"Woman Yi, it's all my fault for being careless and negligent," Zhang Zhiyuan said with deep regret.
Upon hearing his words, Yi Shangyun coldly snorted, "Hmph, I still stand by what I said from the beginning: a doctor's heart is benevolent. I have said all I need to say; I hope that Physician Zhang will act wisely in the future."
After saying this, she hurriedly left. Watching her small, receding figure, Zhang Zhiyuan couldn't help but sigh, "What an extraordinary woman! So fearless in the face of danger, so selfless, so compassionate and skilled, with miraculous healing abilities!"
He clearly knew that the reason Xuan Yuanhao was able to survive the smallpox calamity was because Yi Shangyun had taken more risks and put in more effort than anyone else. It was precisely because she kept everyone from Donghua Palace outside the palace that no one else, and indeed the entire Western Qin Imperial Palace, was infected. The removal of the smallpox spots on Xuan Yuanhao's body was most likely related to her.
In Xuanyuan Yue's Fenghua Palace, the dignified and elegant Empress asked with a face full of questions, "Yue'er, you clearly made a bet with your mother to win a ten-mile-long red bridal procession for that girl Yi Shangyun, so why didn't you let that girl know just now, but instead gave her a thousand taels of gold?"
"What? Royal sister, you're really amazing! You actually won the ten-mile-long dowry by betting with Mother! For whom?...Yi Shangyun...Could it be that that ugly girl already has someone she likes, and Royal sister is afraid that she won't have a decent dowry, so you did this?" Xuan Yuanhao hurriedly interrupted the Empress, saying in great surprise.
However, Xuan Yuan Yue remained silent, her lips pursed, her eyes lowered, and she smiled gently. After a moment, she looked up at the Empress and said, "Mother, Yue'er was originally just a proud princess showered with love and affection. It was Yun'er's appearance that made Yue'er realize that there is still the most sincere friendship in life. Yun'er is kind, strong, and brave, and she would protect Yue'er with her life. Yue'er has never treated her as a servant. The reason Yue'er asked Mother for her is simply that she hopes that for the rest of Yun'er's life after marriage, she can have Mother's noble status as a support and not be looked down upon by her husband's family, and that she can be guaranteed a worry-free life."
As she spoke, her eyes filled with tears. After a pause, she continued, "Yue'er knows that her time in Western Qin is running out. From now on, it will be difficult to meet again, perhaps never in this lifetime. On the day of Qin Huangshu's wedding, the preparations were magnificent. Yue'er promised her that one day, when Yun'er gets married, Yue'er would also make sure she has a grand and glorious wedding. Therefore, before leaving Western Qin, Yue'er must fulfill her promise and arrange everything before she can leave in peace."
The Empress and Xuanyuan Hao listened attentively to Xuanyuan Yue's heartfelt and moving words. Suddenly, the Empress interrupted her and asked, "How can Yue'er be sure that she can protect your younger brother this time? If she can't, how will you fulfill your promise?"
Xuan Yuan Yue chuckled and replied, "Nothing Yun'er decides to do, she can't do. Yue'er believes in her, has always believed in her, and will always believe in her."
Seeing how much Xuanyuan Yue valued his relationship with Yi Shangyun, the Empress, remembering the saying "It's easy to add flowers to brocade, but difficult to provide charcoal in the snow; a true friend is hard to find in life," asked, "Then why doesn't my son keep that girl by his side and spend his life with her? If my son is willing, I will certainly do my best to arrange it for him. I was wrong before, judging others by my own petty standards, and wrongly accusing Yue'er and that girl, which is why I instigated her to be given to the Princess of Qin. Now it seems that I was wrong."
However, with tears blurring her vision, Xuan Yuan Yue smiled bitterly, "No need, Mother. Of course, Yue'er wants her to stay with Yue'er forever; then Yue'er will have no regrets in this life. Mother, do you know how angry and anxious Yue'er was when she learned that Aunt Qin had asked Father for Yun'er to be her personal physician in the Qin Prince's mansion? But Yue'er cannot let her wander in a foreign land with her for the rest of her life, always a drifting stranger. Besides, there might be someone in the Western Qin Kingdom who needs her more than Yue'er now..."
