“So Madam already knows. Indeed, when the Master first returned to Longye, he was also brought back by someone. At that time, the physicians all said it was beyond help, and even Young Master Gao was at his wit’s end. Yet in the end, the Master pulled through—it was truly a miracle.”

Shen Miao lowered her eyes: “There are quite a few people in Longye who want his life.”

Uncle Tang looked at Shen Miao with some surprise, hesitated for a moment, then shook his head and sighed: “How easy is it to protect the kingdom of Daliang? If it’s like this, back then…” He suddenly stopped and said: “In any case, Madam must take care of your health.” With that, he was about to instruct the kitchen to prepare medicine and leave.

As Uncle Tang was about to exit, Shen Miao called out to him and asked: “Uncle Tang, the relationship between the Late Emperor and His Highness doesn’t seem to have been very good. Do you know about this?”

Uncle Tang stumbled, paused, and then slowly said: “Forgive me, Madam, this servant was an attendant in the household of the Late Empress before she married into the palace. If Madam wishes to know about these matters, it would be best to wait for His Highness to tell you himself. This old servant cannot disclose anything.” He gave a bow and turned to leave the room.

Shen Miao pressed her forehead. The Daliang royal family had no fewer secrets than Mingqi. What secrets might Xie Jingxing be hiding? And what was the relationship between the Late Emperor and Emperor Yongle as brothers? Xie Jingxing hadn’t told her these things, and without knowing their depth, she couldn’t act rashly. At this moment, Shen Miao almost wished her temperament were more impulsive rather than so cautious. Perhaps she might stumble upon the truth by accident.

Just as she was thinking, Guyu came rushing in, eyes wide with a somewhat helpless expression, saying: “Madam… Madam…”

Shen Miao frowned. Especially at a time like this, it was crucial to avoid being reckless and hasty. Panic breeds chaos, and Prince Rui’s mansion couldn’t afford to have anyone exploit any weaknesses right now. She asked: “What has happened to make you so flustered?”

Before she finished speaking, a familiar voice came from outside: “Little cousin!”

Shen Miao froze as a familiar figure suddenly appeared behind Guyu. Who else could it be but Luo Tan? Luo Tan’s expression was somewhat anxious. Seeing Shen Miao, she took two steps at once, then glanced at the still unconscious Xie Jingxing on the bed and murmured: “He didn’t lie to me…”

Shen Miao stood up abruptly and asked: “Why are you here?”

She spoke sharply. Usually, she had always shown a kind of elder-to-younger tolerance toward Luo Tan, but now, standing up with a cold face startled Luo Tan, who couldn’t help but shrink her neck and say quietly: “It’s a long story…”

After Luo Tan explained to Shen Miao how she had come here, Shen Miao also couldn’t help but draw in a cold breath, disapprovingly saying: “This is simply reckless! Daliang and Mingqi are very far apart. You are staying alone in someone else’s residence—if something had happened, what about your uncle and aunt? What about my parents?”

Luo Tan knew she was in the wrong and said softly: “I know I was wrong, but at the time I was focused on following you all.” Then her voice grew even softer: “I didn’t expect Gao Yang to be from Longye. Earlier, he even lied to me, saying he had only traveled to Longye before and happened to have a residence here as well…”

Shen Miao looked at the docile and obedient Luo Tan, not knowing what to say. What had happened had already happened, and blaming or reproaching anyone would be of no use now. Besides, everything was fine so far, and no trouble had arisen. Although Gao Yang might not be as simple as he appeared on the surface, following Xie Jingxing, he surely wouldn’t have done anything disrespectful to Luo Tan. Although Shen Miao wasn’t clear why Gao Yang would act this way, judging from Luo Tan’s appearance, he must have taken good care of her.

Fearing that Shen Miao might suggest sending her back immediately, Luo Tan quickly changed the subject: “Gao Yang has gone to the pharmacy to concoct medicine to detoxify my brother-in-law. I thought he was just talking nonsense, but now seeing my brother-in-law, I know it’s true.” She looked at Shen Miao: “Little cousin, is my brother-in-law seriously injured?”

Shen Miao didn’t want to hide it from her and nodded: “An Ning’s Yuan recovery pills can only keep him well for ten days at most. If Gao Yang can’t produce an antidote within ten days, then it will be dangerous.”

Luo Tan was shocked: “Is there no other way?”

“I’m thinking about it,” Shen Miao lowered her eyes. “The news has already reached the Emperor’s ears. The Emperor is secretly recruiting extraordinary physicians, but… distant water cannot quench present thirst.”

