Fan Yilin hesitated, opened his mouth, but did not continue. The others steered the conversation elsewhere. The food and wine arrived, and the accompanying courtesans came as well. They were all young, with wine and beauty at hand, capable of casting aside all worries, and the atmosphere quickly turned cheerful.

It wasn't until the lamps flickered low that the group left the tavern, somewhat drunk, helped into their carriages by their respective servants before dispersing.

Fan Yilin, swaying with intoxication, was being supported by a young attendant.

"Brother Fan," Li Tong called out from behind him. Thinking of something, he handed over an incense pouch. "The last time your esteemed wife mentioned she liked the scent my sister blends, this is the formula she wrote down. I was entrusted to give it to you."

Fan Yilin hastily accepted it and offered his thanks.

"It's nothing," Li Tong laughed. "It's actually a blessing that your esteemed wife likes my sister's work; she was quite delighted." After speaking, he lowered his gaze slightly. "I will be leaving the capital soon, so I must ask your esteemed wife to look after my sister a bit more..."

Fan Yilin looked at him, reached out, clapped him on the shoulder, and hooked his arm around him, pulling him closer.

"I'm being serious," he murmured, a hint of wine on his breath. "I know a divine physician who might be able to save your grandfather's life. Do you want to give it a try?"

If the first time he mentioned it was a jest, the second time carried a different weight...

Was he truly sincere?

Li Tong looked at Fan Yilin, slightly surprised.

This time, when the Second Madam returned from her outing, she found Qi Yue at home, having heard from the servants that she had returned by noon.

"Why didn't you go out and have some fun?" the Second Madam asked, somewhat surprised.

In this bustling and vibrant capital, was one day of sightseeing already enough?

Qi Yue smiled. The capital was beautiful and lively, but appreciating scenery depended on the heart, and at this moment, she was not in the mood for sightseeing.

"I have something I need to tell Aunt," she said, taking the Second Madam’s hand and inviting her to sit.

"I happen to have something to tell you as well," the Second Madam replied with a smile.

"Then you speak first," Qi Yue said politely.

The Second Madam offered no such courtesy.

"The day after tomorrow, you and I will go into the palace." she stated.

Qi Yue’s eyes widened.

"Go to the palace? Which palace?" she couldn't help but ask.

No way...

"The Imperial Palace, of course," Madam Chen chuckled.

"What would I go for? I really shouldn't go," Qi Yue said, waving her hands dismissively.

So many rules, the constant need to kneel or be punished... seeing it from the outside was fine, but actually entering? Better not.

"My health isn't great, and having you by my side gives me peace of mind," Madam Chen explained, taking her hand. "You don't need to be constrained; we won't be meeting anyone important."

Not meeting anyone? Then what was the purpose? A tour of the palace grounds?

Qi Yue looked suspicious.

"When I was young, I lived with the Empress Xiaoci of the late Emperor, so I want to visit her former residence now that I'm back," Madam Chen explained, sounding slightly surprised. "Just to see her palace. I am no high-ranking consort, so I won't be meeting any of the noble ladies."

What was the Empress Xiaoci of the late Emperor?

"She is the current Emperor's paternal grandmother," Madam Chen clarified, surprised that this might not be common knowledge.

Qi Yue murmured an "Oh."

The Emperor's paternal grandmother. So, she must have been Empress then?

"You lived with the Empress?" Qi Yue’s eyes widened, looking at Madam Chen in disbelief.

Good heavens, how greatly favored must the Chen family have been? Even the Imperial Princes and Princesses might not have been afforded such treatment.

"It was merely out of pity for an orphan like me," Madam Chen said lightly.

There were plenty of orphans in the world...

Qi Yue shook her head.

"Alright, I've prepared all the clothing and such; you don't need to worry about it. Rest well, and a carriage will come to fetch us the day after tomorrow," Madam Chen said, patting her hand before standing up.

With that settled, it seemed refusal was impossible.

Qi Yue could only nod.

"Oh, right. What did you need to tell me?" Madam Chen remembered to ask.

"Nothing for now," Qi Yue replied.

Madam Chen didn't press further, just urged her to rest early before leaving.

"What should we do?" Ah Ru immediately came over to ask.

Qi Yue lay down, resting her hand behind her head, gazing at the ceiling.

