Chapter 18 Third Brother "looks like a male ghost."

As the moon set and the sun rose, the sky cleared, and the sound of a flower seller's clapper echoed along the long street, Cui Ying was fast asleep in the Duke's mansion.

Outside the corridor, the trees are lush and green, their verdant branches and leaves keeping out the scorching summer heat. The boudoir is cool and comfortable. The crystal-clear ice in the ice chest has melted more than halfway, and the chilled fruits inside emit a refreshing fragrance. The translucent purple grapes are covered with a delicate frost.

The lattice door was gently pushed open, and Cui Jin and several maids entered, carrying fish washing boxes and other items, their steps light and silent.

Cui Jin walked to the bedside, pulled the green gauze curtains aside, and softly called out, "Miss? It's time to get up."

Cui Ying had spent half the night talking with her grandmother and was now extremely sleepy. She groaned, rolled around in the blanket, curled herself up like a round worm, and then burrowed deep into the bed curtains, pretending to be dead.

Cui Jin raised her voice slightly and gently advised, "It's already past 7:45 AM, Miss, it's time to go home."

Cui Ying rolled around in protest, "Where is my home? This is my home, I don't want to go anywhere else!"

Cui Jin understood her young master's temperament and knew that further persuasion would be useless, so she decided to return to her old ways and use the same tricks as before.

"What did I say before?" Cuijin clicked her tongue and sighed, "My young lady is good in every way, except for her habit of sleeping in. Her husband, on the other hand, never sleeps in. I heard that he—"

Cui Ying stopped rolling around and poked her head out from under the covers. Her hair was a mess, and her almond-shaped eyes, still half-asleep, were bright and full of morning grumpiness. She pretended to be deep and said, "Your trick won't work on me anymore. My heart is colder than ice in December. Three bowls of hot and sour soup won't warm it up. I'm not falling for your trick."

After saying that, she pulled her head back under the covers.

Cui Jin felt a headache coming on for a moment, then came up with a new plan, saying with regret, "But if it gets any later, you'll miss the last basket of steamed buns on the street. Didn't you want to eat them last night? If you get up late, they'll be gone."

Cui Ying immediately fell silent.

"Think about it, girl. Freshly steamed xiaolongbao have soft, fluffy dough and savory meat filling. Take a bite while they're hot, and the juices will be piping hot and fresh. Dip them in some rose vinegar—"

"Coo coo coo..."

Cui Ying's stomach growled.

As if after a fierce internal struggle, after a long while, a delicate, fair hand emerged from under the covers:

"Help me change my clothes."

I don't want to go back to the Marquis's residence, but I still want to eat the steamed buns.

...

"Cherry! Big, bright red cherries, or your money back!"

"Big rice dumpling! Sweet and juicy glutinous rice dumpling with golden dates, delicious and filling—"

"Xiaolongbao, thin-skinned and fragrant xiaolongbao, loved by both adults and children—"

The sun was high in the sky, the streets were bustling and lively, and the breakfast stalls lifted the steamers, white steam rose into the air, and the aroma filled the air.

A luxurious carriage was parked outside the breakfast shop, surrounded by a large retinue, attracting the attention of countless passersby.

There are countless high-ranking officials and nobles in the capital, so such a magnificent carriage is not unusual. What is unusual is that this important person would stop his carriage in front of a simple steamed bun shop.

Passersby couldn't help but be curious, wanting to know what kind of flavor could attract such a distinguished person, and they lined up in long queues in front of the steamed bun shop. The shop, which was not very busy before, suddenly became so busy that the owner was overwhelmed with work. Listening to the crisp sound of the coins clinking together, the owner couldn't stop smiling.

Inside the carriage, Cui Jin blew on the steaming hot oil paper package to cool it down a bit before handing it to Cui Ying: "It's fresh out of the pot, be careful, it's hot, miss."

Cui Ying opened the oil paper package and exclaimed in surprise, "How come there's so much?"

She remembered that this restaurant served six steamed buns per steamer, just enough for her to eat her fill without feeling stuffed. But the oil paper package in her hand was stuffed full, and it looked like there were at least eleven or twelve buns.

