These words startled everyone in the room.

“What’s wrong? She doesn’t contact the family all year round—how did she provoke you again?” the old lady asked in confusion.

Rao Chen Shi wiped her tears with her handkerchief, looking haggard and clearly truly distressed.

“That’s what I should ask her—what exactly is she trying to do?” she said choking back tears.

The Rao family servants who had followed her in were taken away, leaving only a few Chen family daughters-in-law. Some brought hot tea, others brought hot water and towels. Everyone wasn’t in a hurry to question her, but carefully attended to her needs.

“Did the second son-in-law come too?” the old lady asked those outside.

Before the daughters-in-law could answer, Rao Chen Shi, who was cleaning her face, put down the towel.

“He still dares to show his face? All dignity is lost,” she said, and the tears that had just stopped began to fall again.

The old lady quickly waved her hand.

“Enough, enough! Say what you have to say directly! How did things get like this? When did you arrive in the capital?” she asked.

“Just arrived,” Rao Chen Shi said, picking up the teacup to drink, obviously parched with thirst.

The old lady hurriedly called for someone to prepare food.

“Mother, how can I eat at a time like this,” Rao Chen Shi put down the teacup and said, “Where is Xueniang? Have her come see me.”

The old lady gave her a stern look.

“Tell me what’s going on first,” she said.

“Mother, this is all because you’ve spoiled her like this,” Rao Chen Shi said, throwing her handkerchief on the table.

A servant woman entered with lowered head.

“Old lady, the master asks whether there’s any matter concerning the second lady’s return?” she said quietly.

The master was Chen Xue’s legitimate older brother. Both husband and wife were in poor health and were quietly recuperating and practicing Taoism in the adjacent courtyard, basically not going out or interacting with people.

It seemed the second lady had made quite a commotion entering.

“Big brother? There is indeed something. I’ll go see sister-in-law in a moment,” Rao Chen Shi said.

The old lady glared at her daughter.

“You’re forty or fifty years old, about to be a grandmother, and still so reckless,” she said quietly but sternly. Then she looked at the servant woman, “Tell the master it’s nothing. When you have time, copy another chapter of the Treatise on Response and Retribution for me.”

The servant woman responded and withdrew.

“We can’t control her—let her legitimate brother and sister-in-law handle it,” Rao Chen Shi continued.

“Don’t talk nonsense to me—if there’s something to say, say it!” the old lady slammed the table and shouted.

The old lady was getting on in years and increasingly confused at times, but when she lost her temper, she was still this fierce.

Rao Chen Shi didn’t dare lose her temper anymore.

“It’s about my husband’s younger brother’s child, Yu Fang,” she said.

“Oh, that girl who can’t be beaten or scolded, and runs to cry at your brother-in-law’s old residence at the slightest provocation?” the old lady said.

“Yes! I practically want to worship her like an ancestor. Why did I ever take on this hot potato!” Rao Chen Shi said with a sigh, then curled her lip. “She’s just like Xueniang.”

The old lady slapped the table again with a bang.

“What kind of thing is she? What kind of thing is her father? How dare you compare her to Xueniang!” she shouted angrily, “Do you have any real business or not? If not, get out of here!”

She was truly angry now. The servant women and daughters-in-law in the room hurriedly tried to mediate and gave Rao Chen Shi meaningful looks.

Rao Chen Shi reluctantly apologized.

“It’s like this—Xueniang said she would arrange a marriage for Yu Fang, so I believed her,” she said, not daring to speak carelessly anymore and getting to the point.

The old lady snorted.

“You believed she could marry that child off far away, didn’t you?” she said.

A mother knows her daughter best. Rao Chen Shi smiled sheepishly.

“Mother, I swear to heaven that I truly wanted what’s best for Yu Fang with all my heart,” she said seriously. “This isn’t just about my reputation—it’s about the Rao family’s reputation. I put my whole heart into her.”

This was true. The old lady’s expression softened.

