Fuchang Bo’s mansion was huge. Under the cover of the servants in Ganlin Courtyard, Shen Qian crawled through three dog holes, climbed over a short wall, and finally escaped from the mansion.

After asking a few passersby for directions, he found a well-known medical clinic, described the pulse of the eldest young master, and also asked the doctor to check his own pulse.

From what Zhan Er and the others had said, Xiao Die had always been very healthy. After experiencing it firsthand, Shen Qian also thought it was true.

Xiao Die had a round little face, chubby arms, legs, and waist, all with firm flesh. Same as falling into water, yet the eldest young master had a high fever and wouldn’t wake up, while Xiao Die’s body was basically fine after drinking ginger soup and warming up by the charcoal basin.

Still, he couldn’t let his guard down. Even though it wasn’t his own body, this little servant was extremely loyal. Shen Qian didn’t want him to be left with any lingering issues, so he also asked the doctor to prescribe a few days’ worth of medicine.

The doctor was surprised by this young man who could accurately describe the pulse and illness. He couldn’t help asking, “Have you studied medicine?” Even the apprentices and medical boys who had studied for three or four years at their clinic weren’t necessarily this skilled—able to take a pulse and describe it so precisely.

Shen Qian said, “I was taught a bit in the household. I serve the young master.”

The doctor suddenly understood. Shen Qian’s outfit and manner did match that of a servant from a noble household. He couldn’t help but wonder what kind of high-status family this was to raise such a capable servant. Even he felt a twinge of pity for talent.

As for why someone from a grand household would come to a small clinic like theirs… recalling what this young man had said about someone falling into the water, the doctor sighed again and again. He became extra cautious and careful when prescribing the medicine, making it milder and more nourishing.

Shen Qian glanced at the prescription, then followed the medical boy to personally watch the herbs being measured. He now had a rough idea.

The very first task he took on when entering the Quick Transmigration Bureau had been in a cultivation world. According to the system, he stayed in that world for two hundred and sixty years—most of his over-three-hundred-year career was spent on that mission.

It wasn’t that the task was particularly hard. It’s just that in a cultivation world, closed-door cultivation could take ten or twenty years at a time, and if you didn’t cultivate, it was hard to gain power. So time naturally dragged on. Although Shen Qian’s main path in the sect had been swordsmanship, cultivators always dabbled a bit in alchemy and talismans. He wasn’t exactly a master, but diagnosing pulses and handling minor illnesses was nothing to him.

Two hundred and sixty years of exposure and immersion had left him more than capable—probably not much different from mortals who spent decades seriously studying medicine.

If he were still in a cultivation world, a little cold like this, Shen Qian could have just treated it himself. But many of the herbs used in that world didn’t exist here in the mortal realm. He wasn’t even sure whether the names and effects of the herbs in this world matched the ones he knew.

So when he saw the medical boy measuring out the medicine, he silently compared it to what he knew. Sure enough, there were a few herbs he didn’t recognize, and others that just had different names. All in all, it was a relatively mild prescription—not very fast-acting, but definitely safe. Seemed like the doctor thought he was from a noble house and didn’t want trouble.

Shen Qian had medicine measured for both the eldest young master and himself—five days’ worth each—and even bought a small clay pot for brewing the decoction. Altogether, plus the consultation fee, it only cost eight taels of silver.

That would be a lot for commoners, but for a bo’s mansion, it was nothing. Shen Qian decided to go ahead and ask the doctor to add a few more nourishing herbs for someone who had fallen into water. He ended up spending most of the silver he had brought, lugging back a long string of medicine packets as he ran back to the mansion.

Leaving had gone smoothly, but returning proved trickier—about halfway back, the streets were suddenly put under lockdown. Soldiers drove vendors off the streets and warned the public to stay inside. Something big must’ve happened.

The people were scared—scenes like this were rare. They rushed home in panic, some vendors even abandoning their goods.

This was Shen Qian’s first time going out. He had asked several people for directions just to find that clinic. Now the streets were deserted, and he couldn’t remember the way back. He started wandering around like a headless chicken.

It didn’t take long for the soldiers to notice him. Soon enough, someone grabbed the back of his collar and hauled him in front of a superior officer. Xiao Die’s body wasn’t tall, so he was lifted clean off the ground, legs kicking uselessly in the air.

Shen Qian: “……”

The officer was a young general, probably in his early twenties. Tall and striking, he sat on a tall horse, looking down at Shen Qian. His gaze lingered on Shen Qian’s clearly high-class servant attire for a moment before he said coldly, “Whose household are you from? Why are you disobeying orders and running around the streets?”

The soldier holding him roughly tossed him to the ground. “What are your intentions? Speak!”

Shen Qian hit the ground hard, his limbs aching. He was totally speechless—what kind of mess had he walked into?

Even though Shen Qian had only just arrived in this ancient world, he knew that martial lockdowns in the capital weren’t small matters. Did he just transmigrate into the middle of a political upheaval, coup, or rebellion?

That officer stared at him for a long time. Could it be that he recognized him as someone from Fuchang Bo’s mansion? Was the earlinvolved in this mess? Why didn’t the identity profile mention something so crucial?!

