novelraw Chapter 121 : Lord Shen Had a Daughter, Have You Seen Her
Chapter 121 : Lord Shen Had a Daughter, Have You Seen Her
121: Lord Shen Had a Daughter, Have You Seen Her?
"I pay my respects to Your Highness the Heir Apparent."
Seeing Yan Chi come out, Qin Wan hurriedly performed a curtsy.
Sun Muqing froze, then quickly turned to look at Yan Chi with curiosity before clenching his fist and bowing. Qin Li dared not be careless, and with Sun Muqing and the two yamen runners, all paid their respects with proper reverence.
Yan Chi came out, glanced at Qin Wan first. "Rise."
His gaze shifted, sweeping over Sun Muqing, then to the two yamen runners behind him. "What is this about?"
A yamen runner quickly said, "Reporting to Your Highness, this is the great physician summoned for Lord Qin."
At these words, Qin Li breathed a sigh of relief. Huo Huaixin surely hoped Qin An would not die so quickly.
Yan Chi raised an eyebrow. "A great physician from where?"
The two yamen runners looked troubled. Sun Muqing quickly clasped his hands. "Reporting to Your Highness the Heir Apparent, I am Sun Muqing, of the Sun family of Lianzhou. I am traveling this land as an itinerant. Today, I was seeing patients at the Renxin Medical Clinic in the south of the city. When these two runners came just now, the other two physicians at the clinic had patients of their own, so I volunteered to come."
As Sun Muqing spoke, he secretly glanced at Yan Chi. This single glance met the deep, profound color of Yan Chi’s eyes. Struck by Yan Chi’s expression, Sun Muqing immediately lowered his head, thinking to himself, This Heir Apparent… I do not know which Heir Apparent this is. In Jinzhou, there seems to be only one noble household, the Anyang Marquis’s residence. Could it be the Heir Apparent of the Anyang Marquis?
A flicker of movement stirred in Sun Muqing’s heart. He wanted to ask Yan Chi, but felt his gaze and bearing were too intimidating. He pressed his lips together, ultimately not asking.
"Lianzhou? Surname Sun? What is your connection to the Medicine King Valley?"
Yan Chi’s voice was slightly cold, his pressure immense. Sun Muqing’s expression changed slightly, and a faint ripple passed through Qin Wan’s eyes.
The Medicine King Valley’s Sun family was located in Lianzhou, east of the Great Zhou. This was known to quite a few people in the world. That he could react so quickly, Yan Chi was the first.
A smile touched Sun Muqing’s lips. "Your Highness has a discerning eye. I am the nineteenth-generation disciple of the Medicine King Valley."
At these words, Qin Li let out a soft hiss.
The Sun family of the Medicine King Valley was the pinnacle of the Great Zhou’s medical families. Although their medical skills were supreme, they were not constrained by the balance of power. Even if the current Emperor required their aid, he had to invite them three and four times before getting a member of the Sun family to attend. Furthermore, the Medicine King Valley opened its gates to accept disciples once every five years, each time only taking thirty-six disciples with surnames other than Sun. Every disciple who entered had to pass a test, and the majority of these thirty-six disciples could only study within the valley for one year; only a very small number, seen as disciples of the inner circle, would be formally accepted into the Medicine King Valley to continue their cultivation. The current Medicine King, Sun Xi, was said to be extremely strict in accepting disciples. In the past twenty years, the number of disciples he ultimately kept was fewer than ten.
Qin Li looked at Sun Muqing, his eyes clear and bright. The rules of the Medicine King Valley were strict and harsh. Practitioners who traveled the world to save lives rarely used the banner of the Medicine King Valley. As for a disciple from the Medicine King Valley, either they entered the palace as an Imperial Physician or became a renowned, sought-after doctor. Jinzhou, however, had never heard of a physician from the Medicine King Valley coming here.
Since he was from the Medicine King Valley, could this person cure Qin An’s syphilis?
The instinct to survive was paramount. Standing in front, Qin Wan did not know what Qin Li was thinking. Even if she did, she would not find it strange.
"So it is a direct disciple of the Medicine King Valley."
Yan Chi clearly knew much more than a bystander. Hearing him say this, Sun Muqing clasped his hands and bowed again. He was still in his white robes, pure and untainted as snow. "Your Highness is perceptive."
