Liang Yusong walked gracefully, her back straight and her expression composed, exuding an air that naturally inspired trust.
She bowed elegantly and courteously to Lu Song and Wang Min, her voice clear and bright: "There's nothing to worry about now. It was likely due to the fatigue of travel—after the emotional highs and lows upon returning to the residence, this was the Old Madame's reaction during the night."
"I've already used acupuncture to clear the Old Madame's meridians. Once she takes the medicine I've prepared, she'll be able to sleep peacefully."
Lu Song let out a sigh of relief, a hint of guilt stirring within him.
It was all because of Lu Jiangnian's marriage that Old Madame Lu had become so emotional. Fortunately, nothing serious had happened.
Wang Min expressed her heartfelt gratitude: "Good child, thank you so much. If it weren't for you, the Old Madame would have suffered even more."
Liang Yusong resided in the Emerald Pavilion, right next to Rongshou Hall.
In the middle of the night, even with the Lu family's name card to summon an imperial physician, it would still take time for one to arrive—nowhere near as convenient as having Liang Yusong nearby.
"It's late now, you should get some rest. We'll look after things here. I'll be sure to properly thank you another day, Aunt Lu."
Yuan Wanru's gaze hadn't left Liang Yusong since she appeared. She was watching intently when suddenly Lu Jiangnian's voice reached her ears.
"You know her?"
Yuan Wanru was somewhat surprised—she hadn't expected Lu Jiangnian to even notice her.
"No, I don't."
"I've only heard that her medical skills are remarkable, and that she had already helped the Old Madame recover from an illness on the road."
"It's rare for me to see women practicing medicine, and a female physician with such exceptional skill is even rarer."
"From what I can see now, female physicians aren't necessarily inferior to male ones. If there were more female doctors in the world, it would be much more convenient for women seeking medical treatment."
In the modern world, Yuan Wanru had been a graduate of traditional Chinese medicine, having completed a continuous program from bachelor's to doctoral degree.
How could she not understand the medical conditions faced by women in ancient times?
Women's physiological ailments—especially those of young, unmarried women—were always too embarrassing to speak of, causing delays in treatment and costing countless lives needlessly.
Seeing Liang Yusong practice medicine, she couldn't help but feel a surge of emotion.
Constrained by the original owner's circumstances, she would have to keep her own medical skills hidden for now.
Once the male lead and female lead got together in the future, and she left this place, she could freely put her skills to use as she pleased.
Lu Jiangnian cast her a faint glance. "She comes from the Duke Weiguo's household—how could she simply sit in a clinic like an ordinary physician?"
Such an approach would be no different from lowering her own status. How could the Liang family ever agree to that?
Even for the wealthy and noble families of the capital, requesting her medical services would hardly be an easy matter.
This woman's thinking was far too naive.
Yuan Wanru thought it over and understood what he meant.
Liang Yusong was of marriageable age, and her reputation as an unmarried woman was of utmost importance. Physicians didn't hold particularly high status in ancient times—if a noble lady of her standing made a grand display of treating patients, it would inevitably invite criticism.
She said with some regret, "What a pity—such excellent medical skill wasted."
While the two of them were talking, Liang Yusong happened to glance over. Her eyes brightened, and she stared fixedly at Lu Jiangnian.
Wang Min noticed her gaze. "That's Jiangnian. You should have met him before—do you still recognize him?"
A strange joy bloomed in Liang Yusong's eyes. She walked toward Lu Jiangnian. "Brother Lu, do you still remember me?"
"I never imagined you'd be the Brother Lu from Uncle Lu's family."
Her words left everyone puzzled.
It was only after Liang Yusong explained that everyone finally understood.
It turned out that two years ago, when a plague broke out in Yanmen Commandery, Liang Yusong had secretly gone there to treat the sick without telling her family. It was there that she had encountered Lu Jiangnian.
Lu Jiangnian's garrison was not far from Yanmen Commandery. He had been ordered to lead troops to guard the area and prevent unrest.
