Mad Queen Leaves the Palace

Wu Yuyu walked lightly through the solemn and heavy gate of the General's Mansion. News of her return spread throughout the entire mansion like a spring breeze.

At this moment, Jiang Xiuzhi, who was in the mansion, heard that Xiao Lan and his sister would be visiting that evening with Doctor Cui. Her heart stirred, and she immediately began to make plans. She knew that this meeting was of great significance and that she had to prepare well.

Therefore, Jiang Xiuzhi made a quick decision and summoned the steward, instructing him in detail: "Quickly prepare a sumptuous feast, making sure it is delicious and visually appealing!" The steward accepted the order and hurried off to the kitchen to make arrangements.

Then, Jiang Xiuzhi remembered that her husband, Wu De, was still training soldiers at the training ground, so she quickly sent someone to inform him. The servant ran all the way and soon arrived at the training ground. Upon seeing Wu De, he bowed respectfully and then conveyed his wife's message: "Master, Madam says that the Xiao siblings and Doctor Cui will be visiting the mansion tonight, and she wants you to return early."

After hearing this, Wu De nodded slightly to indicate that he understood, and then continued to focus on training the soldiers, but secretly looked forward to the gathering that evening.

As time passed, night gradually fell, and the sky grew increasingly dark. At this time, Wu De had already returned to his residence. Looking around, he noticed that Xiao Mu'an and his group had not yet arrived, so he briefly greeted Jiang Xiuzhi, explaining that he needed to go inside first to change into more comfortable clothes before joining them.

However, just as Wu De turned to leave, an unexpected event occurred. The steward led Xiao Mu'an, Xiao Lan and her brother, and the Cui couple slowly into the courtyard. Their figures appeared somewhat hazy in the dim light, but their faces and expressions were still clearly discernible.

As the group approached, Xiao Mu'an and his sister Xiao Lan first respectfully bowed to Wu De and Jiang Xiuzhi. After the bow, Xiao Lan stepped forward gracefully, extended her slender hand, pointed to Cui Sumu standing to the side with a smile, and said sweetly to Wu De, "Uncle, look, this is Dr. Cui Sumu, who helped my cousin treat her leg injury in Shaozhou! Dr. Cui was once a renowned resident doctor at Dechun Hall, and his medical skills were truly exceptional!" Her voice was clear and melodious, like a nightingale singing in a valley, and at the same time, it drew everyone's attention to the elegant Cui Sumu.

With a smile on his face, Cui Sumu stepped forward with steady steps, bowed respectfully to Wu De, and then said in a loud voice, "Cui Sumu greets General Wu and his wife! It is truly an honor for me to meet you today." He straightened up slightly, then pointed gently to Liu Yun beside him and introduced her to Wu De, "This is my wife, my humble wife Liu Yunniang. It is an honor to meet you and your wife. I hope you will take good care of her." After speaking, Cui Sumu bowed again to Wu De and his wife to express his respect.

Liu Yun also stepped forward to greet Wu De and Jiang Xiuzhi. After they exchanged greetings, Wu De waved his hand, signaling everyone to take their seats.

In the main hall of the General's Mansion, Wu De sat calmly and composed in the main seat at the intricately carved round table. His broad frame and imposing presence were impossible to ignore. To his left sat Jiang Xiuzhi, Wu Yuyu, Xiao Mu'an, and Xiao Lan, all dressed in fine robes and exuding dignified elegance.

At this moment, Cui Sumu and Liu Yun, seated to the right, were smiling and chatting with others. This placed Xiao Lan directly opposite Wu De. Taking advantage of the brief pause between serving dishes, she smiled sweetly and said to Wu De, "Uncle, do you know that this Doctor Cui is the prized disciple of the renowned Doctor Liu of Dechun Hall? I've heard that Doctor Liu was incredibly skilled in medicine, a true healer, and had helped many military officers with their ailments. Since you have this opportunity today, if you have nothing urgent to attend to after your meal, why not have Doctor Cui take your pulse? After all, my aunt, when she was in Shaozhou, always worried that the injuries you sustained in the army might leave lasting health problems."

Xiao Lan's words were like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, instantly shattering the superficial harmony and tranquility of the group at the table, causing different ripples in each person's heart.

