Gu Qishan almost bit his own tongue. He had spoken too fast and failed to guard his mouth.
"Ye Liangyu. It's said that his legs were cured by Song Jinzhao."
The emperor leaned back, shooting a sharp gaze at Chancellor Gu Qishan.
"The capital and Anyang Prefecture are thousands of miles apart, yet you seem to know the Song family's situation like the back of your hand."
Gu Qishan hurriedly lowered his head in panic. "I only heard rumors, Your Majesty."
The emperor looked away, his deep and complex gaze sweeping across Fei Yanzhang's face.
After a moment of contemplation, he said, "Song Jinzhao is outstanding in both talent and virtue, and has repeatedly made extraordinary contributions. I am deeply gratified. Have the Ministry of Rites follow the regulations and confer upon her the title of Lady Linghui. See to it immediately."
No matter how reluctant he was, Gu Qishan had no choice but to kneel along with Fei Yanzhang and the others, shouting loudly, "Your Majesty is wise! Long live the Emperor!"
A mere title of Lady was naturally something Song Jinzhao could handle, but the problem was her deep relationship with Ye Liangyu.
Fei Yanzhang alone was one thing, but the Duke of Qing had also stepped in, and there was no stopping him.
In the main hall of the Prince of Qi's estate, Gu Qishan recounted everything that had just happened in the imperial study to the Prince of Qi in great detail.
The man sitting in the seat of honor wore a purple brocade jacket with python patterns, and mink-lined brocade trousers with kneepads. His boots were embroidered with four-clawed golden dragons. Anyone with a discerning eye could tell at a glance that he was of imperial descent.
The Prince of Qi slammed his fist heavily onto the table, causing the tea to spill over the rim of the cup.
"Looking at my royal father's current attitude, once Ye Liangyu's legs are completely healed, he will definitely issue a decree for him to return to the court. Why can't we get rid of this stubborn thorn!"
None of the assassins sent had returned. Unsure of exactly how many guards were inside the Ye residence, Xiao Rongche didn't dare send any more men.
Gu Qishan said, "Your Highness, the Censorate is currently filled entirely with our people and the Prince of Ying's people. Even if Ye Liangyu returns, it will be difficult for him to make a single move. You need not worry too much."
The Prince of Qi sneered viciously. "Aren't there still two tough nuts to crack? He may have no one in the Censorate, but the Hanlin Academy favors him. Fei Yanzhang's actions today must have been instructed by Ye Liangyu."
Gu Qishan furrowed his brows tightly. "Ye Liangyu uplifting Song Jinzhao is nothing more than for the sake of his student. Song Qiming is currently just a scholar. Your Highness doesn't need to take them to heart."
"What is worth looking into is the Duke of Qing. Did he speak up for Fei Yanzhang today because of Ye Liangyu or Song Jinzhao?"
The Prince of Qi stopped tapping his fingers on the table, his voice lowering with a chilling intent. "If it's because of Song Jinzhao, then so be it. But if it's Ye Liangyu, then we must be on guard."
He turned his head and ordered the guard standing nearby, "Immediately send someone to keep an eye on the Duke of Qing's estate. See which officials Chu Liuyun has been close to recently."
"Yes, sir." The guard clasped his hands over his sword and obeyed.
...
Inside the Song family clinic in Anyang Prefecture, Song Jinzhao was reviewing the pulse records from Liu Xuanqing's recent consultations with Kong Wanru.
Over twenty days, there had been a total of seven consultations. The first two times were relatively normal, but the later pulse readings were recorded as having a weak beat and a slight deficiency in qi and blood, with the condition worsening each time.
Liu Xuanqing stood beside her and explained, "During those few days, Madam Kong happened to catch a cold. Her body is already weak, so it took half a month of medication for her to get better. When I visited to check her pulse yesterday, there were already signs of full recovery."
Song Jinzhao closed the medical record. "It's fine. I will go over and take a look tomorrow."
Kong Wanru had caught a cold right after she left. Thinking of Concubine Su's actions, Song Jinzhao felt there was something strange about this.
The entire afternoon, Song Jinzhao was either auditing accounts or on her way to audit accounts, going through the mountain of contracts one by one.
There were even vegetable-ordering business partners who, upon learning that Song Jinzhao had returned, specifically brought gifts to her door, begging to increase their orders.
She was so busy all afternoon that she didn't even have time to take a sip of water.
When she returned home in the evening, Song Qiming was squatting at the door of the woodshed, staring at the little white tiger in the bamboo basket.
Seeing them return, he quickly waved at Song Shixue. "Xuetuan has opened its eyes a crack."
Xuetuan was the name Song Shixue had given the little white tiger.
Covered in white fur and picked up on a snowy day, it shared a character with her name, which made Song Shixue feel a sense of closeness.
While waiting for Xuetuan to open its eyes, the siblings' feelings had been constantly on edge.
Before the deal was sealed, perhaps there would be a miracle?
Song Jinzhao held onto Song Anhao's hand to keep him from lying on the ground.
Children were forgetful and loved playing with small animals. At first, he had been a bit jealous, but after a few days, he became incredibly fond of it.
"We'll know if it's cross-eyed in a few days when its eyes are fully open. Right now, looking at its cervical spine, it seems normal."
Born less than ten days ago, it already weighed three or four catties. Its back formed a straight line, and it crawled around quite nimbly.
The day before the Lantern Festival, the temperature dropped sharply, and Anyang Prefecture welcomed its third heavy snowfall since the new year.
Seeing a carriage stop at the door, the gatekeeper thought it was another distant relative coming to beg for money. He was just about to close the door when he saw Song Jinzhao emerge from the carriage.
His hand paused on the door; it was Dr. Song.
Snowflakes fell on the umbrella. The snow-white fox fur beautifully contrasted with the red plum blossoms embroidered on her cloak, making them vibrant but not gaudy. Coupled with the cold and aloof expression in Song Jinzhao's eyes, anyone would wonder which high-ranking official's noble daughter this was.
The gatekeeper reopened the half-closed gate and stepped over the threshold to welcome her. "Has Dr. Song come to consult for the Madam?"
Calculating the time, the once-every-three-days visit should actually be tomorrow.
Song Jinzhao nodded. "I just returned and heard from Xuanqing that the Madam caught a cold. I wanted to come and see for myself. I wonder if it is convenient today?"
The gatekeeper said, "Please wait a moment, Dr. Song. I will go in and ask right away."
During the New Year period, everyone knew about the grand spectacle of the Song family's vegetable shop having its threshold trampled by restaurant merchants from all over Anyang Prefecture.
With two extremely lucrative shops, plus the manors and fields outside the city, who didn't know that the Song family was now incredibly wealthy?
Being able to grow vegetables in the dead of winter meant that no one would treat her as just an ordinary doctor anymore. Even the attitude of the Liao residence's gatekeeper was much more respectful than before.