Xuan Yuan Yue thought that even if she wanted to take Yi Shang Yun with her, Yi Shang Yun would be willing to follow, and from then on, the two could be companions for life. Her only fear was that Xuan Yuan Han would absolutely not agree. Xuan Yuan Yue saw how obvious Xuan Yuan Han's feelings for Yi Shang Yun were; it was only a matter of time before she married into the Qin Prince's mansion.
Now that Princess Mei Xiyuan of Dongning Kingdom, who is extremely wealthy, has taken the lead in the Qin Prince's mansion and become the Qin Prince's principal wife, if Yi Shangyun were to enter the Qin Prince's mansion in the future, with this ten-mile-long red dowry as her dowry and the Empress of Western Qin as her backer, Mei Xiyuan would definitely be more cautious in the future, and Yi Shangyun would suffer less humiliation and discrimination from her.
"Yue'er, it is your mother's incompetence that I could not keep you in the Western Qin Kingdom for the rest of your life. If there is an afterlife, Yue'er, please do not be your mother's son again. Be a child of an ordinary family, forever by your parents' side, enjoying the happiness of family life." The Empress cried as she listened.
Instantly, Xuanyuan Yue and Xuanyuan Hao knelt down beside the Empress, and the three of them hugged each other and cried once again.
Finally, the Empress said to Xuan Yuan Yue, her voice choked with emotion, "Yue'er, don't worry. I will keep my promise to you. When that girl gets married, no matter where she marries, I will send her off in a grand procession with a magnificent dowry."
Inside the Qin Prince's Mansion in the east of the city.
Cheng Liang was reporting to his master the news he had just received from the palace: "Your Highness, news has come from the palace that the quarantine at Donghua Palace was lifted this morning, saying that the Crown Prince has recovered from smallpox, and that there are no traces of measles left on his body."
"How is this possible? People who have recovered from smallpox are always left with permanent pockmarks for life. Could it be that the medical skills of the imperial physicians of this dynasty have reached such a high level?" Xuan Yuanhan said in great surprise.
"The people in the palace were also very puzzled by this. They said that the emperor listened to the crown prince and said that it was all thanks to Yi Yao Nu. They even asked the emperor for credit and rewards for Yi Yao Nu. However, Yi Yao Nu gave this great credit to the imperial physician Zhang Zhiyuan, who had always been prejudiced against her. That's why Zhang Zhiyuan was not severely punished by the emperor again," Cheng Liang explained in detail.
"As expected, it's her again..." Xuan Yuanhan said as if he had expected it, his eyes slightly raised and a handsome smile appeared on his lips.
He knew that once this stubborn and fearless woman made up her mind to do something, she would definitely succeed, and he was right.
Cheng Liang stared intently at his master's long-lost handsome expression, completely absorbed in the moment.
A moment later, Xuan Yuanhan seemed to notice his observation, so he snorted twice and resumed his usual serious demeanor, asking, "Is there anything else?"
Cheng Liang was startled from his daze by his master's voice, and continued, "Your Highness, Princess Yue petitioned the Empress to grant Yi Yao Nu a new residence... This evening, she left the palace early to return to her residence for the New Year, and was also rewarded with a thousand taels of gold."
"This is what she should do... How's the search for the miracle doctor to treat her leg ailment going?" Xuan Yuanhan asked thoughtfully, then suddenly asked.
"I'm still searching, but I've heard that the frostbite and injuries are extremely severe. Even the palace's resources and the imperial physicians are helpless to cure them. They all say... it's probably hopeless," Cheng Liang said cautiously, afraid of angering his master. Naturally, he was also worried for Yi Shangyun.
However, Xuan Yuanhan merely frowned deeply and pondered for a moment before suddenly instructing, "Have Lu Xian go find him."
