be known by others, especially since this person came from the palace. What if he later reported to Emperor Wen Hui? What trouble would that cause? It must be said that although Luo Tan was usually thick-skinned, she thought quite far ahead on certain matters.

“Do you know Prince Rui?” Gao Yang asked her.

“How could I possibly know Prince Rui?” Luo Tan firmly denied. “His Highness Prince Rui is of noble birth, and I am just a daughter from an ordinary official’s family. How could I possibly know him?”

“Then why are you looking for him?” Gao Yang persisted.

Luo Tan stammered, “Because… because…” Her gaze fell on Gao Yang’s face, and suddenly, she had a flash of inspiration, quickly improvising: “I heard rumors in the capital that His Highness Prince Rui is an unparalleled handsome man, so I wanted to come and see his appearance for myself!”

Her studies weren’t good, and she mixed up idioms, even saying “unparalleled appearance” incorrectly. Hearing this, Gao Yang burst into laughter with a “puff.”

“What are you laughing at?” she demanded.

“Just to see his appearance, you disregarded your unhealed body, dragged yourself while ill, and went through all this trouble just to see his appearance?” Gao Yang questioned.

Luo Tan defended herself vehemently: “What do you understand? Handsome people are rare in this world. If there is one, even a single glance is precious.”

Gao Yang shook his head: “Then I am also extremely handsome. Why doesn’t the young lady look at me? Why must you come here?”

Luo Tan retorted, “Physician Gao, one should know one’s worth.” She continued, “I won’t talk to you anymore. I want to see His Highness Prince Rui.” With that, she ascended the steps to Prince Rui’s residence door and naively said, “Please report to His Highness that I have important business to discuss with Prince Rui.”

Gao Yang followed closely behind and signaled to the two guards. The guards naturally recognized Gao Yang and immediately opened the main gate without saying anything. One of them said, “I will escort you both inside to wait.”

Luo Tan looked at Gao Yang and asked, “Why are you coming?”

Gao Yang replied, “I also want to see his appearance. If the young lady doesn’t let me in, I’ll have to return to the Shen residence. When Madam Shen and General Shen return and ask…”

“Wait!” Luo Tan cut off his words, glared at him hatefully, and said, “You can come in with me.”

The two guards looked at each other, both puzzled by the scene before them. They had initially thought that Young Master Gao had brought a young lady to Prince Rui’s residence, but now it seemed like… the young lady had come to Prince Rui’s residence, bringing Young Master Gao?

Gao Yang and Luo Tan waited in the main hall for a while. After about half an incense stick’s time, His Highness Prince Rui appeared, wearing a mask.

Luo Tan was anxious; in normal circumstances, meeting Prince Rui this close for the first time, she would have certainly wanted to observe what kind of person Prince Rui was. However, the current situation wouldn’t wait; every moment of delay could mean more danger for Shen Miao. She glanced at Gao Yang, who was still calmly drinking tea, and said to Prince Rui, “May I request a private word with Your Highness?”

During Luo Tan’s nervous wait, Prince Rui nodded slightly, which delighted Luo Tan, thinking that this Prince Rui was not as unapproachable as rumors suggested.

Once they entered a side room, Luo Tan immediately knelt and pleaded, “I beg Your Highness to save my younger cousin!” She repeated what Shen Miao had taught her to say and finally added, “Since my younger cousin trusts Your Highness so much, I also believe that Your Highness can rescue her. Although I cannot offer anything at present, the Shen family will certainly provide compensation to Your Highness once my cousin is found. I beg Your Highness to save her life!”

She kowtowed on the ground.

Although Luo Tan had pride in her bones, it was different from those who would rather die than kneel to others. Luo Tan was a practical person. In her view, Prince Rui was, after all, a member of Da Liang’s royal family, so kowtowing to him wasn’t a loss. If saying some flattering words would make him happy and save Shen Miao, what was there to mind about doing these things? She kowtowed cheerfully, not noticing that this action seemed to have startled the person before her.