Luo Tan was silent for a moment, then reached out to hold Shen Miao’s hand firmly: “My brother-in-law is such a talented man, he will surely be fine. You will have a long life together, and I’m still waiting for you to give me a little nephew. Don’t worry, I’ll stay with you to keep watch.”

Luo Tan was family after all. In a foreign country, whether it was Gao Yang or Ji Yushu, there was still a layer of distance. Even if Luo Tan did nothing, her presence alone made one feel better.

Xie Jingxing needed constant attendance, as it wasn’t known whether his condition would worsen, so someone had to look after him. Shen Miao personally took care of him. She sat by Xie Jingxing’s bedside almost all day, feeding him water, and when there was nothing to do, she would read books on Daliang’s politics, economy, and history.

She needed to quickly understand this country of Daliang to have strategies for the future. She disliked being in a passive situation.

Luo Tan also kept Shen Miao company. Except for returning to her room to sleep at night, she sat with Shen Miao in the room the rest of the time. It was rare for someone of her restless nature to be able to stay in one place for so long. Though most of the time, she just sat there lost in thought.

Time quickly passed, and three days went by. During these three days, Xie Jingxing had not woken up. Besides Gao Yang being secluded in the pharmacy to concoct medicine, Emperor Wenhui had also sent an old imperial physician with the highest medical skill to look after Xie Jingxing. With the old physician there, Xie Jingxing’s pulse remained relatively stable.

Everyone placed their hopes on Gao Yang, just wishing he could produce an antidote within ten days. Otherwise, their situation would truly be hopeless.

Unexpectedly, on the fourth day, Xie Jingxing’s condition suddenly worsened.

First, his pulse became extremely irregular and unstable, his breathing very rapid, his complexion frighteningly pale, and he couldn’t even be fed water. The wound site began to fester, looking extremely dangerous.

The old physician came to check and shook his head with a sigh, saying that the poison at Xie Jingxing’s wound had initially been suppressed by Gao Yang’s acupuncture technique, but it was only temporary relief. Now the poison could no longer be suppressed and had begun to spread inward. If not for the three Yuan recovery pills, Xie Jingxing probably wouldn’t have made it this far.

Even if he could hold on now, even if he was lucky enough to survive for ten days, it was still uncertain what would happen with Gao Yang’s efforts.

Xie Jingxing’s sudden deterioration made everyone feel uneasy, especially Shen Miao. Previously, although Xie Jingxing was injured, he had at least been stable, which gave her some comfort. Now she could no longer deceive herself. The possibility that Xie Jingxing might never wake up was laid out before her.

Although the old physician’s medical skills were excellent, they weren’t better than Gao Yang’s. If even Gao Yang was helpless, he was naturally even more at a loss. After shaking his head repeatedly, he returned to the palace to report.

Uncle Tang hesitated for a long time before asking Shen Miao: “Madam, should we inform Lady Ji…” When saying this, Uncle Tang’s tone was extremely difficult, as if containing immense grief.

Since Xie Jingxing had returned from the hunting grounds, Shen Miao had kept the news from the Ji household, not wanting to worry Lady Ji and also to avoid alerting any enemies. But now Uncle Tang’s meaning was clear—if Xie Jingxing truly wasn’t going to make it, Lady Ji would certainly need to see him one last time…

“No need,” Shen Miao cut off his words decisively. “Not for now.”

Uncle Tang was startled, and Iron Clothes also seemed somewhat surprised. Pei Lang, who had been silent all along, said: “Regardless, there are some things that should be considered now.”

Consider what? Consider the funeral arrangements? Although Shen Miao knew that what Pei Lang said wasn’t wrong, in such a tense environment, grief was inevitable, but what was most important was the future, and they needed to plan for it now. Shen Miao couldn’t help but feel a surge of nameless anger. She recalled how, after Princess Wanyu had married in her previous life, Pei Lang had said to her with the same calm demeanor: “Princess has already married; Your Majesty should look more to the future.”

She coldly glanced at Pei Lang, a look that startled him and made his heart slowly sink.

Luo Tan could no longer sit still and returned to the Gao mansion to find Gao Yang, only to be told that when Gao Yang was concocting medicine, he absolutely could not be disturbed, and no one was allowed to enter.

Luo Tan was furious: “This won’t do, that won’t do—are we just supposed to watch my brother-in-law get sicker? My brother-in-law is one thing, but my poor little cousin has become so haggard in just these few days, losing so much weight. She’s barely married and already facing such a situation. If something happens, my little cousin will not survive.”