Sitting at the table, Wu De's previously anxious heart brightened instantly upon hearing Xiao Lan say that Jiang Xiuzhi was worried about him, and a joyful smile immediately bloomed on his face. He hurriedly stood up, repeatedly bowing and kowtowing to Doctor Cui, saying, "Then I'll have to trouble you with your concern, Doctor Cui! Thank you so much, this is really too much trouble for you..." A string of polite words poured out like a machine gun.

Meanwhile, Cui Sumu, having received a subtle signal from Xiao Lan, nodded in understanding and quickly placed his fingers on Wu De's wrist, beginning to carefully take his pulse.

Meanwhile, Jiang Xiuzhi's mind was not on Wu De and Cui Sumu at all. She frowned slightly, her gaze falling suspiciously on Xiao Lan, and muttered to herself, "My niece really can make up all sorts of lies on the spot. I wonder what she's up to?"

At this moment, Wu Yuyu and Xiao Mu'an looked at each other, both with blank and bewildered expressions. They wondered to themselves: Jiang Xiuzhi had always been extremely annoyed with Wu De, so why was she suddenly concerned about his health? Could it be that Xiao Lan was hiding some unprecedented money-making scheme?

Looking back, every Spring Festival, everyone would return to their hometown of Shaozhou for a family reunion. Back then, young Xiao Lan would always pull Wu Yuyu along, using her silver tongue to say all sorts of pleasing things to the adults. Her purpose was obvious: to get more lucky money. However, as the red envelopes piled up, until her hands could barely hold them all, she would call her older brother for help. Even Wu Yuyu would obediently follow behind, acting as the "porter," helping to carry the heavy red envelopes. After everything was settled, Xiao Lan would generously give half of her earnings to Wu Yuyu and Xiao Mu'an.

Having had such experiences, when they saw Jiang Xiuzhi showing unusual concern for Wu De, Wu Yuyu and Xiao Mu'an both assumed it was another prelude to Xiao Lan using the same old trick to extract some benefit from Wu De. However, to their utter surprise, the truth was far more complex—it turned out to be a pre-arranged scheme by Xiao Lan and Jiang Xiuzhi. They were merely using concern for Wu De's health as a pretext for their ulterior motives. As for their true intentions, only the two involved truly knew.

Here, Cui Sumu intently placed his fingers on Wu De's pulse, his eyes slightly narrowed as he carefully felt the pulse's pulsation. After a moment, he released his hand and said softly, "General Wu, please open your mouth so I can examine your tongue." Wu De complied, and Cui Sumu quickly glanced at the tongue before subtly nodding slightly to Xiao Lan beside him.

Seeing this, Xiao Lan's heart tightened, and she quickly shook her head gently at Cui Sumu. Cui Sumu immediately understood, his expression unchanged, and turned to Wu De, smiling as he said, "General Wu, judging from your pulse and tongue, your health is still quite good. Although you suffered some injuries on the battlefield and have some lingering ailments, these are not serious. After we finish eating, I will find a quiet place to give you acupuncture and prescribe some nourishing herbal medicine, and you will be fine."

After saying this, Cui Sumu glanced at Xiao Lan again, seemingly intentionally or unintentionally. Seeing her nod in acknowledgment, he continued, "However, General, based on my experience, you seem to have an old wound. I suspect it's from over ten years ago, located roughly in your waist and abdomen. It seems the wound wasn't properly treated back then, and may still be causing some problems. Later, I need to go to your room, General. Please allow me to undress and examine you carefully so I can prescribe the appropriate treatment."

Wu De stared wide-eyed at Cui Sumu, his face filled with disbelief, secretly marveling at his skill. He never imagined that this seemingly ordinary Doctor Cui could so accurately diagnose his old injury, which had been hidden for over a decade, simply by taking his pulse!

"Truly miraculous skills..." Wu De murmured to himself, utterly impressed by Cui Sumu's medical expertise. He recalled that his wife had mentioned Cui's superb medical skills to him many times before, and at the time he had been skeptical, but now that he had seen it with his own eyes, he knew that what she said was true.

