Qi Yue had initially worried that the Emperor might insist on visiting the post-operative Little Prince Sima, perhaps even lifting the covers to inspect the wound.

Given the critical care setting, others might be barred, but preventing the Emperor from entering would be highly inappropriate. However, the Emperor merely glanced in from the threshold of the partition door before turning away. Qi Yue even suspected he hadn't seen anything substantial.

What a good comrade, Qi Yue thought with relief, pleased she wouldn't have to waste breath explaining things.

"Your Majesty is indeed sagacious," she stated.

The Emperor turned to look at her.

"Your Majesty remained perfectly composed upon first witnessing the surgery, understanding it was for healing and thus avoiding undue alarm. Now, you don't rush to see the patient, prioritizing what is best for him by deferring entirely to the physicians," Qi Yue said, looking at him with genuine admiration. "Only someone as brilliant and divine as Your Majesty would grasp this without needing our explanation."

Truly shameless...

The Sima family members standing nearby were stunned into silence.

It was the first time they had witnessed such blatant flattery.

The Emperor clearly had no need to see the Little Prince Sima, yet in this woman's mouth, it was transmuted into an act of divine wisdom!

And the main purpose seemed to be to put them in their place!

Yes, they had been clamoring to enter, but wasn't that perfectly normal? Which patient is treated without family visitation allowed!

How did that become a failure of wisdom and divinity?

She truly dared! The Emperor was no fool!

This woman!

"If he cannot be cured, you will then truly see how sagacious and divine I am," the Emperor responded, gazing at the woman’s expression of adoration.

"With the sagacious and divine presence of Your Majesty, Little Prince Sima will surely recover completely," Qi Yue replied, bowing deeply in salute.

Was that something a physician should say?

The Sima family relatives gritted their teeth once more.

This sounded more like the pronouncements of a charlatan Taoist priest!

The Emperor said no more; his expression remained indifferent as he turned and walked out the door.

Everyone bowed low to see His Majesty off. No one noticed the Emperor’s face, which broke into a silent, vast laugh the moment his back was turned.

This woman was too infuriating!

The night passed without incident.

Qi Yue went to sleep in the morning when she handed over her shift, but perhaps due to the change of environment, she could not rest soundly.

"Sis, you lie over there."

Someone nudged her.

It was her younger brother. Qi Yue saw herself lying on the sofa at home; from the kitchen opposite, she could see her mother cooking.

This was a scene that usually only occurred on weekends at their house.

"Didn't you go pick up Nannan?" Qi Yue asked, sitting up and looking at her brother, who was already sitting on the sofa watching a ball game.

"Sis, did you sleep too long and turn foolish?" her brother replied without taking his eyes off the screen. "Didn't Sister and Brother-in-law take Nannan abroad? She won't be back until year-end."

Qi Yue murmured an "Oh," touching her head. The door opened.

"I'm back from walking the dog. Is Xiao Yue awake? You slept for quite a while; time to wake up, right?" Her father’s voice drifted in.

First to enter was a large dog, which bounded over, tail wagging furiously.

Qi Yue quickly raised a hand to block it, but the thick fur plastered itself across her face.

Before she choked, Qi Yue opened her eyes, gasping for air.

The room was bathed in a warm, rosy glow. Amidst the light and shadow, a man smiled, showing his white teeth.

"What's wrong, looking stunned? Did you sleep too long and become silly?" Chang Yuncheng chuckled, lowering the fan in his hand.

Qi Yue blinked, looking at him.

"You're the one who suddenly sprang up and bumped into this fan; it wasn't me scratching you with it," Chang Yuncheng quickly added.

Qi Yue scoffed, but without getting up, she reached out to pinch Chang Yuncheng’s cheek.

Chang Yuncheng laughed and dodged away.

"Don't try to fool me," Qi Yue said, breaking into a genuine smile. "Why are you here?"

"I had some business at the Ministry of War, so I came in with them," Chang Yuncheng explained, straightening his official robes.

He was wearing his official attire, though it was no longer the uniform of a Fifth-Rank General of Military Strategy from before. He had recently been demoted to a Sixth-Rank Defense Officer, and before he could even change into the new uniform, he was demoted again due to the matter involving Rao Yufang. His current registered position was merely overseeing a squad under the Zhangye Guard.

