Rebirth: Phoenix Riding the Ninth Heaven

Shen Sihong dragged his slightly exhausted body back to his residence. His mind kept replaying the various scenes he had experienced today, especially the woman named Li Ruoyue, who was unforgettable to him.

The public was filled with admiration for Li Ruoyue. Despite being a woman, she displayed remarkable talent and wisdom. Her quick thinking allowed her to make swift decisions in all kinds of situations. Furthermore, she possessed extraordinary medical skills, achieving a remarkable success in every patient's treatment. These qualities left a lasting impression on the public.

Shen Sihong mused to himself, "There are a large number of patients in the Northwest. If I could invite Li Ruoyue along, it would surely bring more hope to those suffering people." However, as soon as this thought came to mind, he immediately realized the problem. After all, there are differences between men and women. If Li Ruoyue were to accompany him on this long journey to the Northwest, it might negatively impact her reputation.

Thinking of this, Shen Sihong couldn't help but hesitate. He knew that maintaining a person's reputation was crucial, especially for a woman as outstanding as Li Ruoyue. But at the same time, he couldn't bear to see those sick people continue to suffer without receiving effective treatment. This inner conflict put Shen Sihong in a dilemma. He didn't know how to choose between helping others and not damaging Li Ruoyue's reputation...

As Shen Sihong thought of this, the feeling of annoyance in his heart grew stronger, like a burning fire that was unbearable. He frowned and shouted impatiently, "Zhu Qi! Zhu Qi! You two, come in quickly!"

Before he finished speaking, Zhu Qi hurried in and asked respectfully, "Your Highness, what do you want?"

Shen Sihong waved his hand and said anxiously, "Hurry up and invite Master Baili to see me. This prince has something important to discuss with him."

Zhu Qi received the order without delay and quickly withdrew. Not long after, he heard a loud voice outside the courtyard: "Fourth Prince, I wonder what you want from me? Oh, my! I was just concentrating on my meditation, and you called me over now. What's the matter? Please tell me quickly, because I have to get back to my meditation practice!"

The Fourth Prince sat on a chair. Hearing these words, he felt a little angry, but he suppressed his temper and said, "Stop talking nonsense and let me in quickly. I really have something important to discuss with you!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he saw Baili Xi slowly walk in. He was wearing a long robe as white as snow, which was loosely draped over his body. His appearance was simply cynical and carefree. The Fourth Prince looked up and saw his appearance. He was both angry and amused. He couldn't help but scold him, "Look at you, you are idle all day long, doing nothing, and you don't even wear clothes properly. How can you be so unbecoming!"

Bailixi responded innocently, "I'm not a bad person! Look, I'm feeling quite comfortable in this outfit. I was just meditating intently when you rushed to call me. I was so worried about delaying your important matter that I rushed over!" He took a deep breath and asked, "Tell me quickly, what happened?"

The Fourth Prince stopped beating around the bush and spoke directly, "My father has agreed to let me go to the Northwest to participate in the competition. We need to discuss how to proceed with this matter. There's another thing I'm thinking of inviting Miss Li to go with me to Northwest Town. Although her father is there, she's still an unmarried girl. If she were to go with me, it might affect her reputation. So, I'm here to discuss this with you."

After listening to this, Baili Xi reached out and touched his chin, frowning slightly, lost in thought. After a moment, he slowly spoke, "This matter is easy to handle, but it's also quite difficult. The key is whether Miss Li is willing to go."

Upon hearing this, Shen Sihong's originally relaxed expression suddenly became solemn and gloomy. He frowned and asked, "What do you mean?" Seeing his reaction, Baili Xi stopped beating around the bush and answered directly, "If he is willing to go, there are naturally ways to make it work. For example, we can have him disguise himself as a woman, or pretend to be a servant. In short, there are always ways. But if he doesn't want to go at all, no matter how much we discuss it here, it will be futile! Your Highness, have you ever asked him about his wishes? You are just so busy speculating without even getting any definite information."

Upon hearing this, Shen Sihong couldn't help but feel a hint of embarrassment. He coughed a few times, picked up the teacup on the table, and took a sip of the tea, trying to cover up his inner panic and guilt. After a moment's silence, he slowly explained, "Well...it's true that I was careless and negligent. But I can't ask Miss Li directly. That would be unacceptable."

