Seeing him return safely, Xiao Wan’er didn’t avoid him as she usually did. She nodded slightly and said,

"I was indeed waiting for you."

Chen Yi’s heart stirred. ’It must be about Liu Jing’s death last night,’ he guessed, then said with a smile,

"Let’s talk inside. The rain’s coming down pretty hard. You’ll catch a chill."

Xiao Wan’er nodded and followed him into the wooden cabin, taking a seat in the main room.

Chen Yi didn’t press her for answers, instead going to fill a kettle and place it on a small stove to boil.

As the stove’s fire burned, Xiao Wan’er pulled her cloak tighter, her expression relaxing considerably.

"How is your brother?"

She had heard from Xiao Wuge why Li Huai’gu had come to their door, and now that her mind was at ease, she couldn’t help but ask.

Chen Yi pushed the stove a little closer to her. "He’s woken up."

"Ma Liangcai truly lives up to his name. He whipped up a prescription in no time, and my brother woke up right after drinking it."

"That’s good."

"If you accept Mr. Yue Ming’s invitation to Guiyun Academy, it shouldn’t affect the Medicine Hall’s business."

Chen Yi raised an eyebrow slightly. "Did you hear that from Wuge?"

Xiao Wan’er hummed in agreement. "What Advisor Li said was right. With your talent and learning, being a Shopkeeper at a Medicine Hall is truly a waste."

Seeing her earnest expression, Chen Yi thought for a moment and said, "I was still hesitating, but since you say so too, I’ll make a trip to Guiyun Academy tomorrow."

Hearing this, a smile appeared on Xiao Wan’er’s pale face. "Then why didn’t you agree right away when Second Sister came back?"

’That was then, this is now.’ Chen Yi gave a vague reply before looking at her and asking, "You were waiting for me outside earlier. Is something wrong?"

Xiao Wan’er met his eyes, then instinctively turned her head to look at the falling rain outside the window. She said in a low voice,

"I heard about something major this morning, so I thought I’d wait for you to get back and give you a heads-up."

"What is it?"

Xiao Wan’er lowered her head slightly, her expression unnatural as she replied,

"Actually, there’s something I didn’t tell you before. The Linglan Pavilion was backed by the Jing State Liu Family."

Chen Yi feigned surprise. "Is that so?"

"Yes, I heard it from my grandfather."

"The Liu Family set up Linglan Pavilion with the goal of crushing the Xiao Family Medicine Hall."

"With Linglan Pavilion closing down, the matter should have been over."

Xiao Wan’er paused, then said, "But unexpectedly, that man from the Jing State Liu Family... he died at home last night."

"Grandfather summoned me this morning and specifically instructed me... that until the matter is investigated, I... we all need to be careful."

"From now on, it’s best to have a Personal Guard with you if you leave the residence. And you absolutely must not ’get lost’ again like you did last night."

After listening, Chen Yi understood. ’She came all this way just because she was worried about me?’

At that thought, the smile on his face faded, and he nodded with a serious expression. "I’ll keep that in mind."

Xiao Wan’er glanced at him from the corner of her eye. Seeing that he didn’t seem to be reading too much into it, she relaxed and pointed, saying,

"The water, the water’s boiling."

Chen Yi gave her a deep look before closing the stove’s air vent and steeping two cups of tea.

One cup of green tea, and one of black tea.

Normally, one would drink cooling green tea in the summer, but due to her condition, Xiao Wan’er could only drink warm beverages.

Neither of them spoke again during the pause while the tea steeped.

The only sound was the PITTER-PATTER of rain from outside, striking the pond, the pavilion, and the roof tiles.

It wasn’t noisy, however. Instead, the atmosphere was quiet and warm.

A moment later, Chen Yi let out a light breath, raised his teacup, and took a sip.

The SLURP brought Xiao Wan’er back to her senses, and she too cupped her tea in both hands, taking small sips.

Due to her physical condition, she had never been sensitive to heat, even as a child.

Even freshly boiled water would cool rapidly upon contact with her skin, as if it had touched a block of ice. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

Thus, she finished the cup of hot tea quickly.

Chen Yi picked up the kettle, refilled her cup, and said with a smile, "Later, I’ll have Ma Liangcai come over to take a look at you and write a prescription."

