In the days that followed, Xin Jiuwei locked herself in her study, poring over the medical documents from the Northern Frontier that Xiao Xun had sent her, neglecting sleep and meals. The obscure medical records, drug names, and descriptions of injuries made her dizzy, but she forced herself to read through them word by word. She needed to know what medicine the Northern Frontier lacked most, which medicine was most effective for penetrating wounds, and how to prevent the wounds from festering and worsening... She extracted the useful information one by one and compiled it into a booklet.
Meanwhile, leveraging her status as the "sixth prince's prospective consort," she began using all the money available in Jingyuan, under the guise of "praying for the soldiers of the northern border and doing her utmost to help," to secretly scramble for supplies at major pharmacies in the capital. She specifically targeted medicinal herbs mentioned in official documents and scarce in the northern border: top-quality Panax notoginseng, Yunnan Baiyao, rhinoceros horn, old ginseng, as well as large quantities of strong liquor for wound cleaning and disinfection, and clean cotton bandages. The purchases were personally overseen by Xin Kui, proceeding with extreme caution and in batches to avoid being noticed by any parties.
Lin Wanyi's reply arrived quickly, unexpectedly substantial. Without any formalities, she directly enclosed three prescriptions: one a decoction specifically for severe penetrating wounds, used to strengthen the body and stop bleeding; another a plaster for external application to draw out toxins and promote tissue regeneration; and the third an emergency powder to prevent wound ulceration and persistent high fever. Each prescription detailed the proportions of the herbs, the method of preparation, and contraindications. The letter ended with only one line of cold, clear handwriting: "Some of the herbs have been enclosed. The remainder will be procured to the best of my ability and delivered within three days. Take care."
Along with the letter came a small brocade box containing several packets of prepared emergency medicine and slices of extremely precious medicinal herbs. Holding the still-wet ink prescriptions and the box, Xin Jiuwei felt as if she were clutching a lifeline, her eyes welling up again. Lin Wanyi… she would remember this act of kindness in her time of need!
She immediately compared Lin Wanyi's prescription with her own list of medicinal herbs, checking for any omissions or errors. Then, she carefully packed all the medicinal herbs she had secretly purchased, along with the precious medicinal powder Lin Wanyi had sent, into sturdy little packages, categorizing them and wrapping them carefully in oil paper and waterproof cowhide.
By the time she finished, it was late at night. Xin Jiuwei was exhausted, but looking at the dozen or so packages piled up in the corner, she felt a little more at ease. This was the limit of what she could do.
She unfolded the letter paper and picked up her pen to write to her brother. Her pen trembled, a thousand words stuck in her chest, ultimately turning into the simplest of instructions: "Brother, bring the medicine and prescription. Trust Miss Lin's prescription and follow the doctor's orders. Take good care of yourself and look forward to your return. Your sister, Wei."
She folded the letter and placed it in a specially made waterproof bamboo tube. Then, she summoned Youye.
You Ye looked at the pile of packages in the corner of the study, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.
“Guard You,” Xin Jiuwei’s voice was weary but exceptionally clear, “I would like to ask you to use His Highness’s connections to send these medicinal herbs and prescriptions, as well as this letter, to the Northern Border Camp as quickly as possible and deliver them to my brother, Xin Yunzhou.” She solemnly placed the bamboo tube containing the letter on top of the package.
You Ye didn't ask any further questions, and bowed, replying, "Your Highness has given the order that the northern border passage is ready at any time. I will go and carry it out immediately, and deliver it at the fastest speed possible!"
Watching You Ye direct the guards to carefully carry the package away, Xin Jiuwei's tense nerves finally relaxed slightly. She leaned on the edge of the table, her body swaying slightly. The exhaustion and immense mental pressure of the past few days had long exceeded her limits.
"Miss, please go and rest!" Xin Kui said, supporting her with concern.
Xin Jiuwei shook her head, her gaze fixed on the deep night outside the window. The medicine had been delivered; now, all that remained was to wait. Wait for news from the Northern Border, wait for her brother's fate… This wait was more agonizing than any battle.
Time seemed to crawl by in the agonizing wait. Xin Jiuwei forced herself to deal with the mundane affairs of Jingyuan and to peruse the Northern Border military reports, but she couldn't concentrate on a single word. She often sat by the window for hours on end, gazing blankly at the northern sky.
No further news came from Xiao Xun's side. You Ye still came every day, but no longer mentioned the Northern Border, only reporting on trivial matters. Xin Jiuwei knew he was waiting, waiting for news from the Northern Border, and also waiting for... her reaction.
Five days later, an unexpected visitor broke the silence of Jingyuan Garden—the old lady of the Marquis of Zhongyong.
The old lady remained remarkably spry, though a lingering worry lingered between her brows. She dismissed those around her, took Xin Jiuwei's hand, and asked softly, "Child, I've heard some rumors about your brother. Are you... alright?"
Xin Jiuwei felt a warmth in her heart, and her nose tingled with emotion. In this cold capital, the old lady was the only person who genuinely cared for her. "Aunt..." her voice choked, forcing back tears, "I'm alright. His Highness... His Highness has sent people to do everything in his power to treat my brother, and the medicine and prescription have been sent over."
The old lady gently patted the back of her hand, her eyes full of pity: "Good child, you've suffered. Yunzhou is a lucky child, he will surely be safe." She paused, looked at Xin Jiuwei's pale and haggard face, and said softly with a hint of meaning: "I came here today on someone's behalf."
Xin Jiuwei looked at her with a puzzled expression.
“It’s Miss Wanyi from Judge Lin’s family.” The old lady lowered her voice. “That girl has a cold exterior but a warm heart. In the prescription she made for your brother, there are several extremely rare ingredients, one of which is ‘Nine Deaths Resurrection Grass,’ which only grows in the extremely cold and dangerous northern border and cannot be found in ordinary pharmacies. She knew you were extremely worried, but it was inconvenient for her to personally go out and search extensively for it, so she asked me to send you the last bit of the treasured herb in the manor.” As the old lady spoke, she took out a jade box, no bigger than a thumb, wrapped in layers of silk handkerchiefs, from her sleeve.
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