“So what happened next? Did arranging the marriage turn you into enemies?” she asked.

Rao Chen Shi looked around at the people in the room and picked up her tea.

Those in the room understood.

“I’ll go check the kitchen and have them add more dishes.”

“Since the second young lady has returned, she should stay home for a day. I’ll go see how they’re preparing the room.”

The daughters-in-law said one after another, smiling as they led people out.

Closing the door also closed off the conversation in the room.

When night fell, Qi Yue watched Chen Shi drink her medicine.

“You don’t need to watch me like this all the time—I’m not a child,” Chen Shi said with a smile.

Qi Yue smiled and handed her some candied fruit.

Chen Shi didn’t eat it.

“I take more medicine than food—where would I need this?” she said with a smile, looking at Qi Yue. “Has His Majesty not summoned you these past few days?”

Qi Yue turned to put down the plate.

“Why would the Emperor summon me?” she said with a smile.

Chen Shi raised her hand to wipe her mouth.

“About those pharmaceutical matters you’re handling—are they all going well? Is His Majesty satisfied?” she asked.

Qi Yue made an “oh” sound.

“Everything’s fine. You can rest assured about my work,” she said with a smile.

“I’ve never been able to rest assured about your work,” Chen Shi shook her head, looking at Qi Yue. “Go rest quickly. You’re working too hard. If you keep staying up late, your complexion and energy will suffer.”

Qi Yue casually touched her face and agreed with a smile.

Just as she entered her room, A’Hao came bouncing over with a letter.

“A letter from the Prince!” she called out.

Qi Yue quickly reached out to take it, tearing open the envelope while skillfully kicking off her shoes, then flopping down on the bed.

A’Ru helplessly cleaned up behind her.

“Tea or goat’s milk?” A’Hao asked, habitually picking up two cups.

Qi Yue opened the letter, and a flattened dried grass fell out—a small rabbit woven from grass.

“Tea!” she said with a smile, raising her hand.

This was the rhythm of staying up all night. A’Ru quickly snatched the tea from A’Hao’s hand.

“Why are you encouraging this nonsense?” she said, placing a cup of goat’s milk in front of Qi Yue. “Sleep early. In your dreams you can see the Prince, and be as sweet as you want. That’s better than staying up half the night in your room staring at letters with a silly smile.”

Qi Yue laughed heartily and drank the goat’s milk like wine, earning another round of complaints from A’Ru.

“He’s traveling so fast—by now he’s already halfway there,” Qi Yue said, lying on the bed and turning over to lie on her stomach, looking at the letter. “His handwriting is really beautiful.”

“Yes, the Marquis hired good teachers. When the Prince was young, he was beaten many times for his calligraphy,” A’Hao said, sitting on a small stool by the bed while sewing shoes.

Qi Yue turned over again to lie on her back.

“…He writes so elegantly too. ‘Not seeing you for a day is like three autumns passing,’ and he even added the character ‘xi’…” she said with a smile.

A’Ru came in carrying two garments.

“Listen, you’ve been reciting this all evening. We all know how much the Prince misses Miss Qi. Please stop talking about it,” she said in mock pleading.

Qi Yue laughed.

“I’ll keep reciting it. I know you’re jealous of me,” she said.

“Sister A’Ru won’t be jealous of you—she can see her husband every day. You should be jealous of Sister A’Ru,” A’Hao said with sparkling eyes.

Qi Yue laughed and nodded.

“You little devil!” A’Ru hadn’t expected the topic to turn to her. Embarrassed and laughing, she reached out to pinch A’Hao’s ear.

A’Hao ran to Qi Yue for protection.

The room immediately filled with laughter and playful noise.

After the laughter died down, A’Ru folded the clothes nearby.

“What are these clothes for?” Qi Yue asked.

“Made for brother-in-law,” A’Hao said.

A’Ru pressed her hand on A’Hao’s head, making her quickly say she wouldn’t dare.

