To Physician Li, Qiao Mo was merely a junior, with his only special quality being that he carried his old friend’s bloodline.

As they spoke, a request for permission came from outside the door. Ye Luo, who had been standing like a wooden post, went to open the door.

The ordinary-looking man stood outside without entering, speaking quietly with Ye Luo for a few words before turning and leaving.

Ye Luo closed the door and walked back.

Physician Li raised an eyebrow: “Where is he?”

“The person the divine physician wanted to see collapsed after the general’s wife was buried and was taken away by our general.”

Qiao Zhao’s heart sank as she blurted out: “Collapsed? Why did he collapse?”

“We didn’t find that out.”

“Grandpa Li—”

Physician Li stood up, showing no urgency, and said to Qiao Zhao: “I’ll go take a look. Girl Zhao, you should go back. It’s getting dark.”

Qiao Zhao could only watch helplessly as Physician Li left with Ye Luo, having no reason to follow.

“Miss?” Binglu couldn’t help but speak, breaking the indoor silence. “Shall we go back?”

Qiao Zhao’s expression had already returned to calm: “No, let’s go to Jisheng Hall!”

With Big Brother having collapsed, taking him back to the residence to fetch a doctor would waste too much time. Shao Mingyuan would most likely find a decent medical hall nearby. Given the route back to the city, there was an eighty to ninety percent chance he would choose Jisheng Hall.

“Go to Jisheng Hall? Isn’t that a medical clinic?” Binglu rolled her eyes, seeing that the young lady had already started walking out, and hurried to follow.

The master and servant left the teahouse and headed straight for Jisheng Hall. Upon arriving outside Jisheng Hall, they saw it surrounded by young men in white clothes. From their posture, one could tell they were all soldiers.

The common people liked to watch excitement, but facing such formidable men, they didn’t dare to approach; instead, they stood far away in a circle to watch.

Qiao Zhao breathed a sigh of relief.

It seemed she had guessed correctly – Shao Mingyuan had indeed brought Big Brother here.

“Miss, should we go in?” Binglu looked at the tall, imposing soldiers with serious expressions. Even with the greatest courage, she felt somewhat timid now.

Qiao Zhao’s expression was calm as still water as she said softly, “No need. Let’s just watch from here.”

The little maid’s eyes widened: “We… we’re just here to watch the excitement?”

Qiao Zhao glanced at her and nodded: “You could understand it that way.”

Looking at this setup, ordinary people wanting to enter the medical hall would surely be refused and would attract too much attention. Since Grandpa Li said he would come to see Big Brother, whom could she trust more than Grandpa Li?

She came here merely wanting to know Big Brother’s condition at the first opportunity.

Time passed bit by bit, the evening glow brilliant as flowers, blooming like fire at the horizon.

Qiao Zhao stood quietly, her feet gradually growing numb. Though it was summer, she felt a chill.

Inside Jisheng Hall.

Qiao Mo finally slowly opened his eyes. The person who came into view made him slightly stunned, his ink-black pupils shifting slightly, as if questioning whether he was in a dream.

“Divine Physician?” he called out tentatively.

“Awake? Don’t doubt it – you’re not dreaming.” Physician Li’s expression was somewhat serious.

Qiao Mo supported himself with both hands, wanting to sit up.

Physician Li raised his hand and pressed on his shoulder: “Don’t try to be strong. Lie down properly.”

“This junior has been discourteous. How does the Divine Physician come to be here?”

When Grandfather was critically ill, Physician Li had cared for him until his passing, then left gracefully, never to be seen again.

Physician Li sat down heavily in a nearby chair, slowly wiping his hands with a cloth, and asked Qiao Mo: “Don’t worry about that first. Let me ask you – do you have any idea why you collapsed?”

Qiao Mo was startled by the question. His ink-black brows furrowed as he said somewhat embarrassedly: “Probably from excessive worry and not resting well all this time—”

“No.” Physician Li interrupted, throwing the hand cloth directly into the basin, looking deeply at Qiao Mo. “You’ve been poisoned.”

“Poisoned?” Qiao Mo’s eyes flashed.

“Yes, you’ve been poisoned with Zero Fragrance poison – colorless and odorless. It accumulates in the body to a certain amount and can lie dormant temporarily until the body becomes weak and catches a cold or similar ailment, then it takes the opportunity to manifest. Ordinary physicians find it very difficult to trace the source and will only treat it as common symptoms. With medicine that doesn’t match the condition, the consequences are predictable.”

“Is that so?” Qiao Mo lowered his eyes. The burn on his left cheek, being so close, looked particularly shocking. “Divine Physician, please keep this matter confidential for this junior and don’t mention it to anyone.”

“I can do that. As long as you know what’s going on. I just used silver needles to help you expel the toxins. Although your body is currently weak, with proper care, you’ll gradually recover. Qiao Mo, what happened with that fire at your family home?”

Qiao Mo was silent for a moment before speaking: “Because Grandfather’s mourning period had ended, those few days this junior was following late Father’s instructions, going out daily to visit family friends and old acquaintances. That day when this junior returned, it was already evening, and the entire house was ablaze. The villagers who came to help were helpless – no one dared approach. This junior rushed in through the back door where the fire was smaller, rescued my younger sister, and then the house collapsed.”

After listening, Physician Li was silent for a long time before asking: “That fire… do you think it was a natural disaster or man-made?”

Qiao Mo lowered his eyes and said softly, “This junior is still uncertain about that. Let’s wait and see what the imperial commissioner investigating the case says when he returns.”

“That’s fine. This old man will be leaving the capital soon. When I return next time, I’ll treat your face.”

Hearing about treating his face, Qiao Mo remained quite calm: “The Divine Physician is leaving the capital so soon?”

Physician Li smiled: “If I don’t leave the capital, how can I cure your face? There’s a medicine that simply isn’t available in the capital.”

“Having the Divine Physician go to such trouble makes this junior very ashamed.”

“Don’t overthink it. Given my relationship with your grandfather, seeing you like this, I wouldn’t stand by and do nothing. Moreover, two people have pleaded on your behalf.”

Qiao Mo was surprised.

Now, were there still people who would make such plans for him?

Inexplicably, a person floated into Qiao Mo’s mind as he confirmed: “Could it be the Marquis Guanjun?”

Physician Li raised his eyebrows: “The young people nowadays are all shrewd. Indeed, it was the Marquis Guanjun who asked this old man to help. Originally, he told me not to mention it to you, but since I’m about to leave the capital, after thinking it over, I decided it was better to tell you. That young man isn’t as bad as you might imagine. In the future, while you’re in the capital, he’ll be an additional source of support.”

“Thank you, Divine Physician, for thinking of this junior. But I wonder, who is the other person?”

“That person—” Physician Li’s expression softened as he smiled: “She’s this old man’s little granddaughter. She thinks you’re good-looking and that it would be a pity to have your face ruined. When I next enter the capital, I’ll let you two meet.”

Right now, with Qiao Mo facing such a mess, it was better not to have Girl Zhao get involved.

She thought it was a pity.

Qiao Mo couldn’t help but smile slightly.

The Divine Physician’s granddaughter seemed to be a little girl. He wondered if she could become friends with Wanwan.

Qiao Mo was only momentarily distracted. Thinking about inexplicably being poisoned, the smile at the corner of his mouth slightly stiffened.

When exactly had he been poisoned?