“If by ‘fee’ the Divine Physician means money, I have plenty,” Wei Yuzhi said.

For him, wealth was just one tool to achieve his ambitions. He had amassed a considerable fortune over the years while managing the Piaomiao Manor within the Great Song’s borders.

Mo Sigui replied, “If you can offer something that interests me, that would be even better.”

“Does this mean the Divine Physician is accepting me as a patient?” Wei Yuzhi found it hard to believe that Mo Sigui would treat an enemy strategist.

Mo Sigui lowered his eyes, wiping the knife. “You needn’t look at me like that. The affairs of Great Song or Liao have nothing to do with me.”

“I thought that even if the Divine Physician lacked patriotism, he would at least have a doctor’s compassion,” Wei Yuzhi didn’t explicitly state it, but everyone knew that if Liao invaded the fertile lands of Great Song, plunder would be inevitable.

“Rise, the people suffer. Fall, the people suffer,” Mo Sigui said, covering his face with a mask and lighting a pot of medicinal incense.

As the fragrant smoke wafted through the room, Wei Yuzhi felt his limbs growing numb. At first, it felt like standing up after crouching for a long time, but after about fifteen minutes, even this sensation gradually faded.

Mo Sigui made a small incision on Wei Yuzhi’s chest with a fine knife. Blood immediately welled up.

Wei Yuzhi’s blood was different from normal people’s. It was not only thin but also very light in color, appearing beautiful against his pale skin. However, Mo Sigui frowned. At this rate of blood flow, excessive blood loss could be dangerous…

He paused, then turned to add another type of herb to the incense burner. The fragrance suddenly intensified.

Wei Yuzhi felt his eyelids growing heavier. He knew Mo Sigui had gone back on his word, but he didn’t struggle, allowing himself to fall asleep.

Perhaps this was the most Wei Yuzhi had ever let himself go in his entire life, completely entrusting his life to someone else—someone who could potentially be an enemy.

Outside, the snow continued to fall, piling up thicker on the ground.

Chu Dingjiang stood in the corridor watching for a while. After Mei Yanran finished cleaning An Jiu, he turned and entered the room.

During the days An Jiu had been unconscious, he had made his utmost effort to maintain her current condition. But just now, with only the nourishment of Wei Yuzhi’s spiritual energy, her complexion had noticeably improved. This left him feeling both happy and conflicted.

It might seem like a petty man’s mentality, but it wasn’t so. Chu Dingjiang, having been reborn from the Warring States period to the Song Dynasty, believed in fate and reincarnation. He believed that people don’t have inexplicable connections with others. He worried that fate was playing another subtle trick on him.

In his previous life, he had given everything for his clan, only to be abandoned and betrayed in the end. In this life, he had wholeheartedly fallen in love with a woman. He feared that one day, the outcome would be the same as before.

Holding An Jiu’s hand, Chu Dingjiang couldn’t help but laugh self-mockingly. His former confident and strategic self was now worrying about intangible things.

“I’ve never done anything to defy heaven. Surely I won’t be fooled like this,” Chu Dingjiang reminisced. In the past, although everything he did was for his clan, he had never truly cared about people’s hearts. He had even hurt many clan members for his schemes. Even if he were to face retribution in the end, it would be understandable. He wouldn’t treat An Jiu like that, so surely he wouldn’t face her betrayal…

Chu Dingjiang sat until nearly dawn when he heard the sound of a door opening from Mo Sigui’s side.

Before he could stand up, Mo Sigui rushed in with his medicine box, threw off the blanket covering An Jiu, and began removing her clothes and applying acupuncture needles as if no one else was present.

This scene made Chu Dingjiang’s veins throb. If he weren’t such a calm person, he would have rushed over and beaten the man to death by now!

Seeing An Jiu’s naked body, Chu Dingjiang felt a surge of anger. He turned and left immediately to avoid interfering with the treatment, but he made up his mind to cut ties once An Jiu recovered…

Mei Yanran’s footsteps stopped not far from him. “People from the Mei family have arrived.”

“Tell them they’re too late,” Chu Dingjiang said coldly.

Previously, when the Mei family came to him for the “Crane Control Secret Manual,” he had demanded that they punish Elder Zhi, with a one-month deadline.

There were still a few days left until the deadline, but Chu Dingjiang was in such a foul mood that even if the Mei family were to dismember Elder Zhi, it wouldn’t bring him the slightest joy. Naturally, he had no desire to see them.

Mei Yanran didn’t try to persuade him further. Instead, she asked, “Is Sigui inside?”

This mention only made things worse! Chu Dingjiang felt a surge of jealousy so strong it was as if the sourness would pour out of his mouth and nose!

He took a deep breath to calm himself a little and gave a profoundly deep “Mm” in response.

Unaware of the situation, Mei Yanran thought he was just overly worried and comforted him, “Everything will be fine.”

She truly believed it would be alright. Since her rebirth, Mei Jiu’s life has been getting better and better. She was in harmony with Hua Rongjian and had shown great skill in managing affairs. Now she had the demeanor of a true matriarch, genuinely becoming Madam Hua. Similarly reborn, An Jiu shouldn’t have such a short life.

As dawn broke, Mo Sigui finally emerged from the room.

Chu Dingjiang turned to look at him.

