What?

To continue listening, she had two conditions to be met?

And she even had such twisted reasoning?

Yuwen Lan found it inconceivable and was full of questions.

But there was no choice, as she was the only one who knew about this matter, and he was so anxious he could barely sit still.

Yuwen Lan had to say, "What do you want Us to agree to?"

This little money-grubber, could it be that she still wants money?

Unexpectedly, Yanshu smiled and said, "Actually, it's very simple. First, I request that Your Majesty, regardless of the situation or circumstances in the future, never behead this humble servant, and spare this servant's life."

Yuwen Lan: "???"

With this, he became even more confused and couldn't help but hiss, saying, "Why would you have such a condition? Do you think We would kill you?"

Yanshu pouted and said, "This servant is just taking precautions. This servant doesn't know if there will be a day when something angers Your Majesty, so it's better to ask for a golden token of immunity first."

In her heart, she thought, [Tsk, if you knew that I know your secret, wouldn't you want to kill me?]

Yuwen Lan: "..."

He finally understood.

...And felt a bit guilty.

Ahem, to be honest, when he first realized she had discovered his secret, he did have thoughts of killing her.

But, after knowing she wasn't a spy or an informant, and had no malicious intentions, he had cast that thought aside.

How could he bear to kill someone as adorable as her?

Seeing that he didn't immediately respond, Yanshu felt anxious and urgently asked, "What's wrong? Does Your Majesty refuse to agree?"

Damn it, after accompanying him for so long, does he still want to kill her?

Fortunately, at this moment, he finally spoke, "Of course We can agree to this, and from now on, you need not worry about such things."

After a pause, he looked at her seriously and said, "You are different from others. Never doubt Us again."

Hearing these words, Yanshu was stunned for a moment.

He said "she was different from others"... what did that mean?

Was he referring to her ability to write stories?

Yuwen Lan: "..."

How could she still not understand?

But before he could say anything more, he heard her think, [Whatever, at least my life is safe!]

So she continued, "This servant thanks Your Majesty for your great kindness. However, this servant has a second condition."

Yuwen Lan made a sound of acknowledgment, "Let's hear it."

He probably thought she wanted money again.

But unexpectedly, he heard her say, "This servant requests that Your Majesty be a wise ruler and never kill innocent people indiscriminately. Some people are truly useful to the common people and the state. Please, Your Majesty, do not kill them because of momentary anger or pleasure."

Yuwen Lan: "..."

After a moment, he began to understand that she was probably speaking on behalf of Xun Ji's son.

She was afraid he would kill to silence people.

Silly girl, if he found this person, he could completely disguise himself as a commoner to seek treatment, just as he had done in the past when seeking medical help.

With a bit of disguise, no one would know he was the emperor, so even if he went and gained nothing, he had never killed anyone because of it.

He smiled and said, "Of course We are a wise ruler. You need not worry about this. We promise you. Now, can you continue with your story?"

Only then did Yanshu feel relieved and continued, "After his father passed away, the young man matured overnight, restrained his temperament, and began to plan revenge for his father. But that ungrateful enemy had already been favored by the master and gained some power, so if the young man wanted revenge, he had to plan meticulously."

"First, he diligently studied medicine, carefully exploring and learning all the medical books and case files left by his father. Given his innate intelligence and his father's subtle influence, this wasn't a problem."

Hearing this, Yuwen Lan thought that this meant Xun Ji's son now had medical skills comparable to his father's?

This was good news.

He then heard her say, "At the same time, the young man began to use bone-setting techniques to change his appearance."

Yuwen Lan nodded slightly again.

—So he had already changed his appearance, no wonder the people he sent out couldn't find any clues.

"Then what?" he asked.

The most important thing was where this person was now.

But he heard her say, "Then, the young man also entered the mansion where his enemy was and became a house physician."

What?

Yuwen Lan was stunned.

Did this mean... the person he was looking for was in the palace?

He tried asking, "This person also entered the enemy's mansion?"

She nodded and said, "That's right, it was the only way."

It seemed he hadn't misheard.

But who exactly was it?

Yuwen Lan then asked, "So after he entered the mansion, did he meet his enemy? With his medical skills, wasn't he quickly recognized by the master?"

Yanshu said, "...Not really. This person was too straightforward, and the relationships in that large mansion were complex. There were many house physicians, and he didn't quite understand social niceties, so even after entering the mansion for several years, the master still didn't know of his existence."

