After entering the inner hall and sitting down, Ling Jingyan asked curiously, “A’Shu, I’ve never seen the Crown Grandson’s name card before. Would you let me take a look?”

It wasn’t just Ling Jingyan — even Sun Shi was a little curious.

Ling Jingshu smiled and agreed, handing the card over.

Ling Jingyan turned the card over and over, examining it from every angle, and exclaimed in admiration, “This card has a layer of gold leaf pasted onto it — no wonder it looks so dazzling.”

If a sufficiently skilled craftsman were to carefully peel off that thin layer of gold leaf intact, even though the amount wasn’t much, it would still be enough to feed an ordinary family for a month.

And this was merely the most basic name card from the Crown Prince’s residence.

Truly the manner of the imperial household!

After Ling Jingyan finished looking it over, she passed the card to Sun Shi. Everyone took turns examining it, and it finally made its way back into Ling Jingshu’s hands.

Unable to suppress her eagerness any longer, Ling Jingshu said to Sun Shi, “Aunt, I’d like to go take a look at Huichun Hall tomorrow.”

Sun Shi was taken aback. “But tomorrow is only the tenth, and the fifteenth hasn’t come yet. Imperial Physician Wei won’t even be at Huichun Hall — you wouldn’t be able to see him even if you went.”

“I know all that, Aunt.” Ling Jingshu said gently, her expression pleading. “It’s just that I’m completely unfamiliar with the capital. I don’t even know where Huichun Hall is or what it looks like. I was thinking of going once beforehand, before the fifteenth, just to see the place.”

Ling Jingyan jumped in eagerly. “A’Shu, Huichun Hall is quite far away. Back when Imperial Physician Wei first established it, he didn’t set it up in the inner city at all — he put it in Jiashan Ward, out in the outer city. Jiashan Ward is right near the South Market, always bustling with people coming and going. From our house to Jiashan Ward, the round trip alone takes half a day!”

In other words, if they left for Huichun Hall in the morning, they’d need to eat lunch out, and would only make it back sometime in the afternoon at the earliest. If they spent more time along the way, they might not return until evening…

Ling Jingshu was a little surprised. “Is Huichun Hall really that far?”

Ling Jingyan nodded repeatedly. “Of course it is! After Huichun Hall became famous, some people suggested moving it into the inner city — they even had a building all ready, so Imperial Physician Wei wouldn’t even have had to look for a place himself. But he wouldn’t even consider it.”

As the younger brother of Wei Jieyu herself, with such outstanding medical skill and the emperor’s deep favor, no one dared press him no matter how stubborn his temper.

The result was that anyone seeking medical treatment had no choice but to go all the way to Huichun Hall in the outer city.

Sun Shi hesitated for a moment.

Ling Ji had only come home today to deliver the name card, and would have to return to the Imperial Academy first thing tomorrow morning. As for Ling Daye, there was no need even to mention him — he went to the Ministry of Works to check in every single day and simply couldn’t spare the time.

But the siblings Ling Jingshu and Ling Xiao were strangers to this place, and the thought of letting the two of them go out on their own left her genuinely uneasy…

Ling Jingshu seemed to sense Sun Shi’s concern. “Aunt, Luoyang is the capital, right under the Emperor’s gaze. These are peaceful, prosperous times, and every ward has patrolling constables. Besides, in broad daylight, what wrongdoer would dare cause trouble? We’ll bring along plenty of maids, servants, and guards — nothing will go wrong. Please don’t worry, Aunt.”

Ling Jingyan’s eyes lit up, and she also chimed in to help plead the case. “A’Shu is right. The capital’s public order is excellent. Even if there were petty troublemakers about, they’d never dare act up in broad daylight. The constables of the Five Boroughs Patrol are no mere decoration.”

She went on, puffing out her chest with an air of solidarity: “How about this — I’ll go along with A’Shu and A’Xiao. That way Mother won’t have to worry, right?”

Sun Shi: “…”

Everyone: “…”

So after all that talk, this was her real motive!

