After Qin Weiyang returned, she became paralyzed, lost her speech, developed sores that oozed pus, and suffered from uncontrollable convulsions. She was as if she were possessed, and everyone in the harem knew about her condition, calling it bad luck.

Even more alarmingly, shortly after Emperor Shang Xiche and Imperial Physician Zhou visited Qin Weiyang, they both developed boils and scratched themselves until their skin bled.

Now everyone avoids Qin Weiyang like the plague, fearing they might also be infected and suffer the consequences.

The Empress Dowager was so angry that she immediately ordered Qin Weiyang to be moved out of the Summer Palace and thrown into a remote house outside the palace.

This commotion made the already unwell Empress Dowager even more sickly, and her minor ailments, such as headaches and leg pains, finally flared up.

Upon hearing that something had happened in the harem, Black Owl left without saying a word.

Shang Xiye and Ji Fengyao did not stop him.

The magpie brought in the food, glanced at the dashing and unrestrained figure of the Black Owl in the twilight, and asked in confusion, "Miss, isn't Master Black eating?"

"If he stays, he won't have a peaceful meal," Ji Fengyao thought to herself, quite pleased.

Sure enough, a short while later, Eunuch De arrived with a group of people, carrying large and small boxes of rare and exotic herbs, and specifically asked to see Doctor Xiao.

"Dr. Xiao has gone out to meet some friends," Shang Xiye lied without batting an eye.

If Ji Fengyao hadn't witnessed Hei Xiao's departure firsthand, she probably wouldn't have doubted Shang Xiye's words.

Therefore, Eunuch De felt utterly desperate: "Please ask the Ninth Prince to tell me, where did Physician Xiao go to meet his friends! The Emperor urgently summons him!"

"Dr. Xiao is a man of the martial world and is not under my control. He only left me a month's supply of medicine and did not tell me where he went." Shang Xiye's voice was filled with anger, clearly showing his dissatisfaction with Eunuch De's interrogation.

The eunuch De trembled under the murderous aura emanating from Shang Xiye, and his heart was filled with even more rage because of his words.

A month's supply of medicine, which means that Doctor Xiao may not be back for the next month!

The Emperor must preside over the summer hunt tomorrow; he can't wait another month!

Even if he had a million times the courage, he wouldn't dare force the Ninth Prince to help him find someone, so he could only leave dejectedly.

"Meeting friends? I saw him go boating on the lake during the day, and now he's meeting friends at night by sheer coincidence?" Shang Xiche felt unbearably itchy all over, his mood became even more irritable, and he was so angry that he was practically fuming.

Grandpa De lowered his head and shrank his hands, wishing he could curl up into a fat quail, not daring to breathe loudly.

Qingwan finished her dinner.

Ji Fengyao then arranged for Shang Xiye to have his third medicinal bath. He not only needed to remove impurities but also to detoxify, so his medicinal bath formula was specially prepared, and he would have more and more frequent medicinal baths than the average person.

After he entered the bath, everyone else withdrew.

Shang Xiye said with slight concern, "The Princess Consort is too bold to dare to lay a hand on the Emperor. Those imperial physicians in the palace are not easy to deal with. Aren't you afraid they will find out something?"

"Have they found out?" Ji Fengyao asked in return.

Shang Xiye: "..."

Look at her smug little face, she just needs to be pinched.

At this moment, Ji Fengyao leaned against the edge of the bathtub in front of him, her slender, delicate fingers holding silver needles to stimulate his acupoints and unblock his meridians. Her fair, round face was flushed red by the steam from the medicinal liquid, making her look incredibly attractive.

Noticing that he was about to raise his hand, Ji Fengyao immediately stopped him with a serious tone: "Don't move around. If you prick the wrong acupoints and reverse the meridians, what will you do with your martial arts skills?"