Chapter 1

In the dimly lit Zhaoyang Palace, more than a dozen glass beads were neatly arranged in various corners, all emitting a faint light. The beads appeared hard and shiny, but in reality, they were just soft spheres that could emit light. However, even such an inconspicuous little thing could probably not be made from all the materials in the entire Yuan Chu.

On the bed, a beautiful woman with her hair loose was being held tightly by the collar by the emperor. Her eyes, which were once full of smiles, were now filled with death, and her head hung limply to the side.

After looking at it for a moment, the man sadly lowered his hand, his gentle face full of sorrow, looking extremely tired and dejected.

He slowly straightened up and conceded, "What exactly do you want from me?"

Seeing that the woman still did not react, he did not care and continued to say to himself, "Let you go back to Medicine Valley? I can't do that."

The person on the bed finally stirred. She sneered, her voice filled with nothing but mockery and pity, "Your Majesty is a man of your word. Even if you had agreed to my request, I'm afraid I wouldn't have dared to believe it."

Hearing the disdain in her words, the young emperor's face finally showed anger. He lifted the brocade quilt covering her, forcibly pulled her up, and dragged her away while emphasizing fiercely, "You are my empress, we will share the same bed in life and the same body in death. You can only stay by my side for the rest of your life!"

*

In Medicine Valley, six days after Qingming Festival, the rain was still pouring down outside the window. Xi Xiao held an open letter in her hand, her fair face contorted in a grimace, making the painting of a beautiful woman come alive.

Suddenly, a series of footsteps sounded. Xi Xiao remained calm and quickly climbed onto the bed. She then lay sprawled out on her back in a very comfortable position, her breathing coming through the air. It looked very convenient and appropriate.

The visitor glanced at him only once before sitting down at a nearby table and burying himself in his abacus.

Xi Xiao let out a long breath, and with the movement of turning over, she naturally hid the letter under the pillow. She then yawned and wobbled as she got up, adding a complaint, "With so little money, two hands are enough. You disturbed my sweet dreams so early in the morning. You'll have to make peach blossom pastries to make up for it later."

The round-faced girl had her hair styled in two conical curls, with a hairpin-like bell inserted in her hair. The bell jingled nimbly as it swayed, making her dimples appear even more charming.

Xi Xiao couldn't help but laugh and pinch her cheek, but before she could exert any force, the girl shoved her away. The little girl put on a serious face and said righteously, "Miss, your breathing is like a bull panting. The noise almost made me make a mistake. It's clear that you came here specifically to trick me into giving you food."

Xi Xiao smiled guiltily, and before she could even offer a rebuttal, the little maid pressed her advantage: "Miss, you'd better hurry up and read the medical books the young master left behind, because he'll be checking them later."

His words were filled with goodwill and concern, but Xi Xiao could detect a hint of schadenfreude in them.

Xi Xiao reluctantly withdrew her hand, no longer daring to joke. Suddenly, a medicinal smell wafted in from outside. Her face darkened abruptly, and she asked urgently, "Yunwu, has Senior Brother returned?"

Yunwu put away the abacus, took out a cloak from the chest and put it on her, pretending to be nonchalant as she said, "Young Master hasn't returned yet. My brother brewed some medicine, but seeing that Miss was still asleep, he left."

Xi Xiao's bright almond-shaped eyes instantly filled with anxiety as she pressed for an answer: "But Senior Brother is injured again?"

Yunwu suddenly became alert, as if she had anticipated that Yunwu would use the same trick again. Her pleasing face turned cold and hard as she looked at Yunwu with a serious expression: "Young master instructed that you must not leave Zhuxi Town."

Xi Xiao was taken in by her master when she was a child. Perhaps due to being preoccupied with trivial matters, the master left her in the care of an old woman and did not come back to see her for a long time. No one knows if she encountered something at that time, but she contracted a strange disease that caused her to faint when she bled. After one mishap, Xi Yu never let her go out again.

She chuckled dryly twice, tentatively saying, "I didn't know I had this problem before, but now that I do, I'll be extremely careful. Besides, my senior brother made me some blood-replenishing pills." These words seemed quite reasonable, and she unconsciously straightened her back. However, seeing Yunwu's sharp gaze, she became less confident and stammered, "Besides... I'm not a child. Am I supposed to rush into danger?"

