Qi Yuan still had no idea what had happened in the palace.
By the time she returned to the capital, Xiao Yunting had already left the city.
Before departing, he had picked a large bouquet of blooming huaheling flowers and left them on her windowsill.
When she got home, the first thing she saw was that vibrant bouquet of huaheling.
As soon as she stepped in, Old Marquis Qi hurried to hand her a letter. “Yuan’er, His Highness left you this letter before he departed. Also, he left Liu Jin and Old Zhao behind—he said they’re to follow your orders for the time being.”
The Old Marquis couldn’t help but sigh. His Highness really did care deeply for his granddaughter.
He had left men behind just to help her manage after his departure from the capital.
No wonder Yuan’er had fallen for him. Anyone would.
Qi Yuan frowned, unsure how to feel.
But as she looked at the huaheling, her heart gradually calmed.
Heaven lets you uncover certain secrets—not to torment you, but to complete you.
There was no need for her to agonize over the present or fear the future. No experience in life is useless. As long as she kept walking forward, the sun would rise again.
She took the letter from the Old Marquis. When she opened it, she saw Xiao Yunting’s powerful, flowing handwriting.
So he was this talkative.
He told her to rein in her temper a bit, not to be too arrogant—he wasn’t in the capital to clean up her messes anymore.
He also said he’d picked her the finest bouquet of huaheling.
She suddenly remembered—in her past life, after receiving the crown princess’s wedding announcement between the Imperial Grandson and Feng Caiwei, she had stopped reading any letters sent from the capital by the Xie Camp.
He must have written many letters to her too. But she never replied.
And eventually, all he would have heard… was news of her death.
A storm churned in her heart, but after years of self-cultivation, her expression remained calm.
She quietly set the letter down, then suddenly asked the Old Marquis: “Do you know what’s been going on with the Feng family lately?”
Everything, in one way or another, was tied to Feng Caiwei.
The Old Marquis wasn’t sure why she asked, but thinking of the “phoenix fate” Feng Caiwei had recently been declared to have, he hesitated, then said, “There has indeed been news. His Majesty issued a marriage edict—Feng Caiwei is to wed the Nanan County Prince.”
The Nanan County Prince—Xiao Jingzhao.
Qi Yuan’s lips curved slightly.
Since Xiao Yunting had gone to kill Qi Wang, she’d take care of the hidden threats here in the capital.
The Old Marquis looked at her with concern. “Yuan’er… are you alright?”
He had the distinct feeling that something profound had happened during this trip.
She now gave off a dangerous aura—like a drawn sword ready to strike.
Qi Yuan smiled and shook her head. “I’m fine. I just figured out something that’s puzzled me for a long time.”
So now she had no more hesitations.
She would keep moving forward.
No matter what, no one would be able to stop her.
—
Far away in Jiangxi, Qi Wang’s leg had finally recovered.
He took a few tentative steps, then broke into a grin of pure joy.
He was healed!
He was finally healed!
Divine Physician Xue wiped the sweat from his brow and grumbled, “Your Highness, your leg is better now—can you let me go?”
Qi Wang had been an absolute nightmare to care for.
If anything went slightly wrong, he’d start yelling about executions and dragging people down with him.
Xue had long wanted to quit.
But Qi Wang had his people watching him constantly. Even when Qi Wang returned to the palace earlier, someone had been left to guard him closely.
He had no chance to escape—otherwise, he would’ve fled long ago.
Now that Qi Wang’s leg was nearly healed, Xue was growing impatient. “I’ve got to resume my travels, you know.”
But the smile vanished from Qi Wang’s face. After a pause, he slowly smiled again. “What’s the rush, Divine Physician? I heard there’s a doctor in Xunyang who’s a master at treating strange, rare illnesses. He even runs an herb clinic with unheard-of medicines. Don’t you want to see for yourself?”
Everyone gets sick or old eventually.
There was no way Qi Wang was letting Divine Physician Xue go.
He still needed him.
Divine Physician Xue’s eyes lit up instantly. “Really?!”
He leaned forward eagerly. “Then take me there!”
Qi Wang shot a look at Eunuch Xu, who quickly smiled and chimed in, “Of course, of course, Divine Physician! We’ll have someone escort you right away…”
Divine Physician Xue immediately forgot about leaving.
After getting him out of the room, Eunuch Xu returned and whispered, “Your Highness, news has arrived from the capital.”
Qi Wang couldn’t wait. “Bring it here! Let me see!”
He was dying to hear how the capital had been thrown into chaos.
Eunuch Xu obeyed at once, raising the letter above his head with both hands.
He was sure Qi Wang would react just like last time—grinning and cheering.
But to his shock, after reading the letter, Qi Wang’s face turned ashen.
He didn’t move for a long time.
Eunuch Xu’s heart dropped.
Before he could ask what was wrong, Qi Wang suddenly flipped the entire table in fury.
Everything on it clattered loudly to the floor.
Everyone in the room dropped to their knees in terror, not daring to breathe.
Why was His Highness so furious after reading the letter?
“Useless! All of them are useless!” Qi Wang’s face was red with rage, his eyes murderous. “A bunch of incompetents!”
Qiu Chuying had actually been struck dead by lightning!
Jiang Yanzhen had gone to the authorities himself, accusing Li Changqing of killing people to silence them—trying to cover up the use of Wushi San in alchemy.
Li Changqing’s whereabouts were now unknown. The entire capital had issued a warrant for his arrest.
A bunch of idiots! They’d ruined a perfect situation!
His chest hurt from the fury. With a loud crack, he slammed his fist into the bookshelf.
The room remained silent, no one daring to speak.
At that moment, one of Qi Wang’s guards knocked urgently at the door.
Already in a towering rage, he snapped, “What?!”
Eunuch Xu’s heart jumped to his throat.
The guard cautiously reported, “Your Highness, news from the capital—The court has dispatched an imperial envoy to investigate the flood disaster.”
Flood?
Qi Wang rubbed his temples, finally remembering the flood in Pingxiang.
Still fuming, he snorted. “Who’s the envoy?”
The guard hesitated, then softly replied, “Your Highness… it’s the Imperial Grandson.”
Qi Wang froze.
Then gave a cold chuckle.
Xiao Yunting?
He was coming to Jiangxi to inspect flood relief?
Was he really here for the flood—or for him?
Qi Wang knew. And he knew Xiao Yunting knew too.
Good.
Very good.
All the debts Xiao Yunting owed—it was time for him to pay up.
Qi Wang’s expression cooled. “If the imperial envoy has arrived, how could we not show proper hospitality? We must, of course, send him… a grand welcome gift.”
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