Upon hearing this, Baili Xi couldn't help but burst into laughter, a hearty and resounding laugh. Pointing at Shen Sihong, he jokingly said, "Haha, I never thought the Fourth Prince, who is always so decisive and resolute, would be so embarrassed!" Seeing Shen Sihong's embarrassed expression, Baili Xi found it amusing, but he also knew when to stop. So he quickly put away his smile and said seriously, "Well, well, in that case, let me handle this matter. I'll go and test the waters and ask Miss Li what she thinks."

Upon hearing this, the Fourth Prince nodded in agreement, and thus, Master Baili came into being.

Baili Xi showed no sign of shyness and immediately strode towards the pharmacy to look for Li Ruoyue. As soon as he entered, he saw Li Ruoyue's petite yet busy figure. She was dressed in a simple white dress, moving back and forth in the clinic with skillful and efficient movements.

Baili Xi quietly walked to the side of the clinic and sat down, his eyes following Li Ruoyue's every move. She smiled patiently as she inquired about the condition of each impoverished individual who sought treatment, then meticulously diagnosed, prescribed, and dispensed medicine. Her gaze was focused and gentle, as if these patients were her closest relatives.

Seeing Li Ruoyue's conscientiousness and responsibility, Baili Xi couldn't help but feel an indescribable fondness for her. This legitimate daughter of a Northwestern Marquisate possessed none of the pampered, pretentious airs of a young lady from an official family. She treated the common people with genuine care, completely disregarding their status. In her eyes, the severity of the patient's condition was the most important consideration.

Li Ruoyue accidentally caught a glimpse of Baili Xi's arrival in the midst of her busy work, but seeing that he was just sitting there quietly and had no intention of coming forward to talk to her, she suppressed her inner joy and continued to patiently and attentively treat the patients.

Only after Li Ruoyue finished writing a prescription for the last patient and sent her away did Baili Qi, who had been waiting nearby, come forward with a flattering smile on his face and say, "Miss Li, I wonder if I might have the honor of inviting you to dinner. I have something I'd like to discuss with you."

Li Ruoyue looked up at Baili Xi and saw his affected, pretentious demeanor, which she couldn't help but find amusing. She opened her red lips and said, "We've known each other for quite a while. If you have something to say, just say it directly. Why are you beating around the bush and using such pretentious words? It's really disgusting!"

When Baili Xi heard this, he was stunned at first, then he burst into laughter and said, "Haha, Miss Li is still straightforward! Then I won't be polite to you anymore! To be honest, there is indeed an important matter I want to discuss with you, so I wanted to take this opportunity to invite you to dinner. I wonder what Miss Li thinks?" As he said this, he looked at Li Ruoyue with anticipation, waiting for her reply.

Upon hearing this, Li Ruoyue replied openly, "Okay, sure. I'll eat at the most expensive Tianxianglou. How's that?" Bailixi responded crisply, "Okay, then let's go to Tianxianglou." Seeing his straightforwardness, Li Ruoyue stopped being coy and turned to Luzhu, saying, "Luzhu, let's go and give Young Master Baili a good meal!" Luzhu looked at the young lady, her innocent appearance, and her heart blossomed with joy. She thought to herself: It seems that the young lady really considers Young Master Baili a friend, otherwise she wouldn't be so innocent and cute. The three of them chatted and laughed as they walked slowly to Tianxianglou.

The three of them excitedly ran to the second floor of Tianxianglou, the best restaurant. With a wave of their hands, they ordered all of Tianxianglou's signature dishes. They ordered more than a dozen dishes, including dessert. After eating and drinking to their heart's content, they sat leisurely inside the building, sipping fragrant tea. At this time, Baili Xi no longer beat around the bush and said to Miss Li directly, "Miss Li, I have something to say, but I'm not sure if I should say it or not."

Hey, Emperor Qian just issued an order for the Fourth Prince to go to the northwest to provide disaster relief! While the Fourth Prince is accompanied by many talented individuals, court officials, and imperial physicians, he knows your medical skills are exceptional, and he's particularly eager to invite you to the northwest to investigate the disaster situation and address the epidemic. However, he's probably a little embarrassed to ask you directly, so he's sending me to act as a scout ahead of you. Would you be willing to go with him?

Li Ruoyue was not surprised to hear her ask this question, but Luzhu, seeing the young lady deep in thought, muttered to herself, "Young lady, the northwest is so far away, what good can there be? I think we should just stay in Kyoto!" Li Ruoyue listened to Luzhu's mumbling, but she was not angry. She turned around and said to Bailixi, "Go tell the Fourth Prince that I am willing to make this journey!"

When Baili Xi heard his affirmative answer, he laughed heartily and said, "I knew you would go. You have such a kind heart!"