Early that morning, Qiaomu knocked on Feng Jiu’s chamber door.

The truth was, Feng Jiu had come back the previous night and spent a further shichen compounding medicine — so the entire night, she had slept no more than half a shichen in total.

When the knock sounded at her door, she had no wish to answer it.

But Qiaomu’s voice came through the door, steady and unwavering: “Young Master, people from the Number One Manor Under Heaven have arrived and are asking for you to receive them personally in the main hall.”

Since it concerned the Number One Manor Under Heaven, no matter how reluctant Feng Jiu was to leave her warm bed, she finally dragged herself out of it.

She genuinely could not guess what purpose the Number One Manor Under Heaven’s people would have in coming.

By all reasoning, the surgery she had performed on Lanranyue last night — so long as he didn’t move recklessly through the night — should have presented no problems whatsoever.

With an injury to the right hand as serious as that, Long Yan would certainly refuse to allow Lanranyue any recklessness, since a single misstep could affect the rest of his life.

As for the possibility that Lanranyue still wished to deal with her and had sent people to silence her — that sort of thing would be done under cover of night, as an assassination. Coming openly like this was simply incomprehensible in terms of what Lanranyue might want.

Were they perhaps intending to invite her over and dispose of her within the manor?

What would be the point? Everyone knew that if something happened to her while inside their manor, the trouble afterward would only continue.

They had just failed in an assassination attempt on Emperor Qiwen. At such a time, they would naturally want to keep a low profile — to avoid standing at the center of the storm until the matter had blown over.

Lanranyue was no fool. Stirring up any commotion involving a killing right now, were it ever to draw the attention of the authorities, and were the manor subjected to an investigation — they might very well expose a thread of evidence.

In any case, there was no logical reason to come looking for her at this moment.

Feng Jiu changed her clothes, gave herself a quick wash, then followed Qiaomu toward the front hall.

“How many came? Who came?” Feng Jiu asked as she walked, gnawing on a steamed bun.

The truth was that the proprietor of Tianji Hall did not live an especially comfortable life — often going without adequate time to eat or sleep.

“Long Yan came, along with over a dozen attendants. They brought several large trunks.”

“Large trunks?” Feng Jiu glanced at Qiaomu, who also had no idea what was inside them and therefore could offer no answer.

Feng Jiu stuffed the last of the bun into her mouth, forced it down, and then stepped together with Qiaomu into the main hall.

Long Yan saw her and immediately came forward with a warm smile. “Greetings, Young Master.”

He wasn’t calling her “Sir” now — he was calling her “Young Master.” The shift in address was a little odd.

Feng Jiu showed no reaction and returned a cupped-fist salute. “Steward Long, I trust you have been well.”

Long Yan gave a courteous nod, then said, “Young Master, these are gifts sent by our Master. The Young Master agreed to become our Master’s adopted grandchild. From this day forward, the Number One Manor Under Heaven and Tianji Hall are family. Henceforth, if Tianji Hall encounters any matter, simply come to me — I will spare no effort.”

“Young Master — you’re going to become their Manor Master’s adopted grandchild?” Qiaomu stared in blank astonishment. When had this come to pass?

Never mind Qiaomu’s confusion — Feng Jiu herself was full of questions.

Even so, she quickly worked out what Long Yan and Lanranyue meant by it. She was simply caught in a dilemma with no graceful way out. It was somewhat helpless.

“It is the Elder Manor Master, not the Manor Master.” Feng Jiu said lightly. To satisfy everyone’s curiosity, she had no choice but to explain. “On the occasion I consulted on the Elder Manor Master’s condition, we immediately found ourselves kindred spirits. The Elder Manor Master wished to have me as an adopted grandchild — it was an honor beyond measure. So I agreed, verbally.”

There were many patients in the main hall at that moment, and everyone heard the exchange.

Tianji Hall and the Number One Manor Under Heaven were now family.

