“Take her pulse.” In the carriage, Lu Huating said to the physician.

Qun Qing wanted to decline, but the physician dared not disobey the order and had already placed his hand on her wrist. She could only give up. Her heart stirred as she asked for instruction, “Can taking the pulse actually reveal whether one has consummated a marriage?”

Lu Huating paused. The carriage fell quiet for a moment. The physician sighed and said vaguely, “This humble one’s medical skills are not refined enough to tell. Perhaps a physician with better skills could.” He added, “The young lady has not suffered serious injury.”

Qun Qing said, “Then please treat him first, physician.”

The wrist band on Lu Huating’s hand had already been soaked by seeping blood. From drawing the bow with too much force, he had torn open an old wound. The injury looked shocking. He didn’t mind, quietly removing the wrist band, actually slightly avoiding the physician’s hand. “No need to trouble yourself.”

From another carriage came the physician’s apprentice’s shout, “Master, I don’t know how to read the Princess Consort’s pulse.”

The physician hurriedly bowed to Lu Huating, finding a pretext to take his medical kit and descend from the carriage.

Qun Qing glanced at Lu Huating as he poured out water from his water pouch to wash the wound. Suddenly, she became distracted again, thinking of the situation where her hand was held between his fingers.

She recalled Princess Danyang’s words—Lu Huating appeared courteous but was actually proud and aloof, not close to women. She indeed had never seen this person associated with any romantic thoughts. What mentality led him to do that?

If it was just acting expediently out of urgency, fearing she would get lost, making such an intimate gesture seemed absurd. But if he wanted to humiliate her, that wasn’t entirely impossible either. In her heart was a shadow of doubt, like a bubble floating on water’s surface, unbroken.

Thinking of this, she grabbed Lu Huating’s fingers, leaning sideways to pick up a new wrist band. “Let me do it.”

Not knowing if her hand was too cold or if she touched the wound, she felt Lu Huating’s hand flinch. As their fingers touched, cold sweat seeped out on Qun Qing’s forehead. She tested her own feelings.

Lu Huating asked, “How long has the young lady known the young physician?”

“You mean Fang Xie?” Qun Qing said, “About a year.”

She wrapped it gently and carefully, not touching the wound at all. But after several touches, Lu Huating finally couldn’t help but lower his eyes to gaze at her, curving his lips. “Does the young lady treat the young physician this way at the medical clinic too?”

In just one year’s time, what kind of tender old dream could draw Nan Chu’s Young Emperor to risk bringing her back?

Qun Qing hadn’t expected this person to be so perceptive. She only feared her probing would be discovered. Fortunately, her temperament was steady, and she said without showing emotion, “Fang Xie is well-behaved, unlike the Chief Administrator who enjoys interrogating people.”

Unexpectedly, Lu Huating suddenly gripped her hand forcefully. Because the force was so great, Qun Qing looked with surprise to see blood seeping out again. She pulled her hand away. Lu Huating suddenly used that hand to cup her right cheek.

Qun Qing only felt her face wet. Looking at the magnificent face before her, when Lu Huating focused on someone, his eyes were dark and bright. He mocked, “You are Lu Huating’s wife, and also my enemy. How could I possibly let you go?”

Having spoken, he realized he had lost composure and withdrew his hand. Qun Qing’s hand and face were stained with his blood—in the disarray was a seductive beauty. Lu Huating stared at her for a moment, then took out a plain handkerchief from his sleeve and handed it to her. Qun Qing was already extremely angry and took the handkerchief to wipe silently.

Juan Su lifted the carriage curtain. “How did Miss Qing end up in Nan Chu’s convoy? You don’t know—arresting Liu You, interrogating the gambling house people, tracking them along the way with cards. If we’d been one step later, we wouldn’t have caught up with the young lady.”

While speaking, taking advantage of the carriage stopping, he moved the luggage left at the inn onto the carriage, as if to leave hastily.

Qun Qing lifted the curtain, looking at the common people coming and going outside. She understood in her heart—if Nan Chu’s Young Emperor and the Meditation Master dared come to Yunzhou together, they definitely had more than just the hidden guards they brought with them. Yunzhou still had Nan Chu’s people. “What happened to Liu Sijun?”

Lu Huating leaned against the carriage wall. “We captured him. But remaining confederates haven’t been cleared. This place isn’t safe.”

At this moment, the physician hurried to report, “Reporting to the Chief Administrator, the Princess Consort’s fetal position is incorrect. This humble one is not skilled in gynecology. In this situation, it’s best to return to Chang’an for treatment as soon as possible.”

