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In any case, although Qi Yiran had finally taken the medicine, her injuries had been delayed for too long, and it would probably take quite some time for it to truly take effect.
As the two were discussing this matter, Bai Miaqing’s servant girl came in and conveyed a message, “Miss, Miss Shen, the steward from the General’s Mansion is here, looking for Miss Shen.”
Although they were puzzled as to why the steward from the General’s Mansion had come at this time, they still went to the front hall to receive him.
Seeing Shen Yu’an approaching, the steward from the General’s Mansion stepped forward with a smile and said, “Miss Shen, our lady instructed me to bring you a medical fee.”
Looking behind the steward from the General’s Mansion, there were two young men, each holding a box. In the courtyard, there were two more boxes, and a few sturdy men were standing nearby, seemingly brought by them.
Medical fee?
Shen Yu’an smiled and asked, “Thanks to the steward’s reminder, how is your third miss now?”
The steward replied, “Miss Qi has improved quite a bit after using the prescription you provided, Miss Shen.”
“Good to hear.”
After Shen Yu’an uttered these words, she remained silent.
After seeing off the visitors, Shen Yu’an and Bai Miaqing examined the “medical fee” sent by the General’s Mansion inside the house.
The boxes in the courtyard were lifted into Bai Miaqing’s yard, while the two of them each carried a small wooden box back to their own yard.
Each of them had one box, and they opened the lids. The boxes were filled with various shiny items, instantly brightening the room.
There were all sorts of gold and silver jewelry, gemstone accessories, elaborate headdresses, and luxurious fabrics, filling both boxes.
Bai Miaqing playfully rummaged through the splendid headdresses in the box, commenting, “I didn’t expect Qi Yiran to be so generous, sending so many things over.”
Shen Yu’an thought about Qi Yiran’s intense hostility towards her and couldn’t believe she willingly offered so much. Still, she didn’t comment on it.
Shen Yu’an accepted these items without feeling guilty, considering them as compensation for the trouble caused by Qi Yiran’s repeated interference.
However, she carefully selected items that suited her and Bai Miaqing, splitting them equally between them.
Bai Miaqing’s repeated attempt to decline was in vain, she had no choice but to happily accept the items. After all, they belonged to that annoying mother and daughter; why refuse them?
After carefully checking each item in the boxes, Shen Yu’an opened two more small boxes. In one box, there were silver coins, while the other contained two pieces of paper that didn’t look like banknotes. She picked them up and examined them.
They were deeds to properties.
Shen Yu’an furrowed her brow in confusion, and Bai Miaqing, after a quick glance, exclaimed, “This tavern is in the central area of the capital city. Why did the General’s Mansion send this too?”
“And there’s this one. Although it’s in a more remote location, the business in this shop is also quite good.”
“I heard it’s a dowry shop from Qi Yiran. Despite Qi Yiran being unpleasant, her mother is really kind to her.”
Whether she was truly kind or not, Shen Yu’an didn’t know, but her name was on the deeds for these two properties now.
Given Qi Yiran’s temperament, Shen Yu’an genuinely doubted that she willingly used her dowry shop as medical fees. It couldn’t have been voluntary.
Before long, Shen Yu’an indeed discovered that this generous “medical fee” was not something Lady Xie and Qi Yiran willingly offered.
Because the discord between the third branch and Shen Yu’an had become too unsightly, the Wen family, after testing the General’s intentions, brought Xin Rui to the third branch to demand the medical fee on Shen Yu’an’s behalf.
After much heated discussion and pressure from Lady Wen and Xin Rui, Lady Xie had no choice but to increase the amount repeatedly.
This substantial “medical fee” came from the third branch’s private funds and was not drawn from the public.
After obtaining the property deeds, Shen Yu’an inspected both shops and handed over control of the two properties to her people. Then, she set off for Longxian Village.
It had been over half a month away from home, and it was time to return and see her family.
On the day she was about to return home, Shen Yu’an received a letter from Fei Yanchen, which had been delivered from the capital.
Sitting in the swaying carriage, Shen Yu’an opened the letter.
What met her eyes were Fei Yanchen’s strong and sharp handwriting. Shen Yu’an read through the letter line by line.
The contents of the letter were no longer as light-hearted as in the previous ones. Fei Yanchen meticulously described the current situation in the capital, keeping her informed about the current state of affairs.
The situation described in the letter was even more serious than the rumors. The Emperor had been seriously ill, absent from court for many days, and the entire capital was practically controlled by Consort Rong and the fourth prince.
Among the officials in the capital, except for a small minority who remained neutral, over half supported the fourth prince’s ascension to the throne. Those officials who supported other princes were severely marginalized.
The Emperor’s illness wasn’t as critical as the rumors suggested, but he was bedridden, primarily due to being entangled by the attentions of two new concubines.
Fei Yanchen didn’t mince words about the palace affairs in the letter, saying, “While not as dire as the rumors, his days are numbered.”
Shen Yu’an couldn’t help but smirk – well, his days are indeed numbered!
The elixirs the Emperor had been taking had severely harmed his health, requiring the use of precious herbs to sustain his life. Additionally, he was depleting his vitality daily with the two women. It would be strange if he lived much longer.
After discussing the capital’s situation, Fei Yanchen went on to detail the actions of various princes upon returning to their respective fiefdoms.
Currently, the region in the south where Shen Yu’an was located didn’t belong to any particular prince. The southern region was wealthy and had a friendly neighboring country, Great Liang, which was considered the treasury of Great Wei. Hence, the Emperor hadn’t granted it to any of the princes.
At present, the southern region was under the authority of General Xiangnan, but given its wealth, several princes far from the capital were keen on securing this valuable territory to increase their leverage.
Fei Yanchen repeatedly urged Shen Yu’an to ensure her safety and advised her to bring some people down from the mountain to protect her.
At the same time, in the capital, Fei Yanchen and his father, Fei Yunsong, were making their way towards the Qianqing Palace.
Outside the Qianqing Palace, the palace was tightly guarded with multiple layers of security.
Fei Yunsong bowed and shouted, “May I request an audience with the Emperor!”
A eunuch blocked their path, with a shrill voice, saying, “The Emperor is not feeling well. My Lord, perhaps you should come back another day.”
Fei Yunsong raised his voice and said, “Your Majesty, I have an extremely urgent matter to convey today, and I implore Your Majesty to grant me an audience.”
Creak…
The palace doors opened, revealing a glimpse of a splendid purple robe slowly emerging from inside.
It was Consort Rong.
Consort Rong walked out with a serious expression, and upon seeing that the Fei father and son seemed somewhat better, she said, “Doesn’t the Prince of Wuding know that the Emperor is seriously ill? His Majesty has just fallen asleep for half an hour, and you have come to disturb his rest at this hour.”
The Fei father and son were unafraid of Consort Rong, and they met her gaze directly, making it clear that they intended to see the Emperor.