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Qu Moying didn’t go directly back to the Qu Mansion. When she left, she had already informed Old Lady Qu that she might return later. Since she was already outside, she naturally wanted to take a walk.

Granny Miao asked her to go to the herb store to find some herbs. She needed to prepare a few medicines to regulate her body. In previous years, Granny Miao would always prepare them for Qu Moying at this time. Although others like Yu Dong could also go, their ability to pick herbs couldn’t compare to Qu Moying’s. Granny Miao didn’t really trust their skills in selecting herbs.

Qu Moying seemed to have an innate sensitivity towards herbs. She had also learned about identifying and distinguishing medicinal herbs from Granny Miao.

The carriage stopped in front of a large herb store, and Yu Dong helped Qu Moying down from the carriage. She still wore a veiled hat, which was more convenient than wearing a veil when going out.

The carriage went to wait in a nearby alley, and Qu Moying entered the “Huaji Pharmacy” in front of her with Yu Dong.

Upon entering, she noticed that there were several doctors seeing patients inside. It seemed that there were more than one. They were sitting in a row, examining patients and dispensing medicine at the same time. The business seemed to be thriving.

What surprised Qu Moying the most was that she saw someone she knew there—Lord Wei Pei Qingmin.

Sitting near the counter was a young man with a pale complexion. Although he was wearing an ordinary robe without the usual extravagant decorations, he had only one lad servant accompanying him. He sat there casually, as if he were just an ordinary doctor. What was even more astonishing was that he had patients waiting to be seen.

The most remarkable thing was that many of the patients were young women, and they were all queuing up.

Was Lord Wei Pei Qingmin seeing patients for them?

This made Qu Moying stop in her tracks, astonished.

Everyone in the capital knew that Lord Wei was a sickly man, but she had never expected that he would also see patients. It was truly strange.

A shop assistant approached and smiled at Qu Moying, saying, “Miss, are you here to see a doctor too? Mr. Qing may be about to rest. It would be better for you to go and see some other doctors!”

So, these young women had all come to see Pei Qingmin?

The corners of Qu Moying’s lips curved slightly, finding it amusing. The fact that this Lord Wei, who was on the verge of deathly illness, had the leisure to help others and was specifically seeing young women as patients was truly surprising.

She glanced at Pei Qingmin’s pale face, devoid of any color, and noticed the exhaustion he couldn’t conceal. Qu Moying found his actions quite commendable.

At least this prince was different from what she had previously perceived—someone completely ignorant of civil matters and consumed by his own worries.

“Our lady isn’t here to see a doctor, we just need to buy some herbs,” Yu Dong stepped forward and cleverly explained.

“In that case, please… please,” the shop assistant hastily stepped aside, secretly heaving a sigh of relief in his heart. Luckily, this young lady was here to purchase herbs. Going over there would have been too much for his master to handle.

He didn’t know what those young women were up to. Clearly, they weren’t sick, yet they still flocked to see the prince.

The quality of the herbs at Huaji Pharmacy was indeed excellent. Qu Moying inspected the items she had picked, and each one was good. However, she was slightly dissatisfied with the last one, Scutellaria. The quality seemed to be lacking compared to the instructions given by Granny Miao.

“Do you have a longer aged one?” Qu Moying inquired, looking at the Scutellaria in front of her.

“This is already the best. Even you look for it elsewhere, I’m afraid you wouldn’t find anything better than what we have in our store,” the shop assistant replied with a smile.

“Why?” Yu Dong asked curiously.

Qu Moying pondered in silence, also wanting to know why. The shopkeeper’s words sounded confident, unlike excuses. While Scutellaria wasn’t considered a rare herb, the long-aged ones she was looking for were indeed uncommon. However, even if they were uncommon, it was unlikely that other shops in the capital didn’t have them. Huaji Pharmacy seemed to be exaggerating a bit too much.

“Because all the good Scutellaria has been taken by others!”

A calm voice came from behind. Qu Moying turned her head and saw Pei Qingmin’s extremely pale face. He seemed really unwell, as if he was on the verge of collapsing.

The patients in front of him had already been taken over by another doctor.

Qu Moying bowed to him, and Pei Qingmin seemed to recognize her by her maid.

“How many years of Scutellaria does Fourth Lady Qu need?” Pei Qingmin asked with a slight smile, taking a handkerchief from a fellow and wiping his hands.

“It’s best to have over a hundred years.” Qu Moying said. Since Pei Qingmin was hiding his identity, she didn’t need to be overly formal and risk ruining his affairs. “If not, then at least fifty years old.”

Finding a hundred-year-old Scutellaria was a rare occurrence. Qu Moying was seeking ones older than fifty years, which wasn’t considered particularly valuable under normal circumstances. However, it was surprising to hear such words from such a large herb shop.

“Not only Scutellaria, but also aged Astragalus is unavailable.” Pei Qingmin said slowly.

“Where did they all go?” Qu Moying asked in astonishment.

“To the palace!” Pei Qingmin replied.

To the palace? Was it the emperor? She had heard that the emperor’s health had never been good, but it was only a general knowledge. How could they be using so many aged herbs for a specific reason?