“I understand,” said Prince Rui.

Luo Tan felt something strange but couldn’t pinpoint what it was. She instinctively asked, “Does Your Highness agree to rescue my cousin?”

Prince Rui nodded slightly.

“Thank you, Your Highness!” Luo Tan joyfully kowtowed to him again and was about to stand up. But as soon as she rose, everything went black before her eyes, and she suddenly collapsed, unconscious.

Prince Rui was startled and instinctively reached out to catch her, calling out, “Someone! Gao Yang!”

Gao Yang entered from outside, first surprised, then quickly stepped forward to grab Luo Tan’s arm and check her pulse. After a moment, he put down her hand and sighed, “She’s too weak. Brew her a ginseng soup and pour it down her throat. When she wakes up, I’ll send her back to the Shen residence.”

Two maids came in from outside and helped the unconscious Luo Tan to a bed. Gao Yang and Prince Rui walked outside, where Prince Rui spat and suddenly removed the silver mask from his face, saying, “I was suffocating. Why did you make me pretend to be Third Brother?”

This person wasn’t Xie Jingxing but Ji Yushu.

“I don’t know when he’ll return. We can’t let Luo Tan stay at Prince Rui’s residence until dark. By then, if the Shen family comes looking, we wouldn’t be able to explain. Since Xie San has already gone to inquire about Shen Miao’s whereabouts, you just need to pretend for a while and deal with her, then get her to leave early. That’s all,” Gao Yang said.

Ji Yushu waved his hand, “I can’t handle any more of this. I’ve lived this long, and this is the first time someone has knelt and kowtowed to me. I’m not a Buddha. Speaking of which, won’t this shorten my lifespan? This girl is too fierce. Just now when she knelt, my heart nearly jumped out. Fortunately, I didn’t reveal anything; otherwise, if Third Brother finds out I tarnished his image, he’d certainly beat me.”

Gao Yang remarked, “Luckily, she’s foolish.”

“Are you saying my impersonation wasn’t convincing?” Ji Yushu asked angrily. “The person I impersonated even kowtowed to me. What wasn’t convincing?”

Gao Yang waved his hand, “I don’t want to argue with you.”

“But why did she call you ‘Physician Gao’?” Ji Yushu asked suspiciously. “You’re not in the palace anymore. Have you become a clinic doctor now?”

Gao Yang: “…”

…

When Luo Tan fainted, it was already evening when she awoke. As she woke up, Gao Yang had just come to bring her medicine. Luo Tan didn’t stand on ceremony and took it, throwing her head back and gulping it down with several audible “glug-glug” sounds. This display of feminine valor rivaling any man-made Gao Yang’s mouth twitched slightly.

After finishing the medicine, Luo Tan wiped her mouth, looked at the gradually darkening sky outside the window, and said, “I should return now. Where is Prince Rui? I want to thank him.”

Gao Yang glanced at her sideways, “There’s no need. Prince Rui has already left. If you want to thank him, it might have to wait until tomorrow or later.”

Luo Tan was momentarily surprised, but then jubilant. She thought that Prince Rui’s leaving so quickly must mean he had gone to rescue Shen Miao. Having just been told of this matter and acting so quickly, it seemed Prince Rui was truly a kindhearted person. As she thought about it, Luo Tan’s impression of Prince Rui went up another level in her heart.

Gao Yang looked bewilderedly at the suddenly happy Luo Tan and said, “Since that’s the case, let’s get ready to leave.”

“Good,” Luo Tan happily climbed off the couch to put on her shoes, then suddenly thought of something and asked, “Are you going back with me too?”

“Naturally,” Gao Yang replied. “If not for the General and Madam’s strong insistence, I wouldn’t want to. There are many noble ladies and concubines in the palace waiting for my treatment,” Gao Yang emphasized.

