Yun Chu had long heard of Imperial Physician Si’s reputation.

He became famous in his thirties and served as an imperial physician in the palace for several years. But yearning for a life of freedom like floating clouds and wild cranes, he requested to resign and wander at age forty.

He returned to the capital only about once every three to five years to check pulses for members of the imperial family. Of course, he would also take this opportunity to earn some extra income, staying in the capital for roughly half a month or so.

Yun Chu followed Lin Shi into the medicine hall where Imperial Physician Si was temporarily practicing.

Everyone knew the divine physician’s name, but not many people knew Imperial Physician Si was practicing here. Walking inside, it was very quiet.

“This must be Madam Xie.” Imperial Physician Si stroked his beard and looked at Yun Chu. “Observing Madam Xie’s physiognomy, you don’t seem like someone who cannot bear children. Let this old man check your pulse first before saying more.”

After speaking, he gestured for Yun Chu to sit down and extend her wrist.

Yun Chu curtsied: “I’ve troubled Imperial Physician Si to make this trip, but it’s not to check my pulse—it’s for another person.”

As soon as these words came out, Lin Shi’s expression changed drastically: “Chu’er, what nonsense are you spouting? Do you know how busy Imperial Physician Si is? Do you know how difficult it is to request the divine physician to check a pulse…”

“Mother, don’t be angry.” Yun Chu said softly. “I’ve never thought about having children again. Why labor the divine physician to do something meaningless?”

She gave Tingshuang a look. Tingshuang turned and went out, leading someone in.

Lin Shi looked over. It was a person wearing a black cloak with a black veil hat on their head, making it impossible to distinguish whether they were male or female.

After the person entered, they seemed somewhat nervous, until Yun Chu spoke: “Young Master Wu, come over, remove your hat, and let Imperial Physician Si examine you.”

Young Master Wu stepped forward and extended his hand. When Lin Shi saw that hand, she was so frightened she quickly retreated. What kind of hand was it—black skin, bulging blood vessels, covered with round fleshy growths. The largest growth was as big as an infant’s fist, the skin broken, still oozing pus…

When the veil hat was removed, Lin Shi was so frightened she nearly fainted, not daring to look even once.

“This…” Imperial Physician Si’s gaze tightened. He extended his index finger to rest on Young Master Wu’s pulse. “You… you are from the Wu family!”

Young Master Wu’s eyes showed disbelief: “The divine physician knows of the Wu family?”

Imperial Physician Si nodded: “Over forty years ago, people from the Wu family sought out my master, requesting my master to treat the Wu family’s unique hereditary disease. Unfortunately, at that time my master’s abilities were limited. He only prescribed a few formulas to control the condition before leaving the Wu family. But over these years, my master never stopped researching this disease and taught me all of his research achievements. I advanced the treatment methods based on my master’s results… But over twenty years ago, when I went to find the Wu family, I received unfortunate news saying that everyone in the Wu family had died.”

Tears burst from Young Master Wu’s eyes: “Of the entire Wu family, only I have barely survived to this day…”

Neither human nor ghost, he had lived for over twenty years.

If not for Mother insisting he live, he should have ended his life long ago.

“I’ve already found a breakthrough for your Wu family’s disease. However, I thought all the Wu family members had died out, so I left the medical scrolls for treating this disease at my old residence in Qingzhou.” Imperial Physician Si spoke. “After I finish treating the Empress, you’ll come with me to Qingzhou.”

Hope appeared in Young Master Wu’s death-like eyes: “Thank you, divine physician!”

He directly knelt on the ground and kowtowed.

Imperial Physician Si helped him up: “This disease isn’t easy to treat. After going to Qingzhou, you’ll need to stay there for at least five to ten years for treatment. If you have any matters to handle, settle them as quickly as possible during this time, then come with me.”

Young Master Wu busily nodded and withdrew.

Yun Chu took a box from Tingshuang’s hands and presented it to Imperial Physician Si: “This is the consultation fee for examining Young Master Wu.”

