Shen Ziyan recounted the situation to Chen Xiaobei in detail.
Xiaobei listened and sighed endlessly. He indeed had been an accomplice. Thinking of this, he was filled with torment.
He beat his head fiercely. "I'm so foolish, so foolish! How could I not have thought of it?"
"Using these secret strongholds, besides transporting people here, what else could they be for? I'm truly too stupid."
Just as Liu Rumei was about to speak, Shen Ziyan suddenly reached out and gently patted Chen Xiaobei's shoulder, her voice soft as she said, "Alright, Chen Xiaobei, don't blame yourself anymore. Fortunately, the princess is unharmed."
"Senior Sister said that the next time she sees Jiang Shangpiao, she will demand an explanation like a ghost haunting the living."
Seeing Shen Ziyan's natural gesture, Liu Rumei was suddenly surprised.
The gesture had a hint of intimacy, but Shen Ziyan clearly hadn't thought that far. She continued, "Remember the token I gave you last time? When we go back to see Master, he asked again, we still need to help Huang Ying find her birth parents as soon as possible."
Chen Xiaobei nodded slightly. "Yes, we should help Huang Ying search for her relatives."
"It's just that with the princess not yet recovered, I'm afraid I can't get away."
Shen Ziyan looked at him and sighed slightly, a hint of displeasure in her tone. "Alright, I know you're busy. Senior Sister and I will go first. We'll notify you if there's any progress. Her family should at least get to see what kind of man Huang Ying has found."
Chen Xiaobei nodded. He carefully took out the token from his embrace and handed it to Shen Ziyan. "Everything depends on you, Senior Sister."
Shen Ziyan glanced at him and turned to leave.
A clear hint of resentment was evident in her eyes.
Liu Rumei saw this look and felt a flicker of doubt in her heart.
If Shen Ziyan's earlier gesture was slightly intimate, then this look carried a hint of disdain.
But there was one thing Liu Rumei was certain of: Shen Ziyan would absolutely not fall for Chen Xiaobei. The earlier intimate gesture was merely an unconscious act of treating Chen Xiaobei as family, and the final look was a hint of disappointment towards an unreliable family member.
At this moment, the Lotus Sect Leader also came to bid farewell to Princess Zhaoning. Princess Zhaoning was now lucid, but appeared very weak.
Upon hearing that the Lotus Sect Leader was going to search for Huang Ying's birth parents, Princess Zhaoning immediately ordered Bai Han and Zhou Quan to be summoned.
"Bai Han, dispatch two hundred Imperial Guards, led by Zhou Quan, to accompany my Master to White Wave River."
"Also, disband all the guards of the Crown Prince's Estate and reassign them to the Imperial Guards."
After making the arrangements, Princess Zhaoning held her Master's hand and said reluctantly again, "Master, please return soon."
"Disciple's heart is in turmoil right now, and there are some things I still want to tell you."
The Lotus Sect Leader nodded and gently patted Princess Zhaoning's hand.
"I know your intentions. Don't worry, as soon as I find a clue about your martial aunt, I will return."
"By the way, when is the Emperor's funeral procession? Do you have a plan?"
Princess Zhaoning shook her head slightly.
"I have discussed it with several ministers. For stability, we will keep the death a secret for now. Once Liu Xiangnan arrives at the border and stabilizes the situation, we will announce it to the world."
"I wish to follow my elder brother's method and bury him quietly, without making too much of a spectacle."
Princess Zhaoning nodded gently. "Yes, we can't make too much of a fuss."
"You, a young woman, are in charge of the world. Your burden is heavy."
With that, the Lotus Sect Leader patted Princess Zhaoning's shoulder again and stood up.
"I'll go and give Chen Xiaobei a few more instructions." She said, then turned and left.
Meanwhile, in Fang Zheng's mansion, Fang Jun had regained some clarity.
As Uncle Bang had said, after days of fever, Fang Jun was lucid when the fever subsided.
He took a nap that noon and felt much lighter. He told the maid serving him, "I'm feeling a bit better today. Help me get dressed and take me to the courtyard for a walk."
The maid was delighted to see him wanting to get up and move. She quickly helped him up, assisted him in washing and dressing. However, as soon as Fang Jun sat in front of the mirror, he was stunned.
In the mirror, his complexion was haggard, and wrinkles had already become quite prominent on his face.
There were also several noticeable spots. These were the places Uncle Bang had mentioned would eventually become shallow pits.
Looking at himself in the mirror, Fang Jun slowly raised his hand and pointed at the person in the mirror, asking the maid beside him, "Is this me? Have I become like this now?"
The maid nodded gently. "Yes, young master, this is how you look now. However, the doctor said your face will recover slowly. Oh, and he prescribed herbal medicine for you to wash your face regularly."
Fang Jun's expression turned dejected. He suddenly waved his hand.
"Alright, you can go. I suddenly feel a bit tired and don't want to go out."
Just then, the young maid rushed in breathlessly. "Brother, good news, good news! Sister Xiaoyue is here, she's already at the gate. Hurry up and get dressed!"
Upon hearing that Feng Xiaoyue had arrived, Fang Jun shot up from his seat.
His expression became extremely tense, and he paced around the room.
Suddenly, his expression turned somewhat agitated, and he waved his hand impatiently at the young maid.
"Quickly go and stop Feng Xiaoyue. Tell her I have a contagious illness and she shouldn't come in."
"Brother, what's wrong? Sister Xiaoyue has traveled all the way from Xiao Family Town, and you, you're not going to see her?"
Fang Jun shook his head again. "No, I won't see anyone. Quickly go and stop her. I don't want Feng Xiaoyue to see me like this."
Seeing her brother like this, the young maid understood. Fang Jun, with his fragile pride, didn't want Feng Xiaoyue to see him in his current state.
Thinking of this, the young maid said to the maid beside her, "You stay here and take care of my brother. I'll go and stop Sister Xiaoyue!"
The young maid ran out quickly and into the courtyard. Feng Xiaoyue had already entered.
The young maid stepped forward, took Feng Xiaoyue's hand, and said affectionately, "Sister Xiaoyue, you're finally here! I've been waiting for you every day."
Feng Xiaoyue nodded, her face anxious as she asked, "As soon as I received the news that Brother Fang Jun was ill, I rushed over here. How is he now?"
"Alas, Sister Xiaoyue, my brother has a contagious disease. The doctor said he cannot see people or be exposed to the wind. You probably can't see him for now."
Feng Xiaoyue smiled slightly. "What's the big deal? Back when I was wandering the streets, I wasn't afraid of the plague, so why would I be afraid of this?"
The young maid shook her head vigorously. "Sister Xiaoyue, I know you're not afraid, but this is for everyone's good. Even I and Grandpa cannot see my brother right now."
As they were speaking, Fang Zheng's voice was heard from beside them. "Is that Miss Xiaoyue? Please, come in and have a seat."