The mistress who remarried has returned.

Liu Shun was utterly dejected. He had still held onto a sliver of hope that Su Liangdi's decision to keep the cloak was a good deed for General Nian, but it seemed he had been overthinking things.

"It seems she really didn't like the general being in this state. All the sweet words she said to the general back then were just to get closer to her beloved Crown Prince. So what Su Yunze said about her developing heartache over the past four years because of the general and staring blankly at the bracelet all day long is just childish nonsense."

Qin Huai removed his hand from his forehead, recalling the image of himself polishing and carving individual agate beads, the thought of preparing a surprise for her birthday. "An agate bracelet?"

Liu Shun shook his head. "Su Yunze didn't tell me what kind of bracelet it was. Later he changed his story and said that his sister didn't like the general. Maybe he was mistaken."

Qin Huai remembered that on the day they had a falling out four years ago, she didn't take any of her valuables from Jiuli Lane. The only thing she wore that was related to him was that agate bracelet. Although she didn't return it, she probably threw it away long ago. Moreover, her heart ailment was caused by the Crown Prince after the Eastern Palace was raided, and it had nothing to do with him.

He had already misunderstood the letter, causing his emotions to fluctuate. He could no longer continue to misunderstand it, and his emotions kept fluctuating due to the same kind of thing.

"Liu Shun, from now on, you don't need to tell me anything about Su Yunxi anymore," Qin Huai said softly.

Seeing that the general was unwilling to hear about Consort Su any further, Liu Shun guessed that the general was angered and hurt by Consort Su's actions after her cloak was ruined. After all, she was a girl he had carefully raised. So Liu Shun said angrily, "She is truly two-faced! These few scissors have shown her no regard for our past relationship. General, you are right. You should turn a blind eye to her and not encourage her arrogance!"

Qin Huai glanced at the cloak. "There's no need to wash this cloak. Take it to some good tailors, don't make a fuss, and have them mend it quickly. Tomorrow is the master's birthday banquet at night, so it won't look out of place."

Liu Shun wisely kept quiet, but suddenly felt resentful. "When I think about how he threw ten coins at me, I get so angry. I'd even give that to a beggar."

Qin Huai recalled the seasonal flower cakes that cost two coins and eight cash, and he only received a quarter of them. He said in a low voice, "You're lucky to have ten coins. Some people got less than one coin."

"Who is it? She treated me so badly, and you think I'm worthless, unwilling to give even a penny? Who's more miserable than me?"

"I."

Qin Huai said.

"..." Liu Shun suddenly hugged his cloak, bowed, and slowly retreated, without saying another word.

After Liu Shun stepped down.

Qin Huai lay down on the bed fully clothed and picked up the military book on the bedside table to read. Suddenly, it was as if the tip of his tongue was touched by the woman's first unexpected encounter, carrying the fragrance of seasonal flowers, pressing against his tongue. His breath caught in his throat for a moment. He covered his face with the book, his breath spraying onto the pages, and the heat falling on his face.

His father specifically instructed him today not to have any dealings with the Crown Prince or his in-laws, and not to provoke or retaliate in a way that would make the situation unpredictable. He should indeed restrain himself.

These past few days, he has indeed gone too far and lost his composure. Last night, he even went to the Su residence and got into an argument with Su Yunxi, acting like a shrew in a completely out-of-control manner.

He should have pulled back from that deal to avoid getting further entangled in the Eastern Palace vortex.

Perhaps she is still playing the long game, and treating the prince's illness is only the first step.

He should simply take control of his emotions and ignore them. There's no need to hold a grudge about being used for so many years.

The follow-up appointment has been arranged, and Su Yuanzhou of the Su family has been deterred. She will calm down, and as long as she doesn't go too far, he will just pretend she doesn't exist.

【Qin Huai, I'm afraid you'll do this...】

How did I end up so awkward and embarrassed that my nose bled?

It's as if she's never actually been with a man.

Heart pain... bracelet...

The husband she called out in her sleep over twenty times last night, could it be him...?

Qin Huai suddenly sat up and looked towards the door. "Let's call for a bath."