Yan Chi sized up Sun Muqing once more, then looked at the two yamen runners. "Take him inside."
The two yamen runners nodded, and one quickly raised a hand in invitation. "Physician Sun, please!"
Sun Muqing nodded, then turned to Qin Wan. "Ninth Miss, I will go in and see you shortly."
Sun Muqing gave Qin Wan a very deliberate look before following the two yamen runners inside. Yan Chi glanced at Qin Li, then said to another yamen runner, "Take the Second Young Master inside as well."
Although Sun Muqing was present, this was most likely a chance to see Qin Wan one last time. Hearing Yan Chi’s order, Qin Li glanced at Qin Wan. Seeing that Yan Chi had not issued a command against it, he followed the yamen runners inside.
Once the group left, only Qin Wan and Fuling remained. Yan Chi looked at Qin Wan. "You know that man from before?"
Qin Wan shook her head. "I do not know him. I just happened to run into him when I went out of the residence to buy medicine two days ago. He saw the prescription I was using was for syphilis and even helped offer a pointer or two. At the time, I didn’t know he was from the Medicine King Valley."
The deep color in Yan Chi’s eyes finally eased a fraction. He glanced into the prison. "Do you want to go in and see?"
Qin Wan hesitated for a moment. "Since I am already here, I might as well go and see."
To say nothing else, Sun Muqing was inside. Although her identity was different now, a meeting could only be treated as one of strangers. But thinking of the past, Qin Wan ultimately could not treat it as a mere chance encounter. Why would a fine, upright man like Sun Muqing come to Jinzhou?
Since Qin Wan said so, Yan Chi turned to the side with a gesture, as if to have her walk alongside him.
Qin Wan stepped forward, and Yan Chi walked with her toward the entrance to the prison cells. This was not the first time Qin Wan had come, so she naturally recognized the way. Yet Yan Chi still accompanied her all the way inside. Although she felt no obvious sensation, her brows and eyes seemed to relax by two degrees.
As they walked, Yan Chi said, "The men sent to Huzhou have returned. The case files from the Huzhou prefectural yamen have also been sent back. Ten years ago, several counties in the northwest of Huzhou had a continuous string of over ten missing children, all between the ages of eight and twelve. It caused quite a stir at the time, but the investigation came to nothing and became a cold case."
Qin Wan frowned slightly. Cases of missing children happened everywhere. Such cases were usually the work of child traffickers. And because the traffickers moved around from place to place, investigations were quite difficult. Half of such cases remained unsolved.
Qin Wan understood this well. "Were the families of the children contacted?"
Yan Chi shook his head. "Only one or two households were contacted. The others either moved away or there was no one left in the family. Some of the case files are incomplete, making it difficult to find an effective address for now. Prefect Huo plans to review the files. If any bones can be identified, he will have them sent to Huzhou. If not, they can only be left as is."
Qin Wan nodded. Yan Chi continued, "The men from Yang County have also returned. Caihe’s matter has been largely clarified."
Qin Wan’s steps faltered. She turned to look at Yan Chi, who then said, "They found a household with only a widowed woman. The woman’s husband and son both died of an epidemic illness more than ten years ago. This woman is a maternal cousin of the Second Concubine. Ten years ago, after the fire in Caihe’s home, it was Caihe who fled alone to her to request shelter."
"According to her, Caihe said at the time that she had gone out to deliver silk. But when she returned, she saw her house was on fire. The flames were already too fierce to fight. Just as she was in despair, she saw several people with sinister expressions. Caihe, though still young, had helped support her family and thus had some determination and experience. She followed them. Listening to them speak, Caihe learned that her missing mother and younger sister had been trafficked. And it was a prominent household in Jinzhou that set the fire."
"Caihe begged the woman to take her in, but she left six years ago. Before leaving, she bought the woman a servant girl, and after that, she sent silver to the woman every year to ensure her livelihood. The woman had not seen Caihe for many years and did not know she had come to take revenge."
As Yan Chi finished speaking in his deep voice, Qin Wan’s heart sank slightly. A young girl who had witnessed the viciousness of evil-doers had only two words left for her life thereafter: revenge. She was the only one left in her family, and her enemy was of high status and power, far beyond her reach. Besides meticulous plotting, she had no other choice.