Shen Qian was super frustrated. Because of the soul swap caused by falling into the water, he hadn’t received any of the original host’s memories. He was completely in the dark. There was no way to avoid danger even if he wanted to. Seeing the officer’s expression grow more and more unfriendly, Shen Qian had no choice but to speak truthfully—he didn’t care about hiding the family’s secrets.

He told the whole story of the eldest young master falling into water, the inability to summon a doctor, and how he was now in a coma with a high fever. He even showed them the medicine he was carrying.

“I’ve never been outside before. I had to ask my way all the way there, and then I got lost, which is why I was running around…” Shen Qian looked at the officer’s expression and added in a small voice, “Please, General, have mercy. My young master is waiting for this medicine.”

The officer frowned. One of the soldiers stepped forward and opened a medicine packet to inspect. “Commander, this is indeed medicine for a cold.”

“Then let him go.” The commander looked Shen Qian up and down, then changed his mind. “Didn’t he say he doesn’t know the way? Send two men to escort him back to Fuchang Bo’s mansion.”

After Shen Qian was taken away by the two soldiers, the commander added, “Have someone keep an eye on Fuchang Bo’s mansion. And check whether Fuchang Bo really was at Yuxiang Tower today like this boy said.”

A subordinate beside him said, “Commander, Fuchang Bo is known for being a total scoundrel. He spends his days drinking and watching operas with that concubine of his from a brothel. He holds no post and never gets involved in court affairs. This is probably just a coincidence. I think that boy was telling the truth.”

The commander shook his head. “This concerns the crown prince. Better safe than sorry.”

Though they said they were escorting Shen Qian, it was clearly more like being taken under guard. As they neared Fuchang Bo’s mansion, Shen Qian’s steps grew heavier and heavier. Nervously, he said, “Big brothers, I crawled out through a dog hole. The mansion doesn’t know I’m out. Can you please take me back to the dog hole…”

The two soldiers just stared straight ahead, ignoring him completely.

Shen Qian sighed. He only wanted to retire peacefully and lay low. Why did it feel like he was going to be dragged into trouble anyway?

Well, if there had to be a fight, he wouldn’t back down either.

Sure enough, when they knocked on the gate, the steward who opened it turned pale the moment he saw Shen Qian being brought back by two soldiers.

Xiao Die was a servant born in the household, and the steward at the gate—Zhang Jiuquan, Xiao Wan’s uncle—naturally recognized him.

One of the soldiers shoved Shen Qian forward and asked, “Please confirm whether this is a servant of your eldest young master.”

Zhang Jiuquan stiffly replied, “Yes… that’s right. May I ask what he’s done wrong? And where are you two lords from?”

The soldier didn’t answer, just asked, “Did the eldest young master fall into the water today, and this little servant went out to buy medicine?”

Zhang Jiuquan gritted his teeth. “Xiao Die!” Why are you saying everything out loud!

But Shen Qian, new to this world, didn’t recognize this so-called uncle of Xiao Wan. His mind was occupied with worry about his real body—still lying in the inner courtyard, burning with fever. He had no patience for games. Annoyed, he said, “We sent word to the outer courtyard multiple times, begging the stewards to at least get a local doctor. But clearly, no one cared about the life of our young master. Fine, if you all don’t care, we’ll care ourselves. Now I’ve gone through so much to get this medicine, and yet your steward won’t answer the military lords’ questions and is stopping me from going in—are you waiting for our young master’s condition to worsen?”

Zhang Jiuquan turned pale. “What nonsense are you spouting! The bo and Liu Yiniang aren’t in the mansion today. The other concubines didn’t give any orders either. As lowly servants, how could we dare act on our own?”

Shen Qian sneered, “Ridiculous. This isn’t some minor gossip. A matter of life and death—is the earlreally going to punish you for saving his eldest son? He’d reward you if anything.” Shen Qian paused, then chuckled, “Oh, maybe someone would be unhappy if we saved him—are you afraid Liu Yiniang doesn’t want him saved? Maybe it was her who—mmmph!”

Zhang Jiuquan clamped a hand over Shen Qian’s mouth and awkwardly smiled at the two soldiers. “Sirs, some things happened at the mansion today, and this child is just panicked and delirious. Please don’t repeat what he just said.”

The two soldiers exchanged a look but said nothing. They reminded Zhang Jiuquan about the city lockdown and asked about Fuchang Bo’s whereabouts, then left.

Only then did Zhang Jiuquan let go of Shen Qian. “Ancestor, how dare you say such things in front of outsiders! If those soldiers have loose tongues, gossip will spread, and if a censor writes a report, even if the earlhas no post, he’ll still get punished by His Majesty! Our mansion is already in decline…”

Shen Qian raised an eyebrow. “Did I not speak the truth?”

Zhang Jiuquan was speechless. That was exactly why it was dangerous! He looked Shen Qian over again. His own nephew Xiao Wan also worked in Ganlin Courtyard, and he knew Xiao Die was always the honest and soft-spoken type. But now, his words were like knives—cutting straight to the bone!

He figured the eldest young master must really be gravely ill, and even the honest ones were driven to the edge. He dared not say anything more, and quickly sent Shen Qian back.

