“Young Master Bu!” Biyu reminded in a low voice.

She herself knew she was female, Shen Xihe knew she was female, but Xue Jinqiao didn’t know – speaking like this would damage Shen Xihe’s reputation!

Bu Shulin, who had spoken without thinking, also realized her mistake and sheepishly rubbed her nose, stepping away from Shen Xihe.

Shen Xihe turned to see a dark look in Xue Jinqiao’s eyes as she watched Bu Shulin, and quickly said gently, “Bu Young Master and I are close friends. She acts impulsively and speaks without thinking – don’t take it to heart.”

Xue Jinqiao concealed the emotions in her eyes and nodded obediently, but didn’t respond verbally.

Bu Shulin completely dismissed Xue Jinqiao, but Shen Xihe knew that Xue Jinqiao’s evil schemes were endless. Once she marked someone in her heart, she would torment them to death – apparently these days Hu Yingrao had become like a medicine pot.

“You’re all my friends, it’s best if everyone gets along,” Shen Xihe mediated.

“Am I really?” Sure enough, the complexity in Xue Jinqiao’s eyes vanished, replaced by bright clarity.

Looking at those eyes alone, one would think she was just a pure-hearted, lively, and lovable young lady. Who could imagine she was capable of repeatedly drowning someone until they became dependent on medicine, and could even set loose a leopard to maul a young lady’s face beyond recognition?

Shen Xihe smiled slightly: “Yes.”

“Can I come visit Sister Xihe often?” Xue Jinqiao immediately pressed her advantage.

Shen Xihe frowned slightly – she truly disliked socializing.

“Sister Xihe is delicate and likes peace and quiet. If you come every day, how would she have the energy to accompany you?” Bu Shulin immediately spoke up. “Like me, unless there’s important business, I come at most once every ten days.”

“What counts as important business?” Xue Jinqiao asked.

This…

Bu Shulin paused before saying: “Matters concerning Sister Xihe.”

“Oh.” Xue Jinqiao appeared thoughtful.

Bu Shulin finally noticed this young lady’s mind worked differently from normal people, and inconspicuously moved further away.

It wasn’t that she feared someone unwell, but rather she didn’t want to be entangled with such a person.

“Did you also come today for important business?” Xue Jinqiao suddenly asked.

Bu Shulin immediately straightened her back and smiled smugly at Xue Jinqiao before formally cupping her hands to Shen Xihe: “I came specifically to thank Sister Xihe for blending perfume for me – it suits me perfectly.”

After speaking, she smiled at Xue Jinqiao with raised eyebrows, lightly sniffing her sleeve.

Xue Jinqiao coldly snorted at her, then turned and completely changed her expression, looking pitifully at Shen Xihe: “Sister Xihe, you said we’re all your friends!”

Since they were all friends, there shouldn’t be different treatment!

Shen Xihe glanced lightly at Bu Shulin before telling Xue Jinqiao: “I’ll make some for you another day.”

This finally made Xue Jinqiao beam with joy, though the two still bickered occasionally. Shen Xihe got a headache from their noise until she finally couldn’t bear it anymore and had Moyu and Mo Yuan drive them both out.

With peace and quiet finally restored to her ears, Xie Yunhuai arrived.

“Doctor Qi seems in good spirits today,” Shen Xihe could sense that Xie Yunhuai was somewhat happy today.

“I encountered something satisfying,” Xie Yunhuai said with a smile. “Actually, it’s somewhat related to the Princess.”

“Oh?” Shen Xihe was puzzled – she hadn’t done anything involving Xie Yunhuai.

“The Yuan family’s young lady who was injured by the leopard at Xiangguo Temple has been seeking famous doctors for treatment.” Xie Yunhuai already knew the whole story of Xiangguo Temple – Yuan’s young lady had gone there hoping to chance upon Shen Yunan. “The Yuan family didn’t know me but had heard of my reputation somewhere and invited me to treat her. After learning their identity, I refused three times. Later, the Yuan family offered a valuable medicine in exchange, so I went to take a look…”

Merchants won’t turn away from money, officials won’t turn away from power, and naturally he wouldn’t turn away from good medicine.

He planned to treat her as a regular patient, but this morning when he went for a follow-up visit, he happened to encounter Lady Yuan, Duke Xie’s wife, visiting. He went back to retrieve something he’d forgotten and overheard Lady Yuan talking with his sister-in-law, learning that this Yuan young lady wasn’t actually her niece, but rather the daughter of Lady Yuan and her previous husband.

After her husband’s death, Lady Yuan discovered she was pregnant. To avoid being detained by her husband’s family, she concealed it, originally planning to take medicine to end the pregnancy. However, her body couldn’t tolerate such medicine – it would not only endanger her life but might also cause future infertility – so she gave birth to the Yuan young lady.

Passing her off as her sister-in-law’s daughter explained why she was so concerned about the young lady’s marriage, personally scheming and planning.

“She wants to marry her daughter to the Northwest, not for glory and wealth, but because her late husband’s brothers are reportedly being transferred back to the capital this year, and the Yuan young lady resembles her late husband.”

At this point, Xie Yunhuai gave a cold laugh: “All these years, she’s frequently used the excuse of not wanting to encounter her late husband’s family to have Duke Xie suppress their achievements, preventing them from entering the capital.”

Now that she can’t suppress them anymore, she wants to marry off her daughter to a distant place before they return.

The calculations weren’t bad, though with the Yuan young lady’s face now ruined, while she was surely heartbroken, she might also feel somewhat relieved.

“Your father and stepmother truly make a perfect match,” Shen Xihe commented.

They were both the type to disregard family bonds for their own selfish interests.

Xie Yunhuai nodded in strong agreement, and the topic was dropped just as Shen Yunan came looking for them after waking up.

After Shen Xihe made introductions and they exchanged greetings, she said: “Brother, the medicine you took last night came from Doctor Qi. He came today to check my pulse and confirm the medicine won’t harm me.”

Shen Yunan immediately asked Xie Yunhuai detailed questions about Shen Xihe’s condition. One asked thoroughly, the other answered patiently. Shen Xihe left them to talk and went to the kitchen to make sugar crisp biscuits. When she returned with the finished biscuits, the two were conversing pleasantly.

“For this miraculous medicine, on behalf of the Northwest’s sons, I thank Ruogu,” Shen Yunan bowed formally to Xie Yunhuai.

“Brother Bu Wei, please don’t stand on ceremony,” Xie Yunhuai hurried to help him up. “As sons of the land, you guard the frontier; Ruogu, though lacking in talent, is fortunate to contribute even a little to the soldiers on the battlefield.”

“What’s this…” Shen Xihe entered to see them in such a serious atmosphere and couldn’t help being curious.

“Ruogu gave me a wound medicine that stops bleeding instantly,” Shen Yunan said excitedly.

On the battlefield, what their men feared most was severe wounds with excessive bleeding that couldn’t be treated in time.

“What kind of wound medicine?” Shen Xihe was curious – she’d heard of many wound medicines, but none so miraculous.

Shen Yunan looked at Xie Yunhuai, and seeing no objection, handed the prescription to Shen Xihe. The prescription contained basic wound medicine ingredients like pine resin, musk, and yellow wax, but also a special ingredient – dragon bone.

“I accidentally learned that dragon bone in medicine is excellent for stopping bleeding,” Xie Yunhuai said gently. “It’s just hard to find.”

“Dragon bone can be found in both the Northwest and Sichuan,” Shen Xihe smiled faintly. “As it happens, the Bu Young Master owes me some favors.”

It was even more common in Turkic territories. Didn’t Hua Fuhai want the Northwestern market? Let him go collect it!