Regardless of whether something befell Tianji Hall or the Number One Manor Under Heaven, the other party would share in the blame — and so it was: they were lashed together on a single rope.

That Lanranyue could devise a resolution so perfectly suited to his own needs — whether this was a good thing or a bad thing for Feng Jiu, it was still too early to say.

At the very least, there was no longer any need to worry about people from the Number One Manor Under Heaven coming to assassinate her. This small life of hers could, for the time being, be considered safe.

Only — why had Lanranyue tried to assassinate Emperor Qiwen? What deep and bitter enmity lay between him and Emperor Qiwen?

Such enmity — now that she had become the Elder Manor Master’s adopted grandchild — was inevitably bound up with herself.

“Qiao, have people bring the things inside.” Feng Jiu composed herself and turned to Qiaomu beside her.

Qiaomu still hadn’t sorted it all out, but the brief flash of confusion in Feng Jiu’s eyes just now — she had seen it plainly enough.

This matter of the adopted kinship — Feng Jiu had truly known nothing of it beforehand. But now that Feng Jiu had accepted it, she could only accept it too.

“You all come — help bring the things inside together.” Qiaomu gestured to the attendants.

Several servants immediately came forward and, together with those from the Number One Manor Under Heaven, carried the large trunks inside.

Quite a number of people filled the main hall — patients and those accompanying them to seek medical attention — every one of them intensely curious about the contents of those trunks.

Yet since they came from the Number One Manor Under Heaven, whose wealth was said to rival a nation’s, the contents were certainly of great value. On this point, no one had any doubt.

“The gifts for Grandpa — I will personally bring people to deliver them to the manor in due course. Today, I have troubled you, Steward Long.”

Feng Jiu gave Long Yan a slight bow. Long Yan immediately returned the bow with a warm smile. “From now on, the Young Master is the young master of our household. Please do not stand on ceremony.”

Tianji Hall and the Number One Manor Under Heaven were now one family. With so many witnesses in the main hall, the whole of it was duly observed.

From this point on, if something were to befall the Number One Manor Under Heaven, no one from Tianji Hall would escape accountability. And vice versa.

Lanranyue’s move here was nothing short of razor-sharp.

News of the Number One Manor Under Heaven traveled quickly, and before long it had spread across the entire imperial city.

From that point on, Tianji Hall — a place of only modest renown — became famous overnight.

Going forward, with the Number One Manor Under Heaven as their backing, those who might once have thought to cause trouble at Tianji Hall would likely weigh the Number One Manor Under Heaven’s reputation and think twice before acting.

For Tianji Hall, this was truly a stroke of great fortune. At the very least, the people of Tianji Hall all felt it to be a windfall blessing that had fallen from the sky.

Of course, those people did not include Feng Jiu, Xue’gu — or even Qiaomu.

Word that Tianji Hall’s Feng Jiu had become the adopted grandchild of the legendary Elder Manor Master of the Number One Manor Under Heaven spread quickly into the palace.

“He truly became the adopted grandchild of that legendary Elder Manor Master?” Feng Qingyin sat in her jade chair and fixed her gaze on the junior eunuch kneeling before her, her expression grave.

The junior eunuch was specifically tasked with relaying news to her. This piece of freshly received intelligence had naturally been reported to his mistress at the first opportunity.

He lowered his head and replied carefully, “Yes, Noble Consort. Early this very morning, people from the Number One Manor Under Heaven carried several large trunks and went specifically to deliver gifts to Tianji Hall. Tens of people within Tianji Hall — all witnessed it.”

Feng Qingyin pressed her lips together, thinking for a moment, then gave a wave of her hand.

The palace maid at her side immediately said, “You are no longer needed here. If there is new information, come and report at once. You are dismissed.”

“Yes.” The junior eunuch gave a slight bow, rose, and left.

Feng Qingyin turned and glanced at the curtain behind her. “Did he truly enter the palace last night?”