◎Understood why so many physicians had been summoned, yet none could cure her.◎

Two days later, a message arrived from the Marquis of Mingxuan’s residence. It had nothing to do with the heir, Young Master Zhao. Instead, it was an invitation issued in the name of the Fifth Miss, Zhao Hanyun, inviting Chu Yufu and Lu Jia’an to the residence to enjoy the snow around the stove.

The next day, Chu Yufu rose early. After breakfast, she changed into a lilac-lined jacket and a smoke-gray long skirt, then sat by the mirror as Yunsui styled her hair into a beautiful concentric bun. Finally, she took the jade hairpin gifted by her grandmother from a wooden box and adorned her hair with it.

By the time she finished dressing, it was almost time to leave. She brought along Lanzhu and Yunsui and headed out. As soon as she stepped outside, the north wind hit her, making her hiss slightly. She pulled her cloak tighter around herself.

Lanzhu looked up at the lead-gray sky and said, “It looks like it might snow.”

Yunsui then said, “Miss, please go on ahead. I’ll check if Cousin Miss Lu is ready.”

Chu Yufu, hunching her neck against the cold, nodded and walked to the outer gate. She boarded the carriage that had been prepared there. After about half an hour, the cotton curtain of the carriage was lifted, and Cousin Lu, holding a hand warmer, climbed in and sat opposite her. “Sorry to keep you waiting, cousin.”

Cousin Lu was wearing a tea-white jacket and skirt today, with chrysanthemum patterns embroidered in gold thread on the cuffs and hem. Her black hair was styled in a spiral bun, adorned with two gold-inlaid jade hairpins. It was clear she had dressed up carefully. Chu Yufu averted her gaze, instructed the coachman to set off, and then smiled and shook her head. “It wasn’t long.”

As the carriage moved forward, the clip-clop of the horse’s hooves echoed on the stone-paved road. Lu Jia’an’s heart fluttered along with the rhythm of the hooves. She adjusted her cuffs, then her collar, and finally couldn’t resist tidying the stray hairs at her temples. After completing this series of actions, she looked up and saw her younger cousin smiling at her. She couldn’t help but blush. “Aren’t you nervous, cousin?”

Chu Yufu thought for a moment, then nodded, but immediately shook her head. “A little. But Grandmother and Father have already spoken about the matter with Lady Jiang. I’m probably just going to take a look.”

Lu Jia’an nodded gently upon hearing this. That made sense. She had heard the same from her grandmother a few days ago. So many physicians had failed to cure Lady Jiang—how could her younger cousin, still so young and from an official’s family, possibly succeed where even imperial physicians had failed? But in the end, it was all because of her…

Lu Jia’an sighed softly, took Chu Yufu’s hand, and squeezed it. “Thank you for making this trip.”

After the time it takes to burn an incense stick, the carriage stopped at the entrance of the Marquis of Mingxuan’s residence. The two stepped out one after the other, and immediately two servants came forward. One guided the carriage to rest at the side gate, while the other took the invitation from Lanzhu and led them into the residence, saying that the Fifth Miss was already waiting for them in the main courtyard.

The Chu and Li families were not small, but it was only upon arriving at the Marquis’s residence that Chu Yufu realized what true grandeur meant. They walked for quite a while before reaching the main courtyard. From a distance, she spotted a figure in lake-blue attire—it was Zhao Hanyun, whom she had met once before at the Li residence.

She saw Zhao Hanyun, and Zhao Hanyun saw her too. As Chu Yufu approached, Zhao Hanyun’s eyes lit up.

Today, Miss Chu had abandoned the pink makeup she wore at the Li banquet, and her hair was no longer crammed full of hairpins and accessories. Her overall appearance was both elegant and dignified, and paired with her smiling eyes, she exuded a warmth that made people instantly fond of her.

Zhao Hanyun stood up and greeted her with a smile. “Winter is so dull—cooped up indoors all day, either embroidering or reading. Finally, someone has come to keep me company!”

Chu Yufu paused slightly, then performed a greeting gesture between peers. She smiled and replied, “It’s the same for us. If Miss Zhao hadn’t invited us, we’d be stuck indoors counting chess pieces right now.”

Lu Jia’an also greeted her. “Miss Zhao.”

Zhao Hanyun smiled and returned the greeting, inviting the two to sit and enjoy some tea. They made small talk about the cold weather and the epidemic in the capital, eventually circling back to the incident at the Li banquet where Chu Yufu had been bumped into. Zhao Hanyun asked about her injury.

Throughout this, Zhao Hanyun’s gaze occasionally drifted to Lu Jia’an as she sipped her tea.

She was not familiar with Miss Chu, and even less so with Lu Jia’an, who had only recently arrived in the capital. A few days ago, her elder brother had suddenly asked her to invite the two to the residence under the pretext of enjoying the snow, so that they could examine their grandmother. She found it utterly baffling, as she had never heard before that Miss Chu was skilled in medicine. Even if she were, how could a young lady from an official’s family, with so many renowned physicians failing to cure her grandmother, possibly outperform even the imperial physicians?

When she pressed for details, her brother refused to say more. Later, she sent Xi’er to inquire with her brother’s attendant and learned that her brother likely had feelings for Miss Lu. Perhaps his intentions were not purely about their grandmother’s illness. The two had spoken at the Luo family’s winter gathering—one had made an offhand remark, and the other had casually agreed…

Now that Miss Lu was sitting right in front of her, she couldn’t help but steal a few more glances.

