Lu Tong returned to the medical hall.

That Miss Hongman took her away through Yuxian Tower’s back door, changed her clothes, and quietly returned by carriage—the entire process without asking a single question. As if Pei Yunying’s instructions required no doubt, only obedience.

When they arrived at the medical hall, the two got off the carriage and went inside. Yin Zheng closed the main door and walked toward the courtyard with Lu Tong, while anxiously asking: “Miss, will Lord Pei suspect you?”

Lu Tong shook her head: “I’ll handle it.”

She had dressed as a dancing girl and gone to a flower house in the dead of night—her behavior was suspicious. Given Pei Yunying’s scheming nature, he couldn’t possibly treat it as if nothing had happened. He might even be sending people to investigate right now.

However, first, he had no evidence, and second, Lu Tong currently posed no threat to him. The most likely scenario was that both of them would tactfully let the matter pass without mention—

After all, Pei Yunying’s own relationship with that Miss Hongman was also worth pondering.

In this world, who didn’t have secrets?

Yin Zheng asked again: “Miss couldn’t approach Qi Yutai today—what should we do in the future?”

Lu Tong’s gaze grew somber.

After a moment, she said: “We’ll wait and look for another opportunity.”

Approaching Qi Yutai was much more difficult than she had imagined, especially after tonight’s unexpected encounter. Qi Yutai’s secret guards were so alert—she had only lingered on the third floor for a moment before Qi Yutai’s people immediately tracked her down.

Either the people around him were always vigilant.

Or… he had a guilty conscience and was already on guard.

Either way, it was an obstacle to Lu Tong’s revenge plan.

Seeing Lu Tong’s uncertain expression, Yin Zheng quickly said: “Never mind, it’s too late today. Miss should wash up and rest first, lest Shopkeeper Du notice something tomorrow morning.”

“When the boat reaches the bridge, it will naturally go straight. If this time doesn’t work, we’ll think of other methods next time!”

Lu Tong heard the comfort in her words, nodded in agreement, removed her remaining makeup and washed clean, then finally extinguished the lights and went to bed.

The rain outside the window gradually lessened, pattering densely against the window. Rainy winter nights were always more cold and desolate.

The small room was quite cold, incomparable to the warm chambers of Yuxian Tower, and the bed curtains weren’t as luxurious and fragrant as those there. Lu Tong lay on the bed, using the faint light from the window crack to look at the tassels at the four corners of the curtains, without a trace of sleepiness in her eyes.

She had exhausted her efforts and spent a fortune to infiltrate the flower house, only to hear Qi Yutai’s voice and see the hem of his clothes in the end, and even that nearly exposed her.

She wanted to deal with Qi Yutai.

In front of the mass grave at Wangchun Mountain, Liu Kun, with a guilty conscience, blurted out the name “Qi family” when she pressed him in panic.

Lu Tong could now completely confirm that the Qi family was Grand Tutor Qi Qing’s household, and Lu Rou had been killed by the Qi family’s legitimate son, Qi Yutai. However, the Grand Tutor Manor had strict hierarchies and status—with her status as a mere sitting physician, she couldn’t approach Qi Yutai at all.

After waiting so long without finding an opportunity, she had wanted to act during Qi Yutai’s birthday tonight, but unexpectedly didn’t succeed in the end.

Lu Tong felt somewhat disappointed.

Qi Yutai’s secret guards were so vigilant—how difficult would it be to find another opportunity? She remembered asking Pei Yunying in Yuxian Tower: “Do you princes and young masters always have so many secret guards protecting you when out?”

At that time, Pei Yunying had answered: “He does, I don’t.”

Qi Yutai had so many eyes watching him when he went out—how could she possibly approach him…

How could she possibly approach him…

Wait! Something was wrong!

Lu Tong suddenly froze and sat up abruptly.

Since Qi Yutai had so many secret guards around him, how had Lu Rou entered Qi Yutai’s room back then? Judging by his actions tonight, wouldn’t Lu Rou have been caught before she could even get close?

Lu Tong finally understood where that strange feeling had come from when Pei Yunying said those words.

Ke Chengxing’s servant Wan Fu had said that Lu Rou went to Fengle Tower that day to bring sobering soup to Ke Chengxing, but entered the wrong room, which was how she caught Qi Yutai’s attention.

But a room guarded by secret guards—how easy was it to enter?

Also, what was Qi Yutai doing at Fengle Tower? This person was greedy for luxury and always enjoyed himself at the capital’s most prosperous Yuxian Tower. Why did he go to Fengle Tower, which was inferior to Yuxian Tower, that particular day?

And he just happened to encounter Lu Rou at Fengle Tower…

More and more suspicious points appeared, and Lu Tong felt as if her eyes were covered by a layer of mist. This mist was layered and endless—she was alone in it like a tiny boat sailing into the ocean, about to be swallowed by these dark currents in the next moment—

A “crack” sound.