Thinking of Caihe’s years of patient, hidden scheming, Qin Wan felt a sense of awe. And thinking of Caihe, she could not help but think of herself. Her entire family had lost their lives to the hands of an evil man. How was she to step by step seek justice and revenge?
Qin Wan’s lips were pressed tightly. Although she had followed her father on his official transfers and knew that the law was greater than human sentiment, and later cultivated the way of medicine to attain a benevolent heart, this did not mean she would let go of her hatred. She knew deeply that much of the world’s evil was hidden in places beyond the reach of the law. To deal with such evil, her own hands might also become stained with blood. Caihe was the best example. Compared to Caihe, Qin Wan at least had the identity of the Qin family’s Ninth Young Miss. But Qin Wan also knew clearly that this was not enough. Caihe’s target was only the Qin residence, yet she had to use such extreme measures, even sacrificing herself. But the target she had to face was the black hand hidden behind the glorious splendor of the imperial capital.
To deal with that black hand, merely having the heart of a moth flying into the fire was not enough. She had to remain calm and composed. She had to scheme carefully. Most importantly, she had to hold power in her own hands. And even if she could not hold power, she had to become someone who could drive and utilize those who did.
In an instant, Qin Wan thought of all this. Combined with entering the dark, damp prison corridor, she suddenly felt a breath caught in her chest, unable to be drawn out. Her thoughts became muddled and heavy, but her hand was suddenly grasped.
"Be careful!"
The warmth on her hand was Yan Chi, who had grabbed her hand. Qin Wan snapped back to her senses. Looking down, she saw a puddle of water had appeared before her feet for some reason, whether from a careless yamen runner or a crack in the prison floor.
Qin Wan let out a breath and stepped around the puddle.
Seeing this, Yan Chi finally released her hand. "What were you thinking of?"
Qin Wan had already pulled herself from that heavy emotion. She did not speak for a moment, only feeling the lingering warmth of Yan Chi’s palm on the back of her hand. She subconsciously withdrew her hand into her sleeve before saying, "I was thinking that if Caihe had not gone through all that, with her intelligent nature, she surely would have had a splendid life."
Yan Chi’s gaze darkened slightly. "All of the Qin family’s servants have been released. That Huan’er… Prefect Huo also intended to sentence her lightly. In this, he showed a merciful heart. Qin An, these past few days, has been saying some things intermittently, but not completely. So seeing he was in some danger today, I broke protocol and summoned a physician from outside. Once his affairs are settled, this case will be clear. As for Caihe’s bones, I plan to have them buried with the Second Concubine and her young daughter’s."
A trace of warmth entered Qin Wan’s heart. She turned to look at Yan Chi. "Your Highness the Heir Apparent also has a tender heart."
Yan Chi looked at Qin Wan’s clear, bright eyes and curved his lips. "I also find it strange. If it were before, I would not care so much about these trivial side details."
Qin Wan blinked. She turned and said, "Since Your Highness needed a physician, why not just ask for me directly?"
At this, Yan Chi let out a soft hum. "There is no need for you to treat him. Besides, it is in such a place."
A hint of sweetness rippled through Qin Wan’s heart at his words, like a crystal snowflake melting warmly, a refreshingly sweet and pleasant sensation. Before she could speak, the voices of Huo Huaixin and Sun Muqing came from ahead.
They had both unconsciously slowed their steps, but this path was clearly too short.
"They couldn’t save him? They really couldn’t save him?"
Huo Huaixin sounded a little anxious. On the other side, Sun Muqing still had his clear, courteous tone. "That is correct. If I use medicine, I can extend his life by three days at most. After three days, he will likely be unable to speak. You can prepare for his final arrangements."
Huo Huaixin nodded at his words. "Very well, then three days. Write the prescription."
The moment the words fell, Sun Muqing looked toward Huo Huaixin, then said with unconcealed delight, "Miss Qin is also here?"
Huo Huaixin quickly turned. Upon seeing Qin Wan and Yan Chi arrive together, "Ninth Miss is here! Eh, didn’t Your Highness the Heir Apparent say you were leaving the city."
