Disease rights policy

Qiao Ran quietly pushed open the door and entered the room. Inside was a narrow communal bed where seventeen or eighteen people were sleeping. Because of the sleeping incense, they were all sleeping soundly. There was an indescribable smell in the room. Qiao Ran frowned and began to search every corner.

She searched around but couldn't find the token or anything like that. She didn't search a second time because she had already checked it the first time; if it wasn't there, it wasn't there.

Kong Hanyan nervously looked around outside. After all, it was her first time doing something like this. She could clearly hear her own heartbeat. Before she could count a few beats, Qiao Ran came out.

"Why did you come out so quickly? Did you find it?" Kong Hanyan hurriedly asked her in a low voice.

Qiao Ran shook her head. "They don't have any tokens at all."

"What should I do?"

"Let's go back first, it wouldn't be good if we were discovered," Qiao Ran said, pulling Kong Hanyan back. The two were just as careful as when they came. They were almost at Shufang Palace when they heard a commotion ahead, and the lights in Shufang Palace were turned on.

Their nighttime outings were discovered.

Liu Yun, with her loudest voice, chattered incessantly to Xu Shangjian, who had rushed over overnight, as if afraid no one could hear her. "Shangjian, I really saw them go out! What time is it? Who knows what they were doing sneaking out like that?"

Xu Shangjian frowned, her already exhausted body awakened by the two young ladies who had casually gone out at night. She turned to Sun Shangyi and asked, "Have you found the person?"

Sun Shangyi shook her head, "Not yet."

Where could they go so late?

"Go find her quickly." Supervisor Xu was in a real bind. She was afraid of alerting the Imperial Guards, which would cause them to search the entire palace for her. If the Empress found out tomorrow, she would definitely be severely punished.

Kong Hanyan and Qiao Xiaoran have no manners at all since they first entered the palace; they might even be expelled.

"Everyone else, go inside and stay inside. Those who need to sleep, go to sleep. Don't crowd together to watch the show," Xu Shangjian said coldly.

Bai Weiwei and the others turned to go inside to sleep. They didn't think it was a big deal. Kong Hanyan and Qiao Xiaoran were good friends, so it was understandable that they would go out for a walk in the middle of the night instead of sleeping.

They were unaware of the strict rules within the palace.

Seeing that this matter was all bark and no bite again, Liu Yun became instantly dissatisfied. She said loudly, "Qiao Xiaoran has packed her bags. If Supervisor Xu doesn't believe me, he can go to her room and see. She was clearly trying to escape, but I caught her red-handed. She entered the palace with the intention of escaping. Shouldn't Supervisor Xu punish her severely?"

Hearing this, the people who were about to go in turned back and asked in a low voice, "Really?"

"You don't believe me, do you?" Liu Yun lifted her skirt and ran towards Qiao Ran's room. A moment later, she came out carrying a bundle that Qiao Ran had packed. She threw it in front of everyone with a "thud" and sneered, "Xu Shangjian, check this out. She packed everything up. Isn't this a plan to run away?"

Liu Yun wouldn't let it go; she insisted on harping on Qiao Ran.

Xu Shangjian opened the bundle and saw that everything in the room had indeed been taken care of.

"Running away is a serious crime and will be punished," Bai Weiwei whispered to Yang Hui beside her, her expression very serious. The two of them shuddered.

The commotion quickly escalated, and unsurprisingly, it alerted the Imperial Guards on night patrol. They sent someone to ask Supervisor Xu, "General, what happened at Shufang Palace?"

Xu Shangjian had a headache, and with his own selfish motives, he tried to cover it up by saying, "It's nothing serious. The two young ladies couldn't sleep, so they went out for a walk and were late for their return."

The messenger went to report the matter to Yao Yuze, and before long, Yao Yuze himself appeared at the entrance of Shufang Palace. The young ladies in the courtyard were either surprised or delighted, and they all stood sideways.

