Song Siyuan lingered in the front yard for a long time, and then looked through the Sixth Prince's medical records and prescriptions from the past two days, which made him even more appreciative of talent.

When Song Xibai came to find him, he deliberately pretended to be unhappy and snorted.

“I learned medicine from my father since I was a child, and I have never seen him sigh like this before.”

Upon seeing his daughter's expression, Song Siyuan waved his hands repeatedly, "No, no! Daughter, you are the best in my heart, and your medical skills are the most amazing!"

"I finally have Dingxiang as a helper, and you still want to take her away, Dad!"

Song Siyuan scratched his head, unsure how to explain.

Seeing that things were going well, Song Xibai sighed and softened her tone.

“I know it’s not easy for you to work in the Imperial Hospital, Father. Although you’ve returned, there have been many personnel changes. It’s possible that apart from the head of the hospital, everyone else is openly or secretly trying to sideline you. If you’re looking for a helper, I have a good candidate in mind.”

Song Siyuan was somewhat puzzled by his daughter's actions.

But he still asked with concern.

"who?"

"A royal physician named Fu Zhuoyi, who should have just been promoted, is cautious and careful, and has no background."

Song Xibai recounted Fu Yishi's background and medical characteristics.

"Is this person reliable?"

Song Siyuan asked another question.

Song Xibai rolled her eyes: "Whether he's reliable or not is for you to see for yourself, Father! Anyway, when I met him, he seemed quite reliable. Father, you just need to find an assistant in the Imperial Hospital, not to help him do anything bad. Or are you eyeing the position of the head of the Imperial Hospital?"

"What nonsense are you spouting!" Song Siyuan stamped his feet in frustration. "The Dean has been kind to me, how could I possibly do something so ungrateful?"

"That's true, Your Excellency still has almost ten years before you retire! Father, you should keep up the good work!"

Song Xibai encouraged him.

Song Siyuan felt much better.

Then, Song Xibai bid farewell to her father and went out for a walk with Wei Hong and two guards.

She went to the mountain behind.

The mountain has a gentle slope and a clear path, which is obviously used by many people.

When Song Xibai reached the halfway point of the mountain, he suddenly ducked and disappeared into the nearby woods, startling the two guards following behind him.

"master!"

The two guards shouted and were about to follow him in when Song Xibai turned around and came out.

Before the guards could even breathe a sigh of relief, their gazes shifted and they saw her hands, turning pale with fright.

"Master, Master, your hands..."

One of the guards stammered as he pointed at her hand.

Song Xibai smiled and waved her hand.

"I caught a glimpse of the little guy flash by, and in my haste, I made my move."

The guard who had spoken swallowed hard, his face filled with awe.

"You're really amazing. We wouldn't dare to catch this white flower snake directly."

The snake has a black body with white stripes and is a highly venomous viper. Ordinary people would be terrified just by looking at it. Who would have thought that this seemingly delicate master would actually attack without hesitation?

Song Xibai held the snake by its seven-inch mark in her hand, and a silver needle was stuck in the snake's head.

"It's passed out and can't bite anyone. Do you have a bag? We can take it back to my dad to make medicinal wine."

The two guards searched their bodies, but found no bag. So they took off their outer garments and used them as a bundle to wrap the snake.

The group did not linger and instead descended the mountain.

Song Siyuan was sitting under the corridor, contemplating life, and didn't even notice when Song Xibai entered the courtyard.

Song Xibai waved the white snake in front of him, nearly scaring the old man out of his wits.

He suddenly stepped back, but his foot tripped on the stool, and he fell flat on his backside.

You scared me to death!

Song Xibai tried to hold back, but couldn't help bursting into laughter.

“Look, I caught this snake myself. I’m giving it to Dad to make medicinal wine to help him recover.”

Song Xibai handed the white snake forward.

Seeing that the snake was not moving, Song Siyuan took it with peace of mind.

"A rare white-flowered snake, it's such a waste to soak it in wine, I'll take it back and make it into pills. By the way, these snakes are usually more common in the summer, why are they out now?"

Song Xibai shrugged.

"How would I know? It was caught in the back mountain, it was probably just a coincidence. Dad, remember to pull out the venomous fangs, you can do whatever you want with it, I'm sleepy, I'm going back to get some sleep."

After saying that, Song Xibai clapped her hands and returned to the backyard.

Song Siyuan carried the snake around for a long time, and when the Crown Prince returned, he suddenly got up to take his leave.

The crown prince was taken aback.

"Why so suddenly? Didn't we say we'd stay a few more days?"

"This snake is rare. I must hurry back to deal with it to ensure the best medicinal effect. Anyway, with Xixi and Dingxiang here on the estate, there's no need for me."

The Crown Prince thought to himself, "Isn't this so that Qingqing can see her family and feel more relaxed and happier?"

However, since Song Siyuan insisted, the Crown Prince did not try to persuade him to stay any longer. He summoned a guard and escorted him back to the city.

When the Crown Prince returned to the backyard, Song Xibai had just woken up from her afternoon nap. She was yawning and leaning back in her chair while Wei Hong combed and braided her hair.

"Your Highness is back?"

The Crown Prince nodded, waved Wei Hong away, walked behind her and sat down, gently rubbing her head.

"Your father just passed away."

Song Xibai gave a lazy "hmm".

"Given my father's temperament, if he got such a big snake, he'd definitely want to go back and prepare it. Keeping him around would only get in the way. Your Highness, you don't know, my father even wanted to take Dingxiang to the Imperial Hospital before!"

The prince paused.

"Is that so?"

"My father, well, apart from his medical skills, doesn't have any redeeming qualities. I don't know what my mother saw in him. He's impulsive and doesn't know what's wrong with him. He was naive when he was in the Imperial Hospital and got tricked by that Qi guy. Now that he's come back after suffering, he seems to have become a little more shrewd, but it's no use."

That's such a simple idea, anyone can see through it!

As expected, her dad is only suited to be a tech geek; he's no good at anything like workplace politics.

After complaining for a while, Song Xibai turned around, sat on the Crown Prince's lap, and shook his hand.

"You absolutely mustn't ask my father to do anything in the future, or I'm afraid he'll fail and you'll have to clean up his mess."

The prince chuckled and patted her bottom.

"You can't say that, that's your father."

"I only say this because he's my dad! I wouldn't bother saying it to outsiders!" Song Xibai raised her little nose and snorted lightly. Then she changed the subject and talked about her two older brothers. "My eldest brother is quite steady and reliable. Your Highness can let him do some simple things. My second brother is similar to my dad. He's simple-minded and a bit silly. I used to trick him a lot when we were little."

The Crown Prince silently noted it down, pondering what position he could assign to Song Xinian.

After the Song family returned, the Crown Prince had been thinking about how to arrange things for them. Song Siyuan could still stay in the Imperial Hospital for now, but that wouldn't be possible later.

After the child is born, Qingqing's identity will need to be recorded in the imperial genealogy. There can be no mistakes or loopholes, neither for her nor for the child. Therefore, this matter must be settled before then.

Song Siyuan's personality is not suited for officialdom; it would be best to grant him a sinecure in the future. However, if the Song family has no influence in the court, it will be very difficult for them to be made a concubine or advance further in their careers.

The Zhao family cannot stand idly by.