In Prince Yi's royal residence, Yue Ning frowned deeply as she gazed into Yan Ze's clear eyes. "Why is there still no sight? Third Brother's eyes seem more vibrant than before, looking no different from a normal person's, yet he still cannot see..."
Qin Guan and Sun Muqing were writing a new prescription nearby. Hearing this, Qin Guan looked over, her brow slightly furrowed.
Incense smoke curled from the burner in the corner of the room, yet Qin Guan felt unsettled. "I believe this prescription is correct, but I don't understand why His Highness still cannot see."
Sun Muqing also wore a troubled expression. "Should we continue with this formula or..."
After a moment's thought, Qin Guan sighed. "Let's continue with this prescription. We haven't found a better one. Overly potent medicine could do more harm than good. This formula has warming and stasis-resolving properties. We'll observe the effects after another dose."
Sun Muqing nodded, then added, "I actually think the crucial part of the treatment from now on will rely on Your Ladyship's needle therapy."
Qin Guan looked at Sun Muqing, who explained, "Since the Crown Prince still cannot see, I suspect it may be a meridian issue. Medication might not be very effective anymore."
Yue Ning overheard their conversation and immediately stepped forward. "Shall we perform needle therapy now?"
Though Qin Guan had her acupuncture tools with her, she felt somewhat uncertain. Yet Yue Ning took two steps closer. "Qin Guan, I trust you. You're the only one who can heal Third Brother's eyes now. Shall we proceed as before?"
Reluctantly, Qin Guan had Yan Ze lie down in the inner chamber.
The area around the eyes contains numerous meridians and is highly sensitive. Each needle therapy session inevitably caused Yan Zhe pain. As usual, Qin Guan first applied medicated gauze to his eyes, waiting a moment before inserting the needles. Though Yan Ze showed no reaction when the needles went in, soon a fine sweat appeared on his forehead.
"Does it hurt, Your Highness?"
The corner of Yan Ze's mouth twitched slightly. "It's fine, just some sensation."
Observing the perspiration on Yan Ze's forehead, a thoughtful expression flashed in Qin Guan's eyes, but she said nothing and continued with the procedure as usual.
By the time the needle therapy concluded, a full cup of tea's time had passed. Yan Ze's forehead was noticeably more damp with sweat than in previous sessions, leaving Qin Guan deep in thought.
Yue Ning entered the inner chamber quietly and called out softly when she saw Qin Guan lost in contemplation. Qin Guan snapped out of her reverie and looked down to see Yan Ze with his eyes closed as if asleep. She gestured toward the outside, indicating she would step out first, while Yue Ning remained to keep Yan Ze company.
Emerging from the inner chamber, she found Sun Muqing transcribing the prescription outside. He immediately stood upon seeing her. "Your Ladyship, how did it go?"
Qin Guan hesitated for a moment before shaking her head. "The same as before."
Sun Muqing nodded and resumed copying the prescription. When he finished, his expression suddenly changed as he glanced around. With only the two of them present outside, and two days having passed since their last meeting, he couldn't help but approach and whisper, "Your Ladyship, has there been any progress regarding the cemetery matter..."
Qin Guan remained calmer than Sun Muqing, responding quietly, "We should have news within a couple of days. I'll send word as soon as we do. Have you been staying at Shen... at your residence these days?"
Sun Muqing nodded. "Yes. Since the Crown Prince is no longer in critical condition, I've moved back there."
Qin Guan understood. "That's good. I'll send someone to find you when the time comes."Sun Muqing nodded, "I truly thank you, Princess. Without you, this wish of mine would likely remain just a thought, and might even have brought me trouble."
Qin Guan felt a pang of discomfort in her heart. "Your junior apprentice sister must be deeply grateful to you. You've done what she ought to have done."
"Ah," Sun Muqing sighed heavily. "What does any of this matter now that she's gone? I've organized all those things and will bring most of them with me. Once this matter is settled, I can finally put it to rest in my heart."
Qin Guan wanted to say more words of gratitude, but they stuck in her throat. What right did she have to speak them now?
After exchanging a few more words, Sun Muqing, mindful that they were in Prince Yi's residence, shifted the conversation back to Yan Ze's illness. Before long, Yue Ning's voice came from inside - Yan Ze had awakened.
Qin Guan entered the inner chamber to find Yan Ze sitting up with his eyes open. She approached him and raised her hand to examine his eyes, leaning in extremely close to observe his pupils. This time, she looked longer than ever before. Yue Ning asked suspiciously from the side, "What's wrong? Is there a problem?"
Qin Guan straightened up and shook her head. "Nothing apparent for now. Let's continue with the medicine."
Yue Ning nodded and reached for the medicated gauze, but Qin Guan raised her hand to stop him. "Not that for now."