Cui Jin smiled and said, "The extra ones were a gift from the shopkeeper. He said that you are his lucky charm, and good fortune comes with your visit. If you want to eat his buns again, you don't have to pay. Just take as many as you want."

Cui Ying chewed on the soft and savory buns, nodding, "It was an unexpected stroke of luck; I never thought this could help people."

It's nice to help others, but it's better to let her eat without paying. Next time, she should just wear men's clothes when she goes out.

Suddenly, a commotion arose outside the car, and a loud male voice boomed like thunder from a clear sky—"The Northern Garrison is conducting an investigation! All bystanders, please step aside!"

Immediately following was the sound of horses' hooves, dense as raindrops, and the deafening rumble of cart wheels rolling across the street.

Cui Ying lifted the brocade curtain and saw that the people were retreating to both sides of the street. Directly opposite, dozens of Imperial Guards dressed in vermilion flying fish robes, each with an embroidered spring knife at their waist, rode in imposingly. In the middle of the procession were wooden cage carts escorting prisoners, and the rumbling sound came from there.

Cui Ying's gaze swept around the group and finally landed on the young man at the head of the group, dressed in a black flying fish robe.

The man had broad shoulders and a narrow waist, with sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes. His eyes were long and narrow, his nose bridge was high and prominent, and his chin was broad but not square, giving him a clear and handsome appearance. However, the heavy dark circles under his eyes made him appear gloomy and cold, making people afraid to look directly at him.

Cui Ying's eyes lit up, and she reached out to the man, calling out, "Third Brother!"

The man followed the sound and saw a bright, smiling face. The gloom in his eyes dissipated considerably, and a smile appeared on his thin lips: "Who do we have here? It's the famous Third Sister of the Cui family. No, I should call you sister-in-law now, right, Seventh Sister-in-law?"

This person was Xiao Qiyu's third cousin, Xiao Heng, the eldest son of the second branch of the Dingyuan Marquis's family.

Upon hearing this, Cui Ying knew that Xiao San was still teasing her like a child, and her face flushed red as she said, "No, I'm not used to it. You should still call me Third Sister from now on. I get goosebumps when I hear you call me sister-in-law."

Xiao Heng smiled and said, "I'll listen to you."

The procession continued on, passing by horse-drawn carriages.

Seeing the grand spectacle, Cui Ying noticed Xiao Heng riding by on horseback past the carriage window and whispered, "Third Brother, what's going on? Which official has committed another offense?"

The Northern Garrison Command was a legal department directly under the emperor, capable of bypassing the three judicial departments to arrest criminal officials on its own, and even executing them without prior approval. It could be said that whenever the Northern Garrison Command was mobilized, a major case was bound to occur.

Xiao Heng showed no restraint despite being in public, speaking as usual, and casually uttered a shocking statement:

"Zhao Dongsheng wrote a letter instigating the King of Qi to rebel."

Cui Ying's eyes widened instantly.

The King of Qi needs no further explanation.

She had heard her father mention Zhao Dongsheng before.

A low-ranking scholar from a remote region, who had spent half his life striving to become a mere sixth-rank censor in the Censorate, was suddenly promoted several ranks within a few years after his eldest daughter entered the palace and gained favor, becoming almost equal to the Vice Censor-in-Chief. Later, due to his slight martial arts skills, he was transferred from the civil service to become a General of the Palace Guard, in charge of the imperial guards.

This person was once very successful.

At the height of his fame, Cui Ying hosted a flower-viewing banquet at the Duke of Wei's mansion, where he even interacted with Madam Zhao and Miss Zhao the Second.

Madam Zhao had little recollection of her, only remembering that Miss Zhao the Second was a shy and quiet young lady who didn't like to show off when speaking to others, and would only smile.

Later, for some unknown reason, the eldest daughter of the Zhao family offended the emperor and was demoted to a commoner and banished to the cold palace. As a result, Zhao Dongsheng's family property was confiscated, he was dismissed from his official post, and returned to the Censorate as a lowly clerk with a pitifully small salary.