The pulse examination fee was five thousand taels of silver. She additionally took out ten thousand taels for treatment costs. Since she had obtained the Wu family ancestors’ hot spring, she had the responsibility to see Young Master Wu’s care through to the end.

Unexpectedly, Imperial Physician Si waved his hand: “Over forty years ago, my master already received consultation fees from the Wu family. We won’t accept a second time. Furthermore, I also have selfish motives. If I cure Young Master Wu, when I meet my master underground after a hundred years, I’ll also be able to hold my head high before him.”

Imperial Physician Si insisted on not accepting. Yun Chu had no way to force him.

Fortunately, Young Master Wu’s illness could be treated. This alone was better than anything else.

After Young Master Wu’s matter was resolved, Yun Chu proposed to take her leave.

Imperial Physician Si spoke: “This old man came to check Madam Xie’s pulse by order of the Empress. Does Madam Xie wish to have this old man disobey the Empress’s decree?”

Lin Shi pressed down on Yun Chu’s shoulder, forcing her to sit, then rolled up her sleeve to let the divine physician check her pulse.

Imperial Physician Si’s index finger rested on Yun Chu’s pulse. He spoke: “There are some symptoms of palace coldness, but not serious. Although qi and blood are blocked, after proper care, conceiving a child shouldn’t be difficult… Have Madam Xie and Master Xie not shared a bed in the past year?”

Yun Chu’s expression stiffened.

The divine physician could even tell this?

Imperial Physician Si withdrew his hand, picked up a brush, and began writing a prescription with swift strokes: “Follow this prescription to obtain medicine. Persist in treatment for three months to completely cure the palace coldness symptoms. At that time, increase the frequency of intercourse, and you’ll be able to conceive a child.”

Lin Shi picked up the prescription and tucked it into her sleeve like a treasured object, then took out a thick stack of bank notes from her sleeve and handed them over.

This time, Imperial Physician Si didn’t refuse. He accepted the bank notes and casually stuffed them into his medicine chest.

Walking out of the medicine hall, Lin Shi sighed: “Back then, I don’t know how many physicians we consulted. They all said your infertility couldn’t be cured, that you’d never conceive in this lifetime… In fact, it wasn’t your problem at all. It was those quack doctors who lacked ability. Look, as soon as the divine physician makes a move, you know why he’s called a divine physician. In the future, you’ll be able to have your own children.”

Yun Chu’s face showed no expression.

Mother and daughter boarded the carriage one after another. Once inside, Lin Shi asked: “Jingyu hasn’t gone to your room for a whole year?”

This question, Yun Chu didn’t want to answer at all. She deflected: “Has Sister Ran’s dowry been prepared?”

“Chu’er!” Lin Shi raised her voice. “Tell me, is what the divine physician said true?”

“Mother, why do you need to know these things?” Yun Chu pinched the bridge of her nose. “Husband and I are harmonious like zither and harp, we have sons and daughters, life is very comfortable. Mother need not worry about me.”

Lin Shi’s breathing caught.

The more one said life was comfortable, the less possible it was that life was comfortable.

She didn’t dare think about why Chu’er would be unwilling to have a child of her own.

Did Chu’er dislike children? No, Chu’er treated the concubine-born sons and daughters as if they were her own. She couldn’t possibly dislike children.

Then it could only be that Xie Jingyu was unwilling to have true legitimate children with Chu’er.

“Fine, Mother won’t ask anymore.” Lin Shi lifted the carriage curtain to look outside. “Look, that silk shop—it’s part of the dowry I prepared for Sister Ran. Do you want to go look? You can select a few bolts of fabric to take back and make some clothes.”

Yun Chu was about to speak when she saw a carriage pass by theirs.

She recognized it—this was a palace carriage.

Lin Shi glanced at it and spoke: “It’s Consort Yin arranging for people to invite the second young miss of the Tan family into the palace. It seems to be to select a future princess consort for Prince Pingxi.”