Shao Mingyuan’s gaze lingered slightly on the corner of Chi Can’s right eye.

Chi Can felt quite embarrassed and raised his hand to press it, explaining: “I accidentally bumped into something.”

Shao Mingyuan raised his sword-like eyebrows lightly: “Wasn’t it Yang Er who hit you? I remember he likes to use his left hand when hitting people.”

The difference between being hit by someone and bumping into something was quite obvious.

Chi Can was so annoyed that the veins on his forehead bulged.

He had forgotten that the man before him was an expert at fighting wars!

Chi Can strode over and threw a punch at Shao Mingyuan: “How long has it been since you rolled back to the capital? Why do you have such a good memory?”

Shao Mingyuan frowned.

Seeing a flash of pain cross his face, Chi Can was startled, then his gaze fell on where his fist had just landed. After pondering for a moment, he asked: “Are you injured?”

Shao Mingyuan pressed his shoulder and smiled bitterly: “It had already scabbed over.”

Chi Can took a step and sat down across from Shao Mingyuan, smiling sheepishly and raising his eyebrows in confusion: “Who injured you?”

Before Shao Mingyuan could answer, he extended his index finger and waved it in front of him: “Don’t say it was from the battlefield. It’s been so long since you traveled from the Northern Territories to the capital – any external wound should have healed completely by now.”

Shao Mingyuan’s eyes lowered slightly. After thinking for a moment, he said frankly: “I was stabbed by my uncle-in-law.”

“Uncle-in-law?” Chi Can reached for the white porcelain wine pot and poured a cup of wine for each of them.

The wine was a light azure color, with a mellow fragrance that was intoxicating – it was Chunfeng Tavern’s signature “Intoxicated by Spring Breeze.”

Chi Can set down the wine pot and suddenly understood: “The Young Master Qiao who was recently rumored throughout the capital to have been disfigured by a great fire?”

Shao Mingyuan laughed helplessly and asked in return: “Otherwise, what other uncle-in-law do I have?”

“Is Qiao Mo disfigured?”

Shao Mingyuan nodded.

“He couldn’t have wanted to make a couple of cuts on your face because of this, could he? But his hand slipped, and he stabbed your shoulder instead.”

Shao Mingyuan’s expression grew serious: “Don’t joke about this.”

He glanced at his friend’s face and said lightly: “If that were the case, he should have gone after you instead.”

Chi Can was choked speechless. He picked up his wine cup, took a sip, then said: “What’s the matter with arranging to meet here? Wouldn’t it have been fine to wait at my house?”

This morning, the three of them had gone to Marquis Jing’an’s residence to pay their respects. The four had only exchanged a few brief words, and his friend hadn’t said much at the time.

Shao Mingyuan held the wine cup with his slender fingers and said calmly: “With a funeral at home, it wouldn’t be appropriate to disturb your household.”

Chi Can thought for a moment, raised his cup and drained it in one gulp, chuckling softly: “You’re right, it is more comfortable outside.”

Shao Mingyuan was aware of the strained relationship between Chi Can and the Eldest Princess Changrong over the years. A hint of self-deprecating sympathy arose in his heart as he spoke: “I have a favor to ask of you.”

“Tell me what it is first.” Chi Can became interested.

He had thought this friend of his had no desires beyond fighting wars.

Shao Mingyuan’s gaze fixed on the wine cup in his hand.

The azure liquid rippled slightly in the cup, as if it contained the lake water of spring.

“I’ve heard there’s a divine physician currently residing in Prince Rui’s mansion.”

“Yes, that’s Physician Li, who once treated the Empress Dowager. Recently, Prince Rui invited this physician to the capital, and somehow it became known to everyone.” Chi Can knew why Physician Li’s arrival in the capital couldn’t be kept secret, but that shared journey north was ultimately inconvenient to mention.

“Shixi, you know that with my current status, it wouldn’t be appropriate for me to visit Prince Rui’s mansion. I’d like to ask you to make a trip to Prince Rui’s mansion and help me invite Physician Li out so I can have a private conversation with him.” Shao Mingyuan stated his request clearly.