Hearing this, Yuwen Lan began to ponder—

Entered the mansion for several years?

...There were dozens of people in the Imperial Medical Academy, and he indeed didn't know many of them.

So he couldn't judge who it might be.

"But," she suddenly said, "as luck would have it, the master had a beautiful woman who was intelligent as ice and snow, with a heart as pure as orchids, well-versed in etiquette, and exceptionally talented."

Yuwen Lan: "..."

At a time like this, she still didn't forget to praise herself...

He suppressed his smile and nodded, saying, "To have such a beauty is truly the master's fortune."

Yanshu nodded seriously, "Indeed, the master must have saved the world in his previous life for heaven to send such a beauty to his side."

Yuwen Lan: "..."

He continued to suppress his laughter and asked, "What does this beauty have to do with the matter?"

He heard her say, "As it happens, heaven was unkind, and this flawless beauty was born with a stubborn ailment that couldn't be improved despite years of seeking medical treatment. By chance, this person went to treat the beauty and miraculously cured her."

"The beauty, with her discerning eye, recommended him to the master, and from then on, the young man finally gained the master's recognition."

Yuwen Lan paused.

Beauty, stubborn ailment?

Could it be...

Just then, he heard her mind shout, [Do you understand? This person is Jiang Nianqi! Jiang Nianqi is Xun Ji's son, Xun Lan!!! He might be able to cure your illness!!!]

Yuwen Lan's heart skipped a beat.

It was indeed that Jiang Nianqi, the one who had cured her peach blossom incompatibility.

He never expected it would be him!

At this moment, Yuwen Lan finally realized why she had insisted on asking for this person's immunity earlier...

Indeed, if this person were outside the palace, he could easily visit in disguise.

However, this person happened to be a palace physician, and one he knew.

If he were to seek treatment, wouldn't his identity be exposed?

Of course, there were still ways around it.

...

At this time, seeing his contemplative expression, Yanshu was also pondering in her heart, wondering if he had understood.

It would be good if he did. After all, Jiang Nianqi's father, Xun Ji, was once a miracle doctor for infertility, so there was great hope for Jiang Nianqi too!

The most important thing now was to ensure that Jiang Nianqi wouldn't be silenced if he couldn't cure the illness.

Of course, Yanshu thought she was quite clever. Throughout the story, she hadn't revealed that the beauty knew the master's secret, so she should be safe, hehe.

Yuwen Lan was brought back to reality by this "hehe."

He glanced at her and deliberately said, "In that case, it seems the master should thank the beauty for discovering this miracle doctor. In the future, if there are any tricky illnesses, they can be treated."

Tricky illnesses?

Yanshu raised an eyebrow secretly. Could he be referring to himself?

It seemed he had truly understood!

She quickly nodded and said, "Yes, having such a miracle doctor is like having a treasure. The master is a wise person and will surely treat him well."

Yuwen Lan made a sound of agreement.

Finally, she had praised him too, which was more like it.

He then asked, "So what happened next? What kind of ending do you plan to give him?"

But he heard her say, "Later, under the master's justice, the young man avenged his family, cleared his father's name, and even opened a medical clinic in the capital. He took on many apprentices and, like his father, devoted himself to healing and benefiting the people. As for that ungrateful villain, he got his just deserts, became infamous, and lost everything."

"That's the end of this servant's story."

Yanshu coughed and said, "It's getting late. This servant will go take a bath now. Please wait a moment, Your Majesty."

[Tsk tsk, now the time is yours to decide. Whether to treat it or not, think it over yourself. But no matter what, you can't kill anyone!]

Yuwen Lan nodded, "Go ahead."

He watched as she entered the washroom.

Of course he had to treat it.

He was the emperor, and needed heirs.

Moreover, he wanted to experience the pleasures of the world with this "clever as ice and snow" beauty that he had not yet tasted.

— Ahem, although his body had improved somewhat since sharing a bed with her, it was always before dawn, when he was unconscious.

Once he was awake, whenever he wanted to be intimate with her, he still couldn't.

Fortunately, there was finally hope again now.

Taking advantage of this moment, Yuwen Lan immediately got up and went outside the hall to summon an Imperial Guard, saying, "Investigate that royal physician named Jiang Nianqi from the Imperial Hospital - when he is on duty each month, when he is on leave, and his address outside the palace."

The Imperial Guard acknowledged and went to carry out the order immediately.

The next day, it happened to be his day off, and the royal physician Jiang Nianqi, also known as Xun Lan, was rarely at home outside the palace.

