Xie Yunhuai must have encountered misfortune.
Today was the scheduled day for him to revisit Shen Xihe for a follow-up consultation. Even if Xie Yunhuai had urgent business requiring him to leave the capital temporarily, he would have certainly sent someone to inform her. This complete disappearance without a trace was utterly unlike his usual conduct.
Shen Xihe personally went to Xie Yunhuai’s residence—a humble cottage with a fenced yard, earthen walls, and a thatched roof. A path of smoothly polished stones wound through the center, flanked by flower beds blooming with various plants.
Medicinal herbs were drying in the yard, mixed with withered leaves that had fallen at some unknown time. Shen Xihe pushed open the door to find the interior neat and orderly, though a layer of dust had indeed settled on the table. In the kitchen, there were numerous ingredients—rotted vegetable leaves and glutinous rice that had been soaked but had since molded and soured.
He had clearly been missing for three days. Three days prior, he must have intended to prepare these ingredients for a meal but was interrupted and left for some reason. There were no signs of a struggle in the house. His medical kit was missing, strongly suggesting he had left for an initial consultation, likely an emergency one.
“He possesses remarkable martial skills and profound medical knowledge. An ordinary person couldn’t easily ambush him,” Shen Xihe murmured, lowering her gaze. “He wouldn’t readily treat someone he didn’t know well. So, before he started preparing the evening meal, someone he knew must have come for him, and he left with that person.”
“Your Highness, I inquired with the city gate guards. Someone saw Doctor Qi entering the city three days ago at 3:45 p.m., accompanied by another person whom the guard didn’t recognize,” Mo Yuan reported upon rushing back.
The capital was a place of outstanding talent, but Xie Yunhuai, with his extraordinary demeanor and profession as a physician, lived outside the city and made several trips in and out daily. Over the months, every guard at the city gates had come to recognize him.
“Did that person have any distinctive features?” Shen Xihe asked.
“The guard only glanced at him and said his attire resembled that of a servant from a noble household in the capital,” Mo Yuan replied, having conducted a detailed inquiry but uncovering no other useful information.
The capital was home to numerous influential families—the imperial clan, nobles, prestigious lineages, and esteemed scholars—each with distinct preferences. Servants typically wore uniforms provided by their households for all seasons. The imperial household, needless to say, often employed eunuchs and guards who customarily carried swords.
Nobles, many of whom had earned their titles through military achievements, leaned toward martial traditions. Their servants usually wore tight sleeves. Servants of prestigious families wore narrow sleeves but with a slightly more refined appearance, while those of scholarly households dressed more plainly.
The gate guards encountered a wide variety of people annually and had developed an intuitive sense for judging individuals’ backgrounds.
“Send people to investigate whether any ducal, marquis, or count households urgently sought a physician in the past five days,” Shen Xihe instructed, her eyes narrowing slightly. She left Xie Yunhuai’s residence and returned to the Princess Manor. By the time she arrived, Mo Yuan had already gathered the information she needed.
In the capital, there were only four dukes, five marquises, and seven counts—sixteen noble households in total. The investigation revealed that while some had summoned physicians, none had an urgent need for one, and none had submitted requests to the Imperial Hospital.
If a noble household faced a critical illness that ordinary doctors couldn’t treat, they would inevitably seek physicians from the Imperial Hospital. Only if the Imperial Hospital was also helpless would they desperately turn to privately acclaimed physicians as a last resort.
“I know who it is,” Shen Xihe said, gazing in the direction of Chongyi Street—where the Xie Duke Manor stood.
“Has Duke Xie detained Doctor Qi?” Biyu exclaimed in shock. “Would Duke Xie harm him?”
Shen Xihe remained silent as she returned to her room, sinking into deep thought before speaking: “He is too clever. If Duke Xie intended to harm him, he would never have gone to the Xie Duke Manor.”"Could it be that Doctor Qi was unaware and was framed by Duke Xie?" Hongyu was also quite worried about Xie Yunhuai. Without Xie Yunhuai, Shen Xihe wouldn't have recovered.
