Zhan Qingcheng stared at Feng Jiu, his eyes fixed on her without blinking.

His gaze was very calm, like the night wind—seemingly silent, yet Feng Jiu still felt as if a cold gust had swept across her heart.

It was chilly, unsettling, making her restless, making her want to say something to ease the stiff atmosphere, but she couldn’t find the right words.

Being watched like this put immense pressure on her, and a thin sheen of cold sweat gradually formed at Feng Jiu’s temples.

Ninth Imperial Uncle, what exactly are you thinking?

She didn’t know how long had passed before a gentle breeze swept by, lifting the strands of hair Feng Jiu had deliberately left loose at her temples.

Zhan Qingcheng’s long fingers lifted—was he going to brush the hair from her face?

Feng Jiu froze, hastily stepping back.

When she looked up again, the Ninth Imperial Uncle’s hand had already returned behind his back, so calm and at ease that it seemed the motion of his fingers had never happened at all.

He suddenly spoke. “Do you need this prince’s help?”

Warmth surged in Feng Jiu’s heart, and her nose nearly stung with emotion.

The Ninth Imperial Uncle still indulged her like this. He clearly didn’t approve of her getting involved in these matters, but as long as she insisted, he still chose to tolerate her—even, in a sense, to aid her in wrongdoing.

As long as she asked, Feng Jiu believed the Ninth Imperial Uncle would resolutely help her without hesitation—no matter who needed to be framed or dealt with.

The warmth in her heart, in the end, was pushed back down. Feng Jiu said calmly, “Thank you for Ninth Lord’s kind regard, but Feng Jiu feels there are some matters she can handle herself.”

“Hmph!”

The cold snort had barely faded when Feng Jiu felt the hair by her ear stir slightly. Looking ahead again, there was no longer any trace of the Ninth Imperial Uncle.

Sigh, she’d angered the Ninth Imperial Uncle again. It seemed she had quite the talent for provoking him so easily.

But with this matter, Feng Jiu truly didn’t want to drag the Ninth Imperial Uncle into it. No matter what happened in the future, at the very least, it should have nothing to do with him.

Feng Jiu composed herself and this time set off toward the back gate of the imperial palace.

She carried the token Emperor Qiwen had given her, so entering the palace was effortless. However, tonight the palace clearly felt different from usual—seemingly even more heavily guarded and colder than normal.

Hearing that Feng Jiu had arrived, the Chief Eunuch hurried out from the Emperor’s bedchamber. “Sir, it’s so late—what brings you here?”

“There’s a new medicine. I was worried that if the night passed, its efficacy might be affected, so I came immediately. Please forgive the intrusion, Chief Eunuch.” Feng Jiu bowed slightly.

“A new medicine?” At this moment, the Chief Eunuch truly didn’t want to disturb His Majesty, since His Majesty’s mood tonight was very poor.

But if it really was a new medicine beneficial to that lady, one that could help her legs improve, then perhaps this could lift His Majesty’s mood.

“Sir, please wait a moment. This old servant will go report to His Majesty.” Having said this, the Chief Eunuch immediately turned back into the bedchamber.

When the Chief Eunuch entered, the two people inside the bedchamber were still in the midst of their intimacy.

The Chief Eunuch stood outside the curtain, knowing he shouldn’t disturb them at this moment, but this concerned that particular lady, whom His Majesty always cared about most.

If too much time passed and it truly affected the medicine’s efficacy, he couldn’t bear that responsibility.

“Your Majesty, the sir has arrived, saying there’s a… somewhat urgent matter.” Even so, with only a curtain separating him from the outer hall, the Chief Eunuch didn’t dare raise his voice too much, only daring to give a soft reminder.

The sounds from within seemed to quiet somewhat. Knowing Emperor Qiwen had heard him, the Chief Eunuch added, “The sir says he’s brought the new medicine.”

Emperor Qiwen abruptly threw off the blanket covering him.

Feng Qingyin, with nothing covering her body, gave a startled cry and hid behind Emperor Qiwen. “Your Majesty, this concubine—”

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“You go back to your chambers first.” Emperor Qiwen hurriedly got out of bed. “Attendants, come help me dress.”

The Chief Eunuch immediately called the two young palace maids in to give His Majesty a quick cleanup before he hastily got dressed.

Feng Qingyin sat on the bed, snatching up a silk cup to cover herself, watching helplessly as the man who had just shared intimacy with her had his clothes put on him piece by piece.

“Your Majesty…” She lifted the gauze curtain, watching his retreating figure.

It wasn’t that she truly enjoyed attending to this old man, but her body had its needs, and now that things had been interrupted halfway through, wasn’t it terribly disappointing for him to simply leave?

Not just disappointing—now her body felt quite uncomfortable too.

“Your Majesty, can you really bear to abandon this concubine like this?” Her voice was sweet and coquettish, the kind that would stir any man who heard it.

But Emperor Qiwen’s heart remained still, his expression blank. “Yin’er, this emperor has urgent matters to handle. Yin’er should return to her chambers first. This emperor will come find you again in a few days.”

A hint of resentment flickered in Feng Qingyin’s eyes. This old man hadn’t come looking for her on his own initiative in quite some time now.

It was always her coming to attend to him before he would accept it, but he would never come find her on his own.

She didn’t truly like being with him either—after all, such an old man, of course she didn’t love him.

But that feeling of being unvalued was something no woman liked.

Emperor Qiwen ignored her. After getting dressed, he immediately left with the Chief Eunuch.

Feng Qingyin also summoned her own maid and dismissed the two palace maids who had been in Emperor Qiwen’s bedchamber.

“My lady, do you have instructions?” Linglong, seeing her dismiss the others, knew she had something to say.

“Send someone to follow from a distance and see if he’s gone to that abandoned Li Courtyard again.” At this moment, where had the tenderness in Feng Qingyin’s eyes gone? Those resentful eyes were filled with suspicion and anger.

What kind of woman could make this old man this anxious?

A new medicine? Has that woman fallen ill with something? Is the “sir” the Chief Eunuch spoke of still Feng Jiu?

“Yes.” Linglong took the order and was about to leave.

Feng Qingyin lowered her voice further. “Keep your distance. Don’t let that old man’s people notice.”

“Understood.”

…

Feng Jiu’s medicine truly was new, having just been refined, but given how she preserved it, keeping it for ten or eight days wouldn’t have posed any problem.

Coming into the palace tonight wasn’t really that urgent, but this medicine truly did have a new effect on the masked lady’s legs.

When she came out, Emperor Qiwen was still waiting beneath the pavilion as before.

Such deep devotion was indeed rare.

Setting everything else aside, this devotion alone made it hard to dislike him.

Especially since he was the ruler of a nation.

Feng Jiu walked to the pavilion and bowed slightly toward Emperor Qiwen. “Your Majesty.”

“How is it?” Emperor Qiwen’s mind right now was entirely occupied by the woman’s injury in that room.

Feng Jiu bowed again, her manner respectful throughout.

She met Emperor Qiwen’s gaze and said calmly, “My lady’s legs have responded. This medicine truly has a remarkable effect on her legs.”

After a pause, she added, “From now on, Feng Jiu will come every three days, first letting her ladyship’s meridians recover, then performing the operation.”