After hearing Liu Pucheng’s speculation, Qi Yue smiled wryly.

“That won’t work with just tubes—there’s something most important missing,” she said.

Liu Pucheng and the others all looked at her.

“Blood test strips,” Qi Yue said, shaking her head. “This, I’m afraid, cannot be made.”

Without being able to distinguish blood types, blood transfusion wouldn’t save lives—it would take them.

Hearing her say such things, Liu Pucheng wasn’t surprised anymore and didn’t mind.

Hadn’t this girl also said anesthetics couldn’t be made? Yet she had managed to create them anyway.

“Miss?” Later, when Hu San heard Liu Pucheng say this, he noticed the form of address and was very surprised. “Master, my master…”

Liu Pucheng coughed and vaguely said he had misspoken, glossing over it.

For a doctor, it was easy to tell whether a woman was a maiden or a matron.

This Miss Qi, how could she…

But this wasn’t something for him to investigate, so Liu Pucheng quickly dismissed it.

The excited group immediately began working, bringing paper and brushes, but Qi Yue wasn’t used to them.

“Find me some goose or duck feathers,” she said. She really couldn’t draw with a brush.

The others didn’t know what she needed this for, but as long as she said it, doing it was always right. So Hu San and Zhang Tong both ran out, and soon each returned with a handful of goose and duck feathers. They watched with wide eyes as Qi Yue found a knife to trim them, dipped them in ink, and began writing and drawing on paper.

“This… this… can also write?” Hu San asked stuttering.

“What’s so strange about that? Even tree branches can write,” Qi Yue said without looking up, seriously sketching instrument diagrams.

This time she first drew tubes, bags, and siphons—let’s see how they turned out.

After finishing, she explained to Hu San specifically how to use them and what effects they needed to achieve.

Liu Pucheng and the others listened carefully.

“You mean with this, the surgery last time could have saved a lot of time?” he asked.

Last time with internal bleeding, Qi Yue had used gauze and cotton to absorb it, which was naturally much slower than siphoning.

Of course, what she was drawing now was just the simplest manual siphon sketched based on the principles used in modern hospitals.

But even this would be somewhat better than cotton.

“Save a bit of time wherever possible,” Qi Yue nodded.

Looking at her completed drawings, she couldn’t hide her excitement and took a breath.

“Let’s try making these first,” she said, her eyes showing some excitement. If this was feasible, then could more equipment be manufactured?

Hu San carefully put away the drawings.

“Keep them safe,” Liu Pucheng instructed him.

Hu San nodded.

“Don’t worry, Master. I know,” he said solemnly, as if shouldering a great responsibility.

Liu Pucheng nodded and looked at Qi Yue again.

“I haven’t asked what brings the Young Madam here today?” he asked.

“I want to learn traditional Chinese medicine, so I came to apprentice myself,” Qi Yue said with a smile.

Liu Pucheng laughed and repeatedly said he didn’t dare.

“How far has the Young Madam studied?” he asked, stroking his beard.

Qi Yue grimaced—no level at all…

“I see,” Liu Pucheng pondered again. “Then let’s start with theory and methodology.”

When Qi Yue returned home with the books Liu Pucheng had given her, it was already almost dark. Facing the respectful greetings from the servants at the gate, she responded with smiles.

“I’m really happy today,” she said to A’Ru, while looking at Que Zhi, who had personally brought little maids to greet her upon learning of her return.

“What good news does the Young Madam have?” Que Zhi asked with a smile, while tentatively reaching for the bundle in her hands.

Qi Yue handed it to her without hesitation.

Que Zhi breathed a sigh of relief happily—good, the Young Madam treated her the same as before.

“What I wished for came true, and things I didn’t even think of also came true,” Qi Yue said with a smile.

Que Zhi didn’t know what she was talking about, but knew to smile along.

“That’s natural. The Young Madam is a blessed person, so naturally what you wish for comes true,” she said with a smile. “I called Miss A’Hao back as the Young Madam instructed.”

As Qi Yue entered the door, she saw A’Hao standing timidly in the corner. In just a few days, this girl had completely changed. The former magpie-like girl had become like a frightened little rabbit.

Seeing Qi Yue come in, she immediately knelt down.

Qi Yue hurried over to help her up.

“A’Hao, I’m sorry,” Qi Yue said, her nose tingling with emotion.

Sorry for so easily sending you away.

Sorry for thinking it was for your own good.

Sorry for frightening you.

A’Hao became even more panicked at her words, wanting to cry but not daring to cry loudly, tears flowing unstoppably.

“This servant, this servant, caused trouble for the Young Madam…” she said while crying.

“No, you didn’t cause trouble,” Qi Yue said, helping her wipe her tears. “If you want to cry, cry loudly. After crying this time, I won’t let you cry again in the future.”

A’Hao looked at her and finally burst into loud sobs.

As morning light filled the room, when Que Zhi brought in hot water, Qi Yue had already finished styling her hair.

The large bronze mirror reflected the high chignon piled like clouds and mist, and the gleaming golden eight-treasure hairpins.

“Sister A’Hao really does style hair well,” Que Zhi exclaimed, looking left and right. “No wonder the Young Madam insisted on calling you back.”

A’Hao, wearing a plain jacket and standing to the side, lowered her head somewhat shyly.

“It’s because the Young Madam is beautiful,” she said quietly.

“Even so, you need a skilled craftsman to create fine jade,” Qi Yue said with a smile, while picking up a pomegranate-red crystal earring to put on.