He had wanted to do this for some time, but what with the Hidden Guard and the Hundred Herbs Hall, it had been delayed for a few days.

But upon hearing this, Xiao Wan’er shook her head. "It’s useless."

"My grandfather and father have found many renowned doctors to see me before, but none of them had any effect."

Chen Yi acted as if he hadn’t heard her. "This afternoon. I’ll have him come over."

While he couldn’t completely cure Xiao Wan’er’s Extreme Cold Body, he did have methods to alleviate it. At the very least, he could make her more comfortable.

Xiao Wan’er gave him a reproachful look but didn’t refuse his kind offer again.

The two then chatted idly for a while.

It was mostly Xiao Wan’er talking and Chen Yi listening.

The topic revolved mainly around the Medicine Hall’s business, including recent arrangements and the future selection of a new shopkeeper for Jishi Medicine Hall.

Chen Yi just told her not to worry about it for now.

Even if he went to Guiyun Academy to be an Instructor, he wouldn’t have to go every day, so temporarily continuing as the Medicine Hall’s Shopkeeper wouldn’t be an issue.

Besides, the news that Ma Liangcai had cured Chen Yunfan today was bound to spread.

With Ma Liangcai’s subpar Medical Skill, his cover would be blown sooner or later if Chen Yi wasn’t around.

Xiao Wan’er thought for a moment and nodded in agreement. The fact that Chen Yi seemed to care so much about the Medicine Hall appeared to lift her spirits.

It wasn’t until nearly noon that the two of them went to Jiaxing Garden for lunch.

「In the afternoon.」

After preparing the prescription for Xiao Wan’er, Chen Yi had one of the Armored Warriors in the residence bring Ma Liangcai over.

He also wrote a formal letter of introduction and had someone deliver it to Mr. Yue Ming at Guiyun Academy.

After all, Mr. Yue Ming was a great scholar renowned not just in Shu State but throughout Great Wei; certain proprieties had to be observed.

Soon, Ma Liangcai arrived, following the Armored Warrior.

Chen Yi, still using the same pretext involving Wang Ji, handed him a prescription.

Ma Liangcai looked at the prescription in his hand and trembled. "Shopkeeper, is... is this to treat a cold-related illness?"

Chen Yi shook his head and said flatly, "It only alleviates the symptoms."

Even so, Ma Liangcai was still shocked.

His Medical Skill might be lacking, but he wasn’t entirely ignorant.

The Extreme Cold Body was a legendary incurable condition. Forget a cure; even prescriptions that could alleviate it were rare.

And yet, he was holding one in his hand...

At that thought, Ma Liangcai couldn’t help but ask, "Shopkeeper, does Boss Wang really know some ’Elder Yao’?"

Chen Yi frowned slightly. "If there’s no Elder Yao, then where did your Medical Skill come from?"

"My apologies, Shopkeeper. I... I was just too surprised."

"Next time, remember to talk less and do more. If anyone asks, just attribute it all to Elder Yao."

"Understood, I understand."

Once Ma Liangcai had calmed down, Chen Yi took him to Jiaxing Garden.

This time was even simpler; he didn’t even have to take her pulse.

Ma Liangcai simply looked at Xiao Wan’er, then directly presented the prescription, saying with an air of nonchalant confidence,

"My master, Elder Yao, once passed down to me a prescription left from a previous dynasty. While it cannot cure the Eldest Miss’s condition, it is enough to alleviate it somewhat."

Watching this charlatan-like performance, Chen Yi silently gave him a thumbs-up.

Xiao Wan’er, however, was skeptical.

But after some gentle persuasion from Chen Yi, she agreed to give it a try and had Cui’er and Juan’er go brew the medicinal herbs.

Before long, Xiao Wan’er looked at the bowl in her hands, which contained a medicinal soup as vibrant as a flame, and hesitantly took a sip.

Instantly, a warm current spread through her chest and abdomen. The long-forgotten sensation of warmth left her slightly stunned.

She sat there, completely motionless.

Her reaction nearly scared Ma Liangcai to death; he thought there was something wrong with the medicinal soup.

Only Chen Yi kept smiling.

