Shangguan Qingxi had already known about Wei Yuchen's plan from Shangguan Hao. Although his seemingly casual test now actually came with a purpose.

She thought that this dog emperor would take the occasion into consideration, but she didn't expect that he would mention this when summoning her. She refused without thinking.

"I'm sorry, Your Majesty. I was born with a deficiency and have been ill for many years. I'm afraid I don't have that blessing. I've been used to being free for many years and I'm not used to life in the palace. So, I don't have any interest in it."

"What if I insist that you stay?" Wei Yuchen raised his eyebrows and looked at her with displeasure.

Shangguan Qingxi raised her eyes in surprise, her beautiful watery eyes flashing with panic and helplessness.

"Well, how can that be possible? I don't like the palace and can't stay here. My health is not good to begin with and I can't stand being restricted."

Fortunately, she is young and can act innocently, especially since her health is not good, so it is undoubtedly the safest thing to talk about her health.

Sure enough, as soon as she mentioned her physical condition, Wei Yuchen's face immediately darkened.

The gentle look in his eyes when he looked at her was no longer there, and was replaced by the cold and gloomy look that Shangguan Qingxi was very familiar with.

Whenever he showed this expression, she knew that he was unhappy.

On the surface, she was talking about her body, but in fact, in his opinion, she was deliberately using her body to make a fuss.

It was her honor that the emperor honored her, but she was so ungrateful that she despised the emperor.

Isn't this seeking death?

"Why are there so many restrictions in the palace?" Wei Yuchen took a deep breath, forced himself to endure it, and continued to lobby with a smile.

"The palace has many rules and naturally many restrictions. I really don't like it. If I don't like it, why should I force myself to like it?"

"Isn't this very fake? Does it mean that if I agree to the emperor's request and say that I like it very much, it won't be considered as deceiving the emperor?"

"No, I don't like this. If I like it, I like it. If I don't like it, I don't like it."

"Besides, a doctor has long ago declared that I will not live past the age of eighteen, so Father has not planned for me to marry, in order to avoid bringing harm to others. I hope Your Majesty will understand this."

"You..." Wei Yuchen looked at her innocent face and immediately held his breath in his chest. He couldn't let it out or breathe it out. His whole face was slightly distorted.

Shangguan Qingxi saw this and realized that she had touched his bottom line. Although she didn't take it seriously in her heart, she still had to put on a show of pretending.

She knelt down unwillingly and said, "Did I say something wrong? If so, I hope Your Majesty will forgive me. I didn't do it on purpose, but I don't like others forcing me. Even if you are the emperor, you have no right to interfere with my life."

"If my life has changed because of the power of the emperor and has led me to a path I don't like, then I would rather die. Please punish me, Your Majesty."

If you can kill me, just do it!

Shangguan Qingxi's boldness had already made Qiu Cheng and Liu Shi on the side secretly sweat.

But after hearing what she said, Wei Yuchen gradually calmed down after being angry.

Because he was surprised to find that these words overlapped with some conversations in his memory.

When he looked at Shangguan Qingxi carefully again, he found some familiar traces between her eyebrows.

The cold heart gradually warmed up.

"Since you don't like it, I won't force you. However, since you are here, go to the Cining Palace and take a look."

"Yes, I thank the emperor for not killing me."

Wei Yuchen glanced at her indifferently, then turned and walked towards the desk, but after taking only three steps, he turned back again. His deep eyes revealed a profound meaning that she could not understand.

"How did you, a little girl raised in seclusion, learn this set of gynecological techniques?"

Shangguan Qingxi's heart trembled, and a gleam of light flashed in her lowered eyes. She then slowly raised her head, her eyes clear and pure.

"I have been bedridden for many years and have nothing to do. I have developed some interest in gynecology and studied medicine. I originally wanted to kill time, but I never thought that I could really treat illnesses and save lives. This is beyond my expectation."

Wei Yuchen stared at her deeply. He only saw confidence and calmness in her, without any concern for fame or fortune.

Even the regret that she inadvertently revealed made him think that she was not well prepared, but had never thought that she could become famous in this way?

Did he really stumble into this harem by accident?

Wasn't this intended to arouse his interest?

