Although he longed to stay a little longer, Chang Yuncheng escorted Qi Yue back to the Chen family home.

"My aunt is worried, and you've been straining yourself for so long; you should rest," he said.

"Madam Chen is the Crown Prince’s aunt, perhaps the Crown Prince should stay here too?" Ah Hao suggested from the side.

A'Ru tugged at her arm from behind.

How could that be the same!

Ah Hao stuck out her tongue.

Chang Yuncheng paid no mind, shaking his head with a faint smile.

"It would be too inconvenient," he replied, then pointed out where he was staying to Qi Yue. "It’s the first house down the alley to the left past that street. A'Ru and the others all know where it is; you can find me anytime."

Qi Yue nodded. Although things had taken a positive turn, the final outcome still rested entirely with the Emperor. Nothing was settled yet; it wasn't time for them to breathe a sigh of relief and celebrate.

After this day passed, the news of Zhou Maochun being in prison spread throughout the capital.

"...They say he was framed?"

"...So pitiful..."

"...He’s so old, and I heard he was a very skilled Imperial Physician..."

Conversations like these gradually circulated. Although people didn't dare specify who had framed him, everyone understood the underlying meaning.

The atmosphere in the court became rather peculiar.

What did Zhou Maochun intend? Didn't he understand the Emperor's temper?

Had he truly become senile, intentionally seeking death?

The palace lanterns were lit, and the hall doors opened silently as someone entered from outside.

"Your Majesty, here are today's memorials," Li Tong said, bowing deeply.

The Emperor raised a hand.

Li Tong took the stack of memorials in his hands and placed them on the left side of the desk.

A thick stack of no fewer than twenty or thirty documents already rested there.

Li Tong lowered his head and retreated. Just as he reached the door, he heard the Emperor speak.

"...These are all impeachments against you..."

His ears twitched.

Of course, he knew the Emperor wasn't speaking to him. Catching a glimpse from the corner of his eye, he saw Zhou Maochun kneeling on the ground.

"Impeach away. It would be strange if they didn't impeach," Zhou Maochun drawled, running a hand through his messy hair, which was still dotted with straw.

The Emperor set down the document in his hand, shifted his posture, and rested his chin on his hand, looking at Zhou Maochun.

"Tell me, what exactly is your intention?" he asked. "Stop playing dumb or feigning madness with Us."

Zhou Maochun sighed.

"Is Your Majesty asking why I deliberately made a spectacle of the situation?" he inquired.

The Emperor watched him, tapping his knee lightly, saying nothing.

He had been accused, and from beginning to end, he offered no defense.

When evidence for a confrontation was presented, he still responded not with a defense but with petulant nonsense.

"Didn't you just want to make a scene, to provoke Us?" the Emperor said, a half-smile playing on his lips. "Don't you think I'm the kind of person who enjoys doing the opposite of what people expect?"

"I had no other meaning. My recklessness was actually intended to show Your Majesty how difficult it is to accomplish one thing," Zhou Maochun stated.

So many petty officials, so much doubt, so many kicking a man when he's down.

The Emperor frowned.

Zhou Maochun sighed again.

"Your Majesty, I am close to death," he declared.

The Emperor's expression paused momentarily.

This was the second person to say that to him in recent days.

What was happening?

"I wish to entrust someone to Your Majesty's care," Zhou Maochun continued, his expression wistful.

The Emperor's hand continued to tap his knee gently.

"A woman, truly worth causing such a ruckus for!" he scoffed. "Just for treating some wounded soldiers? Zhou Maochun, don't take Me for a fool."

Wounded soldiers were just wounded soldiers; even if these lives were saved, a large portion of them would ultimately be unable to return to the battlefield.

Though the visible results might appear stunning compared to previous efforts, for an Emperor overseeing the entire realm, a simple nod of approval was sufficient praise.

A healer values life, but those in power value authority and benefit more.

Saving wounded soldiers simply could not compare in importance to successfully besieging a fortress, capturing rebellious captives, and asserting military might.

Zhou Maochun clearly understood this and nodded in agreement.

"Yes, Your Majesty. Of course, it is not for that reason alone, but because she dared to do it," he said, his expression serious.

The Emperor smiled, leaning forward and picking up a teacup from the desk.

"What dare or not dare? She's just a troublemaker!" he said. "If her mind were sharp, how would she have created all this trouble today?"

As he spoke, he tapped the tabletop.

"Lady Qi Yue, wife of the heir of Marquis Dingxi, claimed to treat an illness but instead made a vow in a gamble; her life-saving efforts were met with false accusations, and she was nearly beaten to death by a mob; she stoked widespread resentment across the city while trying to prevent the plague..." he continued, his tone fading slightly.

Over these past two days, the Emperor had thoroughly investigated everything concerning Lady Qi Yue.

Some details Zhou Maochun was hearing for the first time.

"How did she gamble over a medical treatment?" the Emperor asked curiously.

"There was a patient, a doctor claimed the Thousand Gold Hall had ruined the patient's health and demanded they take responsibility. She insisted that the patient wouldn't die even if they hadn't been treated by them. For such a petty matter, couldn't she have just reasoned it out? But within a few exchanges, she was glaring and swearing oaths, declaring that whoever lost would kneel at the city gate. Is that something a woman should do?" The Emperor leaned in slightly as he spoke.