Since the new uniform hadn't been tailored yet, Chang Yuncheng was wearing the simplest attire of a military officer.

Thinking of this, Chang Yuncheng instinctively tried to conceal the lower part of his garments.

In truth, he worried unnecessarily; Qi Yue wouldn't discern so much from a mere look at his clothes.

"Oh," she drawled, "You didn't come specifically to see me?"

Chang Yuncheng feigned seriousness and nodded.

Qi Yue laughed and hugged his arm.

"Silly thing, your pretense isn't convincing at all," she chuckled.

Chang Yuncheng laughed, sweeping her into his embrace with one arm.

"I was worried sick about you! I had to sneak in by climbing through windows and doors, and look at you, sleeping so soundly. Ah Ru said you've been asleep for almost an entire day..." he said, pinching her cheek. "You even drooled all over your face..."

Qi Yue hastily raised her sleeve to wipe her mouth.

"What? Are you disgusted? Even a beauty drooling is still a beauty," she huffed playfully.

"Don't be so smug!" Chang Yuncheng laughed and playfully pushed her forehead.

He glanced outside as he said this.

"I'm relieved just seeing you. You should go back to sleep," he said.

Qi Yue clung to his arm.

"It's been over a day since we last met; it feels like three years," she said, blinking with a feigned look of pitiful longing.

Chang Yuncheng burst into laughter, lightly tapping her forehead again.

"Smooth talker!" he laughed. "Old master here isn't buying that cheap trick."

His mouth was practically stretched ear to ear! And he claimed not to be fooled!

Qi Yue smiled and pinched his cheek.

Seeing her expression, Chang Yuncheng couldn't help but chuckle happily. Without saying or doing anything more, just sitting together filled him with bubbling joy.

But...

Qi Yue's joyful expression suddenly stilled as she looked at him.

"Don't worry. The surgery was successful. You don't need to trouble yourself with the rest. These Imperial Physicians are highly skilled; with them here, I can practically disappear," she said, patting Chang Yuncheng’s arm. "I'll be leaving the palace tomorrow. You aren't leaving tomorrow, are you?"

Chang Yuncheng turned his head to look into the bright eyes before him, and once again forced a smile, nodding.

"It's fine, I'll find a way to see you," he promised. "Don't cause any trouble. Be more careful in your words and actions. This is the Imperial Palace; you need to control that temper of yours..."

"Who has a temper?" Qi Yue huffed, poking him lightly in the chest. "You're the one with the bad temper! My temper is the best."

Chang Yuncheng raised his hand again, but this time Qi Yue cleverly dodged backward, preventing him from tapping her forehead.

"Ha, ha," she laughed somewhat triumphantly.

Chang Yuncheng smiled, brought his hand down, and gave her backside a solid pat.

"Get up, I'm leaving," he said.

After seeing Chang Yuncheng off, Qi Yue briefly washed her face and headed to the temporary ward next door.

Using the Empress Dowager's own chambers as a sick ward, Little Prince Sima was certainly honored.

Qi Yue looked around the room.

Having changed her clothes, she found Ah Ru in the room taking notes, one Imperial Physician checking the pulse, and two others thoughtfully discussing adjustments to the medicinal formula.

All these staff members had undergone the required sterilization procedures and donned protective gowns and masks, following Ah Ru's instructions.

"Is he awake?" Qi Yue inquired.

"He woke up, but just fell asleep again," Ah Ru replied, handing her the patient's record book.

Qi Yue took it and flipped through.

"Stop the analgesic decoction from this moment on," she instructed. "When he wakes, assist him with some gentle movement in the ** bed, set him up in a semi-reclined position, and prepare him to get out of bed tomorrow."

Ah Ru responded affirmatively. One of the attending Imperial Physicians couldn't help but interject.

"This—moving so soon? Is that safe?" they asked, gesturing toward the drainage tubes inserted into Little Prince Sima's body.

"It's fine," Qi Yue said, bending down to examine the drainage collection basin.

A disciple then entered, carrying a syringe and a vial of medicine.

"Penicillin?" Qi Yue asked.

The disciple nodded.

"Is this the medicine you mentioned, Lady Qi, which had a life-reviving effect on wounded soldiers at the front lines?" one Imperial Physician asked.

Qi Yue nodded.

"You could say that," she smiled, then bowed again to the physicians. "However, the patient's recovery still relies on the expertise of you seniors."