Yunwu sneered repeatedly, strode to the bedside, lifted the pillow, pulled out the letter, and was about to tear it up without even looking at it.

Xi Xiao was startled and snatched the letter back from her hand while jumping and running. Seeing that her face was about to turn worse, she immediately handed the letter back to her: "It's from the Marquis of Wenyuan's mansion to my senior brother. You can destroy it if you want."

Although she gave it away decisively, she kept glancing at Yunwu out of the corner of her eye. Seeing Yunwu holding the hot potato with a grim expression, Xi Xiao closed her eyes and said regardless, "The Medicine Valley is honest and upright. My senior brother gathers wild spiritual roots for me and is often covered in injuries. If we have enough money, we can directly buy them from medicine merchants. My senior brother does not want to associate with court officials, so I can do it for him."

She looked dejected, not understanding why her senior brother was in such a hurry to make the pills for her, especially in recent years, when he wouldn't return for half a year at a time, only sending Qingfeng with a few words each time. She was upset and spoke irrationally, "I don't care, I'm going! Besides, you're here with me!"

Yunwu and Qingfeng are a brother and sister brought by their senior brother. They studied martial arts under a famous master and only came up the mountain in the last two years.

Seeing the mist loosen slightly, she became even more excited. "Two taels of gold for writing a prescription! Gold! That's twenty taels of silver! Enough to buy so many wild spirit roots to make so many blood-replenishing pills! We can also buy a lot of chickens, and the chickens lay eggs..."

Xi Xiao looked completely absorbed, as if the gold was already in her pocket and the chicken was in her mouth. At this moment, she was happily watching the chickens lay eggs in the garden with Xi Yu and the others.

The mist shattered her illusions, and she hesitated, saying, "I must ask the young master first."

"No!" Xi Xiao hurriedly tugged at her sleeve, but in an instant, she smiled insincerly. With her stunningly beautiful face, it looked eerie no matter how you looked at it. "Write a letter and say that by the time we return from the Marquis's residence after treating patients, our senior brother's letter will probably still be out of reach. Why bother saying anything? If they ask later, just say that we went to town to inquire about Master's whereabouts."

Her master, perhaps due to old age, had become increasingly forgetful over the years. One day, she began to ramble on, insisting that her senior brother was someone she had raised since childhood. However, she clearly remembered that her senior brother had only come to the Medicine Valley when she was eight years old. Despite her senior brother's frequent attempts to comfort her, Xi Xiao remained deeply worried. Therefore, whenever she went to town with Yunwu to make purchases, she would inquire about his whereabouts. This was a common excuse she had made.

Yunwu pondered for a moment, then picked up the letter again and read it carefully. Just as he was about to say something, Xi Xiao interrupted him: "The rules of the capital's aristocratic families and the palace have been explained to us by our senior brothers before. Besides, nowadays people admire the medical profession and would never make things difficult for people from the martial arts world. You can rest assured."

Yunwu sighed and finally nodded helplessly.

The long street was potholed and muddy, the eaves of the houses drooping like hunched backs. Human voices were scarce, save for a few intermittent coughs drifting from the depths of the alley, like the sighs of someone on their deathbed. Several figures huddled against the walls, their clothes tattered, their rough hemp revealing withered flesh, like dead leaves gnawed by insects.

Xi Xiao lifted the car curtain and cautiously peered outside. Seeing this scene, she felt even more distressed.

The regent now wields absolute power, the emperor holds only a nominal position. Greedy officials form factions, regional princes rebel, vying for profit and causing immense suffering. Ordinary people are impoverished, weeping in the streets; the world is in turmoil, chaos reigns. In such a world, how long can Yuan Chu possibly find respite?

"Girl, don't look outside," Yunwu whispered a reminder.

With a heavy heart, Xi Xiao lowered the curtain, forgetting even to correct Yunwu's address. Dressed in men's clothing, all the stray hairs on her forehead were gathered up and pinned with a wooden hairpin, revealing her beautiful and radiant face.

