Chapter 425: Chapter 425: Barring the Unexpected, I Am His Wife

"An upset stomach, with a weak spleen and kidneys. You need replenishing tonics."

After taking Yan Huan’s pulse, Song Lianhe immediately wrote out a prescription.

People on both sides were snickering, and their gazes held a trace of pity.

Yan Huan’s face turned beet red. Song Lianhe handed him the prescription. "Go over there and have an attendant brew the medicine."

Yan Huan rose awkwardly. "Thank you, Princess Consort."

As he turned, he sighed faintly. ’He wanted to take them away too, but he’d need the ability to do it!’

’Never mind all these commoners protecting them. Just look at King Qing’s men—every one of them is like a demon. If it came to a one-on-one fight, I’d definitely be on the losing end!’

’Besides...’

’All these trips to the latrine have left me without the strength to even lift my sword.’

Yan Huan had already accepted his fate, obediently handing the prescription to Bai Shu to fill.

"Go wait in the ward area."

"Okay."

Yan Huan found the room with the "Ward Area" sign, went inside, and sat down to wait for his medicine.

On his left, an older woman watched him with a grim expression.

"So you’re the one keeping the Prince Qing Mansion under guard?"

Yan Huan lowered his head and said nothing.

On his right, an old grandmother advised him earnestly, "King Qing and Princess Qing are people with the hearts of Bodhisattvas. If you act against them, you’ll face retribution!"

Speechless, Yan Huan held his head in his hands.

In the front hall, Zhou Cangyan finished looking through one batch of books and ordered his men to find more.

He just sat there, flipping through them unhurriedly.

A steady stream of commoners came for consultations, and most had likely heard what was happening at the Prince Qing Mansion. Some even went directly from the Medical Clinic to the mansion. There, they saw the imperial guards at the gate, imposing in their uniform golden armor, and couldn’t help but gather around to point and stare.

As night began to fall, Song Lianhe finally instructed her staff to prepare to close.

"Are you tired?"

Zhou Cangyan came to her side and began to knead her shoulders.

"So tired..."

The man behind her suddenly leaned in, whispering close to her ear, "When we get back to the mansion, I’ll give you a massage to help you relax."

The intimate whisper in her ear made her blush.

The two left the Medical Clinic, followed by their own bodyguards, and behind them, the imperial guards led by Yan Huan. Their procession along the street was quite a spectacle.

Yan Huan had truly resigned himself to his fate.

Especially after taking the medicine Princess Qing had prescribed, he felt like a new man. His spirits were vastly improved, and he felt as if he had suddenly awoken with a remarkably peaceful state of mind. The things he’d been so fixated on before suddenly seemed trivial compared to his physical well-being.

One of his men came forward and asked in a low voice, "Deputy Commander, someone from the palace has come to ask if... there was anything unusual with King Qing today?"

The man glanced around at the bustling street, at the people coming and going. ’We were clearly ordered to keep the Prince Qing Mansion under guard, but now we’re following them around on a stroll, and even have to act as their bodyguards...’

’So, how am I supposed to report this?’ 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

Soon, he heard Yan Huan’s low voice. "Just say... everything is as usual."

The subordinate was stunned for a moment.

"...Yes, I’ll report back immediately."

Up ahead, a Shadow Guard pricked up his ears, unable to suppress a smile.

"I’m truly impressed by our Princess Consort’s ability to win people over! Who knew a single packet of laxatives could make someone so compliant!"

Xuan Qi walked on, hands clasped, and said at a steady pace, "But if anyone else had administered that medicine, the result wouldn’t have been the same."

"True!" the Shadow Guard nodded repeatedly.

By the time they reached the Prince Qing Mansion, they saw that the area before the main gate was crowded with people. Some had even brought chairs and were eating snacks while watching the imperial guards.

"What’s this..."

Song Lianhe was confused, but a sharp-eyed commoner spotted them and enthusiastically greeted them, "Prince, Princess Consort, you can go back to the mansion and rest easy. We’re keeping watch out here!"

"That’s right!" someone shouted. "They wanted to surround the Prince Qing Mansion? Then we common folk have to do our part!"