Who gave him the courage to rebel?

Cui Ying couldn't understand it.

Xiao Heng said, "These past two days, I have been following His Majesty's orders not to make a big show of things openly, but to secretly arrest Zhao Dongsheng. Who knew that this old bastard would get the news from somewhere and flee with his whole family? I led my men to chase him for two days and two nights before we found him in an abandoned cellar in his hometown."

Xiao Heng said coldly, "Originally, I wanted to escort him back to the capital to report, but he thought I was going to execute him on the spot, so he bit his tongue and committed suicide to end it all."

Cui Ying was already too shocked to speak. Staring at the wooden cage, she stammered, "Then what's inside here...?"

"His wife and daughters."

Zhao Dongsheng had a very deep affection for his first wife. He had no concubines and only two daughters born to his first wife.

Xiao Heng seemed to sigh with emotion: "Fortunately, His Majesty is benevolent; otherwise, for such a serious crime, the lightest punishment would be the execution of three generations of one's family, far more than just implicating one's own family."

Cui Ying's feelings were complicated.

If she remembered correctly, the wives and daughters of almost all officials involved in scandals in this dynasty were sent to the brothels.

When Cui Ying looked again at the wooden prison cart surrounded by the Embroidered Uniform Guards, his expression changed from complicated to compassionate.

Xiao Heng then said, "I have been preoccupied with this matter these past two days and have been unable to get away. I was not present on the day you and Lao Qi served tea after your wedding, which was my fault for not being proper."

Cui Ying hurriedly replied, "Third Brother, what are you saying? You are a distinguished guest and have many responsibilities; naturally, official business should come first."

She took out the steaming hot oil paper package and said, "You probably haven't eaten yet, right? I have some xiaolongbao here, they're still warm from my recent purchase, have some to tide you over."

Xiao Heng had watched Cui Ying grow up and had long regarded her as his own little sister, so he didn't stand on ceremony and accepted the oil paper package, saying, "Thank you for your generous gift of food, Third Sister."

Cui Ying shook his head vigorously: "It's just a little food, what's with the generosity? Third Brother, don't tease me, I'm not a child anymore."

Xiao Heng smiled and nodded, distributing the steamed buns to his subordinates who also hadn't eaten breakfast, keeping only one for himself.

"I have official duties to attend to, so I won't say more. You should go back to your residence as soon as possible and not linger outside," Xiao Heng said.

Cui Ying nodded: "You should rest as soon as you're done."

She pointed to his dark circles and exclaimed, "Hey, he looks like a male ghost."

Xiao Heng smiled and rode away.

The two parted ways; Xiao Heng returned to the palace to report, while Cui Ying returned to the Marquis's residence.

As the wooden palisade passed by the horse-drawn carriage, Cui Ying glanced over and saw Miss Zhao Er sitting with her knees drawn up in a daze. Her clothes were so dirty that their original color was indistinguishable, her hair was a mess, and her once bright and clear eyes were now so red that they looked like they could drip blood. She stared blankly at one spot, completely devoid of any liveliness, only a dazed look remained.

Beside her, Madam Zhao lowered her head and covered her face, weeping continuously.

Cui Ying felt a pang of sadness in her heart, but she didn't know what to do, so she simply lowered the brocade curtain and stopped looking.

Even so, I still felt heavy-hearted and had no appetite.

If Xiao Qiyu were here, that would be wonderful.

Cui Ying thought to herself.

She'd have a couple of arguments with him, and she was guaranteed to be completely over it.

Thinking this, she instructed the coachman, "Go a little faster, I want to get back to the Marquis's residence as soon as possible."

The Marquis of Dingyuan's residence and the Duke of Wei's residence were not far apart, and after the order was given, the journey was immediately shortened by more than half.

Cui Ying's mood had just calmed down a little when the carriage arrived at the back gate of the Marquis's residence.

As soon as Cui Ying got off the carriage and reached the hanging flower gate, a servant woman came running up to her in a flustered manner and said, "Young mistress, you've returned just in time. I was just about to send someone to the Duke of Wei's mansion to call you back."

