After transmigrating into the book, I helped my mother reconcile with her divorced husband.

Physician Jiang suddenly felt a chill run through his limbs. He understood better than anyone that the Jiang family had never given up on him, nor had they ever given up on him getting married and having children. His long-term stay at the Imperial Hospital was not because he was passionate about medicine or reluctant to part with the prescriptions and medical supplies there, but because he couldn't stand the Jiang family's constant pressure to get married. He didn't want to become a tool for the Jiang family to continue their lineage.

Yunniang is right. He is not as free as she is. He carries the burden of the entire Jiang family on his shoulders.

"Before the incident in the capital, Grand Tutor Wei and Lord Fang suddenly visited, and during their conversation, they mentioned my relationship with Fang Zhi." Imperial Physician Jiang took a deep breath: "I only met Fang Zhi three times. The first time was when I got married. Fang Zhi was about the same age as Yuan'er is now. She choked on a fruit, and I saved her. To be honest, I don't remember what she looked like, but she remembered me."

Physician Jiang's second meeting with Fang Zhi was during his divorce from his ex-wife. The marriage had been a sham, a fact known only to him and his wife. Although the divorce was voluntary, relatives from both sides were still invited to witness it. Fang Zhi was a relative's daughter, who had come with her father.

She scolded his wife for not appreciating him, saying that when she grew up, she would definitely marry him and would never betray him like his wife had.

He didn't take Fang Zhi's words to heart, nor did anyone else present.

Physician Jiang said, "She came with Grand Tutor Wei and Lord Fang. That was the third time I saw him. Grand Tutor Wei said they met by chance in front of the Jiang residence, and Lord Fang said he brought his daughter to see a doctor. They had agreed to arrange my marriage with Fang Zhi. I returned the favor without leaving any room for negotiation, but they were still persistent and wanted to use this marriage to tie me down."

Qingzhi frowned slightly: "The pretense of facilitating the marriage is just a pretense; the real purpose is to use this marriage to our own advantage!"

Physician Jiang shook his head: "I don't know what Grand Tutor Wei is thinking, but it's true that he's on good terms with the Fang family. Fang Zhi has an older sister, born to Lord Fang and his first wife. If it weren't for the accident involving Grand Tutor Wei's son, the Wei and Fang families would very likely have become related by marriage. Lord Fang's background is very simple; he comes from a family of upright officials, neither forming cliques nor factions. He's a fourth-rank civil official, serving in the Ministry of Rites, and his interpersonal relationships are uncomplicated."

Xie Chaoyun lowered his head, pondered for a moment, and said, "It is true that the Fang family and the Jiang family are related by marriage, and it is also true that Miss Fang wants to marry Brother Jiang."

Physician Jiang nodded, his face growing increasingly grim: "To avoid being pressured into marriage, I've been living in the Imperial Hospital all these years. Every year during festivals, people would send me gifts. At first, I thought they were from the Jiang family, but later I found out they were from Fang Zhi. She not only sent them in the name of the Jiang family, but also in the name of the Lu family and you, Yunniang, which led to many rumors about you and me in the capital."

Qingzhi remembered; there really was such a thing.

About three or four years ago, there was a period when rumors about her young lady and Physician Jiang were circulating in the capital. The people were very detailed in their stories, and the Marquis even returned from Weinan to argue with his young lady about it. It wasn't until the young lady went to the teahouse where the rumors were most prevalent, demanding that they produce evidence, that the talk about Physician Jiang and her young lady gradually subsided.

Unexpectedly, the source was Fang Zhi.

Physician Jiang's disgust for Fang Zhi was written all over his face.

"What happened back then troubled me quite a bit. I privately spoke with Lord Lu, explaining that those things didn't belong to Yunniang, but to the Fang family in the capital. Lord Fang also met with the Marquis. With the cooperation of the Fang, Jiang, and Lu families, the rumors finally stopped." Physician Jiang paused for a moment, "Of course, Yunniang also deserves credit for going to the teahouse with her sword. If Yunniang hadn't proven her innocence, things back then probably wouldn't have been so easily resolved. After all, the Fang, Jiang, and Lu families each had their own concerns and were unwilling to stand in the open."