"Exactly! With us watching, these ’honorable’ imperial guards won’t dare slack off!"

"Hahaha... You said it! Prince and Princess Consort, just go and rest. Leave this to us!"

Song Lianhe finally understood. These common people were afraid they were in danger, so they had spontaneously come here to hold a vigil and put pressure on the imperial guards!

Deeply moved, she immediately turned to Zhou Cangyan. "What should we do? The people are innocent. We can’t get them involved in this."

It took Zhou Cangyan a long moment to pull his gaze away. He gave her a reassuring smile. "I won’t let anything happen to them."

His words put Song Lianhe at ease.

The group entered the mansion. As they passed by Cao Jin, Xuan Mei handed him a food box.

A smile slowly spread across Cao Jin’s face. "You’re giving this to me?"

Xuan Mei met his gaze directly and nodded forthrightly. "Yes."

It was Cao Jin’s turn to be stunned. He stared at her, and after a moment, he smiled, his eyes filled with an indescribable joy.

A subordinate nearby started to heckle playfully, "Commander, who is this? Could she be the future Mrs. Commander?"

Before Cao Jin could speak, Xuan Mei nodded solemnly. "Yes."

After a moment’s thought, she added, "If nothing unexpected happens."

Hearing her answer, Cao Jin was stunned again.

All around them, the imperial guards erupted in cheers. "Commander Cao, congratulations!"

Even Song Lianhe and the others who were passing by were snickering from a short distance away.

Song Lianhe tugged on the corner of Zhou Cangyan’s sleeve. "Looks like we’ll need to prepare a dowry for Xuan Mei."

Zhou Cangyan nodded. "We should."

The Shadow Guards were also laughing. "The Prince Mansion will have a wedding to celebrate soon!"

Xuan Qi also smiled. "Uncle Liang will be delighted when he finds out."

Xuan Mei, having never experienced such a situation, found an excuse and quickly slipped inside.

Zhou Cangyan walked up to Cao Jin and looked him up and down with new, critical eyes. "If you want to ask for her hand in marriage, you must first get your parents’ approval. If they don’t agree, I will not allow Xuan Mei to marry you. Do you understand?"

Cao Jin met his gaze and smiled faintly. "I promise I will never let her be wronged."

Watching this joyous, harmonious scene, Yan Huan wasn’t even sure what he was doing here anymore. ’He was supposed to be keeping them under strict surveillance, so how had it inexplicably turned into a betrothal?’

Seeing the imperial guards around him all shouting for the Commander to treat them to drinks, he scoffed, then turned his head and shouted along, "He’ll have to treat us to three whole feasts for this!"

His men erupted in laughter, all chanting for three feasts.

Back in the mansion, Song Lianhe caught up to Xuan Mei and looked at her with a tilted head and a grin.

Xuan Mei stopped and turned around, looking somewhat resigned.

"If the Princess Consort has something to say, please just say it."

Song Lianhe quickly moved closer. "Why did you suddenly accept him?"

Xuan Mei thought seriously for a moment before replying, "Tonight, I saw you and the Master walking together, so free-spirited and fearless. It felt as if even if the world were to end in the next moment, you two already had a lifetime with each other."

She looked at Song Lianhe again. "At that moment, I had only one thought. He’s willing to give up his family and abandon his future for me. If I let him go, what would I do?"

Song Lianhe said nothing, but simply took her hand.

Xuan Mei was just that sort of person—free-spirited and decisive. Once she made up her mind, she would never look back.

Fortunately, that person was Cao Jin.

Because of this, a peaceful atmosphere settled both inside and outside the Prince Mansion’s gates.

The imperial guards had been on duty all day, so Pang Jiliang ordered the mansion’s kitchen to prepare a large spread of food, even having several sheep roasted. They served not only the imperial guards but also distributed food to the common people present.

The scene was as lively as a festival.

「Meanwhile, news had also reached the palace.」

Zhou Yang was coughing violently, his face dark and his eyes murky.

When Chief Eunuch Lu Shunfu relayed the report from Yan Huan, he was so angry his eyes went wide. "Those ignorant commoners... they actually... spontaneously protected the Prince Qing Mansion?"