Luo Tan had read too many plays, including quite a few about lovers dying together. She thought that although Shen Miao was calm and composed usually, she was still just a teenage girl who had just gotten married. It was supposed to be the honeymoon period, but now her husband was stricken with disaster. If something happened, how could Shen Miao bear it? It wasn’t right to make a young woman live as a widow.

The servants of the Gao household looked at each other, not daring to speak. This Miss Luo had significant backing—she was the Prince Rui’s wife’s own cousin, and her temperament was as impulsive as fire. Even their master usually accommodated Luo Tan, let alone these servants.

Now with Gao Yang secluded in the pharmacy concocting medicine and not to be disturbed, these servants were destined to bear Miss Luo’s fury.

“And you call yourself a famous doctor, world-renowned for your magical skills and compassionate heart? You can’t even produce an antidote. What if you can’t create the antidote after ten days?” Luo Tan’s eyes reddened, her voice choked with emotion. Seemingly feeling that crying in public was embarrassing, she turned and rushed into the room, slamming the door shut, and threw herself on the bed to silently shed tears.

The Luo family had a bone-deep sense of justice and empathetic goodness. Especially since Shen Miao was Luo Tan’s relative, Luo Tan wished she could take her place. Watching Shen Miao suffer while being unable to help made Luo Tan feel utterly useless. Feeling she couldn’t face either Shen Miao or herself, she simply shut herself in her room for a whole day. She didn’t even eat, as if doing so might somehow make her feel better. Because no matter how upset she was, it couldn’t compare to Shen Miao’s pain.

As a result, Luo Tan’s behavior frightened everyone in the Gao household. The servants there had been with Gao Yang since childhood. Gao Yang had always been gentle toward women, but had never brought a woman into his house. Moreover, his teasing attitude toward Luo Tan was completely different from his usual accommodating behavior. Extremes in behavior often hide something unusual, and Gao Yang was clever, as were his servants. The reason they tolerated Luo Tan was that they all saw her as their future mistress.

Now this future mistress was unhappy and refusing to eat. If their master came out after a few days and saw Luo Tan in this state, he would surely be distressed. And once he was distressed, the servants would suffer.

The servants deliberated and decided they needed someone to go comfort Miss Luo. After much consideration, they unanimously pushed forward one person—a young girl named Ben Yue.

Ben Yue was the daughter of a poor family whom Gao Yang had rescued from a tyrant. If not for Gao Yang’s salvation, Ben Yue would have been forced to work in a brothel. After entering the Gao household, she became a maidservant. Ben Yue had been kidnapped as a child and had traveled far and wide with her abductors, gaining uncommon experiences. She had a certain street smarts and a glib tongue. In the Gao household, whenever anyone was feeling down, finding Ben Yue was a sure solution.

Now that Luo Tan was unhappy, everyone summoned Ben Yue and asked her to quickly persuade Luo Tan to eat.

Luo Tan was sitting in her room, silently crying, when someone pushed open the door. A young girl with two red-corded plaits entered, carrying a food basket. She placed the basket on the table and began taking out dishes.

The dishes smelled delicious, but Luo Tan had no appetite. She said: “You may leave, I don’t want to eat.”

“Miss must not harm her own body. Heaven and earth are vast, but one’s body is most important. If people don’t eat, they easily fall ill. If Miss also falls ill, how much more would the Prince Rui’s wife suffer?” said Ben Yue.

Luo Tan shook her head: “I can’t eat.”

“Miss, why take things so hard? The Prince has heaven’s protection. Although this situation is dangerous, he will be fine in the end. They say that surviving a great calamity brings great fortune. I’m sure he will have boundless blessings in the future,” Ben Yue continued to persuade earnestly.

Luo Tan smiled bitterly: “Anyone can say pretty words, but they don’t make things better. If saying a few auspicious phrases could heal someone, why would the world need doctors? No matter how nice your words sound now, what use are they? It would be better to do something practical to help my brother-in-law recover soon and ease my little cousin’s mind.”

Ben Yue was surprised. Every day, Luo Tan seemed reckless and carefree, looking like someone easily fooled, but unexpectedly, she had such insight. When people are sad, they do hope for comforting words, but what effect those words have is something only they can know. These pleasant words had not deceived Luo Tan, who sighed again, her gaze showing even more worry.

Ben Yue said, “Miss, having something to say is better than having nothing to say. Hoping for the Prince to recover is certainly not wrong.”

“What you say is not wrong,” Luo Tan said. “But the situation is urgent, and I can’t bring myself to relax. Don’t try to persuade me anymore. I can’t listen right now. Even if I force myself to listen, in my heart,” she pointed to her chest, “I can’t do it.”

