Yan Sui’s eyes were as clear as spring water, cleanly reflecting Qin Wan’s face. Qin Wan saw her expression show a moment of confusion, and by the time she recovered, Yan Sui had already grabbed her sleeve, “Who is it? Will you tell me? I promise I won’t tell anyone.”

Qin Wan’s lips were tightly pressed together, her face somewhat pale, but Yan Sui’s eyes were wide open as if insisting on an answer from her.

Qin Wan sighed, “I don’t know yet.”

Yan Sui’s brows furrowed, his tone carrying a hint of disappointment, “Would you lie to me?”

Qin Wan froze slightly, then shook her head with difficulty. She didn’t want to lie to Yan Sui, but some lies were necessary…

Yan Sui looked at Qin Wan for a moment, then lowered his head, “Alright, I believe you.”

Qin Wan brushed Yan Sui’s hair, “Alright, you’ve played in the snow, and it’s getting cold outside. Let’s go to the warm room.”

Yan Sui gave a muffled “mm” and followed Qin Wan toward the main hall. When they arrived, they saw that Yan Li had come at some point. They had walked so far earlier that they hadn’t heard Yan Li arrive. Seeing Qin Wan, Yan Li smiled, “Fortunately, you’re here to keep him company. This little one always wilts when Imperial Grandmother is ill.”

Yan Sui now relied on the Empress Dowager to live in the palace. If not for her care, who knows how poorly he would have been treated?

Granny Chen came out from the warm room and said, “The Empress Dowager hasn’t awakened yet.”

Hearing this, Yan Li and Qin Wan didn’t rush to enter. Yan Li glanced at Qin Wan and asked, “How is the Marquis’s mansion?”

Qin Wan sighed, “Uncle is a clever person; he knows this matter is extremely serious.” After a pause, Qin Wan asked, “By the way, what about the former servants from the Eastern Palace and Kunning Palace…”

Yan Li shook his head, “They’ve all been sent to the Imperial Punishment Department.”

The Imperial Punishment Department again… Qin Wan narrowed her eyes. Few people who entered that place came out alive, especially since this time the Crown Prince and Empress’s escape might be related to treason.

The atmosphere instantly became heavy. Yan Li stood beside Qin Wan without speaking, while Yan Sui tightly held Qin Wan’s hand. Qin Wan looked down at him and curved her lips slightly, only then did Yan Sui become less nervous. After a while, Yan Li suddenly said, “I haven’t seen Seventh Brother these past two days. What has he been doing?”

Qin Wan came back to her senses and shook her head, “I don’t know, he should be busy with matters at the ministry.”

Yan Li laughed, “That’s right. Now that the Minister of Justice is on sick leave, the Seventh Brother is the only one in charge of that enormous ministry. By year’s end, Minister Song will likely retire, and then, His Majesty will probably let Seventh Brother become the minister in charge of the Ministry of Justice. Then Seventh Brother will be the youngest minister in Great Zhou!”

Yan Li spoke with excitement, but Qin Wan couldn’t feel happy hearing it. If Prince Rui hadn’t met with misfortune, perhaps Yan Chi would have already become the Minister of Justice…

“Everything still depends on His Majesty’s wishes,” Qin Wan said very calmly.

Yan Li turned to look at Qin Wan, “Qin Wan, don’t you want Seventh Brother to stay in the capital with you?”

Qin Wan’s heart skipped a beat as she looked at Yan Li, but saw that his expression was open, without much suspicion. She asked, “Why do you ask that?”

Yan Li said leisurely, “Imperial Grandmother said long ago that if we don’t keep Seventh Brother in the capital, with his personality, he will want to go to the battlefield. But on the battlefield, as you know, swords and spears show no mercy. Although Seventh Brother is brave and skilled in battle, I don’t want him to take such risks.”

Qin Wan said helplessly, “I haven’t thought that far ahead. Everything depends on his own decision.”

Yan Li sighed, “Seventh Brother cherishes you so much. If you ask him to stay and serve in court, he will be willing.”

Qin Wan looked deeply at Yan Li for a moment, “If that’s possible, it would be good.”

Yan Li looked at Yan Sui, who was hanging his head, patted the top of his head, and said, “Imperial Grandmother’s health is declining day by day, and now with all these incidents… I just hope Imperial Grandmother gets better, hope Seventh Brother stays in the capital, hope everyone stays well.”

He murmured this, while Qin Wan could only smile bitterly inside.

That secret hadn’t yet been revealed to the world. If Yan Li knew the truth…

“If that’s possible, it would indeed be good…”

As they were talking, there was movement from inside the warm room – the Empress Dowager had awakened.

Everyone hurried into the warm room to pay their respects.

Seeing so many people present upon waking, the Empress Dowager showed some happiness, but her expression became somewhat dazed as it fell on Yan Li’s face at the door, as if she was seeing someone else through Yan Li’s face. She didn’t even acknowledge the greetings from Qin Wan and Yan Sui…

Feeling something was wrong, Qin Wan called out, “Empress Dowager?”

Granny Chen, standing to the side, also showed a change in expression, “Your Majesty?”

