Her face flushed red from Shen Qianyu’s single remark. No matter how unwilling Yan Qing was to admit it, she knew he was mocking her for fantasizing wildly.

Having spoken to this extent without moving Shen Qianyu, she also lacked the face to continue pestering him.

At least she—she had no qualifications.

“This servant has overstepped. May Your Highness the Crown Prince not take it to heart.”

Leaving in dejection, Yan Qing covered her lips, her face full of shame.

“Miss Yan has left?”

Wan Xiao lifted the curtain and strode into the tent. He looked at Shen Qianyu and said: “This daughter of your benefactor—how does Your Highness intend to handle her?”

“Speaking of which, in those storybooks when such situations arise, the other party typically offers themselves in gratitude. I just don’t know what my master is thinking.”

“What storybooks? You should read less of such useless things.”

Somehow, Wan Xiao detected a trace of guilty conscience on his master’s face.

He pursed his lips slightly: “Your Highness doesn’t truly intend to take this woman into the Eastern Palace, does he?”

Shen Qianyu snorted coldly: “Who do you take me for? Someone like Jiang Xingjian, blind of heart and blind of eye, picking up people wherever he goes?”

Glaring furiously at Wan Xiao, Shen Qianyu greatly disliked him comparing him to Jiang Xingjian.

Setting aside what others might think, Wan Xiao clearly knew that everyone in the Eastern Palace had been carefully and meticulously selected by him for entry into the palace. How could he now allow a person of unknown intentions to approach Wan’er?

Never mind that Yan Qing’s appearance after so many years—immediately faltering and clinging—was an eyesore to him. Even if Yan Qing had a pure and gentle temperament, he would not allow someone who had long been by Qin Rao’s side to approach Song Wan.

He truly feared someone would bring that insane stench from Qin Rao’s person and expose his Wan’er to it.

Thinking of Song Wan, Shen Qianyu’s expression softened, and he began fiddling again with the things he’d bought earlier.

Seeing this, Wan Xiao said: “If Your Highness has no such intentions, that’s good. This subordinate just noticed that Miss Yan’s arm wound was inflicted from right to left, from bottom to top, with the wound deeper on the right and shallower above—most likely self-inflicted with a hairpin in her right hand.”

He came from Dong Chang. No one was more skilled in interrogation and torture than him. What kind of injury, what kind of implement caused the wound—he could tell at a glance.

This daughter of his master’s benefactor truly had no shallow scheming mind.

“Whether she did it herself or Qin Rao did it, this Prince will rescue Uncle Yan and her from Nanqing. As for other matters, she’s truly overthinking.”

Carefully gathering the things he’d bought today into one place, Shen Qianyu crouched down and affixed the Eastern Palace seal on the trunk.

Seeing this, Wan Xiao asked in confusion: “What is it? If it’s something secret, Your Highness can have it sent into the palace through Dong Chang’s covert channels.”

Shen Qianyu’s movements paused: “No need. This Prince will bring it back himself.”

It was rare to see his own master with such a furtive appearance. Wan Xiao blinked, only feeling that it was most likely related to Song Chenghui again.

While the two of them had leisure, Yan Qing had been left both shamed and angered by Shen Qianyu’s heartless words.

When she returned to the Nanqing camp, she was harassed again by the male favorites around Qin Rao. Her heart grew increasingly stifled. Unable to bear it any longer, she once again went to find Imperial Physician Yan.

She knew her father’s temperament. Though his disposition was weak, his nature was extremely kind. As long as she begged Father, he would certainly help her.

Walking to Imperial Physician Yan’s tent, Yan Qing forced up a faint smile.

“Father didn’t drink today?”

Imperial Physician Yan chuckled: “I can’t very well drink every single day.”

“Qing’er sees no one is watching over you today.”

“Everyone’s tired. Besides, I’m just an old man who can’t run away. What need is there to watch over me day after day?”

Yan Qing pressed her lips together, her smile growing even more forced.

Imperial Physician Yan sighed softly: “Did you encounter difficulties with the Dongning Crown Prince?”

Seeing Yan Qing’s shock, Imperial Physician Yan said: “You always treat the Dongning Crown Prince as though he’s still the barbarian slave, yet don’t consider that he’s been back in Dongning for nine years now. Moreover, that he can now sit firmly in the position of Dongning Crown Prince—how could this be an achievement that the straightforward barbarian slave of the past could have accomplished?”