“You want to see Physician Li?” Chi Can thought for a moment and nodded. “I’ll give it a try.”

He naturally understood Shao Mingyuan’s concerns.

Throughout all dynasties, contact between princes and important ministers was always a great taboo for the emperor, especially for a military general like Shao Mingyuan, who commanded heavy troops and had unparalleled prestige. Once news of his visit to Prince Rui’s mansion got out, Prince Rui would be the first to faint from crying.

That would result in the emperor finding all sorts of ways to punish him!

“Thank you.” Shao Mingyuan raised his cup and touched it to his lips.

Chi Can seemed to think of something else and added: “But let me make it clear beforehand – I have no problem going to Prince Rui’s mansion, but whether I can invite that Physician Li out is hard to say.”

“Hmm?”

“That old fellow has a very eccentric temperament.”

Shao Mingyuan smiled: “I heard that Physician Li came from the south, and during his journey, he even rescued an official’s daughter from human traffickers and took her as his adopted granddaughter. From this perspective, he seems to be a benevolent and loving elder.”

“Hehe, if you two get a chance to meet, you’ll get to experience it firsthand.”

“In any case, just meeting him once would be good.”

“When?”

“The sooner the better.”

Chi Can nodded: “Alright then, I’ll make a trip to Prince Rui’s mansion first thing tomorrow morning.”

As the son of the Eldest Princess, Chi Can and Prince Rui were maternal cousins, so meeting occasionally was quite normal – even the all-pervasive Jinlin Guards couldn’t be bothered to pay attention.

Having finished discussing business, the atmosphere between the two became more relaxed.

Shao Mingyuan then asked: “Shixi, how did you end up fighting with Yang Er?”

The four of them had been playmates since childhood. Although he was rarely in the capital later, their friendship hadn’t faded. Chi Can and the other two were even closer. While bickering and squabbling were common, hitting this hard was rare.

“It wasn’t just Yang Er – there was also Zi Zhe. I didn’t expect that someone who’s usually so proper and rigid could pack such a punch when beating people up!” Chi Can felt the kick from Zhu Yàn beginning to ache dully.

“What exactly was it about?” Shao Mingyuan grew even more puzzled.

Thinking of the reason, Chi Can couldn’t help but smile slightly.

He was handsome by nature but had a rather poor temperament. He rarely showed such a gentle, smiling expression, which gave onlookers a sense of tender affection.

Shao Mingyuan felt moved by the sight.

It seemed his friend might already have someone he cared about.

As soon as Chi Can saw Shao Mingyuan’s expression, he became furious and rolled his eyes: “What are you thinking? I just revealed some embarrassing stories from when they were little, and they became angry from shame.”

“To whom did you reveal them?” Shao Mingyuan asked pointedly.

The three friends spent all their time together. If he were going to reveal such stories, he would have done so long ago, not waited until today. So there must have been a special person present.

Perhaps that was Shixi’s beloved.

Shao Mingyuan’s perceptiveness made Chi Can bristle like a cat whose tail had been stepped on: “Tingquan, you’re a military man – what do you need so much cunning for?”

Shao Mingyuan raised his cup and drained the wine within. The wine was mellow upon entering the mouth, but became spicy as it went down, as if a ball of fire was burning in his stomach.

He smiled faintly and said, “You can’t win wars by being just a military man.”

“I just happened to encounter someone who didn’t know their place. Alright, let’s not talk about these boring things. After leaving your residence today, Zi Zhe also said that your family’s funeral arrangements seemed somewhat chaotic, and asked if we should find some stewards from our homes to come help?”

Chi Can spoke tactfully, but inwardly, he was sighing.

Speaking of it, his mother had become extreme due to her resentment toward his father, and her attitude toward him was inconsistent. But Shao Mingyuan’s mother was even stranger – treating her own son like a free gift when buying rouge and powder on the street. The chaos in his family’s funeral arrangements was clearly because that Marquis’s wife wasn’t putting her heart into it.