“Pregnant?” The Empress Dowager and Shangguan Yao’s eyes showed little surprise, merely raising an eyebrow slightly.
What was Zhao Cairen’s status? Merely a lowly Cairen, yet she carried the precious royal bloodline. The Empress Dowager was very displeased.
This first royal bloodline should have come from Consort Xian or Ye Suxue. But given the current situation, they could only wait and see.
Little Pavilion waited for the Emperor’s words for a long time, his heart trembling slightly, unsure if the Emperor was pleased or worried about this bloodline.
Finally, Shangguan Yao gave a cold, stern command.
“Immediately issue a decree to the Cold Palace. Zhao Cairen is to be elevated to the rank of Zhaorong, second rank, starting today, and will reside in Zhongde Palace.”
Little Pavilion was taken aback and quickly accepted the decree and went out. He never expected Zhao Cairen to turn misfortune into blessing, gaining status through her child.
If not for the Emperor’s current predicament, her child likely wouldn’t have been kept, let alone promoted to Zhaorong and moved into Zhongde Palace.
Now, relying on a child, she was on equal footing with Noble Lady Shu Yuan.
As Little Pavilion went to deliver the decree, the study was silent, the air flowing. The Empress Dowager finally sighed.
“Enough, enough, it is her destiny.”
With that, she walked out of the study. Shangguan Yao’s eyes were dark and unreadable, chilling, devoid of any warmth. It seemed he truly needed to cure this internal ailment as soon as possible.
The next day, the Western Liang army retreated, actually withdrawing back to the Western Liang border. Scouts reported the news to the main camp.
Everyone was stunned. The fiercely advancing Western Liang army retreated just as fiercely. They were in the midst of planning their battle strategies when the enemy inexplicably withdrew.
Although they were inexplicably surprised, everyone was still very happy. Finally, a gruff general stood up and cursed the Western Liang army as cowardly mice, retreating after just one defeat.
They had dared to taunt outside their city gates back then.
After this man finished speaking, everyone in the camp hall burst into laughter, joy filling the air.
Yun Xiao also received the news and understood. Liu Xing and Jing Yun were also privy to the secret. When no one was around, she secretly chuckled.
Who knew that it was actually their mistress who had poisoned the Western Liang army, forcing them to retreat into the Western Liang territory, rather than fleeing in disarray.
However, they were smart enough to say nothing. Since their mistress didn’t speak, why should they butt in?
Feng Ya Pass finally stabilized. Although the streets still bore the desolation and coldness of the aftermath of war and plague, they were much livelier.
The weather gradually warmed, and the spring sunlight bathed every corner of the streets. The tall trees lining the streets were lush and verdant.
Those running small businesses officially opened their doors and began to earn a living. After war, people always had to eat.
Yun Xiao remained in the independent small courtyard behind the Yun Residence. Recently, she had been refining medicine. Many of the pills she carried with her were used up. Taking advantage of the current lull, she made some for use.
Anti-inflammatory, detoxifying, and poisons, all sorts were available.
The colorful glass bottles were filled with brightly colored pills, neither labeled nor described.
Wanwan looked at these beautiful and attractive items but dared not touch them. Who knew which was poison and which wasn’t?
“Mistress, are you tired? Rest for a while.”
Yun Xiao’s face was covered in sweat. Wanwan took a silk handkerchief to help her wipe it away. She saw Yun Xiao smiling brightly.
In the sunlight, her long eyelashes fluttered. Her curved brows were very beautiful. Her light, translucent wings, and fair skin were flushed with a rosy glow, like two delicate peach blossoms. When her lips curved, two deep dimples appeared, making her indescribably beautiful and charming.
“It’s nothing. I have nothing else to do anyway, and I enjoy doing this.”
Yes, she had always enjoyed dealing with these bottles and jars. She would spend an entire day like this. Others found it tedious, but she found it enjoyable and self-sufficient.