Xu Shangjian was surprised to find that Yao Yuze was on duty tonight, and a sense of foreboding immediately arose in his heart.

"The ladies had only a small matter to attend to, and we apologize to the General for disturbing you."

Yao Yuze's eyes were deep and cold, carrying a hint of ruthlessness. "Where did the two young ladies go?"

While praying that Qiao Ran and Kong Hanyan would return soon, Xu Shangjian said, "The young ladies are new to the palace and don't know the rules. They've made themselves at home. They should be back soon."

Yao Yuze glanced at Xu Shangjian, his brows furrowed slightly, and said with a hint of doubt, "When did Xu Shangjian become so easy to talk to? I remember you were always so strict."

Xu Shangjian's hands, which were crossed in front of his waist, were clenched tightly, and he didn't know how to take it for a moment.

Yao Yuze has always been known for his strictness, never yielding to either soft or hard tactics. He is famous for his ruthlessness and decisiveness at a young age. As the commander of the Imperial Guard, he is also known for his vicious methods.

"Moving around the palace at night is strictly forbidden. The young ladies are unfamiliar faces. If they wander around the inner palace recklessly and are mistaken for assassins, they will be shot to death with arrows. What will Minister Xu do then?"

Yao Yuze's face was stern, and his deep voice sent chills down everyone's spines.

The women who had been spying on him immediately lowered their heads, afraid of being discovered.

Even Liu Yun, who had wanted to make a big fuss, fell silent.

Supervisor Xu was also alarmed. "I will find the young ladies as soon as possible."

Yao Yuze asked, "Who were the two young ladies who went out?"

Sun Shangyi glanced at Xu Shangjian, stepped forward and whispered, "They are Kong Hanyan, daughter of the Prince of Jiangling, and Qiao Xiaoran, daughter of the Governor of Qianzhou."

No one noticed the deepening look in Yao Yuze's eyes. He said in a deep voice, "Emperor Xu and the young ladies should stay in Shufang Palace and not wander around. We will find the two young ladies."

Xu Shangjian didn't know whether to be happy or worried, but given their status, it was easy for them to make a mistake if they searched the entire palace at this time, so she lowered her head and agreed, "Thank you for your trouble, General."

After Yao Yuze and his men left, Supervisor Xu finally breathed a sigh of relief and turned around to order, "Everyone, go back to your rooms."

After experiencing this, everyone realized the seriousness of the situation and went to their respective rooms in twos and threes.

"Shangjian," said Consort Sun, her heart filled with unease and worry, "should we report this to Her Majesty the Empress?"

Xu Shangjian closed his eyes lightly, paused for a moment, and said, "It's late today, don't disturb Her Majesty's rest, let's talk about it tomorrow."

"Yes."

But where did Kong Hanyan and Qiao Xiaoran go in the middle of the night?

Xu Shangjian looked at the bundle on the ground and said to Sun Shangyi, "Put it back inside."

Sun Shangyi did as instructed.

Yao Yuze led his men out of the hall and instructed, "Search separately, and do not disturb the ladies."

"Yes."

He pondered for a moment, then headed towards Fengxing Pavilion. He felt that the profile he had seen that afternoon looked familiar, and to dispel his doubts, he had already sent Pu Jing to investigate.

The governor of Qianzhou was also surnamed Qiao, what a coincidence.

Just as Yao Yuze turned the corner and was about to reach Fengxing Pavilion, a beautiful figure suddenly rushed out. His expression hardened, and he grabbed the person firmly in his hand. Upon closer inspection, he saw that it was Kong Hanyan. Her face was pale, and half of her body was wet, as if she had just been pulled out of the water.

"what happened!"

Kong Hanyan saw Yao Yuze and exclaimed, her voice trembling, "General, quick!! Xiao Ran has fallen into the water!"