“In Nanqing he was the barbarian slave. In Dongning he’s the Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace, second only to one, above ten thousand. How could you manipulate him at will?”

“If the Dongning Crown Prince were a weakling who could be led around by a mere favor, he could never have secured his current position in the first place.”

Imperial Physician Yan took a green porcelain bottle from his medicine chest and handed it to Yan Qing, shaking his head: “That you and I can receive his assistance in the future and escape this man-eating cage would already be tremendously fortunate. Don’t covet anything more.”

“Father speaks so lightly.”

Yan Qing smiled coldly: “Father showed him grace and offended the Princess for his sake. Why can’t we demand one step more?”

“Father was originally an imperial physician. Now, because you extended a helping hand to him back then, you’ve become like a prisoner. Why can’t your daughter demand he compensate us? This is what he owes us both.”

Imperial Physician Yan shook his head: “The grace I extended that day came from my own will alone, and was not something the Crown Prince requested. For you to now leverage grace to demand repayment is not the conduct of a gentleman.”

“Father is noble. Your daughter truly cannot compare.”

Yan Qing rolled up both sleeves and raised her chin, bringing it close to Imperial Physician Yan: “Father is not in the inner palace and need not face that person daily. Father speaks with such ease.”

“But open your eyes and look. Look at your daughter’s body full of injuries, full of pain. Why won’t you look?”

“You don’t leverage grace for repayment, but you shouldn’t repay others’ grace either!”

“For the sake of repaying grace, you replaced the benefactor’s daughter out of the palace and sent your daughter into the palace as some palace official, causing your daughter to live a life worse than death, a lifetime of misery. Have you truly never regretted it, never resented it?”

“Now your daughter has a chance at an easier life. If you would only say a few words, say a few words begging the Crown Prince, your daughter’s latter half of life could escape this sea of suffering. Why won’t you fulfill your daughter’s wish?”

“Does Father insist on personally watching your daughter suffer every torment before your heart will be at ease?”

Imperial Physician Yan was pressed by Yan Qing’s questioning until his old face flushed red, sighing endlessly.

He truly felt he’d wronged Yan Qing, but he also was unwilling to violate the gentleman’s way and force Shen Qianyu to do things he was unwilling to do.

More importantly, he could see that Yan Qing’s ambitions were not small, and what she sought was unwise.

“Father, please, I’m begging you.”

Yan Qing knelt crying: “Your daughter truly doesn’t want to live in constant fear and scrape by near the Princess anymore. Please help your daughter.”

“As long as Father speaks, the Crown Prince will certainly agree.”

“Your daughter seeks nothing else. You need only have the Crown Prince agree to take in your daughter. Even if I serve as slave or servant by Man Nu’s side, your daughter would be willing.”

Imperial Physician Yan was moved to unbearable heartache by Yan Qing’s tears. He could only painfully nod in agreement.

“When there’s an opportunity to see the Dongning Crown Prince, I will naturally ask him to take you in.”

Hearing these words, only then did Yan Qing stop crying, smiling as she asked if Imperial Physician Yan had eaten lunch.

Imperial Physician Yan could only sigh to himself, shaking his head helplessly.

Shen Qianyu was unaware of their scheming, his heart only eager to return home.

All along the way, as long as the horses were properly rested, he never stopped traveling. Even when Qin Rao shouted herself hoarse, even threatening to have Imperial Physician Yan and Yan Qing tied behind horses and dragged to death, she still couldn’t make him change his mind.

When the journey was more than halfway complete, Qin Rao finally could endure no more and had Huai Jue bring Imperial Physician Yan and Yan Qing in chains to Shen Qianyu’s tent.

“This Princess has said I don’t want to rush along anymore.”

Shen Qianyu raised an eyebrow, looking toward Imperial Physician Yan, whom he hadn’t seen in many years and who had shown him life-saving grace.

In his heart, Imperial Physician Yan was still that imposing man who had protected him everywhere in those years, giving him medicine and treating his injuries.

The person who had been like a father in his memory had now stooped into a white-haired old man. Time truly passed swiftly—it was truly lamentable.

Shen Qianyu’s gaze shifted away from the two of them and looked toward Qin Rao: “Mobilizing troops and stirring up crowds—what is your esteemed business?”

Qin Rao’s face was gloomy: “This Princess has no interest in continuing to play with you. I came to Dongning on important business. As long as you agree to my conditions, these two people will be handed over to you.”