“They’re summer clothes for the Prince,” A’Ru said, looking at A’Hao. “What about the shoes you’re making? Are they finished? All you do is play around all day.”

“They’re done, they’re done! This is the second pair,” A’Hao said quickly.

Only then did Qi Yue realize what the two maids were doing with their needlework every evening.

“You’re making clothes for him too?” she said with a smile.

“We used to make three seasons’ worth of clothes for the Prince, sending a big bundle each time,” A’Hao said, gesturing.

But unfortunately, back then the Prince never accepted them. Those finished clothes piled up in the room season after season.

Perhaps thinking of the past, A’Hao’s expression became somewhat melancholy.

That feeling was something Qi Yue had never experienced.

“Mm, this is really nice. Too bad I can’t do needlework, or I’d make something too,” she said with a smile.

“Eh?” A’Hao looked up at her in surprise. “Miss, your needlework is quite good too.”

A’Ru coughed.

“It’s getting late. Go to sleep quickly. You’ll be busy again tomorrow,” she said, taking the clothes and shoes. “How much more is there? I’ll help you finish tonight.”

A’Hao’s attention was diverted.

“No need, no need. I’ll finish it in a moment,” she said.

The two maids extinguished the lights in the room one by one, leaving only one, and lowered the curtain of the inner room.

“No more staring at letters with silly smiles instead of sleeping,” A’Ru warned before leaving.

Qi Yue tucked the letter under her pillow and lay down with her eyes closed.

A’Ru chuckled softly and closed the door as she left.

The outer room’s light went out, and dim moonlight filtered in. Hearing the footsteps fade away, Qi Yue opened her eyes and pulled the letter from under her pillow. The room was too dark to read clearly, but it didn’t matter—she had already memorized it. She pressed the letter to her heart and silently recited each word.

The clothes and letter were quickly packed and sent away, and Qi Yue began waiting for the next letter.

“We’ve found the shop, Master. I had someone look at several auspicious dates—which one do you think is suitable?” Hu San handed a piece of paper to Qi Yue.

“I don’t understand these things. Teacher, you choose,” Qi Yue said to Liu Pucheng beside her.

Liu Pucheng didn’t decline and nodded.

“The first batch of finished medical supply samples is ready. Master, please go take a look,” Hu San said busily about another matter.

Qi Yue nodded happily.

“Let’s go now,” she said without hesitation and started walking.

Before she reached the door, she was stopped.

“His Majesty is summoning me?” Qi Yue asked the eunuch who had come to the door with some surprise.

“Yes, Miss Qi, please hurry,” the eunuch said with a smile.

The boss was most important. Qi Yue nodded.

“Go get some samples for me,” she said to Hu San.

As the carriage left the alley, another carriage entered. Seeing the imperial eunuch, they quickly stopped to give way.

“What’s this? Has Xueniang entered the palace?” the curtain was lifted, and Duke Deqing’s old lady asked.

“It doesn’t seem so—looks like that Miss Qi,” the servant outside answered.

As the carriage approached, the old lady didn’t lower her curtain.

That Miss Qi.

She thought to herself, then saw the carriage suddenly lift its curtain and a woman poke her head out.

“Oh right, Hu San, bring some syringes and such too,” she instructed.

Hu San responded affirmatively.

Qi Yue lowered the curtain.

The carriage passed by unhurriedly.

The coachman here then led the horse.

“Old lady, please sit steady…” a servant woman beside her said, then turned to look and cried out in alarm, “Old lady, what’s wrong?”

This cry brought all the attending servants rushing over. They saw Duke Deqing’s old lady clutching her chest, gasping heavily—more precisely, exhaling but not inhaling, her face already turning blue.

One servant woman quickly took out a porcelain bottle, opened it, and placed it under the old lady’s nose. Another heavily patted the old lady’s back. After two wheezing sounds, the old lady finally caught her breath.

“I, I, I…” she said tremblingly, gasping, her gaze fixed intently on one direction, but she couldn’t say anything for a long time.

It seemed, it seemed!