Chapter 142: Crisis

Chapter 142 Crisis

With Noble Consort Su falling out of favor and Empress Zhang regaining control of the inner palace, court officials realized the Crown Prince was gaining momentum.

At this very moment, Zhou Yan returned to the capital, bringing with him news of a miraculous doctor that quickly spread throughout the city.

This doctor had cured a plague in Junzhou City that had baffled countless physicians, saving tens of thousands of lives. Naturally, no one dared question his medical abilities.

The moment the doctor arrived in the capital, he was invited by the Crown Prince.

Everyone in Great Zhou knew the Crown Prince had been born with a constitutional frailty. Court physicians and local physicians alike had examined him, yet none had found a solution.

His illness had lingered for decades, to the point where even Emperor Chengyuan had resigned himself to the prince’s short lifespan.

Yet this miraculous doctor, after merely half an hour of pulse diagnosis, confidently assured the Crown Prince that his illness could be cured!

Eastern Palace

The miraculous doctor withdrew the needles from the Crown Prince’s body and wiped his hands with a handkerchief.

"Your Highness has been well cared for these years. A few more treatments should complete your recovery."

The Crown Prince was overjoyed. "Thank you, Doctor."

Five years ago, Wei Xun had introduced the doctor to the Crown Prince. Since then, the prince had been taking the medicines prescribed by the physician. After years of treatment, all that remained was to flush out the birth toxins from his body.

"I shall return in three days. The next few sessions may be painful, so Your Highness might prepare some pain-relief tonics. Here is the prescription."

With a few strokes, the doctor wrote down the formula, which the Crown Prince handed to his trusted aide.

A bit of pain was a small price—being able to recover was already an immense blessing.

......

When Zhou Yan returned to the capital, A Yuan went herself to the city gates to welcome them.

Aunt Hui was the first to step out of the carriage, holding Flower in her arms. A Man ran up as soon as she saw them.

"Grandma! A Man missed you so much!"

When they left Suzhou, A Man had been just a little girl under two years old. Now, her appearance and height had gone through a huge change.

The once chubby toddler now had the graceful looks of a young girl.

Aunt Hui, whose legs were hugged tightly by A Man, usually stern face lighting up with joy.

"Grandma missed A Man too."

"Woof! Woof!"

Flower, who had grown quite large over two years as a country dog, was too heavy for Aunt Hui to hold for long. She quickly set him down, rubbing her aching back.

Flower pressed against A Man’s legs, wagging his tail and whining happily.

"Woof! Woof!"

Flower missed his young mistress too!

Though he couldn’t speak, his affection was obvious.

Overjoyed, A Man knelt and hugged his head. "Flower, you’ve gotten so big!"

In her memory, Hua Hua was still a little puppy.

"Woof woof!"

The little mistress has grown up too.

Hua Hua nuzzled A Man’s palm, restless after being cooped up in the carriage all day.

"Alright, let's head home first."

A Yuan chuckled, cutting short the girl and dog’s reunion. Over there, Zhou Yan had also dismounted, and the curtain of the carriage beside him lifted to reveal a graceful woman stepping out.

The woman wore a veil, but her beauty was unmistakable from just her eyes.

Hui Gu shot a glance, her smile fading.

She took A Yuan’s hand and led her toward their own carriage.

"A Yan’s a grown man with a mind of his own. As a mother, I can hardly control him anymore—now he’s copying those libertines, taking concubines!"

Hui Gu didn’t blame Yue Niang personally; she simply despised concubines and mistresses.

Back then, A Yuan endured such hardship as Wei Xun’s concubine, yet Zhou Yan hadn’t learned from it.

Not only does this tarnish his reputation, but it ruins a woman’s life.

Yue Niang stood beside Zhou Yan, watching as Hui Gu led A Yuan away. Her clear, innocent eyes were filled with unease.

"...My lord, did Yue Niang displease the elder madam?"

Zhou Yan didn’t look at her, his gaze fixed intently on A Yuan.

Seeing that A Yuan hadn’t glanced back at him since boarding the carriage, his eyes darkened with sorrow.

"Get in the carriage."

His voice was icy. Yue Niang went pale, biting her lip as she answered, "Yes."

She knew she was merely a concubine. That the lord brought her to the capital at all was mercy enough—she couldn’t ask for more.

She climbed into the carriage, and before the curtain fell, her eyes strayed to the neighboring one.

A Yuan was smiling and chatting with Hui Gu. Even without makeup, her delicate features were breathtaking.

Yue Niang clenched the handkerchief in her hand, her heart aching with envy.

So this is the woman he loves. Even her one asset—her looks—couldn’t compete.

......

The carriages stopped at the entrance of the general’s residence, and A Yuan told the steward to show them to their rooms.

They were a courtyard short, unprepared for Yue Niang’s presence.

She proposed housing Yue Niang in Zhou Yan’s quarters, but Hui Gu refused.

"You stay with me. Let her take my courtyard."

Hui Gu refused to condone her son keeping a concubine. Once settled in the capital, she’d find a way to send Yue Niang packing.

A girl of Yue Niang’s beauty and wit could marry respectably into any common family—why languish as his concubine?

Moreover, the only daughter-in-law she wanted was A Yuan.

Yue Niang knew Mistress Hui didn’t like her, but she held no grudge and quietly agreed.

Meanwhile, Zhou Yan was tied up with court business and had no time to deal with squabbles in the household.

......

At Anning Marquisate, word that Zhou Yan had moved into the General’s Mansion reached Wei Xun right away.

“My lord, Mistress Xie set up the courtyard herself—it clearly means they’re here to stay.”

Chang Yuan looked at his master with sympathy. Just when Master and Mistress Xie were starting to mend fences, Zhou Yan’s arrival would bump his master further down the pecking order.

Besides, Mistress Xie’s mentor had also arrived. With her around, she’d no doubt push for Mistress Xie and Zhou Yan to grow closer.

And where would that leave his master?

Wei Xun knew exactly what Chang Yuan was thinking.

That was exactly why he felt so anxious. After that medicine incident, he'd hoped A Yuan might forgive him. But since her return to the mansion, he hadn't seen her even once.

A Yuan cutting ties once she got what she needed was colder than any playboy wasting time in a pleasure house.

He was burning up with frustration, yet powerless to do anything about her.

“To the Eastern Palace!”

He needed to get Zhou Yan’s post settled fast—and find him a place to kick him out!

......

Mistress Hui moved into A Yuan’s quarters. Separated for years, the two had plenty of catching up to do.

She had someone look after the house in Osmanthus Lane, just in case A Yuan ever wanted to go back to Suzhou.

Besides, it was where A Man was born—she couldn’t bear to sell it.

“That little kitten of a child back then is already old enough for school now. How time flies,” Mistress Hui mused.

As people age, they tend to get nostalgic. When she first met A Yuan, the girl had been about A Man’s age now. And just like that, twenty years had passed.

“Have you ever thought of remarrying?”

Mistress Hui held A Yuan’s hand as she asked.

Her disciple was stunningly beautiful. Once, her low status had made beauty a liability. Now, however, with a powerful older brother watching over her, no one dared mistreat her.

A Yuan gave a wry smile. “I have my brother and A Man. I’m content as things are—I don’t think about marriage anymore.”

She knew suitors would come courting if she showed any interest, but not everyone could accept her past with Wei Xun.

She didn’t want to bet on another man being faithful. And besides, marriage meant more than just husband and wife—it was all the hassle of handling in-laws, concubines, and family tensions that really mattered.

And A Yuan couldn’t stand drama.