Outside the window, night rain pattered, and wind made the window rattle slightly.

Her hand touched the cold bedding, and Lu Tong came to her senses, slowly clenching the cotton quilt beneath her.

She would find the truth. She would definitely seek justice for the Lu family.

By whatever means necessary.

Whether it was the Qi family or anyone else.

…

The next day, the rain stopped.

Winter days dawned late. When Du Changqing arrived at the medical hall, Yin Zheng and Lu Tong had already been busy for a long time.

A’Cheng took a broom to sweep up the fallen branches scattered by last night’s heavy rain. Du Changqing turned his face over and, after carefully examining Lu Tong, mused: “Good complexion. Doctor Lu, though you look frail and delicate, your constitution recovers quite quickly.”

Previously, Yin Zheng had told him that Lu Tong had caught a cold and needed to rest for a day, giving them an excuse to secretly go to Yuxian Tower. Du Changqing hadn’t suspected anything.

He brought out his abacus again to calculate this month’s income and expenses. Halfway through his calculations, he heard A’Cheng call out from the doorway: “My, my lord?”

Du Changqing looked up and saw a handsome young man in crimson official robes walking in.

Perhaps having gotten up too early, Du Changqing’s mind wasn’t quite clear yet. Before he could call out this person’s name, Lu Tong, who had come out from the inner shop, was already standing behind him and speaking: “Commander.”

Commander?

Du Changqing’s expression immediately changed.

To be honest, his impression of this Commander was really quite poor. A few months ago, it was Pei Yunying who had led a bunch of bastards from the Military Patrol Office to turn the medical hall upside down. At that time, Pei Yunying’s meaningful expression had almost made Du Changqing suspect that their medical hall really was hiding a corpse.

Now seeing this person again, old grudges immediately surged up, along with some nervousness, fearing that this Pei fellow would splash another earth-shattering bucket of dirty water on the medical hall.

Du Changqing forced a fake smile: “I wonder what important matter brings Lord Pei to honor our humble establishment?” He glared at A’Cheng: “Why aren’t you quickly making tea for his lordship!”

Pei Yunying looked around, then sat down at the small table in the inner shop as familiarly as if returning to his own home.

He said: “I came to find Doctor Lu to get medicine.”

Du Changqing was puzzled: “Get medicine?”

“Bao Zhu and sister’s medicine is almost finished. Since I happened to pass by here today, I came to find Doctor Lu to get medicine.” He answered Du Changqing’s question while looking at Lu Tong.

Du Changqing suddenly understood.

So it was for Princess Wen, Pei Yunshu.

Although Du Changqing didn’t want Lu Tong to wade into the muddy waters of Prince Wen’s manor, but as they say, skill breeds confidence. Lu Tong had already taken on this mess and offended whoever needed to be offended. Now they could only cling tightly to Pei Yunshu’s—no, Pei Yunying’s—coattails, borrowing the Pei family’s influence to prevent Prince Wen’s manor from causing trouble.

Thinking of this, Du Changqing’s gaze toward the other party became more tolerant, even glancing toward the inner shop: “Why is A’Cheng so slow making tea? Unacceptable—I’ll go hurry him!”

After speaking, he lifted the curtain and entered the small shop, even dragging Yin Zheng along, thoughtfully leaving the medical hall to Lu Tong and Pei Yunying alone.

Pei Yunying looked at Lu Tong, smiled, and spoke naturally: “Doctor Lu.”

Lu Tong remained silent.

After last night’s encounter with Pei Yunying at Yuxian Tower, she had guessed that given Pei Yunying’s scheming nature, he must have already sensed something was wrong. But at the time, he hadn’t asked anything—they both tacitly understood each other’s secrets.

Lu Tong hadn’t expected him to come to Renxin Medical Hall so early this morning, so openly. She didn’t know what he was planning again.

After a moment of silence, Lu Tong walked to the long table in the shop, took paper and brush, and began writing a prescription while saying: “The formula remains the same this time. After finishing these doses, we’ll change to a new prescription.”

Seeing her actions, Pei Yunying thought for a moment, then stood up and walked to the long table.

Black characters danced across white paper—if one didn’t look carefully, it was difficult to make out what was written, completely contrary to her beautiful and elegant appearance.

He looked down at the ink characters on the prescription: “Why is the handwriting so illegible?”

Lu Tong: “All doctors are like this.”

Pei Yunying shrugged: “Last night’s rain was heavy. Doctor Lu left in such a hurry—didn’t catch cold?”

Lu Tong’s brush tip paused, and a drop of ink flowed from the tip, spreading into a large dark stain on the paper. She stopped writing and looked up at the person before her, her eyes showing warning.

