"What? My County Princess is to stay in the palace today?" Qingshuang looked at the young eunuch who had come to deliver the message, her face full of astonishment.
The young eunuch nodded. "County Princess Linghui must stay behind to review Her Majesty the Empress's medical records. She asked that you return first."
Watching the eunuch turn and leave, Qingshuang's mind buzzed, descending into a chaotic mess.
Would reviewing medical records really take this long? Could something have happened?
After her panicked gaze darted around for a moment, Qingshuang quickly turned, scrambled onto the carriage, and hurried out of the palace. She had to get back and tell the Eldest Young Master right away.
Ever since Song Shixue returned from the Cui Manor that afternoon, she had been waiting for Song Jinzhao. Yet, no matter how long she waited, there was no sign of her.
Seeing that the sky was about to turn dark, the anxious Song Shixue simply walked to the main gate to wait. That way, she would see the carriage the moment it returned.
When Song Qiming returned from his studies at the Imperial Academy, he saw from afar that Song Shixue was craning her neck, peering down the road. Seeing a carriage approach, she immediately rushed down the steps, only to let her shoulders droop in disappointment upon realizing it was Song Qiming.
"Shixue, what are you doing?" Song Qiming asked as he jumped down from the carriage.
Song Shixue took a deep breath and replied uneasily, "I'm waiting for our older sister."
Song Qiming's eyes widened, and he blurted out, "Sister hasn't returned from the palace yet?"
The sun had already set. How could she be delayed for so long?
Song Shixue nodded, her brows furrowed into a tight knot.
"Sister entered the palace nearly four hours ago. The eunuch who brought the summons said Her Majesty was suffering from migraines; it shouldn't take this long."
As the two were talking, Lanxi, who had walked out following Song Anhao, sharply spotted a carriage appearing at the intersection. It was Song Jinzhao's carriage.
He pointed at it and shouted to Song Shixue, "They're back! The County Princess and the others are back!"
Hearing his voice, Song Qiming and Song Shixue immediately turned their heads to the right. Seeing Qingshuang driving the carriage, they instantly breathed a sigh of relief.
The moment the carriage stopped, the two hurried forward to meet it.
But before the carriage even came to a complete halt, Qingshuang threw down the reins, jumped off, and sprinted toward Song Qiming.
"The palace eunuch said the County Princess must stay in the palace to review Her Majesty's medical records. She won't be coming back today!"
The brother and sister skidded to a halt, freezing in place.
Song Qiming furrowed his brows. "Is Her Majesty severely ill?"
Qingshuang replied, "This servant was stopped outside the inner court and couldn't enter the rear palace. I don't know the state of Her Majesty's illness."
Song Shixue muttered to herself in confusion, "Does reviewing medical records really take that much time? She can't even come back for the night."
Song Qiming, on the other hand, stared at Qingshuang with a pensive look. His sister was a County Princess, and she was meeting the Empress; why wouldn't they allow her to bring her maid? It felt as though she was being targeted.
Seeing that both of them looked so upset, and with his own stomach growling from hunger, Song Anhao couldn't help but reach out and grab Song Shixue's sleeve.
"Second Sister, is Eldest Sister still not back?"
Song Shixue looked down at her young brother. She bent over to pick him up, and when the back of her hand brushed against his small hand resting on his waist, she turned her hand to hold it.
"Sister went to the palace to treat Her Majesty. She will be back a bit later. Your hands are so cold, are you not wearing enough clothes?"
Song Anhao slowly shook his head. "I am. It's just a bit chilly from the wind."
Song Qiming said, "It's getting late. You take Anhao inside to eat first. I'm going to find my teacher."
"Qingshuang, you drive the carriage." He wanted to ask her more questions in detail.
Song Shixue nodded. At a time like this, seeking out Master Ye was their only option.
"Brother, come back early."
On the way to the Ye Manor, Qingshuang recounted everything, from the palace eunuch arriving with the summons to the young eunuch telling her that the County Princess had to stay in the palace today.
She detailed everything meticulously, leaving out not a single word, even describing their facial expressions.