However, when his thoughts drifted to the old pain in his waist and abdomen, Wu De's face instantly darkened. He glared fiercely at Xiao Mu'an beside him, his gaze seeming to spit fire. Startled by this sudden glare, Xiao Mu'an trembled involuntarily, staring blankly at Wu De, completely bewildered as to what he had done to offend him.

Just then, the perceptive Xiao Lan inadvertently caught Wu De's gaze. The scene from before instantly flashed through her mind—Wu De glaring angrily at Xiao Mu'an. Connecting this to her thoughts, Xiao Lan pondered to herself, "The scar on Wu De's waist and abdomen must be related to what happened with Jiang Xiuzhi back then."

Recalling the past, when Jiang Xiuzhi was forcibly robbed by Wu De, Xiao Daren was enraged and decided to teach Wu De, the culprit, a lesson. However, initially, Xiao Daren only intended to show Wu De a thing or two, to teach him a lesson. Who could have predicted that, perhaps due to excessive force, or for some other reason, Wu De, taking advantage of Xiao Daren's momentary lapse in attention, suddenly snatched the sword from his hand and thrust it towards Xiao Daren's vitals without hesitation! In the nick of time, Xiao Daren, relying on his years of honed skills and agile reflexes, successfully dodged the attack, but still accidentally injured Wu De's abdomen in the counterattack.

Although the fierce fight left both sides wounded and bloodied, Xiao Daren was then the heir of a marquis's family and possessed a distinguished military record. To maintain the imperial family's reputation and overall stability, the old emperor had no choice but to imprison both men. However, unexpectedly, it was precisely because of his imprisonment that Wu De's injuries did not receive timely and proper medical treatment and care. As time passed, the wounds became inflamed and worsened, eventually leading to a persistent high fever.

Seeing the situation worsening, the old emperor knew that if he didn't intervene, the generals who had fought and bled for him would be disheartened and disappointed. After all, Wu De had also rendered great service, and the emperor couldn't stand idly by, both morally and logically. So, after weighing the pros and cons, the emperor finally ordered Wu De's early release.

Fortunately, after enduring hardship and illness, Wu De persevered and gradually recovered. At this critical moment, the old emperor suddenly delivered a mysterious imperial edict to the Jiang family: Jiang Xiuzhi was to marry Wu De! Not only that, the emperor also bestowed upon Wu De a fourth-rank official position and a magnificent general's mansion. It should be noted that normally only high-ranking generals of the second rank or above were entitled to this honor and their own mansion. These generous treatments turned Wu De's initial suffering into a stroke of good fortune, making him the envy of many.

As Xiao Lan pondered this matter, her gaze fell upon Wu De, who was glaring angrily at her brother. Seeing this, Xiao Lan quickly spoke up, "No matter what, as long as Uncle's health isn't seriously compromised, that's all that matters! Back then, my uncle fought bravely on the battlefield amidst the smoke and deafening shouts of battle, charging into the fray with unparalleled courage! Otherwise, why would the late Emperor have bestowed upon our family such a supreme honor as the General's Mansion? You must know, this is a unique glory in the entire Great Xia Kingdom!" As she spoke, a smug smile appeared on Xiao Lan's face, her large eyes crinkling into crescent moons. She first smiled and glanced around at everyone present, then, when her gaze met Wu De's, she returned his glare without flinching.

Wu De knew his niece, Jiang Xiuzhi, was intelligent, quick-witted, fiercely protective of her own, and never willing to suffer a loss. He was secretly puzzled. When she had her fight with Xiao Daren, even Xiao Mu'an wasn't born yet, so how did Xiao Lan know about it? However, his thoughts drifted to the court. Because the Fifth Prince intended to marry Xiao Lan, many colleagues were trying to curry favor with him. Thinking of this, Wu De couldn't help but smile slightly and agree, saying, "Indeed, this is due to the late Emperor's boundless grace!" He then turned his gaze to Xiao Lan, his eyes filled with affection, and said, "Lanlan, your uncle has heard that you have a particular fondness for the Snow Mountain Silver Needle. Fortunately, your uncle has some of the best quality. When you leave later, I will have the steward carefully pack it for you to take with you."

