After being sentenced to death, she came to her senses.

With a creak, the door was pushed open.

Ziju brought in a bowl of porridge. As soon as she entered, she saw Fang Xiaoran casually putting a jar back on the shelf. Her face was a little pale, and there were fine beads of sweat on her forehead. She looked sick, which startled Ziju. She quickly put down the porridge and helped her up. "Miss, are you sick?"

"It's nothing. I haven't been active in a long time. I just stretched my muscles a little, but I didn't expect my stamina to be a bit lacking." Fang Xiaoran smiled, leaving Ziju completely bewildered by this seemingly random remark.

Fang Xiaoran naturally wouldn't tell the truth, since it concerned her secret.

Her mother, Bai Qiqi, came from the Yan Clan of the Northern Frontier, who were skilled in the secret art of Gu spirits. However, this Gu art was extremely taxing on the person who used it and could even shorten their lifespan. Therefore, her mother did not pass it on to her. Fang Xiaoran knew it because in her previous life, Zhao Jin approached her only because she was a descendant of the Yan family.

Fang Xiaoran devoted herself wholeheartedly to helping Zhao Jin achieve his ambitions, and even nearly lost her life due to the backlash from the Gu spirit. It wasn't wrong for the court and the public to call her a wicked empress who brought disaster to the country.

Of course, she did not use a Gu poison on the old lady this time, but only added a small amount of poison. This poison was not fatal, but it would make the old lady's body weaker and weaker. If the Fang family wanted the old lady to recover to her former state, she would need to take the Yi Shen Dan for a long time.

The Fang family has lived too comfortably with her mother's dowry all these years, and it's time to return it all.

As dusk fell and darkness began to fall, Liu quietly knocked on Fang Xiaoran's door. She didn't even bring a maid, clearly not wanting others to know that she and Fang Xiaoran were seeing each other too frequently.

Knowing her intentions, Fang Xiaoran told Ziju and the others to leave first, since Beiju still had a lot of things to do.

After the maids had all left, Liu smiled and picked up her teacup to take a sip. "Sixth Miss is truly meticulous. The old lady fell ill just like that, and the power to manage the household has really fallen into my hands."

"What are you saying, Aunt Liu? Grandmother is worried about Fifth Sister. She hasn't rested for several nights. Even a person of iron would not be able to keep going like this. Besides, Grandmother is old and it's only a matter of time before she gets sick."

"is it?"

Clearly, Fang Xiaoran wanted to distance herself from the situation. Even though Liu Shi already had her suspicions, she didn't want to make things difficult for Fang Xiaoran, so she smiled and said, "No matter what, I was able to get the power to manage the household thanks to your help. If you have any difficulties in the future, you can always ask me for help. As long as it's not too outrageous, I will do my best to help you."

Fang Xiaoran chuckled and said, "For example, could you help me finish repairing the North Residence as soon as possible?"

"That's natural, but since the Sixth Miss has already invited a master, there's no need for me to do anything else."

"Just send more people; this won't make people think that Aunt Liu and I are close."

"Sixth Miss, what are you saying?"

After a brief, subtle exchange between the two, Liu left. She had already achieved her goal, and with a host of matters to attend to in the mansion, she naturally didn't want to linger there any longer.

In the days that followed, Beiju became quite lively due to the renovation. Liu also sent more people, and Fang Xiaoran handed them over to Lin Shuo, while she took some time to visit Danxi Pharmacy.

After disappearing for several days, it's time for him to make an appearance.

Fang Xiaoran's appearance at Danxi Pharmacy thrilled the owner, He Chunming. Fang Xiaoran left a message saying that she had important business to attend to and was unable to come to see patients. Then she disappeared for several days, and the pharmacy's doorstep was almost worn down by people coming to seek medical treatment.

After inquiring, He Chunming told her that the demand for Yi Shen Dan was too high, and the supply was somewhat insufficient.

"What I want is for demand to outstrip supply. Only when a pill is hard to find can its value be realized, and only then will people want it even more." Moreover, refining the Spirit-Boosting Pill requires precious medicinal materials, and one pill is worth as much as a thousand-year-old ginseng, or even more.

He Chunming had to abandon his idea. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Recently, the Fang family has been coming to your residence to invite you to treat their illness. What do you think..."

As expected, Fang Xiaoran didn't take it seriously and casually said, "I only practice medicine at Danxi Pharmacy."

"Yes, yes, I know."

Just then, Granny Qian suddenly arrived. Upon hearing that Doctor Qi had returned, she rushed over on horseback. Seeing a long queue outside Danxi Pharmacy, she thought that if she joined the queue, she would have to wait for who knows how long, so she simply barged in.

"Who is it? Aren't the rules of Danxi Pharmacy posted at the entrance? How dare they force their way in? I'll go see." Upon hearing the servant's report that someone was trying to break in, He Chunming rolled up his sleeves and rushed out.

Ever since those three brothers caused trouble and were taught a lesson by Little Stone, no one has dared to force their way in without waiting in line. He Chunming didn't expect that as soon as Doctor Qi returned, someone would come looking for trouble. He Chunming didn't want to indulge them.

With Doctor Qi providing consultations, along with his prescriptions and the Yi Shen Dan (a traditional Chinese medicine formula), Danxi Pharmacy's profits increased significantly, several hundred times higher than before. To prevent trouble, He Chunming even hired several strong men skilled in martial arts to oversee the pharmacy.

At this moment, Granny Qian was stopped by them. Looking at the several burly men, Granny Qian felt a little guilty, but as someone who served the old lady, she couldn't lose her composure. So, she flung her sleeve and angrily said, "I want to see your boss! Tell him to come out!"

"What do you want to see me for?" He Chunming walked out of the inner room with a cold face. He first looked Qian Mama up and down, and seeing that she was dressed in rich clothes, he figured she was no ordinary old nanny.

However, nowadays, there are not many ordinary families who come to Danxi Pharmacy to ask for medicine, after all, Yishen Dan is expensive and not something that ordinary people can afford.

Granny Qian first glanced at He Chunming to confirm that he was the owner of Danxi Pharmacy, and then said, "My lady wants to buy your pharmacy's Yishen Pill."

"So you've come for the Spirit-Boosting Pill." He Chunming smiled faintly, sat down in a chair, and picked up an ancient sandalwood bead inlaid with jade in one hand, playing with it. "Then you're too late. All the Spirit-Boosting Pills in my shop have been reserved. Please leave."

"They're all booked? How could that be... Then when will we have more?" Granny Qian frowned, feeling unwilling, wondering if Boss He was just making excuses for her.

He Chunming shook his head, "I don't know, it depends on Doctor Qi's mood."

"Could we ask Physician Qi to go to the Fang residence to treat the old lady? No matter the cost, our Fang family can afford it."

"It's not about money. As I said, it depends on Dr. Qi's mood. Dr. Qi has too many patients to see today, so please don't block his way."

"You!" Granny Qian was so angry that her face turned ashen, but she couldn't do anything about He Chunming. She could only plead again with a gentle smile and say that she wanted to see Doctor Qi, but He Chunming refused outright.

"Who is Doctor Qi? Do you think you can just see him whenever you want? The only way to see Doctor Qi is to go to the door and queue up. When it's your turn, you will naturally be able to see him."