Thinking about Shangguan Qingxi's behavior just now, it doesn't seem like she is retreating to advance or playing hard to get.

"Does your family know that you are learning this?"

"Of course I know."

He can investigate this, she is not afraid.

She had planned carefully to get to where she is today, and of course there were also people who helped to push the envelope.

Otherwise, it would be impossible to enter the palace so quickly.

Wei Yuchen frowned, and the expression in his eyes became more complicated and changeable. Recently, there have been many female doctors around him!

Ling Yuan and Yu Yan are fine, but now she can even cure the famous sickly person in Si You country. So, is it very likely that a trend of female doctors will be triggered?

Is this really just a coincidence?

Shangguan Qingxi looked at Wei Yuchen who was standing there in a daze and blinked, "Your Majesty?"

Wei Yuchen came back to his senses, looked at her, and waved his hand irritably, "Okay, I'm fine now, you can go now, Liu Shi, take her to the Cining Palace, and the rest will be up to my mother to arrange. I'm fine here."

Liu Shi let out a long sigh, "Yes, I will arrange it right away."

After Shangguan Qingxi knelt down to Wei Yuchen, she bowed her body and took a few steps back, then she lowered her head and followed Liu Shi out.

Because of Shangguan Qingxi's physical condition, everyone in the Cining Palace treated her with extra caution.

All the way from the Qinzheng Hall to the Cining Palace, we were well taken care of.

Everyone's attitude was very respectful. Walking on the stone road in the palace and looking at the solemn and majestic palace with carved beams and painted rafters, a touch of bitterness welled up in my heart.

Twelve years have passed in a flash, and everything seems to have changed.

The person who came to pick her up was Ruyan, whom she was familiar with. Although the two of them said nothing except polite words, they knew exactly what each other was thinking.

Especially when walking on the palace road that I had to walk every day twelve years ago, how can the mood be described in just one or two words?

"Miss, Concubine Xi, it's Concubine Xi."

Just as Shangguan Qingxi was lost in thought, Ruyan suddenly and quietly pulled her sleeve.

She came back to her senses and looked up, only to see Concubine Xi and Concubine Lan walking leisurely. It seemed that they were going to take a walk in the Imperial Garden.

The moment she saw Concubine Xi, Qingxi's nose suddenly felt sore for some reason, and it seemed as if tears were about to roll down.

Fortunately, even when she lowered her eyes, she kept all her emotions hidden in her eyes.

Concubine Xi, Xiya, was one of the few true best friends she had before she entered the palace.

Even after entering the palace and facing competition for favor, their hearts have never been separated.

That kind of feeling is by no means as fragile as Qiu Zhen's.

Xiya, Xiya, twelve years have passed, why have you aged so much?

Too much made her feel distressed and guilty.

She knew that because of her, Xiya had knelt outside the imperial study for three days. If she had not fainted, she would have kneeled even longer.

She was glad that Wei Yuchen did not vent his anger on Xiya because of her.

Even though Kexia survived, she lived a semi-secluded life, never leaving the house.

If she had not given birth to the second prince, she would have not been able to survive in the harem until now.

Thank God the Queen Mother had pity on her, otherwise, even if she was the noble Concubine Xi, she would have been tortured to death by Qiu Zhen.

It’s because Xiya is her best friend, so best friend that even Qiu Zhen is jealous of her.

"Empress Xi has not been concerned with worldly affairs for many years. She has been accompanied by a green lamp all year round. Her health has been getting worse and worse. The imperial physician said that it was caused by depression."

"It's mainly because of what happened to you back then that she has completely given up hope. Even if the Second Prince is here, he can only keep her alive..."

Shangguan Qingxi felt pity in her heart. There were really not many people who cared about her like this.

Perhaps being cared about by her friends like this is her greatest luck in this life.

Xiya, don't worry, as long as I am here, you will definitely live to be a hundred years old.

Perhaps it was because she had Buddha in her heart and did not care about worldly affairs, which made Concubine Xi look as peaceful and gentle as Guanyin Bodhisattva.

Although her complexion looked much worse than that of Concubine Lan beside her, her temples were also covered with white hair due to depression.