Sun Shi was equal parts exasperated and amused, and shot Ling Jingyan a glare. “A’Shu is steady and composed, never flustered — why would I worry about her going out? It’s you I worry about, always jumping about with no sense of propriety befitting a young lady. Going out like that, you’d be far more likely than not to stir up trouble.”

“Mother, are you even my real mother? How could you say such things about your own daughter!”

Ling Jingyan protested with a wronged expression. “In front of outsiders, of course I have to act dignified, to keep up the Ling family’s reputation. There’s no one else around right now, so why would I keep up the act?”

Sun Shi was both exasperated and amused at this.

Ling Jingshu, too, couldn’t help the corners of her mouth curving up in amusement.

When she’d first met Ling Jingyan, she had indeed been quite taken aback by her air of reserved elegance. But after spending more time together, it became clear that this was merely a mask Ling Jingyan used to put on appearances.

The real Ling Jingyan was lively and unrestrained, playful and endearing.

“Mother, I’m begging you, please be a dear and just say yes!” Ling Jingyan pressed her palms together and pleaded pitifully. “I promise, I’ll behave properly the whole way there, I won’t get off the carriage on a whim, and I absolutely won’t cause any trouble.”

Ling Jingshu suppressed a quiet laugh.

Sun Shi had originally been hesitating over whether to let Ling Jingshu and Ling Xiao go out at all — now, with Ling Jingyan stirring things up like this, the question had turned into whether to let Ling Jingyan tag along too…

Whether Sun Shi agreed or not, it would work out in Ling Jingshu’s favor either way.

So Ling Jingshu simply stayed quiet.

Sun Shi often scolded Ling Jingyan, but she also doted on her more than anyone. How could she hold out against such determined, sweet-talking pleading? Before long, she threw up her hands in surrender. “Fine, fine. If you want to go along, then go.”

Ling Jingyan cheered, grabbing Sun Shi’s hand and shaking it back and forth, her words sweet as honey. “Mother, you’re the best!”

Jiang Shi cleared her throat and cut in. “The two of them are both unmarried young ladies — it’s really not appropriate for them to just run off like that. It would be better to have someone accompany them, to be on the safe side.”

Sun Shi didn’t quite follow at first. “A’Ji has to go back to the Academy — who else is there to go with them?”

Jiang Shi smiled, composed and graceful. “As it happens, I have nothing planned tomorrow. I’ll go along with them.”

Sun Shi: “…”

Ling Jingshu could just barely hold back her laughter, but Ling Jingyan burst out laughing outright. “Sister-in-law, if you want to go out for some fresh air, just say so directly! No need to beat around the bush like that.”

Caught out by Ling Jingyan, Jiang Shi’s cheeks warmed slightly, but she didn’t deny it either.

The Ling household’s inner affairs were managed entirely by Sun Shi, and with Ling Ji rarely home, the long, uneventful days cooped up in the inner quarters were genuinely stifling. A rare chance to go out and get some air — who wouldn’t be tempted?

Fortunately, Sun Shi wasn’t the unkind sort. She didn’t frown or make any sharp remarks, but simply raised an eyebrow and nodded in agreement. “Very well. You’re a few years older than A’Yan and A’Shu, and steadier in temperament. With you there to look after them, I can rest easy.”

Suppressing the excitement in her heart, Jiang Shi rose and accepted. “Yes, I will follow Mother’s instructions respectfully.”

With a nod from Sun Shi, the matter was officially settled.

Ling Jingyan was even more enthusiastic than Ling Jingshu about the trip, and immediately busied herself making arrangements.

First she told the coachman to ready the horses and carriage, then instructed the maids and servants who would accompany them to prepare pastries, then went to Sun Shi to wheedle some silver to spend. Most important of all was digging out the prettiest, newest dresses and jewelry…

She was kept thoroughly busy!

Ling Jingshu: “…”

Exactly who was it that was supposed to be going on this trip again?