The servant who attended to his daily needs thought that the general wanted to take a bath and rest. Based on the experience of the past few days, he asked, "How about a cold bath, sir?"

"Um."

If the intention was to use the Crown Prince's influence to lure him deeper into the scheme, then the pretense was far too convincing.

If he can't get rid of her like this, I shouldn't have taken the dagger from her neck today. If she falls into his hands again next time, I'll just kill her.

The Crown Prince will awaken soon, and if she chooses a place to invite him to fulfill that promise, he will resolutely refuse.

I don't want to see her.

***

Inside the East Palace.

At dusk.

Kang Yin was ordered by the General Protector of the Nation to come to the Eastern Palace to examine the Crown Prince again. After examining his pulse, he withdrew his fingers from the Crown Prince's pulse.

After Kang Yin finished taking the Crown Prince's pulse, Su Yunxi tucked the prince's hand under the covers and anxiously stared at Kang Yin. "Dr. Kang, how is His Highness the Crown Prince?"

Kang Yin thought for a moment and said, "The Crown Prince is recovering quite well. The stitches on his leg are starting to heal and scab over, the stench is gone, and new flesh will gradually grow. He is in a positive state of recovery."

Su Yunxi nodded with relief, "That's good, the dark clouds have finally parted."

Kang Yin pondered for a moment, observing the Crown Prince's face. "He should have woken up by now. I've left him a month's worth of medicine. He should take one dose every evening. After thirty days, we'll determine the next course of medication based on his condition. At that time, I'll consult the General about a follow-up examination."

Su Yunxi thought to herself that this was already the second time Qin Huai had sent a doctor to the East Palace. This time, it was also under the pretext of a surprise inspection of spies. She felt uneasy. She couldn't keep sending doctors to the East Palace again and again; twice was already going too far. She said, "We'll see how things go then. If the injuries are almost healed after a month of medication, there's no need to risk coming in for a follow-up visit. I'll figure something out myself."

Kang Yin nodded, "We can only talk about today. As for what will happen a month from now, let's discuss that closer to the time. There's always a way out, and things will work themselves out."

As he spoke, he left thirty doses of medicine for the Crown Prince, placing them on the table, and some medicine for Su Yunxi to treat and maintain her legs. Then he stood up and bid farewell to Consort Su.

To avoid suspicion, Su Yunxi did not see Kang Yin off, lest the guards at the Eastern Palace question his intentions in bringing troops there. However, clutching the medicine for his leg, she was extremely grateful to Kang Yin; he had risked everything to do behind Qin Huai's back, and she was truly thankful.

After Kang Yin left, Su Yunxi called the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince groggily took the medicine. Su Yunxi then took a towel and the clothes that Li Changchuan had changed for the Crown Prince and went to the kitchen. She boiled some water, washed the clothes in a basin, and hung them up in the yard. The weather was cold, and the clothes froze and hardened shortly after being hung up.

After washing her clothes, Su Yunxi dried her hands with a towel and walked towards the East Palace bedroom.

Suddenly, they heard two guards from the Eastern Palace talking.

"Today, the General's Mansion sent people to the Eastern Palace again to investigate spies, which shows that the Crown Prince's remaining followers have not yet been caught. It can only mean that the Emperor intends to eliminate the Crown Prince completely, so that he will never have a chance to rise again."

"That's exactly what I was saying. But why didn't the general come in person today to investigate spies?"

"You don't know this, do you? I overheard some soldiers from the Qin family army whispering that they'll soon be able to enjoy General Qin's wedding candy. The master and mistress of the manor are planning to arrange a concubine for General Qin to complete the important task of continuing the family line. Moreover, tomorrow is Master Qin's birthday banquet. With two important events combined, General Qin certainly won't have time to come here to personally investigate the spies."

"I wonder which young lady will become General Qin's concubine and carry on his family line. The threshold for the Qin family is very high; even a princess isn't qualified just because she's the daughter of any concubine."

"Is there even a question? This long-standing tale must belong to the eldest daughter of the Xue family. She's currently living in the east wing of the Qin family residence. That's a foregone conclusion. Over the years, the elders in the family have known about the general's intentions, and it's clear they're about to give in."