"Haven't eaten yet?"

Chang Yuncheng strained his ears, hearing no reply from Huang Ziqiao. The door curtain rustled, and Qi Yue led Huang Ziqiao inside.

Huang Ziqiao, who had moved in with a stiff face and rigid posture, widened his eyes upon seeing him.

"You, why are you here?" he asked.

Why shouldn't I be here?

"What are you doing here?" Chang Yuncheng retorted without answering.

Huang Ziqiao pulled over a stool and sat down.

"I've come to bid farewell to Lady Qi," he announced.

Prefect Huang was returning to the capital. Since it was merely a reprimand and not a conviction, he wouldn't be escorted like Wang Qingchun and the others. This, at least, was a small mercy in their misfortune.

Seeing the drawn face and dejected expression of Huang Ziqiao, Qi Yue sighed along with him.

This was surely a family calamity. For a child pampered as he had been, this affair must have been terrifying.

Of course, in fairness, Qi Yue felt that a man like Prefect Huang was better off never holding office again.

"It's alright, it's alright. I heard the higher-ups even praised you? It should be fine," Qi Yue said, choosing her words carefully to comfort him.

Your father's prospects in this life are gone, but your own future is vast.

Huang Ziqiao showed no sign of relief and sighed.

"A'ru, A'ru, bring the wine." Qi Yue called out cheerfully.

In this situation, not serving wine was impossible. A'ru had no choice but to fetch it.

"Wait right there, big sister will fry a few dishes to see you off," Qi Yue added.

Huang Ziqiao assumed the dishes she mentioned would be cooked by the kitchen staff, not expecting Qi Yue to leave.

"Does the young noble Lord also want a drink?" A'ru asked as she came to pour the wine.

Chang Yuncheng grunted an assent.

Huang Ziqiao snorted.

The two sat in silence in the room. Chang Yuncheng was displeased that his solitude had been interrupted, and when he was unhappy, he naturally wouldn't show a good face to anyone; likewise, Huang Ziqiao certainly wouldn't offer pleasantries to the man who had bullied Lady Qi Yue. Not physically driving him out was already the limit of his forbearance.

Thus, neither man looked at the other, nor did they speak, until dish after dish was served.

"The time was too rushed, so I could only make some simple side dishes. Taste them as best you can. Tomorrow, I'll book a banquet at the restaurant to send you off properly," Qi Yue laughed, setting down the handkerchief she had been using to dry her hands.

Huang Ziqiao looked astonished.

"You, you made these?" he asked, pointing at the dishes on the table.

"Of course! Our Lady cooks deliciously, and she rarely enters the kitchen," Ah Hao quickly chimed in.

Huang Ziqiao looked at the dishes, then at Qi Yue, and seeing Chang Yuncheng already reaching with his chopsticks, he hastily snatched his own, quickly scooping half a bowl. He lifted the bowl and began to eat rapidly.

"Mmm, delicious," he said while eating, his earlier gloom replaced by animation.

"Slow down," Qi Yue laughed, deciding not to eat herself, and just watched from the side, naturally holding her wine cup, but despite repeated gestures, A'ru pretended not to notice.

Before long, Huang Ziqiao finally put down his chopsticks, satisfyingly draining the wine before him.

The table was already empty.

"In the capital, I'll treat you," he said, standing up, throwing the statement over his shoulder, and marching out.

Qi Yue couldn't even utter a word of farewell before chasing after him, but Huang Ziqiao was already far away.

In the room, Chang Yuncheng looked at the empty bowls and plates, finally setting down the chopsticks he had held for a long time.

"I, I also came to bid farewell," he murmured softly.

But no one heard him.

Early the next morning, Qi Yue indeed went out to prepare another farewell for Huang Ziqiao, only to be told that the Prefect's family had left before dawn.

They just left like that. Qi Yue felt a touch of melancholy. Thinking back on how their acquaintance began so inexplicably, their parting was equally surprising.

