She said she was going to visit the Marquis’s estate, but when someone from the estate actually came to invite her, Feng Lezhen refused to see them.
“They didn’t even send a proper visiting card. How rude,” she said regretfully.
Fan Gonggong understood immediately. “This old servant will go send them away.”
Feng Lezhen watched him leave, then turned and saw Shen Suifeng looking distracted.
“What is it?” she asked gently.
Snapping back to himself, Shen Suifeng said, “Your Highness, the young shizi is frail—delays may prove dangerous.”
“Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing,” Feng Lezhen replied. Seeing he still looked uneasy, she added, “If his condition were truly so dire, it wouldn’t just be a servant coming to fetch me.”
Shen Suifeng’s eyes flickered, but he said no more.
After the servant was sent away, the Marquis’s estate remained quiet—until the afternoon, when a formal invitation was finally delivered.
“Whose name is on it?” Feng Lezhen glanced at the card in Ah Ye’s hand, not even bothering to take it.
Ah Ye replied, “It’s from the Marchioness herself.”
“She’s coming alone?” Feng Lezhen raised an eyebrow.
“Yes,” Ah Ye confirmed.
Feng Lezhen smiled. “It’s been years since I last saw her—I do miss her. But I’m terribly busy with affairs here, and really can’t spare the time right now… How about this? Let’s arrange the meeting for three days from now. No matter how busy I am then, I’ll make time to host her.”
Shen Suifeng paused his reading of a medical text, lowering his head in silence.
Ah Ye received the order and left. With the grand bedchamber now empty except for the two of them, Feng Lezhen looked up at him. “Do you have something to say?”
“…If I say it, Your Highness will probably get upset,” Shen Suifeng sighed.
Feng Lezhen laughed. “If you kept silent just because you were afraid I’d be upset, then you wouldn’t be Shen Suifeng. Let me guess—you’re unhappy that I’m using Qi Jingqing’s illness to bargain with the Marquis’s estate?”
Shen Suifeng curved his lips slightly. “Not exactly unhappy. After all, Your Highness does need an opening—forcing the Marquis’s family to make the first move will make things easier for you later on. It’s just… Your Highness, I’m a doctor. And the young shizi is the patient my late master entrusted to me.”
Although he had long expected this outcome from the moment he declared himself to be Qi Jingqing’s attending physician, now that it had truly come to this point, Shen Suifeng still found it difficult to reconcile with himself.
The weather was clear today. Sunlight filtered through the window, adding a warmth to the bedchamber that was different from that of the heated floor.
The room was quiet. The two of them sat in silence, gazing at each other without speaking.
After a long while, Feng Lezhen said carefully, “If I were to tie you up, would you feel better about it?”
Shen Suifeng: “?”
“If I tied you up, then even if you weren’t acting of your own will in delaying treatment, you wouldn’t be violating your medical ethics. What do you think?” Feng Lezhen asked.
Shen Suifeng: “That’s not what I meant… Forget it. I suppose the young shizi’s illness isn’t all that severe. Otherwise, with how the Marquis and Marchioness dote on their son, they would have come in person long ago.”
He didn’t want to say more, which made Feng Lezhen glance at him a little longer.
Both of them were calm, yet the atmosphere suddenly turned strange. It wasn’t until the second visiting card was delivered that the stifling stillness in the room finally lifted a little.
“The Marquis and Marchioness are waiting outside the residence,” Ah Ye reported, unconsciously lowering her voice after sensing the odd tension.
Shen Suifeng paused, his brows furrowing at once.
Feng Lezhen looked up. “Did they say anything?”
“They just said they wanted to invite Your Highness and Mr. Shen to visit the estate,” Ah Ye replied.
They had come with the visiting card themselves—clearly, Qi Jingqing’s illness could no longer afford delay. Shen Suifeng’s throat moved slightly as he looked silently toward Feng Lezhen.
“Then let’s go,” she finally said, under his gaze.
Ah Ye was stunned. “Back when they left us outside the city gate to freeze and took the lead in ostracizing Your Highness for so long… that’s it? We’re letting it go just like that?”
“What else would you have me do?” Feng Lezhen asked in return.
Ah Ye hesitated. “At the very least, they should be made to stand out in the cold for an hour. Even if it’s not for revenge, we need the entire city of Yingguan to see that our Eldest Princess Residence stands a level above the Marquis’s household.”
Shen Suifeng held a teacup in his hand but never raised it to drink.
He was waiting for Feng Lezhen’s answer.
Feng Lezhen said nothing. She simply rose and walked out under his gaze.
He finally breathed a sigh of relief and followed her at once.
The Marquis and Marchioness had come in person, fully prepared to wait outside the Eldest Princess Residence’s gate for a long time. But they hadn’t even waited a full quarter-hour before the doors opened.
