Upon returning to her residence, Shen Xihe discovered that Xie Yunhuai had already been waiting for quite some time at the Princess’s mansion.

“Your Highness, Doctor Qi has been here for half an hour,” Biyu reported.

“I was slightly delayed at the palace. What brings Doctor Qi to seek me?” Shen Xihe inquired softly.

Xie Yunhuai was the first person Shen Xihe had accepted as a true friend without any underlying interests. It had nothing to do with romance—she simply found their interactions comfortable and natural.

“I’ve come for the Bone-Dissolving Pills. I’ve found a way for Your Highness to take them again, but I need some pills to examine,” Xiao Huayong had sent him a message just moments before Shen Xihe obtained the pills.

He was told to come early to collect them, lest Shen Xihe send away the Snow Lotus from Tianshan and grow suspicious of the medicinal soup he’d prepared when she noticed it contained Snow Lotus. Xie Yunhuai didn’t know why Xiao Huayong had gone to such lengths to obtain the Snow Lotus while keeping it secret from Shen Xihe, nor did he wish to investigate.

“Can I take the Bone-Dissolving Pills again?” This had been one of Shen Xihe’s major concerns.

“I’m eighty percent certain,” Xie Yunhuai didn’t dare make absolute promises.

Even eighty percent filled Shen Xihe with joy. She had Biyu give all the remaining Bone-Dissolving Pills to Xie Yunhuai: “Doctor Qi, please take them all. If you can’t succeed, they’re useless to me anyway.”

Actually, after learning she couldn’t take the Bone-Dissolving Pills, she had originally planned to give the remainder to Xiao Huayong. Since she wouldn’t live long, she hoped Xiao Huayong would live a long life, and she could use this to secure a promise, leaving an escape route for the Northwest.

But if she could live herself, naturally she would choose to live.

After giving the Bone-Dissolving Pills to Xie Yunhuai, Shen Xihe suddenly asked: “Doctor Qi, is there a medicine that, when taken, creates symptoms of false pregnancy and can fool even the imperial physicians?”

Xie Yunhuai’s brow twitched upon hearing about false pregnancy medicine: “Why does Your Highness need such medicine?”

“To teach certain precious royals a small lesson,” Shen Xihe answered diplomatically.

For Shen Xihe to refer to someone as ‘precious royals,’ it must be a princess of the imperial family, which explained the need to deceive the Imperial Medical Office—no ordinary person could accomplish that.

“I heard of such a thing in my earlier years traveling, but I’ve never prepared it. If Your Highness desires it, I’ll try to make some.” Xie Yunhuai didn’t ask why Shen Xihe wanted to target a princess; Shen Xihe was his friend, while the princess meant nothing to him.

Born into wealth, Xie Yunhuai didn’t share the common people’s deep reverence for the royal family.

After Xie Yunhuai left with the medicine, Tianyuan’s people arrived with the Tianshan Snow Lotus. From then on, Xie Yunhuai closed his doors to visitors, focusing entirely on researching the formula he had previously drafted.

After seeing off Xie Yunhuai, Shen Xihe returned to her room and brought out a pot of orchids, immersing herself in her fragrance room to create a mixed perfume primarily based on orchids.

“What a pure and elegant scent,” Hongyu, Shen Xihe’s assistant, was the first to smell it and quite liked it.

“You like it?” Shen Xihe asked with a faint smile.

“Yes,” Hongyu nodded.

Shen Xihe handed it to her: “Why not burn it tonight while you sleep?”

“Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness.” Hongyu happily accepted the incense burner, proudly raising her eyebrows at Ziyu before returning to her room.

“Your Highness…” Ziyu gazed expectantly at Shen Xihe, knowing she never showed favoritism.

“You like it too?” Shen Xihe said while handing her some as well. “Perfect, you use it tonight too.”

After speaking, Shen Xihe raised her eyebrows at Biyu. After months of guidance from Shen Xihe, Biyu had become considerably more perceptive.

