Just before dinner, the cook came excitedly to report that she had already filtered the sweet potato starch and was just waiting for the final step of drying it.

Song Xibai handed her the written recipe for hot and sour noodles and asked her to continue studying it.

Without the scorching heat of summer, it would take several days to dry sweet potato starch.

The next day, Yue Zhuangtou began organizing people to go up the mountain.

There are many hills around this village, stretching and undulating. Although they are not very high, compared with Longevity Hill, they are like the difference between an adult and a child.

The mountain wasn't specially maintained, but it's unknown how many previous owners had people plant many beech trees, elm trees, and even camphor trees on it.

However, the climate in the north is too cold and not suitable for these trees to grow, so not many have survived over the decades.

Yue Zhuangtou ordered his men to cut down the trees without a second thought, and soon a large open space was cleared. He then gathered the tenants to prepare the land.

A sweet potato planting campaign was in full swing on the mountain, while Song Xibai was sitting on the edge of the bed, thinking about hot and sour noodles.

Seeing that she was drooling with desire, Wei Hong suggested...

"The sweet potato starch hasn't dried yet, Master. Why don't you try something else first? Like hot and sour noodles?"

Song Xibai shook her head.

"That's different."

She stretched and said, "I can still wait."

Unfortunately, in the end, Song Xibai was unable to eat the hot and sour noodles she had been longing for.

The Crown Prince's advisors have arrived.

But the staff brought back bad news.

The Empress Dowager suddenly fell seriously ill.

Although the Crown Prince and the Empress Dowager were not related by blood, the news still made him feel uneasy. He immediately disregarded everything else and rushed back to the backyard to inform Song Xibai.

Why so suddenly?

Song Xibai looked on in surprise.

The Crown Prince frowned deeply: "I don't know. There's been no news from the palace for the past few days, and your father didn't mention it when he came either. It seems he really did fall ill suddenly."

Song Xibai didn't suspect anything else. After all, the Empress Dowager had no real power except for the title, and she didn't block anyone's way, so it was unlikely that anyone would harm her.

"Don't bother packing your luggage. The palace has everything you need. I'll have Wei Hong pack what you'll need for the journey. By the way, what about the Sixth Prince?"

Song Xibai waved to Wei Hong while asking the question.

Wei Hong hurriedly put down what she was holding and rushed to the bedroom to pack her luggage.

“Xiao Liu will naturally go back together; we can’t leave him alone.”

The prince picked up a cup of cold tea from the table, drank it all in one gulp, and then let out a long sigh.

"I hope the Empress Dowager will be blessed with good fortune and overcome this difficulty!"

Song Xibai held his hand tightly, offering silent comfort.

A little over fifteen minutes later, Song Xibai boarded the carriage to return to the palace.

They came in a grand procession, but returned in a simple carriage.

Only Song Xibai, Dingxiang, the Sixth Prince, and Wei Hong were inside the carriage; the Crown Prince and the others rode on horseback. Wei Hong, carrying two bundles, followed nervously beside Song Xibai. The Sixth Prince was asleep, so he was carried onto the carriage by Eunuch Feng and Qingxi.

At the Crown Prince's command, the coachman raised his whip, cracking it in the air, and the carriage moved forward along the road. Soon, the speed increased, and the carriage began to bump.

The people inside the car all turned pale and were about to vomit through the windows.

Song Xibai was prepared. She took out a small sachet, sniffed it, and the nausea lessened slightly.

The small sachets were passed around to the others in turn, and thankfully no one vomited in the carriage.

Song Xibai looked at the scenery flashing by outside the car window, let out a long breath, and turned her head to find the Sixth Prince still asleep, which surprised her.

"How can he possibly sleep with all this tossing and turning?"

Dingxiang chuckled and whispered in her ear, "I'm afraid he'll make noise on the way and knock her unconscious."

Song Xibai looked at her, speechless.

"You're getting bolder and bolder! This is a prince!" Song Xibai tapped Dingxiang's forehead with her index finger, then turned to Wei Hong and instructed, "This matter must not be told to anyone."

Wei Hong quickly covered her mouth.

"Don't worry, Master, I'm very tight-lipped and won't reveal a single word."

Seeing Dingxiang's indifferent expression, Song Xibai rubbed his temples and reminded her.

“There are some things you must never let anyone find fault with. Even if someone throws evidence at you, you must deny it without batting an eye, let alone commit a crime that could lead to your family's extermination. Do you understand?”

Dingxiang scoffed: "It's not a big deal, how did it escalate to 'arguing and causing the extermination of an entire clan'?"

“Once the royal family is involved, there are no small matters. What crime can be committed with just a word from the emperor? Think about how our family got into trouble?” Song Xibai’s expression was somewhat serious.

Dingxiang pouted: "I'm just telling you, I won't tell anyone else."

"Alright! We'll be more careful next time. I reckon the situation will be even more tense this time we return to the palace, so we all need to be extra cautious."

If the Empress Dowager falls seriously ill and does not survive, it will be a national mourning period.

Putting everything else aside, there will definitely be turmoil among the nobility; at the very least, the title of Marquis Mu'en will certainly not be retained.

Song Xibai silently prayed: I hope my dad will step up his game!

As the carriage sped along and was about to arrive in the capital, a somber atmosphere descended upon Renshou Palace, with the air pressure plummeting to its lowest point.

Outside the Empress Dowager's bedchamber, a large group of people knelt. In addition to the palace maids, nannies, and eunuchs who usually served her, there were also three imperial physicians kneeling in the center.

In the center was the head of the Imperial Medical Academy, while Song Siyuan knelt to his left rear.

The imperial physician was pleading with the Empress Dowager to open the door and let them in for treatment.

At this moment, Song Siyuan was distracted and thought of his daughter.

I wonder where Xixi and the others have gone...

Before long, the emperor arrived with his concubines, and Renshou Palace was packed with people inside and out.

The emperor strode up to the three imperial physicians, his face ashen.

"What are you all good for? The Empress Dowager's illness hasn't improved at all. If you can't cure her, I'll take your heads!"

The three imperial physicians trembled inwardly and quickly kowtowed to apologize.

The abbot looked distressed and tried his best to explain.

"Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager refuses to let us, your humble servants, get close!"

"Can't you cure illnesses without getting close? What about the medicine? You are the most skilled imperial physicians! If you don't even have this much ability, what use are you in the Imperial Hospital? How can I entrust myself and the harem to you?!"

The emperor was furious. He moved his foot and raised it as if to kick him.

But he abruptly pulled his leg back halfway through.

The head of the academy was a fifth-rank official, not a eunuch or palace attendant in the Qianqing Palace.

The emperor's face darkened further, and he turned his gaze to Song Siyuan, who was prostrate on the ground to the side.

"Minister Song, do you have a good plan?"

Song Siyuan didn't even dare to raise his head, remaining in a crawling position.