"What can we do? We wait a bit longer," she said.

"Mistress, you are really going into the Imperial Palace," Ah Hao whispered excitedly.

"It's nothing so rare..." Qi Yue mumbled.

"Have you been inside before, Mistress?" Ah Hao pouted unhappily.

One could say she had been inside, but only a thousand years later.

Qi Yue smiled but did not answer.

The Imperial Palace was too dazzling, a place of almost divine reverence for most people. Ah Ru and Ah Hao couldn't help but chatter excitedly. Although the Second Madam said the clothes were ready, the two maids, following their innate feminine nature, still meticulously discussed attire and adornments, filling the room with lively, yet orderly, noise.

Qi Yue remained with her hand behind her head, glancing towards the window where the moon was bright and the stars few.

I wonder what that fellow is doing? Did the letter sent from home arrive?

Bright torches, like brilliant constellations, arrived accompanied by the sound of hooves.

"My Lord, you have labored hard." The group waiting outside greeted him with smiles.

Chang Yuncheng dismounted, smiling and returning the salute with cupped hands.

"Our Zhangjiakou area cannot compare to your side, My Lord. We apologize if you are inconvenienced," the leader, a large man in military uniform, laughed.

"That depends on what we are comparing," Chang Yuncheng replied, patting his shoulder. "In terms of military defense, you have a slight edge, but if it’s drinking, you simply can't compare..."

The men paused, then became excited.

They hadn't expected this young man, born into nobility and tempered in the military, to be so skilled with words. With one sentence, he stirred the rough soldiers into a fever pitch of enthusiasm, making their whole bodies tingle with delight.

"My Lord, if you put it that way, that's a serious claim," the big man said, his face turning stern, stopping in his tracks with a solemn expression.

"Then how does Commander of the Guard wish to proceed?" Chang Yuncheng also stopped, having moved slightly ahead. He turned back, looking down slightly at the crowd, his expression equally grave.

The atmosphere seemed to have turned a bit cold...

"Naturally, we must settle who is superior," the big man declared loudly.

"Then you must accept the outcome, Commander of the Guard," Chang Yuncheng replied just as loudly.

"Soldiers, do you dare to fight for honor!" the big man shouted, his face flushed.

The others quickly caught on and roared in response.

Chang Yuncheng laughed heartily and slapped the big man's arm.

"Let's go, let's settle this." he grinned.

The big man also burst into laughter, his current smile much warmer and more familiar than before.

The two walked in side-by-side.

With wine as the matchmaker, the others on both sides also smiled broadly, ushering each other inside.

The guards at the entrance let out a breath of relief and exchanged glances.

"That scared me," one said. "This Lord speaks in such an interesting way."

The other chuckled slyly.

"This Lord Supervisor is quite good; much better than the last one. Looks like he won't have the bad luck of the previous one, being locked out of the city gate by our Commander," he remarked.

Watching the last big man slump over a table with a wine cup still in his hand, Chang Yuncheng set down his own bowl, concluding the banquet.

Dawn was just beginning to break.

In the room, a young soldier had brought warm water. Chang Yuncheng leaned back in his chair, eyes closed, soaking his feet in a state that was neither sleeping nor fully awake.

Another attendant soldier entered, carrying a bundle.

"My Lord, your personal correspondence has been forwarded from Mobei," he said softly.

This temporary assignment as a coordinating supervisor had been arranged in haste; few people knew about it, so there had been no opportunity to notify his family.

Chang Yuncheng merely grunted.

The soldier placed the bundle on the table and began to untie it.

Chang Yuncheng, still keeping his eyes closed, reached out and pulled one out to unroll, opening his eyes only then.

The first sheet of paper fluttered out. Chang Yuncheng quickly caught it, but as he saw it was a small portrait of a woman, he immediately let go.

The paper drifted down into the foot-soaking basin and instantly soaked through.

Chang Yuncheng lifted his foot.

"Take it away," he commanded.

The soldier quickly carried the basin out.

Meanwhile, Chang Yuncheng took a deep breath and finally pulled out the letter containing characters, glancing at it.

It was, as expected, a letter from Madam Xie urging him again to finalize an engagement.

Chang Yuncheng tossed the letter back and looked at the others remaining on the table.

