Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 400 The Foolish Father's Greed Leads to Dire Retribution

Chen Siyuan pondered, "This Aunt Fu is quite cunning; she's aiming to drive the Madam to her death."

Sister Feng laughed and said, "Who says otherwise? I think Madam is angry, and the Old Madam didn't say anything nice either. I'm afraid she'll be sulking when she gets back." She paused, then snorted coldly, "She deserves it!"

Chen Siyuan laughed and said, "We're aunt and niece after all, why would you hate her to the bone?"

After a slight hesitation, Sister Feng recounted her previous thoughts.

Chen Siyuan was astonished upon hearing this. Yes, he vaguely remembered that although Jia Lian frequented brothels, Feng Jie had a miscarriage first, and then You Erjie became pregnant again, so even if he had a problem, it was not a big deal.

Because of her own circumstances, things are different now; Sister Feng has not yet become pregnant!
If Chen Siyuan didn't know the original text, he would probably have thought it was a coincidence. But now that he knows, he naturally has to think more about it.

Jia Lian had previously mixed cottonseed oil into his pastries; who knows if Feng Jie's food contained any extra ingredients?
Chen Siyuan then asked, "You've worked hard these past few days. Please set aside some food so I can have Doctor Ding check it out."

Sister Feng rolled her eyes and said, "Do you need to tell me? These past few days I've only been eating snacks bought from outside. I've saved all the meals and sent them to Henian Hall through Laiwang's family."

"Oh? Did you find anything?"

Sister Feng shook her head and frowned, saying, "There's nothing unusual... but who knows, maybe one out of ten times it might be mixed in."

Chen Siyuan was lost in thought. After waiting for a while without receiving a reply, Feng Jie glanced up and saw Chen Siyuan's exposed chest and abdomen, and immediately swallowed hard.

There's a saying: "Madams love money, and prostitutes love beauty." In her early years, Sister Feng thought that sexual pleasure was just a matter of course, and she would finish it hastily and awkwardly. But now it's different. In just over a month, she has secretly met with Chen Siyuan more than a dozen times. Even though she begs for mercy every time, she still misses him terribly after a couple of days.

She glanced at Chen Siyuan's handsome face again, and then Feng Jie became restless... She curled up her legs and climbed up his legs.

"Hiss—" Chen Siyuan snapped back to reality instantly.

Looking down at Sister Feng, one sees her disheveled hair and spring-like eyes, just like willows swaying in the wind and peach blossoms being battered by rain.

It is just as she awoke from her slumber: spring had melted into the waist of the Chu Kingdom; her face was half-covered in languid makeup, her fragrance lingering on the hair of the Zhen family.

Chen Siyuan's passion immediately grew, and he thought to himself: I was going to teach Feng Jie a lesson today anyway. I've already had my fill of it, so what's one more time?
Seeing that the bright eyes were becoming increasingly intense, Sister Feng was so frightened that her face changed color. Before she could beg for mercy, Chen Siyuan leaned in.

Afterwards, Chen Siyuan saw that it was already past midnight, so he didn't care what Feng Jie did and hurriedly tidied himself up and returned to Qingtang Thatched Cottage in the dark.

After groaning for a while, Sister Feng managed to get up, then staggered all the way back, not returning until the third watch of the night. Inevitably, this aroused the questioning of the old women near the teahouse. Sister Feng simply said that she was feeling tired in the autumn, had taken a nap at Daoxiang Village, and twisted her ankle on the way back.

Sister Feng still held considerable power, so the old women dared not ask any further questions and could only send the two women back with her.

Ping'er was anxiously waiting in the room. She welcomed Feng Jie in and showed her great concern. However, Feng Jie was too lazy to say a word. She only told Ping'er to bring water to help her wash up. She didn't even soak her feet before she fell asleep.

Meanwhile, Chen Siyuan dismissed Xiangling with a few vague words and strode into the main room.

At this moment, Xiangling was reading a book of poems by lamplight in the room, while Qingwen was drawing out patterns on paper.

Seeing Chen Siyuan's current state, the two knew perfectly well that their master had gone off to steal a kiss again.

Xiangling only made a few teasing remarks, but Qingwen became jealous and kept saying sarcastic things, giving Chen Siyuan no friendly look at all.

Qingwen had just made a fortune and was excitedly looking forward to spending the night with Chen Siyuan. Now that she had been seduced by that vixen, she was naturally unhappy.

