The maids screamed and panicked, alerting Old Madam Xie and others from the front, causing quite a commotion before everyone calmed down.

“How do you feel?” Old Madam Xie sat by the bed and asked gently. “Don’t get up too quickly. You’ve been lying down for so long, take it slowly.”

Madam Xie nodded.

“I’ve made mother worry,” she said.

Old Madam Xie patted her hand and stood up.

“Mother,” Madam Xie called out.

Old Madam Xie stopped and looked at her.

“Has Yuncheng returned?” Madam Xie asked.

Old Madam Xie’s expression remained unchanged.

“No, he left long ago. He won’t be back until after the New Year at the earliest,” she said with a smile.

Madam Xie looked at her, her expression also unchanged.

“I must have been dreaming. I dreamed he came back,” she said with a smile.

“A mother worries when her child travels a thousand li,” Old Madam Xie laughed, patting Madam Xie’s hand. “So you need to get better quickly, so Yuncheng can feel at ease while he’s away.”

Madam Xie nodded.

“Mother, I want to go home,” she said.

Old Madam Xie was startled.

“Go home? What would you do at home?” she said with a frown.

“I’m better now. I still want to go home and keep house for Yuncheng,” Madam Xie said with a smile. “I hope mother will grant this.”

Old Madam Xie scrutinized her but couldn’t discern anything.

“Well then, I’ll ask Old Physician An what he says,” she said. “If you can travel, I’ll send you back, though that chaotic household is better left alone.”

Madam Xie smiled and slowly got up using her hands to support herself on the bed, with the maids hurrying to help.

“Mother, no matter how chaotic, it’s still home,” she laughed.

Old Madam Xie looked at her and finally nodded.

Walking out of the room, Old Madam Xie stopped and looked at the attending maids.

“Did you say something to the madam?” she asked sternly.

The maids quickly knelt and shook their heads.

“We didn’t say anything,” they answered in confusion.

Old Madam Xie looked suspicious.

“You didn’t mention Yuncheng’s return?” she asked.

The maids exchanged glances and shook their heads.

“We never said it in front of the madam,” they said quietly.

“So you did say it behind her back?” Old Madam Xie struck her cane and shouted.

“No, we only mentioned it once, and the madam was asleep and didn’t hear. Besides, if the madam had heard, how could she not ask or make a fuss?” the maids said hurriedly.

Given Madam Xie’s temperament, indeed…

If she had known about this, she would have definitely made a big scene.

Old Madam Xie nodded.

It seemed she was just homesick, after all, she had lived there for decades.

“Don’t mention it again in the future,” she glared at the maids and walked away.

In the room, Madam Xie slowly took her medicine, gulping it down without even needing any candied fruit.

I’m going home, I need to get better, I need to guard the house. No matter what demons and monsters you are, don’t think of entering!

By late September, the weather in the capital had become cool, but the busy people in the Imperial Medical Bureau were all sweating profusely.

Following the initial report of epidemic from Yongqing Prefecture, soon more places reported outbreaks. Basically, all of Jiangnan had become epidemic zones, but fortunately, with Yongqing Prefecture’s prevention and treatment experience, plus timely support, the epidemics in other places were still brought under control.

“This is all thanks to Qianjin Hall,” a court physician sighed.

A man sitting there reading memorials looked slightly displeased. He put down the memorial in his hands.

“This is due to proper handling by the local government,” he said. “How can a small medical clinic deserve such praise?”

The court physician who had spoken looked at him and smiled.

“Bureau Clerk Dong, this isn’t what I said, it’s what those local governments said,” he laughed.

Dong Lin naturally saw this.

“I wonder who opened this Qianjin Hall to have such great influence,” other imperial physicians laughed.

Liu Pucheng…

Dong Lin said silently, of course not aloud.

“This Miss Qi, could she really be so capable?” someone over there said.

Dong Lin’s hand gripped the table. Miss Qi? What could a mere woman accomplish… it must be Liu Pucheng behind her.

Surgical secrets, epidemic response…

Master must have given him those untransmitted secrets! That box of books! It must be in Liu Pucheng’s hands!

No wonder he couldn’t wait to leave the capital and run back to such a small place! He was hiding to study these untransmitted secrets!

Dong Lin couldn’t help but pound the table heavily.

That biased old fool!

“This Miss Qi, is she really so capable?”

At this very moment, another person asked this question.

The emperor sat on his white jade bed, one leg on the bed, looking at the memorial in his hands in a posture that would make cabinet ministers kneel and remonstrate unto death if they saw it.

And in front of him, Zhou Maochun, who had been granted a cushion to sit on, was also in a somewhat improper posture.

“Yes, yes, very capable indeed. Your Majesty, summon her to the capital and you’ll see,” he said eagerly.

The emperor looked at the memorial, swung his leg, looked at Zhou Maochun, and smiled.

“Alright, We approve,” he said, tossing the memorial over.

Zhou Maochun nimbly leaped to catch it.

“Thank you for Your Majesty’s great kindness,” he shouted happily.

“We’re helping you trick someone here. When you get benefits, don’t forget to show Us some rarities,” the emperor said.

Zhou Maochun chuckled.

