Time Travel: Pampered by the Aloof Prince
Chapter 132 Who is the Empress dealing with now?

Chapter 132: Chapter 132 Who is the Empress dealing with now?

The next day, Qi Yu sent a message to Yongchun Hall early in the morning that she was occupied with matters today and that Liao Fan would be sufficient to see patients, with Song Ling and a Kong Ran aiding at the side.

When Shopkeeper Qian received the message, knowing that it wouldn’t delay the clinic hours, he didn’t ask further.

In his view, most of those who came to seek medical treatment were just suffering from colds and didn’t require their master’s intervention.

Thinking this, Shopkeeper Qian suddenly felt it was a wasteful use of resources, considering suggesting to their master the next day that it would be better to employ a common doctor for regular consultations and only have her step in for complicated and difficult cases.

This way, it would save time, and secondly, it would also showcase the master’s prestige.

If she always treated minor aches and colds, how could her superb medical skills truly be recognized?

Actually, offering free consultations wasn’t a big deal; Qi Yu’s medical expertise was the true secret weapon that made Yongchun Hall invincible.

Moreover, Shopkeeper Qian knew she was busy with her daily tasks, and it would be a waste to spend time on such trivial matters.

Even if the hired help was unreliable, why not purchase two orphaned young medicine boys and raise them from an early age? Once they formed a bond, they wouldn’t cause any trouble.

The more Shopkeeper Qian thought about it, the more feasible it seemed, becoming restless until Liao Fan, Song Ling, and Kong Ran arrived, and then he shared his thoughts with them.

After listening to him, Liao Fan nodded and said, "Shopkeeper Qian’s point makes sense, the Princess’s ability to cure rare poisons really shouldn’t be wasted on common colds and such."

Song Ling had been learning beside Qi Yu since the opening of Yongchun Hall. With his bright talent, he quickly grasped some pharmacology.

In addition, his diligent study of medical texts in the Prince Residence at night had allowed him to gradually understand the basic principles of diagnosis through observation, listening, and questioning within a month.

He had been staying at the Prince Residence for a while, transforming from his initial anxiety to later tranquility, but he never forgot the question Qi Yu asked him.

It was a few days after he had been rescued from Heifeng Village when, over tea, Qi Yu inquired what he planned to do in the future.

At the time, Song Ling was stunned; what future could a man carrying guilt have?

But Qi Yu said, "Your grievances will be cleared sooner or later. When that happens, whether you wish to resume official duties or do something else, the Prince and I will help you to the best of our abilities."

Song Ling was flustered for a few days and couldn’t come up with an answer.

It wasn’t until Qi Yu opened Yongchun Hall, where he also contributed, and through the day-to-day treatment of patients, that he found a sense of fulfillment in helping others.

Most of those who came to Yongchun Hall were people unable to afford medical care, often too poor even to buy food, let alone medicine.

In the vast capital city, Yongchun Hall was the only place that took them in.

Initially, Song Ling had doubts about the sustainability of Yongchun Hall’s free consultation model and felt Qi Yu was engaging in a loss-making business.

But over time, he realized that apart from the wealthy and powerful in the capital city, there were many people living in dire poverty who couldn’t afford to fall ill and wouldn’t dare to.

If they became ill, they could only lie down and wait for death, with no hope, their lives deemed worthless.

In this regard, he saw a resemblance to his former self.

However, the emergence of Yongchun Hall gave these people hope, a reason to keep fighting, no matter how tough life was, as long as they could survive.

That month, Song Ling found his thoughts wavered every day as he saw a glimmer of hope in people’s eyes, which also reflected his own chance for survival.

With hands and feet, and under Prince Qiu’s protection, there was nothing he couldn’t do in the future, as long as he didn’t continue to let himself rot in the mire.

Perhaps this was what Qi Yu wanted to tell him.

But Qi Yu was never wordy; even her rare valuable advice was often delivered in jest, as she preferred showing rather than telling.

Song Ling finally grasped her earnest intentions, and the heavy stone in his heart disappeared, leaving him feeling lighter than the early spring sunshine.

Such transformations were subtle, invisible to outsiders.

But Liao Fan could tell; he had changed.