Huo Huaixin understood the situation halfway through his sentence. Yan Chi must have had other plans, but now that Qin Wan was here, all of Yan Chi’s plans were void. Huo Huaixin gave a light cough, his words shifting deftly. "That… Your Highness, this gentleman, Mister Sun, says he can extend Lord Qin’s life by three days, but after that, nothing more can be asked."
Yan Chi nodded. "Then use these last three days for the interrogation."
Huo Huaixin nodded, then suddenly remembered something. "Oh, how does Mister Sun know Miss Qin?"
Sun Muqing’s smile did not diminish, his voice full of genuine warmth. "It was a chance encounter. That day, I happened to run into Miss Qin at a pharmacy. At first sight, I was struck by her as a celestial being, but I did not know which family’s young miss she was. Later, I only saw Miss Qin at the Qin residence’s funeral rites and realized she was a member of the Qin family."
Sun Muqing did not hide his admiration for Qin Wan in the slightest. Qin Li’s lips twitched. Huo Huaixin glanced at Yan Chi, whose smile was gradually fading, and gave another light cough. "So that is how it was, so that is how it is. Trouble you for writing the prescription, Mister Sun."
There was an inkstone and paper to the side. Sun Muqing smiled in acknowledgment and turned to walk to the side to write the prescription.
Qin Wan was long used to Sun Muqing’s style of speaking and did not mind. Her gaze swept into the prison cell. She saw Qin An lying on his last breath on a wooden bed inside. The cell was crude, but at least there was a bed. After several days of not seeing him, Qin An looked even less human. Even from this distance, Qin Wan could see the chancre sores that had grown on his face.
"I’m finished… this is the prescription."
Sun Muqing finished writing the prescription quickly and handed it to Huo Huaixin, who immediately took it. The moment the prescription left his hand, Sun Muqing looked at Qin Wan. His eyes were both bright, and though he said nothing, the fondness in their depths was fully revealed.
Yan Chi’s phoenix eyes narrowed slightly, his gaze falling on Sun Muqing.
Sun Muqing’s speech, though sometimes direct, was not foolish. Very quickly, he felt a cold, blade-like qi scrape across his face. He turned to look at Yan Chi, only to see an unreadable indifference in Yan Chi’s eyes. But it was this very indifference that seemed to form a layer of ice around him. Sun Muqing took a step back, shrunk his neck, straightened his spine, but a flicker of doubt remained in his eyes. Why did this Heir Apparent of the Anyang Marquis’s residence look so unhappy?
As he thought this, Sun Muqing boldly looked at Yan Chi again. "I dare to ask Your Highness the Heir Apparent, does Your Highness know who the Little Medical Immortal is, who cured the Old Madam of your residence?"
At this question, the expressions of those around them all changed…
Huo Huaixin wanted to speak but stopped. Qin Li looked at Qin Wan, then at Sun Muqing, a bit lost. Yan Chi, however, maintained his expression, unmoving. But it was precisely because of this that the tone of his voice, when he finally spoke, was frighteningly cold.
"What is it to you, Mister Sun, to ask this?"
Sun Muqing’s lips curved. "It is like this. This year, no one was kept behind at the Medicine King Valley. My master said that the disciples who entered the mountain in recent years have shown increasingly poor aptitude. He said there must be many people of exceptional natural talent in the common folk who have not gone to the Medicine King Valley to study medicine. Therefore, my master plans to pause the once-every-five-year selection and only have the Medicine King Valley disciples traveling in various places secretly keep an eye out."
As he spoke, Sun Muqing’s smile was radiant. "I consider myself an itinerant physician who happened to be passing through. The moment I entered the city, I heard that a Little Medical Immortal had appeared in Jinzhou. It is even said that she was acclaimed by a once-renowned great physician of Jinzhou. So I, in my heart, wished to make her acquaintance. That day, I heard someone say that the Little Medical Immortal had cured the Old Madam of the Marquis’s residence, so I thought, Your Highness must certainly know this Little Medical Immortal."
Sun Muqing finished with a beaming smile. Huo Huaixin frowned, and Qin Li also frowned. The way they looked at him was as if they were looking at a great fool. Qin Wan’s brows were slightly furrowed, with an air of some helplessness.
