Just at this moment, hurried footsteps sounded outside again, followed by the curtain being lifted.

A refined maidservant wearing a dark green satin jacket and stone-blue cotton skirt entered, hastily performed a courtesy, then urgently said: “Nanny Zhu, Third Madam’s carriage has already reached the main gate. First Madam is arranging for people to welcome them at the second gate. Concubine wants you to quickly arrange for people to clean out the main hall of Ziwei Courtyard and Eldest Young Miss’s east wing, and have all the heated floor channels warmed up. Also, check whether the bedding and mattresses have gotten damp – if they can’t be used, replace them early.”

Nanny Zhu had originally been sitting on a small stool in front of the kang. Upon hearing this young maidservant speak, she had already jumped up in panic, even knocking over the small stool with her movement, creating a muffled sound: “What? How can they be so fast? Wasn’t it said they wouldn’t arrive until evening? It’s only just past noon.”

“Ah, what’s the point of asking about this now? In any case, they’ll be here soon, so you’d better hurry up.” After speaking, she turned and hurriedly ran off again.

Nanny Zhu anxiously circled the room twice in confusion, finally stamped her foot, and turned to give Ren Yaoqi an instruction: “This servant will go down to make arrangements first.”

Nanny Zhu lifted the curtain and left, and the room instantly became quiet.

Ren Yaoqi turned her head to look out the window, her eyes clear and bright as water.

Perhaps because of the snow, through the thick glass paper, she could only see a gray haze outside. Although it was just past noon, it looked like the break of dawn.

Ren Yaoqi sat quietly at the head of the kang, waiting for the commotion outside. When mother returned, she would first go to Old Madam’s courtyard to pay respects, then return to Ziwei Courtyard.

The two young maidservants who had been dismissed by Nanny Zhu earlier had now returned.

“Xueli, did you see? Those guard brothers from Yan Bei Prince’s residence are each tall and mighty, even more imposing than the few guard brothers in our outer courtyard. It’s a pity they all kept stern faces – even when Hanlu from Fourth Young Miss’s side walked right up to them, they didn’t even lift their eyes.”

“Oh, when I went, the people from Yan Bei Prince’s residence had already left. But did you see the old Princess Consort? I heard she’s the late emperor’s daughter, a real princess.”

“Why would the Princess Consort enter our residence for no reason? She only sent people to escort Third Madam and Third Young Miss into the residence. But this woman, no matter how noble her status, if she can’t bear sons, it’s all for nothing. Even a princess has to make way for other women.”

“Surely an emperor’s daughter would be different?”

“What’s different about it? The current Yan Bei Prince didn’t crawl out of this princess’s belly – he’s the son of that Madam Yun. If a princess can’t bear sons, it’s like the heavens not sending rain or the head of household being unreasonable – what can be done about it?”

“That makes some sense. We’d better not discuss these matters anymore, or Nanny Zhu will scold us again if she comes in and sees.”

“Don’t worry, I saw Nanny Zhu earlier leading people to clean the main hall – where would she have time to mind us? Besides, Nanny Zhu only gives a scolding at most. If we offend Nanny Zhou, who serves by Third Madam’s side, that would truly be the end.”

“Oh, now that Third Madam has returned, won’t Ziwei Courtyard still have to follow Nanny Zhou’s decisions? Then we…”

“That can’t be right? We’re not Third Madam’s people. We and Nanny Zhu were all given to Fifth Young Miss by Concubine Fang.”

“But…”

“Shh—someone’s coming.”

Outside, suddenly fell quiet. The originally peaceful garden suddenly filled with the chaotic sound of footsteps. Ren Yaoqi straightened up and saw shadows passing by the window, seemingly heading toward the main hall.

“Third Madam and Third Young Miss went to Old Madam’s place. They’ll return to Ziwei Courtyard within half an hour. Move quickly and see what things are missing, then immediately report to First Madam.”