Therefore, in her previous life, she never even had time to get a boyfriend and didn’t quite understand these emotional issues.
Sunlight penetrated a tall tree in front of the door, and sparse rays of light fell upon them.
Just then, a slender figure walked over. It was naturally her subordinate, Liu Xing. She had instructed everyone in the residence that except for her own three people, no one else was allowed to enter without permission, so ordinary people dared not come in.
As Liu Xing approached, he spoke respectfully.
“Mistress, the housekeeper has come to report that an old woman is requesting an audience. She said her little grandson is ill, and many doctors cannot treat him. The old woman managed to find out that Mistress lives here, so she is begging Mistress to save the child’s life.”
Yun Xiao raised her head, her face bathed in sunlight. Her eyes were a pure natural black, like glass beads, shining brightly.
Moreover, her heart was very kind. Liu Xing knew that their mistress would not stand idly by in such a situation. Indeed, after hearing his report,
Yun Xiao stood up. On the side, Wanwan helped her wash her hands. As she walked inside, she instructed Liu Xing.
“Tell the housekeeper to bring the old lady and the child to the side room. I will be there shortly.”
“Yes,” Liu Xing replied and walked out. His usually indifferent and heartless expression showed a slight fluctuation. It was probably true that one became like their master. He realized that he was becoming more emotional than before.
Yun Xiao entered the room. To disguise herself as before, she applied medicinal juice to her face, took a voice-changing pill, drew thick eyebrows, added a crescent moon, and then bound her chest and changed her clothes. Wanwan served her while sighing.
“Mistress, this is truly suffering. You were already quite flat, and if this continues, there probably won’t be much left.”
This girl still held a grudge against Yun Xiao for calling her flat-chested before, so she took the opportunity to get revenge. It was a typical case of repaying enmity, repaying kindness. Yun Xiao reached out and tapped her head, a smile on her face. This aspect was very much like her: repaying enmity and repaying kindness.
“Let’s go.”
Yun Xiao walked out. Wanwan reached out and smoothed the faint patterns on her brocade clothes, then carried the medicine box and followed behind Yun Xiao, speaking sweetly.
“Young Master, let’s go.”
If these words reached Jing Yun’s ears, that fellow would definitely run to the side and vomit, then remind Wanwan, “You are a beauty, a beauty, can you stop being so… unappealing?”
In the side room to the side of the main hall of the Yun Residence, the old woman looked around nervously.
The side room was elegant, with a not-too-large lattice carved bed, draped with sky-blue gauze curtains. A round table was placed on one side, and a soft couch on the other, covered with brocade bedding.
Beneath the window was a desk, on which sat a blue and white porcelain vase, holding a few fresh peach blossoms.
The room held a faint scent of peaches.
The old woman’s face was aged, her hair white. Her eyes were red and swollen, and her lips were completely devoid of color. She tightly hugged her small child.
The child had not spoken. The housekeeper, who was standing nearby, cautiously glanced over and saw that he was so quiet that he did not seem to breathe at all. He couldn’t help but frown. Could it be that the child was dead? And yet they had come to seek treatment from the young master, and the young master was not an immortal.
“Old Madam, this child?”
The old woman trembled, thinking the housekeeper was about to drive her away. She panicked and knelt down with a thud, kowtowing repeatedly.
“Please, please let me see Young Master Feng! He is a divine doctor. This child is all I have left. My survival depends on this child. If he cannot be saved, I will not live either.”
As the old woman spoke, she began to cry again. At this moment, the housekeeper quickly reached out to help her up. “Please get up, Young Master Feng will be here shortly.”
The housekeeper of the Yun Residence had no idea that the person living in the back courtyard was their young master. He had always thought she was a distant relative of the master.
However, it was true that the master doted on him, forbidding anyone in the residence from disturbing him. That Young Master Feng was very mysterious, always staying in the back courtyard and rarely coming out.