Yan Chi looked at Sun Muqing. "This Little Medical Immortal is indeed of exceptional medical skill. But Mister Sun wishes to make her acquaintance, yet she does not wish to make yours. Mister Sun, it is a good thing to be an itinerant physician. You should focus on that."
Huo Huaixin’s and Qin Li’s expressions turned solemn. With Yan Chi’s meaning made clear, they dared not let a single word of gossip escape.
Hearing this, a hint of disappointment colored Sun Muqing’s face. He gave a regretful "Oh," and said, "So that is how it is… Then… very well, it was I who was presumptuous. It is only that I heard this Little Medical Immortal is so young and of such profound medical skill, that is why my interest was piqued. That… then I shall let fate decide. Many thanks to Your Highness…"
Yan Chi had clearly rejected him, but Sun Muqing acted as if he had not noticed. He still clasped his hands in a respectful bow. Yan Chi frowned at him for an instant, then turned his gaze to Qin Wan, only to see her looking at Sun Muqing with deep, complex eyes, though she did not speak to expose him.
Huo Huaixin gave a dry cough. "Alright, now that the prescription is written, let us go out. This is not a place for conversation."
Huo Huaixin was the prefect. When he said this, Sun Muqing immediately nodded repeatedly and walked toward the outside. Qin Li followed. Qin Wan and Yan Chi also turned and walked out together. The group walked out of the prison door in a cold silence. Only Sun Muqing repeatedly glanced back at Qin Wan. Once outside, Huo Huaixin smiled at Sun Muqing again. "Trouble you, Mister Sun. You can go to the front office to collect your consultation fee."
Sun Muqing, hearing this, quickly waved his hand. "There is no need, there is no need. I have only offered my services for free on this journey. There is no need for a consultation fee."
Huo Huaixin gave a hearty "haha" and did not insist. "Mister Sun is truly benevolent. Then… this yamen will have a runner escort you out…"
Sun Muqing’s first reaction was to look at Qin Wan, but he felt this was not the right occasion to say more, so he could only give a very proper bow to Qin Wan, Yan Chi, and the others. "Very well, then I shall take my leave."
Huo Huaixin nodded with a smile. Sun Muqing then followed the yamen runners and walked outside. As he left, he glanced back at Qin Wan. Although his clothes and accessories were of fine quality and his features were handsome and his every movement carried the grace of someone well-bred from a great house, his demeanor, temperament, and manner of speech held much that was innocent and pure. To put it simply… a little foolish.
"Heh heh, this Mister Sun is quite interesting, and he’s from the Medicine King Valley at that…"
Huo Huaixin’s eyes rolled. Seeing that there was no change in Yan Chi’s expression, he finally let out a sigh of relief. "Does Your Highness the Heir Apparent still need to leave the city?"
Yan Chi shook his head and looked at Qin Wan. "You haven’t been to the Marquis’s residence for many days, have you?"
Qin Wan gave a slightly embarrassed smile. "It has indeed been a few days. I was just telling Fuling this morning that I didn’t know how the Grand Princess’s health is. Now that things in the Qin residence are temporarily quiet, I plan to go tomorrow."
"Why wait for tomorrow? Go today." Yan Chi’s words were decisive. He turned to Qin Li. "Second Young Master, you may return to the residence first."
Qin Li had already sensed that something was amiss. How would he dare to be confrontational with Yan Chi now? Without any hesitation, he clasped his hands to take his leave. The speed of his departure was so fast that he didn’t even glance at Qin Wan, as if she had not come with him at all.
Huo Huaixin, seeing this, continued to smile. "Then… perhaps Your Highness the Heir Apparent should escort Ninth Miss over…"
Yan Chi gave a perfectly proper "Mmm," and turned to walk outside. Qin Wan felt this change in situation was a bit sudden. She glanced at Yan Chi’s back, feeling she could not quite grasp it.
"Ninth Miss, hurry and catch up."
Huo Huaixin reminded her from the side. Qin Wan turned her head, only to meet Huo Huaixin’s eyes full of a smile she found rather strange. But since Yan Chi had already left, she could only follow.