Xie Chaoyun understood the implication: "Was someone instigating things back then?"

Physician Jiang nodded: "Fang Zhi was only thirteen or fourteen years old at that time, an innocent girl who was easily misled. I ordered people to investigate secretly and found that this matter was related to Prince Yong'an. Does Yunniang still remember what happened that year?"

Xie Chaoyun thought for a moment: "The Crown Prince has been ill for a long time, and people in the court are in a state of panic. Just then, the Southern Chu invaded, and some people took the opportunity to stir up trouble, saying that the Crown Prince was not the heir apparent chosen by Heaven."

Xie Chaoyun was unaware of the details; at the time, the Pingnan Marquis's residence was in complete chaos. Old Madam Lu was ill, and relatives from her hometown flocked to the residence. Her shops were constantly in trouble, leaving her exhausted, and the rumors circulating in the capital caused her to lose her composure, leading her to carry a sword into a teahouse in full view of everyone.

By then, she was no longer an impulsive young girl. If she hadn't been forced into such a situation, she would never have done something that would have dragged the Marquis's mansion and the Xie family into public scrutiny. She must have had a better solution.

Physician Jiang gripped his teacup: "The Crown Prince isn't ill, he's been poisoned. The one who poisoned him is a maid in his palace. On the surface, the maid seems to have no connection with Prince Yong'an, but upon closer investigation, they even seem to have some grudge. It wasn't until we discovered suspicious points about the maid and, through interrogation, learned that she had impersonated someone else to enter the palace. Your second brother knows about this; if you want to know the inside story, you can ask him. The invasion of Southern Chu was also instigated by Prince Yong'an, but fortunately, General Xie was there to guard the border and thwart the conspiracy between Prince Yong'an and the Southern Chu."

Xie Chaoyun gritted her teeth: "Since you know it's a conspiracy between the Prince of Yong'an and the people of Southern Chu, why don't you... there are no witnesses or physical evidence left?"

Physician Jiang nodded, his face full of regret: "We oversimplified things and failed to investigate further, allowing Prince Yong'an's men to kill us while we were catching our breath and erase all evidence related to him."

Xie Chaoyun sorted out his thoughts: "The Crown Prince fell ill, and rumors spread like wildfire throughout the capital. Brother Jiang was ordered to treat the Crown Prince and was staying at the Imperial Hospital. Some people took advantage of Fang Zhi's budding feelings for Brother Jiang, instigating her to deliver things to Brother Jiang under my name, which led to rumors circulating in the capital that Brother Jiang and I had an improper relationship. When Old Madam Lu heard about this, she was so angry that she fell ill and was bedridden. When the Lu family relatives found out, they came to the Marquis's residence in droves, wanting to settle accounts with me. At the same time, my shops encountered various misfortunes. The cloth shop was flooded, the grain was soaked, and counterfeit medicines were discovered in the pharmacy. I was overwhelmed with dealing with everything. Although I did not ask my brother for help, he will definitely help me privately."

"General Xie knew about this and wanted to return to the capital. If it weren't for the sudden childbirth of one of his deputy generals' wives, he would have been on his way back to the capital when Southern Chu invaded. If the border had fallen, it would have confirmed in the capital that the Crown Prince was not the rightful heir. To protect the Crown Prince's position, the Empress would definitely use the Jiang family's power, and the rumors about Yunniang and me would bind the Jiang and Xie families together. At that time, General Xie's return to the capital would not be for Yunniang, but for treason."

What an intricate game of chess! No one could possibly connect the Fang family with the Xie family and the Lu family, yet a single move could affect the whole situation.

Xie Chaoyun's eyes darkened: "Grand Tutor Wei suddenly returned to the capital, and the first thing he did after returning was to arrange a marriage between the Fang family and the Jiang family. Considering what happened before, Brother Jiang is worried that there is a scheme orchestrated by Prince Yong'an behind this marriage."