— In recent years, he had changed his name and left his hometown to study medicine in various places. As a result, he married late, only settling down after coming to the capital and passing the exam to enter the Imperial Hospital. His youngest son was only five years old now.

Fortunately, his wife was virtuous and his young son was obedient. At this moment, he was teaching the little one to write when he heard someone calling from outside, "Is Dr. Jiang at home?"

Knowing his medical skills were good, usually neighbors would come to see him if they had any aches or pains, and he never refused. So when he heard the inquiry, he put down his pen and came out.

However, he saw that the visitors were not neighbors, but two men.

One of them was wearing a blue brocade robe, tall in stature, with a dark veil on his head, looking like a master.

Before he could inquire, the attendant spoke, "We've heard that the doctor's medical skills are excellent. My master would like to ask the doctor to examine an illness. If you can cure my master, the consultation fee can be doubled."

Jiang Nianqi looked them over and said, "If I can treat it, I will naturally cure it. There's no need to mention doubling the fee. Some illnesses can't be cured even if you double the fee."

Hearing this, the attendant paused.

The veiled man raised his hand and said, "Thank you for your trouble, doctor. I have sought treatment in several places without success. Hearing that your medical skills are excellent, I came specially to seek a consultation."

At this time, Yuwen Lan had deliberately changed his voice, so the other party did not notice anything unusual, and only said, "Follow me."

Yuwen Lan nodded and followed him into the courtyard.

The Jiang residence had a study where Jiang Nianqi usually examined patients.

Yuwen Lan followed him into the room and sat down, then extended his hand for the other to take his pulse.

After a moment, before he could speak, he heard the other ask, "Sir, do you have difficulties in the bedroom?"

Yuwen Lan's heart steadied, and he said, "Yes."

It seemed Yanshu was not wrong; this man indeed had some skill.

He heard the other ask again, "How long has this problem been occurring?"

Yuwen Lan said, "Three years."

The other nodded and asked, "To what degree of difficulty?"

Yuwen Lan was a bit uncomfortable, coughed and then said, "There's morning arousal when I wake up... but whenever I want to be intimate with a woman... it doesn't work."

The other remained calm, nodded, and asked, "Have you ever suffered any external injuries, sir?"

Yuwen Lan said no.

He was very certain that it had suddenly stopped working without any warning signs.

The other asked again, "Then, is everything else normal with your body?"

Yuwen Lan made an affirmative sound, "I am in good health, with only this one symptom."

The royal physician then asked him, "Do you usually take any medications, sir?"

Yuwen Lan again said with certainty, "No, I rarely get sick and have hardly ever taken any medicine."

After saying this, he really couldn't wait any longer and actively asked, "Does the doctor think it can be treated?"

But he saw the other withdraw his hand from taking the pulse and say, "The problem is a bit complex. It can be treated, but it's rather troublesome."

Troublesome?

Yuwen Lan frowned, "How troublesome?"

But he heard the other say, "From your pulse, there's something in your body suppressing your yang energy, which is affecting that area. If you haven't taken any medication, then you've probably been poisoned."

Poisoned?

Yuwen Lan's brow furrowed.

He had been poisoned?

But why had he never noticed?

He thought for a moment and asked, "Can the doctor cure this poison?"

But he saw Jiang Nianqi nod, "It's possible, but first you need to stay away from the poison's influence, expel the accumulated toxins from your body, then take medicine to recover, and only then can you return to normal."

"But do you know how this poison entered your body, sir?"

Yuwen Lan was momentarily speechless.

He had been carefully thinking back, but the Imperial Kitchen was his people, and those close to him in Qianming Palace were all his people. There shouldn't have been any opportunity for someone to poison his food and drink.

Perhaps seeing his confusion, Jiang Nianqi voluntarily explained, "Poison doesn't necessarily enter through the mouth. You can be poisoned through bathing or incense, or even by smelling the scent of certain medicines for a long time."

Yuwen Lan's brow furrowed.

...

After seeing the doctor outside the palace, Yuwen Lan returned to the palace and went directly to Ganlu Palace.

Jiang Nianqi had just prescribed medicine for him, which he needed to drink daily for five days.

However, he couldn't drink the medicine in Qianming Palace.

Once the smell of medicinal soup wafted out from Qianming Palace, it would be discovered by the ministers, causing speculation and panic, and even alerting the culprit.

So, he could only come here.