Huo Huaixin stood where he was for a moment, only letting out a sigh and walking away after the backs of Yan Chi and Qin Wan were completely out of sight. He handed the prescription to a yamen runner, raised a hand to rub his own sore neck, and exited through the side gate of the prefectural yamen, heading toward the rear residence that was connected to it. He had a look of deep lament on his face. He had not taken more than a few steps when he saw Huo Ning pacing at the courtyard gate.
This courtyard gate was not far from the side gate that connected to the prefectural yamen. Huo Huaixin went up to him at once. "Ning’er, what are you doing here!"
Huo Ning’s face was full of hesitation. Hearing this, he glanced toward the prefectural yamen. "Father, is she gone?"
At these words, Huo Huaixin knew that Huo Ning knew Qin Wan had come. He gave an irritated hum. "She’s gone!"
As he spoke, his eyes shifted, and he indeed saw Fei Quan and Nan Feng not far away, waiting with their heads bowed and eyes downcast.
Huo Huaixin then looked at Huo Ning. "Weren’t you supposed to be reading books in your room? What are you doing out here now?"
Huo Ning scratched his head and gave a light cough. "The Qin residence has had such a great misfortune. Shouldn’t I go and have a look? Last time, the child went to the Qin residence to get a book from the Eldest Young Master and hasn’t returned it yet. Although the person is gone, the book still needs to be returned."
Huo Huaixin’s eyes flew wide at his words. "What Eldest Young Master or not Eldest Young Master! The Qin residence’s Eldest Young Master was not a good man! You were showing such a familiar air around him before, and even had a servant return his book is fine. You are forbidden from appearing at the Qin residence!"
As he spoke, Huo Huaixin strode deeper into the rear residence. Huo Ning couldn’t bear it and stole a glance toward the gate of the prefectural yamen before following Huo Huaixin. "Father, why is this? You used to want me to go to the Qin residence more often, to move about and speak with Ninth Miss more. I was the one who scoffed at that then. But now? Now I want to get closer to people, and you won’t let me? Father, you used to want me to…"
Before he could even bring this up, Huo Huaixin’s anger flared from nowhere!
He stopped abruptly, hands on his hips, and began to lecture Huo Ning. "What? You’re regretting it now? I told you to go to the Qin residence more often, to speak more with Ninth Miss, but you acted like you couldn’t be bothered. And now? Now you want to go curry favor with them? My boy, many things only have one chance. If you miss it, you can forget about trying to win it back."
Huo Ning’s face turned red. "Father… I was just… I just felt our family and the Qin residence had some friendship, and after such a thing happened, other families would surely not dare to go to their door again, but we couldn’t. Father…"
Huo Huaixin stared at Huo Ning, his eyes narrowed with deep suspicion. "Are you trying to hide it from me? Don’t I know what’s on your mind?! People used to say Ninth Miss admired you, but you looked down on her. And now you regret it! But there’s no such thing as regret medicine in this world!" As he said this, Huo Huaixin looked at Huo Ning with extreme suspicion. "And, I truly suspect, perhaps you were the one who misunderstood before. How could Ninth Miss have ever liked you?"
After saying this, Huo Huaixin flung his sleeve and strode inside, his hands behind his back. Huo Ning, seen through by his father, felt his face burn with shame, but at these words, he was suddenly filled with rage and quickly followed. "Father, what is the meaning of your words! What you said… is this how you look down on your own son? Before… before the way she looked at me was clearly…!"
Huo Huaixin gave a cold hum. "The way she looked at you? I have truly raised you to be too arrogant and presumptuous! Ninth Miss is standing right there. You are a man, yet your presence is weaker than hers, and you tell me her heart was once set on you?!"
Huo Ning stamped his foot in frustration. "Father, I don’t believe it! You can ask Fei Quan and Nan Feng…"
Huo Ning turned to look at Fei Quan and Nan Feng. Fei Quan and Nan Feng exchanged a glance, then uniformly lowered their heads. Huo Ning looked at the two of them with iron resolve, his face full of vexation. He turned back around. "Father, how can you not believe? This… even the other two young misses of the Qin residence know about it. Father… if you don’t believe me, then I will go to the Qin residence right now. She fell into the lake once, and her temperament changed, but I don’t believe she changed completely…"
Huo Huaixin’s footsteps suddenly halted. He raised his hand as if to strike Huo Ning, but Huo Ning quickly raised his hands to shield his face. However, Huo Huaixin’s hand did not come down. Huo Ning, peeking over his arm, saw that Huo Huaixin was trembling with anger, but he was pointing at him. "You calm yourself down! From this moment on, you are forbidden from going to pester Ninth Miss! You are also forbidden from going to the Qin residence! In short, you are forbidden from going anywhere Ninth Miss is! And you are not to let anyone know you are thinking of her!"