“How could that be? That Miss Qi is skilled at handling epidemics. Inviting her to describe the details for compilation and distribution is also a great benefit to the people,” he said seriously.

The emperor laughed heartily and sat up properly.

“You old rascal, whenever We see you talk like this, We want to laugh,” he laughed and scolded.

“Your Majesty, this old minister has a sincere heart…” Zhou Maochun said pitifully.

The emperor laughed even harder.

“Enough, sincere heart. We haven’t seen you have a sincere heart at other times, burrowing in the library all day without coming out,” he waved his hand and stood up.

This was the emperor’s signal to dismiss guests. Zhou Maochun quickly bowed and took his leave.

Watching Zhou Maochun leave joyfully, the emperor smiled. A nearby eunuch quickly bowed and came to serve.

“Miss Qi…” he repeated.

“Hearing Court Judge Zhou describe her so excitedly, should Your Majesty perhaps meet her?” the eunuch said flatteringly.

The emperor shook his head.

“Where would We find the time,” he said.

“A woman practicing medicine – I wonder what she looks like?” the eunuch said curiously.

He naturally wasn’t curious himself, but curious on behalf of the emperor.

In the emperor’s eyes, women only fell into categories of beautiful or ugly. This kind of reading the emperor’s mind and speaking so naturally was not something just anyone could do, which is why he was the emperor’s first chief eunuch.

“Seventy or eighty years old, naturally very ugly,” the emperor said.

While stepping out of the hall, the cool autumn breeze brought the laughter of palace women, refreshing the spirit.

“Come, let’s go admire the beauties,” the emperor raised his hand.

Indeed, someone who could impress Zhou Maochun, who considered himself the best under heaven, could only be older than him… The eunuch nodded, dropped the topic, and happily led the way.

“They’re back! They’re back!”

Yuan Bao shouted loudly. The courtyard gate had been opened long ago, and A’Hao was the first to rush out, then saw Qi Yue already entering the alley.

“Ha,” Qi Yue spread her arms, showing a brilliant smile to A’Hao and the others running over. “Did you miss me?”

She wore simple cloth clothes, had lost a full circle of weight, and looked travel-worn.

A’Hao threw herself over and burst into tears.

Qi Yue laughed heartily, reaching out to pat and comfort her.

Behind them, A’Ru and two disciples carrying luggage also couldn’t help but smile with moist eyes.

After a hot bath, changed into home clothes, A’Hao helped her dry her hair and arrange it into a beautiful coiffure. The person in the mirror had regained her tender white and pink complexion. She smiled at the mirror, radiant and glowing.

A sumptuous meal was laid out on the table, along with a pot of wine.

“Golden nest, silver nest, nothing beats your own doghouse,” Qi Yue sighed comfortably.

“No matter what nest, next time I’m following you, miss,” A’Hao said with pursed lips.

“Good,” Qi Yue smiled.

As they spoke, there was commotion outside.

“Aunt.”

“Aunt.”

The same address, called out by two different voices.

Two children squeezed through the door simultaneously.

Qi Yue smiled and took one in each hand, asking who they came with.

Wang Qiao’er and Yan’er competed to answer, each fearing to fall behind the other.

With two more children, the room immediately became lively.

Listening to the children’s chatter and laughter, Qi Yue smiled somewhat absent-mindedly.

Aunt…

That person called uncle… how was he doing now…

In the end, she hadn’t been able to catch up with Chang Yuncheng. Xiao Qu had suggested using official post to send a letter. She had written a note, but there was no response after it was sent, probably lost on the way. She didn’t write another.

Because she decided to go in person.

Just as she had been surprised and delighted to see him suddenly appear, he would be even more surprised and delighted to suddenly see her.

Thinking of that fool who didn’t even dare say goodbye and left silently, she couldn’t help but want to sigh.

“Are you really going?”

In the deep night, when the courtyard that had been noisy all day returned to quiet, A’Ru was making the bed and was surprised to hear Qi Yue’s decision.

She thought Qi Yue had stopped thinking about this matter.

“Of course I’m going,” Qi Yue fell onto the quilt, hands behind her head, looking at the bed curtains. “The epidemic is finally settled, and I’m tired. It’s perfect timing to go out and walk around.”

If you’re tired, shouldn’t you rest well at home? A’Ru looked at her.

“Going out to walk around more, seeing the great mountains and rivers, is very interesting,” Qi Yue sat up and said to her with sparkling eyes.

“Fine, whatever you say goes,” A’Ru smiled. “Wherever you go, I’ll go.”

Qi Yue nodded.

“Plans can’t keep up with changes, so we’ve decided. Tomorrow we’ll prepare, and the day after we’ll leave, to avoid any more delays,” she said, clenching her fists.

But plans really couldn’t keep up with changes. The next day, Second Madam Chen Shi came to visit.

“Aunt, I was just about to visit you…” Qi Yue said loudly, coming out to greet her. Seeing Chen Shi entering, she couldn’t help but be stunned.

The woman entering wore a rose-red and fragrant-yellow crossed-collar robe, with a pearl phoenix hairpin, her eyebrows and eyes like paintings, her complexion like thick autumn colors. She didn’t need maids to support her, walking in gracefully.

Who was this?

Qi Yue didn’t dare speak for a moment.