"Oh," Zhou Maochun replied, also looking quite curious. "And what about the near-death beating?"

"That, that's even more ridiculous. The story goes... cough..." The Emperor paused mid-sentence, coughing heavily, sitting upright, and his face darkened. "Zhou Maochun, I didn't call you here to gossip!"

Zhou Maochun straightened up somewhat sheepishly.

"If you won't say, I'll ask my daughter myself later," he mumbled.

The Emperor snorted.

"First, let's see if you have the life left to ask!" He slammed the teacup down onto the desk. "Speak! Zhou Maochun, since the time of the founding Emperor, no one has received as much favor and respect as you. Is there another person who has been so specially honored? And how have you repaid Me? Tell Me, how do you intend to repay Me?"

"This subject is willing to recommend Qi Yue of the Thousand Gold Hall to Your Majesty," Zhou Maochun stated without hesitation, kowtowing.

The Emperor was angered into laughter.

"So, you repay Me with this troublesome person?" he asked.

"Your Majesty, it is precisely because she dares to cause trouble that I recommend her to you," Zhou Maochun argued. "Your Majesty, you already know how many troubles Lady Qi Yue has caused, but if I may say, I do not see her as causing trouble. She is experimenting, bringing forth hope, breaking down the old to establish the new."

The Emperor looked at him without speaking.

"Your Majesty might say that those matters did not require such drastic action; a different method could have yielded good results. Your Majesty often says that physicians do not avoid risk, but that doesn't mean physicians are unaware of danger; it means they recognize danger clearly. However, the risks physicians face are often sudden and severe, allowing no time for prolonged deliberation," Zhou Maochun continued, kowtowing again. "Does Lady Qi not know the consequences of acting that way? It truly did not allow her the time for careful consideration and meticulous planning. To proceed knowing the consequences—that is not troublemaking; that is courage. If one word must describe her conduct, I would lean towards 'Vanguard' instead."

Having said this, he kowtowed heavily once more, bowing low to the ground.

"Your Majesty, this old subject does not look down upon the Imperial Physicians, nor do I belittle the doctors across the land. This old subject is simply uneasy. After I die, what if another noble person encounters a severe illness like that which afflicted the Empress Dowager? There would be no physician available." He stated in a deep voice.

The Emperor fell silent. He had been young during that incident, but he clearly remembered how all the Imperial Physicians were helpless, and ultimately, it was the little-known, young Zhou Maochun who stepped forward, employing an extremely perilous method to save his Imperial Grandmother's life.

When he grew older, he understood that it wasn't necessarily Zhou Maochun’s superior skill, but rather his immense audacity. Those Imperial Physicians knew how to treat it, but because the risk was too high, they all shrank back, unwilling to act.

In this world, doing more leads to more mistakes; doing nothing leads to no mistakes and safety.

"Your Majesty, only those who dare to cause trouble are those who do not fear trouble. Since she does not fear it, she will not be intimidated, nor will she push responsibility away or delay. As long as she accepts a task, she will certainly give it her all," Zhou Maochun raised his head and looked at the Emperor, his expression subdued. "With such a person by Your Majesty's side, I, can finally die in peace."

The Emperor snorted.

"Look how highly you praise yourselves! Can this Emperor not live without you?" he scolded.

"No, it is that we cannot live without Your Majesty," Zhou Maochun responded earnestly, looking at the Emperor. "We are the vanguards; Your Majesty is the commander holding the rear. Without Your Majesty backing us up, we are merely charging forward, not truly leading."

The Emperor snorted again.

"Get out," he commanded. "You cause trouble and expect Me to clean up your mess, yet you deliver such sanctimonious words!"

This matter was finally settled. Zhou Maochun acknowledged the command and turned to leave.

The Emperor called him back.

"You, when do you die?" he asked, his voice carrying a subtle tension he hadn't noticed himself.

Death might seem mysterious and unpredictable, but in reality, the great physicians of the Cheng Dynasty could often determine their own passing. Just like the former Director of Medicine, Meng Xianglin, who, while performing routine pulse checks for the Empress Dowager, had smiled and bowed farewell.

"Your Majesty the Empress Dowager, this subject will no longer be able to serve you," he had said with a smile and a bow.

At the time, the Empress Dowager and others thought he was feeling unwell or something similar, not expecting that Meng Xianglin would wash and prepare himself upon returning home that evening, summon his family and disciples to give final instructions, and then close his eyes at dawn.

Zhou Maochun turned back, a hint of wistfulness in his demeanor.

"Death—everyone must die, sooner or later, they must die. When the time comes to die, one dies..." He stroked his beard, speaking with an air of profound mystery.

The Emperor was stunned, then realization dawned, and he snatched the teacup from the desk, hurling it down.

"You old bastard, you dared to trick Me!" he roared.

This time, Zhou Maochun didn't linger. He scurried away with nimble, fluid movements—not at all like someone nearing death.

The eunuchs standing guard outside, along with Li Tong, were startled by the sound of shattering porcelain echoing from within.

It was over; the Emperor must be furious.

Just as they worried, Zhou Maochun bolted out the door and ran off without stopping, leaving everyone astonished. Then, they heard the Emperor's laughter drift out from inside.

"That old rascal!"

Hearing this curse, Li Tong couldn't help but exhale. Though his body remained steady, his hands hanging at his sides trembled uncontrollably.

Thank heaven, all was safe!