As Qi Yue strode forward, A'ru and A'hao hurried to keep pace. Li Tong finally managed to follow.

Chang Yuncheng chuckled, spurred his horse, and caught up. Behind them, the carriages carrying Liu Pucheng and the others quickly followed suit.

“Young Master Fan, Young Master Fan, how is your old body holding up lately…” Hu San called out enthusiastically to greet him. Fan Yilin’s face darkened, and he quickened his pace, pretending not to see him.

Zhou Maochun observed the lively scene unfolding ahead, clutching the wooden beam of the prisoner cart and clicking his tongue several times. “Truly, comparing people is disheartening; I’ve lived a whole lifetime to no avail, not even as well as these youngsters…” he remarked, a sharp glint flashing through his originally playful eyes.

He suddenly slammed the cart door, “Hurry up and move!” Startled by the sudden appearance of these individuals, the Imperial Guards, who had frozen in place, jumped. Their expressions grew even more awkward.

They snorted, waved their hands, and hurried the prisoner cart along. “You are not to wander off!

You will all come with me to the Yamen for questioning,” one of the Guards shouted. Qi Yue stopped in her tracks and turned back.

“Questioning at the Yamen? Have their crimes been determined?

Do you have an imperial decree?” Chang Yuncheng raised his eyebrows and demanded in a deep voice. The original decree had only targeted Zhou Maochun.

Meanwhile, Fan Yilin and the others also turned and ran back. “Right!

Arrest them? Arrest whom?

This young master dares you to try!” he roared. Huang Ziqiao lagged a step behind, spitting indignantly, cracking his riding whip with sharp reports, looking as if he dared them to lay a hand on anyone, ready to act.

The Imperial Guards looked upon this group with a mixture of shock and fury. “General, you should attend to your own affairs first.

Entering the capital privately without an imperial order—we Guards cannot possibly serve you. You had best go sit at the Ministry of War Yamen,” they warned coldly, then turned their attention to Fan Yilin and the others.

You lot, we might give your master some face, but you little whelps dare to threaten us? You must be living too comfortably to not know the immensity of heaven and earth.* “Since that is the case, why don’t you all come and sit with us instead,” one of them chuckled menacingly.

As he spoke, the surrounding Guards swiftly drew their weapons. The atmosphere immediately tensed.

A suppressed clamor arose from the surrounding streets, likely the onlookers hiding near doorways startled by the confrontation. Seeing the standoff, Qi Yue was about to speak when she heard the sound of rapidly approaching carriages and horses again.

Someone else was arriving? Everyone was greatly surprised.

The Imperial Guards were filled with even greater shock and anger. What the hell is going on?

How could a group of mere doctors attract so many blind fools! And it’s not stopping!

Seven or eight horses, clustered around a luxurious carriage, galloped down the street. Before the horses had fully stopped, someone threw open the carriage curtain.

“Auntie.” Qi Yue and Chang Yuncheng shouted simultaneously. Madam Chen, supported by two maids, alighted and walked quickly toward them.

Qi Yue rushed forward to meet her. “Aunt, how did you…” she said happily, extending her hand.

Madam Chen walked up to her, raised her hand, and slapped her. A sharp, clear slap echoed in the street.

“Auntie!” Chang Yuncheng cried out in alarm and rushed over. Madam Chen had already seized Qi Yue’s hand.

“Come with me!” she commanded, turning to leave. Qi Yue was stunned by the blow.

Chang Yuncheng quickly tried to intervene. “Auntie…” he called out.

Madam Chen stopped, turned to look at him. “Chang Yuncheng, must you deliberately seek her destruction?” she barked fiercely.

Chang Yuncheng halted at her harsh words. When traced back to the origin, everything indeed stemmed from him.

If it weren't for him, Qi Yue wouldn’t have rushed to Mobei, and naturally, she wouldn’t have… Madam Chen finished speaking without sparing Chang Yuncheng another glance, pulling Qi Yue along briskly. “Auntie…” Qi Yue snapped out of her daze, resisting, while looking back at Chang Yuncheng.

Chang Yuncheng smiled at her. “Go with Auntie first.

I will find you after I’ve settled things,” he said. “Going with Auntie is for the best.” As he spoke, he signaled Liu Pucheng and the others.

Hu San understood, urging his carriage and the disciples to follow Qi Yue as well. Qi Yue understood too, looking at Chang Yuncheng.

Chang Yuncheng gave her a reassuring gesture once more: pointing at Zhou Maochun, then at himself, and finally at Qi Yue and the members of Qianjintang. I will take care of this side; you must look after the Qianjintang people well.

Madam Chen’s timely arrival was the perfect means to defuse the situation. Qi Yue nodded to him, understanding.

Madam Chen tugged hard, forcing Qi Yue to follow her pace. The Imperial Guards finally reacted and tried to block them.

“Insolence!” the escorts who had followed Madam Chen shouted in unison. The Guards’ eyes fell upon the clear characters—Duke of the State, Chen—emblazoned on the carriage.