Using his Qi Observation Skill, he could see the black, cold qi on Xiao Wan’er’s body slowly dissipating.

Seeing this, Xiao Wuge couldn’t help but wave a hand in front of her eyes. "Sister, are you okay?"

Xiao Wan’er snapped out of it, her voice filled with joy. "It’s working. It’s really working."

With that, she drank the rest of the soup in one go. A hint of color even appeared on her pale face.

Seeing this, Ma Liangcai breathed a sigh of relief and quickly stood up to offer his congratulations.

Overjoyed, Xiao Wan’er was not stingy with her reward, telling Cui’er to lead him to the accountant to receive it.

After Ma Liangcai left, Xiao Wan’er’s face was not just flushed, but also faintly covered in a fine layer of sweat.

For her, this was a first-in-a-lifetime occurrence.

She touched her slightly feverish cheeks, a brilliant smile on her face. "Doctor Ma is truly a Divine Doctor."

Chen Yi said with a smile, "He did study under Elder Yao of Wumeng Mountain, after all."

"It’s not just you. My brother saw so many renowned doctors to no effect, but today, Old Ma went over, and he woke up after just one dose of medicine."

Beside them, Xiao Wuge, Juan’er, and the others were all naturally happy for her.

Perhaps she felt hot.

Despite the stormy weather, Xiao Wan’er actually undid her cloak.

Beneath it was a snow-white dress, yet its color still couldn’t compare to the crystalline fairness of her skin.

Just as Xiao Wan’er was about to speak, she noticed Chen Yi’s gaze and, forgetting what she was going to say, quickly pulled her cloak shut again.

Her face flushed as red as if it were on fire. "Um, it’s still a little cold."

Chen Yi suppressed a laugh. "Indeed. It’s better to keep it on."

"Ri-right..."

After joking around for a bit, Chen Yi reminded her to take her medicine on time, then left with Xiao Wuge for Spring Lotus Garden.

Xiao Wan’er watched them walk away, the heat on her face still refusing to subside.

She didn’t know if it was because of the medicine, or something else.

...

In this world, where there is joy for some, there is worry for others.

Li Huai’gu, who had just been feeling pleased about Chen Yunfan’s recovery, had been back at the Governor’s Office for only a moment before the smile vanished from his face.

Li Huai’gu looked at Right Governor Yang Ye, who was seated at his desk, and asked hesitantly,

"Sir, do I really have to go to the Three Towns to collect the grain tax from the Dingyuan Army?"

"Wasn’t Assistant Governor Chen supposed to go?"

A hint of helplessness appeared on Yang Ye’s aged face. "Left Envoy Liu came by at noon specifically to stress the importance of this matter."

"If Yunfan had woken up sooner, I might have been able to get you out of it, but now it’s difficult."

Li Huai’gu was still confused. "But why the rush? A one-month deadline?"

"And a twenty percent tax rate? Is... is that collecting at the maximum possible rate?"

Yang Ye was silent for a moment, then looked left and right before saying in a low voice, "Last night, the Sixth Young Master of the Jing State Liu Family died here in Shu State."

"I suspect that Left Envoy Liu’s current instructions are related to this."

Li Huai’gu’s expression changed slightly. "Are you saying he’s going to move against the Xiao..."

"Silence!"

Before he could finish, Yang Ye cut him off with a stern rebuke. "Fang Gui, some things are best kept to yourself. Be careful, walls have ears!"

Li Huai’gu quickly apologized. "My apologies, Sir."

Despite his words, he was inwardly shocked.

’So Left Envoy Liu is dead-set on making a move against the Xiao Family.’

’Over two million shi of grain, taxed at twenty percent... that’s roughly five hundred thousand shi of grain...’

’Regardless of how heavy a burden it is, it’s bound to displease both the Xiao Family and the Dingyuan Army.’

After a moment of silence, Yang Ye gave his instructions in a low voice, "In short, the implications of this matter are enormous. You must act with extreme caution."

"If it proves impossible, write back to me, and I will try to mediate."

Li Huai’gu stood, bowed, and expressed his thanks. "Thank you for your guidance, Sir."

Then, he said with some hesitation, "I would like to ask my teacher for his opinion. Would that be permissible?"

"Yue Ming? Yes, that’s a good idea."