Once they had walked some distance, Shen Nian asked, "Lord Bai, my grandmother's illness—"
"A stroke strikes suddenly and is no small matter," Bai Feng said gently. "The old madam has likely been eating too richly. From now on, watch her diet closely and keep it plain and light. This kind of illness cannot be cured in a day—it requires long, steady care."
Shen Nian said, "We are much obliged to you, Lord Bai."
After seeing Bai Feng out of the Shen residence, Shen Nian took the prescription and went to fetch the herbs himself.
Shen Qing shared a deep bond with Old Madam Shen and had been utterly dazed since the incident.
When Shen Nian returned with the herbs, Shen Qing carefully checked each ingredient against the prescription, then, as he had promised, prepared to brew them himself.
Shen Nian frowned at his state and said, "With your mind wandering like this, can you even brew medicine properly? Every herb has its own properties—don't go mixing up the ingredients."
Shen Qing, still raw with grief and stung by the remark, momentarily forgot his fear and shot back sharply, "As long as your herbs are genuine, I won't make a mistake."
But when he caught the half-smile on Shen Nian's face, he fell abruptly silent.
"I came back in a hurry—who found Grandmother first?" Shen Nian asked, not wishing to dwell on petty quarrels.
Shen Qing sniffled, tears streaming down his face. "It was this morning, when I went to pay my respects to Grandmother. She hasn't been in the best temper lately, and the servants attending her were too afraid to wake her... so by the time I arrived, it was already too late."
"Have the servants attending Grandmother been questioned? Did any of them seem suspicious or out of the ordinary?" Shen Nian pressed.
Shen Qing replied, "Mother asked around earlier. The maids said Grandmother ate quite a bit last night, and there was no disturbance during the night."
Shen Nian gave a grunt of acknowledgment.
Shen Qing stood there, eyes brimming with tears and fixed on him, waiting as if he expected Shen Nian to tell him what to do next.
Shen Nian frowned. "Aren't you going to brew the medicine? Go on."
Only then did Shen Qing snap out of it, grab the herbs, and hurry off.
Because of this incident, Qi Junmu allowed Shen Nian two days off to stay home and keep Old Madam Shen company.
Over those two days, Shen Nian looked into the matter, and indeed, there was nothing suspicious about the servants around Old Madam Shen.
Everything pointed to it being a sudden stroke.
Shen Qing tended to Old Madam Shen with great devotion—he brewed the medicine himself and personally fed it to her.
At first, Wen shi was somewhat concerned and tried to stay close to Old Madam Shen.
But after two days, with Old Madam Shen still refusing to receive her, she stopped going.
Once her worry faded, Wen shi suddenly realized that she was now the one running the household affairs of the Marquis of Zhenbei's mansion.
This realization stunned Wen shi for a long while. But when she confirmed it was true, a smile of delight began to spread across her face.
With Old Madam Shen now bedridden and Wen shi in charge of the household, she spoke even more loudly and assertively than before.
She still did not like Shen Nian, and her displeasure was written plainly on her face whenever she saw him.
Yet, mindful of Shen Nian's status, she swallowed her disgust and tried to appear amiable—though she didn't manage it very well.
Toward Shen Qing, however, Wen shi remained as kind as ever, even more so. She showered him with good things from the storehouses.
Not that there was much of great value in their household to begin with.
When Shen Yi was alive, every time he earned merit on the battlefield, Emperor Jing would praise him in words but never grant any substantial rewards. On the rare occasions Shen Yi returned to the capital to report, Emperor Jing would claim he was unwell and refuse to see him, and at most, he would toss him a meager bit of silver.
Truth be told, the Shen family had little in the way of precious heirlooms. But even so, Wen shi was overjoyed. It meant that from now on, she was the mistress of the Marquis Zhenbei's mansion, and she could do whatever she wished with the contents of the storehouses.
Wen shi had grown too obvious in her actions. Shen Qing confronted her, accusing her of putting on a deliberate show right in front of Old Madam Shen.
His words were unsparing, leaving Wen shi's face cycling through shades of pallor and red before she buried her face in her hands and burst into tears.
Shen Qing had only meant to vent his anger; he had not expected things to escalate like this, and he stood there utterly at a loss.
Shen Nian watched it all with cold detachment, his bearing utterly aloof.
---
The few days of leave passed quickly, and Shen Nian returned to the palace.
Before leaving, he went to see Old Madam Shen once more.
When he arrived, her complexion had worsened. A maid was trying to feed her, but she clamped her jaw shut and refused to cooperate, her face filled with rejection and irritation.
At the sight of Shen Nian, her lips parted as if to speak, but no words came. She only closed her eyes, and two trails of tears slipped down in silence.
Shen Nian did not know what to say. He looked at her for a moment and said, "Your grandson is about to enter the palace. Please rest well, Grandmother."
Old Madam Shen's chest rose and fell heavily, but she still did not open her eyes.
Shen Nian took two steps back and turned to leave. Old Madam Shen stared at his retreating figure, her eyes filled with disappointment.
When Shen Nian entered the palace, the Emperor was receiving Prince Rui, Qi Junyan, the Vice Minister of Works, Xing Yi, and Cheng Jin at Qianhua Hall.
When Cheng Jin heard Shen Nian had arrived, he looked up at once, his gaze full of reproach. Shen Nian had clearly known about this all along, yet he had not given Cheng Jin so much as a hint.
Shen Nian pretended not to notice Cheng Jin's grievance.
Qi Junmu had already arranged most of the matters at hand. He turned his gaze to Shen Nian with concern and asked, "Is Old Madam Shen out of danger?"
Shen Nian hurriedly replied, "Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. This humble subject's grandmother's life is no longer in peril, but Physician Bai says the rest will require slow and careful recovery."
Qi Junmu sighed. "Have Bai Feng come a few more times to adjust the prescription. I trust his skill. I believe Old Madam Shen will soon recover."
Shen Nian was deeply moved. "This humble subject is most grateful for Your Majesty's grace."
Cheng Jin watched from the side, scarcely able to believe his eyes. He had been worrying over Shen Nian all this while.
Now, seeing the exchange between Shen Nian and the Emperor, he was utterly bewildered. This did not resemble mortal enemies at all—could it be that the Emperor truly trusted thegeneral?
"The date for your departure to the West Frontier is set for the day after tomorrow. Prince Rui, do you have any objections?" Having finished his personal inquiries with Shen Nian, Qi Junmu turned his attention back to the three men.
Qi Junyan had thick brows and large, well-set eyes, and a thoroughly upright appearance. With an air of simple honesty, he said, "Your Majesty, I have no objections."
As for Xing Yi and Cheng Jin, they were mere minor figures—whatever the Emperor and Prince Rui said, they simply nodded in agreement.
Qi Junmu seemed satisfied with their responses and dismissed them.
Once they had left, Qi Junmu rubbed his temples and said, "Have the Imperial Guards make preparations for the day after tomorrow. I will personally leave the city to see Prince Rui and the others off."
Shen Nian voiced his doubt. "Your Majesty is personally seeing off Prince Rui?"
It was not that he harbored suspicion without cause, but he had never seen any particular closeness between Qi Junmu and Qi Junyan. The words simply did not ring true.
Qi Junmu laughed. "The day after tomorrow happens to be when Prince Jin arrives in the capital. This way, the brothers can take the chance to bid each other farewell."
Shen Nian was speechless. Qi Junmu clearly wanted to leave the palace to welcome Qi Junzhuo back, yet he phrased it this way. Anyone who did not know better would think Prince Rui enjoyed exceptional imperial favor.
The Emperor's methods were beyond most people's imagination.
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