Those who dealt in hidden matters knew perfectly well which families in the capital could be provoked and which could not. Unfortunately, the Chen family of Duke Deqing was the kind that could not be provoked.

After a moment of hesitation, they stepped aside, watching helplessly as Qi Yue and her group departed with Madam Chen’s carriage. “Boy, this young master remembers you!” Fan Yilin shouted, pointing at the Guards.

The Guards felt a fresh wave of suffocation. Little whelps, those are words we use!

Just you wait! The Guards swept their cold gazes over the three.

The three showed no sign of backing down; instead, they stood taller, adopting an air of appraisal. The Guards spat, unwilling to waste more time, and spurred their horses toward the Imperial Guard Yamen.

“Weren’t we supposed to go to the Imperial Palace first?” Zhou Maochun asked curiously from inside the prisoner cart. “Lord Zhou, I fear it is inconvenient for you to enter the Palace right now.

Covered in dust and grime as you are, we must attend to you properly before you meet His Majesty,” one of the Guards said with a sinister smile. Zhou Maochun showed no fear; instead, he was quite pleased.

“That is wonderful. I have never been to the Imperial Guard Yamen.

This is a great chance to have a good look,” he chuckled. “Indeed.

I guarantee, Lord, once you see it, you won’t want to leave,” the Guards replied in eerie unison. Chang Yuncheng merely followed beside them silently, his expression placid.

Just as they were roughly pulling Zhou Maochun out of the prisoner cart at the Yamen gate, three figures came running from the side. “Oh, Lord Zhou, you’ve finally arrived!

The person is deathly ill; if you hadn’t come, someone would have died!” the three shouted together. The Imperial Guards stared.

Were these people blind? Didn’t they know where they were?

Didn’t they see who they were? And yet, they dared to come here seeking medical aid!

“Quickly, quickly, come with us,” the three urged, rushing forward to help support Zhou Maochun. “How dare you!” the Guards roared.

“Who dares to stage a jailbreak here!” Before their shouts had faded, the three spat at them. “Blind as bats,” one of them shouted, tossing a plaque over.

“Are you breaking out your own jail?” The Guards were momentarily stunned. One picked up the plaque and gasped after a quick look.

The plaque itself was ordinary, but the single, large character—Fang—on it was deeply familiar. It was the insignia of their direct superior, the Commander of the Guards.

The three supported Zhou Maochun, muttering curses as they walked away. “Hey, I hadn’t even gotten to stay there yet…” Zhou Maochun’s regretful voice drifted on the wind.

The Imperial Guards standing at the gate looked somewhat dazed. Chang Yuncheng coughed lightly to his side, bringing everyone’s attention back to him.

“What are you looking at? Do you want to invite me in for a seat?” Chang Yuncheng inquired.

Without waiting for the Guards to reply, he flicked his sleeves and turned to mount his horse. “You are not qualified,” he scoffed, spurred his horse, and rode off into the distance.

His retinue followed him in a rush. In the blink of an eye, the entire escort contingent that had marched down from Mobei was reduced to just a few of them and that single prisoner cart.

For a moment, the remaining men felt a sense of disorientation. Had they actually returned, or had they not even departed yet?

What in the world just happened? How is it that we reached home, and everyone vanished?

Did we go there to escort someone, or were we hired for a security detail? Bah!

If it were a security detail, at least we’d earn some money. But we didn't even collect fees; we ended up spending a fortune on carriage expenses!

This, what exactly is going on? Meanwhile, as Qi Yue and the others entered the city, Marquis Dingxi had already been traveling toward the capital for several days.

“I still can’t rest easy; I must follow,” Madam Xie declared, attempting to get down from the couch again. The wet nurses and maids hurried to console her.

“Madam, your health hasn't fully recovered. Let’s wait until you’ve rested more before we go,” Mother Song supported her, saying gently.

“With the Marquis going, the Young Lord will certainly be fine.” “It is precisely because he is going that I am worried,” Madam Xie said anxiously, raising her hand to wipe her tears with a handkerchief. The servants all bowed their heads, pretending not to hear.

Mother Song suppressed a smile, helped her sit properly, and then gently fed her tea, sip by sip. “The Marquis is a man, after all, and he holds a noble title.

Moreover, this entire affair was not originally the Young Lord’s concern,” she murmured. Mentioning this only made Madam Xie tremble with rage.

“That slut! That damned slut!

Why can’t she just be shaken off!” she cursed through trembling lips. “Why is Yuncheng so unlucky!

That bringer of bad luck! She won’t be satisfied unless she causes our ruin!

If I had known, I would have forced her to drink a bowl of poison even if it cost me my life…” Mother Song sighed, comforting her repeatedly. Just as Madam Xie calmed down slightly, a servant came to report.

“The Young Master has returned.” Madam Xie, whose emotions were still turbulent, was startled by the news. “Yuncheng is back?” she cried out, preparing to rush out.

Mother Song and the others rushed to support her. Chang Yunqi walked in from the door.