Observing this honest, graceful, and generous woman, the Imperial Physicians felt a surge of complex emotion.

From written accounts and hearsay, Lady Qi was supposed to be arrogant, coarse, and rude. Yet, upon meeting her, they found her amiable, generous, and humble.

Which physician would openly allow others to observe their proprietary treatment techniques, while simultaneously striving not to implicate others?

On this point alone, they felt they fell short.

As night descended, the Emperor set aside his memorial, closing his eyes slightly.

"I won't look anymore," he said, flexing his hands.

"You haven't rested all day; your eyes can't take it. Your Majesty, shall we take a walk outside?" Cai Zhong suggested hastily.

The Emperor opened his eyes.

"Go where?" he asked.

Seeing the look on the Emperor's face, Cai Zhong became somewhat awkward.

"To—to check on Little Prince Sima. I heard he is awake." He steeled himself and spoke the words.

The Emperor said nothing, slowly stroking the cover of the memorial.

Cai Zhong felt a cold sweat break out on his back.

"It's good he's awake. I can finally sleep soundly," the Emperor said. "Lord Sima should be reaching the capital soon, shouldn't he?"

Cai Zhong breathed a slight sigh of relief and affirmed it, then dared not say more, leading the Emperor toward the sleeping chambers.

Layer upon layer of curtains fell shut.

Cai Zhong turned to leave.

"Don't be clever," a faint voice drifted from behind the curtains.

Cai Zhong swiftly knelt down.

"Having taken their money, you should have readily granted them entry to the palace," the Emperor's voice continued.

Cai Zhong bowed low to the ground, trembling as he assented.

Silence returned to the inner room, and only then did Cai Zhong slowly back away.

This time, he truly had no idea what the Emperor's true intentions were!

Not only was the Emperor's mind inscrutable, but so too was Chang Yuncheng's.

Cai Zhong’s men received orders and personally sought out Chang Yuncheng the next day.

Chang Yuncheng was not at home; he had gone to the Ministry of War early that morning. After finishing his handover duties, he found a teahouse to quickly drink some tea soup. He was somewhat surprised to see this eunuch seeking him out here.

"Is it Lady Qi? Is she..." he asked, an edge of concern in his voice.

"No, no, Lady Qi is perfectly fine," the eunuch said with a smile, waving his hands, his eagerness to please entirely unconcealed. "Young Master Chang, I have taken care of the matter you entrusted to me."

He spoke while pushing forward a token.

Chang Yuncheng was even more surprised. He had learned the day before that Qi Yue had entered the palace and hadn't emerged. When he tried to gather news, the Chen family ignored him. The less news, the more worried he became. He had used connections and money to try and enter the palace to see Lady Qi Yue, but all his usual channels were suddenly blocked. He supposed it was natural that people distanced themselves now that he had been stripped of his title. Finally, he managed to secure entry for a brief visit through an acquaintance at the Ministry of War.

Why was this person seeking him out today, offering a token?

Chang Yuncheng smiled and pushed the token back.

The eunuch froze.

"No need," Chang Yuncheng said. "I have already seen her and know she is well, so I am at ease."

"Then why not see her a few more times to put your mind further at ease? Lady Qi won't be leaving the palace anytime soon," the eunuch quickly pushed it forward again.

"No need. Seeing her once brought peace of mind. Visiting too often would actually be inconvenient for her," Chang Yuncheng said with a smile, pushing it back again.

The eunuch was on the verge of despair.

"Young Master Chang, you are leaving soon. Once you depart for Liaodong, who knows when you can return? Shouldn't you see her more? It would be best to settle the marriage before you go..." he pleaded.

Chang Yuncheng's expression paused slightly.

"The marriage, perhaps we should forget that," he said.

The eunuch was even more bewildered.

"Why?"

As he asked the question, the eunuch startled himself and quickly reached up to touch his mouth.

He knew he wasn't much of a man, but had his voice also turned female?

Chang Yuncheng also froze. He turned to look toward the doorway.

Qi Yue stood at the threshold, looking over with an expression of surprise.

"Why?" she asked again.

The eunuch finally saw her, let out a sigh of relief, patted his chest, "Good, good, good, I haven't turned into a woman yet..."

The list of contributors who gave rewards will be published at the end of the month; otherwise, it takes up too much space and affects the reading experience. RS