Puzzled, Yue Ning watched as Qin Guan pointed toward the sky outside. "Let His Highness' eyes see more of the daylight."
Yue Ning made an understanding sound and didn't proceed further. After completing the needle therapy, the group moved from the inner chamber to sit in the outer flower hall. The season had turned cold, and precious chrysanthemums were arranged in pots outside the hall. Qin Guan's gaze swept over them before she suddenly said, "I previously heard the Crown Prince mention that Princess Consort Yi also came from Medicine King Valley. May I ask what she specialized in?"
At this question, Yue Ning immediately froze.
Princess Consort Yi had passed away years ago, and under normal circumstances, no one would bring her up voluntarily, mostly for fear of upsetting Yan Ze.
Yet Qin Guan had asked anyway. Yue Ning blinked at Qin Guan, but Qin Guan was looking at Yan Ze.
However, Yan Ze's face remained completely calm, even smiling slightly as he said, "That I don't know. Father would probably know. My mother was deeply devoted to the medical Path back then, so she likely studied everything. When I began learning characters, I even read through her medical texts - they covered numerous categories."
Yan Ze spoke these words with perfect composure. Qin Guan nodded, then turned to Sun Muqing. "Young Master Sun, do you know who the Princess Consort studied under previously?"
Sun Muqing thought for a moment, somewhat bewildered. "It should have been one of the grandmaster's disciples. The Princess Consort was considered an external disciple of Medicine King Valley. There were many such disciples back then. I only learned of this connection when I met the Crown Prince at Medicine King Valley. As for who exactly she studied under, I never asked."
Yue Ning asked, "Why do you ask about this?"
Qin Guan replied without changing expression, "It seems both of us have reached an impasse. I was thinking that since the Princess Consort was also highly skilled in medicine, if it were her, how would she treat His Highness' eye condition..."
Yue Ning glanced worriedly at Yan Ze, as if afraid he might be saddened.
But Yan Ze said, "My mother was indeed highly skilled in medicine. It was she who saved the Emperor when he was nearly lost to us."Yan Ze not only felt no sorrow, but actively brought up the past. Qin Guan’s attention was immediately captured. Though Yan Ze could not see, he seemed to sense that everyone was watching him, waiting for him to continue. He went on, "Back then, when the Emperor was rescued from the mountain of corpses and sea of blood, he suffered countless wounds from blades, swords, and burns due to the fire at Wind Thunder Ridge. Even his face was severely burned. Fortunately, my mother’s medical skills were exceptional. Not only did she save the Emperor’s life, but after his wounds healed, no obvious scars remained. If not for that, it might have damaged the dignity of the imperial family."
Although the Emperor was favored by the late Emperor back then, there was an unwritten rule in the royal family: unless necessary, princes with disabilities were rarely established as the Heir Apparent. If the Emperor had been left with disabilities or facial disfigurement back then, the matter of succession would likely not have proceeded so smoothly.
"So that’s how it was. I never imagined the princess consort’s medical skills were so remarkable."
Qin Guan sighed, her words sincere. It was no easy feat to treat burns without leaving scars—even she might not have been able to achieve it.
Yan Ze curved his lips into a smile. "Although my mother was a lady of the capital, she never aspired to marry into a noble family. If not for my father happening to be my maternal grandfather’s student, she might have chosen to marry an ordinary man…"
Yan Ze’s tone was tinged with nostalgia. Beside him, Sun Muqing couldn’t help but ask, "What happened afterward? What illness did the princess consort pass away from?"
Yan Ze froze for a moment upon hearing this, then smiled bitterly. "I’m not entirely sure about that either. Those who heal others often cannot heal themselves—perhaps that is one of life’s greatest ironies. I was very young when my mother passed away, and my memories of it are unclear."
Sun Muqing sighed. "What a pity indeed."
As if sensing the heaviness of the topic, Yue Ning quickly interjected, "Shall we enter the palace tomorrow to accompany the Empress Dowager? We didn’t go today because of your medical examination—the Empress Dowager might feel unaccustomed to it…"
In recent days, Yan Ze and Yue Ning had been entering the palace daily. Besides playing chess with the Empress Dowager, they would reminisce with her about the past, which had greatly lifted her spirits.
"Tomorrow… we probably should. I had thought of having my father accompany Her Majesty, but he has been preoccupied with alchemy these past few days. Her Majesty hasn’t indulged in such leisurely pursuits for many years, and these days she seems unable to put down the chessboard. If we don’t go, she’ll have no one to play with."
Yue Ning suggested, "Couldn’t she play with the Emperor? Wasn’t he once deeply devoted to the Path of chess?"
