At this moment, Yun Fu was unaware that her senior sister had secretly slipped down from Lingxi Peak. She continued living her carefree, immortal-like days as usual.
That day, Wei Rong had crafted a wooden frame for her, with several planks attached to it. A small railing was built around the planks, lined with soft, gold-woven cushions.
The frame was wrapped coil by coil with hemp rope, resembling a tree in shape, though it lacked leaves.
For some reason, the sight of this frame invigorated Yun Fu entirely, especially the hemp-wrapped branches that made her claws itch with anticipation.
The frame was carried into Wei Rong’s study, the place where he spent most of his time aside from his bedchamber.
It was positioned near the window, overlooking an artificial hill and pond outside. Ripples shimmered on the emerald water, lotuses swayed gently, and whenever the breeze blew, the fragrance of lotus blossoms mingled with the moist air, creating an atmosphere of refreshing elegance.
Beside the frame stood a small table, where Wei Rong often drank tea or painted.
As soon as the frame was set down, Yun Fu struggled free from the man’s embrace. In her excitement, the claws hidden within her soft pads slipped out, accidentally snagging and pulling several threads from Wei Rong’s robe.
Wei Rong didn’t mind. Since adopting A Fu, his clothes were frequently torn by her claws. Damaged robes were of little concern; what worried him more was if her claws got stuck too tightly and injured her nails.
Yun Fu had already scurried over to the frame, circling it and sniffing incessantly.
Then, she extended her front paws and began instinctively scratching at the hemp-wrapped pole.
The more she scratched, the more enthusiastic she became, making Wei Rong fear she might hurt her delicate claws.
While Yun Fu was enjoying herself, the atmosphere in the Prime Minister’s residence was heavy with tension.
Beneath the pink-and-white gauze Lian Zhang, a slender, delicate figure lay on the pearwood-carved bed, looking even frailer under the hibiscus-patterned quilt.
Her porcelain face, once plump with a hint of baby fat, was now devoid of color, like a withering cherry blossom.
The girl’s eyes were closed, her fine brows delicate, her cherry lips pale, and her ink-black hair spread across the pillow appeared somewhat lackluster—all signs that the person on the bed had been unconscious for a long time.
An elderly man with white hair and a wrinkled face examined the girl’s pulse through a silk handkerchief. The strange pulse made the wrinkles on his face deepen further.
Several people stood by the pearwood bed.
Among them was a woman dressed in a light green soft smoke Luoqun embroidered with intertwining lotus patterns. Her hair was styled in a married woman’s Faji, and her hair accessories, like her Luoqun, were as elegant and pure as orchids. On her fair wrist, she wore a translucent green jade bracelet, its vibrant hue reflecting onto her skin—clearly a piece of great value.
Though in her thirties, the woman’s well-maintained face could easily pass for that of someone in her early twenties.
Beside her stood a young girl, her expression lively and charming. She wore a lilac-colored iridescent brocade gown, agate earrings, a jade bead tassel hairpin, and at her waist hung a carved gold incense ball, from which a subtle fragrance wafted.
Despite her radiant makeup, the girl’s face now showed clear impatience. As she gazed at the person lying in bed, disdain and irritation nearly overflowed from her eyes.
Qin Shulan noticed her younger daughter’s impatience and shot her a warning glance.
Su Xiaohan immediately suppressed her irritation upon seeing this, though her expression remained sour.
Finally, the elderly physician finished taking the pulse.
Qin Shulan stepped forward and asked, “Imperial Physician Feng, how is Fu’er’s condition?”
The old man stood up, his face filled with worry, and clasped his hands respectfully. “Madam Su, Miss Su’s illness is truly baffling. I have never encountered such a peculiar condition in my life. I regret my limited knowledge and dare not make a definitive diagnosis. For now, I can only prescribe some nourishing and restorative medicines to sustain her.”
Qin Shulan’s beautiful eyes furrowed with concern. “My daughter merely fell into the water accidentally. How could she remain unconscious like this? Is there truly no solution?”
The physician before her was the head of the Imperial Medical Bureau, personally invited by Minister Su to examine Yun Fu.
Ever since Yun Fu had fallen into the water over a month ago and been rescued, she had remained unconscious. Her pulse was stable, her breathing normal—yet she simply wouldn’t wake up.
The Minister’s residence had consulted numerous physicians, even going so far as to invite He Zhixian, the renowned divine physician famed throughout Jing An, who served as the Estate Physician to the Heir of Wei Guogong Manor.
He Zhixian’s diagnosis had been ambiguous. They had intended to invite him for another consultation, but then the Wei Heir was poisoned, and the matter was left unresolved.