Anyone else would have been annoyed, but Chen Siyuan was thick-skinned and completely ignored the two maids' jealous remarks. After washing up carefully, he took the two maids to bed.

Despite his lack of energy, Chen Siyuan did not stop his mischievous behavior. He immediately made advances on Qingwen, using homosexual methods to deceive her before finally falling asleep.

Nothing happened that night. The next morning, he sought out Qingwen, who was still half asleep, and spent another tender time with her, which finally made her go from being angry to happy.

In the blink of an eye, Mid-Autumn Festival has passed.

One day, Chen Siyuan was studying in his study when he suddenly heard the sound of jade chimes ringing out one after another. Chen Siyuan put down his book, puzzled, because he had previously agreed with Li Wan that after the Mid-Autumn Festival and as the weather grew colder, the two of them would no longer be able to meet in secret.

If it weren't for an urgent matter, Li Wan probably wouldn't have risked inviting him.

It was only a quarter past noon, and Chen Siyuan remained calm and composed as he drank a cup of warm tea before leisurely getting up and leaving the thatched cottage.

He strolled around the Jade Emperor Temple with his hands behind his back, and seeing that no one was watching, he climbed over a tree and a wall, and soon found Li Wan in the alchemy room.

Before Chen Siyuan could speak, Li Wan's eyes were already red, and she said anxiously, "No, no, it's bad! I'm afraid Feng'er has noticed something. These past few days, she's been coming to my room whenever she has a spare moment, and her words are all probing. Brother Yuan, what should we do?"

Chen Siyuan felt a chill in his heart and quickly pulled Li Wan into his arms, whispering to comfort her, "Lanqiao, don't be afraid, I will take care of everything."

How could Li Wan believe it? She was already sobbing and said, "I can't protect myself, I can endure being torn to pieces. But what about you and Lan-ge'er... It doesn't matter if I die, but if I delay your future, I will truly be guilty of a hundred deaths."

Chen Siyuan smiled and said, "What are you talking about? I'll handle this matter myself, and there won't be any trouble."

Li Wan had been living in fear for several days, and seeing Feng Jie's probing questions, she tossed and turned all night, knowing she had no other choice. That's when she came to Chen Siyuan. Now that he had given her his permission, she felt a sense of relief and let out all her pent-up grievances.

Suddenly, tears streamed down her face like pearls falling from a broken string. Chen Siyuan gently and tenderly comforted and reassured her, and Li Wan gradually calmed down.

People are different. The way Chen Siyuan treated Feng Jie would naturally not be used on Li Wan. This woman was already depressed, and before, she had only lived for Jia Lan, turning herself into a withered and lifeless figure. If it weren't for Chen Siyuan's nurturing, it's likely that the day Jia Lan became successful would be the day Li Wan's death approached.

Because every time, Chen Siyuan was considerate and gentle, always thinking of her needs.

Once Li Wan stopped sobbing, Chen Siyuan gritted his teeth, wishing he could immediately find Feng Jie and teach her a lesson!
............................................................

Sister Feng's children's courtyard.

After some whispering among Lai Wang's family, Ping'er was startled and stood there stunned for a moment before dismissing Lai Wang's family. Ping'er suddenly returned to the room and saw Feng Jie lying lazily on the kang (a heated brick bed).

Ping'er was pondering whether to wake Feng Jie when she saw Feng Jie suddenly open her phoenix eyes and ask, "Have you found out something?"

Fengjie was naturally asking about the daily meals, but Ping'er quickly shook her head and said, "Doctor Ding tasted them himself, and apart from some food that had been left out for a while and gone bad, everything else was normal. Grandmother, could it be that we're overthinking it?"

Feng Jie frowned in thought, and after a while said, "Forget it, I've been eating too many snacks these past few days and my stomach is sore. Let's have some food today." She paused, then suddenly remembered something and slammed her hand on the table, saying, "I was being foolish! Your second master isn't here now, so why would she put something in the food?"

Ping'er blinked and suddenly realized how reasonable it made sense. The lady put seasoning in the food to prevent the second master and grandmother from having a boy, so that the eldest son's family would have an heir and the title would naturally be cut off from the second son's family. It wasn't that she really wanted to harm the grandmother.

Now that Second Master Lian is on official business in Ping'an Prefecture, Grandma herself probably won't need to put medicine in her food anymore.

