Qi Yue’s carriage and Chang Yuncheng’s horse waited quietly not far from the palace gate.

Chen Shi had been persuaded to go back last night, replaced by A’Ru and A’Hao, who now ran over from beside the carriage when they saw them come out.

“Were you terrified?” Qi Yue asked, looking at the two who surrounded her on left and right.

“No, Madam Chen said you would definitely be fine,” A’Hao said, then hurriedly added, “But we were still worried.”

Qi Yue smiled and touched her face, dampened by the cold air.

“Want to ride in the carriage?” Chang Yuncheng asked.

Qi Yue looked ahead—since this was the imperial street, there were almost no pedestrians, and the morning mist was slowly dispersing, making it appear peaceful and fresh.

“Let’s walk,” she said.

Chang Yuncheng nodded and took the first step, with Qi Yue following beside him, while A’Ru, A’Hao, and Chang Yuncheng’s servant lagged several steps behind.

“When did you start preparing to do this?” Qi Yue asked.

“From the beginning,” Chang Yuncheng said, turning to see Qi Yue glaring and couldn’t help but laugh, reaching out to touch her face.

He was copying her earlier gesture.

Qi Yue snorted and turned her head away.

“We didn’t know how things would turn out, so we didn’t want to tell you and have you overthink it,” Chang Yuncheng said. “I told you—you do whatever you want to do, and I’ll handle the rest.”

Qi Yue snorted again.

Chang Yuncheng smiled and reached out to pinch her face again.

Qi Yue raised her hand to swat his away, but Chang Yuncheng smoothly caught it. She struggled a few times but couldn’t break free.

“I also didn’t expect they could do so well, so timely,” Chang Yuncheng continued.

Qi Yue struggled twice more then let him hold her hand.

“I didn’t expect it either,” she said quietly. “I didn’t expect these people to be so good to me. It seems that as long as you’re willing to do the work, there will definitely be results.”

Chang Yuncheng said nothing, only tightened his grip on her hand.

The two walked slowly along the street.

Hot bamboo shoot and pork noodles steamed with white vapor, fragrant and aromatic.

“Hot—take it slow,” Chang Yuncheng said, watching Qi Yue hurriedly pick up her chopsticks across from him.

Qi Yue made two acknowledging sounds but continued to pick up large mouthfuls to eat, giving a thumbs up while eating.

“Delicious, delicious,” she said unclearly.

Chang Yuncheng was amused by her and passed over a sesame flatbread from the side.

“Try this,” he said.

Qi Yue was busy eating noodles and leaned forward slightly to bite from his hand.

“Mm-hmm,” she nodded unclearly again.

“This hungry?” Chang Yuncheng laughed, breaking the flatbread into small pieces.

“I haven’t had a proper meal since entering the capital,” Qi Yue said, opening her mouth again to bite the small piece of flatbread he offered, chewing vigorously.

“Can you eat properly now?” Chang Yuncheng asked with a smile.

Qi Yue snorted.

“Isn’t this piece of bread you broke off too big?” she frowned.

Chang Yuncheng looked down at the flatbread in his hand.

“Eh? Too big?” He looked puzzled, then smiled sheepishly. “I always fed little Heizi pieces this size…”

Qi Yue paused.

“Ptui!” She reacted, dropped her chopsticks, and reached out to grab Chang Yuncheng’s arm. “Will your little Heizi still treat you like this?”

She bared her teeth and pretended to bite Chang Yuncheng’s arm.

Laughter spread under the street canopy.

This laughter made A’Ru and A’Hao, sitting nearby, exchange glances and smile with pursed lips, both lowering their heads to slurp their noodles, mouths full of broth.

But at this time, many people were the opposite of them—unable to eat.

“My lord, my lord, this is terrible! Who knows what was actually sent, but it’s made Zhou Maochun arrogant again!” Dong Lin said with bloodshot eyes.

Many parties had been watching Zhou Maochun’s situation yesterday. Combined with Zhou Maochun’s dramatic rush to prison, such a major event was now basically known to everyone.

All focus fell on that box of memorials.

What exactly was it?

Originally thinking it was sent by the military circuit, they discovered upon inquiry that the military circuit knew nothing about it—it was actually sent in privately by Chang Yuncheng.

“According to word from the palace, His Majesty read all night,” Dong Lin said in a low voice.

This news had cost him a considerable sum of silver, but as for what exactly those memorials contained, no amount of money could probably discover that.

Imperial Physician Cai’s expression was also unpleasant, clearly this turn of events was indeed somewhat unexpected.

“Could it be that they got dirt on everyone? That Marquis Dingxi’s heir has some unsavory methods behind the scenes?” he murmured.

This was very possible.

Dong Lin also looked grim.

“What do we do now?” he asked. “It looks like Zhou Maochun will escape disaster this time.”

So unwilling!

Such a good opportunity! It could be called having the right time, place, and people. Yet they couldn’t stomp them to death.

“Not necessarily,” Imperial Physician Cai snapped a brush in his hand. “Isn’t Zhou Maochun still courting death? Let him make a fuss. Spread word around—the bigger the fuss, the wider it spreads, the more it will make His Majesty lose face.”

Dong Lin’s eyes lit up as he nodded.

In this world, those who dared make the Emperor lose face truly never had good endings.

This thought wasn’t only theirs. After a simple bowl of noodles, Qi Yue and Chang Yuncheng hurried to the Ministry of Justice prison.

When they arrived at the prison, officials large and small were anxiously pulling their hair.

