As soon as Lu Ning’e finished speaking, she saw Bai Jinzhi emerge from the room. She quickly bowed toward Bai Jinzhi: “Fourth Miss!”

“Aunt!” Bai Jinzhi returned the courtesy. “Thank you for your trouble!”

Bai Jinzhi stepped aside to clear the doorway, and Chun Tao lifted the curtain to invite Lu Ning’e inside.

Bai Jinzhi rubbed her neck wearily. Just now, upon seeing that this Ji Langhua was indeed the Miss Ji she had encountered in Nan Jiang, it had truly startled Bai Jinzhi.

Originally, Bai Jinzhi had wanted to stay here and wait for Ji Langhua to wake up so she could question her thoroughly, but her eldest sister said Miss Ji didn’t know when she would wake up and told her to go back first to change her clothes, eat something, and rest.

Having ridden horses for several days, Bai Jinzhi was indeed tired, so she obediently listened and went back to rest first.

Bai Qingyan stood beside the bed, watching as Shen Qingzhu arranged hot towels to wipe Ji Langhua’s face, her heart puzzled about what Ji Langhua’s purpose could be in making such a commotion, letting everyone in the entire capital know she possessed an elixir that could resurrect the dead.

“Miss!” Lu Ning’e bowed to Bai Qingyan. “May I examine this young lady?”

Bai Qingyan turned to look at Lu Ning’e and returned the courtesy: “Thank you for your trouble, Aunt!”

Lu Ning’e washed her hands at the side, wiped them with a cloth, then sat on the embroidered stool beside the bed to take Ji Langhua’s pulse. Her gaze involuntarily fell on Ji Langhua’s face, her brow slightly furrowed as she studied her carefully.

The maid following behind Lu Ning’e placed Lu Ning’e’s medicine box to the side and took out the small leather pouch containing Lu Ning’e’s wrapped golden needles.

Lu Ning’e came back to her senses, drew out a golden needle, and carefully inserted it into Ji Langhua’s tiger’s mouth, gently rotating it.

In just a moment, Ji Langhua slowly regained consciousness.

Lu Ning’e withdrew the needle, placed Ji Langhua’s hand under the bed covers, and with downcast eyes, tucked the quilt corners around Ji Langhua.

Ji Langhua stared at Lu Ning’e, her pupils trembling slightly for an instant. Almost instinctively, she grasped Lu Ning’e’s hand, but then suddenly released it as if coming to her senses.

“This young lady has only some external injuries, or perhaps fainted from excessive fatigue. With some rest and a few doses of medicine, she should be fine.” Lu Ning’e spoke softly to Bai Qingyan.

Bai Qingyan’s gaze fell on Lu Ning’e, then on Ji Langhua, as she said: “Then I’ll trouble you, Aunt, to prescribe for Miss Ji!”

Seeing Lu Ning’e bow and walk around the screen to prescribe in the outer room, Bai Qingyan withdrew her gaze and looked at Ji Langhua: “You went to great lengths, even willing to put on an act of wanting to dig up A’Ming’s grave, all to spread word that you possess elixirs that can resurrect the dead. What are you plotting?”

Ji Langhua struggled to sit up, looking at Bai Qingyan, whose eyes were cold and indifferent, her own eyes reddening.

The Xiao Bai Commander before her, dressed in women’s clothing, was vastly different from the Xiao Bai Commander she had seen in Nan Jiang, making her features appear even more strikingly beautiful and compelling.

“Xiao Bai Commander, I have no intention of harming the Bai family.”

Bai Qingyan nodded, sitting down in the chair that Chun Tao had brought over, her tone calm and peaceful as usual: “I remember telling you to live well and not disappoint the fallen soldiers of the Bai family army.”

Ji Langhua knew well that the Xiao Bai Commander was astute and wise. Hearing these words, she understood that the Xiao Bai Commander might have already guessed what she intended to do.

Ji Langhua bit her teeth tightly, threw off the quilt, got out of bed, and knelt before Bai Qingyan, kowtowing solemnly: “I dare not deceive the Xiao Bai Commander. Langhua is the legitimate granddaughter of Ji Bingfu, the former Imperial Medical Academy Judge who was implicated in Censor Jian Congwen’s case years ago.”