Cheng Liang listened and lowered his head, puzzled, and asked, "Would Xiqin Academy have any clues?"
However, after finishing his words, Xuanyuan Han hurriedly walked out of the hall, saying "Enter the palace" as he went.
"Going to the palace now? It's already this late..." Cheng Liang exclaimed in surprise, but could only hurry to catch up.
In the southern part of Xiqin City, a place known for its brothels and pleasure quarters, Wanjiao Pavilion still boasts the sounds of singing and dancing, and a thousand beauties in full bloom.
Even the coldest winter cannot stop these wealthy families, powerful and refined people, and prominent clans from coming out to seek pleasure, and they all linger here, reluctant to leave.
The waiter, with his large teapot, still darted around the hall like a monkey, bustling about with great enthusiasm. The madam, as always, greeted the arriving guests with a radiant smile.
With the Lunar New Year's Eve just two days away, the area is bustling with activity. People who have been busy away from home have returned to their hometowns, and they inevitably gather together to see the most magnificent and upscale place of pleasure in the Western Qin Kingdom, and perhaps find a beauty to spend a "good night" with.
Ever since Yu Niang confronted the madam about wanting to see her master, the madam has been using the excuse that her master is too busy to come.
At this moment, Yu Niang was sitting alone by the window, resting her chin on her hand, looking at the desolate winter scene outside the window.
As the year draws to a close, I wonder if my mother-in-law and daughter are well-fed and clothed? Are they thinking of me? I also wonder if her poor husband is still alive, and if he, like her, is looking forward to the day when the whole family can be reunited.
With a thoughtful expression, she suddenly shifted her gaze and inadvertently caught sight of a half-open window in the opposite corner of the pavilion. A jade vase peeked out, containing several sprigs of blooming winter plum blossoms. Curious, she murmured, "I've been at Wanjiao Pavilion for so long, and I had no idea that someone lived in that room?"
With a touch of curiosity, she slowly got up and prepared to go downstairs to the backyard to find out what was going on.
Just as she stepped over the threshold and carefully closed the door, she turned around and bumped into the tall, imposing figure of a man. Startled, she immediately bowed her head and apologized, "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to."
She kept her head down, afraid of being recognized, when she heard the person in front of her say, "Miss, you seem to be in a hurry. Where are you going?"
"I...I...I just stayed in the room for too long, it was too stuffy, I wanted to come out for some fresh air...yes...fresh air...I'll go back now, young master...I'm sorry," Yu Niang said, turning around to go back to her room.
“Miss, please wait a moment. Since it’s stuffy in the room, you should come out and get some fresh air. With your beauty, you should show your face more often,” the man said with a smile as he stopped her.
Yu Niang then turned around and said softly, "I'm sorry to have made you laugh, young master. May I ask your honorable name?"
"Oh... I am a merchant from the Northern Lie Kingdom, my surname is Tuoba, and my given name is Ze."
"So it's Young Master Tuoba of the Northern Lie Kingdom. Greetings, Yu Niang." Yu Niang immediately bowed and greeted him.
"It just so happens that I've been staying at Wanjiao Pavilion for the past few days. If Miss doesn't mind, would you like to come and sit in my room?" Just then, the madam saw the two of them and hurried upstairs, saying, "Young master, why aren't you in the backyard? Why are you here?"
Tuoba Ze smiled and said to the madam, "Oh, I was just bored and wandering around when I saw this beauty. Would you mind inviting her to my room for a while?"
The madam then gave Yu Niang a cold look and said, "The young master has been kind to you, why don't you hurry up and keep him company? What are you standing here for?"
Yu Niang had no intention of interacting with outsiders, but when she heard the words "Northern Lie Kingdom," her heart instantly raced with excitement. She readily accepted the madam's arrangement and the invitation from the man before her who called himself Tuoba Ze, saying, "Yes, Yu Niang obeys."
So she followed Tuoba Ze slowly into the backyard.
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