Thinking about it this way, is it just that Grandma isn't pregnant yet because it's not the right time?
At this moment, Sister Feng breathed a sigh of relief and asked, "What did the man from the Wang family say just now?"

Ping'er quickly leaned over and whispered, "Grandma, Aunt Qiu bribed a maid in the main kitchen to secretly add safflower to Aunt Zhang's nourishing soup. This matter..."

Sister Feng glanced at it and sneered, "What does this dog-eat-dog thing have to do with us? If something goes wrong in the future, Qiu Tong will take the blame. Let's just pretend we don't know anything about it."

Ping'er felt reluctant, but she nodded in agreement when she met Feng Jie's gaze.

Just then, Feng'er called out from outside, "Grandma, Grandpa Yuan is here!"

The mistress and servant exchanged a glance, and Sister Feng immediately clenched the handkerchief in her hand.

In the past few days, whenever she had a spare moment, she would go to Daoxiang Village to investigate. Although she knew something was amiss, she still couldn't resist the urge to search for it. For some reason, Sister Feng kept thinking about finding out the reason. She was also thinking about keeping an eye on Li Wan, and if she could catch them in the act of illicit relations, that would be even better.

Although Li Wan appeared flustered, she made up all sorts of excuses and hadn't gone looking for Chen Siyuan in recent days. This led even Feng Jie to become suspicious, wondering if Chen Siyuan's words might actually be true.

At this moment, Chen Siyuan came to visit, and Feng Jie seemed to have a premonition, and immediately felt uneasy.

Ping'er quickly lifted the curtain to welcome him, and soon invited Chen Siyuan inside.

Feng Jie glanced at him and met his cold, clear eyes, and her heart skipped a beat. Afraid of being overheard, she quickly instructed Ping'er, "Lai Wang sent some grapes over the other day. Have Qiao Jie take some to her fourth aunt to try."

Ping'er agreed in a low voice and hurriedly went to the east end of the room to give instructions.

Chen Siyuan sat imposingly on the other side of the kang table, staring at Feng Jie without saying a word. On the other side, Ping'er gave a few instructions, and Qiao Jie'er, along with the wet nurse and Feng'er, happily headed towards Xi Chun's Lotus Fragrance Pavilion.

Once everyone left, Ping'er went to guard the door, leaving only Chen Siyuan and Feng Jie inside.

Sister Feng grew increasingly apprehensive. She quickly got up and poured him a cup of tea with a smile, awkwardly asking, "Brother Yuan... what brings you here to see me today?"

Chen Siyuan snorted coldly. Seeing Feng Jie'er's appearance, his anger subsided by three points. After thinking it over, he realized that although it was appropriate to lose his temper now, he was afraid that Feng Jie'er would become more suspicious of Li Wan afterward.

Doesn't the chivalrous novels say that a sword is most threatening when it's still sheathed? If that's the case, why not just keep it hidden and not unleash it?

Then, glancing sideways at Sister Feng, he said, "I've heard you've been going to Daoxiang Village quite often these past few days?"

Sister Feng quickly smiled and covered up, saying, "My sister-in-law and I are sisters-in-law, so it's normal for us to visit each other often. Yes, I've been sending Lai Wang's family to deliver meals to He Nian Hall for several days in a row, and Doctor Ding hasn't found anything suspicious about it. Just now, I thought about it carefully, and Jia Lian isn't even here, so why would she put medicine at this time?"

Chen Siyuan nodded without saying anything.

Sister Feng felt increasingly uneasy and quickly added, "However, what came to Wang's house just now was that little hussy Qiu Tong bribed the old woman to put safflower in Zhang Jinge's nourishing soup."

"Ok?"

Sister Feng said gloatingly, "Just wait and see. When things come to light, that little hussy Qiu Tong will be finished."

Chen Siyuan sighed, thinking to himself that the Wang family women were indeed all short-sighted. From Madam Wang to Aunt Xue, and now to Wang Xifeng, they truly had no long-term plans whatsoever.

After silently grumbling to himself for a while, seeing the puzzled look on Sister Feng's face, Chen Siyuan thought to himself: Well, she's already done this to me, so I should at least give her some benefits.

He frowned and scolded, "Foolish! What's the situation now? The purchasing agent's quarters have all been won over by the madam, and the old lady is only holding onto the nominal housekeeper's quarters. Most of the servants around you have also been won over. In addition, you suspect that the madam has secretly drugged you. At this time, instead of thinking about using this matter to take control of the main kitchen, you still have the mind to watch the show?"

