A crown princess who doesn't do infrastructure construction isn't a good doctor.

As darkness fell, Qin Suiyou and the others had finished their dinner and were chatting to pass the time.

Suddenly, several knocks sounded on the door.

Lu Xi got up and opened the door. In front of her was a middle-aged man she didn't recognize, but judging from his clothes, he didn't seem to be a servant in the academy.

"You are……"

The visitor smiled and gave a slight bow.

"I am Zou Sanping, the chief steward of Prince Jing's mansion. I have come here on behalf of our prince, as we have something good to discuss with you."

'Good news? It's like a weasel offering New Year's greetings to a chicken.'

Lu Xi thought to herself, but maintained a polite smile on her face.

"Please come in."

Upon seeing the people enter, the group performed a scholar's salute according to the prevailing etiquette. As the saying goes, "even a seventh-rank official is above the prime minister's gate," and Zou Sanping had clearly stated his identity. They were here as students of Zhiyuan Academy, and they still had to follow their customs.

"This student has met Steward Zou."

Zou Sanping had a friendly expression at this moment. When he saw the group greeting him, he quickly raised his hand to indicate that they should not be so polite, but he did not make any other movements.

"Everybody sit down, everybody sit down."

As if he were the master of the place, Zou Sanping invited the group to sit down and then gradually revealed the purpose of his visit that evening.

"Today, when your lord was injured during your archery and horsemanship competition, he saw one of you young friends displaying excellent acupuncture skills. May I ask who your teacher is?"

As he spoke, Zou Sanping's slightly appraising gaze shifted to Qin Suiyou.

Qin Suiyou slightly raised his eyes and met his gaze without flinching or discouragement.

"I have no teacher, I've just read a lot of books and know a little bit, but looking back today, I still took a risk."

These words startled Zou Sanping, who had been smiling but maintaining an air of superiority. After a moment, he said, "Young friend, you are probably being modest. I was fortunate enough to witness your skill today. You are quite adept, unlike a novice."

However, Qin Suiyou still said, "I'm just afraid of making a mistake, so I keep telling myself to be careful. I'm afraid that I might not be able to save people and end up harming my classmate."

Afterwards, Zou Sanping persisted, trying to get Qin Suiyou to admit that he was indeed skilled in acupuncture. However, after Qin Suiyou's brief response, Zou Sanping began to doubt himself.

Could it be that he was just an accident today, and not actually skilled in any medical field?

Qin Suiyou answered slowly and deliberately. After a while, Zou Sanping walked out of their room with a belly full of doubts. Anyone who could be chosen by Prince Jing to be the chief steward was no ordinary person, but he was still as if Qin Suiyou had hypnotized him and no longer doubted his words.

Lu Xi went to close the door, turned around and came back, saying, "Prince Jing is in a hurry to win you over."

Ke Zuo laughed and said, "You've finally shown some intelligence for once."

After clicking his tongue, Lu Xi continued to Qin Suiyou: "He came looking very confident, probably thinking that you would be so easily persuaded that you would want to join them on the spot. But in the end, he couldn't escape your persuasive words. Judging from his expression just now, he was questioning his life."

Beitang Yan nodded in agreement.

“My wife is very capable and doesn’t need to rely on anyone.”

Upon hearing this, Ke Zuo smiled mischievously.

"You don't want Brother You to side with you?"

Beitang Yan shook his head.

"There's no need to rely on anyone. But if you're looking for someone to depend on, that's fine. The two words differ by only one word, but the meanings are completely different. My wife doesn't need to rely on anyone, but if you're ever unhappy, you can come and rely on me. I'll help you teach the person who upset you a lesson."

As they talked, Beitang Yan's gaze was fixed on Qin Suiyou, his eyes full of smiles, making him look a little silly.

Qin Suiyou smiled without saying a word, but he also raised his hand and gently rubbed Beitang Yan's head.

The next day, everyone woke up, but no one came to make arrangements. So each family sent someone to inquire. When the servant returned, he brought back the news that Master Kong had fainted from anger because he feared that the ancient zither made of yam was beyond repair.

Liang Yi and several classmates stood together, their faces turning deathly pale in an instant. He looked at the teacher who was leading them.

"Teacher, what should we do?"

The man, dressed in a green robe and sitting upright like a bamboo shoot, stroked his beard with a worried expression.

"Sigh~ No matter what, I haven't had time to go yesterday, so I should go and apologize today. I should honestly tell Master Kong, and we'll think of a solution for the rest."

"But Master Kong has fainted. What if something happens because of this?"

Liang Yi was filled with remorse at this moment. She shouldn't have touched the guqin the day before yesterday. Not only was she overestimating herself, but she also caused such a big trouble.

Liang Yi and their teacher said again in a deep voice, "There is no other way, but you must have a good attitude. You are my student, and I taught you to play the zither. If anything happens, I should take responsibility."

"How can this be done!"

Upon hearing this, Liang Yi exclaimed excitedly.

"I'll deal with the mess I made myself. No one else should be implicated. I'll go apologize right now."

With that, Liang Yi ran outside.

After turning a corner outside, Liang Yi ran into Qin Suiyou and the others standing in the corridor.

Anxious, Liang Yi disregarded formalities, hurriedly nodded, and continued walking quickly.

"what happened to him?"

Just as Ke Zuo voiced his question, Lu Xi, who had gone to gather information, arrived.

"Master Kong fainted, supposedly because of that broken guqin, but it doesn't look like it to me."

"Then let's go take a look."

While the group was talking, several groups of people had already left for Kong Qi's residence. Even if they were just going through the motions, no one dared to slack off.

When the group arrived, there were already quite a few people standing outside the courtyard, so they didn't push. Everyone present was quiet, and the front gate was open, so they could hear the conversation inside even from outside.

"How is Master Kong doing?"

"It's a sudden onset of anger, nothing serious, just needs to rest in bed."

"That's good. Now that the medicine is prescribed, I have some excellent tonics at my residence. If you need them, I'll send someone over immediately."

"Thank you for your kindness, Headmaster Qu. The doctor said that my father is getting old and should not take too much tonic, otherwise it would not be good for his health."

"Listen to the doctor. If there is anything you need, just say so. My students have made a grave mistake, and I have been feeling uneasy ever since. Now that Master Kong is bedridden, I apologize on behalf of the students to Master Kong and to all of you."

Outside, Lu Xi, taking advantage of his natural ability, could clearly hear even the softest whispers.

"Who is Headmaster Qu?"

"The headmaster of Liuhui Academy, which ranks third in Yejing, became famous throughout the world for his rendition of 'High Mountains and Flowing Water' when he was young."

Lu Xi spoke without any attempt to hide his thoughts, which was overheard by Xia Yuanzhou, who then quietly offered his explanation.

The two princes who were present inside the room also offered their condolences. At this moment, a servant carried a bowl that smelled of medicine from the side.

Qin Suiyou's nose twitched slightly, and as the servant was about to enter, he whispered something in Lu Xi's ear.

After listening, Lu Xi nodded, her eyes gradually becoming somewhat vacant. She stood up straight, and Qin Suiyou gestured to Ke Zuo.

Seeing Qin Suiyou's look, Ke Zuo understood, and then subtly stood next to Lu Xi with Xu Chi to ensure that she would not be bumped by anyone else.