But the soft aura around her is not something that ordinary people can possess.

In particular, she once had a face as ethereal as a pure lotus. Even though she is no longer young and the years have left traces on her face, she is still as beautiful as ever.

She was especially beautiful when she smiled, but her eyes, without any ripples, were like a pool of still water, which made people feel distressed.

"Your humble servant Shangguan Qingxi pays respects to Her Majesty Xi and Her Majesty Lan. May Your Majesty be blessed with good health and long life."

When she saw Concubine Xi again, Shangguan Qingxi gave her full courtesy. This bow was what she owed her. Unfortunately, this was far from enough. She wanted to give her more, much more.

Concubine Xi lowered her eyes and looked over, her soft features raised in a gentle smile: "It turns out to be Miss Shangguan, please, please stand up quickly."

Shangguan Qingxi did not expect that Concubine Xi would personally help her up. It was a rare opportunity, and her wrist accidentally touched her pulse, but the inspection made her whole body suddenly stiffen.

Then, he looked up in surprise, tears flashing in his eyes, and even the arm holding her began to tremble.

Concubine Xi also noticed that something was wrong with her and was about to ask her, but Ruyan had already helped her up.

"Girl, are you okay? You're wearing too little. You look cold."

"In that case, Ruyan, take the girl back to Cining Palace as soon as possible. The weather has been hot and cold recently. Don't catch a cold, little girl, take care of yourself!"

Qingxi wanted to say something, but Ruyan pulled her stiffly to kneel and salute.

Because she was afraid, afraid that if Qingxi stayed, she would have an uncontrollable emotional outburst.

Qingxi's reaction made Concubine Xi a little confused. Even Concubine Lan beside her looked at her back thoughtfully and asked.

"Sister Xi Fei, what happened to that little girl? Why did she get so scared when she saw us?"

At this point, he didn't forget to touch his face, "Are we getting old so fast? So fast that even this little girl doesn't dare to look at us?"

Concubine Xi smiled softly and patted Concubine Lan's hand: "You are the only one who knows how to joke. That little girl might really be scared, but she won't be scared by us. Let's go, Concubine Yun and Concubine Yi are still waiting for us, don't delay."

Although they were words of comfort, the moment Concubine Xi turned around, there seemed to be an unknown gleam in her eyes.

"Miss, what's wrong with you?"

After walking away, Ruyan looked at Qingxi anxiously, and as soon as she saw her, she lost her voice.

Because her condition was very bad, her tears fell like beads that had broken off the string.

Ruyan glanced at the eunuchs and palace maids behind her and immediately waved to them.

"You are no longer needed here. Miss Shangguan feels a little uncomfortable in her stomach and will be here soon. Please go back to the palace and report first."

"Yes, Aunt Ruyan."

As the eunuchs and palace maids left one after another, Ruyan pulled Qingxi to a corner and hurriedly took out a handkerchief to wipe her tears.

"Miss, no matter what happened, please be patient. Concubine Xi must have noticed something just now. If you really think she is strange, stay here tonight and take the opportunity to see her. But don't do this. What if someone notices something?"

Shangguan Qingxi looked up blankly and asked stupidly: "But, is it okay? Will she believe it?"

"Miss, you don't have to tell her the truth. Is there something wrong with her body? Can't you just treat her directly?"

Shangguan Qingxi's tears suddenly stopped, and she said dumbly: "I am really confused because of my concern. You are right. As long as her illness can be cured, there are many ways. It is not necessary to tell her. I am confused."

"I'm sorry, I just feel sorry for her. How could she put her body in this state?"

Ruyan sighed slightly, "When the second prince was five years old, he was pushed into the lake and almost couldn't be saved. Although he was rescued later, his mental state is not as good as before. The imperial physician said that his brain was damaged by fever."

"Although he is already seventeen years old, his intelligence is not as good as that of his peers. Concubine Xi is also very worried about the Second Prince."

"She has always been low-key, and she has moved around even less in the harem, and the emperor doesn't care about her much. If it weren't for the empress dowager's pity, who knows what life would have been like for Concubine Xi. Miss, is Concubine Xi's condition very bad?"

