What was buying a cook for?

At this moment, the garrison commander was also asking his wife this question.

“Were those few pastries I casually brought back last night really that good?” he laughed. “To make you so eager to go buy their cook first thing in the morning? Don’t let people laugh at you for being greedy and lose the dignity of a lady.”

The garrison commander’s wife glared at him.

“I’m doing this for you,” she said. “The maids and servants have all been arranged, but we’re still missing a good cook. You don’t know—these noble people from Jiangnan are very particular and love to eat those delicate, refined things. I tasted what you brought back last night, and both the taste and appearance were excellent. It’s perfect to buy her and keep her on hand.”

The garrison commander nodded and thanked his wife.

“My wife is still the most thoughtful. Thank you for all your hard work these days,” he said with a bow.

The garrison commander’s wife smiled with pursed lips, accepting her husband’s courtesy.

Why work so hard? Wasn’t it all for the honor of the husband bringing glory to the wife, earning her husband’s respect?

While the couple was talking, a servant woman hurried in from outside.

“Sir, Madam,” she quickly bowed upon seeing the garrison commander present.

The commander made an “mm” sound and sat down to the side.

“Bring the person back first and teach her properly. Although she’s just a cook who won’t be seen by guests, she still can’t be clumsy,” the garrison commander’s wife said to the servant woman.

The servant woman quickly shook her head, with some irritation.

“Madam, they won’t sell the cook,” she said.

The garrison commander also looked over upon hearing this, slightly frowning.

“I told you not to worry about money—give her however much she wants,” the garrison commander’s wife said unhurriedly.

She was all too familiar with this kind of playing-hard-to-get trick.

“Any amount of money won’t work,” the servant woman said aggrievedly, her face unable to hide her indignation.

Only then did the garrison commander’s wife frown.

“Did you tell them it was us who wanted her?” she asked again.

“I handed over the calling card right from the start,” the servant woman said even more indignantly.

What ungrateful people! Didn’t they know whose territory they were on now?

The garrison commander’s wife couldn’t help but look at the garrison commander.

“It seems this physician doesn’t lack money and has quite a bit of nerve,” she said with a half-smile.

The garrison commander snorted.

“Is that the so-called divine physician lady?” he asked.

The servant woman quickly nodded.

“That’s her,” she said.

The garrison commander’s face darkened as his fingers drummed on the table.

“I’ve already heard from my subordinates that this suddenly appeared divine physician has been stirring up quite a bit of unrest in the barracks recently,” he said slowly. “If it weren’t for our military physicians’ medicinal broths keeping them alive, would they have lived to wait for this so-called divine physician to treat them? How ridiculous! We provide good food, good drink, and good care for these wounded soldiers without getting any credit, and instead we’ve become the villains who abandon and neglect them!”

By the last sentence, the garrison commander’s fingers had formed a fist that he slammed heavily on the table.

The servant woman was startled, but the garrison commander’s wife showed no reaction, her expression relaxed as she waved the servant woman away. She knew that from now on, she wouldn’t need to worry about this matter. She just had to wait for this cook to obediently come to her.

When Jiang Hai came to visit again, he sensed something was different. There were no more pastries in front of him, not even tea.

A’Hao set a bowl of plain water in front of Jiang Hai with a long face, not even glancing at him before walking away.

Look at that—such a difference. Jiang Hai shifted his gaze back to Qi Yue, who smiled slightly at him.

This kind of woman was the most, most, most adorable.

Jiang Hai couldn’t help but grin.

“Lady Qi, Lady Qi, there’s nothing much to see in the shabby city. Yesterday it snowed heavily, and there’s a plum garden in bloom at Wuli Village five li outside the city. Let me take you to see it,” he said eagerly.

“Are the plum blossoms blooming now? Are they winter plums?” Qi Yue asked casually.

Jiang Hai felt somewhat embarrassed. Although he had taken many women to appreciate plum blossoms before, they were all rough people, and their real intentions weren’t about the flowers. Who knew what kind of plums they were? Knowing they were plum blossoms and not some other flowers was already quite good.

Afraid of saying the wrong thing and embarrassing himself later, he made some vague “mm-hmm” sounds without really answering anything.

Fortunately, Qi Yue didn’t ask further.

“According to what you say, the Young Lord doesn’t often stay here?” Qi Yue asked.