Yanshu was actually waiting for him too.

Today she had already learned from the system that he had gone to see Jiang Nianqi for treatment, but she didn't know how it went or if there was any hope.

So she had done nothing for most of the day, just waiting for him.

Now, hearing the announcement of his arrival, she immediately went to the door to welcome him, "This concubine respectfully welcomes Your Majesty."

Yuwen Lan made an affirmative sound, told her to dispense with formalities, and walked a few steps to sit on the warm couch, looking as if he had something to say.

Yanshu, very perceptively, sent all the unnecessary people away.

Yuwen Lan then spoke, "I'm feeling a bit unwell. I went out of the palace to see a doctor today and brought back some medicine, but I'm afraid others might overthink things, so I can only come to your place to brew it."

Hearing this, Yanshu's eyes lit up —

He got medicine? That means it can be treated!

Great, no need to worry about him killing anyone now!

So she quickly nodded, "This concubine understands. This concubine will tell others that it's this concubine who is unwell and needs to drink medicine. Your Majesty can feel at ease to come and drink it."

Yuwen Lan said "Good," feeling warmth in his heart.

But then he heard her think, [Alright, Emperor, considering you've been decent to me, I won't charge you for brewing the medicine this time.]

Yuwen Lan: "???"

The way she put it, was she originally planning to charge him?

After a pause, he said again, "There's one more thing. From now on, I'll be staying here with you."

At these words, Yanshu was stunned, "What does Your Majesty mean by this?"

Yuwen Lan said, "From now on, except for going to the study and attending court, I will spend all other time here."

— He had been thinking all the way back about who had poisoned him and how he had been poisoned.

Since the time he ascended the throne, all those who coveted the throne had been dealt with by him, and all those close to him had been replaced with his own people.

Those women in the harem couldn't have done such a thing, especially since he had the ability to read minds.

He had also thought about the Empress Dowager, but... for so long, he had never detected anything unusual in her thoughts.

Because of her private feelings for the Zhou family, the Empress Dowager even very much hoped that he would favor Consort Zhou, allowing her to give birth to an heir to secure her position.

Therefore, he really couldn't think of who the culprit might be.

But regarding how the poison entered his body, he did have some guesses —

Previously, when sleeping in Qianming Palace, he had no dreams and his body was lethargic; but since coming to Ganlu Palace, not only did he have dreams, but morning arousal had also appeared.

At first, he thought it was because Yanshu had some special ability.

But now it seemed that there might be a problem with the bedchamber in Qianming Palace.

So he planned to have people thoroughly investigate the bedchamber.

And before discovering the problem, he would stay in Ganlu Palace.

However, this would also provide an opportunity to spend more time with her.

He thought she would be very happy.

But unexpectedly, he heard her think, [Oh no, doesn't this mean I'll have no privacy anymore? Suffocating!]

Yuwen Lan: "???"

Suffocating?

Before he could frown, he heard her suddenly have another thought, [But this way, won't the chances of getting imperial meals increase? Okay, I guess it's barely acceptable then.]

Yuwen Lan: "..."

If he had no money, no imperial meals, would she still love him?

Thus, from this day on, Ganlu Palace began brewing medicine.

Yanshu only told others that she had caught a cold and was taking medicine, so no one suspected anything about the Emperor.

Since the Emperor often stayed overnight here, outsiders simply assumed that Yanshu was increasingly favored.

Five days passed like this, and Yuwen Lan was due for another check-up.

On this evening, seeing him change into clothes he wore when leaving the palace, Yanshu immediately asked, "Is Your Majesty going to see the doctor?"

Yuwen Lan made a sound of agreement.

But then he heard her say, "I have something to say, but I'm not sure if I should."

Hmm?

Yuwen Lan raised an eyebrow, "What is it?"

Yanshu smiled sincerely and said, "Although Your Majesty is well-prepared, there are so many people in the palace. We can't guarantee that someone sharp-eyed won't notice you leaving and cause some trouble. If the outside world learns that Your Majesty is leaving the palace to see a doctor, wouldn't that be problematic?"

Yuwen Lan sensed she had more to say, so he asked, "Then what do you suggest?"

She immediately replied, "Why don't I accompany Your Majesty out of the palace? This way, if anyone discovers us, Your Majesty can put the blame on me, saying that I wasn't feeling well and needed to see a doctor outside the palace. After all, Ganlu Palace has been brewing medicine these days."

At first glance, this seemed quite reasonable.