On the day Yongchun Hall opened, Qi Yu also left the Prince Residence and headed to the Imperial Palace.

She found a legitimate excuse, saying she was going to visit the Noble Consort in the palace.

This was true, but not her main purpose for entering the palace today.

As soon as she left, Qi Anran arrived at Prince Qiu Residence.

Qi Anran spent the whole night restless after being threatened by a mysterious person.

As soon as dawn broke, she sat up from her bed and stared at the packet of medicine on the table for a long time, and finally she hardened her heart and thought, "Today, I must kill Qi Yu."

Before leaving, she went to visit Lady Wang’s room, where they thought of an infallible plan.

With a bit more confidence, Qi Anran tucked the medicine into her bosom and rode in a carriage to the Prince Qiu Residence.

But unexpectedly, just as the doors to the Prince Qiu Residence opened, Li Bo said to her, "The Princess has already gone to the Imperial Palace."

"To the Imperial Palace?" Qi Anran was stunned.

Seeing her odd expression, Li Bo didn’t want to say more, only saying, "The Princess went to visit the Noble Consort De, Miss Qi might as well come another day."

After speaking, he shut the door, not showing the slightest intention of inviting Qi Anran inside for a visit.

He certainly hadn’t forgotten that this person had come to trouble the Princess time and again.

Having been rebuffed, Qi Anran left in annoyance, banging on the door twice more.

As the esteemed daughter of the Prime Minister Residence, was she really barred from entering the Prince Qiu Residence?

Anger aside, Qi Anran was now even more at a loss.

She had already made a plan with Lady Wang, to slip the medicine into Qi Yu’s tea stealthily once she arrived at the Prince Qiu Residence.

This way, she could cause Qi Yu to let his guard down and clear herself of any suspicion.

Later, she could just claim there was something wrong with the tea at the Prince Qiu Residence, what would it have to do with her?

But she hadn’t expected that Qi Yu was not even at the Prince Residence.

Qi Anran stomped her foot in frustration, cursing her luck. Why did that wretched person have to visit the Imperial Palace just now and not any other time?

Was this not deliberately opposing her?

Qi Anran harbored extreme hatred for Qi Yu in her heart, but was powerless to do anything.

Right now, with Noble Consort An recently dethroned and sent to the Cold Palace, who could she be visiting in the palace?

If she went to see Noble Consort De, it was as suspect as a weasel paying New Year’s visit to a chicken—evidently problematic.

Or was she visiting the Empress?

Her engagement with Prince An hadn’t been dissolved yet, and with Prince An and Noble Consort An’s fall from grace, it would be seen as sycophantic to cozy up to the Empress now and would invite gossip.

After much thought, the only option left was to visit Li Huaixi.

Once she had a good reason, Qi Anran promptly got on the carriage and headed for the Imperial Palace instead.

As Qi Yu entered the palace, she went straight for the Palace of Noble Consort De.

In the past, there were some impudent eunuchs and Palace Maids who would sarcastically question why she visited the palace without paying respects to the Empress, saying she lacked filial piety or such.

But ever since yesterday, when Noble Consort An was dragged out from Noble Consort De’s palace and demoted to the Cold Palace, no one dared to come before her to stir up trouble.

It was only through Noble Consort De that she learned the Empress, intending to clear her own name, deliberately spread the rumor that it was she who had acted against Noble Consort An.

With swift communication within the palace, her daunting reputation spread throughout all the courts in just one night.

Now, everyone knew she was the one who had brought down Noble Consort An.

Upon hearing this news, Qi Yu wasn’t surprised at all.

The Empress, accustomed to pretense, always liked to craft an image of being benevolent and was naturally not going to let it be known that she was the one truly responsible for sending Noble Consort An to the Cold Palace.

However, carrying this blame had little impact on her and even caused those who might stir up issues to reconsider, so it wasn’t entirely without benefit.

Qi Yu calmly finished her tea and said to Noble Consort De, "Mother needn’t worry. With the Empress controlling the harem, she naturally wants to earn a good reputation. She has just removed a powerful rival, Noble Consort An, and can’t afford to deal with me right now."

Noble Consort De, not understanding, asked, "So who is the Empress aiming at now?"

Qi Yu smiled and said, "There’s still an outsider living in the palace."