Jiang Hai breathed a sigh of relief, very happy that Qi Yue had changed the subject.

“That’s right,” he nodded. “Take this year, for example—more than half the time he’s been elsewhere, and I’ve followed him to quite a few places. If it weren’t for celebrating a familiar brother’s birthday, I wouldn’t have made it back in time, and then I wouldn’t have seen you, my lady.”

He didn’t forget to add this last part.

Qi Yue nodded, resting her chin on her hand as she looked out the door.

It was snowing again, covering the ground with a layer of white gauze.

“Then he’ll return here this time, won’t he?” Qi Yue asked.

“He should,” Jiang Hai said, looking at Qi Yue and finally asking belatedly, “Are you looking for the Young Lord, my lady?”

Qi Yue quickly withdrew her gaze.

“No, it’s just that since I’m here, if we happen to meet, we’ll see each other. After all, we’re acquainted. If we don’t meet, then so be it,” she said with a smile.

Jiang Hai made an “oh” sound.

“When the Young Lord returns, I’ll take you to see him,” he said.

Qi Yue smiled and thanked him.

A’Hao came stomping in again.

“Officer Jiang, what would you like for lunch? It’s getting late, so I’ll go tell the kitchen to prepare it early,” she said in a gruff voice.

Half the day had passed again? Jiang Hai looked surprised.

“Since it’s snowing today, how about we have hot pot?” Qi Yue said. “Jiang Hai, the wild chicken meat you brought will be perfect for the hot pot.”

Never mind hot pot—even drinking slop would be fine. Jiang Hai nodded eagerly, repeatedly saying it was good.

To show he wasn’t just freeloading, Jiang Hai volunteered to help. Qi Yue watched the lively courtyard while resting her chin on her hand again.

Was it snowing in the capital?

Had that brat set out yet?

What was he eating for his meal at this time?

“Time to eat! Time to eat! Time to eat!”

Zhou Maochun pounded on the door so loudly that everyone around couldn’t help but shake their heads and cover their ears as they moved away.

There was no response from the tightly closed room.

Zhou Maochun angrily walked in circles, directing the several eunuchs who had followed him.

“Break down the door! Break it down!” he shouted.

The eunuchs looked at each other without moving.

“Oh my! Weren’t you the ones who listened to this boy and broke down the library door when you came looking for me?” Zhou Maochun jumped and shouted.

“But that time we had His Majesty’s golden permission,” one eunuch said with a forced smile.

“I have that too! His Majesty’s golden edict ordered me to invite Lady Qi to the capital!” Zhou Maochun glared and shouted. “My current investigation into Lady Qi’s whereabouts is by imperial decree! Do you want to defy the imperial order?”

Oh my, how is this considered following an imperial decree… The eunuchs smiled bitterly, feeling helpless.

“Alright, alright. Didn’t His Majesty say that as long as he doesn’t bother His Majesty, bothering anyone else is fine? Let him make his fuss,” one eunuch said quietly, waving his hand.

Everyone then responded and messily lifted a door bar.

Zhou Maochun directed from the side, shouting “one, two, three.”

The eunuchs carried the door bar and rammed it toward the door.

Just then, the door opened.

Chang Yuncheng stepped aside, watching the eunuchs holding the door bar tumble in like a string of grasshoppers, groaning on the ground in a heap.

Unshaven, with eyes red from staying up all night, Chang Yuncheng held more than ten scrolls in his arms and frowned.

“The blueprints are all ready. Please have the duty officer deliver them to His Majesty to see if they’re acceptable, so I can revise them again,” he said to the clerk standing outside the door, ignoring these people.

The clerk responded and took the scrolls. Unable to carry them all by himself, others quickly came to help, and they all left together.

Zhou Maochun angrily jumped in front of Chang Yuncheng.

“Good! You little Chang! You actually wouldn’t see me! You dared to give me the cold shoulder! You know what? In this world, the only one who’s ever given me the cold shoulder is my master!” he shouted, bristling with anger.

Chang Yuncheng bowed to him.

“Please forgive me, sir. I was in a rush with the blueprints His Majesty requested,” he said hoarsely.

His attitude was sincere, but attitude had never worked on Zhou Maochun.

He spat.

