The mistress who remarried has returned.

Qin Huai didn't push her away, nor did he make any sarcastic remarks about her being barefoot and indecent. To her surprise, he gave her a chance to retaliate.

"Regardless of your motives for shielding me from the arrow, you did indeed save my life."

Su Yunxi's eyes lit up instantly. She looked up at him, and hope rose in her heart.

"Why are you bothering me? Tell me."

Seeing that he had been bothered by her for a whole day and night, Su Yunxi finally relented and was willing to listen to her explain her purpose. She breathed a sigh of relief and didn't delay any longer. She said in a low voice, "Qin Huai, the Crown Prince is critically ill in the Eastern Palace. His condition is very bad. Considering that I shielded you from the arrow, even if I didn't do anything meritorious, I still deserve some credit for my hard work. Could you send a doctor to the Eastern Palace to examine his leg?"

The official document in Qin Huaiyuan's hand suddenly became creased between his fingers. He casually tossed the document onto the table, and his eyes, which had just calmed down, instantly darkened. "You pestered me for two days, and knelt in the courtyard all night waiting for me, all to find a doctor for Zhou Yu?"

Su Yunxi clearly sensed his displeasure, because as a subject, he had already addressed the Crown Prince by his given name, Zhou being the imperial surname.

"Qin Huai, if you're willing to do me this favor, I promise I'll never bother you again and will disappear from your sight forever."

Su Yunxi understood that with his wedding to Miss Xue approaching, Qin Huai would definitely not want any further involvement with her. He had already thoroughly enjoyed watching her and the Crown Prince's current predicament, and his anger from four years ago had subsided. There was a chance, however small, to arrange for a doctor to get rid of her once and for all, thus ending their relationship.

"Is this your biggest worry?"

"Heartache?" Su Yunxi didn't know what he meant by heartache, but in recent years, because of Qin Huai, she had often felt unhappy and depressed.

Qin Huai reached out and grabbed Su Yunxi by the neck.

As their skin touched, Su Yunxi could feel the lines on his palm. She suddenly sensed danger; wasn't she just like that wildcat? "Qin Huai, no..."

Qin Huai tightened his slender fingers, gradually applying force. Her neck was very thin; he could easily break it.

Su Yunxi couldn't breathe under the force of his fingers, and her cheeks turned red. She realized that Qin Huai was angry. She was probably like that cat, and would die in his hands in the blink of an eye. But she didn't understand why he suddenly became so angry.

She probably didn't say anything wrong.

Qin Huai calmly watched as Su Yunxi's cheeks flushed red in his hands. The irritation he felt hadn't disappeared as she approached death; instead, it had intensified.

Qin Huai loosened her neck.

Su Yunxi gasped for breath, coughing violently, and carefully moved away from Qin Huai, quite afraid of him. She underestimated Qin Huai's resentment towards her betrayal four years ago.

How could she be so naive as to think that he would feel relieved just by seeing her and the Crown Prince's miserable state?

"Would you like to have an affair with the Crown Prince in my barracks while I'm resting at night?" Qin Huai pinched her delicate chin, his thumb rubbing her lips, which had turned purplish-red from lack of oxygen, slowly returning to a pinkish color.

When Su Yunxi was suddenly asked this question, she remembered the slap he had given her without asking any questions. He had never asked her why she was in the barracks that night.

He didn't ask her what she had experienced that night.

Perhaps he was convinced deep down that someone like her was inherently bad.

"Qin Huai, the Crown Prince is an honest and upright man who never attempted to assassinate the Emperor. He was framed," Su Yunxi tried to persuade Qin Huai. "You are the Protector General of the Nation, and you wouldn't want the country to fall into the hands of treacherous villains. Put aside our grudges and help the Crown Prince, okay...?"

"Helping Zhou Yu is not out of the question." Qin Huai released Su Yunxi's chin. "That depends on Master's performance."

Seeing that he was willing to help the Crown Prince, Su Yunxi quickly said, "What do you need me to do? I will do anything I can."

"The Crown Prince has been playing with the General's mistress for four years; it's my turn to play with the Crown Prince's concubine," Qin Huai chuckled. "While he's ill, let's have a tryst in the Eastern Palace. What does the Concubine say?"

Upon hearing this, Su Yunxi fell silent. She was now the Crown Prince's concubine, and Qin Huai's request was an act of revenge for humiliating the Crown Prince.

When the Crown Prince was critically ill, she brought men to the Eastern Palace. What kind of situation did that turn out like?

Su Yunxi's shoulders slumped limply as she slowly walked back to the bedside, put on her embroidered stockings and shoes, her hair falling from her ears. She casually tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, and as she picked up her shoes, she said, "Since the general has no intention of helping, Su Yunxi will not disturb the general any longer."

"You can steal from the Crown Prince," Qin Huai said, gazing at the strand of hair behind her ear. "But you can't steal from me? Don't you need to improve your situation?"

In Qin Huai's mind, she was probably a woman who would sell her body at will in order to live a good life.

Su Yunxi put on her shoes, curtsied to Qin Huai, and said, "I'm not here to sell myself. I'm here to ask for medicine for my husband."

After saying this, Su Yunxi left behind the words "Farewell" and departed from the villa where she had lived for many years.

***

After Liu Shun returned to the general's mansion last night, he did not see the general return. Even after waiting until late at night, the general did not return from his social engagements.

He searched everywhere for the general, including the restaurants where he often entertained guests, but could not find him.

Liu Shun was worried that something had happened to the general who hadn't returned home that night, and was about to go out to look for him again when the young page who usually served in the study came over and said to Liu Shun, "Brother Shun, the general sent someone early this morning to deliver the official documents he needs for today's court to the villa in Jiuli Lane. You don't need to panic, the general will go directly to court from the villa today."

Liu Shun looked at the pageboy with disbelief, but made no sound and went straight to the other courtyard to find the general.

I thought to myself, thank goodness I didn't make a bet with anyone, otherwise I would have been kicked around like a ball with my head.

Isn't it to entertain distinguished guests who have come from afar with drinks?

Why did you go back to the other courtyard?

He must have gone to personally refuse Consort Su's wish to return.

As Liu Shun entered the courtyard, he saw General Qin walking into the courtyard. He hurriedly went to fetch the carriage, but suddenly remembered that the general had come on horseback last night, and he himself had also only ridden a horse when he rushed over to find the general. And now the snow was falling heavily again.

Qin Huai glanced at Liu Shun, "What can you possibly accomplish? You can't even arrange a carriage properly. Quit this job and pack your bags."

Liu Shun remained silent, quickly leading the general's horse over and handing the reins to the general. Why was he throwing such a tantrum? Usually, even if his subordinates made mistakes, as long as it wasn't a matter of principle, the general would usually not pursue the matter.

Qin Huai led his vanguard to the imperial court.

Liu Shun guessed that this was because he had been offended by Consort Su yesterday and couldn't get rid of her, so he got angry. When he saw the female doctor coming, he stood by the wall and asked, "Last night, the general sent Consort Su away, but she didn't want to and kept pestering him, which angered the general?"