Shen Xihe shook her head slightly.
Xie Yunhuai had returned this time precisely to seek justice for his deceased mother. He was certainly monitoring every move of Duke Xie's residence and would absolutely not be easily calculated against by Duke Xie.
The events of that year had been executed flawlessly by Duke Xie. Xie Yunhuai couldn't possibly have obtained evidence. If Duke Xie had truly intended to kill Xie Yunhuai, he wouldn't have waited until now. Moreover, Xie Yunhuai had been in the capital for so long—if there was any intent to kill him, there would be no reason to delay until now.
"He must have gone to Duke Xie's residence willingly, and he even brought his medicine chest," Shen Xihe found this particularly contradictory.
Xie Yunhuai would treat the Yuan family's daughter but would never treat anyone from the Xie family. If he went to administer poison, that was even more impossible, as any poisoning deaths in the Xie family would immediately cast suspicion on him. Yet he went, and with his medicine chest, clearly indicating he was there for an initial medical consultation. Something flickered through Shen Xihe's mind, but she couldn't grasp it.
Seeing Shen Xihe frowning in deep thought for a long time, Zhenzhu handed over a delivered letter: "Your Highness, a message from the Living-Alone Pavilion."
Shen Xihe took it, unfolded it, and abruptly stood up.
Someone had purchased the medicinal ingredients Xun Wang needed, and in large quantities at that. They had been acquired from several different pharmacies, with several different prescriptions, each containing these specific ingredients. The people tracking them had lost them, and Shen Xihe read aloud the locations where they were lost. Some seemed far from Chongyi Street but were actually quite close.
Sketching a mental map of the routes around Duke Xie's residence, Shen Xihe realized these locations were all extremely close to Duke Xie's residence.
"I understand now—he was taken by Duke Xie to treat someone else!" Shen Xihe's gaze darkened. She stood and went to the kitchen, directing Hongyu and others to help prepare some ginkgo pastries.
Inspired by Xiao Huayong's ginkgo tea, she had mentioned it to Hongyu, who then experimented and created a type of ginkgo pastry.
After tasting it, Shen Xihe found the flavor quite excellent and had originally intended to share it with Xiao Huayong.
"Hongyu, deliver the ginkgo pastries to the Eastern Palace. You must personally inform the Crown Prince about Xun Wang hiding in Duke Xie's residence," Shen Xihe instructed in a low voice.
With Xie Yunhuai in Xun Wang's hands, Shen Xihe had to proceed with caution.
After instructing Hongyu, Shen Xihe had Biyu send an invitation to Duchess Yuan, wife of Duke Xie, and then freshened up her own appearance.
"Your Highness, Duchess Yuan says she has been unwell recently and cannot receive you. She will extend an invitation to apologize after she recovers," Biyu returned quickly, accompanied by Duchess Yuan's personal maid.
Shen Xihe smiled faintly: "Sending the invitation was merely giving her some face."
Without a glance at Duchess Yuan's maid, Shen Xihe picked up Duanming and boarded the carriage, heading directly to Duke Xie's residence.
The gates of Duke Xie's residence were knocked open. The servants, seeing Shen Xihe, naturally didn't dare leave her waiting outside. Once Shen Xihe entered, Duanming jumped down from her arms.
"Biyu, Moyu, don't let it run around wildly," Shen Xihe picked up her tea, lightly lifted the lid, and calmly instructed.
Biyu and Moyu understood and went to chase Duanming. Although the princess's cat was ugly, the servants of Duke Xie's residence didn't dare use force. Moreover, Duanming was arrogant and aggressive, scratching anyone unfamiliar with its sharp claws. Shen Xihe never trimmed its claws, nor did she keep it confined like other noble ladies did with their cats.Shen Xihe would drive Duanming outside to forage for food, lest it lose its instincts, so each swipe of its claws would inevitably tear flesh and draw blood.
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