Concubine Song had mysterious abdominal pain, and the household had invited two famous doctors from Beijing for her, but none could determine what illness she had.

Concubine Song cried and made a fuss all day, saying she feared something would happen to her child. She also complained that these doctors’ medical skills were truly inadequate, as they couldn’t even diagnose her condition.

After hearing the message relayed by her maid, Jin Chao was thoroughly annoyed. She was making a soft jade pillow insert and had only sewn one side. She had the maid put away the basket first, then after thinking for a moment, went to the study to write a letter to Ye Xian. She asked if Master Xiao was still in Beijing and whether he could help her with a small favor.

When Ye Xian received the letter, he was fishing by the lake with Xiao Qishan. After reading the few lines, he casually handed it to the page boy beside him as a large silver carp took his hook. Xiao Qishan smiled as he watched his beloved disciple reel in the fish, pointing at the lake and telling him: “The fish in this lake are the hardest to catch. Do you know why?”

Ye Xian glanced at Xiao Qishan without speaking. He knew that even without asking, Xiao Qishan would tell him anyway—Master Xiao was not one to hold back his words.

Xiao Qishan wasn’t offended and continued: “The water is too deep and the fish too clever. People without patience generally can’t catch anything.”

They had been fishing there all day and had only caught the silver carp now in Ye Xian’s wooden bucket. Ye Xian picked up the bucket and saw that the sun was already setting behind the mountains.

Xiao Qishan peered over to look at the fish and said, “There’s a Lingshan Temple over there. Let’s go clean the fish and make soup.”

Ye Xian said, “A sacred Buddhist place, and you still want to take life there?”

Ye Xian’s mother, Lady Gao, was a Buddhist. Although Ye Xian didn’t believe in Buddhism, he had been influenced by it and knew to respect such things.

Xiao Qishan smiled dismissively: “We can kill it before taking it over, can’t we? Meat and wine may pass through the gut, but Buddha remains in the heart!” He also instructed his attendant Zhi Shu to go down the mountain to buy a pot of hot yellow wine and a pound of beef, saying the wine would warm their bodies.

Ye Xian smiled at Xiao Qishan and said, “I’m not worried about you offending Buddha, but that place houses a group of warrior monks. You wouldn’t let us bring escorts. It wouldn’t be good if we got thrown out of the temple!”

Hearing this, Xiao Qishan had to give up the idea and went down the mountain with him. There was an inn at the foot where they could stay.

In early July, a persimmon tree as thick as a bowl grew beside the inn. The persimmons had already turned red and filled the branches. Marquis Chang Xing’s attendants were waiting there, having set up a table with wine and dishes under the tree. A guard brought up a plate of persimmons.

Ye Xian gave the fish to an attendant, instructing him to prepare a steamed fish dish.

Xiao Qishan examined a persimmon from all angles and sighed: “When you were little, your grandfather took you to Guizhou to find me. The branches were full of persimmons then too. You picked one and bit into it immediately. Your mouth was full of astringency, but you were so stubborn that you ate the whole thing.”

Freshly picked persimmons couldn’t be eaten right away; they needed to be placed in wood ash for some time until they softened.

Ye Xian didn’t even remember this incident.

It was strange—despite his excellent memory, able to recite most poems after reading them once, he couldn’t recall many childhood events.

After speaking, Xiao Qishan was curious about Ye Xian’s letter and asked, “…I just saw you received a letter. Who was it from? I didn’t know your people skills were so poor—you surely have no friends in Beijing!”

Ye Xian asked his page to show the letter to Xiao Qishan and said, “I was just about to tell you. I’d like you to help with a small favor.”

As soon as Xiao Qishan saw the handwriting, he smiled: “Is it from that Miss Gu whom you asked me to come to Beijing for? Strange, didn’t you say her mother passed away recently? Why is she now asking me to examine a concubine’s pregnancy?”

Ye Xian replied, “How would I know? It’s up to you whether you go or not!”

Xiao Qishan laughed heartily, patting his beloved disciple’s shoulder, “How could I not go? You vouched for my coming to Beijing. Besides, I’d like to see what kind of person this Miss Gu is, who made our Chang Shun send her a cactus!”

Ye Xian smiled at him: “If you call me Chang Shun again, I’ll put those bamboo vipers in your bed to sleep with you.”

Xiao Qishan touched his nose and said no more. He’d forgotten how much Ye Xian resented that nickname. This nickname was given by Grand Scholar Gao. When his grandson was born, the old man scratched his head in the study for several days, then came out delightedly announcing that Ye Xian’s nickname would be Chang Shun. The name rolled off the tongue and sounded nice. Old Marquis Chang Xing, who had feuded with his in-law for half a lifetime, was also pleased, so everyone called him that.

How adorable Ye Xian was as a child—much chubbier than now, fair and tender. He liked to open his eyes wide to look at people, not speaking or making a fuss, never crying no matter who held him.

Now that he’d grown up, he even showed a temper!

Xiao Qishan felt somewhat regretful.

A few days later, he took Ye Xian’s letter and his name card to the Gu residence. Master Gu received him in the main hall. Learning that he was an advisor to the Marquis of Chang Xing and also the tutor of the Marquis’s heir, Master Gu showed great respect and had people bring out new spring silver-leaf tea.

Xiao Qishan explained his purpose: “…The young miss of your household is on good terms with the young master. She asked the young master to inform me that a concubine in your household has a strange illness—severe abdominal pain but no diagnosable cause. The young miss invited me to examine the concubine.”