Aside from the fact that Qingshuang hadn't been allowed inside, Song Qiming couldn't find anything overtly wrong.
Yet he still couldn't put his mind at ease; something just felt off.
The palace was heavily guarded, and his sister was a female family member. Staying overnight was inappropriate to begin with. Even if it was to review medical records, was there a need to be in such a rush?
By the time Song Qiming arrived at the Ye Manor, the sky had turned completely dark, and lanterns had already been hung at the gates.
Seeing that it was Song Qiming, the servants let him in without even announcing his arrival.
When he reached the dining hall, Ye Liangyu was having his meal.
Every year, after the imperial court resumed its duties following the holidays, there was a large backlog of government affairs, petitions, and official documents from the past half-month. Furthermore, the Censorate had to audit the court's finances, taxes, and expenditures from the previous year, sometimes even dispatching officials to local provinces for inspections. As a result, during this period, Ye Liangyu always worked until dark before returning home.
Seeing Song Qiming approach, Ye Liangyu put down his chopsticks and asked, "Why have you come at this hour? Did you encounter a difficult problem in your studies?"
Song Qiming lowered his eyelids slightly, shook his head, and said, "It's not about my studies. It's my older sister."
"At noon today, a verbal decree came from the palace, summoning my sister to treat Her Majesty's migraines. However, her maid waited outside the inner court for over two hours, and finally, a eunuch relayed a message saying that my sister would stay overnight in the palace to review Her Majesty's medical records. I am somewhat worried. Are Her Majesty's migraines truly that severe?"
The gentle expression on Ye Liangyu's face faded. "She entered the palace at noon?"
Song Qiming nodded vigorously. "Yes, Qingshuang just returned from the palace with the message."
Ye Liangyu's hand, resting on the dining table, tightened slightly. He then stood up and paced back and forth in the dining hall for a few steps.
He did not know much about the affairs of the rear palace, but an overnight stay was indeed rather strange.
After pondering for a moment, Ye Liangyu looked up at Yunhe and instructed, "Go to the Xu Manor immediately. See if Imperial Physician Xu has returned and find out if you can gather any news."
"Yes, sir," Yunhe bowed with a solemn expression and exited the dining hall.
Seeing that Song Qiming's brows were still furrowed, Ye Liangyu offered words of comfort, "Do not worry too much. Your sister is now a County Princess and the savior of the Duke of Zhenguo. Even if she cannot cure Her Majesty's illness, neither the Emperor nor the Empress will place too much blame on her."
Song Qiming took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. "Imperial power is absolute. Your student just can't help but feel uneasy."
"Grumble~~" Just as he sat down, a sound came from his stomach.
Ye Liangyu looked up and asked, "You haven't eaten yet?"
Song Qiming rubbed his temple, looking a bit embarrassed. "I came in a hurry, so I haven't eaten."
Ye Liangyu looked at the servants. "Go fetch a bowl of rice."
He sat back down and said to Song Qiming, "It will take time for Yunhe to go and return. Keep this old man company and eat a little."
About two hours later, Yunhe pushed open the door to the main hall and walked in.
"Reporting to the Master, Imperial Physician Xu said that County Princess Linghui is indeed at the Imperial Academy of Medicine reviewing Her Majesty's medical records, accompanied by Director Gu. The two of them spent the entire afternoon in the archive room where the medical records are stored, and they still hadn't come out by the time the Imperial Academy of Medicine ended its shifts."
"When this servant was on his way back, I passed by the Gu Manor and specifically asked their gatekeeper. Director Gu hasn't returned home either."
Hearing this, Song Qiming breathed a sigh of relief. As long as neither of them had returned, it was fine.
Ye Liangyu said to him, "Since she is staying in the archive room, she must be looking for past medical records. It's normal that she wouldn't be able to finish reading them all in a short time. See, I told you there was nothing to worry about."
Song Qiming stood up, cupped his hands, and took his leave. "I have troubled you today, Teacher. Shixue is probably still at home, unable to sleep. Your student will head back now."
Ye Liangyu waved his hand. "Go on back. The snowy roads are slippery, so tell your driver to be careful."
Song Qiming smiled and nodded.
