On her way back to the inn, Caizhu ran like a shooting star. Before she could even see what was going on inside, she rushed in and reported, "Miss, something terrible has happened! Young Master Du has come to the second room!"

After saying this, Caizhu realized that not only Wei Shuyao was sitting in the room, but also the First Madam. She froze as if she had made a mistake, her eyes wide with shock. Although she was panting heavily from running, she tried her best to control herself and dared not make a sound, her face turning red from holding it in.

Wei Shuyao's face was already pale, and she had been in a bad mood and had a poor appetite these days. Upon hearing this, she jumped up from the embroidered stool, her eyes bloodshot: "What did you say?!"

Because her daughter looked so haggard lately, Madam Meng spent some time talking with her in the room. Unexpectedly, she overheard these words and immediately realized that her daughter had been hiding something from her.

However, Madam Meng was unaware of Du Shao's existence, so when she heard Cai Zhu mention "Young Master Du," she assumed it was Du Xun and said unhappily, "Yao'er, how could you be so foolish? Since you know that Du Xun is in love with San Yatou, why are you still trying to win him over!"

"Mother, that's not how it is." Wei Shuyao felt wronged, so she gave her mother a brief explanation.

After hearing this, Madam Meng frowned deeply. "So the young master Du who is now visiting the second branch of the family is the same Du Shao that you rescued and have been corresponding with for a long time?"

Wei Shuyao nodded vigorously, her eyes darting down her cheeks. "But it's been many days since Young Master Du has replied to my letter..."

"Then why would he suddenly go to the second wife's side?" Madam Meng naturally thought of a possibility, slapped her hand, and jumped up from the stool in annoyance: "Could it be that he has taken a fancy to Wei Shuwan again and is using you to get close to her?"

Wei Shuyao wanted to say no, but she didn't know what had happened, so she turned her gaze to Caizhu and urged, "Tell me what you heard and saw."

Caizhu glanced cautiously at the First Madam, and Meng Shi said angrily, "What time is it? You brat, do you still want to hide it from me?!"

"This servant wouldn't dare!" Caizhu knelt on the ground in fright and recounted everything that had happened in front of the Wei residence.

After hearing this, Madam Meng's tightly furrowed brows relaxed considerably, and her tone carried a hint of schadenfreude: "Did you hear them say that Sun Lurong and Wei Shuwan fell ill and went into a coma?"

Caizhu nodded firmly: "Yes, this servant is absolutely sure I heard correctly. When the old lady and the young lady were exchanging pleasantries with Young Master Du at the door, they were chatting and laughing. The young prince was unhappy about this, feeling that they didn't care that there was a seriously ill person in the family."

"So, in that case, this Young Master Du Shao couldn't possibly be looking for San Ya Tou..."

As Meng muttered to herself, Wei Shuyao naturally thought of another possibility: "Could it be that she went to find Cai Die?"

The moment this thought flashed through her mind, Wei Shuyao's face paled even more. She had been coaxing Cai Die to act as a matchmaker between herself and Young Master Du, and had even given her precious jewelry piece by piece. Could it be that Cai Die had really snatched the prize from her?

After careful consideration, Madam Meng realized that this was indeed a possibility. The Wei family only had three young women, the three sisters; Shuyao wasn't in the household, Shuwan was ill, and the young Prince Qiaochuan was present. Could Du Shao really be after Caidie?

Before Wei Shuyao could come up with any ideas, Meng Shi decisively said, "Let's go back to the Wei family!"

Regardless of who Du Shao came to see, they still need to be given an explanation.

*

Li Qingchen followed Wei Zheng through the door. Wei Zheng originally intended to invite him into Zhaoshui Hall to serve tea, but Li Qingchen stopped in the courtyard and said, "Uncle Wei, the reason I've come today is actually to bring the antidote."

"Antidote?" Wei Zheng was stunned. "Where would the young prince get an antidote?"

The physician in the Sheng family mansion was formerly a royal physician. If even he couldn't concoct the antidote, then logically, no one else should have been able to.

"Does Lord Wei remember the incident when Consort Wen was poisoned in the palace last time?"

After a moment's thought, Wei Zheng remembered the incident. Indeed, it was rumored that the current emperor's favorite concubine, Wen Jieyu, had been poisoned with an unknown substance because she had gained the emperor's favor so quickly upon entering the palace. Even the imperial physicians were helpless. In the end, it was only thanks to the arrival of a renowned physician from outside the palace, brought by the Prince of Xiaoqiaochuan, that Wen Jieyu was saved.

Wei Zheng's eyes suddenly lit up. "Could it be that the young prince has brought the miracle doctor who saved Consort Wen back then?"

“There’s no need to bring him here. After hearing the Sheng family physician explain Madam Wei’s illness yesterday, he immediately prepared the antidote. I have already brought the medicine.”

Li Qingchen turned his head slightly, and Yuan Que behind him quickly raised the food box, smiling as he added to his master, "Don't worry, Lord Wei, the medicine has been decocted and is being warmed with charcoal."

Wei Zheng was overjoyed upon hearing this, but after the initial surprise, he nervously asked in a low voice, "How many bowls did you fry?"

“Of course there are two bowls, how could we leave out Madam Wei’s? However, the divine physician said that, just to be on the safe side, it’s best to let Madam Wei take the first bowl, since she is young and the medicine is a bit too strong for her. If Madam Wei is alright after taking it, then it’s not too late to give it to Madam Wei,” Yuan Que said with a smile.

"Very well!" Wei Zheng was completely relieved and quickly led the people to Fuqu Pavilion: "Then, Your Highness, please come in!"

Entering his fiancée's boudoir might be inappropriate for a routine visit to someone in the illness, but since Li Qingchen had come to save her life, there was no need for such taboos. He entered Fuquxuan openly with the medicine.

Lady Wei hesitated for a moment, then said to Du Shao with a hint of guilt, "Please, young master Du, go to the front hall and sit for a while. I will go and see my granddaughter and then come back."

"Please go ahead, Madam." Du Shao bowed slightly, showing great manners.

Wei Wen smiled at him with satisfaction, then whispered to Wei Ping, "Let's go, let's go and see, lest someone find fault with us again."

Lady Wei left her maidservant behind and had her lead Du Shao to Zhaoshui Hall. Du Shao entered Zhaoshui Hall, accepted the tea served by the maid, and before he could even sit down, a lively figure skipped and hopped in.

"Young Master Du~"

Du Shao quickly stood up from his chair and greeted her with a smile: "Sister Cai Die."

A blush inexplicably rose on Cai Die's face. It seemed that her address of "Young Master Du" was too formal, since he was calling her "younger sister."

After a slight hesitation, Cai Die gestured, "Brother, please sit down."

This time it was Du Shao's turn to feel awkward. Although he was a man, this was the first time in his life that a girl had called him "brother." He obediently sat down and then made conversation by saying, "By the way, your grandmother and mother have gone to Third Sister's place. Why don't you go and take a look?"

Cai Die thought to herself that it was a rare opportunity to be alone, so she decided to watch what Wei Shuwan was doing and instead look at her future husband.

However, he could only think these thoughts to himself. After all, the fact that Vice Minister Du agreed to the marriage was mostly due to the influence of his second uncle and the Prince of Qiaochuan. Otherwise, it would be far from enough for him to agree to his son marrying him based solely on a single act of kindness in an emergency.