A peasant girl travels through time with a hospital, rising to become an empress.

When Gu Xiao returned home from the academy that evening, he found everyone there except for Nie Qianqian.

Gu Xiao couldn't help but ask, "Mother, where did Qianqian go?"

Liu Yan responded, "Ah Ling said that Qianqian went out with Director Zhang to see patients and will probably not be back for five or six days."

"The fifth or sixth day?" A hint of doubt immediately arose in Gu Xiao's mind.

At this crucial time when Qiyuelou and Yuejige are preparing for their opening, what kind of patient would Nie Qianqian accompany to see him for five or six days?

At this moment, Ah Ling walked in from the backyard, saw Gu Xiao, and quickly stepped forward, saying, "Brother-in-law, this is a letter that Sister Qianqian left for you."

There's still a letter?

Gu Xiao opened the envelope and began to read it carefully.

The letter began by informing him that she was accompanying Director Zhang to a neighboring county to treat a patient, and that since she had become Director Zhang's apprentice, she should go along. She then detailed the tasks that the people at Qiyuelou and Yuejige would be responsible for, and hoped that Gu Xiao would help keep an eye on the progress.

The contents of the letter seemed unremarkable at first glance, however…

Gu Xiao stared intently at the handwriting on the letter. The handwriting was obviously messy and illegible, and it was clear that Nie Qianqian must have been extremely anxious when she wrote the letter.

Your handwriting reflects your character. Words may deceive, but handwriting can hardly conceal a person's state of mind.

This suggests that Nie Qianqian must have encountered an extremely urgent matter and was feeling anxious and uneasy when she wrote the letter.

Gu Xiao instantly sensed that something was wrong, and a sense of unease quietly began to grow in his heart.

If it was just a trip to a neighboring county to treat a patient, why would one be in such a hurry and be so flustered?

Seeing that Gu Xiao's expression was not good, Ah Ling thought he was angry because Nie Qianqian left without saying goodbye, so she quickly explained from the side: "Sister Qianqian must have encountered an emergency, so she left without saying goodbye. She didn't even pack a change of clothes. I don't know if there will be anyone to take care of her when she gets there."

At this point, Ah Ling's brows furrowed into a small bun.

In her heart, the affairs of Yueji Pavilion, though interesting, were far less important than taking care of Nie Qianqian. But Nie Qianqian wouldn't let her come along, saying she had more important things to do—just leaving a letter, after all…

Gu Xiao raised an eyebrow slightly and asked, "You haven't even packed your clothes?"

His doubts grew stronger. "Tell me everything that happened this afternoon, down to the last detail."

Seeing his serious expression, Ah Ling also became serious and said, "This afternoon, just as we were about to leave, a servant brought a letter to Nie Qianqian."

Gu Xiao: "Did they say who gave you this letter?"

Ah Ling recalled for a moment and said, "It seems to be Lord Tang."

"Soon after, the medicine boy from Jishetang also arrived and gave Sister Qianqian a letter as well."

"Two letters?"

Ah Ling nodded and said affirmatively, "That's right. After Qianqian finished reading the two letters, her expression became more and more serious."

Gu Xiao lowered his eyes in thought. Two letters arrived almost simultaneously, one from Lord Tang and the other from Jishetang.

What could possibly lead both sides to seek out Nie Qianqian at the same time?

If what Nie Qianqian said is true, the letter should mention that Director Zhang wanted to take her to see a very important and critically ill patient, who might also have a relationship with Lord Tang.

But if that's the case, Nie Qianqian is just a medicine apprentice, so why would Lord Tang go directly to her? Gu Xiao felt as if he had grasped some key clue, but his thoughts were somewhat blurry and he couldn't figure it out.

He raised his eyes, his clear and deep gaze fixed on Ah Ling, and said, "Think carefully again, have you seen or heard any other details, even the smallest ones?"

Ah Ling was startled by Gu Xiao's gaze. She had always thought Gu Xiao was just a weak scholar, but she never expected his eyes to be so sharp, as if he could see right through people.

Ah Ling tried hard to recall, "You're such a dense brain, think fast!"

"Hmm... I think I heard a place called Yishui County," Ah Ling suddenly exclaimed.

"Yishui?" Gu Xiao repeated.

“That’s right. Sister Qianqian went with the Jishetang carriage. When she left, she seemed to ask the coachman how long it would take to get to Yishui County.”

“Yishui…” Gu Xiao murmured to himself.

It seems that all of this is inextricably linked to Yishui County. But what exactly happened in Yishui County? His mind was in turmoil; he was worried about Nie Qianqian.

What did Nie Qianqian see in the messy handwriting that made the usually composed woman so anxious?

Night had fallen, and only night watchmen patrolled the streets. The sky was dark, and not a single star could be seen.

Unable to wait any longer, Gu Xiao went straight to the backyard, picked up the carriage, and prepared to leave. Seeing this, A-Ling knew that Nie Qianqian might be in trouble, and she knew she had to get to her side. A-Ling followed him into the carriage, and Gu Xiao, without a word, sped off into the inky darkness towards the Jiang residence.

The Jiang residence was already locked, but Gu Xiao didn't hesitate to bang on the door. If the steward hadn't recognized Gu Xiao, he probably would have had him thrown out long ago.

Ignoring Jiang Wenxuan, Gu Xiao went directly to Jiang Botao and explained his purpose: "Master Jiang, you are well-informed. I know it was inappropriate for me to disturb you so late at night, and I will certainly apologize in the future. But I do have something important to ask you right now. Do you know what major events have happened in Yishui County recently?"

Upon hearing Gu Xiao's words, Jiang Botao's expression instantly turned serious, and he asked in return, "What have you heard?"

Seeing Gu Xiao's anxious expression, Jiang Botao said frankly, "I only found out tonight that Yishui County is under lockdown, and the news is being tightly controlled. It took me a lot of trouble to find out that there's an epidemic in Yishui!"

Jiang Wenxuan gasped, his face turning deathly pale, and exclaimed in shock, "An epidemic?"

Jiang Botao's expression was equally grim as he continued, "I've heard that in just a few days, hundreds of people have been infected. The patients have persistent high fevers and their bodies are covered in festering sores. Some doctors suspect it might be the plague..."

Jiang Wenxuan shuddered in fright. "Plague? That's a disease with a nine-out-of-ten chance of death and extremely contagious! How could it be? The Great Yu Dynasty hasn't had a plague outbreak for many years. How could it break out in Yishui?"

Jiang Wenxuan found it hard to believe that such misfortune had suddenly befallen the neighboring county.

Jiang Botao said heavily, "That's right! I only received the definite news tonight, and I'm so worried that I can't sleep. I'm planning to talk to everyone tomorrow about whether we should temporarily leave Qinghe County to seek refuge."

Countless fragmented pieces of information flashed through Gu Xiao's mind in an instant: the letters sent by Lord Tang and Director Zhang at the same time, Yishui County, the epidemic...

Nie Qianqian's departure must be related to these events. If ordinary people knew about the plague outbreak, they would definitely think of fleeing far away to avoid the disaster, just like Jiang Botao.

But what kind of people would resolutely go to the epidemic area at this time?

doctor!

In an instant, a light seemed to flash through Gu Xiao's mind: the image of Doctor Qian tirelessly treating him, the faint jasmine scent on Doctor Qian, Guangjuxuan now in Nie Qianqian's hands... all the clues connected instantly!

Nie Qianqian is Doctor Qian!!!