Xiao Lan knew that Wu De was feeling guilty, but he had come today to investigate Qin Rong's affairs. Moreover, she only knew about these things because she had read her mother's notes and her aunt's will in her previous life. Therefore, she did not want to get entangled with him. So she stood up, bowed to Wu De, and said, "Thank you, Uncle. However, the Fifth Prince knows that I like to drink Snow Mountain Silver Needle tea and has already bought a tea garden in Haizhou. I did not know that you also like to drink Snow Mountain Silver Needle tea. If I had known, I would have asked my sister Yu'er to bring some back for you."

Xiao Lan couldn't stand Wu De's bad habits. When Wu De was young, he got drunk and acted crazy at the Jiang family. Afterwards, he knelt and bowed, and gave away a lot of things to the younger generation. Huang Shi was annoyed by what she saw. You could say that he was really generous, but sometimes he was hateful for being so irresponsible.

However, after Xiao Lan finished speaking, Wu De didn't insist. The group chatted and laughed as they finished their meal. Xiao Lan, using the excuse of asking Cui Sumu to check on Wu Yuyu's leg injury first to see if it had healed, went to Jiang Xiuzhi's courtyard. Wu De led the way, accompanied by Xiao Mu'an, chattering away. Jiang Xiuzhi followed with her maid, Liu Yun and Wu Yuyu walked in the third row, and Xiao Lan and Cui Sumu brought up the rear. Xiao Lan asked in a low voice, "Have you found anything?"

Cui Sumu looked around and whispered back, "There are traces of hallucinogenic drugs and aphrodisiacs in my body. They must have been administered within the last half month. If it's been more than a month, they should be completely eliminated from the body and undetectable." Xiao Lan quickly asked, "Is there any way to prove it?"

“Yes, these are just ordinary hallucinogens and aphrodisiacs. Most doctors in the capital should be able to diagnose them.” Cui Sumu pondered to himself. He had thought Xiao Lan’s description was so secretive that he thought it was some kind of miraculous medicine, but it turned out to be just ordinary hallucinogens and aphrodisiacs.

Xiao Lan thought to herself, "Just as I thought. It seems this poison doctor didn't leave Qin Rong any good medicine. Cui Sumu was able to find out just by taking her pulse." Thinking that her aunt might have lost because of this lousy medicine in her past life, she felt truly sorry for her.

So she whispered to Cui Sumu, "Later, find a time when only my aunt and uncle are around, and tell them to their faces. If my uncle doesn't believe you, tell him to bring a few more doctors to examine his pulse. Also, tell him that this medicine is very harmful to his old injuries." After Xiao Lan finished speaking, she looked at Cui Sumu, and seeing that he nodded, she continued, "Doctor Cui, I suppose you asked Yunniang to send your cousin away earlier, which should have aroused Yunniang's suspicion. Just tell her some unimportant things, so as not to cause any discord between you and your husband. But you must not mention the hallucinogenic drug and the aphrodisiac incense. I suppose if your uncle invites other doctors, he will pay them hush money."

"I understand, Miss Lan, please rest assured." Cui Sumu knew that if this matter got out, it would make the General's Mansion look bad. Even if Xiao Lan hadn't instructed him, he wouldn't have spread it.

However, after thinking for a moment, Cui Sumu still spoke up: "Miss Lan, we employees shouldn't interfere in the affairs of our employer, but since I'm going to be working under you for a long time, I'll take the liberty of asking you something."

Xiao Lan was surprised by Cui Sumu's words, and curious about what he wanted to ask, she said, "What is it? Tell me."

"I overheard General Wu mentioning Miss Lan and the Fifth Prince during the banquet. They seem to be on good terms. Moreover, Wutongju is co-owned by Miss Lan and the Fifth Prince. I wonder if the Fifth Prince will also be our employer in the future?" Cui Sumu thought for a moment and then asked. After all, it would be fine if it were someone else, but since it involves the royal family, it was better to find out the details.

"Your contract was signed with me, so of course you're only responsible to me. But as you've probably heard, His Majesty recently bestowed a marriage upon me; the Fifth Prince is actually my future husband. So he's no different from me. However, he only invested money in Wutong Residence; he doesn't actually manage its operations." To avoid future misunderstandings, Xiao Lan told Cui Sumu directly, knowing that Cui Sumu would eventually find out about the marriage after spending more time in the capital. Anyway, there was nothing shameful about it.