Both descended from the carriage to see Xiao Yunru.

Xiao Yunru said, “This consort is fine and can accompany His Highness.”

“Why are you being stubborn? With me and Qilang staying here, what can you help with here? Hurry back!” Li Huan’s expression was worried. After less than two sentences, he had a coughing fit, spitting blood, frightening Zhu Su until his face turned deathly pale. He had been hit by Nan Chu’s hidden weapons. The weapons had been removed, but residual poison remained.

Seeing this, Lu Huating said coldly, “This subject told Your Highness not to leave the carriage. Did you listen?”

Once Li Huan entered the battlefield, his blood boiled and he couldn’t control himself. Without good humor, he said, “I already got out. If I die, it’s what I deserve.”

“Incorrect fetal position may endanger life. Please, Princess Consort, return early,” Qun Qing urged. “This subject can escort the Princess Consort back to the palace first.”

Xiao Yunru fell silent and didn’t object further.

Li Huan turned his face to look at her. That Qun Qing had risked her life to rescue Xiao Yunru was an indisputable fact. He looked at Qun Qing for a moment, straightened his body, and cupped his hands. “This prince entrusts his wife and child to Miss Qing.”

Lu Huating said, “Juan Su, Zhu Su, you two follow Miss Qing’s carriage.”

Qun Qing looked at Lu Huating again. “How many people did Prince Yan’s mansion bring?”

“Twelve attendants.”

“Just twelve people. Who knows how many Nan Chu operatives are in Yunzhou? If Yunzhou descends into chaos, how can you resist?”

In the evening wind, Lu Huating smiled at her. “The young lady needn’t worry. When the boat reaches the bridge, it will naturally straighten. You go back first.”

On the return journey to Chang’an, traveling day and night, midway Xiao Yunru fell into a long sleep from which she couldn’t wake due to lack of stamina. Qun Qing’s heart hung suspended—she even forgot about motion sickness. Fortunately, they only encountered stray arrows once midway before the ox cart left the clouds and mist of Jiangnan Circuit and rushed all the way to the palace gates.

Xiao Jingxing had already brought the court physicians and Prince Yan mansion’s palace maids to wait by the roadside. He couldn’t go support Xiao Yunru, only following from afar, his eyes full of worry. “As soon as I received Qilang’s letter, I requested a physician. We’ll begin treatment now—I hope it helps.”

Palace physicians were also divided into ranks, their rank reflected in their sleeve colors. Seeing that the physician Xiao Jingxing brought was only white-sleeved—an apprentice physician—Qun Qing quietly asked, “We rushed back precisely because Yunzhou didn’t have good physicians. Why didn’t Minister Xiao request a gold-sleeved gynecology master?”

Xiao Jingxing said, “The young lady doesn’t know—all three gold-sleeved court physicians in the palace have gone to attend to His Majesty’s illness.”

“His Majesty is ill?” Qun Qing couldn’t help but ask.

Xiao Jingxing nodded slightly. “Upon receiving Prince Yan’s memorial about disaster relief in Yunzhou, His Majesty had an attack of head wind. The Crown Prince has been supervising the state for many days now.”

Just seeing the memorial, Emperor Chenming was already furiously angry. Once the Yunzhou magistrate was brought to justice and confessed, it would definitely cut down Minister Meng’s faction’s power and implicate the Crown Prince. In this situation, if she were Li Xuan, the most advantageous outcome would be to let Yunzhou descend into chaos, Liu Sijun die without testimony, Prince Yan be injured, turning this case into one without end.

Thinking of this, her heart rose again.

Xiao Jingxing asked again, “Should we petition Her Majesty the Empress to transfer a gold-sleeved physician to have a look?”

“Don’t alarm Her Majesty yet.” Qun Qing looked into the palace. Cuiyu and the palace maids were clumsily helping Xiao Yunru to the couch.

She always felt there were hidden circumstances regarding Xiao Yunru’s child, but since Xiao Yunru was unwilling to speak, she could only take things one step at a time. She said to Xiao Jingxing, “If you trust me, help me quietly bring someone into the palace. My master, Physician Li, is a famous healer in the city. Let him examine the Princess Consort first.”

At this moment, Xiao Yunru awoke, calling out, “Miss Qing.”

Qun Qing hurried to the couch, only to see Cuiyu holding a wooden plaque bearing half a phoenix seal. Xiao Yunru’s hair hung in disarray as she looked at her. “If I don’t make it through these coming days, this phoenix seal is for you. You can manage inner palace affairs on my behalf.”