"Ah?" Chen Siyuan explained again with great care, "Think about it, Zhang Jinge has a strong personality and has always been well-behaved. Since entering the mansion, she has rarely even gone to stroll in the garden. Isn't such a well-behaved concubine a hundred times better than Aunt Zhao, who is always jumping around?"
Qiu Tong is both stupid and wicked. You might bribe her one minute, and then betray you the next. Besides, even if Zhang Jinge has a child someday, she can raise it in your room. Logically and morally, you should help Zhang Jinge, not Qiu Tong.”

Sister Feng pouted and retorted, "How did I help? I was just watching from the sidelines."

Chen Siyuan sneered, "Now that you've discovered it, concealing it would be tantamount to favoring someone else."

Sister Feng was speechless.

Chen Siyuan added, "Besides, Qiu Tong still holds the title of concubine. If you don't get rid of her, how are you going to explain it to Ping'er?"

Having managed the Rongguo Mansion for several years, Sister Feng naturally knew that to gain respect, one must be clear about rewards and punishments. Ping'er's indenture was still in her hands, but because the East Mansion had recently issued a decree, and Jia Lian had gone to Ping'an Prefecture, Ping'er's release from her indenture had been delayed.

Feng Jie was somewhat unwilling, fearing that she would lose heart with Ping'er after she was released from her official post.

Chen Siyuan vaguely guessed what Feng Jie was thinking, and immediately whispered to expose her, saying, "You're confused. You already have Qiao Jie, and if you adopt a boy next, who will be able to surpass you?" He paused, then said, "Could it be that you're still hoping that Jia Lian will favor you the only one?"

Sister Feng blinked, then immediately felt disgusted and spat, "Who wants his pampering? It would be better if he died out there!"

Chen Siyuan clasped his hands together and said, "That's it. If that's the case, why are you still delaying?"

Feng Jie was slightly stunned, then suddenly said aggrievedly, "You're being mean to me! Do you think I don't know what you're thinking? You must be thinking about that little hussy Ping'er, and now you've come to complain to me!"

Chen Siyuan was too lazy to waste words with Sister Feng. He got up and moved closer, grabbed Sister Feng's chin, and roughly teased her until she was panting heavily before letting go. He laughed and said, "I've made myself clear. You can figure out how to deal with me yourself. I'm going back to my studies."

Having said that, she ignored Sister Feng's attempts to stop her, flicked her sleeves, turned around, and left gracefully.

Sister Feng was furious. She grabbed a pillow and threw it at him, unleashing a torrent of curses, including "maggot in dung" and "heartless man."

After a long while, Fengjie calmed down, and Ping'er finally lifted the curtain and entered. She picked up a pillow from the floor, patted it a few times, and then carefully placed it on the kang (heated brick bed).

Before he could even speak, Feng Jie coldly said, "You're quite lucky... Fine, I'll call Lai Wang later and have him take the Second Master's visiting card to Shuntian Prefecture in the next couple of days to get you a free status."

Ping'er was overjoyed and quickly knelt down to kowtow to Feng Jie.

Feng Jie'er felt a little better, reached out to help Ping'er up, and whispered, "Go and find Lai Wang's wife again. If that old woman has drugged her, arrest her immediately and report back to me!"

Ping'er readily agreed and hurried off to find the Wang family's instructions. Once outside the courtyard, she was filled with astonishment, wondering what Grandpa Yuan had just told her, and how Grandma had changed her mind so easily.
At the hour of Shen (3-5 PM) that day, the old woman indeed tried to put safflower into Zhang Jinge's tonic soup, but was caught red-handed by Lai Wang's wife. Lai Wang's wife ordered two rough-looking old women to escort the old woman, making a ruckus, to the Furen Yude Hall.

Lady Wang had been ill and refusing visitors for the past few days due to a fit of anger. Yingchun, upon receiving the news, dared not act on her own and hurriedly sent Hongyu ahead to inform Lady Wang. Hearing that Lady Wang was still ill, she then went to consult with Grandmother Jia.

After a while, Yuanyang came to deliver a message on behalf of Grandmother Jia, saying that the matter should be dealt with severely.