Shangguan Qingxi gently wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and said in a hoarse voice: "She has many symptoms, but fortunately, she is not at the end of her life and can still be cured. But the premise is that she has to cooperate. But I see that she seems to have no desire to live on in this life..."

"Everything depends on human effort, young lady. There is still a long way to go. Now, we should go to the Cining Palace. It will be bad if we are late."

Qingqing nodded, and Ruyan tidied up her appearance before walking towards the Cining Palace.

Perhaps it was because Shangguan Qingxi looked too pitiful, and she had such ability at such a young age, or perhaps it was because she had Wei family blood flowing in her body.

So when the Queen Mother saw her, she liked her very much. Not only did she reward her with a lot of things, but she also let her live in the Cining Palace because there were too many patients in the palace who needed treatment.

Such treatment is rare even among royal family members.

Although everyone knew why she entered the palace, it was still rare for someone to be praised so highly from the very beginning. Naturally, people from all sides who came to inquire about her became interested in her.

Others don’t know why this happened, but Ruyan knows it because she mentioned inadvertently that Du Yunge started studying medicine because of his poor health.

Shangguan Qingxi now looks like a sickly person, and such people usually get everyone's sympathy. The Queen Mother has been worshipping Buddha for many years, and has always felt guilty towards Du Yunge. She actually takes her seriously because of her love for her.

Qingxi was also very touched by this, and thought that she must take good care of the empress dowager's health while living here.

Her biggest motivation for staying was that she wanted to see Concubine Xi. Other people were not that important for the time being.

Compared to Concubine Xi, Wei Yuchen no longer has any appeal.

For someone, it would be absolutely easy to sneak into Concubine Xi's palace at night.

Because medical treatment requires the cooperation of the patient, she did not hide her voice and even woke up the sleeping Concubine Xi herself.

Even if she was calm, she was still scared when she suddenly saw a dark shadow in front of the bed in the middle of the night. Fortunately, Qingxi covered her mouth in time.

"Don't be afraid, Madam. I am Shangguan Qingxi. We met during the day."

Concubine Xi looked at her in confusion, and she did not hide it when she saw this.

"My lord, I'm sorry. I took your pulse without your permission during the day and learned that you were in very poor health."

"That's why I'm here tonight. My purpose is to treat you. I don't know if you are here for a long time."

Before Shangguan Qingxi finished her words, Concubine Xi pushed her hand away and looked at her coldly with a distant tone.

"What disease I have and how to treat it are the business of the imperial physician. You don't need to meddle in it, young lady."

"If you have nothing else to do, please leave immediately. This is not a place for you to stay for long."

"But Madam, your illness is quite complicated, and the imperial physician may not be able to..."

Before she could finish her words, Concubine Xi stood up. In the darkness, her eyes were blindingly cold.

"Miss, you are too confident. I have lived in the palace for many years and have some understanding of the level of the imperial physician. But what about you, young lady? Who are you?"

"Why should I believe you?"

"Also, I heard that you only have some opinions on gynecology. I don't have any discomfort in this area, so I don't need you to meddle in my business."

"I," Shangguan Qingxi was speechless. She opened her mouth but found that she couldn't utter a word.

It was not because she didn't dare, but because she couldn't. She could only look at Xiya with pleading eyes.

"I won't hurt you. Not only that, I will do my best to cure you."

"And Qingxi is not only good at gynecology, she also has experience in other areas. Why don't you let me have a try?"

"If Your Majesty doesn't like this method, I can ask the Queen Mother. Please believe that I can definitely cure your old illness."

"How dare you! I've already told you that I don't need you. Why are you still rushing to come here? What's your intention?"

"Although I have not been involved in worldly affairs for many years, I am not someone who can be bullied. There is no good or bad in the world without reason. All cause and effect relationships have reasons. Why?"

"Why are you so nice to me? I don't remember having any disputes with you or the Shangguan Mansion behind you."

Although Qingchu was very sad about Concubine Xi's questioning, ignorance is not a crime, and she had no reason to blame her.

But unfortunately, some things cannot be explained clearly in a few words.

Of course, she knew Xia's personality very well. If she didn't have a convincing reason, she would never accept her treatment.

If she didn't cooperate, she would have no way to continue.