Who exactly was that woman?

Judge Gong turned to look at Dong Lin.

“Your senior brother’s disciple?” he asked, suddenly remembering something. “Don’t you only have one senior brother? That would mean she’s your senior brother’s disciple? Your senior brother is…”

“Yes, it’s Qianjin Hall in Yongqing Prefecture,” Dong Lin said, his expression also surprised, but within the surprise was more certainty.

Look, look, this method of treating illness – where did this woman learn it from? Naturally it was Liu Pucheng who taught her! If Liu Pucheng knew this, why didn’t he? It was because master indeed…

“Then could she be that…” Judge Gong said hurriedly.

Before he could finish, a young gentleman ran in from outside.

“Uncle, the Chen family said Miss Qi has already come. You’ve met her, right?” Li Jin said.

Master Li also realized, turning to look at Dong Lin.

“Yes, she is Miss Qi from Qianjin Hall in Yongqing Prefecture,” Dong Lin nodded in reply.

Master Li stamped his foot.

“Quickly, go after her,” he shouted.

How had things become so chaotic!

Where did all these confusing titles come from – Dong Lin’s senior brother’s disciple! Duke Deqing’s honored guest! Miss Qi from Qianjin Hall in Yongqing Prefecture! Look at the misunderstanding this caused!

The others in the room also came to their senses and rushed out in chaos.

Li Tong was still kneeling outside with his head down. Seeing his uncles, elder uncles, and brothers rushing out of the room in panic, he wondered what had happened.

When the Li family people chased out, Qi Yue was already far away in her carriage.

Qi Yue felt nothing about being unceremoniously expelled by the Li family, leisurely lifting the carriage curtain to look at the street scenery outside.

“The illness is cured?” A’Ru asked.

“More or less. After draining the air and adding anti-inflammatory treatment, there should be no problem,” Qi Yue said matter-of-factly.

“Then, why didn’t you explain to them?” A’Ru couldn’t understand and finally couldn’t help asking.

She had been thinking that after entering the capital, this Miss Qi who she thought she knew well now seemed somewhat unfamiliar, always feeling different from before.

Qi Yue turned to smile at her.

“Explain? I don’t want to explain. Why should I explain? I only want to treat illness,” she said.

A’Ru was stunned.

“You mean, Miss only treats illness, and whether they believe it or not doesn’t matter,” she said.

Qi Yue nodded with a smile.

“Exactly,” she laughed, reaching for a small silk fan beside her. This was a gift from Chen Shi, very popular in the capital – almost every woman had one. She waved it. “Didn’t I tell you?”

“Tell me what?” A’Ru asked in confusion.

“This is called… having style,” Qi Yue said with a smile.

A’Ru couldn’t help but purse her lips and laugh, reaching out to push her.

This time Qi Yue dodged sideways.

“Once bitten, twice shy,” she laughed. “You didn’t push me.”

A’Ru laughed loudly and simply reached out with both hands.

The two guards walking outside heard the women giggling in the carriage, looked at each other, and smiled too.

The Li family people didn’t catch up to Qi Yue because they went straight to Duke Deqing’s mansion. There they learned that Miss Qi didn’t live there but in Chen Shi’s old residence, so a whole group of them rushed there again. After all this running around, Qi Yue was already back home being attended to by Chen Shi – washed, perfumed, and groomed.

“Isn’t it just to see the palace? The palace won’t care what I look like, will it?” Qi Yue asked with a laugh.

Two well-maintained servant women used thread to meticulously remove the fine hair from her body, not even sparing the area behind her ears.

Chen Shi watched with a smile from the side.

“Miss, you can’t say that. We women must pay attention to our appearance at all times,” one woman laughed while examining Qi Yue and praising, “Miss is truly beautiful. Look at this skin – soft, smooth, and fair, as if she uses the finest pearl powder daily.”

“Thank you,” Qi Yue smiled.

Thank you? The servant woman was stunned – shouldn’t she be shy? What did “thank you” mean?

While they were talking, someone outside came running with a card.

“Elder Li’s family requests Miss Qi to come see the patient,” the servant reported.

“Didn’t she already go?” Chen Shi frowned.

Qi Yue nodded.

“Who came?” she asked.

“Elder Li’s legitimate grandson, Young Master Li,” the servant said.

She didn’t recognize him.

Qi Yue waved her hand.

“A Young Master Tong from their family was the first to invite me. Tell them to go back and ask properly what exactly happened, so they don’t make mistakes and cause more misunderstandings,” she said.

Young Master Li waited outside the door and received such a response – the first time in his life.

With Li Huaiqing around, who in the Li family dared to slight anyone?

No matter whose family it was, when a name card was sent in, regardless of whether the person was home, they would first be invited into the guest hall.

But this family actually…

“Only my little aunt lives here alone. My little uncle died early…” a Chen family member quickly explained.

This was somewhat reasonable, and Young Master Li felt slightly better.

But Miss Qi’s words…

Could it be that when the legitimate eldest young master came to invite her, it was still inferior to that concubine’s son?

“There was a misunderstanding at our place earlier, so she’s probably displeased,” the accompanying family member said quietly. “We should go back and discuss this further.”

At this point, there was no other option. They were here to ask for help, not to be asked for help.

Young Master Li nodded and hurriedly left with the group.

Hearing these words, the Li family people were somewhat speechless. Everyone was shrewd – how could they not understand Miss Qi’s meaning?

Misunderstanding? What misunderstanding? She was clearly not giving them face, but giving Li Tong face instead!

What luck had this boy stumbled into!