After hearing this, Gu Dezhao thanked him: “…Sorry to trouble you with this visit!”

He never expected that Gu Jin Chao would be willing to set aside her hatred and invite Master Xiao to see Concubine Song! He felt both moved and regretful, thinking his daughter was so understanding that he felt he had wronged her even more. Since Master Xiao was an advisor to the Marquis of Chang Xing and had treated the Marquis’s heir before, his medical skills must be excellent.

He had Manager Li lead Xiao Qishan to find Gu Jin Chao. Since it was his daughter who had invited him, he thought it better not to get involved.

Gu Jin Chao had been waiting for Ye Xian’s reply when she heard that Master Xiao had already arrived. She changed into a light blue patterned satin jacket and received Master Xiao in the flower hall, having Qing Pu serve a pot of tribute Yang Xian tea.

Master Xiao, led by Manager Li, appeared as a thin man wearing a straight robe, with an extraordinary demeanor. He looked no more than forty, with smiling eyes that seemed very kind. Jin Chao rose to meet him, but seeing this person, she suddenly felt very familiar.

…She seemed to have met this person before.

That easygoing smile was particularly familiar, but her memory was very vague, and she couldn’t remember when she had seen him.

The thought flashed by—now was not the time to dwell on it. Jin Chao smiled and invited Master Xiao to sit, greeting him first: “…I’ve long heard of your superb medical skills, Master, but I didn’t expect your bearing to be so refined. I’m truly impressed.”

Xiao Qishan glanced at her, but due to propriety between men and women, didn’t look too much. However, he had to admit that Gu Jin Chao had the kind of appearance that was stunning at first sight. Master Xiao smiled and replied: “It’s just an empty reputation. I rarely leave Guizhou, so I can hardly claim superb medical skills.” In his heart, he thought it surprising that Ye Chang Shun was also someone who appreciated beauty but wondered whether Miss Gu’s character measured up to justify Ye Chang Shun’s special request for him to leave Guizhou.

Jin Chao naturally didn’t bring up Concubine Song’s matter first, instead having her maid serve tea and snacks.

She was still pondering in her heart—this Master Xiao looked increasingly familiar, but according to Ye Xian, he had been living in seclusion in Guizhou. She had been in the Gu household then, never stepping outside, so it was impossible to have met Master Xiao. So it could only have been in her previous life after marrying into the Chen family…

Gu Jin Chao still couldn’t remember exactly where she had seen him. But since she had met this person before, regardless of how he must have been involved in the conflict between the Ye and Chen families. How would a man living in seclusion in the mountains become involved in this decade-long bloody struggle at court?

On the thirteenth day of September in the sixth year of Longqing, Emperor Muzong passed away. On the seventh day of November that same year, Emperor Shenzong ascended the throne, changing the era name to Wanli, with Zhang Juilian wielding power over the court officials.

Jin Chao didn’t know what connection there might be. Could Master Xiao have become involved in this struggle for the Ye family?

She knew nothing about it.

But this matter was too distant for her. Even out of gratitude for Ye Xian saving her mother, if she wanted to help the Marquis of Chang Xing’s family, she wouldn’t know where to begin. Better to set this aside for now—at least she needed to resolve Concubine Song’s trouble first.

She spoke to Xiao Qishan: “…My mother was gravely ill, and you came from Guizhou, which was truly arduous. Unfortunately, my mother didn’t have such a blessing and passed away early…”

Hearing this, Master Xiao pondered for a moment before slowly saying: “I recall the young master mentioning your mother’s condition. By all accounts, she shouldn’t have passed so quickly.”

Jin Chao nodded and said softly: “Mother… Mother died unnaturally.” She didn’t continue, and Master Xiao understood that this was a family matter. Since Lady Gu’s death was suspicious, there must be some scandal involved, and family disgrace should not be spread outside.

He noticed that although Gu Jin Chao was sad, she wasn’t depressed. He realized this Miss Gu had a resilient character, though losing her mother at such a young age was truly pitiful.

Jin Chao wiped away her tears and smiled: “I’ve made a spectacle of myself for Master… After my mother’s death, my father intended to dismiss my stepmother, but unexpectedly she became pregnant and was settled in her original quarters. Although I harbor resentment, I still had people serve her well with good food and care.”

“But a few days ago, the concubine complained of inexplicable abdominal pain. Several doctors came to examine her but couldn’t find anything unusual. The concubine then said the doctors’ skills were poor, that they couldn’t diagnose her illness, and she made a fuss about changing doctors… At night when the concubine was asleep, a little maid lifted her clothes to look and discovered bruises on her abdomen, yet the concubine never mentioned how this happened… I wanted to ask Master Xiao, what illness could cause abdominal bruising?”

Master Xiao listened silently. Miss Gu’s few sentences were quite subtle. Her mother died and then they were going to dismiss the concubine? Doesn’t that suggest her mother was harmed by the concubine, who was only spared because of the child in her belly?

As for that concubine, abdominal bruising would be caused by external force, never by internal symptoms. The concubine herself made a fuss about seeing doctors, yet nothing was found, and she didn’t mention her abdominal bruises. There was only one possibility: the concubine was creating trouble herself. This Miss Gu was subtly telling him the truth. She understood the situation herself but felt it inappropriate to say it directly.

Master Xiao winked at her and said: “Don’t worry, Miss. I know what this illness is.”

Jin Chao smiled at Master Xiao. This Master Xiao was indeed perceptive, understanding the hidden meaning in her words.