With Zhang Jiuquan’s help, Shen Qian returned as discreetly as possible to Ganlin Courtyard, but still couldn’t avoid being noticed by someone with a sharp eye.

Because of his return, the mood in the courtyard completely shifted. Zhan Er perked up and immediately had the careful little maids start boiling the medicine. She also took the strong liquor Shen Qian had bought and began wiping down the eldest young master’s body.

Shen Qian returned the bracelet to her. “Didn’t need it. The medicine outside isn’t expensive—everything cost just over ten taels. There’s still some left.”

Zhan Er stared at the remaining silver in a daze. They’d lived in the mansion all their lives. Those who had been sold in could occasionally get leave to visit home, but only once a year at most. As for those born into service like them, they almost never left. She had no idea money outside was actually so useful.

Back then, a visit from a royal physician cost several taels in travel tips alone. And when they got prescriptions, getting the medicine from the public store was always a hassle.

Last autumn, the young master and the earlboth had coughs. The royal physician prescribed Chuanbei loquat syrup. But Liu Yiniang said the medicine was expensive, and they had only a little, bought with hundreds of taels of silver. They had to prioritize the bo, and children shouldn’t compete with their father over medicine.

So the young master was delayed for a long time and may have developed a chronic condition. Every time the weather cooled, he’d cough again.

Zhan Er had always thought seeing doctors and getting medicine was expensive. Who knew that saving a life could cost just a little over ten taels… The young master hadn’t always been so weak—it had all been dragged out over time! Madam had left him hundreds of thousands of taels in dowry, yet he still had to live like this in his own house!

Seeing her about to cry again, Shen Qian quickly comforted her. “I went outside today and realized it’s not that scary. We’ve just never been out, so we were scared. Let’s make those dog holes a bit bigger and connect the paths. We can go out more often. If we need something, we’ll buy it ourselves. No more begging. The young master will definitely get better.”

Zhan Er sniffled and gripped his hand. “Good Xiao Die, it’s all thanks to you today!”

They finished speaking and went to check on the eldest young master. Surprisingly, he was already awake, staring blankly at the canopy overhead, letting Xiao Wan wipe him down.

Zhan Er whispered, “He woke up not long after you left. This time, he didn’t scold anyone or ask who I was… just lay there. Do you think—” She looked like she was about to cry again. “Do you think the young master’s brain got fried?”

There was a servant boy in the house who’d burned his brain from a fever as a child. He could take care of himself, but he was dull. Even as a teenager, he couldn’t work and drooled a lot. His parents had begged for a sweeping job in the outer yard just so he could survive. Everyone in their generation knew about it, which was why Zhan Er was so worried.

The person on the bed: “……”

Shen Qian noticed the guy on the bed twitching his lips several times like he wanted to curse, but in the end, didn’t say a word. That let him breathe a huge sigh of relief—at least he hadn’t gone stupid. That was his body, after all. If it had gone dumb, who knew what would happen to him…

Still, he put on an act and leaned in, whispering, “Young master? Do you still recognize me?”

The guy instinctively glanced at Shen Qian, then turned back to stare at the canopy.

Just that one glance, and Shen Qian knew—this guy was definitely not Xiao Die.

Everything else aside, if he were Xiao Die, wouldn’t he have freaked out seeing his own body talking to him? But this guy looked at him the same way he looked at Zhan Er and Xiao Wan—totally calm, no reaction at all.

So who the hell was he? And why was he fighting over his body?

Shen Qian had a million questions, but for now, he could only wait for the system to come to explain after the three-day buffer.

Just then, a little maid called out from outside, “The medicine’s ready! Xiao Die-gege, come drink it!”

So Shen Qian headed to the kitchen. Ganlin Courtyard had its own little kitchen—it was allowed when the late Madam was alive and doted on her child. But after her death, it had fallen into disuse, until now.

The little maid smiled shyly at Zhan Er. “There was too much medicine for the young master. Still needs a bit longer. But Xiao Die-gege’s is ready, better drink it while it’s hot.”

Shen Qian stood by the kitchen door, the bowl hot in his hands. He blew on it slowly. Just then, chaos erupted outside the courtyard. A boy of thirteen or fourteen led a big crowd of servants straight in. The Ganlin Courtyard staff tried to stop them, saying they needed to report, but were shoved aside.

The boy in front was dressed in luxury. As soon as he entered, his sharp eyes scanned around. When he saw Shen Qian holding a bowl of medicine, his eyes widened. “What are you making big brother drink?! Our family has always used royal physician prescriptions! You lowly servants, where did you get this sketchy stuff? Are you trying to poison big brother?!”

As soon as he said that, one of his men stepped forward and smacked the bowl out of Shen Qian’s hands.

Shen Qian: “……” Are you fucking kidding me…

That was my medicine!

The boy’s eyes gleamed with satisfaction. He shouted to his attendants, “The Ganlin Courtyard servants are trying to poison big brother! Go search for all the poison they’re hiding and destroy it! When Father and Mother get back, they’ll call the royal physician.”

As the crowd of excited servants started gearing up, Shen Qian’s face darkened: “You dare!”