Cui Ying recognized the old woman as Granny Meng, who served the old lady, and reached out to support her, saying, "What happened? Granny, please speak slowly."

With red eyes, Granny Meng said, "You should go to the Bodhi Hall quickly. The old lady... I'm afraid she's not doing well."

As soon as she finished speaking, Granny Meng felt a gentle breeze around her. When she looked up again, she saw that the graceful young woman who had been standing in front of her just moments before had run into the covered corridor in the blink of an eye.

Bodhi Hall.

Without waiting for the announcement, Cui Ying rushed into the old lady's bedroom. Inside, the room was full of people. Several familiar imperial physicians were gathered around the bed, some taking pulses and others administering acupuncture. Madam Qin sat by the bed, holding a bowl of medicine. Madam Zhang and Madam Xue stood nervously, looking at each other.

Everyone looked worried, their expressions remarkably similar, their faces filled with anxiety.

Cui Ying took two more steps closer and saw that Grandmother Wang was lying motionless on the couch, her eyes closed, her cheeks purplish-red, her chest heaving violently, but she could only breathe in and not out, and her lips were tightly pressed together.

Qin asked, her voice choked with emotion, "Is there really no other way? You are all senior members of the Imperial Medical Academy, how could you be so helpless?"

The imperial physician sighed, "The old lady has had a cough since birth, which is difficult to cure and can only be relieved by medication. She has lived to this day, which is already a great age. Now that phlegm is blocking her lungs, the best way is to take expectorant medicine. However, since I started treating the old lady, I have prescribed countless expectorant medicines. It will be difficult to write any new prescriptions in a short time."

Madam Xue cried, "What do you mean? Are we just going to watch our matriarch wither away like this? This is unacceptable! The children haven't all arrived yet, how can our matriarch pass away like this?" As she spoke, she ordered her maid, "Quickly find a servant boy and have him ride at full speed to the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of War to summon the Third Master and the Fourth Master. Tell them that something terrible has happened, and the matriarch may not make it!"

At this moment, Qin Shi stood up, rushed to Xue Shi, and slapped her hard across the face. Her eyes were bloodshot as she cursed, "Bullshit! What kind of evil intentions are you making such a fuss about at such a young age? Even if the old lady is in bad shape, she can still hold on until her three biological sons come back. What right do you two illegitimate children have to pretend to be in mourning at her bedside?"

Upon hearing this, Madam Xue's face flushed red and then turned pale. She immediately shouted, "Injustice!" and threatened to bang her head against the wall.

Having spent half her life as a dignified lady in the Marquis's mansion, Qin seemed like a completely different person now. All her resentment surged forth, and she grabbed the old woman who was dragging Xue away, saying, "No one is allowed to stop her! Let her crash! Let her crash to her death!"

Zhang initially tried to hide behind, but seeing the situation escalating, she steeled herself and stepped forward to pull Qin aside, saying, "Grandmother's life is at stake, and this is precisely the time when someone needs to stabilize the situation. Fourth sister-in-law is a muddle-headed person, and how could Second Sister-in-law be muddle-headed with her? This whole mess has not only harmed your own health and given the servants something to laugh at, but it has also delayed Grandmother's treatment. If something really happens to Grandmother today, when Eldest Brother and Second Brother return home and ask about the responsibility, whose fault will it be?"

The only person Qin was wary of was her elder brother-in-law, who was stationed far away in the northern desert. Upon hearing this, she calmed down considerably, glared at Xue, ignored her, and turned to ask the imperial physician: "Is there really no way at all? With so many of you, you can't even prescribe a new phlegm-relieving medicine?"

The imperial physicians lowered their heads and remained silent, and the atmosphere fell into silence for a moment.

In the silence, a soft voice emerged from the outer circle: "I...I have a way."

Cui Ying silently raised her hand, and seeing that everyone was looking at her at the same time, she swallowed silently.

Damn it, who knows how much she didn't want to attract attention at a time like this?

The Duke of Wei's family had a small population and harmonious relationships. Cui Ying had never seen his family members speak harshly to each other, let alone quarrel.