Having received confirmation, the second young lady first gave the old woman a stern warning, after which the old woman spilled the beans, saying whatever came to mind. After confessing, the old woman was given another twenty lashes and then forcibly removed from the mansion by a rough servant.

On the contrary, Qiu Tong was difficult to deal with because she was Jia Lian's concubine. Feng Jie wanted to get rid of Qiu Tong, but Qiu Tong begged for mercy incessantly. When the matter came to a head, Feng Jie became rebellious and punished her by making her go to a temple outside the city to worship Buddha for a month.

After handling the matter this way, Sister Feng was worried that Chen Siyuan would blame her. However, the two later met secretly twice more, but Chen Siyuan didn't mention it at all. This only made Sister Feng more upset.

As for Ping'er, Laiwang took some time to return from outside the city, retrieved Jia Lian's visiting card, and released him within a day. Ping'er received the confirmation and was so happy that she wept tears of joy. It was just a pity that she was pregnant at the time, otherwise she would have served Chen Siyuan wholeheartedly.

August arrived in the blink of an eye.

Chen Siyuan was feeling down that day because Qingwen, Xiangling, and Wu'er had all started their periods one after another. Chen Siyuan was too lazy to go out, so he wanted to invite Fengjie to a small gathering. But Ping'er sent a message saying that Fengjie's period hadn't come this month, so she was probably pregnant and couldn't come.

Chen Siyuan wasn't offended and breathed a sigh of relief. He thought to himself, "If Sister Feng is pregnant, she probably won't bother Li Wan anymore, right?"

Ping'er didn't leave immediately and expressed her gratitude again. Chen Siyuan comforted her for a few moments and then saw her off. He always felt that Ping'er was hiding something, and if it weren't for Feng Jie'er's forceful matchmaking that day, Chen Siyuan would never have had an affair with her.

After seeing Ping'er off, Chen Siyuan thought that he hadn't been to the small courtyard north of Nengren Temple for quite some time. Just as he was about to go, an old woman came to his door and said with a smile, "Master Yuan, a guard has come to deliver a letter to you."

Chen Siyuan took the invitation and saw that it was indeed sent by the Prince of Yanping.

Chen Siyuan dared not delay, so he quickly changed his clothes, boarded a carriage, and headed towards the Prince of Yanping's residence.

When they arrived at their destination near the hour of Si (9-11 AM), the guards announced their arrival, and Ding Daolong came to greet them with a whisk.

"Chen Xiaolian, how have you been these past few days?"

"All is well, sir. I wonder why the Prince summoned me today?"

Ding Daolong laughed and said, "Don't worry, scholar, something good is coming!"

Chen Siyuan felt slightly relieved. Ding Daolong stepped aside and led Chen Siyuan to the back. The two walked along the covered corridor, and Ding Daolong said, "There is something I need to tell you, Scholar Xiaolian... The Ministry of War has already purchased enough houttuynia cordata for military supplies, and it will be sold around in a few days. However, the price... His Highness's opinion is that it shouldn't be too high; it should benefit the common people."

Chen Siyuan hurriedly replied, "This student has no objection; it is entirely up to Your Highness to decide."

Ding Daolong smiled and nodded repeatedly, thinking to himself that there are many knowledgeable and sensible people in the world, but how many have the ability of Tao Zhu like Chen Siyuan? No wonder he caught the eye of his prince when he was still a student of the Imperial Academy.

After passing through several red gates, Ding Daolong led Chen Siyuan to a study. Upon entering, Chen Siyuan saw Prince Yanping dressed in casual attire, writing something with a brush.

Chen Siyuan stopped in the hall. Ding Daolong stepped forward to remind him. Prince Yanping glanced at him, wrote a few words, and then put down his brush and ink, saying, "Shuliang, please sit down. Come, have some tea."

Before Chen Siyuan could sit down, the Prince of Yanping paced back and forth, saying, "I have summoned you today because there is good news."

Chen Siyuan had barely sat down in the chair when he quickly jumped up, cupped his hands, and said, "This student will leave everything to Your Highness's decision."

Prince Yanping pondered for a moment and said, "You are engaged to the eldest daughter of the Xue family. I wonder what your relationship is with the second daughter?"

Chen Siyuan hesitated for a moment, then said awkwardly, "Well... the second wife signed the betrothal letter a long time ago, and she will marry into the family along with Miss Bao in the future."

King Yanping raised an eyebrow and said, "Sisters together? You really are... a free spirit."