“What exactly does Lord Pei want to say?”

She didn’t want to discuss this matter with Pei Yunying in the medical hall. Although Du Changqing sometimes seemed unreliable, he was sometimes unusually sharp about such things.

Pei Yunying remained unmoved, as if deliberately provoking her: “I wonder if Doctor Lu knows that Fan Zhenglian is dead.”

His tone was casual, as if he hadn’t seen Lu Tong’s face turn cold, and he continued: “Before Fan Zhenglian died, rumors spread that his collusion with the Ministry of Rites to manipulate the imperial examinations was at the Grand Tutor Manor’s behest. Shortly after, Fan Zhenglian hanged himself in prison. Some suspect the Grand Tutor Manor silenced him.”

Lu Tong laughed instead of getting angry: “Does your lordship think I have the ability to make a prisoner hang himself in jail?”

Pei Yunying nodded: “Doctor Lu certainly doesn’t have that ability, but last night was Grand Tutor’s legitimate son Qi Yutai’s birthday. Doctor Lu disguised herself as a dancing girl and went to the third floor of Yuxian Tower, which happened to be where Qi Yutai was staying.”

“I’m thinking…”

He leaned closer to Lu Tong, staring into her eyes, smiling faintly: “Doctor Lu wouldn’t have been targeting the Grand Tutor Manor from the beginning, would she?”

Lu Tong’s heart caught.

Pei Yunying was very close.

Unlike last night’s theatrical performance among the pearls, jade, and red curtains in the tower, the young man in official robes seemed to have shed even that touch of authenticity from the vermillion tower. Leaning against the table cabinet with a slight forward tilt, still with smiling brows and eyes, his gaze was like a sharp blade, cutting through the secrets in one’s heart inch by inch.

She knew this person was scheming, but being overly intelligent and not concealing his intelligence made him easily become a threat to others.

Threats… should be ruthlessly eliminated.

Just then, a voice suddenly emerged from behind: “What are you doing?!”

Du Changqing, who came out carrying tea water, looked up to see the two people facing each other at the long table and couldn’t help shouting.

Lu Tong paused and stepped back a bit, creating distance from Pei Yunying.

But Du Changqing was like an old farmer who had watched his own cabbage being stolen by a pig. He rushed over in three steps, heavily placed his teacup on the table, splashing tea water all over the prescription paper.

He stood in front of Lu Tong, looking at Pei Yunying with vigilant eyes: “Lord Pei, our Doctor Lu is betrothed. You should maintain proper decorum in your behavior.”

Lu Tong: “…”

“Betrothed?”

Pei Yunying straightened up, as if interested, and asked nosily: “Has the shopkeeper met Doctor Lu’s fiancé?”

Du Changqing chuckled, smiling without warmth: “Of course I have. Doctor Lu’s fiancé is young and accomplished, from a noble family. Doctor Lu also saved his life, so they are a perfect match made in heaven. Our Doctor Lu came to the capital precisely to fulfill the marriage contract.”

Pei Yunying smiled: “Why haven’t I seen him?”

“High noble families have many rules,” Du Changqing lied without blinking, “and he works in the palace, very busy. How could he be wandering around everywhere like a sticky plaster?”

He deliberately emphasized the words “sticky plaster.”

Just as he finished speaking, someone outside said: “Who’s a sticky plaster?”

Aunt Song helped Widow Sun walk in, and Yin Zheng smiled and went forward: “Miss Sun, Aunt Song, what brings you here?”

Widow Sun tucked the loose hair by her cheeks behind her ears and spoke softly: “I don’t know why, but lately I’ve been having trouble sleeping at night. I came to ask Doctor Lu to take a look.”

Lu Tong walked forward, asked Widow Sun to sit down so she could take her pulse. Aunt Song looked at Pei Yunying and asked Du Changqing: “Shopkeeper Du, who is this handsome young man? He’s not from our West Street, is he?”

Du Changqing rolled his eyes. A’Cheng enthusiastically answered: “This is the Heir of Duke Zhaoning, Commander Pei of the Palace Guard!”

“Ah,” Widow Sun’s face immediately turned red. She secretly glanced at Pei Yunying, looking quite satisfied, and quietly asked: “I wonder if this young Lord Pei is married?”

Du Changqing: “…”

Yin Zheng turned away and secretly laughed.

With several more people in the medical hall, it immediately became crowded. Pei Yunying didn’t mind, picked up the medicine he had just obtained, and said to Lu Tong: “I still have official duties. We’ll continue another day. Doctor Lu, I’m leaving.”

After speaking, he turned and left the medical hall.

Widow Sun and Aunt Song turned to follow, saying “What a handsome man” while craning their necks to watch his retreating figure, looking quite reluctant to see him go.