But Ren Yaoqi waited for a long time without anyone returning. The sounds of people coming and going outside, reporting back, and moving things remained chaotic. The medicine Ren Yaoqi had taken earlier contained sedatives, so later she couldn’t hold on and fell asleep. However, her heart still held worry, and she woke again at lamp-lighting time.

She felt someone sitting beside her bed and immediately opened her eyes.

A pair of candlesticks had been lit on the table in the center of the room, burned down about an inch. The moment she opened her eyes, the dim yellow light stung her eyes uncomfortably, making her turn her head slightly.

“Yaoqi, you’re awake?” A gentle voice sounded, and this voice made Ren Yaoqi freeze.

That person seemed to notice her discomfort, rose to move the candlesticks to the low table on the west side, then walked back.

“Is it better now?”

Ren Yaoqi nodded and said to the woman before her: “Concubine, when did you arrive?”

Although somewhat backlit, she could still make out the woman beside her. She wore a light purple fox fur jacket embroidered with orchid grass on satin, a white trimmed skirt, her black hair arranged in a drooping horse bun with only a pair of uniquely styled gold hairpins inserted.

Pearl earrings swayed gently beneath her ears, casting small shadows on her jade-white profile, creating a distinctly graceful and delicate appearance.

This was Concubine Fang, a woman from Jiangnan. Her words and actions were always elegant and gentle, like a lady who had stepped out of an ancient painting.

Everyone in the Ren residence said she was not only beautiful but also had a bodhisattva’s heart.

There had once been several half-grown maidservants in Ziwei Courtyard who secretly imitated Concubine Fang’s speech and walk. When Third Sister Ren Yaohua discovered this, she ordered Nanny Zhou to have them severely beaten with bamboo strips, beating their calves and insteps until they were bloody and raw, then locked them in the woodshed.

Because it was midsummer, after being confined for three days, all the maidservants developed maggots below their knees.

During the year when mother and Ren Yaohua were at the estate, Old Madam had entrusted Ziwei Courtyard and her to Concubine Fang’s care.

In her previous life’s memories, this Concubine Fang seemed to comply with her every request and take great care of her, so much so that even her biological daughter, Ninth Sister Ren Yaoying, resented her for it.

“I just arrived not long ago. I noticed you were covered in sweat – are you very hot?” A cool palm was placed on her forehead.

Ren Yaoqi didn’t move: “Mm.”

Concubine Fang sighed softly: “If you’re hot, why didn’t you say so? When you first fell ill, you kept complaining of a cold. Even with three layers of quilts, you still shivered from the cold, which is why I had you moved to the kang. Now that you’re not afraid of the cold, your illness must be nearly recovered. Later, I’ll have someone tidy up the bed, and you should sleep on the bed tonight – it’s more spacious.”

Ren Yaoqi nodded.

Concubine Fang looked at her for a while, then said carefully: “Yaoqi, your mother and third sister have returned. From now on, I’m afraid this concubine won’t be able to interfere in the courtyard’s affairs anymore. You should try to accommodate your third sister more in the future. She has a quick temper and pleases the elders. If you continue to oppose her in everything, you’ll be the one who suffers. As for your mother… actually, you can’t blame her. You know when you were born… In any case, it’s not that she doesn’t value you – after all, you’re also her daughter. It’s just that Third Young Miss is the eldest daughter, so naturally, your mother relies on her more.”

Concubine Fang persuaded her with soft, gentle words. Her voice was slow and measured. Although she spoke in northern dialect, careful listening could detect some southern accent – soft and melodious.

Ren Yaoqi tried to imagine how she would have reacted to these words with her childhood temperament, but her expression remained unchanged.

Seeing her silence, Concubine Fang reached out to straighten her quilt and continued: “Wait a few days until you’re feeling better, then go see Madam and Third Young Miss. I just felt your forehead, and it’s still warm. Madam and the Third Young Miss have just settled in after their long journey, so you should rest today first. Shall I have someone come change your bedding?”