Huo Ning’s face was flushed. But the words having been spoken to this point, he did not mind being seen through by his father. He said stubbornly, "Father, since when are we talking about this?! Why can’t I go? Father, you weren’t like this before…"
Huo Huaixin lifted his foot to kick at Huo Ning. "Before! How dare you mention before! If you had fought a little harder! Where would we be now! In short, you are forbidden! You are not to think about your own future, and I, as your father, am still thinking about my official position!"
After saying this, Huo Huaixin gave a cold hum, flung his sleeve, and strode away in large strides.
Huo Ning stood where he was, a bit dazed. What did this have to do with an official post? As he thought for a moment, Huo Ning turned to look at Fei Quan and Nan Feng not far away! "You two, come here!"
Fei Quan and Nan Feng looked at each other, then shuffled over to Huo Ning’s side with their heads still bowed. Huo Ning looked at them and gave a cold laugh. Then he was about to give them both a kick when Fei Quan and Nan Feng cried out involuntarily. Huo Ning’s laugh soured, and he asked without thinking, "Tell me, what did Father mean by what he said just now!"
Fei Quan suppressed his cry, straightened his expression, and gave a light cough. "Ninth Miss is not like she was before and has gained the great favor of the Marquis’s residence and the Grand Princess. This humble servant guesses that the master’s meaning is, if you, Young Master, offend Ninth Miss too much, it might incur the Grand Princess’s displeasure, which would in turn affect the master’s career."
Nan Feng quickly nodded. "That is exactly it. This humble servant also feels it is so."
Huo Ning frowned, but now his mind was clear. "But when she first gained the Marquis’s favor, Father seemed to be very much in approval of it. He even had Mother go to the Qin residence for a visit."
Fei Quan, hearing this, looked troubled. Nan Feng thought for a moment. "At that time, the Grand Princess did not have so many considerations. But now… could it be that the Grand Princess wishes to betroth Ninth Miss to someone else?"
At this, Huo Ning’s eyes lit up. Yes! The Marquis’s residence already had a Heir Apparent and Yue Qing. Besides the Heir Apparent and Yue Qing, another had now appeared, the Rui Prince’s Heir Apparent. Among these three people, the Grand Princess could choose any of them!
Thinking this, Huo Ning shook his head. "It can’t be the Rui Prince’s Heir Apparent. It must be Yue Qing or Yue Jia… Yue Jia’s marriage was just recently ruined. It must be Yue Qing… Yue Qing… hum…"
As Huo Ning thought this, his eyes narrowed slightly. Yue Qing was not a match for him; he was afraid he was also partial to her…
With this thought, Huo Ning’s expression changed. How could this do? She used to like him! He absolutely could not let Yue Qing have his way!
…
…
…
"Achoo!"
The moment she got into the carriage, Qin Wan couldn’t help but let out a big sneeze.
Yan Chi frowned. "What is it? Are you catching a chill?"
Qin Wan shook her head, also a bit puzzled. "No, I don’t know wh…"
Before the word "why" was out, Yan Chi’s hand was on her forehead. Qin Wan froze, her body stopping instantly. She stared fixedly at Yan Chi, but Yan Chi was perfectly serious as he felt her forehead, then his own.
After a moment, Yan Chi came to a conclusion. "You don’t seem to have a fever."
He withdrew his hand. Qin Wan said helplessly, "I am a physician myself. There is no need for Your Highness to worry."
"Physicians do not treat themselves. With the many disturbances in the Qin residence these past days, perhaps you have been neglectful."
As he said this, Yan Chi’s words shifted. "That Mister Sun Muqing from before, though from the Medicine King Valley, could not be verified. You should be more wary of him."
Qin Wan’s eyes opened slightly as she looked at Yan Chi. "How do you know I do not wish to befriend him?"
