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Ding Shi knelt forcefully, sobbing as she expressed her gratitude, "This humble woman thanks Her Majesty the Empress!"

Grandma Gui escorted Lady Ding to another bamboo lodge and, upon her return, heard Empress Qi say, "When Snow Bright serves her, pay attention to whether there is a cinnabar mole on the child's right shoulder."

Madam Gui assented, pausing briefly before inquiring, "Does Your Highness intend to bring her back to the palace and have Chief Physician Sun examine her?"

"Let's first see what Snow Mirror has to say. If this child truly is hers, her connection with the Crown Prince..."

Empress Qi rubbed her temples, recalling Wen Xi's inquisitive gaze when she inquired about the Crown Prince in the small Buddhist shrine. A heavy feeling settled in her heart.

Even though the maid tried her utmost to feign nonchalance, her eyes betrayed the affection they held – a telltale glimmer that only graces a woman's gaze when she speaks of the one who has captured her heart.

Is this Xiao Fu's way of retaliating against her?

It was the fiery and frenzied affection concealed deep in Xiao Fu's eyes that betrayed her sentiments towards Prince Qiyuan.

Qi Zhen had once harbored affection for Prince Qiyuan, their childhood friendship blossoming into a mutual love. The way Xiao Fu looked at Prince Qiyuan displeased her.

It was due to her displeasure that Prince Qiyuan seldom visited Xiao Fu at Daci'en Temple afterwards.

Wen Xi and Gu Changjin grew up together like childhood sweethearts; it was unclear if they shared mutual affection, but Wen Xi certainly had feelings for Gu Changjin.

Empress Qi pondered, "For now, we can't bring her back to the palace. Wait until the crown prince has settled his marriage before bringing her back."

Grandma Gui stepped forward to massage her head and asked, "Did the little princess mention why she went to Su Prefecture? Did the Cheng'an Marquis Estate force her to leave the capital?"

Grandma Gui still remembered that it was because the eldest legitimate daughter of the Cheng'an Marquis desired the crown prince, seeking an alliance with the Gu family, that the little princess was forced to leave the capital.

Empress Qi had also asked Wen Xi this question. The child had hesitated, only saying that she had accidentally overheard a nanny mentioning her parents were in Su Prefecture, which was why she wanted to go there to find them.

Empress Qi could tell she was lying, but the reason behind the lie wasn't difficult to guess.

It was simply that she didn't want to witness the man she loved marry someone else or see him being intimate with another girl. Empress Qi had once experienced such emotions herself.

On the day Crown Prince Qiyuan married his crown princess, Qi Zhen claimed to be ill and didn't attend their wedding banquet at the Eastern Palace.

"Nothing to do with the Cheng'an Marquis Estate," Empress Qi said coolly. "She just didn't want to stay in Phoenix Lane anymore and attempted to secretly leave the capital. Fortunately, the people from the Cheng'an Marquis Estate helped her leave the city; otherwise, she might still be in Xiao Fu's hands."

Speaking of this, Empress Qi felt a vague sense that she had overlooked something important.

Xiao Fu had plotted for so long, not only to place Prince Qiyuan's son on the throne as the crown prince but also to take revenge on her.

The genuine admiration in the child's eyes when he spoke of Xiao Fu was evident.

Xiao Fu had stolen her child and made him fall in love with his own blood brother, subjecting him to the same pain she once endured – it was indeed a form of revenge against her.

Given Qi Zhen's understanding of Xiao Fu, she was a woman with an intensely venomous heart, and her methods of retaliation likely went beyond this.

According to the child, Xiao Fu's health had deteriorated significantly over the years, and she found herself struggling with many tasks.

Was it due to this reason? Or had the years of living closely with the child forged some affection between them?

Empress Qi held the jade Buddha bracelet with a missing bead, her brows gradually furrowing as she pondered.

In the midst of her thoughts, hurried footsteps echoed from outside the door.

"Your Majesty, disaster strikes! Miss Wen has coughed up blood!"

Empress Qi instantly put down her prayer beads and exclaimed, "Quickly, summon Master Fan Qing!"

Two quarters of an hour later, Master Fan Qing arrived hastily.

Master Fan Qing was the abbot of the Great Compassion Monastery, renowned for his medical skills. After examining Wen Xi's pulse, he instructed someone to prepare two bowls of detoxifying medicine.

"Wen Xi has been poisoned by a slow-acting toxin from the Western Regions," he said. "This poison is particularly stubborn; the toxins in her body have accumulated over a decade. If not treated within half a year, her life may be in peril."

Empress Qi looked deeply concerned. "Does Master have any means to counter this poison?"

Master Fan Qing replied, "This humble monk is powerless against it. The world's best at detoxification were once the former Chief Physician Hong and now the current Chief Physician Sun Bailong."

Chief Physician Hong had vanished after Prince Qiyuan's death, leaving only Chief Physician Sun to seek help from.

Empress Qi gazed at the pale lady lying on the couch.

Was this Xiao Fu's final revenge?

To make her find her own daughter, only to watch her suffer and die without being able to do anything – just as Xiao Fu had helplessly watched Prince Qiyuan pass away.

Empress Qi lowered her eyelashes, seemingly resolute, and said, "Tomorrow, we'll set off for the palace."

After Wen Xi took the medicinal soup prepared by Master Fan Qing, she fell into a deep sleep. Her clothes were stained with blood, so Qi Zhen personally changed her attire. When lifting her inner garment, her gaze paused.

On the girl's right shoulder was a tiny vermilion mole, no bigger than a needle point.

Xu Li'er brought in clean clothes and, noticing Empress Qi staring intently at the small mole, softly asked, "Your Majesty, shall I help Miss Wen change?"

Qi Zhen shook her head and replied, "I'll do it."

After dressing Wen Xi, Empress Qi sat by the bedside for a long while until the girl's breathing evened out. Only then did she extinguish the Buddhist lamp and leave the room.

As footsteps faded away, Wen Xi slowly opened her eyes in the silent and dimly lit inner chamber. She reached for the calming pouch that Master Fan Qing had placed by the pillow and fished out a pill.

Outside the bamboo house, snow blanketed the ground.

Master Fan Qing walked slowly across the icy terrain.

The temple monks were conducting their evening prayers in the main hall, as the chime of the evening bell echoed through the serene mountains.

He didn't head to the grand hall but instead made his way back to his modest monk's quarters.

The quarters were simple, containing nothing more than a bed, a Buddhist meditation chair, and a cushion embroidered with Sanskrit characters.

At that moment, a person sat on that meditation chair, dressed in tattered monk's robes. His gaunt face still bore the remnants of a fading bruise.

It was none other than Xuan Ce.

This was the injury he had sustained from an ambush on the road nearly half a month prior.