Therefore, she was terrified at that moment.

"Do you have a solution?"

Upon seeing Cui Ying, Qin Shi's eyes, which had finally brightened, dimmed again, and her tone was filled with doubt.

What methods can a child who doesn't understand possibly use to cure illnesses and save lives?

Cui Ying nodded emphatically and took out a porcelain cup from his sleeve: "This contains salted citron, which comes from the Lingnan area. It was requested by the young mistress of the Duke of the State yesterday. It has a good effect on relieving phlegm and cough. It is also easy to use. Just take it out and soak it in water. I drank a sip, and my throat felt cool and comfortable all afternoon."

She tried her best to make her tone sound reliable, but she still couldn't dispel the doubt in Qin's eyes.

"Let me see," Qin said reluctantly.

Cui Ying stepped forward and handed over the porcelain cup.

If Qin Shi was only reluctant at first, after opening the porcelain bowl and seeing the dark, viscous substance inside, her face was filled with helplessness.

"Has Third Sister had breakfast this morning?" Qin asked, rubbing her forehead.

Cui Ying, remembering that she had only eaten one bite of the steamed bun before giving it to Xiao Heng, obediently shook her head.

Qin said, "In that case, you should go and have some food first. There are adults watching over the old lady, so even if you stay here, you can't be of much help." As she spoke, she stuffed the porcelain cup back into Cui Ying's hand.

Cui Ying then realized that she had been ignored.

No, it should be said that they disliked it.

"I'm not a heartless pig!" Cui Ying was so angry that her tone became urgent. "Grandmother is in such a state, that's why I can't eat anything. Besides, this really works. Second Aunt, please trust me just this once, okay?"

Knowing that Cui Ying was stubborn and had the same temperament as the seventh prince, both of them were the type to not give up until they achieved their goals, Qin sighed again and gave the imperial physician a wink.

The imperial physician took the porcelain cup from Cui Ying, carefully smelled the aroma inside, and said to Qin Shi, "It is local salted citron from Lingnan. It does have the effect of relieving phlegm and stopping cough. Judging from the color, it should be pickled for about twenty years. It is worth a try."

"What, twenty years?" Madam Qin frowned again, her tone resolute. "What can remain intact for twenty years? No, we absolutely cannot let the old lady take this kind of thing."

Cui Ying hurriedly said, "But I already took it, Second Aunt, look, I'm perfectly fine, aren't I?"

When Qin looked at Cui Ying again, her gaze had turned into obvious disdain: "You are a young man, while the old lady is over seventy years old. How can she be compared to you?"

Cui Ying thought to herself, "Shuangshuang is pregnant, but she's perfectly fine after drinking it."

But she didn't want to spread the news of her best friend's pregnancy in such a chaotic setting, so she said, "But Auntie hasn't tried it on Grandmother, so we don't know if it will actually work."

Qin's gaze was piercing: "Then let me ask you, if the old lady not only doesn't get better after taking it, but also suffers some mishap as a result, are you willing to take responsibility?"

“I…” Cui Ying was speechless.

She is outspoken, but she is not brainless. Even if she is incredibly audacious, how could she dare to take responsibility for someone's life or death?

Qin sneered: "Since it's not possible, then give up on the idea."

Cui Ying lowered his head, looking extremely dejected.

Just then, the boy's clear voice rang out from the hall—

"I'll take responsibility."

The people who had surrounded the room retreated to both sides like fish being pushed aside, making way for someone to pass.

Xiao Qiyu strode in, carrying his light armor in his hand. His crimson armor robe was soaked with sweat, radiating a clearly visible heat. His broad shoulders seemed capable of supporting the heavens and the earth.

He walked up to Cui Ying and naturally shielded her behind him, his tall figure completely concealing her petite frame. Facing Qin Shi, he said, "Second Aunt, don't worry."

"If salted citron is harmful to the grandmother, it has nothing to do with Cui Ying."

Xiao Qiyu's gaze was steady, displaying a maturity and sense of responsibility beyond his years: "The responsibility rests entirely on my shoulders."

A note from the author:

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