Night falls at the inn.

"The herbs have now been delivered, and the people's condition has improved. I believe that the plague in Liangzhou will be completely resolved soon." Zhou Xingzhi wrapped his arms around Song Zhiyu from behind, his sharply defined chin resting on her shoulder, his gaze so tender it could melt water.

Song Zhiyu nodded slightly, her fair and beautiful face even more radiant under the moonlight. "That's good. At least it won't give the Northern Kingdom a chance to attack Liangzhou."

Mentioning the North, Song Zhiyu suddenly thought of the origin of the plague in Liangzhou and couldn't help but ask, "How is the investigation going? This plague is too strange."

"We've found it. As you suspected, it was indeed the work of the Northerners. They threw the clothes of plague patients, along with a large bundle of grain, into the city. Unsuspecting civilians picked them up, thus spreading the plague to Liangzhou City. They used this opportunity to undermine Liangzhou and give themselves a chance to make their move."

Zhou Xingzhi has investigated the whole matter thoroughly and found that it was all the Northerners who were stirring things up in the dark.

As they had predicted, the plague raged in Liangzhou, turning it into a living hell.

The spies sent by the northern kingdom took the opportunity to incite public sentiment and create unrest.

"They've given us such a generous gift, we can't be impolite." Song Zhiyu's eyes flickered slightly, and a sly smile appeared on her lips, her words carrying a hidden meaning.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Xingzhi nodded in agreement, neither confirming nor denying Song Zhiyu's words, his gentle tone carrying a hint of indulgence, "What does Yu'er want to do?"

"An eye for an eye." Song Zhiyu's eyes hardened. Mercy to the enemy is cruelty to oneself. If the Northern Kingdom can come up with such insidious tricks, then they should naturally taste the bitter fruit.

Since they enjoy creating plagues so much, let them experience the power of plagues too.

Zhou Xingzhi didn't think there was anything wrong with it; on the contrary, he admired Song Zhiyu's vindictive nature.

If she had been this temperament before, she wouldn't have been bullied by the Marquis's family and suffered so much for no reason.

“Okay, leave the rest to me.” Zhou Xingzhi readily agreed; naturally, he couldn’t let Yu’er get involved in such matters.

The two stood quietly in the courtyard, their eyes meeting, the atmosphere subtly ambiguous.

Zhou Xingzhi's gaze was intense and deep, reflecting Song Zhiyu's image. As his eyes flickered, the surrounding air seemed to stand still.

The two drew closer and closer, and Song Zhiyu could even hear Zhou Xingzhi's slightly heavy breathing.

In her moment of confusion and infatuation, a servant's sudden shout pulled Song Zhiyu back to reality.

"Miss Song, someone outside is looking for you. They say it's your brother."

elder brother?

Could it be my second brother?

Song Zhiyu thought Jiang Jiyao had something left unsaid, which is why she turned back.

She exchanged a few words with Zhou Xingzhi, then tightened her cloak and stepped out of the courtyard gate.

It was pitch black outside, with only a few faint moonlights falling on the bluestone pavement, reflecting Song Zhiyu's approaching figure.

Not far away, a man in a crescent-white robe, his tall and slender figure mostly hidden in the darkness, was not clearly seen by Song Zhiyu at first, and she wondered why her second brother had changed his clothes so suddenly.

"Second Brother, why aren't you coming in? Is there something you haven't finished explaining?"

Upon hearing this, the man froze, his face showing disbelief.

He hadn't heard Song Zhiyu call him "Second Brother" in a long time.

Has she forgiven herself?

“Zhiyu…” Shen Muxun turned around almost impatiently, his eyes filled with undisguised joy.

On the contrary, Song Zhiyu immediately turned cold, as if the smiling face he had just seen was just his illusion.

The smile on Song Zhiyu's lips faded, her delicate brows furrowed slightly, and her voice was indifferent, "Why is it you?"

If it wasn't him, then who was it? Pei Qingyan or Su Jinyang?

Thinking of this, Shen Muxun's face froze for a moment, his hands clenched into fists at his sides, as he recalled what Doctor Ming had said.

“I heard that His Majesty sent you to Liangzhou to treat the plague. I was afraid something might happen to you, so I rushed over.”

Faced with Song Zhiyu's cold face, Shen Muxun forced a smile, making no attempt to hide his worry in his words.

Seeing that Song Zhiyu was just tugging at the corners of her mouth and not saying anything, Shen Muxun almost couldn't maintain the smile on his face and said with a bitter expression, "Although my medical skills are not as good as yours, I have studied at Huishengtang for more than ten years and can be of some help."

"No need. I'm afraid the entire Liangzhou city will be destroyed by you and your son." Song Zhiyu refused outright, his tone firm and leaving no room for negotiation.

"Besides, don't you know why I came to Liangzhou?"

Her words were loaded with meaning, successfully making Shen Muxun turn pale and extremely embarrassed.

He looked at Song Zhiyu with hurt in his eyes, never expecting that Song Zhiyu would so directly expose his wounds; it was really too cruel.

And was the incident of her father being beaten really related to her?

"Father is injured, do you want to go see him..." Shen Muxun blurted out these words unconsciously, his eyes filled with complex and unreadable emotions, but his voice grew weaker and weaker until it was almost inaudible.

Song Zhiyu frowned even more, unable to understand Shen Muxun's thoughts, and looked at him with eyes that seemed to look at an idiot, "Shen Muxun, are you really stupid or just pretending?"

You should know very well how Shen Feng treated me; I don't think there will ever be a harmonious father-daughter relationship between us.

“I…” Shen Muxun opened his mouth, but didn’t know what to say.

After all, they were the ones who wronged Song Zhiyu first.

It's understandable that she harbors resentment.

"You should go back and ask your good father what he did to provoke the anger of the people of Liangzhou, causing them to disregard the laws of the dynasty and openly beat an official of the court."

"It would be best to come up with a reason to defend him so that His Majesty might show leniency." Song Zhiyu's patience ran out. After saying this, she ignored Shen Muxun's pale face and strode back to the post station.

He also reminded the gatekeeper that if anyone from the Shen family came looking for him, he should just drive them away without reporting it.

The dull thud of the door closing brought Shen Muxun back to his senses. Staring intently at the gate of the inn, he realized that he had been used by Shen Feng.

Looking back now, it's full of flaws.

Ironically, he was completely oblivious, and in his daze, he went to find Song Zhiyu, which only deepened her misunderstanding of him.

Shen Muxun let out a bitter laugh, turned around dejectedly, and walked unsteadily down the road, his mind filled with images of his past interactions with Song Zhiyu.

His alternating crying and laughing, resembling madness, drew strange glances from passersby.

But he seemed oblivious and headed straight for the clinic.