Here, Que Zhi didn’t dare to chat anymore and took a towel to help A’Hao wash Qi Yue’s face.

After she finished grooming and came out, A’Ru had already arranged breakfast with the little maids.

After eating, there were no stewardesses waiting outside—it seemed the Marchioness had already taken over household management.

Warm sunlight fell on the large heated platform by the window. The room had two charcoal braziers, and while it couldn’t compare to modern heating and air conditioning, it was still very comfortable.

Qi Yue opened the book Liu Pucheng had given her, took a deep breath, and opened it.

“Good. Now I can study quietly,” she said.

She had barely read two lines when she heard people talking in the courtyard.

“…something happened…”

Qi Yue couldn’t help but sigh, looking up toward the outside. She saw two maids with panicked expressions talking to Que Zhi and A’Ru, who were blocking them.

At A’Ru’s signal, they lowered their voices, but their expressions became increasingly panicked.

A’Ru and Que Zhi were the same, unconsciously turning to look toward the room.

“What’s wrong?” Qi Yue pushed open the window to ask.

“Young Madam, the Prince asks you to go to Madam’s place,” the two maids said hurriedly.

“Is there something wrong?” Qi Yue asked.

Your husband is asking you to go—do you still need to ask why? The two maids were momentarily stunned.

“We don’t know, but it seems like there’s a commotion inside…” one of the quicker-thinking maids replied.

Qi Yue sighed—how troublesome. She snapped the book shut.

Outside the Rong’an Courtyard gate stood a crowd of servants and maids, all with lowered hands and silent.

When Qi Yue reached the doorway, she could hear crying from inside.

“…if you’re going after her, you might as well come after me directly…”

“…it was me who did it… I set the fire… I wanted to kill Yueniang…”

Qi Yue was stunned by this declaration as she entered, looking at Concubine Zhou kneeling on the ground, beating her chest and crying loudly.

In the room, Marquis Dingxi and Madam Xie were seated, while Chang Yuncheng and numerous brothers and sisters stood against the wall. Concubine Zhou was kneeling on the floor.

“How do you explain what was found in that maid’s room?” Marquis Dingxi said with a dark expression, looking at several pieces of paper remnants on the table that had been partially burned. “…take care of your family… worry-free…”

He read from the paper fragments while slamming the table.

“…and the pendant found in the corner the night of the fire—she’s already confessed. What are you still defending her for?” he demanded.

Madam Xie fingered her prayer beads and gave a cold laugh.

“Would a dog you raised dare to do such things without the master’s orders?” she said coolly, glancing at Marquis Dingxi. “Marquis, do you believe it?”

Marquis Dingxi naturally didn’t believe it, but he really couldn’t convince himself to believe it.

“Prince, if you can’t investigate properly, you can’t just throw this dirty water on our heads,” Concubine Zhou said, covering her mouth with a handkerchief and looking at Chang Yuncheng.

Chang Yuncheng didn’t even look at her.

“Trying to harm Yueniang? I would try to harm Yueniang…” Concubine Zhou beat her chest, half-crying, half-laughing. She looked at Qi Yue entering. “Yueniang, I would harm you? In this household, it’s me who would harm you?”

In this household, Concubine Zhou and the Old Marchioness were relatives, and Qi Yueniang was brought in by the Old Marchioness and cherished in every way. If speaking of Qi Yueniang’s relatives, naturally besides the Old Marchioness, it would be Concubine Zhou.

“Yuncheng, are you mistaken about this?” Marquis Dingxi naturally understood this point and glanced at Chang Yuncheng questioningly.

“I don’t know,” Chang Yuncheng said. “I only look at evidence, not people.”

“Evidence is dead, but people are alive. Couldn’t someone deliberately plant these things with A’Jin?” Chang Yunqi said coldly.

“Among so many people, why not plant them elsewhere but specifically with Concubine Zhou’s maid?” Chang Yunhong also chimed in, looking at Chang Yuncheng. “Everyone knows about Concubine’s relationship with sister-in-law. This is too… too far-fetched.”

“The more impossible something seems, the less people suspect it, right?” Chang Yuncheng said, looking at both of them.

“If big brother puts it that way, there are plenty of people worth suspecting,” Chang Yunqi said with a cold laugh.

The atmosphere in the room immediately became tense again.

“A’Jin went there because I sent her. I was just worried about Yueniang, afraid she would be scared and do something desperate. How can you insist she saw that treacherous slave who was trying to harm Yueniang?” Concubine Zhou cried, beating her chest with tears. “This is wonderful, truly wonderful! Kill Yueniang and conveniently kill us too—how perfectly clean!”

At this point, she glared fiercely at Madam Xie.

“Harm you? You really flatter yourself,” Madam Xie said with a cold laugh. “I’m still afraid of dirtying my hands.”

Marquis Dingxi felt his head splitting with pain. Just as he was about to speak, a panicked maid’s voice came from outside.

“Terrible, terrible…” A maid rushed in, knelt down, and kowtowed. “A’Jin is dead…”

At these words, everyone in the room was shocked.

Dead…

Before others in the room could react, Qi Yue was the first to rush out, with Chang Yuncheng following close behind.

“Where?” Qi Yue called out, seeing Chang Yuncheng pass her.

Chang Yuncheng paused and reached out to grab her arm. After grabbing it, he seemed to think of something and smoothly slid his hand down, grasping her hand instead.

Qi Yue was startled, but Chang Yuncheng was already pulling her along at a quick pace.