Yan Ze looked troubled at this. "Strangely enough, the Emperor seems to have lost interest in chess in recent years. When my father brought him the Precious Intricate Chess Game manual earlier, he handed it over to the Empress Dowager without even looking at it and never asked for it back. I heard from the young eunuchs at Chongzheng Hall that the Emperor hasn’t played chess for years."
Yue Ning raised an eyebrow. "Perhaps state affairs keep him too occupied…"
Yan Ze neither agreed nor disagreed. As Qin Guan listened to their conversation, she recalled the earlier exchange between the Empress Dowager and the Grand Princess. An inexplicable sense of unease stirred within her, as though something was amiss, yet she couldn’t quite grasp what it was.
By the time the medical examination concluded, it was already late. Qin Guan soon prepared to take her leave. Even after stepping out of Prince Yi’s royal residence, Yan Ze’s words lingered in her thoughts.Back then, Yan Huai had suffered so much because of his brother's rebellion. If it were her, she probably wouldn't be able to let it go either. Yet now Yan Li still obtained a noble title—this was enough to demonstrate Yan Huai's tolerance and magnanimity. But... Qin Guan frowned deeply. If Yan Huai could be so forgiving toward Yan Li and his mother, then how could something have happened to Prince Rui's household?
Although Yan Chi hadn't stated it explicitly, it was clear who had given the orders to the Qianzhou military commander. The emperor was likely involved in Prince Rui's affairs. If Yan Huai could even forgive something as serious as rebellion, why couldn't he forgive Prince Rui, who had been loyal and dutiful all these years? This truly defied logic.
Qin Guan wasn't a ruler, so she couldn't fully comprehend a ruler's mindset. Yet this thought, along with Yan Ze's words, gave her a strange and inexplicable sense of dissonance. She always needed reasoning behind actions, but Yan Huai's behavior seemed unreasonable.
Qin Guan went straight back to the marquis' residence. These chaotic thoughts made her vaguely uneasy. When she returned to Pine Breeze Courtyard, she suddenly remembered the wooden hairpin that Princess Consort Gong had given her before. Her heart stirred slightly, and she hurried to find the hairpin. She had never actually worn it after accepting it. Previously, she hadn't known the hairpin's origin, but after hearing what the Empress Dowager and Grand Princess said last time, she realized this hairpin was most likely from Prince Gong himself.
When she retrieved the hairpin from her dowry, Qin Guan became even more certain of this speculation. The hairpin had clearly been worn for many years, and there was a tiny flaw in the carving on it. If the dignified Princess Consort Gong had purchased this hairpin, why would she buy one with a flaw?
But if it was a gift... whose gift would she wear for so many years?
The answer was on the tip of her tongue. Qin Guan couldn't help but carefully examine the characters carved on it. The writing had somewhat faded, but one could still see the powerful, vigorous strokes. Qin Guan could imagine that the impatient, martial-arts-loving Prince Gong, who could even forge his own swords, must have been a man of boundless ambition. It was precisely because of this that his subsequent rebellion occurred. However, the victor becomes king, the loser becomes an outlaw. He not only caused his own death and the deaths of his soldiers at Wind Thunder Ridge but also brought suffering upon Yan Li and his mother.
Qin Guan sighed and placed the hairpin back into her dowry.
She had thought that Han Laobo would need several days to arrange the burial site matters, but to her surprise, early the next morning, a clerk from Han Dong's shop came to report that the task had been completed. Overjoyed, Qin Guan originally planned to go to the palace but changed her path to head toward the Qin residence where Han Laobo lived.
This wasn't a trivial matter. Qin Guan wanted to handle it with utmost care, even if the final tombstone would bear no name.
Arriving at the Qin residence, Han Laobo was somewhat surprised. "Miss, why have you come in person?"
Qin Guan could only restrain her emotions. "I came to ask about the arrangements. After all, a burial site is no small matter."
Han Laobo smiled. "Don't worry. The site isn't at Qiwu Mountain but in a forest north of it. The place was originally a tea field, but since you mentioned needing good feng shui, I had someone purchase that tea field. The Taoist priest we invited has already selected the spot. The tomb can be excavated today, tidied up tomorrow, and we can go outside the city to build the burial mound the day after. Please discuss with your friend and decide when would be suitable to go."Qin Guan pondered briefly, "I'll need to inquire about this, but it should be settled within the next few days. I'll notify you once I receive a response."
With this settled, Qin Guan felt somewhat reassured. Since she was originally heading to the palace, she decided to first enter the palace and then seek out Sun Muqing to discuss the timing. After leaving the Qin residence, she boarded her carriage and headed straight for the palace gates. Just as they approached the gates, she redirected the carriage to the Ministry of Justice offices—she needed to inform Yan Chi about this matter as soon as possible.
Thinking of Yan Chi's reaction when he learned the whole truth, Qin Guan's lips curved into a faint smile.
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