"Are these all from home?" he asked.

The soldier nodded.

Since they were all from Yongqing Prefecture, they must have been from his family.

"Take them away. Don't bring me any more in the future," Chang Yuncheng said. He had no desire to read them, and still wet-footed, he walked unsteadily toward the bed.

The soldier quickly reached out to support him but was pushed away by Chang Yuncheng.

"Get out, scram," he snapped with a hint of impatience.

The attendants knew that the Young Lord became moody after drinking. Hearing this, they quickly gathered the letters from the table and withdrew.

Chang Yuncheng fell onto the bed. Due to the lingering effects of the wine, his abdomen felt like it was burning, and he was intensely uncomfortable, clutching the quilt tightly.

The room was unusually quiet, bathed in the pale morning light. A man’s low murmur could faintly be heard.

Yue Niang...

Qi Yue Niang...

"Qi Yue Niang? Who is that?" The man who rushed out to greet Fan Yilin upon hearing of his visit frowned, his face blank with confusion.

"Oh, Chen Wu, are you doing this on purpose?" Fan Yilin pressed anxiously, glancing at Li Tong beside him, feeling thoroughly embarrassed.

The Young Master Chen Wu, grandson of the Duke of Deqing, was clearly not the same sort as Fan Yilin.

"What am I doing on purpose?" he retorted irritably. "Why are you, you drunkard, showing up so early? I don't have time for your nonsense."

Fan Yilin, enraged, threatened him with a teacup.

"I say, Chen Wu, look at your demeanor after just a few days! Have you forgotten what you used to be like? You’ve only been in the Ministry of Rites for a few days, just running errands for people—and now you act so important! Heh, you really live up to your name, Five, hahahaha..."

Just as the two were about to start fighting without saying a single serious word, Li Tong quickly intervened to mediate.

"Isn't your aunt back? The one who returned with your aunt," Fan Yilin said, shaking his sleeves.

Chen Wu paused.

"Oh, oh, that person," he finally understood, looking back at Fan Yilin with renewed curiosity. "That person is called Qi Yue Niang?"

Fan Yilin, who had been taking a sip of tea, spat it out instantly.

"Chen Wu, which family does she belong to? If she’s visiting your house, she’s not visiting mine!" he glared.

"She didn't come to our house," Chen Wu snapped. "How would I know."

Huh?

Fan Yilin and Li Tong exchanged a look.

After informing Fan Yilin of Madam Chen's residence, Chen Wu hurried to the back courtyard as soon as the guests left.

"Grandmother, Grandmother," he called out. "I know who the person my Little Aunt brought back is!"

Madam Chen Fang, who had been dozing drowsily, immediately snapped to attention upon hearing this.

"Who is it?" she asked.

"She is the Young Madam of the Dingxi Marquisate, the former Young Madam," Chen Wu explained.

The wives accompanying her in the room also suddenly understood.

Because of the distance, Madam Chen rarely interacted with her own family, so they were utterly unfamiliar with the affairs of the Dingxi Marquisate. They only knew that the Old Madam of the Dingxi Marquis had married a beggar girl to the Young Lord, which had caused Madam Chen Fang to weep bitterly over marrying Xue Niang into such an unreliable family. As for what happened afterward, they naturally felt too weary and uninterested to inquire further about the Dingxi Marquisate’s affairs—the disgrace was enough.

"It's her, then."

"A beggar?"

"And a doctor, no less?"

"Oh, I know now. Isn't she the one who helped manage the plague epidemic recently..."

"That’s right, isn't the Qianjintang hers? So she gained great merit this time..."

"...Is her medical skill really that good?"

"...No, perhaps it was the Qianjintang’s contribution? She's just the manager, so she got the credit by association..."

They murmured among themselves, and the room grew lively.

"I see. No wonder Xue Niang didn't bring her for us to meet. A divorced woman... someone not fit to be seen," Madam Chen Fang commented, leaning back.

Indeed, her low status and ill-omened circumstances.

The women nodded in agreement.

"However, Little Aunt let her stay in the Shoumuzhai," Chen Wu couldn't help but point out, noticing that the women’s focus was entirely elsewhere.

The women in the room froze.

Right, why would she allow such a person to reside in the place Madam Chen valued most?

So, was this person low-born or noble?