However, immediately after, Yuwen Lan heard her think, [I still haven't eaten the roast lamb and baked flatbread from Tianjing Lane last time! And just thinking about the wonton from that shop makes my mouth water!!!]

Yuwen Lan: "..."

He thought, why is she suddenly so considerate?

It turns out it's still about food.

So he said, "I'm only going to see the doctor, not anywhere else."

But she replied, "I understand. I'll just wait in the carriage for you. We'll return as soon as you finish seeing the doctor."

In her heart, she grumbled, [Sure enough, he's forgotten what he said last time! Hmph, if I had known this, I should have insisted on eating at least two flatbreads that night! Does he think I don't know that the Jiang family is near Tianjing Lane? Let's go there first and then decide!]

Yuwen Lan: "..."

She's actually this angry?

If he doesn't let her go, wouldn't he become a scumbag?

Well, he did make a promise before, so he had to say, "Alright, since there's nothing important tonight, let's go together."

Yanshu was overjoyed, immediately smiling from ear to ear as she agreed and hurried to change her clothes. They then boarded the carriage together.

Soon, they arrived at their destination.

Yuwen Lan still wore a veil as he got off the carriage, while Yanshu waited in the carriage.

She kept wondering in her heart whether the medicine was effective.

After a while, she saw him return to the carriage, seemingly in a good mood.

Yanshu thought, it seems the condition has improved!

Yuwen Lan heard this in his mind and thought indeed it was not bad—

Just now, after Doctor Jiang's diagnosis, more than half of the poison in his body had been eliminated.

This meant that his previous judgment was correct; the poison was in the bedchamber.

During these five days, he had already ordered people to investigate the bedchamber, but perhaps due to limited abilities, neither the Imperial Guard nor the Inner Court Supervisory Office had found anything.

Regarding this, he could only wait until he recovered and find a way to have this Doctor Jiang personally inspect it.

However, at the current rate, he would likely return to normal in about ten more days.

Because he was in such a good mood, he generously said, "This place is not far from Tianjing Lane. I'll take you to eat the roast lamb and baked flatbread from last time."

Oh, isn't this exactly what she was thinking?

Yanshu's eyes lit up, "Thank you, husband!"

Yuwen Lan smiled and pinched her cheek, then instructed the coachman, "Go to Tianjing Lane."

The coachman acknowledged and was about to turn the horse around to set off.

However, at this moment, they heard a shrill cry, "A-Bao! Give me back my A-Bao!"

The two inside the carriage were startled.

Yanshu carefully lifted the carriage curtain and saw a woman running and shouting, her face covered in tears.

Yuwen Lan asked those outside, "What's happening?"

Immediately, a secret guard replied, "Someone has snatched that woman's child."

Snatching a child in broad daylight?

Yanshu immediately widened her eyes, "How could this happen?"

Yuwen Lan also ordered the secret guard, "Go after them."

The secret guard acknowledged and immediately headed in the direction the woman was running.

About the time it takes to drink a cup of tea later, the secret guard returned carrying a four or five-year-old boy and handed him back to the woman.

The woman, hugging her child, cried loudly, thanked the secret guard, and quickly returned home.

When the surroundings quieted down, Yuwen Lan asked the secret guard again, "What happened?"

The secret guard reported quietly, "There were about three of them. One person blocked the woman, while two took the child. They got onto a pre-prepared carriage and sped towards the south of the city. But these three people had good martial skills, unlike ordinary people or traffickers."

Yuwen Lan thought for a moment and ordered, "Go to the Capital Official to see if there have been similar cases recently."

The secret guard acknowledged and went to the Capital Official.

After this incident, Yanshu no longer had the appetite to eat and returned to the palace with lingering fear.

After returning to Ganlu Palace, not long after, the person who went to the Capital Official came back to report to Yuwen Lan, "Your Majesty, according to the Capital Official's records, there have been nearly six or seven cases of missing children recently. There are also four or five cases in various parts of the capital region, all involving missing boys."

This wasn't surprising. In the current society where male children are favored over female ones, many child traffickers target boys because they can fetch a good price.

However, the secret guard had just said that these people's martial skills didn't seem like those of traffickers.

As Yanshu was pondering this, she heard the system ding and say, [There's some gossip. Remember Chai Weizhong, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of War?]

Yanshu quickly replied, [Yes, isn't he that bearded scumbag who deceived women into marriage?]

The system said, [That's right. Tonight's child abduction case is related to him.]