"Brother Lu saved me back then. I've always wanted to thank him, but afterward, I could never find him again."
"I never expected we'd meet again here."
After hearing the full story, Wang Min smiled. "This shows that you and the Lu family are destined to be connected."
"But you were far too bold—sneaking out like that. What if something had happened to you?"
Liang Yusong smiled sheepishly. "My mother gave me a thorough scolding afterward. Yanmen Commandery was so far from the capital, and no one there knew me. I wanted to contribute to helping the disaster victims—I couldn't just stand by and do nothing."
Cao Lanzhi's eyes sparkled with admiration. "Sister Liang is amazing!"
Liang Yusong waved her hand modestly, then looked back at Lu Jiangnian, an extraordinary light shimmering in her almond-shaped eyes. "Brother Lu is the amazing one. When some people rioted and I nearly got hurt, Brother Lu gave a single command and those people were all captured."
"If it weren't for Brother Lu, I probably wouldn't have made it out of Yanmen Commandery in one piece."
Compared to Liang Yusong's excitement, Lu Jiangnian remained utterly composed.
"That was my duty. You don't need to thank me."
"You've helped Grandmother on several occasions—it's the Lu family who should be thanking you."
Liang Yusong shook her head and spoke softly, "How can those be compared? I…"
Wang Min stepped forward and took her hand, speaking gently, "That's exactly right—he was just doing his duty. It's hardly worth a special thank you from you."
Liang Yusong couldn't very well argue with Wang Min, but she bit her lip and looked at Lu Jiangnian. "Brother Lu, what happened in Yanmen Commandery really shouldn't be spread around. Would you be willing to…"
Lu Jiangnian understood her meaning and said, "I do not care for idle gossip."
Yuan Wanru, however, cast a suspicious glance at Liang Yusong, feeling that she was somewhat contradictory.
If she wanted Lu Jiangnian to keep it a secret, why had she spoken of the Yanmen Commandery experience in front of so many people?
Lu Jiangnian had agreed to keep it confidential, but the others had made no such promise.
If word got out, whose fault would it be?
Suddenly, a flash of insight struck her—in the book, this matter had somehow ended up involving her in the end.
She fell into deep thought, and for a moment, she had no mind to pay attention to anyone else.
When she came back to her senses, the crowd had already dispersed.
Wang Min looked at Yuan Wanru with a pained expression and sighed. "You've been wronged. This was supposed to be your happy day, yet it dragged on for so long. You and Jiangnian should head back now."
"I already know about the wedding dress. Don't worry about it—leave it to me."
Yuan Wanru leaned against her shoulder and said softly, "Auntie Min, don't rush. You've grown thinner from all the busy days."
"As for the wedding dress, I doubt we'll find out much more. There's no need to hurry over a day or two."
"Tomorrow, you should rest for a full day. If you wear yourself out and something happens, how could we ever rest easy?"
Seeing her so obedient and considerate, Wang Min's heart softened. She pinched her cheek and said, "You deserve a scolding—you called me wrong. What should you call me?"
Yuan Wanru blinked her innocent eyes, momentarily shy, but still lowered her voice and called out, "Mother…"
Wang Min felt all her drowsiness vanish.
Since her eldest daughter Lu Wei had married, this was the first time she felt how delightful it was to have a sweet young girl by her side.
"Mm."
She answered happily, then looked at Lu Jiangnian beside her. "You must not bully her, or your mother will never forgive you."
Lu Jiangnian looked at Yuan Wanru, who was nestled beside Wang Min like a little white rabbit.
She kept her head lowered, the pearl tassels at her temples swaying gently.
Where they stood, two octagonal lanterns shone as bright as daylight, and he could clearly see her thick lashes trembling like cicada wings, casting layers of soft halos.
He raised his head, gazing at the silent night sky, a faint trace of mockery curling at the corner of his lips.
She really knew how to play the obedient role—no wonder Mother was so charmed by her.
But in front of him, she didn't bother pretending anymore.
Could it be that she had given up all pretense?