After seeing off the Imperial Physician, Su Xiaohan, who had been holding back her words, finally burst out.
“Mother, why is Father paying so much attention to this Yun Fu? Doesn’t he dislike her? If she’s unconscious, just let her be. Why go through all this trouble with imperial physicians and divine physicians? What a waste.”
Hearing her daughter’s words, Qin Shulan’s gentle and elegant face instantly turned cold. “Xiaohan! She is still your father’s own flesh and blood. Do you know who Yun Fu’s birth mother was?”
Su Xiaohan immediately shrank back at her mother’s stern tone.
“Wasn’t… wasn’t she just the daughter of a merchant woman? You are the daughter of a Grand Tutor, far more noble than that woman who died early…”
Before she could finish, her mother covered her mouth.
Qin Shulan shot a glance at the Wet Nurse nearby, who immediately led the maids out, closing the door and standing guard outside.
Only the unconscious Yun Fu and the mother-daughter pair remained in the room.
“You must not let others hear such words!”
Su Xiaohan was indignant. She was only speaking the truth—what was wrong with that?
Though Yun Fu was said to have been lost for fifteen years, she had secretly overheard her father and mother talking—Yun Fu had been sent away from the Minister’s residence by her birth mother and abandoned in the mountains.
A young lady raised in the mountains—was she still a young lady? Wasn’t she just a wild pheasant?
Seeing her daughter’s defiant expression, Qin Shulan felt both exasperated and disappointed. She raised her hand and tapped her daughter’s forehead twice.
“Yun Fu’s birth mother was from the Zhu Family of Nanling—they are no ordinary merchants! Your father’s position as Minister was largely funded by her birth mother’s wealth, which paved his way to power.”
The Zhu Family of Nanling had been merchants for generations. Their wealth today could rival that of the state itself.
They controlled multiple mines—gold mines, iron mines… Even the imperial court sought to win them over.
Zhu family members were forbidden from holding official positions, and their women were not allowed to marry into official families.
Yet Zhu Qinghan had stumbled over Su Chengyi.
She had even broken with her family, insisting on marrying Su Chengyi.
Qin Shulan knew Su Chengyi better than anyone. For a man like him, power was everything. He had charmed Zhu Qinghan into falling headfirst into his carefully laid trap, spending most of her family fortune to pave his way and elevate him to the position of Minister.
Once Zhu Qinghan had outlived her usefulness, he cast her aside.
Even the death of Zhu Qinghan was something Qin Shulan dared not dwell on.
Whether she would become the second Zhu Qinghan, Qin Shulan did not know.
Qin Shulan’s father was a revered minister who had served three dynasties, holding the position of Grand Tutor. As his daughter, she was ultimately carried into the Su Family in a grand wedding procession by Su Chengyi after Zhu Qinghan’s death.
She had known Su Chengyi since childhood—they were practically childhood sweethearts. When he married the young lady from the Zhu Family, who could offer him the greatest advantage, Qin Shulan understood that this man loved no one; he only cherished the power he held in his hands.
In the end, she married into the Su Family because her first husband had passed away due to illness on their wedding night, leaving her a widow. Su Chengyi then sought her hand from her father, promising her the position of principal wife, and her father agreed without hesitation.
The intricacies and bitterness behind it all were beyond the understanding of a daughter who had only just come of age.
Qin Shulan had no wish for her to understand.
But…
“Xiaohan, Xizhu is the one you arranged, isn’t she?”
Hearing her mother’s questioning, Su Xiaohan guiltily lowered her head.
She knew she couldn’t escape her mother’s sharp eyes, so she resorted to her usual tactics.
“Mother I know I was wrong. Besides, when I had Xizhu push Su Yunfu into the lotus pond, I just wanted to see her embarrassed. The water in the lotus pond wasn’t even knee-deep! Who would have thought that after Su Yunfu fell in and was rescued, she would remain unconscious?”
At this point, Su Xiaohan’s heart pounded with anxiety. She had only intended to see Su Yunfu humiliated—how could she have expected that the moment the girl fell in, she would…
Qin Shulan pulled her sleeve back, her face cold. “This matter was your mistake from the start. I’ve been busy all this time seeking renowned physicians for Su Yunfu and haven’t held you accountable. I had hoped you would reflect deeply on your actions, but it seems you still show no remorse. Starting today, go kneel in the ancestral hall and copy the Diamond Sutra one hundred times. Even jokes must have their limits! It’s also my fault for indulging you too much, letting you grow so reckless and lawless!”