Gu Xingzhi was born with an illness. Although he was barely saved by Mr. Yu, he was always sickly until recent years when he improved. However, with this incident, as the county magistrate, he must have been overworked and looked much thinner.

If it weren't for this illness, he probably wouldn't have been confined to his home for so many years, becoming the charming young man in other people's eyes.

Yun Qing was actually quite worried about him, and seeing him like this made her heart skip a beat: "No need for formalities. You're not feeling well, and Lord Gu is very concerned about you back in the capital."

"I know." Gu Xingzhi coughed twice more, gently covering his lips. "Lord Li also knows that this is an old ailment of mine... The number of infected people is still increasing. If a treatment is not found soon, it may cause trouble."

“I’ve already asked Mr. Yu to take a look.” Yun Qing took out a prescription and said, “Get the herbs listed on it and boil them into a decoction. All the people who are not infected should drink a bowl of it. Leave things here to me for now. You should also take a good rest for a while.”

If Gu Xingzhi continues to endure this, his body may not be able to take it. Yun Qing has also brought capable people with her to replace him.

"Thank you, Lord Li."

Gu Xingzhi remained grateful to Yun Qing, for he had indeed worked tirelessly for a long time, and he fully accepted her kindness.

"Go back and rest first."

Yun Qing didn't say much to him. After confirming that she would be in charge of things here, she asked the soldiers to bring her the matters that needed to be handled recently. She had rested well on the way and was prepared to work overtime to find out what the situation was like here.

Gu Xingzhi gave the prescription to his subordinates and instructed them to fetch the medicine and boil it before returning to his room to rest.

While Wuxian was busy preventing and controlling the epidemic, Beijing was not idle either.

Xie Rang personally selected suitable imperial physicians and sent them to Jiangnan. He then issued orders to transport medicinal herbs from the surrounding areas. Only after all these arrangements were made did a feeling of emptiness wash over him.

It felt easy to let people go, but afterwards, I still felt a heavy weight on my heart and couldn't feel at ease.

The court officials received the news a little later, but when they learned that the person going to Wu County was the Imperial Tutor, they were all in an uproar.

Your Majesty and the Imperial Tutor have always had a deep relationship, and besides, how could the Imperial Tutor be allowed to take such a risk?

Many ministers in the court did not usually express their opinions, but they undoubtedly approved of Yun Qing. They understood how much effort Yun Qing had put into today's situation, including the fact that His Majesty, sitting on the dragon throne, could speak to them in a friendly manner. Yun Qing's contribution was indispensable.

I didn't say anything before, but I was worried that she was getting too powerful and would cause another so-called defection from the party, which would really make things uneasy.

But that doesn't mean they wanted her to leave.

Look at His Majesty's face these past two days during court sessions; it's as black as ink. Everyone speaks with trepidation, afraid of offending him in any way.

Even Shunfeng, who had been watching all along, didn't understand. Finally, while grinding ink for him one day, he cautiously asked, "...Your Majesty, since you are so worried about Lady Li, why don't you keep her here?"

But you have to be able to keep them.

Xie Rang expressionlessly drew a line on the memorial, rejecting it.

He said in a low voice, "It is the Grand Tutor who wants to leave."

Yun Qing's words before she left made him think a lot. He also noticed that her originally softened attitude had turned cold, and she was not nice to him at all. It seemed that she was angry but had nowhere to vent it, so she pointed it out to him.

After much thought, Xie Rang realized that the only thing he had ever lied about to Yun Qing was the ability to hear her thoughts.

He already knew her identity as a woman, but he didn't reveal it at all during the many tests that followed. If it were him, he would have been angry too.

But Xie Rang always felt that it was mostly a combination of the two.

The Grand Tutor became angry because he realized he was being manipulated too much.

This line of thinking is reasonable, but Xie Rang still felt there was something fishy going on.

His eyes darkened slightly, his mind in turmoil. After a long while, he suddenly put down his pen: "I am worried that I will not be able to keep the Grand Tutor."

Shunfeng dared not respond, nor did he dare to delve into the meaning behind it; he listened meekly and submissively.

Xie Rang continued speaking to himself: "When the Grand Tutor returns, I will definitely have a proper talk with her."

The cracks in a relationship are the hardest to repair, and he didn't want to see them drift apart. He needed to make things clear once this was over.

Had Xie Rang known this would happen, he would never have dragged this matter out until his birthday. In a way, he did take advantage of Yun Qing's soft heart; he was pushing his luck.

Having served His Majesty for so long, he had heard all sorts of shocking things. As the Grand Eunuch, Shunfeng had developed a good mindset in this regard, and he quickly added, "The Grand Tutor will definitely forgive His Majesty."

In any case, no matter what happens, Lord Li can't be wrong; the one who's wrong is His Majesty.

Xie Rang glanced at him: "You certainly know how to talk."

Having barely managed to sort out his jumbled thoughts, an announcement came from outside: "Your Majesty, the Minister of Rites requests an audience."

Xie Rang was extremely annoyed when he saw the old man, and a hint of irritation appeared in his eyes: "Summon him."

He's just annoyed; it's impossible for him not to see me.

Having received the order, the Minister of Rites quickly entered, his face serious but strangely energetic. Before Xie Rang could even ask anything, he knelt down and said, "Your Majesty, I have something to report!"

Each word was forceful, conveying a resolute attitude.

"explain."

Xie Rang was still unaware of the problem at this point.

"Your Majesty, I must report that Imperial Tutor Li Yunqing, under the protection of her family, has infiltrated the court as a woman, disrupting the government, deceiving the emperor and the people. Her actions are extremely heinous and excessive. I implore Your Majesty to investigate and punish her severely!"

Xie Rang suddenly raised his eyes, his gaze towards the Minister of Rites turning sharp and cold, as if he were about to tear him to pieces. Suppressing his emotions, he asked, "How did you find out?"

As a court official, he was somewhat aware of the emperor's changing emotions. The Minister of Rites was overjoyed, thinking he had the case in the bag. Without thinking, he confessed, "It was the chief steward who served the late emperor. Your Majesty, it's easy to find out if this is true or not. You might be able to use this opportunity to weaken the Li family's power. This is a crime of deceiving the emperor!"

No one knows how overjoyed the Minister of Rites was when he learned of this news. He had long disliked Li Yunqing, but she was highly regarded in the court, so he knew that whatever he said would not be taken seriously.

I never expected her to be a woman!

"You have quite the idea."

Xie Rang said indifferently, and just as the Minister of Rites was about to burst out laughing, he coldly ordered, "Send Lord Dong back to his residence. Lord Dong is getting on in years and it is time for him to enjoy his retirement. He should know what he can say and what he cannot say."

Xie Rang's spies are everywhere in the city. Since it concerns Yun Qing, any news about him will be nipped in the bud.

He hadn't intended to take action against the Minister of Rites at this time, but the other party just happened to come up with this matter, so he had no choice but to show mercy.

Xie Rang curled his lips in a mocking smile: "The Grand Tutor has treated people well, but you question him so much just because he is a woman. Do you really think I don't know what you're thinking?"