Chapter 33

Chapter 33: Chased Out With a Broom

Sheng Zhi Wan did not slow down at all, as if she had not heard Qi Shu Xian’s words.

Qi Shu Xian stared at Sheng Zhi Wan’s back for a long time, then smashed a fist into the pine tree beside him.

After they had walked far away, Ting Lan finally could not hold it in anymore: “Princess… was what Heir Apparent said true?”

Sheng Zhi Wan smiled at Ting Lan: “Which part?”

Ting Lan hesitated, then asked, “Was all of this really planned by you? From Heir Apparent finding out and going to look for you, to Madam agreeing to the bet, and even the shopkeepers you told this servant to find…”

Halfway through, Ting Lan shook her head hard: “No, no, that’s impossible. How could Princess have planned all this? If Princess were that cunning, Duke Qi Manor would not have bullied Princess for so long!”

[Ting Lan nodded to herself. That had to be it. It was Heir Apparent who was thinking of Princess as some terrifying schemer.]

[And it was Duke Qi Manor’s fault anyway. They were the ones who dreamed of plotting against Princess to steal Princess’s private property. They got exposed, and now they had suffered badly. Serves them right.]

Sheng Zhi Wan only smiled and said nothing.

In the following days, things were rarely so quiet. But the quiet only belonged to Sheng Zhi Wan’s Ping Lan Residence. The other courtyards in Duke Qi Manor were busy and noisy.

Duke Qi made the decision, and Qi Shu Xian personally led people to search out Sheng Zhi Wan’s dowry piece by piece. Qi Shu Lang’s courtyard was turned upside down. Qi Fei Yan was forced, crying, to go back to her husband’s home and retrieve Sheng Zhi Wan’s jewelry and hair ornaments. Even Qi Fei Rui’s courtyard was emptied by nearly half.

Madam Cui watched her jewelry boxes being rummaged through and her ornaments carried away one by one. A room that had once been rich and splendid was moved out until almost nothing was left but an empty bed.

When even Madam Cui’s favorite screen was about to be taken away, Madam Cui finally could not take it anymore and spat out a mouthful of blood.

Qi Shu Xian jolted: “Mother!”

Madam Cui clutched her chest, eyes wide as she stared at the blood on the floor: “Quick – quick, go invite Imperial Physician Song.”

Qi Shu Xian did not dare delay and personally went to the Song Residence. But before Qi Shu Xian even stepped inside, the young Imperial Physician Song chased Qi Shu Xian out while holding a broom.

Qi Shu Xian needed help and did not dare fight back.

The young Imperial Physician Song stood on the steps, staring down at Qi Shu Xian with disgust and scorn: “Pah! In the past, Father went to your manor for Princess Qing Ning’s sake. Now you want to bully Princess Qing Ning, and you still have the nerve to ask Father for help? Get lost, get lost, get lost! Our Song Residence does not welcome you!”

The vermilion gate slammed shut with a bang.

Qi Shu Xian stood there in a sorry state, fingers clenched so hard they shook. It was only a small Imperial Physician family, yet they dared humiliate Qi Shu Xian like this.

There were plenty of imperial physicians in the capital city. Qi Shu Xian turned and went to another house.

Sure enough, the other side treated Qi Shu Xian very politely. Without hesitation, Imperial Physician Li climbed into a carriage and rushed straight to the Duke residence.

But the moment Madam Cui saw it was not Imperial Physician Song, Madam Cui’s face darkened. Madam Cui had invited this Imperial Physician Li two years ago. Not only had Imperial Physician Li been helpless about her illness, Imperial Physician Li had even bluntly said Madam Cui would not live past half a year.

Now Madam Cui had lived through four half-years, and it was all because of Imperial Physician Song. Could this useless quack really treat her?

Madam Cui refused to even offer her wrist: “Where is Imperial Physician Song? I only want Imperial Physician Song to examine me!”

Qi Shu Xian could only have Imperial Physician Li look at the old prescriptions. Not wanting to upset Madam Cui, Qi Shu Xian said, “Imperial Physician Song is unwell and cannot come for now.”

Madam Cui snapped, “He is a healer! Saving lives is only right. If he cannot walk, then carry him here! Go find him again!”

Duke Qi noticed how disheveled Qi Shu Xian looked: “What happened?”

Qi Shu Xian had to repeat what the young Imperial Physician Song had said. Duke Qi froze for a moment: “What favor could Imperial Physician Song owe her?”

Madam Cui shouted, “What favor? Sheng Zhi Wan must have used some trick and is deliberately keeping him from coming to diagnose me! I used to think she was so dutiful and sensible, but now I see it was all an act!”

Madam Cui cursed until she nearly spat blood again: “Jealous shrew! Poisonous woman! For such a small matter, she stirred the whole household into chaos. Now she wants to anger me to death and kill me!”

Imperial Physician Li came in after studying the prescriptions, looking thoughtful and impressed. Seeing Madam Cui like this, Imperial Physician Li quickly urged, “Madam should not get angry. Madam’s body is much better than two years ago. I just looked through it. Imperial Physician Song truly came from a deep medical lineage, and the prescription Imperial Physician Song wrote was extremely brilliant. It is just that the brewing needs to be done with care.”

Imperial Physician Li continued, “I specifically checked the medicine dregs from what Madam has taken these past few days. Aside from the first dose, the later ones were clearly brewed with the heat handled poorly. That made the properties of the herbs fail to blend and caused stagnant, blocked symptoms.”

Imperial Physician Li looked up: “Did Madam change the person who brewed the medicine? If you change back and brew it the old way, Madam’s symptoms should ease.”