“Rush my ass!” he glared. “I asked His Majesty! I also asked duty officer Little Li! They all said it wasn’t urgent! You’re deliberately targeting me!”

Chang Yuncheng bowed again.

“Yes, I was indeed too hasty,” he said. “I wanted to finish quickly to share His Majesty’s burdens.”

“Sweet talk doesn’t work on me,” Zhou Maochun snorted, reaching out to grab him and drag him into the room. “Quick, tell me about urgent matters.”

These past few days, Zhou Maochun had nearly torn the house apart. Fortunately, the palace buildings were sturdy.

“What matter is so urgent for Master Zhou?” Chang Yuncheng asked.

Before Zhou Maochun could speak, Chang Yuncheng’s personal guard squeezed in from outside, holding a food box.

“Young Lord, please eat something quickly. This has been reheated twice already and can’t be reheated again,” he said urgently.

“What’s the rush? He won’t die from a little hunger,” Zhou Maochun shouted.

The guard became anxious too.

“My Young Lord hasn’t eaten for two days!” he shouted.

Any normal person would be moved hearing this, but unfortunately Zhou Maochun wasn’t normal. Having seen life and death countless times, this didn’t affect him at all.

“Two days without eating won’t kill him!” he shouted, grabbing Chang Yuncheng and pulling him aside. “Quick, tell me—do you know where Lady Qi went?”

Chang Yuncheng was stunned.

“You’re looking for her?” he asked.

“Yes! I’ve been looking for her until I’m almost going crazy!” Zhou Maochun stamped his feet.

“What do you want with her?” Chang Yuncheng asked.

“I want her to join the Imperial Medical Academy. Such a divine physician staying in that countryside place in Yongqing Prefecture is simply a waste,” Zhou Maochun said.

The Imperial Medical Academy? Chang Yuncheng felt somewhat pleased. This kind of recognition would be tremendous respect for that woman. She would definitely be very happy.

He was about to speak when Zhou Maochun looked at him, remembering the frustration of these past days, and snorted again.

“And while I’m at it, find Lady Qi a good marriage,” he added.

Chang Yuncheng was stunned and looked at Zhou Maochun, closing his mouth.

“Such a wonderful woman, and you’re still not satisfied, playing around with some ‘left and right wives’ nonsense. Isn’t this bullying? What kind of person is our Lady Qi? Why should she have to share a husband with someone else?” Zhou Maochun continued obliviously, getting angrier as he spoke. If it weren’t for this, would a woman leave Yongqing Prefecture to wander around? Wasn’t it because she couldn’t bear to stay in that heartbreaking place?

It was all this bastard boy’s fault!

“You—who told you this?” Chang Yuncheng asked.

These matters were written in memorials, privately submitted to the emperor, and were personal family affairs. They couldn’t possibly be known by everyone…

“Duty officer Little Li,” Zhou Maochun waved his head, his eyes lighting up. “Ah, speaking of Little Li, he’s really suitable! Although I don’t think much of his grandfather, he himself is decent—like a winter melon growing on slag. He hasn’t married yet, looks presentable, and is honest. Most importantly, he’s from the capital, so Lady Qi could settle down in the capital!”

The more he thought about it, the happier he became. He couldn’t help but clap his hands, wishing he could immediately urge the Li family to quickly marry Lady Qi.

What? A matchmaker? The Li family’s opinion?

When was it their turn to have opinions? This was already looking favorably upon them!

Chang Yuncheng’s body tensed, and his face turned iron-blue.

Who was this Little Li? Where did he come from? From the tone of the conversation, it seemed he and Qi Yueniang… knew each other.

Didn’t she say she had only stayed in the capital for a few days? How did she… how did she come to know so many random people?

Chang Yuncheng felt as if a hundred claws were scratching his heart, wishing he could fly back in one step.

“Hey,” Zhou Maochun reached out to grab him again, shaking him as he asked, “That’s not urgent for now. Do you actually know where Lady Qi went or not? You two were husband and wife after all, and she left from your aunt’s house.”

Chang Yuncheng looked at Zhou Maochun and slowly nodded.

Finally having news of what he’d been desperately searching for, Zhou Maochun was so overjoyed he nearly suffocated.

“Where did she go?” he asked with a trembling voice.

Chang Yuncheng looked at him and slowly raised his hand to point south.

“She…” he began slowly, “went to Fujian…”