Ben Yue thought for a while, finding herself at a loss for the first time. She racked her brains for a long time, seemingly thinking of words that might comfort Luo Tan. She said: “Actually, the Prince’s situation might not be as urgent as it seems. Haven’t we still not reached the ten-day limit? Previously, this servant had a little sister whose brother, only three years old, fell seriously ill. Everyone said he wouldn’t live past three days. The master also examined him and said the child would surely die within three days. Who would have thought that my little sister was lucky and met a great master who said he could change the boy’s fate? My little sister took her brother to find this great master, and after three days, guess what happened?”

This Ben Yue must also be a talented person, as she told the story with as much suspense as a storyteller in a tavern. Luo Tan couldn’t help but be drawn in by her words and asked: “What happened?”

Ben Yue clapped her hands once: “Not only did the child survive, but he became even healthier than before.”

Luo Tan was startled and asked eagerly: “How could this be?”

Ben Yue said: “We servants were also very curious. Even the master couldn’t explain it.”

“Where are those brothers and sisters now?” Luo Tan asked.

“Because too many curious people came, my little sister found it too troublesome. Later, when it happened to be time for her to leave service, she took her brother and moved away from Longye. No one knows exactly where they went,” Ben Yue said. “Speaking of which, she once drew a map of where the great master lived and gave it to me. I showed it to the master, who took people to look, but they found there was no house as my little sister had described, only an uninhabited wasteland. Thinking that the person had probably moved away, or that my little sister had remembered wrongly, they left. In the end, they never met that great master.”

Luo Tan pondered for a moment and suddenly asked: “Do you still have the map to this great master’s place?”

“I do,” Ben Yue nodded. “Almost everyone in this household has a copy. There were too many curious people at that time. Everyone wanted to find that person to change their fate, hoping for a future of great wealth and prosperity, but they all returned empty-handed.”

Luo Tan asked: “Please bring it to me.”

“What do you need it for?” Ben Yue suddenly realized something and exclaimed: “You’re not thinking of going to find that great master, are you? My little sister’s brother’s story happened many years ago. Who knows if that person is still alive? Besides, even the master couldn’t find him, how could you…” She said: “This servant didn’t mean to suggest that Miss should go find that great master for a solution.”

Ben Yue regretted it immensely. She had mentioned this to Luo Tan to comfort her. Look, even that little brother who was predicted not to live past three days could escape death, let alone the Prince Rui! Who would have thought that Luo Tan wouldn’t follow the usual path but would instead want to find that great master? If the great master were so easy to find, wouldn’t everyone have found him by now? Why would they still be busy here? Gao Yang wouldn’t need to personally concoct medicine.

Luo Tan shook her head: “Just bring it to me to look at. I don’t necessarily intend to go find that great master. I just feel awful sitting here doing nothing. Whether I go or not, whether I find him or not, at least I will have tried for my brother-in-law and little cousin. I’m not useless, and that will make me feel much better.”

With things put this way, Ben Yue had no reason to refuse. She quickly went out and soon returned, handing Luo Tan a map embroidered on a handkerchief. She said bashfully, “This servant’s drawings aren’t good, and I can’t read, but my embroidery is decent. So I embroidered a copy based on my little sister’s drawing. Miss, can you understand it?”

Fortunately, since Luo Tan had arrived in Longye, she had wandered around daily, particularly interested in remote places. Although she had only been in Longye for a short time, she was quite familiar with all the roads. One look and she jumped up, saying: “Isn’t this south of Feng Head Village on the west side of the city?”

Ben Yue was surprised: “Miss knows it too?” She continued: “My little sister said that after passing Feng Head Village, keep going south, and you’ll see the house at the foot of the mountain. But when the master took people there, and later when other people went, there was just a broken wall south of Feng Head Village, no mountain at all, and no house.”

Luo Tan stared at the map and said: “Feng Head Village isn’t far from here. With a fast horse, one could get there in a day.”

Ben Yue said: “Miss, you can’t…”

“I’m going to find my little cousin,” Luo Tan said. “You stay here.”

Ben Yue was worried that Luo Tan would go looking for this great master, who might or might not be real. But then she thought that while Luo Tan might be unreliable, Prince Rui’s wife was surely reliable and wouldn’t go along with Luo Tan’s wild ideas. Thinking that this might make Luo Tan feel better, she set her mind at ease.

In Prince Rui’s mansion, Shen Miao looked at the unconscious Xie Jingxing, her brows tightly furrowed.