Only then did the Empress Dowager come back to her senses. Looking at the others, she said with a sigh, “Ah, I was lost in thought. For a moment there, I thought I saw Yan Li’s father return. I was mistaken, I was mistaken. Come, come, everyone sit down.”

The Empress Dowager’s spirit was getting worse and worse, actually mistaking people like she had at the beginning of the year. This discovery naturally caused everyone great concern.

The Empress Dowager leaned against her pillow, looking at Yan Li one moment, Yan Sui the next, and then at Qin Wan. She heard about seven or eight parts of what Yan Li was saying, occasionally responding with a word or two, but had difficulty maintaining focus. Qin Wan watched anxiously and waited a while longer before checking the Empress Dowager’s pulse. Granny Chen was also extremely worried but didn’t dare show it in front of the Empress Dowager. After Qin Wan finished checking the pulse, she quickly pulled Qin Wan outside.

“County Princess, how is it? The Empress Dowager seems to have returned to how she was at the beginning of the year.”

The end of last year was when the Empress Dowager’s illness was at its worst. After that, during the New Year, the Empress Dowager was between life and death, and it was only thanks to Qin Wan’s medical skills that she was saved.

Now, Granny Chen seemed to see again the Empress Dowager’s confused state from the end of last year.

Qin Wan’s brows were tightly knitted, “I didn’t want to prescribe strong medicine for the Empress Dowager, but now we have no choice. I will change the prescription, and her diet must also be changed. We must ensure the Empress Dowager eats, and if that doesn’t work, I’ll have to use acupuncture, though acupuncture would be too painful for the Empress Dowager right now.”

Granny Chen’s eyes reddened hearing this. Qin Wan could only comfort her, “Don’t worry, Granny. These days, absolutely do not let the Empress Dowager become angry. Whatever happens outside, it’s best not to tell the Empress Dowager. Just let her rest peacefully.”

Granny Chen repeatedly agreed. If Qin Wan said this, then the Empress Dowager’s condition must be very serious. Could it be that the Empress Dowager wouldn’t make it through this winter?!

When Qin Wan returned inside, she saw Empress Dowager holding Yan Li’s hand, saying, “Your father loved swords and weapons the most, he liked them since childhood. You don’t care for these things. Although your father had a fierce temperament with some military general’s spirit, he specifically chose your mother. Though your mother came from a military family, your maternal grandmother was the daughter of Lin Youdao, a great Confucian scholar from the Two Lakes region. After your maternal grandmother married into the Fu family, she raised your mother very well from childhood, teaching all manners and behaviors according to the traditions of noble ladies from the Jiangnan region. In Jiangnan, there are even more rules than in our northern region. Your mother was gentle in demeanor and beautiful in appearance. Your father fell in love with her at first sight. As for music, chess, calligraphy, painting, poetry, and prose, your mother was among the best in the capital. Your father used to say that she looked like she had stepped out of a painting…”

The Empress Dowager leaned against her pillow, speaking like she was telling a story. Yan Li listened with a faint smile, while Yan Sui sat obediently beside them.

Looking at them this way, the resemblance between Yan Li and Yan Sui became even more apparent.

Yan Han had loved someone like Prince Gong’s consort, and wasn’t Consort Jin also a gentle, talented lady from a scholarly family?

Qin Wan looked at Yan Li, then at Yan Sui, feeling uncomfortable inside. Looking at the Empress Dowager again, Qin Wan felt even more distressed. Now the Empress Dowager’s body couldn’t withstand any disturbance. If she learned that secret now, probably even with all of Qin Wan’s skills, she couldn’t save her.

The Empress Dowager spoke in detail about past events, and Yan Li listened very attentively. After a while, the Empress Dowager beckoned to Qin Wan, “Wan girl, were the paintings that Yan Chi took last time enough? I’ve received some more nice things here. I’ll have Chen go find them for you.”

Qin Wan hurriedly said, “Has Your Majesty forgotten? My dowry is all prepared, and I don’t lack anything now.”

The Empress Dowager was startled and looked at Granny Chen. Granny Chen smiled and said, “The Empress Dowager is just concerned and always wants to bestow gifts on the County Princess. A few days ago, while organizing the storehouse, we found several unopened pieces of purple and white jade in the Empress Dowager’s collection. They’re all excellent pieces. At the time, the Empress Dowager said to keep half for Princess Yongning and send the rest to you.”

Qin Wan was moved but hurriedly said, “That’s not necessary. If my dowry exceeds my Eighth Sister’s, it wouldn’t be appropriate.”

Hearing this, the Empress Dowager said, “Don’t you like paintings? I have several paintings there, would you like them?”

Qin Wan continued with a bitter smile, “Not this time. Please keep them, you can bestow them on me another time…”

Yan Li laughed from the side, “Imperial Grandmother, why don’t you ever give me gifts? What paintings do you have here?”

The Empress Dowager smiled, “What would you do with them? You’re not getting married. They’re all ancient paintings, and some are from the Emperor’s early years, stored in my warehouse. They haven’t been properly organized. It was your Seventh Brother who reminded me last time that I should sort through them.”

