Qin Moyuan looked up at Cao Zhuang, who stood respectfully to the side.
He knew without a doubt that Cao Zhuang must have spoken to the Emperor about A Shu after seeing her when he delivered gifts to the prince's manor.
"Don't look at him!" The Emperor beckoned, drawing his attention back. "I ask you, what kind of medicinal herbs did you give her? Do you want me to send an imperial physician? Women are naturally delicate; you need to be more attentive."
As his elder brother, the Emperor knew better than anyone how much A Yuan detested his birthday.
But after Cao Zhuang returned, he told the Emperor that A Yuan had actually hinted that the woman wanted a birthday gift.
This was enough to show how much A Yuan cared about that woman.
Perhaps he cared about her more than his own brother!
The Emperor felt a pang of jealousy, but his curiosity about the woman was even greater.
Qin Moyuan pursed his lips, looking at his brother who seemed eager to see her himself. He rubbed his forehead helplessly. "She's fine..."
He paused, then added, "Before long, I should be able to bring her to meet Your Majesty."
"Truly?" The Emperor's eyes lit up. "Then hurry up, or I'll go to the prince's manor myself!"
Qin Moyuan nodded, afraid his brother would press further. "If there's nothing else, this humble brother shall take his leave."
Seeing how protective he was of the woman and his obvious reluctance to say more, the Emperor had no choice but to let him go.
...
Emerging from the imperial study, Qin Moyuan had intended to leave directly.
But as he reached the palace gate, he saw a familiar figure. "Greetings, Regent."
"There's no need for such formality in private," Qin Moyuan raised his hand. "What are you doing here?"
Mo Lian rose and replied, "Yi Min sent me. He wishes to ask if Your Highness could speak to the lady and invite her to the palace?"
He glanced around, seeing no one, and got straight to the point. "Consort Rong's condition is not good. The Imperial Hospital is helpless and has even said... for Yi Min to prepare himself."
Qin Moyuan had secretly had Consort Rong protected over the years and naturally knew of her condition.
He did not refuse. "I will speak to A Shu about this matter."
Given A Shu's nature, she would certainly not refuse if A Min sought her help.
Having delivered the message, Mo Lian was about to leave.
But he hesitated for a moment and then asked, "Your Highness, is my mother's health recently well?"
He had not been away from his mother for so long since birth, and naturally missed her.
Qin Moyuan nodded. "With A Shu there, she is naturally fine and hasn't fallen ill..."
He also spoke of some recent events regarding Mo's mother, even mentioning that Mo's mother had gained weight.
It wasn't that he paid much attention to Mo's mother, but rather that whenever Li Yue Shu was too busy to attend to him, Mo's mother would act as an intermediary.
When Li Yue Shu became busy, he found himself seeing Mo's mother more often than Li Yue Shu.
Hearing the news of his mother's well-being, Mo Lian felt at ease and also asked about Li Yue Shu and the other three children.
Although Yi Min didn't say it, Mo Lian knew he was concerned about everyone.
Qin Moyuan spoke of everyone's recent situations one by one, his words full of gentleness.
If anyone else were present, they would likely be astonished.
Not only was the taciturn Regent speaking so much, but he was also discussing trivial matters. It was as if witnessing it firsthand would feel like a dream!
After getting the news about everyone, Mo Lian did not linger. He bowed and left in a hurry.
...
Returning to the prince's manor, Qin Moyuan intended to speak to Li Yue Shu about the matter. However, Li Yue Shu, who had already obtained the medicinal herbs, had gone to her space to research.
With no other option, Qin Moyuan decided to bring it up after dinner.
As expected, upon hearing it was Shen Yi Min's request, Li Yue Shu agreed without hesitation.
"When shall we go?"
"Whenever A Shu is free," Qin Moyuan took out a prepared document. "This is Consort Rong's health status from the past few years. I had someone obtain it from the Imperial Hospital."
Li Yue Shu, holding Shen Zhiyu, took the document and began to read.
Having accompanied Li Yue Shu in treating patients for so long, Qin Moyuan naturally knew the importance of understanding the patient's condition before treating them. He recounted everything he knew.
"When the Zheng family met with disaster that year, Consort Rong suddenly fell ill. Everyone thought she couldn't handle the shock, but I knew her temperament wasn't that fragile. So I had people investigate secretly and discovered she had been poisoned."
Li Yue Shu glanced at Qin Moyuan but quickly averted her gaze.
Qin Moyuan, unaware, continued, "Although it was discovered in time, the poison was too potent, and it damaged her body. There are still residual toxins within her. Moreover, she has been living in the cold palace for these past few years, so her current condition is not good."
Qin Moyuan gave a general overview of the situation. After Li Yue Shu finished reading the document, he asked, "A Shu, do you have confidence?"
Li Yue Shu's face remained unreadable, a habit she maintained when treating patients.
Before reaching a conclusion, most patients tended to guess wildly based on the doctor's expressions, causing themselves trouble and sometimes even implicating the doctor if they were overly agitated.
"From the information, her condition is indeed not good, but I won't know for sure until I've seen her," Li Yue Shu put away the document. "Take me to the palace tomorrow afternoon to see her."
In the morning, she needed to prepare some things.
Although Mo's mother didn't say anything, Li Yue Shu could tell how much she missed Mo Lian.
Since they would be meeting, she would definitely prepare something for Mo Lian.
As expected, upon learning she would be going to the palace to see Mo Lian, Mo's mother woke up early to pack.
Fortunately, with Shi Dong reminding her, Mo's mother didn't bring all her possessions and only packed one bundle.
...
This was Mo's mother's first time in the imperial palace, and she was very nervous.
This was due to the joy of seeing her son soon, but also her fear of imperial authority.
In contrast, Li Yue Shu appeared much calmer and curiously lifted a corner of the curtain to observe the surroundings as they passed.
When she read the book, the author had used a large number of ornate words to describe the grandeur and majesty of the imperial palace when Li Xiangru first entered it.
Seeing it in person now, it was indeed quite impressive.
Soon, the carriage entered the palace and stopped at a fork in the road.
"Seeing the puzzled look in Li Yue Shu's eyes, Qin Moyuan explained, "This is the inner palace, and it's not convenient for me to enter. Ying Xin will take you there."
Hearing this, Li Yue Shu understood and immediately led Mo's mother out of the carriage.
Qin Moyuan followed behind her and patiently instructed, "I will wait for you here to pick you up later. If there's anything, just have Ying Xin notify me."
He knew Li Yue Shu was intelligent, but he still worried she might encounter trouble in the palace.
Li Yue Shu, carrying her medicine box, listened attentively to his instructions, showing no impatience.
Being cared for was something that never made her feel annoyed.
Qin Moyuan silently watched her figure disappear around the corner before turning to Xing He. "Go to the imperial study."
Xing He was taken aback. "Wasn't Your Highness going to wait for the lady here?"