Seeing the commotion in the courtyard, he was somewhat surprised. He quickly bowed and called out, “Mother.” Madam Xie finally collected herself.

Young Master... Her Yuncheng had long since passed the stage of being addressed as ‘Young Master.’ “Why are you back?” She checked her movement, composed her expression, not hiding a degree of displeasure and disdain in her eyes.

“I heard about my elder brother’s situation, and I was worried about Mother, so I rushed back,” Chang Yunqi said quickly. Madam Xie let out a cold laugh.

“Your good intentions are perhaps too far-reaching. Your elder brother is in trouble, and you are not in the capital, yet you run back to curry favor with me, who is fine.

Truly clever of you,” she said. Worried?

What nonsense. You’re running away from trouble!

You useless, heartless wretches! Her words were extremely blunt; the wet nurses present lowered their heads.

Chang Yunqi’s expression remained unchanged, as if he hadn't heard the sarcasm. “I could not be of much help in the capital, and Father has already left.

I imagine Father and Elder Brother must be concerned about you while they are away. Rather than being useless here in the capital, it is better for me to return to guard Mother, so Father and Elder Brother can rest assured outside,” he said, looking down.

Madam Xie snorted, too weary to look at him further, and turned, leaning on her attendant, preparing to enter the room. Chang Yunqi stopped her.

“Mother, there is one more matter. Your son dares to ask for your instruction,” he said hesitantly, appearing somewhat troubled.

Madam Xie glanced at him coolly. “If you dare to ask, what instruction do you need from me?” she replied.

Mother Song sighed. Madam Xie’s temper would never change; she never gave anyone face, nor did she ever hide her likes or dislikes.

Chang Yunqi’s expression remained composed. “It’s like this: on my way back, I encountered a person claiming to be an old acquaintance of yours.

Hearing that Mother had been unwell recently, she wished to visit, so I took the liberty of bringing her along,” he explained. Madam Xie did not spare him a glance and turned to enter the house.

“Madam.” A soft, timid voice drifted from the doorway. Madam Xie froze, turned back to look, and gasped in astonishment.

A slender woman stood outside the door, accompanied by two maids, looking over with hesitation and unease. “Miss Rao?” Madam Xie looked at her with disbelief as she turned around.

Rao Yufang lowered her head, curtsied deeply. The scent of medicinal herbs wafted out of the room.

“Madam, it is time to apply the poultice,” Ah Luan walked in and said softly. Rao Yufang, who had been sitting on a chair, quickly rose.

“You sit. I need to go to the side room,” Madam Xie said, raising her hand, and stood up herself.

Rao Yufang respectfully watched Madam Xie move across the room. Madam Xie entered the adjacent room, where Mother Song quickly helped her lie down on the couch, retrieved medicine, and carefully applied the poultice to her neck.

“The medicine from Old Doctor An is truly effective; this scar is already fading,” Mother Song said with a smile. Madam Xie did not reply; clearly, her mind was elsewhere.

“Did you find out what you needed to know?” she asked. “She was indeed encountered at the post station.

Miss Rao lost her travel pass and was about to be driven out by the station staff when the Third Young Master ran into her,” Mother Song whispered. Madam Xie let out a breath, lay still for a moment, then was helped by her maid back to the main room.

Rao Yufang was already standing to greet her. She sat down on the edge of a chair only after Madam Xie was seated.

“From afar, if it weren't for the Third Young Master mentioning it, Yufang wouldn't have known…” she said quietly, extending her hand. A maid beside her presented a brocade box.

“It is hastily prepared; I hope Madam will not think ill of it,” Rao Yufang said. “Why did you bring things?” Madam Xie shook her head, signaling her maid to accept the box.

She looked at Rao Yufang. She was vastly different from the last time she visited; her clothing, jewelry, and complexion had all worsened.

The wrist exposed where her hands rested on her lap showed it—she remembered seeing three bracelets last time, but now they were all gone. ...She pawned her jewelry to buy wild ginseng...

Mother Song’s hushed words echoed in her ears. Was she truly that destitute?

A child without a mother is truly… “I heard you were engaged; why are you going to Quanzhou alone?” she asked, slowly taking a sip of tea. Rao Yufang’s expression turned mournful, as if concealing an unspeakable difficulty.

She opened her mouth but finally mumbled an indistinct reply, saying nothing. How could Madam Xie not notice?

She observed Rao Yufang with a hint of scrutiny. “What is wrong?” she inquired.

“I… I wanted to visit my maternal grandmother’s home,” Rao Yufang said with a forced smile. Madam Xie looked at her without speaking.

Rao Yufang looked back, and suddenly tears welled up in her eyes and streamed down her face. “Madam, I envy the Young Lord so much,” she choked out, covering her mouth and nose with a handkerchief, looking at Madam Xie.

“Why don’t I have an aunt like you?” Everyone, please do not intentionally wait up for extra chapters tonight; do not stay up late. The timing for added updates is uncertain.

RS