Bai Qingyan’s expression remained unchanged, her fingers tapping the chair’s armrest intermittently.

“Years ago, my grandfather borrowed rare ancient books from Censor Jian. My grandfather was in a hurry to diagnose Consort Tong’s pulse, so he placed the ancient bamboo scrolls in his medicine box and brought them into the palace. When Consort Tong saw the borrowed books… she inserted a letter of Censor Jian’s alleged treason into the ancient book right in front of my grandfather, then summoned the Emperor, instructing my grandfather to personally testify before the Emperor that when the ancient book was opened… this letter was already there. Consort Tong said this was the Emperor’s intention. My grandfather didn’t believe it, but when the Emperor arrived, he said that either this letter had accidentally been left inside by Jian Congwen, or the letter belonged to my grandfather—in any case, someone had to die. The implication was clear.”

Ji Langhua lowered her head in shame: “My grandfather dared not disobey the Emperor, so he claimed the letter was already there when Consort Tong opened it, thus causing harm to Censor Jian Congwen’s entire clan.”

Bai Qingyan narrowed her eyes. So that was why Censor Jian Congwen’s case had been handled so efficiently years ago, with the Court of Judicial Review swiftly investigating the case’s ins and outs within three days—it turned out the Emperor was the one pulling strings behind the scenes.

In those days, Consort Tong’s favor dominated the six palaces, but the Emperor was not a man of lasting affection… he would never have killed the upright and incorruptible Censor Jian Congwen merely to cover up for Consort Tong’s maternal family.

Besides old grievances, it was likely that most of the unconscionable acts committed by Consort Tong’s maternal family had received the Emperor’s tacit approval, indulgence, and protection, and even before the Emperor ascended the throne, he might have participated in them himself.

The Emperor always wanted to gain a reputation as a wise and enlightened ruler, so naturally, he would not allow the dirty deeds behind the scenes to be exposed by Jian Congwen. This… was the real reason for Jian Congwen’s case.

“My grandfather, fearing he would implicate the family, sent my father and uncles all to border regions and married my aunt to a commoner, hoping to preserve the entire family. But my grandfather was filled with shame over this daily, and eventually died of melancholy…”

“Though your grandfather was not at fault, he didn’t kill Boren, but Boren died because of him. Your grandfather’s end was not unjust…” Bai Qingyan’s eyes were grave. “You want to avenge your grandfather?”

Ji Langhua shook her head: “If I wanted revenge, I should have begun planning years ago. My desire to kill the tyrant is following my heart’s will. This Emperor is selfish and callous, having committed countless vicious deeds while still wanting to maintain a good reputation, thus slaughtering Censor Jian Congwen’s nine generations! Great Jin’s protection of home and Kingdom relied entirely on the Duke’s mansion, yet he grew suspicious of the Duke’s mansion due to their great achievements, allowing the princes to harm Great Jin’s loyal subjects… the entire male line of the Duke’s mansion! Ji Langhua’s life is worthless, but if I can take the tyrant’s dog life, this lifetime would not be lived in vain.”

If the Emperor died, the Crown Prince would ascend the throne, but this Crown Prince… might not necessarily be any better than the current Emperor.

Moreover, with Lu Ning’e present, the Emperor’s headache condition had improved—how much longer could he live?

This matter didn’t need to involve another Ji Langhua.

Bai Qingyan didn’t say much more to Ji Langhua, only saying: “Rest well and recover. We’ll talk again in a few days. Qing Zhu, have someone watch over her!”

“Xiao Bai Commander!” Ji Langhua called out, but couldn’t make Bai Qingyan stop.

She had originally caused a commotion at the government office entrance, then at the Duke’s mansion gates, all to let more people know she carried elixirs that could resurrect the dead. Now that this was accomplished, she should have left.

Not long after Bai Qingyan came out of the room, Lu Ning’e also followed, quite surprised to see Bai Qingyan waiting at the door: “Miss…”

“I heard Aunt entered the palace today to take the Emperor’s pulse?” Bai Qingyan gestured for Lu Ning’e to walk with her.

Lu Ning’e followed beside Bai Qingyan and nodded: “Yes, I can now definitively conclude that His Majesty has indeed used the aphrodisiac secret medicine from Xi Liang.”