As if seeing Qun Qing’s expression, Xiao Yunru grasped her hand and smiled faintly. “I know your actions often involve taking risks, and I fear you cannot shoulder responsibility. It doesn’t matter—if something has a thirty percent chance of success, you can go ahead and do it. Miss Qing has both courage and capability. In these troubled times, this seal in your hands is the only way this palace can feel at ease.”

Having spoken, she fell asleep under the medicine’s fragrance. Qun Qing gripped the phoenix seal tightly and bowed once to Xiao Yunru.

The troubled times Xiao Yunru spoke of were not without reason. In this life, with Fang Xie succeeding to the throne, Nan Chu’s unusual movements came earlier than in the previous life, and Prince Yan was also injured. With peace talks and succession struggle happening simultaneously, a tense atmosphere permeated the palace. How things would develop was still unknown.

National chaos was Qun Qing’s nightmare. She naturally didn’t want Nan Chu and Great Chen to fight. As such, the peace talks with the Western Region nations became especially important. Without resting, she had Juan Su drive the carriage to bring the cloud brocade back to Biquan Traveling Palace.

When the wooden box opened, the Bureau of Palace Attendants’ female officials gathered around to touch it, extraordinarily delighted. “It’s dry cloud brocade, and the quality is good—much better than the ruined ones!”

Qun Qing asked, “During these days of negotiations, has anyone looked at the cloud brocade?”

Director Shen walked as she spoke, “Director, you don’t know—the Gaochang envoy looked at the cloud brocade and floral brocade. His eye is truly sharp. Even the cloud brocade cleaned with feather brushes, he could detect the problems. Fortunately, His Highness the Crown Prince smoothed things over. The Gaochang envoy also had us load the cloud brocade onto carriages, saying he wanted to send it back to Gaochang’s royal family for trial use. At that time, you hadn’t returned yet. We had no choice—last night we could only steel ourselves and load that cloud brocade. Good thing you’ve returned!”

“Which is the Gaochang envoy’s carriage?”

Before them were parked the distinctly different carriages of the Liuli Kingdom and Gaochang Kingdom envoys. Director Shen pointed to one of the date-red carriages. Qun Qing gave Juan Su a look and quickly walked forward to chat with the coachman.

That Gaochang coachman was built broad-shouldered and thick-waisted. Seeing a delicate, fair young lady arrive gracefully and actually speak Sanskrit, his attention was drawn to her. On the other side, Juan Su had already silently circled to the back of the carriage and switched out the cloud brocade.

The Gaochang coachman laughed heartily. The female officials watching from the side also breathed a sigh of relief, all covering their mouths to laugh.

Zhu Fuzhen waited by the roadside like a tall, slender bamboo stalk. Seeing this scene, her face flushed red again. She actually bowed down, like bamboo bending at the waist. “I owe the young lady an apology. What’s said should be done.”

A clear, cold voice sounded from behind.

“Senior Palace Attendant Zhu knows her errors and corrects them—her faults need not be held against her. This palace believes Director Qun has merit and should be promoted another rank to Fourth-Rank Supplementary Attendant. Announce this to the Six Bureaus—what do you think?”

Qun Qing turned her head to see Li Xuan supporting Baoshu emerging from the hall. Everyone hurried to pay respects.

Li Xuan’s complexion was even paler than their last meeting, and she was thinner too. Her phoenix eyes were as sharp as if cut by a blade. Shouxi said that during the day, supervising the state and receiving envoys, working from dawn to dusk, had increased Li Xuan’s burden. But she herself didn’t feel it. Her face bore a faint smile.

Beside her, Baoshu saw this and her expression darkened. Her gaze fell like a blade edge on Qun Qing’s face as she complained, “This concubine has been accompanying His Highness these days—that doesn’t count as hard work. Someone brings back a few pieces of cloud brocade and gets promoted—this promotion comes too easily. This concubine doesn’t agree.”

Hearing this, Li Xuan smiled and patted her in an apparently affectionate manner, but the smile didn’t reach her eyes, nor did she prepare to change her mind. She looked at Qun Qing but discovered she didn’t have the joy she’d imagined.

Seeing Li Xuan like this, adorned with Baoshu in pearls and jade, Qun Qing only felt somewhat unfamiliar. She thought for a moment, then stepped forward to bow. “This subject has a matter to petition Your Highness.”