Tie Xiong stood to the side, watching this scene, and frowned: "What? Do you look down on me now?"
Zhou Wan raised her head and looked at Tie Xiong with tenderness in her eyes: "How could I possibly look down on you? You're not a child anymore, why are you saying such things?"
Xu Yuehuai stood to the side, smiling as she watched the family of three. She walked over and patted Tie Chunsheng on the shoulder: "Chunsheng, why don't you stay here and spend some time with your parents?"
Tie Chunsheng said, "Alright, Grandma, you should go and rest too."
Just as Xu Yuehuai was about to say yes, Qi Zixin suddenly came skipping over, followed by a group of maids and servants.
"Mother—!" Qi Zixin jumped directly into Xu Yuehuai's arms.
"Wow! Zixin, I didn't expect you to have gained so much weight." Xu Yuehuai felt like he could barely carry her anymore.
"Mother, how could you say that about Zixin?" Qi Zixin pouted, her eyes darting around, looking very cute and charming.
"Okay, it's all my fault. You're still as adorable as ever."
"Hehe, Mother is just as beautiful as before!"
Qi Zixin rubbed against Xu Yuehuai, but then she saw Qi Ziang next to her. So, she jumped down and ran to pester Qi Ziang.
"Brother, you bad brother, and Chunsheng is a big bad guy too!" Qi Zixin's little face was puffed up with anger. "Why didn't you two take me with you when you went out? Do you know how bored I am at home alone?"
Qi Ziang quickly replied, "You're not the only one in the family; there are other uncles and aunts too."
"Ha, you guys just think I'm too young and don't want to take me with you." Qi Zixin crossed her arms and kicked hard with her feet.
Qi Ziang and Tie Chunsheng shook their heads with smiles, and then kept persuading her, coaxing her for a while before they finally cheered her up.
Afterwards, Xu Yuehuai chatted with everyone for a while before going to visit Jiang Shichen. Jiang Shichen's official position in the palace had been rising higher and higher recently, and he had become increasingly busy.
"Shi Chen, how have you been lately?" Xu Yuehuai asked with concern.
Jiang Shichen raised his head, looked at Xu Yuehuai, and a trace of weariness flashed in his eyes: "Grandma, I'm fine. It's just that things in the court are getting more and more complicated, and I have to work even harder."
Xu Yuehuai sighed: "I know that things in the court are not as peaceful as they seem on the surface. But you must take care of your health and not overwork yourself."
Jiang Shichen nodded: "Grandma, I know. But I want to try harder and do more for our Great Zhou Kingdom."
Xu Yuehuai patted Jiang Shichen on the shoulder: "I know how you feel. But this matter needs to be done slowly, we can't rush it. Your grandfather and the others have been working hard behind the scenes, we have to trust them."
After chatting for a while, Xu Yuehuai left Jiang Shichen's residence. As she walked down the corridor of the Prince's Mansion, she was filled with mixed emotions.
The night was as dark as ink, and the only sound around the silent palace was the occasional footsteps of a few patrolling soldiers. Xu Yuehuai stood at the palace gate, clutching the token that symbolized the Regent's privileges tightly in her hand, her eyes filled with worry and anxiety.
"Why isn't Aze back yet?" Xu Yuehua muttered to herself, her brows furrowing slightly as her fingers unconsciously rubbed the token.
Just as she was about to lose her composure and send someone to the palace again to inquire, a familiar figure emerged from the depths of the palace.
It was Qi Guze. His face was somewhat solemn as his gaze swept across the crowd before finally settling on Xu Yuehuai.
"Aze!" Xu Yuehuai hurried forward, her voice full of concern, "What did you talk about with the Emperor? Why did you talk for so long?"
Qi Guze nodded slightly, his gaze lingering on Xu Yuehuai's face for a moment before he said in a low voice, "Let's talk about it when we get back."
As night fell, a carriage slowly drove out of the palace, heading towards the Regent's Palace. Inside the carriage, Xu Yuehuai and Qi Guze sat facing each other, both with somber expressions on their faces.
"Can you tell me now?" Xu Yuehuai finally broke the silence.
Qi Guze nodded, his voice low and serious: "The box we had rushed back last time actually contained poison. Hanlin almost fell victim to it. Fortunately, she had several experts protecting her, but the poisonous smoke destroyed the entire secret chamber, and it still can't be removed."
Xu Yuehuai's face turned pale instantly. She gripped Qi Guze's hand tightly: "It's gotten this serious. What should we do?"
Qi Guze took a deep breath: "I've already sent out the coded message to ask the Ghost Doctor to come back. His medical skills are superb; perhaps he can come up with a way to remove the poisonous smoke."
Xu Yuehuai leaned against Qi Guze's chest, her heart filled with trepidation and unease. She knew that this matter was no small thing, and if handled improperly, the consequences would be unimaginable.
Time seemed to slow down dramatically at that moment, each second agonizing. Xu Yuehuai and Qi Guze anxiously awaited news from the Ghost Doctor in the secret room of the study.
"Why hasn't the Ghost Doctor returned yet?" Xu Yuehuai's voice was tinged with anxiety.
Qi Guze patted her shoulder: "Don't worry, I've already sent out the coded message, he should be back soon."
However, as time ticked by, they still received no news from the Ghost Doctor. Xu Yuehuai grew increasingly uneasy; her brows furrowed, and she twisted the hem of her clothes with her hands.
Just when the two were about to give up hope, a figure suddenly appeared at the door.
He's a ghost doctor!
He still maintained his nonchalant demeanor, a faint smile on his face.
"So, Your Highness, you care about me quite a bit." The Ghost Doctor's voice carried a hint of teasing.
Xu Yuehuai suddenly stood up, her face beaming with joy: "You're finally back! Quickly, see if you can clear away this poisonous smoke!"
The Ghost Doctor nodded, then followed them through the secret passage into the palace. He walked to the entrance of the secret chamber and carefully examined the traces of poisonous smoke. A solemn expression appeared on his face, his brows furrowed.
“This poisonous smoke is indeed troublesome,” the Ghost Doctor said in a deep voice, “but don’t worry, I will find a way.”
Xu Yuehuai and Qi Guze exchanged a glance, both showing expressions of relief. They knew that as long as the Ghost Doctor was there, everything would be resolved quickly.
In the days that followed, the atmosphere within the palace grew increasingly tense. The threat of the poisonous smoke hung like a time bomb in everyone's hearts. The Ghost Doctor, this physician who usually seemed like a carefree hermit, now acted like a warrior, completely focused on the battle to find an antidote.
"The composition of this poisonous smoke is extremely complex. We must study it carefully and find its weakness." The Ghost Doctor said, while carefully examining the medicinal herbs in his hand. His brows were furrowed, clearly indicating that this was no easy task.
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