Yan Li looked at Qin Wan, “Did you look at the paintings Seventh Brother took back last time? If you’re not satisfied, you could choose two more?”

Qin Wan smiled and declined, “I’d like to take them all, but I’m afraid people would say the Empress Dowager favors me too much. That wouldn’t be good. Your Majesty should keep these treasures for Yue Ning, or bestow them on me another time.”

The last time Yan Chi looked for paintings, was to find clues about what happened before Consort Jin’s incident. They had chosen two paintings then but hadn’t discovered anything significant. Now, although Empress Dowager was offering, Qin Wan had already learned the truth from the dagger, so she naturally wouldn’t accept Empress Dowager’s gifts, even if these paintings included works from before the Emperor ascended the throne. Although neither Qin Wan nor Yan Chi had explicitly said they needed to be careful, Qin Wan had already become instinctively cautious.

Hearing this, Yan Li stopped persuading and instead asked the Empress Dowager for a painting himself. The Empress Dowager had no choice but to indulge him.

They accompanied the Empress Dowager for the whole afternoon. When the sun began to set, Qin Wan took her leave. Seeing her rise, Yan Li also bid farewell. As they left the main hall and reached the entrance, they saw a young eunuch quietly reporting something to Granny Chen, whose expression was extremely unpleasant.

Qin Wan and Yan Li exchanged glances and approached together. Yan Li asked, “What has happened?”

Granny Chen turned around, saw it was Qin Wan and Yan Li, and immediately dismissed the young eunuch. “Your Highness, County Princess, it’s about Changxin Palace.”

At the mention of Changxin Palace, Yan Li’s brows furrowed even tighter, “Noble Consort Feng? What’s wrong? What happened?”

Granny Chen showed difficulty in her expression, “This shouldn’t be told to Your Highness, but since you move about the palace, you’ll know sooner or later… Noble Consort Feng has fallen ill recently.”

Yan Li didn’t know about the talk of possession and haunting, and said helplessly, “If she’s ill, just summon the Imperial Physician. Why come here? The Empress Dowager isn’t well now, how can she concern herself with whether the Noble Consort is ill or not?”

Granny Chen smiled bitterly, “It’s not that simple, Your Highness. Noble Consort Feng is ill, but Prince Cheng thinks she’s not ill but possessed. Today, he invited ritualists from the Imperial Observatory to perform ceremonies at Changxin Palace. You know the Empress Dowager dislikes such things, that’s why the palace servants came to report.”

“Ill but not seeking treatment, instead inviting ritualists? Why has Prince Cheng suddenly started believing in such things?!”

Granny Chen sighed helplessly, “I heard they did summon Imperial Physicians, but they couldn’t find anything wrong, only saying the Noble Consort was too worried and prescribed medicine, which didn’t help. But no one knows what she’s worried about. She seems like a different person. She used to love going to Chongzheng Palace, but these days she hasn’t gone once. That would be fine, but she also can’t sleep at night, has nightmares, and fears someone will harm her. Ah, it’s no wonder Prince Cheng got the wrong idea – it is indeed strange.”

Yan Li’s phoenix eyes narrowed, “After the ritualists performed the ceremony, what did they say?”

Granny Chen shook her head, “They couldn’t say anything. It’s Changxin Palace after all – the ritualists wouldn’t dare speak carelessly.”

Seems like a different person…

Usually loved going to Chongzheng Palace, but suddenly stopped…

Can’t sleep at night, has nightmares, and fears someone will harm her…

Qin Wan’s brow twitched as she listened. Feng Lingsu’s condition was very similar to Consort Jin’s anxiety before her incident. Consort Jin had been that way because she knew that secret – could Feng Lingsu know it too? Qin Wan quickly asked, “When did the Noble Consort start falling ill?”

Granny Chen thought for a moment and said, “It should be… after the Fifth Princess’s wedding!”

Qin Wan hadn’t entered the palace to attend the Fifth Princess’s wedding ceremony, but she had heard that the Emperor had allowed the Crown Prince and Empress to send the bride off. Because of this, when the news reached the Marquis’s mansion, Madam Hu had thought the Empress and Crown Prince would finally see clear skies, but they didn’t expect the Emperor truly just wanted them to send off the bride.

That day, the Empress had left Kunning Palace, received farewells, and ascended the tower. By protocol, she would have met Feng Lingsu. Could it be that…

Qin Wan had some suspicions in her heart but dared not be certain. And if Feng Lingsu knew at this time, what benefit would the Empress gain?

Qin Wan couldn’t think it through completely. Whenever she encountered difficult points to consider, she wanted to see Yan Chi. It was the same now. She made up her mind, but turning her head, she saw Yan Li also deep in thought. Seeing her look over, Yan Li said, “Imperial Grandmother dislikes these things. Granny, it’s enough that you know this news. Don’t let Imperial Grandmother know. Send someone to Changxin Palace with Imperial Grandmother’s token and order that they must not openly perform ceremonies there anymore.”

Hearing Yan Li’s instructions, Granny Chen felt that Prince Gong had grown up considerably. Though his tone was very mild, it carried an undeniable authority. Granny Chen hurriedly agreed.