Yan Chi raised an eyebrow. "You have only met him once, yet he seems to hold you in high regard. And he claims to be from the Medicine King Valley, which is a presumptuous move. What if he has ulterior motives?"
Hearing this, Qin Wan thought for a moment. "What Your Highness says makes some sense. There are indeed a few too many coincidences."
Yan Chi sat up perfectly straight. "Indeed."
Qin Wan stared at Yan Chi for a moment, and a strange idea suddenly arose in her heart. She turned her gaze to sweep across the carriage. "This carriage is rather cramped. Is Your Highness still accustomed to it?"
This was a prefectural yamen carriage, not as grand as those from the Qin residence or the Marquis’s residence. And Yan Chi usually traveled by horse. Yet just now, he had chosen to get into this narrow, stifling cabin. Qin Wan looked at his long legs, unable to stretch out, and his brow suddenly furrowed slightly.
A man of the world would never treat a woman well without reason.
Qin Chen’s words floated to the surface of Qin Wan’s mind once more. A trace of warmth seemed to linger on her forehead, and a faint warmth also remained on the back of her hand. If Yan Chi, a man who had spent years on the battlefield amidst the smoke and dust of military campaigns, could possess such delicate thoughts, where did they come from?
Qin Wan’s gaze shifted. "The book on the list I gave to Your Highness, have you finished reading it?"
With this question, Yan Chi’s expression turned slightly solemn. "Lord Shen’s The Court of Judicial Review's Corrected Records for the Washing of Wrongs has been finished. Of the other writings, aside from two that are difficult to find, all have been read."
A faint light appeared in Qin Wan’s eyes. "Your Highness actually read Lord Shen’s writings first?"
At this point, Yan Chi did not hide it. "Seeing that Ninth Miss so highly reveres Lord Shen’s writings, I was moved to read them out of respect."
"And what did Your Highness think after reading them?"
Qin Wan fixed her gaze on Yan Chi. Yan Chi’s eyes were deep and profound. "Previously, while on military campaign, I did not know how the prisons of the court functioned. In comparison, I always felt that civil officials were not as good as military generals. After reading Lord Shen’s writings this time, I finally understood that to be a capable official is also a blessing for the common people." After a slight pause, Yan Chi’s voice became genuinely heavy. "It is a great pity. If not for that earlier case of doubt, Lord Shen would surely have left his name in the annals of history. Now that the matters of the capital are settled, whatever truly happened in that case is difficult to know the truth of."
These words struck Qin Wan to the heart. And she sensitively caught the meaning within Yan Chi’s words. "Difficult to know the truth… Your Highness came from the capital. You must know that matter is already known in every street and alley. Does Your Highness have your suspicions?"
"Are you saying, regarding Lord Shen taking the blame for Prince Jin’s private escape from punishment?"
Qin Wan nodded. Yan Chi’s brow showed a sliver of doubt. "In these days, besides reading Lord Shen’s writings, I have also learned of many of Lord Shen’s personal affairs. Regardless of Lord Shen’s character, so upright and righteous, and saying that Lord Shen had no prior connection with Prince Jin, why would he risk his life to help him escape punishment?"
Qin Wan’s spirits were instantly roused. "Then what does Your Highness think?"
Yan Chi looked at Qin Wan for an instant, his voice suddenly sinking by two degrees. "This case is already closed by imperial decree. It should not be discussed in this manner. However… since it is with you, I suppose there is no harm."
Hearing this, a warmth entered Qin Wan’s heart. Yan Chi continued, "There are two possibilities in this case. The first is that Lord Shen was indeed helping Prince Jin, but not to help him escape punishment. Rather, he knew that Prince Jin was innocent."
Qin Wan’s pupils contracted slightly. Yan Chi continued, "The second possibility is that Prince Jin was not innocent, and Lord Shen did not help him escape punishment. Someone else helped Prince Jin escape, and Lord Shen was framed."
A surge of emotion rose and fell in Qin Wan’s heart. "So, this matter is connected to Consort Jin’s case…"
"It is greatly connected," Yan Chi added four words. His bright eyes were fixed on Qin Wan. Seeing a faint light also appear in her eyes, showing her clear agreement with his words, Yan Chi suddenly said, "Lord Shen had a daughter. Have you ever seen her?"