There would likely be no chance to meet again in this lifetime.

This child would never know he had his spleen removed...

"Lady Qi, I haven't congratulated you yet," the Magistrate's Deputy said with a smile.

"Me?" Qi Yue asked, confused. "Congratulate me on what?"

The Deputy laughed, and a clerk nearby presented a document.

"Where there is punishment, there must be reward," he chuckled, unfolding the document. "This is the imperial decree granting you an award."

Just as the Deputy said, punishment was followed by reward; otherwise, how could the difference between merits and demerits be shown?

After punishing those responsible for the inadequate handling of the disaster relief, the accolades followed.

However, to the disappointment of the high and low-ranking officials of Yongqing Prefecture, the Emperor did not send an imperial envoy to read the decree. Instead, it was issued along with the routine official correspondence. The reason given was that Yongqing Prefecture had just suffered a great disaster and could not withstand further commotion. The true reason was that this was an epidemic; though contained, no one dared risk coming. Reading the decree in person was glorious, but exchanging it for one's life was not worth it, so the entire court rejected the idea.

The officials of Yongqing Prefecture had considered holding a grand ceremony to present the awards, but Qi Yue advised against it.

"The illness isn't stable yet; it's best not to organize large gatherings. It could easily spread," she said.

Now, Lady Qi's words in Yongqing Prefecture were tantamount to an imperial edict, so the Deputy immediately abandoned the idea.

"So the court also has an award for me?" Qi Yue asked, surprised.

"Naturally," the Deputy replied with a smile.

Qi Yue took the document and saw her name written there—of course, as Qi Yueniang—followed by descriptions and praise such as: 'Though possessing the weakness of a woman, she still stood forth with righteousness and bravery, showing both courage and strategy, devising ingenious plans to prevent the epidemic,' and so on, concluding with the bestowal of a plaque inscribed 'Virtuous Benevolence and Kindness' (Shu De Ren Shan), along with a specified amount of gold, silver, and cloth.

Accompanied by the crackling of firecrackers, the court-bestowed plaque was hung above the Hall of a Thousand Gold. A group of disciples, their faces flushed with excitement, gazed at the plaque inscribed by the Deputy Magistrate, which had previously held the most prominent spot. They thought that had been the pinnacle of their lives, yet in the blink of an eye, they had obtained an imperial plaque, one drafted by the Emperor himself and sent from the capital. It was truly like a dream—no, a dream they couldn't even conjure.

The entire Yongqing Prefecture erupted into festivity again, sweeping away much of the sorrow and blight left by the epidemic. Although Qi Yue repeatedly urged the avoidance of crowds, many people still flocked to witness the hanging of the plaque above the Hall of a Thousand Gold.

The Marquis of Dingxi did not attend this time. Firstly, the scandal involving Concubine Zhou had made it impossible for him to show his face; secondly, his family was also receiving an edict.

"...I know your family affairs are grievous, but my own family matters are also sorrowful. I was shamed by the Eastern Nomads, so you, too, shall receive a whipping—an imperial gift."

The clerk reading the edict for the Governor-General sweated as he finished; this was the least imperial-sounding edict he had ever seen.

The Marquis of Dingxi and his entire family kowtowed in gratitude.

"Young Noble Lord, my apologies," the young clerk added.

Behind him emerged two camp soldiers, holding whips.

Chang Yuncheng smiled, swiftly removed his outer garments, turned, knelt on the ground, and exposed his back.

Accompanying the crackling sound of the whips, the Marquis of Dingxi turned his head and raised a hand to wipe away tears.

He thought, if Qi Yueniang were still his daughter-in-law in the Marquis of Dingxi household, would he have to endure this whipping?

These damned officials of Yongqing Prefecture, when reporting, beyond excusing their own faults and claiming merit, couldn't they have mentioned the relationship between Qi Yueniang and them?

If they had mentioned it, Chang Yuncheng's delayed return might not have been solely due to the domestic grief concerning the Xie family.