The Princess was already low on energy; if she hadn’t needed it for something specific, she wouldn’t suddenly create a new fragrance. The fragrances at the Duluo Tower were all bought from professional perfumers, with Shen Xihe merely offering occasional guidance.

If there was an urgent need for fragrance, where would it be used? Besides making fragrances for the Crown Prince, Miss Xue, and Young Master Bu, every time the Princess specifically created a fragrance, it was to torment someone. Thinking back to what had happened in the palace today…

Biyu smiled and shook her head: “This servant won’t take what others cherish.”

Shen Xihe gave her an approving look.

The answer was revealed early the next morning: while Shen Xihe and Biyu were energetic and alert, Hongyu and Ziyu had dark circles under their eyes and appeared lifeless.

Watching the two struggling to stay awake, Shen Xihe remarked: “Not bad.”

The effect was even better than she had anticipated. Ziyu was extremely aggrieved: “Your Highness…”

She might not be clever, but she wasn’t stupid either. Throughout the entire household, only she and Hongyu hadn’t slept well—it must have been because of that fragrance.

“Orchid fragrance is ethereal, but in large doses, it causes insomnia. Your symptoms are just the mildest effects—if burned for several more nights, it would cause loss of appetite and nausea.” After explaining, Shen Xihe instructed, “You’re both relieved of duty today. I’ll stay in the residence and won’t go out. Both of you should burn some calming incense and get some proper rest.”

“Yes, Your Highness.” Ziyu and Hongyu hurried back to their rooms to catch up on sleep.

Shen Xihe had specifically chosen these two to test the fragrance because it had been hastily created. She had theorized about it before, but this was her first attempt, and she wasn’t sure if it would affect everyone equally. She had previously found a willing maid to test it for five consecutive days, and by the fifth day, the maid had developed symptoms of nausea.

Coincidentally, Xie Yunhuai visited that day, personally delivering the false pregnancy medicine to Shen Xihe: “Your Highness, after taking this medicine, signs of pregnancy will appear within seven days. You can rest assured about the Imperial Medical Office.”

Xie Yunhuai wasn’t entirely certain whether someone in the Imperial Medical Office might discover the truth, but yesterday that person had come.

Xiao Huayong had returned to the capital, and soon there would be another storm in the capital. He had come to inquire about the progress of Shen Xihe’s medicine.

Xie Yunhuai had mentioned this briefly—if Xiao Huayong wanted, the Imperial Medical Office would present a unified front. This wasn’t because everyone in the Imperial Medical Office was Xiao Huayong’s person, but because he held compromising information about several highly respected figures there.

“Your Highness, have you truly lost your ability to distinguish colors?” When Tianyuan learned this news, tears suddenly welled up in his eyes.

“Dry your tears.” Xiao Huayong frowned as he commanded. If not for being his attendant, Tianyuan wouldn’t know—having an accident, he wouldn’t know how to respond, so Xiao Huayong wouldn’t have wanted to tell him.

“Your Highness already dislikes this servant.” Tianyuan wiped his eyes.

“The autumn grain will arrive in the capital in a few days, escorted by local officials. If you want to…”

“No, no, no, this servant doesn’t want to.” Tianyuan immediately stood straight, all traces of tears gone from his eyes, leaving only some redness that came from his rubbing.

“Tomorrow, send some fresh food to Youyou.” They had agreed that upon his return to the capital, he would send her food boxes.

“Yes, this servant will remember.” Tianyuan nodded. “The Fourth Princess…”

“What she needs to do, others can’t interfere with.” Xiao Huayong wanted to show his support, to stand up for her, but she didn’t need it.

However, thinking about how she had gone to seek Xie Yunhuai’s help made him feel somewhat uneasy, and he even found Xie Yunhuai slightly irritating to look at.

If it weren’t for his Youyou needing the medicinal soup that depended on Xie Yunhuai, he would have already found a way to send him far away from the capital.

Instantly sensing his master’s mood change, Tianyuan hurriedly withdrew to attend to the matters His Highness had commanded.