“Marquis, Marchioness.” Feng Lezhen, who just moments ago wore no expression, now walked out with a bright smile on her face, warmly greeting them.
The Marquis and Marchioness were both past forty, but the wind and snow of Yingguan made them appear closer to fifty. Even so, traces of their once-handsome features remained.
They were here to make a request, and with Feng Lezhen smiling in welcome, it was hard to keep a cold face. Still, having resented her for more than ten years, they couldn’t quite fake warmth all of a sudden.
At least Qi Zhen couldn’t.
“Greetings, Your Highness,” he said stiffly, using a soldier’s salute.
Marchioness Song Lian was more gentle. Faced with the woman who once pushed her son into the water and was now hoarding the best doctor to control them, no matter what she felt inside, she didn’t let a trace of it show on her face. “Greetings, Your Highness.”
“No need to be so formal. I heard from the servants just now that you had arrived—I didn’t quite believe it. I didn’t expect it to be true,” Feng Lezhen said warmly. “The staff here are truly getting out of hand, leaving the two of you to wait in the snow for so long. I must punish them properly.”
“No need to place all the blame on the servants, Your Highness. If not for your instructions, would they have dared block me three times?” Qi Zhen’s temper was as fiery as ever. Even when asking for help, he had to lay the grievance bare.
“Blocked three times? What happened?” Feng Lezhen feigned surprise. If Shen Suifeng hadn’t been by her side the entire time, he might have actually believed she hadn’t known.
“I deserve death!” Ah Ye quickly stepped forward. “Someone came knocking earlier, saying the Marquis sent them to invite Your Highness. But they had neither card nor token, and I thought anyone acting so improperly had to be a fraud using the Marquis’s name to deceive Your Highness, so I turned them away. Not long after, they sent a visiting card—made me think it was even more suspicious… Then the third time, when the Marquis and Marchioness came in person, I realized it was just a misunderstanding and immediately reported it.”
“I see. It was my servant who was in the wrong. I hope the two of you can forgive us,” Feng Lezhen said, bowing with the courtesy of a junior.
Qi Zhen could hear both she and Ah Ye mocking him between the lines and was about to explode when Song Lian stopped him.
“No harm done, no harm done. It’s all a misunderstanding,” she said with a smile.
Feng Lezhen also smiled. Just as she was about to speak, Shen Suifeng finally opened his mouth: “It’s getting late. Did the two of you come through the snow because of the young shizi’s illness?”
“Oh? Dr. Shen still remembers my son?” Qi Zhen looked at him coldly.
Meeting his accusing gaze, Shen Suifeng paused briefly before replying, “I wonder how the young shizi is now. Does the Marquis plan to keep chatting here?”
“You—”
“Of course not. Let’s head to the estate,” Song Lian said quickly, taking Feng Lezhen’s hand. “Your Highness, you must come visit as well. You’ve been here for so long, and I’ve yet to host you properly.”
Looking at her smiling face, Feng Lezhen thought to herself, Good thing both of them came. If Qi Zhen had come alone, he’d probably just try to drag Shen Suifeng to the estate alone—and that would lead to another standoff.
“Alright,” she replied with a gentle smile.
While they spoke, snow had accumulated on everyone’s heads. By the time they got into the carriage, even their clothes were wet. Feng Lezhen held her cloak and, in a rare moment of interest, tried drying it by a small heater herself—but after quite some time, she only managed to dry a small patch.
Shen Suifeng had glanced at her several times and finally couldn’t help but say, “Let me do it.”
Feng Lezhen dodged slightly with the cloak, just barely avoiding the hand he reached out.
Shen Suifeng’s hand froze for a moment, rare uncertainty surfacing on his face.
Feng Lezhen also realized her behavior was inappropriate and handed him the slightly damp cloak. Shen Suifeng silently took it and began drying it over the brazier. The carriage filled with warm, humid air. Aside from the occasional crackle from the fire, the silence was complete.
No one knew how much time passed before Shen Suifeng finally broke the silence. “Your Highness…”
But before he could get a full sentence out, the carriage suddenly came to a halt. Feng Lezhen moved to lift the curtain, and Shen Suifeng paused, silently looking at her.
Her movement halted mid-action. In a lowered voice, she said, “I’m not angry.”
Shen Suifeng paused, then smiled. “Mm.”
“And you? Are you angry with me?” Feng Lezhen asked again.
Outside, the Qi couple was already dismounting and could glance over at any moment.
“Of course not. I could never be angry with Your Highness,” Shen Suifeng replied quickly.
Feng Lezhen nodded. But before he could let out a breath of relief, she added lightly, “But there are still some things we need to talk about.”
With that, she stepped down from the carriage.