Yao Yuze's expression changed, and he quickly ran to the back of Fengxing Pavilion. Only then did he see a person struggling in the lake under the bridge. Within two breaths, the water gradually returned to calm, and the person had already sunk.

Kong Hanyan crawled to the side, her voice hoarse: "Xiao Ran!"

"Don't shout." Yao Yuze said coldly, then leaped into the lake. Kong Hanyan on the bridge clenched her fists, her heart pounding in her throat.

Before long, the Imperial Guards found the place. They were all shocked to see their general personally jumping into the water to save someone. After Yao Yuze pulled the half-dead Qiao Ran out of the water, the Imperial Guards quickly surrounded her, saying, "General."

"Take her back to Shufang Palace first," Yao Yuze said, then shifted his gaze from the unconscious Qiao Ran's face. Her delicate eyebrows and eyes were close together, and her wet eyelashes trembled. In the dim light, she looked even more pitiful.

The stray hairs on his forehead were wet with lake water, and his appearance was remarkably similar to that of the young lady who ran towards him on that rainy night. The memories that had been dormant in Yao Yuze's mind were stirred up again. He still had not found the orphan girl of the Qiao family, nor that important thing.

Yao Yuze's eyes grew increasingly dark, gradually disappearing into the night, making it impossible to discern his ever-changing emotions.

"General," the Imperial Guard brought over a cloak to keep Yao Yuze warm, but Yao Yuze took it and casually tossed it onto the unconscious Qiao Ran.

He said, "Don't make a fuss. You continue your patrol. I'm going to Shufang Palace to check on the situation."

"Yes."

Kong Hanyan stepped forward and grabbed Qiao Ran's cold hand, then followed her back to Shufang Palace. It had been a very dangerous situation, and the two of them had no choice but to resort to this desperate measure.

Kong Hanyan could only pray that the two of them could get away with their petty tricks. She was secretly alarmed by the way Yao Yuze looked at Qiao Ran just now. She must not let Yao Yuze find out that Qiao Ran was an imposter.

Upon returning to Shufang Palace and seeing Qiao Ran's uncertain condition, Supervisor Xu immediately rushed forward and exclaimed, "What happened?"

With tears welling in her eyes, Kong Hanyan said, "Shangjian, Xiao Ran has fallen into the water."

"Go inside quickly." Xu Shangjian's men went to keep an eye on the others to prevent them from wandering around, while he led Qiao Ran into the house. Only after the Imperial Guards who had been assisting him left did Xu Shangjian breathe a sigh of relief. He took out his token from his pocket and whispered to Sun Shangyi, "Go and invite Physician Huang."

Knowing the seriousness of the matter, Lady Sun went there immediately.

Xu Shangjian closed the door again and, together with Kong Hanyan, changed Qiao Ran's clothes. Only then did they realize that Qiao Ran had hit her head and was still bleeding from her forehead. The water in her stomach had been expelled, but she showed no signs of waking up for a long time, which was most likely due to the head injury.

Hearing the noise at the door, Kong Hanyan suddenly knelt down on the ground. "Shangjian, it's our fault. Will Xiaoran be alright?"

As soon as she finished speaking, the door was pushed open, and Yao Yuze walked right in.

Xu Shangjian frowned slightly, slowly stood up, and said, "General, this is Miss Qiao's bedroom. Would you mind waiting outside the door?"

Yao Yuze seemed unconcerned, and said seriously, "Night patrols are the responsibility of the Imperial Guards. If something happens, I naturally have to investigate the matter thoroughly. There's no need to back down. Besides, I'm the one who rescued these people. Human life is a matter of utmost importance. Why is Supervisor Xu being so rigid?"

Xu Shangjian hesitated, ultimately feeling that it was inappropriate to let Yao Yuze in.

Yao Yuze continued, “I am in charge of all the patrols in the palace, and I enter and leave the harems of all the ladies every day, but I don’t have as many rules as you, Shufang Palace.”

Supervisor Xu was completely speechless.