However, since Pei Qingmin mentioned the palace, Qu Moying couldn’t ask any further. What the palace needed was not something a lowly Vice Minister’s daughter could criticize.

Moreover, she was conversing with the current Third Prince, Lord Wei Pei Qingmin. It wasn’t appropriate to pry too much.

“Then, let it be.” Qu Moying said helplessly. Since there were no sufficiently aged herbs, she could only select some with lesser age. Although they would have weaker medicinal properties, it was better than having nothing at all. She instructed the assistant to choose some Scutellaria and weigh them.

After the selection was completed, she realized that Lord Wei was still there. Judging by his appearance, it was clear that he was struggling to stay upright. Qu Moying had no choice but to pause and softly say, “Your Highness, why don’t you rest for a while?”

“I’m fine!” Pei Qingmin said. His expression today seemed much calmer than before, without the evident disdain he used to show towards Qu Moying.

Since he continued to stand, Qu Moying had to find a topic of conversation. She pointed to the side where consultations were taking place and asked, “Why is Your Highness helping people with consultations?”

“Having taken medicine for a long time, one can also gain some knowledge. I can also provide some assistance.” Pei Qingmin said calmly.

“Your Highness is truly kind-hearted.” Qu Moying complimented him.

“It’s just some minor matters, nothing worth mentioning.” Pei Qingmin responded indifferently, “If you want aged herbs, there is actually a place where you can find them.”

“What place?” This was quite unexpected. Qu Moying looked up at Pei Qingmin. If there were good herbs available, she would certainly use them.

Granny Miao had always had high standards for herbs, and she would always be picky if they were unsuitable.

“The palace!” Pei Qingmin’s words completely settled Qu Moying’s thoughts. Good herbs with age were being collected in the palace, indicating that they were of great importance. How could she possibly acquire good herbs from the palace?

She was just a lowly Vice Minister daughter and didn’t have such capabilities.

“Since they are in the palace, they must be of great importance. I don’t have the ability to acquire them.” Qu Moying chuckled twice, feeling unwilling to continue discussing this matter with Lord Wei.

In fact, it was better for him not to say anything. But in the next moment, she halted her steps that were meant to continue.

“I have a method that can help you!” Pei Qingmin declared.

“What method?” Qu Moying inquired.

“Considering my poor health, Fourth Lady Qu, can you accompany me inside and have a conversation sitting down?” Pei Qingmin pointed towards the interior of the store.

“Is this Your Highness’s herb store?” Qu Moying hesitated for a moment, as the current situation seemed quite clear.

“Yes, it’s mine. Please come in with me,” Pei Qingmin motioned for her to follow as he walked ahead.

The two of them entered a room at the back of the shop, with Qu Moying following behind Pei Qingmin. As soon as they entered, she noticed a shelf filled with books—entirely devoted to medicinal knowledge.

Looking at the arrangement of the room, it appeared to be the place where this prince rested and read books.

The room was subtly fragrant, with a light medicinal scent. It was a refreshing and restorative aroma. Earlier, Pei Qingmin carried the same fragrance on him, most likely due to contact with it.

“Please have a seat.” Pei Qingmin pointed to a chair nearby and proceeded to sit behind a desk within the room.

A servant accompanying him quickly brought a cup of tea and then retreated to the side.

Qu Moying sat down quietly, still wearing her veiled hat.

“Fourth Lady Qu, now that you are inside the room, there’s no need to keep wearing it. It makes the conversation quite uncomfortable,” Pei Qingmin leaned back, closed his eyes in comfort, and then opened them, giving Qu Moying a faint smile before speaking.

“My eyes are not in good condition, so I have to shield them from excessive light,” Qu Moying responded calmly.

“No worries. I’ll have someone close the windows for you!” Pei Qingmin raised his hand, about to call the servant to shut the windows and doors.

“Your Highness, it would be better not to close the doors and windows. It may cause unnecessary inconvenience,” Qu Moying gently pursed her lips and advised. Under such circumstances, if the doors were closed, it would undoubtedly invite criticism.

“In truth, I’m merely curious about your appearance. I hope you would be so kind as to remove the veil and let me take a look.” Pei Qingmin signaled the servant to return, his curiosity evident.

“Your Highness, rumors often have a grain of truth. They don’t arise out of nowhere,” Qu Moying lifted her head confidently and said, “Please enlighten me, Your Highness. How can you assist me in finding a sufficient quantity of aged Scutellaria?”

“Dowager Consort Qu is ill,” Pei Qingmin slowly revealed, “And the medicine required includes the aged Scutellaria that you has been searching for.”

“Dowager Consort Qu is ill?” Qu Moying was momentarily taken aback. She hadn’t anticipated this. She assumed it would be the emperor, not Dowager Consort Qu, who would mobilize such resources.

Within the palace, Dowager Consort Qu kept a low profile. Even during her time as Ji Hanyue, Qu Moying had never heard of such a Consort. If it weren’t for the fact that this Consort shared the same surname and had a connection with her in this life, she might never have known about her existence.

Could it be that this Dowager Consort Qu held an exceptionally special status?