Yunwu stared at her for a while, then wiped the remaining dust off the corner of the car with his hand, and rubbed it on her face. The dust on her powdered face made her look even more vulnerable and fragile. She was stunned for a moment, then wiped it off with a handkerchief.

"Who has stopped here?" As soon as the carriage came to a stop, a questioning voice came from outside. The next moment, Xi Xiao opened the carriage door and handed over the letter, saying politely, "I respectfully receive your letter, which informs me of Young Master Pei's illness. I, Xi Yu, a wandering physician, have come to pay my respects. Please inform him of my arrival."

No sooner had the words been spoken than someone stumbled forward, their jade pendants and jade rings striking each other in quick succession, the clear, resonant sound breaking the silence of the street.

Xi Xiao raised an eyebrow and curiously looked towards the gate of the mansion. She saw a young man with his collar slightly open, his trouser legs rolled up high, and some mud on his face. He looked exactly like a spoiled brat.

"I thought you were some skinny lad, but you're actually a young lady." The young man leaned against the door, his tone flippant: "Don't think that just because you have a bit of looks you can come up with this kind of trick to get into my manor. My brother is kind-hearted and can tolerate you, but I don't care for this kind of person. Get out of here!"

He spoke without thinking, but the gatekeeper had seen the seal and it was indeed from the Marquis's residence. Fearing that things might go wrong, he quickly handed over the letter, bowed his head, and greeted him softly, "Young Marquis."

Xi Xiao's face also turned cold. She stood there stiffly, not even glancing at anyone, as if she hadn't heard anything.

Legend has it that the Marquis's two sons were both exceptionally talented and refined. The eldest son, Pei Yun, was gentle and refined, likened by the crackle pattern of celadon, exuding a scholarly air, though perhaps his palms were too cold. The second son, Pei Qie, was as radiant as the rising sun, likened by the revolving lantern of red copper, radiating warmth and vitality, but alas, he lacked literary knowledge.

The title of Marquis will last for generations, so naturally it will be passed down to the second young master, who will live a long and prosperous life. Xi Xiao couldn't help but make a sarcastic comment: "Old Wang Ba may live a long and prosperous life, but he is neither virtuous nor talented."

Pei Qie glanced at the seal, still doubtful. He folded the letter, looked at her face for a long time, and then said quietly, "The physician I hired is named Xi Yu. Whoever comes to see him will have a male name. Who knows if this person is an imposter?"

Xi Xiao smiled, as if she had heard something amusingly absurd. She turned to Pei Qie as if she were a strict teacher instructing him, and said, "Young Marquis, you judge people by their appearance. You must know how difficult it is for women to practice medicine. So what's so strange about a woman using a man's name when she travels the world?"

Ignoring the man's flushed face, she continued, "With such poor hospitality, the Marquis's residence should seek a more capable host." With that, she turned to leave.

"Miss Xi, please wait." A person suddenly appeared around the corner. This person was tall and slender, dressed in a brown close-fitting outfit, and had a burly build, but his voice sounded like a child's. It was unclear how long he had been standing in the shadows, but he hadn't made a sound. Although Xi Xiao calmed Yunwu, who was about to explode, she felt a little uneasy.

The man bowed respectfully, though humble and subservient, he was not to be underestimated, as evidenced by Pei Qie's sudden silence beside him.

"My master has been waiting for you for a long time, please come in." Although the tone was gentle and polite, the words were firm. Xi Xiao thought that even if she refused, she would probably be forced to go see her master.

At the end of the long corridor, in a place where the stone marrow was chilling, there was a hidden cave. A figure moved quickly and disappeared in a few breaths. Xi Xiao's heart tightened. Just as she was about to go and look for him, a child's voice sounded from ahead, "Miss Xi, please follow me closely. The Marquis's mansion is a large place. Don't get lost."

Helpless, Xi Xiao gave Yunwu a wink, and seeing that she remained unmoved, she hurriedly whispered, "It seems to be Senior Brother!"

After pondering for a moment, Yunwu turned and left. Seeing her heading towards the artificial hill, she felt relieved and followed. She was glad that this person didn't seem to care about Yunwu's departure.