Being an emperor is not something he can do, so he can only rely on his connections.

After listening to Mu Tou's explanation, Zhang Jingwei raised his right hand unconsciously and gently stroked his chin, his eyes slightly narrowed, as if he was lost in deep thought.

Mu Tou on the side stared at Jiuer with a fiery gaze. He held Jiuer's soft little hand tightly and said affectionately: "Jiuer, I will work hard to establish merits and achieve something, so that Sun Yaolang can entrust you to me with peace of mind!" After saying this, Mu Tou's eyes became more gentle, and the affection in them was like a pool of spring water, almost overflowing.

At this time, Huangfu Ling interrupted, "How difficult is this? My father is the commander-in-chief of Yunzhou, and he has also been awarded the title of commander-in-chief. As long as I go and tell my father, I can arrange a lieutenant position for you. It's as easy as pie."

However, Zhang Jingwei shook his head slightly, smiled and joked to Mu Tou: "I didn't expect you to be a fool too."

Huangfu Ling became anxious when she heard this. She glared at Zhang Jingwei and said coquettishly, "Oh, it's come to this point. Can you please stop joking around here?"

Zhang Jingwei put away his smile and explained seriously, "Actually, if you think about it carefully, Jiu'er and her mother really need someone to stand up and protect them right now. After all, for so many years, they have always relied on each other. And as a mother, Sun Yaolang must have long since honed her willpower for her daughter. Therefore, if Mu Tou truly wants to gain Sun Yaolang's approval, he must be even stronger than Sun Yaolang!"

Huangfu Ling said proudly, "With our Huangfu family as a powerful backer, we can walk sideways in the entire Hedong area, not to mention in the small Yunzhou City!"

Zhang Jingwei frowned and retorted, "That's simply because your Huangfu family has been protecting them. It has nothing to do with Mu Tou. And that's exactly why Mu Tou has been reluctant to tell us the truth."

Huangfu Ling quickly turned to Jiuer, took her hand, and said anxiously, "Sister, we are sworn sisters. Don't you think you still don't trust me? How could I abandon you and leave you alone?"

Zhang Jingwei shouted, "This is not the same thing at all!"

Huangfu Ling looked at him with confusion and asked, "What's wrong with you today? Why are you so aggressive?"

Zhang Jingwei took a deep breath and said slowly, "If Jiuer's true life story scares even your father so much that he dares not intervene easily, how will you feel then?"

Huangfu Ling's eyes widened as she shouted in disbelief, "I don't believe it! Although Jiu'er has only been in Yunzhou for a few short years, my father has seen and remembered the deep bond between us sisters!"

Zhang Jingwei then asked, "Even if Jiuer's father is a wanted criminal of the imperial court?"

Huangfu Ling was so angry that he stamped his feet and shouted, "Stop talking nonsense!"

At this time, Jiuer, who had been silent all this time, finally couldn't help but speak. She whispered to Huangfu Ling, "Linger, don't say any more..."

Huangfu Ling turned her head to look at Jiuer, only to see her eyes red and tears welling up in them. She couldn't help but ask anxiously, "Sister Jiuer... could it really be..."

Jiuer pleaded in a trembling voice: "Ling'er, please don't ask anymore..." Before she finished speaking, crystal tears had already slid down her fair cheeks.

Zhang Jingwei clapped his hands, drawing everyone's attention to him, and then said, "Alright, once we get out of this door, everyone will forget everything. We're a family, so don't mention it again. It's a good thing that Mu Tou wants to achieve great things, and it's also not wrong for Sun Yaolang to want a better life for his daughter."

Huangfu Ling looked at Jiuer with a distressed expression and nodded slightly to show that she agreed with what Zhang Jingwei said.

Zhang Jingwei regained his smile and said, "It's getting late, let's go home and eat hot pot!"

At this time, Sun Miaomiao, who was eavesdropping outside the door, picked up her bag and left quickly.

……

As soon as they entered the house, they saw Huangfu Changshui, struggling to stand there with his cane. His former heroic and majestic image had long since vanished, now revealed a face etched with pain and exhaustion. His once piercing eyes had now dimmed, filled with the helplessness and torment of his illness.

Huangfu Changshui looked at Jiuer expectantly and asked with a trembling voice, "Where's the medicine?"

Hearing this, Jiuer was startled for a moment, then revealed a confused expression and responded doubtfully: "Huh? What medicine?"

Upon hearing this, Huangfu Changshui stamped his feet in panic, slamming his cane against the ground with a resounding thud. His face flushed crimson, veins bulging on his forehead as he shouted, "Arthritis medicine! My foot is swollen like a pig's trotter!" He lifted his swollen foot to show everyone, and just as he'd predicted, it was red, swollen, and shiny, looking truly terrifying.

Zhang Jingwei, who was standing by, couldn't help but gasp when he saw this, and secretly groaned inwardly. At this moment, he suddenly remembered why he had followed Huangfu Ling to Jiuer's house.

Huangfu Ling was also embarrassed at this moment, hesitating about how to answer her father's question. Her small lips moved slightly, but she could not utter a complete sentence.

Just when the situation reached a stalemate, Jiuer reacted quickly, thinking quickly, and quickly explained, "Um... Uncle Huangfu, I'm so sorry. The arthritis medicine you requested has run out, and my mother rushed out of town to purchase herbs for this very reason. But don't worry, as soon as the new herbs are shipped back, we will send them to you immediately. It may take some time to go back and forth, so please bear with me."

After hearing this, Huangfu Changshui's face showed deep disappointment, and he kept lamenting, "Oh... I didn't expect that even Yao Bo didn't have this medicine. What's going on in this city recently? Why are so many people suddenly suffering from arthritis? It's really a suffering!" After saying that, he slowly put down his raised foot and relied on the crutches to support his body again. He seemed to have lost all his strength at once.

All this is thanks to the hot pot invented by Zhang Jingwei. Arthritis is commonly known as gout. A high-purine diet is one of the main causes of gout, and drinking is the main cause of acute gout attacks in men. It is also a "rare disease" that only wealthy people can suffer from. High-ranking officials have high-risk factors for hyperuricemia and acute gouty arthritis. It is known as "rich disease" and "emperor's pain"!