Xie Jingxing’s condition was worsening. There were only six days left to support him. Within these six days, besides praying that Gao Yang could concoct an antidote, was there any other way?

Just as she was thinking, Luo Tan ran in from outside. Without saying anything else, she immediately asked Shen Miao: “Little cousin, do you still have that compass I gave you on your wedding day? If you do, could I borrow it?”

Shen Miao looked at her suspiciously: “What do you need it for?”

Luo Tan avoided her gaze and said, “I suddenly remembered and wanted to borrow it to play with.”

At a time like this, even if Luo Tan had a big heart, how could she possibly still be in the mood to play? Shen Miao said, “Don’t bother lying to me. Tell me, what do you need it for?” After a pause, she added: “If you don’t tell me the truth, you won’t get it.”

Luo Tan was both angry and anxious. In important matters, she was always somewhat afraid of Shen Miao. She gritted her teeth, steeled her heart, and simply told everything Ben Yue had said.

After finishing, Luo Tan watched Shen Miao’s expression and said, “I want to go find this great master. Since he could change the fate of a servant’s little brother, perhaps he could change my brother-in-law’s fate too. Now there’s no other way, and finding someone is better than finding no one.”

Shen Miao pondered for a moment and shook her head: “Gao Yang has already been there once. Compared to you now, as a physician, he would have been even more eager to understand what was happening. If even Gao Yang couldn’t find that place, how could you find it?”

Luo Tan said: “Little cousin, if this were just empty talk, how would I dare waste your time at such a critical moment? I once heard my grandfather talk about a kind of special formation he saw in his youth. From the outside, you couldn’t tell anything, but every blade of grass and tree concealed mechanisms. When people walked in, they would unconsciously be deceived by the scenery before them, thinking they were walking in a straight line when in fact they were walking in curves. Going round and round in circles, never able to get out. In earlier years, some people thought it was ghostly arts.”

Shen Miao frowned: “A special formation?”

Luo Tan nodded: “But grandfather also said that he only saw it once in his youth. Later, this skill gradually died out, and by now, probably no one has seen it. I was thinking, since this great master can change people’s fates, he might well know this special formation. There are even formations specifically designed against martial artists—the higher their martial skills, the less likely they are to find their way out, eventually dying trapped in the formation.”

“You’re suggesting that the reason they couldn’t find the house the siblings mentioned was because someone had set up such a formation.” Shen Miao shook her head: “As you said, it’s only meant for martial artists, but other servants from the Gao household also went and still couldn’t find it.”

Seeing Shen Miao’s reaction, Luo Tan became somewhat discouraged and said: “No matter what I say, you just don’t believe me. You don’t believe there’s someone who can save my brother-in-law, do you?”

“I do believe,” Shen Miao said.

Luo Tan was startled.

Shen Miao asked her: “Can the compass remain unaffected by other things and always point south? You mentioned south of Feng Head Village. People’s eyes and other senses might be affected by the formation, but the compass wouldn’t be. That’s the work of craftsmen.”

Luo Tan said: “That’s exactly right. It’s what armies and maritime voyagers use for direction. I just realized it would be perfect for navigating through such a formation. But,” she looked at Shen Miao, almost unable to believe, and asked: “Little cousin, do you trust me enough to let me go find this great master?”

“I trust you, and I trust my luck,” Shen Miao said. “We can’t just sit and wait for death. Having multiple paths is better than sticking to just one. Whatever the outcome, we must try, or it would be too regretful.” She said: “I’ll go with you.”

Luo Tan opened her mouth: “Go together?”

“If there is a great master, since he conceals his whereabouts, he must have his reasons or eccentricities. How would you alone persuade him? Since Xie Jingxing is my husband, and I am his wife, I naturally have no reason to leave this matter to others.”

Luo Tan seemed to be seeing Shen Miao for the first time. Shen Miao had always been rational and calm, analyzing pros and cons. She never thought she would see Shen Miao gamble on something, believing in the impossible. Was it because of Prince Rui?

Shen Miao stood up, and in an instant, her expression had changed, as resolute as if this had been her plan all along. She said: “Come with me, bring the compass.” She then called Mo Qing and Cong Yang from outside: “You two come with me to Feng Head Village. Iron Clothes, take good care of Xie Jingxing until I return. If anything happens, Iron Clothes, you make the decisions. If the Emperor asks, I’ll take responsibility for any consequences.”

With that, she took her outer garment and left: “Prepare the carriage!”

Her words were undeniable, with an implicit authority.