“Go, let him go,” Master Li commanded.

Everyone began looking for Li Tong. After searching everywhere without finding him, they remembered he was still kneeling in front of Li Huaiqing’s door.

By now it was getting dark, and Li Tong was still in the corner. Since no one told him to get up, he dared not rise, enduring the pain while kneeling.

“Oh my, young master, quickly, quickly, get up,” several servants ran in from outside with unprecedented flattering smiles, coming to help him up.

Li Tong hadn’t reacted yet when he was pulled up and escorted outside.

What was happening now?

They rushed to Master Li’s room, and the first to approach was his father.

“Can you still walk?” he asked with a stern face, his gaze falling on Li Tong’s legs.

Although his face was stern, for Li Tong this was a great surprise.

When had father ever cared about his legs…

“Yes, yes,” he stammered hurriedly.

“If he can’t walk, use a carriage,” one uncle was very dissatisfied with Li Tong’s father’s words.

Wasn’t it just your fourth branch who invited the physician? What are you showing off for?

Li Tong was startled.

Were they… going to drive him away?

“Use my carriage,” Master Li said. “Go quickly.”

Li Tong felt his breathing stop for a moment.

What… what?

Li Tong was helped onto the carriage in a daze, only understanding what was happening after leaving the gate.

He naturally wasn’t stupid either – anyone could make the invitation, and anyone else making it would be more prestigious than him doing so. But Miss Qi had said those words, clearly intending to give him face.

He remembered Fan Yilin’s words.

“Trust Miss Qi and you can’t go wrong. She truly brings peace, promotion, and wealth. When the plague first started in Yongqing Prefecture, Miss Qi directly declared to those who didn’t believe her: those who don’t trust her will die. And what happened? This was naturally proven true. Those who didn’t listen to her or trust her really didn’t have good endings…” Fan Yilin had said proudly.

At the time, Li Tong had listened with completely different feelings from Fan Yilin, even finding it quite repulsive.

If you don’t believe me, you must die? Even gods and Buddhas weren’t this domineering!

This woman seemed extremely difficult to get along with.

At this moment, it seemed this woman really was difficult to get along with, but his heart felt warm. Why this strange feeling? Was it because he was the benefiting party?

This might be human nature’s flaw – those behaviors that were condemned for violating morality became tolerable or even cause for celebration if they brought benefits to oneself.

Li Tong alternated between joy and sighing. In his conflicted state, the carriage quickly stopped in front of Chen Shi’s residence.

As everyone expected, Li Tong was smoothly admitted.

After completing a full beauty treatment, Qi Yue under the evening lamplight was even more stunning than when Li Tong first saw her, making him so flustered he dared not lift his eyes even once, fearing he would lose composure.

“It was my thoughtlessness that caused Miss Qi to suffer a misunderstanding,” he bowed deeply. “So I’ve come specifically to apologize and beg Miss Qi to save my grandfather.”

“I called you here to tell you about the patient’s condition,” Qi Yue said with a smile.

Li Tong was stunned.

“Since you were the one who invited me, I naturally need to report to you,” Qi Yue said. “Your grandfather has thoracic pneumoperitoneum. The cause should be choking on an egg, which caused free gas in the abdominal cavity.”

This explanation left Li Tong completely confused – he didn’t understand a single sentence.

“You don’t need to understand what I’m saying,” Qi Yue naturally knew this, stroking the chair’s armrest. “You only need to know that I can treat it. In fact, I’ve already cured it. What’s needed next is anti-inflammatory medicine for symptomatic treatment. At most seven or eight days and he should be fine.”

Li Tong understood this and was both surprised and delighted.

It was cured just like that?

But he dared not ask questions, quickly bowing to express thanks and again inviting Qi Yue to visit.

“There’s no rush for that. Your family has so many physicians, and the condition isn’t serious. I have matters tomorrow, so I can’t go to your mansion today. If I return early tomorrow, I’ll go take another look,” Qi Yue said.

So she still hadn’t been successfully invited…

Li Tong returned in a daze again, telling the anxiously waiting crowd what Qi Yue had said. The Li family people were speechless.

Was this Miss Qi being too arrogant?

Judge Gong and others were still waiting to see Qi Yue, with countless questions to ask, but instead received such a response.

What did she mean “there’s no rush”? What did she mean “your family still has so many physicians”?

What did this woman take them for? As apprentices, laborers, assistants?

Oh, I’ve cured him, and the remaining minor, non-urgent matters – you can handle those!

Too arrogant!

“What matter could be more important than saving lives?” Judge Gong said sternly.

“Exactly! Before Elder Li’s illness, everything else is trivial!” another quickly agreed.

Though crude, it sounded comforting and was indeed the truth – what matters could a physician from the countryside have in the capital?

Everyone in the room nodded, and Dong Lin also sighed, looking helplessly disappointed in his junior.

“What do you mean ‘cured’? Oh, this is cured? How is this called cured?” another said angrily, pointing at Elder Li on the bed.

Elder Li responded by turning his head.

“I want to eat…” he said slowly in a hoarse voice.

At these words, the physicians collectively fell silent.

For the past few days, this was the first time Elder Li had asked for food.

The maids were immediately overjoyed, and Old Madam Li sitting beside the bed wept tears of joy.

“Good, good, thank you Guanyin Bodhisattva,” she said tremblingly while wiping her tears, then hurriedly asked the physicians if he could eat.

Judge Gong finally took a deep breath, turned around, and carefully examined Elder Li.

“Give him a little breast milk,” he said.