Shen Suifeng: “…”
Because of that final remark, Shen Suifeng remained uneasy the entire way there—as if he were a student facing a teacher’s inspection tomorrow but had spent the whole day playing without doing any homework. He didn’t even know what she wanted to talk about, but the unease felt just like being caught by a stern tutor.
Ridiculous. He was a man over twenty, and yet just one sentence from a young lady had him all nervous. He glanced at Feng Lezhen walking beside Qi Zhen and smiled helplessly.
It was clear that Qi Jingqing’s condition wasn’t good. The group didn’t waste any time and went directly to his residence. When Feng Lezhen saw that his courtyard was larger than the entire Eldest Princess Residence, she experienced her first flicker of jealousy.
Such a beautiful, exquisite courtyard—she wanted to take it for herself.
Though it was a snowy day, there wasn’t a trace of snow in the courtyard. Every few steps, someone was clearing it away. Even the pines here looked greener than elsewhere. Feng Lezhen had seen more grand mansions than she could count, and at a glance, she could tell this was the core of the entire marquisate—the main courtyard.
In Great Qian, the order of seniority and respect for elders was valued. Yet with both Qi Zhen and his wife still alive, their son was already living in the main courtyard. That said a lot about how much they doted on him.
Song Lian, ever perceptive, noticed Feng Lezhen looking at the four corners of the courtyard and explained proactively, “Jingqing’s body is weak. The main courtyard gets better sunlight—more suitable for recuperation.”
“Why are you telling her all this?” Qi Zhen said, displeased.
He still held a grudge over Feng Lezhen pushing his son into a pond all those years ago. Even today, in this superficial exchange of pleasantries, he didn’t want her knowing anything about his son.
Song Lian knew his temper well and could only offer Feng Lezhen an awkward smile in response.
Naturally, Feng Lezhen wasn’t foolish enough to think Song Lian had let go of the past and was now sincerely chatting about her son’s condition. She acted accordingly, expressing guilt and remorse: “It was my fault. I owe the young shizi an apology.”
“Your Highness didn’t do it on purpose. And now that you’re willing to let Dr. Shen treat him, I am already deeply grateful,” Song Lian said with a soft smile, though her words carried a subtle sting.
While they spoke, they arrived at Qi Jingqing’s room. The servant boy at the door hurried forward to greet them, but Qi Zhen stopped him.
“How is Jingqing?” he asked. When speaking of his son, even his tone softened subconsciously.
The servant boy’s brow furrowed. “The fever hasn’t broken yet.”
Qi Zhen immediately went inside. Shen Suifeng and Feng Lezhen exchanged a look and followed.
Feng Lezhen was about to go in too, but Song Lian subtly blocked her path. “The room smells strongly of medicine. It might be overwhelming for Your Highness. Why not sit for a while in the side hall instead?”
What a joke, she thought. If I leave now, what if they steal the golden goose? Feng Lezhen smiled sweetly. “The young shizi is gravely ill—how could I be in the mood for leisure? I’d better go have a look.”
With that, she made to enter again, and Song Lian quickly blocked her a second time. “But it’s a man’s bedchamber, after all. For an unmarried woman to enter—it might not be proper.”
“The room must have inner and outer sections, right? If I can’t see him personally, waiting in the outer room will still show my concern,” Feng Lezhen replied. Seeing Song Lian still standing in her way, she kindly reminded her, “Madam, the wind is strong and the snow heavy. If you delay any longer, the cold air will start pouring into the room.”
Just as she finished speaking, a few coughs were heard from inside.
Song Lian’s expression changed, and Feng Lezhen took the opportunity to slip inside.
The noble Eldest Princess had won this round. Song Lian had no choice but to quickly order the servants to shut the door tightly and hurried after her.
The room was quiet. Even the attendants moved with exaggerated care, afraid of making any noise. Seeing this, Feng Lezhen wisely stayed silent as well.
As she had guessed, the room was divided into inner and outer chambers. The outer chamber had only tables and chairs—no couch or bed—suggesting that, like her, Qi Jingqing disliked having people keep vigil at night.
Normally, the rooms would be divided by walls, but here it was screens and gauzy curtains. Through the screen, shadows could be faintly seen. The draped gauze, though semi-transparent, veiled the figures behind it. Combined, they left only vague impressions of the people beyond.
Before she could get a better look, a few more soft coughs came from the inner chamber.
The voice was hoarse and sounded weak. Feng Lezhen couldn’t help but curve her lips slightly, recalling the sickly little boy she had seen in the capital more than ten years ago.
The gauze didn’t block sound, nor did it fully obscure sight. Qi Jingqing, leaning against the bed, looked up slightly and could just make out her blurred silhouette.
Shen Suifeng had been lowering his eyes and focusing on the pulse. Suddenly, his brow furrowed. “Why has the pulse sped up all of a sudden?”