Mother and Third Sister had already returned to the courtyard? Ren Yaoqi nodded.

Concubine Fang then rose and went out. Her soft, low instructions could be heard through the curtain.

After a while, two maidservants came in carrying bedding and walked to the canopy bed on the north side to begin making the bed.

That canopy bed hadn’t been slept in for some time and was originally somewhat damp. Fortunately, the room had heated floor channels, and the newly changed bedding was also dry. Even so, compared to the heated kang, it was still considerably colder.

When the body first heats up and sweats, then suddenly encounters cold and the sweat recedes, it’s very easy to catch a chill. She wondered if Concubine Fang knew this.

Ren Yaoqi had the little maidservant called Qingmei fetch several small hand warmers to place in the bedding to warm it, and also had them bring a set of dry undergarments to heat on the warming brazier first.

Qingmei whispered with another maidservant, Xueli: “First she complained of heat, now she’s afraid of cold. Fifth Young Miss and Third Young Miss are truly sisters – both are good at tormenting people.”

“Shh—never say such things again in the future. The one from the east wing is back…”

Ren Yaoqi didn’t hear the maidservants’ complaints. Once the bed was warmed, she had the maidservants help her change into dry undergarments and help her to sleep on the bed.

After being warmed by the small braziers for so long, the bed’s temperature was not much different from the kang’s warmth.

Not long after lying down, someone entered carrying a medicine bowl.

“Fifth Young Miss, it’s time to take your medicine.” A young woman’s voice called softly.

Ren Yaoqi opened her eyes and saw the refined woman in the dark green satin jacket and stone-blue cotton skirt who had come looking for Nanny Zhu earlier. She was a senior maidservant named Jinju who served beside Concubine Fang.

“Wasn’t it said the prescription would be changed?” Ren Yaoqi was helped to sit at the head of the bed by Jinju and glanced at the medicine bowl.

Jinju smiled: “Take this dose first, then change. Concubine originally invited a physician to come, but halfway here he was intercepted by Nanny Zhou to see Third Madam and Third Young Miss. After the physician reported to Old Madam, he was sent away by the steward. Concubine says she’ll invite a physician for you again tomorrow.”

“Is Mother ill?”

Hearing this, Jinju glanced at Ren Yaoqi and smiled: “Third Madam and Third Young Miss traveled all day in the icy snow outside – she’s probably worried about catching cold. Fifth Young Miss, the medicine will get cold. Please drink it quickly.”

The medicine bowl was brought to her lips. Ren Yaoqi couldn’t help but furrow her brow slightly – this wasn’t the same prescription she had been taking before.

The previous prescription, though neither warm nor strong, was still appropriate for her condition. This bowl of medicine, however, had several different herbs substituted.

After leaving the Ren family, she had read many books under Master Pei’s guidance – not just history and military strategy, but also law, astrology, geomancy, Buddhist scriptures, and especially medical texts, which she had memorized thoroughly.

All things in the world exist in mutual generation and restraint. Medicinal herbs are divided by nature into yin, yang, and neutral. Diseases are classified as cold, hot, damp, or dry.

Prescribing appropriate medicine requires not only understanding the herbs’ channels, directions, lifting and sinking properties, and mutual combinations, but also knowledge of the five elements’ generation and restraint, and the seven emotions’ harmony.

Mutual antagonism and contradiction are great taboos in medication.

For example, her original prescription contained aconite, a lower-grade poisonous herb. However, when properly processed and combined appropriately, it could become good medicine. Today’s medicine bowl contained not only aconite but also pinellia. Used separately, both were harmless, but used together violated the great taboo of conflicting medicinal properties.

Besides this, several other herb combinations were extremely inappropriate. So if she drank this medicine, while it wouldn’t immediately damage her body’s foundation, her nearly recovered illness would be prolonged for several more days.