Luo Tan looked at him with some sympathy, “Physician Gao is indeed too busy every day. If that’s the case, you should quickly return to the palace. It would be bad if you missed your duties and got your pay docked.”

Gao Yang: “…”

Why did Luo Tan always make “Imperial Physician” sound like a job anyone could do, as if he had no status? Gao Yang couldn’t understand. He gritted his teeth and said, “It’s not necessary. I have already taken leave from the Imperial Medical Bureau.”

Luo Tan made a sound of acknowledgment, but turned her head and rolled her eyes, hiding her disdainful expression.

A grown man, though quite handsome, surprisingly tracked a young unmarried woman, and even wanted to lecherously see Prince Rui’s “appearance.” No matter how good his medical skills were, he had no medical ethics. Shameless! Sick!

Regardless, Gao Yang eventually accompanied Luo Tan back to the Shen residence. On the way back, fearing that Luo Tan’s wound might cause problems, Gao Yang found a carriage.

Upon returning to the Shen residence, Shen Xin and his party had all returned. Seeing the two of them return, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Shen Qiu asked, “Cousin Tan, Imperial Physician Gao, where did you go?” Everyone had thought Luo Tan had been abducted again. Shen Qiu even suspected that Gao Yang might be a spy from somewhere, that it was Gao Yang who had abducted Luo Tan.

“Yes, Tan’er, your body isn’t fully recovered yet. Where did you go?” asked Ren Wanyun.

Luo Tan’s face froze. The relationship between Shen Miao and Prince Rui could never be revealed; she needed to find an excuse to cover it up. She stammered, “I… I just…”

“I took her out,” Gao Yang bowed and said. “Miss Luo’s body hasn’t fully recovered, but staying in the room all day makes her depressed, which is not conducive to her recovery. I took her out for a walk, which will help Miss Luo’s wound heal faster.”

Hearing this, Luo Xueyan’s suspicion finally subsided, though her words still carried some reproach as she said to Gao Yang, “Imperial Physician Gao has good intentions, but if this happens again, please inform the servants. Tan’er didn’t bring any maid with her, and we thought something had happened to her.”

Gao Yang looked embarrassed and said, “It was my oversight. I apologize to Madam.”

“Never mind,” Luo Xueyan waved her hand.

Luo Tan felt relieved in her heart. Although her gaze toward Gao Yang was still not particularly warm, it was considerably better than before. Gao Yang had taken such a big blame for her, and Luo Tan was genuinely grateful. The Luo family believed in repaying kindness. Luo Tan thought she would give Gao Yang more medical fees later and not hold the previous matters against him.

“But where is Cousin Ling?” Luo Tan craned her neck to look around. Shen Xin, Luo Xueyan, and Shen Qiu were all here, but only Luo Ling was missing.

“Weren’t you together?” Shen Xin frowned and asked.

Luo Tan shook her head.

“That’s strange,” Luo Xueyan also said. “Before leaving today, I asked Ling’er to watch over you. Coming back and not seeing any trace of you, I thought you had gone out together. It’s only you and Imperial Physician Gao?”

Luo Tan nodded.

“Has my cousin gone out to buy something?” Shen Qiu asked. “Even if he went out to look for someone, it’s getting late, and he should be back by now.”

The Shen family would return to the Shen residence in the evening to exchange information and discuss the day’s results in searching for people. Even if Luo Ling had gone out to search by himself, he should have returned by now.

“Could it be that he found her?” Luo Tan had a sudden thought. “Could it be that Brother Ling found my younger cousin, so he’s returning late?”

Shen Qiu and Luo Xueyan were momentarily stunned, then showed expressions of joy: “If that’s the case, it would be wonderful.”

But just at that moment, a panicked voice suddenly came from outside: “Terrible news! Terrible news!”

Everyone looked and saw that it was one of Luo Ling’s subordinates. He was covered in bright red and said, “Terrible news, Young Master Ling is in trouble!”