After half a cup of tea, the three of them, all close in age, grew much more familiar. Zhao Hanyun glanced at the sky and suggested taking them to the pavilion in the backyard. Servants had already set up a tea stove and snacks there, and from the pavilion, they could enjoy a full view of the red plum blossoms in the small garden. The group made their way to the backyard in a lively procession. As they passed a courtyard with a plaque that read “Lintao Yard,” Zhao Hanyun slowed her pace and said to the two:

“My grandmother is sixty-two this year. She has an old injury in her lower back and is extremely sensitive to cold, afraid of drafts. Autumn and winter are especially difficult for her. There is a heated room in Lintao Yard where grandmother stays for a period every winter.” She paused slightly before revealing the true purpose of the invitation. “I heard that Miss Chu is skilled in medicine. If it’s convenient later, could I trouble you to examine her and see if there’s any way to alleviate her discomfort?”

Chu Yufu glanced at the tightly closed vermilion door of the courtyard, then turned her head and smiled faintly. “Of course, it would be my pleasure.”

As soon as she finished speaking, hurried footsteps were heard from behind the large door beside them. Then, the courtyard door creaked open, and a young maid hurried out. Seeing the group at the door, she paused in surprise, then bent her knees in a curtsy. “Fifth Miss.”

Zhao Hanyun looked past her into the small courtyard. The maids inside were all moving quickly—some carrying cloth towels, some holding hot water, and others bringing silver-thread charcoal, all heading toward the heated room.

Her delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly. “Is Grandmother feeling unwell again?”

“Yes,” the maid replied. “The weather has been poor today. The Old Mistress woke up early complaining of back pain. We sent for Physician Yuan from the Hundred Herb Hall, and he is currently examining her. The charcoal stored in the courtyard is running low, so I was sent to fetch more from the storeroom.”

Zhao Hanyun waved her hand, signaling the maid to go about her task. Her interest in brewing tea and enjoying the snow had vanished. Instead, she turned to Chu Yufu and said, “Shall we go see Grandmother first?”

Since their visit wasn’t truly about tea and amusement anyway, both Chu Yufu and Lu Jia’an nodded in agreement.

Zhao Hanyun led the way, with the two cousins following behind. They stepped through the courtyard gate and walked a short distance to a modest pavilion. As the door to the pavilion opened, Chu Yufu understood why it was called the “heated room.”

The room inside was no more than ten meters wide. The floor was paved with dark bluish-grey stone tiles that felt warm underfoot. In the center of the room, a sunken square pit held a vigorously burning charcoal fire, filling the space with rising heat. The maids and elderly servants attending inside wore only thin, single-layer garments.

On the eastern side of the room stood a large carved bed with blue curtains. An elderly woman with graying hair lay on her side on the bed.

Two men stood by the bedside. The middle-aged man, dressed as a physician, had his hands placed on the old woman’s lower back, apparently performing a massage. The younger man stood slightly behind him, his profile revealing a handsome face—it was the Heir, Young Master Zhao.

The three girls approached quietly and stopped by the latticed window, watching the physician’s movements in silence.

The old woman wore two layers of clothing, over which a white silk cloth was spread. Physician Yuan’s hands pressed gently on the silk cloth. Though his movements were light, the old woman still emitted soft moans, her eyes half-closed, a trace of pain evident between her brows.

After a moment, the middle-aged man withdrew his hands and looked up, offering a slight bow to Young Master Zhao. “The prescription for the Old Mistress remains the same as before, unchanged. Later, you may send someone to the Hundred Herb Hall to fetch the medicine.”

Young Master Zhao frowned slightly, his expression troubled. “Physician Yuan, is there truly no better prescription available?”

Physician Yuan shook his head. “I have tried many prescriptions to relax the muscles and invigorate the blood. But after repeated trials, I’ve found that the current one is indeed the most suitable…”

Hearing them discuss the prescription, Chu Yufu quietly moved closer to Zhao Hanyun and whispered, “Fifth Miss, do you know what prescription the Old Mistress uses?”

Zhao Hanyun replied softly, “I’m not sure of the exact name of the prescription. I only know it’s Physician Yuan’s family secret recipe. The herbs are washed, wrapped in white linen cloth, steamed until warm, and then applied to the lower back to promote blood circulation and relieve pain.”

“Physician Yuan is highly skilled in treating external injuries here in the capital, and his massage techniques are exceptional. When he first began treating Grandmother, the results were very good. We all thought Grandmother was nearly recovered and were overjoyed, but…” She paused, sighed, and continued, “Over the past year, Grandmother’s back pain has been occurring more and more frequently, and Physician Yuan doesn’t have any particularly effective methods left.”

Massage, hot compress…

Chu Yufu fell into thought, then hesitantly asked, “Just massage and hot compress?”

Zhao Hanyun said, “Yes.”

Ever since hearing her cousin Lu’s description, she had suspected that Lady Jiang’s condition was most likely a ‘lumbar disc herniation’—back pain triggered by prolonged sitting or standing, worsened by cold, all typical symptoms. The subsequent development of pain in one side of the buttock and leg indicated the condition had progressed further, with damage to the tissues around the lumbar disc releasing inflammatory mediators that irritated the nerves, causing neuralgia.

But this was only her guess; she hadn’t dared to be certain, for two reasons.

First, she hadn’t seen the patient in person and couldn’t be sure. Second, in Traditional Chinese Medicine, this condition falls under the category of Bi syndrome and isn’t considered a major illness. It seemed unlikely that so many renowned physicians in the capital would fail to treat it effectively, making her wonder if it might be another rare disease with similar symptoms.

But now, having arrived at the Marquis’s residence and seen Lady Jiang with her own eyes, she was certain within just this short time: Lady Jiang was indeed suffering from lumbar disc herniation. And she finally understood why so many physicians had been summoned, yet none could cure her!