Mo Sigui’s eyes were bloodshot, but filled with excitement.

Chu Dingjiang knew this was due to his immersion in medical arts, but he still couldn’t help but resent him.

Mo Sigui said happily, “It’s done, it’s done. I can’t sense An Jiu’s spiritual energy, but she shows weak responses, indicating she has regained consciousness.”

Receiving no response, he slightly tempered his excitement and carefully examined Chu Dingjiang in the weak morning light.

Seeing Chu Dingjiang’s rigid facial muscles, his lips pressed into a thin line, and his gaze fixed on him as if trying to bore holes through his body, Mo Sigui couldn’t help but say, “What’s with that expression? Shouldn’t you be happy?”

After a moment’s thought, Mo Sigui cheerfully added, “Oh my, you must be overjoyed! You should treat me to a drink someday!”

Today, he has made progress in his medical skills, essentially opening a new chapter in contemporary medicine. It was truly worth celebrating! This was the happiest thing to happen to him in the past two years. So saying this, he hummed a little tune as he headed to his room, planning to take a bath and then sleep for an hour or two before checking on An Jiu and Wei Yuzhi’s conditions. He completely failed to notice that the air behind him had practically frozen.

Mei Yanran noticed something off about Chu Dingjiang’s aura and found it strange, but as soon as she entered the room, she understood everything! An Jiu lay disheveled on the bed, her clothes strewn about the floor. When leaving, Mo Sigui naturally hadn’t thought to redress her, only haphazardly covering her with a blanket. The scene looked quite disharmonious.

She realized Chu Dingjiang must be angry because removing clothes was necessary for acupuncture, and if he saw this scene…

Mei Yanran quickly lowered the curtains, swiftly cleaned up the mess on the floor, and dressed An Jiu, and only after everything was in order did she realize Chu Dingjiang had already entered the room at some point.

Meanwhile, at a manor on the outskirts of Bianjing, the usual tranquility had been disrupted by Wei Yuzhi’s disappearance.

Although his subordinates had seen his letter explaining his sudden departure, and this wasn’t the first time he had done such a thing, they couldn’t help but worry because his health was in such poor condition now.

Just as they were fretting, a rider arrived at the manor.

A woman wrapped in a dark cloak, travel-worn, dismounted. The guard recognized her identity and came forward to take her horse. “Miss Ruyan.”

Mei Ruyan nodded and entered to find Song Xi.

Song Xi was Wei Yuzhi’s most capable subordinate, skilled in both civil and military affairs. Wei Yuzhi often entrusted him with many of Piaomiao Manor’s affairs. Although Yelü Quancang had given her Piaomiao Manor, she didn’t even know its location and needed someone’s help.

“Where is the master?” Mei Ruyan asked.

Song Xi, anxious at heart, was slightly startled by Mei Ruyan’s sudden arrival. After a moment’s hesitation, he said, “The master left a note saying he went out.”

His brief hesitation made Mei Ruyan sense something was amiss. She quickly deduced that there must be an issue with Wei Yuzhi’s health, but she pretended not to notice and took out the token given by Yelü Quancang.

Seeing the familiar token, Song Xi immediately knelt.

Before he could speak, Mei Ruyan said, “Rise.”

Seeing the token was like facing the emperor himself.

Although Mei Ruyan’s martial arts were not high, she played the zither exceptionally well, killing with zither sounds, seemingly inheriting three parts of the master’s true skills. Song Xi had always been respectful to her but never truly respected her from the bottom of his heart. Now, he had to reassess Mei Ruyan’s status.

“The master has entrusted Piaomiao Manor to me,” Mei Ruyan said.

Song Xi was stunned. After realizing what this meant, he immediately felt indignant. The master had put so much effort into Piaomiao Manor, and now it was given to a woman for nothing!

Mei Ruyan knew that Song Xi was only loyal to Wei Yuzhi and probably only feared Yelü Quancang. To get his help, she couldn’t go against Wei Yuzhi.

“The master ordered me to take over Piaomiao Manor, but it’s just to appease the princess,” Mei Ruyan adopted a posture of not wanting to seize power, “explaining” Yelü Quancang’s intentions to Song Xi. “The princess doesn’t want the master to return to court and handle affairs, so she’ll try every means to destroy all of the master’s power. The master doesn’t want the princess to become too powerful, and considering the master’s years of devoted service, he naturally won’t allow Piaomiao Manor to be lost. So he sent me to take over. It’s just nominal. My main task is to help the master find medicine.”

Mei Ruyan was the master’s person, and Piaomiao Manor was now directly under the master’s control. Even Yelü Fangwu, no matter how bold, would have some reservations.

After hearing this explanation, Song Xi believed it to some extent, and his hostility towards her lessened.

“I often need to report some news to the master. If there’s anything I don’t understand in the future, I hope Mr. Song won’t hesitate to instruct me,” Mei Ruyan stood up and cupped her hands in respect.

Song Xi hurriedly avoided the gesture, “I wouldn’t dare. This is my duty.”

Mei Ruyan smiled and said no more.

Song Xi ordered someone to arrange accommodations and invited her to rest.

A day passed.

Mo Sigui carefully examined An Jiu and Wei Yuzhi’s conditions, finding no major issues. As there was no danger on An Jiu’s side, Mo Sigui focused most of his attention on Wei Yuzhi.