Du Changqing slapped a cloth on the table cabinet: “What are you looking at? Haven’t you seen a handsome man before? Isn’t this big handsome man enough for you to look at? How annoying!”

Widow Sun didn’t mind his rude behavior, only leaned closer to Lu Tong: “Doctor Lu, are you very familiar with this young Lord Pei? Will he come to West Street again in the future?”

Aunt Song also said: “Next time he comes, tell me. I’ll have my daughter come out to see. Such a handsome young man—it would be wonderful if he could be my son-in-law.”

Du Changqing couldn’t stand it anymore. After finally sending these two away, he turned back to look at Lu Tong, who was wiping medicine residue from the table: “What were you talking about just now?”

“Getting medicine.”

“Getting medicine requires standing so close?”

Du Changqing didn’t believe it. “Boss reminds you—that Pei fellow is no good person. Don’t be fooled by his decent appearance; his heart might be blacker than anyone’s.”

Yin Zheng couldn’t stand it: “Shopkeeper Du is just jealous, isn’t he?”

“Me, jealous?” Du Changqing sneered, then lowered his voice: “Who in this city doesn’t know—years ago when rebels caused chaos in the capital, the leader held the Duchess of Zhaoning hostage at sword point—that’s Pei’s mother—intending to use her to escape. But who would have thought…”

Yin Zheng was curious: “Duke Zhaoning let her go?”

Lu Tong also looked at Du Changqing.

“No! Duke Pei Di didn’t even frown and continued suppressing the rebellion. As a result, the Duchess of Zhaoning was killed by the rebels in full view of everyone—died horribly!”

Lu Tong’s brows moved slightly. She had learned very little about Pei Yunying, and hadn’t heard about the Duchess of Zhaoning’s matter.

Du Changqing continued: “Think about it—even one night as husband and wife means a hundred days of affection. Duke Zhaoning could be so heartless toward his pillow companion. Even we would hesitate somewhat, but he was fine with it, didn’t care about anything. If the father is so unfeeling, how good can the son be?”

Yin Zheng thought for a moment: “But didn’t you say there was a rebellion? If Duke Zhaoning had given in to the threat, wouldn’t that be irresponsible to the city’s people?”

“If it were just that, it really wouldn’t prove much,” Du Changqing snorted. “But two years after the Duchess of Zhaoning’s death, Pei Di remarried. Soon after, he had another son.”

“The Duchess of Zhaoning’s death was somewhat related to Pei Di. She died for him, yet he turned around and married another, had children. Even common folk observe mourning for three years. So I say, the Pei family people are all no good.”

Du Changqing turned to Lu Tong and spoke earnestly: “Men understand men best. Listen to me, Doctor Lu—don’t listen to Pei Yunying’s sweet words. Men are unreliable.”

A’Cheng couldn’t help laughing: “Boss, you’re also a man.”

“Exactly,” Du Changqing spread his hands. “I’m also unreliable, so Doctor Lu shouldn’t be thinking about romance all day. Focus on practicing medicine and preparing drugs—that’s the right path. In a few years, when no one remembers Prince Wen’s manor affairs, you should stop associating with that Pei fellow.”

Lu Tong casually agreed, lowering her head slightly to hide the thoughtful look in her eyes.

She hadn’t expected Pei Yunying to have such a past. Previously seeing this person’s amiable exterior but deep scheming, she had found his complex temperament difficult to understand. Now hearing Du Changqing’s explanation, she had some understanding.

No wonder in Prince Wen’s manor, he regarded Pei Yunshu so importantly, not hesitating to offend Prince Wen’s manor to help Pei Yunshu divorce. Logically, the breakdown of a high-family marriage would be a major matter for the Pei family, but from beginning to end, Lu Tong had hardly heard Duke Zhaoning Pei Di’s name mentioned.

This meant that Pei Yunshu’s divorce was most likely done without Pei Di’s consent, manipulated single-handedly by Pei Yunying.

From this perspective, Pei Yunying’s relationship with the Pei family was probably not as simple as it appeared on the surface.

This might become another “weak point” of his.

Du Changqing was still chattering: “Do women live in this world just to get married? Think bigger—why not build a career? For instance, expand our Renxin Medical Hall to Qinghe Street in the south of the city to earn money from those rich people. Once we have money, what kind of men can’t we find? Whatever Pei fellow, whatever fiancé—tell them all to get lost!”

“Not bad.”

Du Changqing turned to her: “What did you say?”

“I said what you said isn’t bad.”

Du Changqing’s eyes lit up: “Right? You also agree to tell them all to get lost?”

Lu Tong shook her head.

“I said the idea of ‘earning money from those rich people’ isn’t bad,” she said.