“Is this a prison cell? Do all prisoners live this well?” Zhou Maochun was cursing again in his cell. “Don’t worry that this old man can’t bear this hardship—I’m also someone who rode back from the northern desert in a prisoner’s cart…”

You did ride back in a prisoner’s cart, but your cart was more comfortable than a regular carriage…

The officials shook their heads and sighed.

“…Don’t put on false pretenses, let’s be real. Take all this stuff away and bring me a set of whatever torture instruments you have here to try…”

The officials wiped sweat, wanting to cry but having no tears.

When you immortals fight, we little demons suffer. Why torment us!

Qi Yue was also somewhat amused and exasperated.

“Adoptive father, stop making trouble. It’s enough. We’re people who reason properly—we don’t fight verbal lawsuits,” she persuaded.

Zhou Maochun sat on the straw he’d just fought for, enthusiastically pulling out a piece to chew in his mouth.

“Enough? Far from enough!” he spat and said, pointing at himself. “I, Zhou Maochun, have lived this long and this is the first time I’ve suffered such injustice. This matter won’t end so easily.”

What injustice?

Riding comfortably in a prisoner’s cart, eating and drinking well all the way, not even entering the prison door upon return before being welcomed home and treated like a deity, not suffering any punishment before the Emperor before being vindicated again.

This was called suffering injustice?

The officials on the side again wanted to cry but had no tears.

“Now that we’ve submitted our materials, His Majesty will surely make a decision,” Qi Yue said, crouching outside the cell door. “This behavior of yours isn’t good.”

Zhou Maochun knew what she meant and smiled, lying back on the straw.

“Good or bad, so what,” he said, shaking his head and legs. “Yueniang, don’t worry about it. I have my own plans.”

Qi Yue was helpless. Just then, Old Physician An, who had heard the news, also came over. Qi Yue hurriedly asked him to persuade Zhou Maochun, but after seeing Zhou Maochun, Old Physician An instead urged them to leave.

“Don’t worry, it’s fine,” he said.

“How can I not worry!” Qi Yue said with a bitter smile. “What are you all still planning to do? Hiding it from me?”

Old Physician An laughed heartily.

“This time we’re really not hiding anything from you—it’s just that your adoptive father really can’t swallow this grievance,” he laughed.

“Old sir, precisely because we can’t swallow this grievance, we can’t act like this!” Qi Yue said urgently.

Old Physician An only smiled and shook his head.

“Wait and see. When His Majesty finishes reading those things, he’ll make a decision,” he said.

Hopefully it wouldn’t be too late by then. Qi Yue had no choice but to leave the prison with them.

Old Physician An was in good spirits and proactively invited them to have lunch together.

“I haven’t been to the capital in many years,” he said. “It’s changed so much I don’t recognize it.”

Chang Yuncheng had the carriage stop.

“Then you must recognize this Xichun Restaurant,” he smiled.

Old Physician An was helped down from the carriage by a servant, looking at the restaurant before him and breathing out a long sigh.

“The appearance hasn’t changed—I wonder if the food tastes the same?” he said.

“Changed or not, we’ll know after trying,” Chang Yuncheng smiled, personally pushing his wheelchair.

Qi Yue followed. Just as they entered the door, they met a group of people coming out, and as both sides walked head-on, suddenly that group stopped.

“Oh my, look who this is!” a shrill voice called out.

The three of them looked over, and Old Physician An’s expression suddenly changed.

This was a group of young people, dressed expensively, but their expressions toward Old Physician An were very unfriendly.

“Tsk tsk, you old gray-hair actually dare come to the capital?” one of them shouted.

Enemies? Qi Yue frowned.

Old Physician An lowered his head and said nothing.

Chang Yuncheng pushed the wheelchair forward.

“You old fool, you actually dare come to the capital!”

“Don’t leave! Since you’re here, quickly kneel down and kowtow to us masters!”

The young people surrounded them, shouting chaotically.

“Please make way,” Chang Yuncheng spoke, saying lightly, but with no extra words.

“What are you…” one young man raised his eyebrows to shout, when someone beside him pulled him, looking at Chang Yuncheng and whispering in his ear.

“Oh, from the old Chang family,” the young man said with some realization, looked at Chang Yuncheng again, then spat at Old Physician An. “You old bastard’s lucky!”

He turned and left after speaking.

The others also dispersed, though each still spat.

“Old thing, don’t let us run into you again,” they left this parting shot and swaggered away.

Throughout, Old Physician An remained calm. Only after these people left did he smile and nod to Chang Yuncheng and Qi Yue.

“Sorry for startling you,” he said kindly.

Qi Yue smiled and changed the subject. It wasn’t until after they finished eating and parted ways that she pulled Chang Yuncheng aside to ask.

“Those were people from the Julu Prince Sima family,” Chang Yuncheng said.

Qi Yue understood.

So this was the Sima family that had broken Old Physician An’s legs!

Truly arrogant enough!

“What kind of prince is this Prince Sima?” she couldn’t help asking.

“Prince Sima’s surname is Sima. He was an old minister who followed the founding emperor, married the Princess Imperial, and was enfeoffed as a prince of different surname—Prince Julu. But people commonly call them the Sima Prince family,” Chang Yuncheng said.

To be enfeoffed as a prince of different surname showed his status was definitely extraordinary. Qi Yue sighed and looked again in the direction Old Physician An had departed.

If not for her sake, the old man probably would never have set foot in the capital again in his lifetime, and wouldn’t have suffered such humiliation again.

The Sima Prince family—just because he had treated their family’s child when no one else would take the case and ultimately couldn’t cure him, Old Physician An had to pay with his two legs as redemption.

Qi Yue silently repeated this in her heart.