Chen Siyuan didn't say much, so he could only keep smiling apologetically.

Then Yanping said, "That's easy to handle. As you know, the capital is densely populated and increasingly overburdened. His Majesty intends to extend the capital ten miles northward, and the Ministry of Works will handle the construction of the city walls. However, His Majesty has entrusted the various parts of the city to the Imperial Household Department."

Building a city? That's a huge business! Chen Siyuan suppressed his excitement and kept a straight face.

Sure enough, King Yanping said again, "I heard that you borrowed a lot of money to buy that damn General of the State's Mansion?"

Chen Siyuan honestly replied, "Yes, a lot of money was taken from the Xue family's eldest branch."

King Yanping chuckled and muttered, "If you weren't somewhat capable, I would really have considered you a gigolo."

"Your affair somehow reached the palace. His Majesty, in a show of leniency, appointed the second branch of the Xue family to undertake some beams and bricks; they figured they could make a profit."

Chen Siyuan dared not be negligent. He sprang to his feet, knelt on the ground, and kowtowed, saying, "This student thanks Heaven for its grace!"

After bowing, he waved again in the direction of the Daming Palace.

King Yanping covered his face, frowned, and pointed west, saying, "The imperial city is over there!"

"The students are terrified!" Chen Siyuan quickly bowed to the west again.

Prince Yanping hated these formalities the most, and waved his hand, saying, "Alright, alright, you can just leave this matter to the second branch of the Xue family. Just focus on your studies. As long as you make the imperial examination, you'll have a bright future."

Chen Siyuan's heart skipped a beat, and he vaguely guessed what was going on, which made him even more excited. He thanked the Prince of Yanping profusely, got up and chatted with him for a while. After having a cup of tea, Ding Daolong saw him off.

Once seated in the carriage, Chen Siyuan was overjoyed, wildly waving his fists a few times before managing to calm himself down. The Prince of Yanping had made it clear: a future depended on being on the list of successful candidates.

As mentioned in the section about Lin Ruhai's background, in the imperial examinations, the top two scholars (Zhuangyuan and Bangyan) were determined by the chief and deputy examiners to show the emperor's humility. When it came to the third-place scholar, the emperor said, "I am not very learned and do not know the many talents of my officials. I will appoint the third-place scholar myself."

The third-ranked scholar is a first-class scholar! Compared to the third-ranked scholar, it's incomparable, and even compared to the second-ranked scholar, he has three years less of the required training period.

How could Chen Siyuan not be overjoyed?

As the saying goes, "When people are happy, they are in high spirits." Chen Siyuan was looking for a place to have some fun, so he ordered the carriages to head north of Nengren Temple and sent Qingyu back to report that he would not be returning today.

Miaoyu and Siqi had been deprived of sex for a long time, and as soon as Chen Siyuan arrived, he took the two women to the bedroom at the end of the room and slept with them under the same quilt. The tender and affectionate moments inside need not be described in detail.

The next day arrived in the blink of an eye. Perhaps due to his excessive indulgence, Chen Siyuan felt his back and legs aching. After barely managing to eat breakfast, he took a carriage back to Rongguo Mansion.

No sooner had they entered the Rongguo Mansion than Yu Si rushed in, frantically bringing news. Chen Siyuan, quick as a flash, grabbed Yu Si and asked, "What happened that you're in such a panic?"

Upon seeing that it was Chen Siyuan, Yu Si immediately exclaimed, "Oh dear, Master Yuan, you'd better go and see! The master has fainted from the shock!"

"what?"

Chen Siyuan was about to ask more questions when Yu Si broke free and darted out, shouting without turning back, "I'm going to fetch the imperial physician and also inform the old lady. Master Yuan, hurry up and go!"

Chen Siyuan thought to himself, "Could it be that the houttuynia cordata incident has come to light?" He immediately turned around and walked out, striding out of the side gate and entering the black oil gate in a short while.

Upon entering, they saw servants, maids, and old women running around in all directions. Madam Xing then ran out of the outer study, shouting, "Where is the imperial physician? Why hasn't he come yet? Come here, send someone to urge him again!"

Upon catching sight of Chen Siyuan, Madam Xing's expression immediately turned strange, as if she was forcibly suppressing the urge to curl her lips.

Seeing her like this, Chen Siyuan was immediately certain that the matter of the houttuynia cordata had definitely come to pass!

(End of this chapter)