Even though she was his ex-wife, she was still a wife. If a wife labored to prevent a disaster, it was only natural that the husband's family not stand idly by; it could have been framed as laboring for the people. But now, the person laboring for disaster prevention was Qi Yueniang, and it had nothing to do with the Marquis of Dingxi household. No matter how hard the Marquis household labored, it was merely fulfilling its basic duty.

While the Marquis wiped his tears, the whipped Chang Yuncheng carried a smile. The sound of firecrackers from the streets since morning told him how lively and joyful things must be at that woman's place.

That woman sought not gold or fine clothes, but respect. So this time, she had gained immense respect; she must be very, very happy.

Despite the whipping, he could not delay his departure. After crawling for a whole day due to his injuries, Chang Yuncheng was about to set off.

Unlike before, the Marquis of Dingxi personally saw him off, remaining until the city gates before returning.

Chang Yuncheng looked at the Marquis. In just a few days, he seemed to have aged considerably; the incident with Concubine Zhou had struck him hard.

"Father, remember to bring Mother back," he instructed.

The Marquis of Dingxi waved his hand dismissively.

"Don't worry about that," he said. Looking at Chang Yuncheng, whose back was slightly bent due to the wounds, he felt a pang of genuine sorrow for the first time. "When you are out there, take care of yourself, and don't go looking for trouble. Our family is not like others; we started small, left the capital early, are no longer under the Emperor's close watch, and have few relatives to help us."

Usually, these words and expressions came from Xie Shi. This was the first time Chang Yuncheng had seen his father act this way, and he felt unaccustomed to it.

"Yes, I understand. Father, rest assured," he nodded.

The Marquis watched him get into the carriage.

"Did you, did you say goodbye to Yue Niang?" he couldn't help asking.

Chang Yuncheng lowered his head and grunted. Without waiting for the Marquis to ask anything further, he urged his horse forward.

The carriage sped a short distance before Chang Yuncheng called a halt. He dismounted, took the guard's horse, and said,

"Wait for me here for a moment," before spurring the horse back.

He still wanted to see her one more time, still wanted to tell her his farewell in person, still very much, very much, very, very much wanted to.

But Qi Yue was not at the Hall of a Thousand Gold.

"Master is still at the estate making medicine," a disciple directed. "Young Noble Lord, shall I go invite her..."

Before he could finish speaking, the man before him had already galloped away.

"So urgent, perhaps something has happened again?" the disciple muttered.

Chang Yuncheng turned his horse toward the Wang family estate and indeed saw disciples moving back and forth.

"Is Master here?" A disciple he stopped to ask thought for a moment. "She seemed to have gone for a walk by the lake."

Chang Yuncheng took a deep breath and headed toward the lakeside. As he drew nearer, his heart pounded harder and harder, forcing him to slow his pace to avoid suffocating.

The lake shore was vast, and Chang Yuncheng didn't know where to look first. Standing by the path, glancing around, he hadn't spotted anyone yet when he heard that familiar female voice.

"...Did you specifically come here?"

Chang Yuncheng held his breath instantly, his hands clenching by his sides.

"Yes."

Chang Yuncheng opened his mouth, but realizing the reply had not come from him, he paused in surprise. Then he saw two figures sitting not far off by the water's edge.

Wearing pale cyan robes spread on the ground, holding a fishing rod, sat Wang Qian. Sitting beside Wang Qian, observing him fish, was Qi Yue.

Chang Yuncheng froze, then a few steps later, darted behind a tree.

He didn't know why he was hiding, but it seemed he didn't want these two to see him—or perhaps, he didn't want to see them interacting like this.

The tree blocked his view, but not the sound of their conversation.

"...Did you come here specifically to fish?" Qi Yue asked, a half-smile on her face.

Wang Qian turned to look at her.

"Certainly not," he replied. "I came to see you, Lady."

Chang Yuncheng tore off a piece of tree bark.