He had previously believed that Ye Bozhong was harming the imperial physicians, and had ordered his entire household executed!
Later, even after he learned that Imperial Physician Ye might be innocent, he never regretted it—because he was the emperor, and his decisions could never be wrong!
If not for that death-exemption medallion the current Ye Shaohua would have been just another wronged soul in hell!
Even after Imperial Physician Ye’s entire household was executed, he never let those who sought to harm the imperial family grow suspicious.
And he had left behind a daughter capable of saving the empress dowager!
As the emperor thought of this, his hands gradually began to tremble.
The person he had ordered killed was someone who had been loyal to the imperial family from beginning to end. From start to finish, he had never harbored any intention of harming the imperial family. In fact, the empress dowager was still alive because he had suppressed the poison…
And he had used the blood of his entire household to warn the emperor—otherwise, who knows how many in the imperial family would have suffered by now.
Throughout his reign as emperor, he had made many decisions, but this was the first time he hated one of his own decisions so deeply.
Even now, the emperor could still remember the night he went to see Imperial Physician Ye in the heavenly prison. Ye was bound to the wall, all ten of his fingers broken, and the prison guards were interrogating him about why he had harmed the empress dowager.
He still remembered that one sentence to this day: “Your Majesty, this subject is innocent before the empress dowager! Innocent in my heart!”
He hadn’t understood back then. Now… he understood.
“I have wronged Imperial Physician Ye, and even more so, I have wronged the entire Ye family.” The emperor’s eyes reddened slightly. He felt ashamed before the woman in front of him and bowed deeply to Ye Shaohua.
When he bowed, the people around him scattered and knelt in droves.
Ye Shaohua could bear the emperor’s bow, but they could not.
However, these people also knew…
The Ye family was about to rise. As long as the Ye family still had members alive, as long as the emperor and empress dowager remained, the Ye family would surely enjoy boundless favor.
Liu Mingxin watched the dark blue-black color on the empress dowager’s face gradually fade and somewhat doubted her own eyes. “How is that possible? How could this be?! Isn’t ancient acupuncture just a big scam?!”
But Liu Mingxin had no chance to doubt any further.
She was thrown into the heavenly prison, awaiting exile. Although the empress dowager had been saved by Ye Shaohua, the emperor knew that if not for Ye Shaohua, the chance at survival that Imperial Physician Ye had painstakingly secured for the empress dowager would have been cut off by Liu Mingxin entirely.
Meanwhile, in Jiangnan, at the Duanwang Manor.
The old princess consort was still waiting for good news from Sikong Mingxuan, Liu Lin, and the others.
“The drums and gongs outside—is that Mingxuan returning?” The old princess consort walked out joyfully with her attendant.
But instead of Sikong Mingxuan and Liu Lin, she saw a group of people dressed in imperial palace attire heading toward the Ye residence.
They were carrying two plaques.
One read—”Miraculous Hands Restore Spring.”
The other read—”Ye Family Clinic.”
These were the emperor’s amends to the Ye family. He knew the Ye family was in Jiangnan, so he had specially ordered people to ride fast horses back.
He felt deeply guilty toward the Ye family, and because of that, he wanted to make amends to the few remaining members.
Song Jingshu dazedly accepted the two plaques and was then conferred the title of commandery princess.
When the emperor learned that Song Jingshu was unwilling to go to the capital, he specially had a magnificent commandery princess residence built for her in Jiangnan.
After the empress dowager woke up, she had the emperor take Song Jingshu as his adopted daughter.
Song Jingshu went from commandery princess to a princess enjoying unparalleled favor!
In an instant, a destitute orphan girl became an existence countless people looked up to overnight—a legend in Jiangnan.
And when it was learned that Magistrate Li had actually kicked Song Jingshu while she was down by divorcing her, the imperial edict promoting Magistrate Li was revoked, and he was demoted two ranks and ordered to reflect on his errors behind closed doors.
The reason—
Favoring a concubine and destroying his wife, of unvirtuous character.
“How could this be?” The old princess consort, seeing such a scene, knew something had changed in the capital, and her body couldn’t help swaying.
She knew Song Jingshu was merely Ye Shaohua’s cousin.
Even a cousin was conferred the title of commandery princess, then Princess Anping, and could even stand on equal footing with her!
And their Duanwang Manor, because of Liu Mingxin’s involvement, on the grounds of harming the empress, had its title revoked by the emperor, and the entire Duanwang household was reduced to commoners.
The old princess consort nearly fainted upon learning all this.
She was later taken in by Sikong Mingxuan and Liu Lin at the Wunian Sect.
Liu Lin was not an ordinary child. He would not stand by and watch Liu Mingxin be exiled.
So he brought the people of the Wunian Sect together with Sikong Mingxuan to rescue the exiled Liu Mingxin.
After being locked in prison for a month and then exiled for a week, even with the spiritual spring, Liu Mingxin’s face was sallow.
Her tone was full of hatred for Ye Shaohua.
The current Sikong Mingxuan, after several conversations with Sikong Mingchen, had come to understand Ye Shaohua. “Let this matter end here. Don’t provoke Miss Ye anymore.”
He said to Liu Mingxin.
But Liu Mingxin didn’t listen at all. She thought Sikong Mingxuan still had ideas about Ye Shaohua, just like in the book. “Linlin, there’s something I haven’t told you—I’m the proprietor of Dahang Bank. I originally didn’t plan to say it, but since Ye Shaohua has done this, I don’t want to hold back anymore!”
Liu Lin was shocked that his mother was the proprietor of Dahang Bank.
Even as the boss of Dahang Bank, Liu Mingxin was not short of money at all.
She joined forces with Liu Lin and people from the martial world to make Ye Shaohua regret everything.
“Don’t worry, this time I’ve hired the hall master of the Assassin Pavilion, plus information from the Xiaoyao Pavilion. Ye Shaohua definitely won’t live past tomorrow.” After it was done, Liu Lin returned home and said to Liu Mingxin.
Mother and son exchanged a glance and smiled. When they saw Sikong Mingxuan and the old princess consort come out to eat, they both hid their smiles.
Then, before they had even taken two bites of the food on the table,
Their residence was broken into.
The Cavalry General looked at the people in the hall. “I am here today to arrest the court fugitive Liu Mingxin. Not only did she escape prison, but she also bribed the Assassin Pavilion to harm the young divine doctor Ye. By imperial order, I have come to wipe out the remnants of the Wunian Sect and confiscate Dahang Bank. Old Princess Consort, you have old ties with my mother, so I will let you go.”
Sikong Mingxuan saw this scene.
Only then did he realize what Liu Lin and Liu Mingxin had done. “Liu Mingxin, didn’t I warn you not to provoke Miss Ye anymore?! So Dahang Bank was yours all along—no wonder you were so smug. But do you know that the Assassin Pavilion belongs to Ye Shaohua? You actually bribed the Assassin Pavilion to hunt her down—don’t you think you’re ridiculous? Now Lin Ling has been ruined by you too. Are you satisfied?”
Caught, Liu Lin faced the powerful Cavalry General and had no way to resist at all.
Only then did Liu Mingxin realize how great a mistake she had made.
This time, she was thrown into prison and no one released her again. In the prison were guards whom Ye Shaohua had saved, and every meal given to Liu Mingxin was spoiled. She would never be able to make any waves again for the rest of her life.
Five years later.
Shen Minglan watched Li Mingde gazing absentmindedly at Song Jingshu and couldn’t help speaking sourly, “My brother has already risen to a fourth-rank official position. I heard that Princess Anping’s son is still taking the imperial examinations—who knows when he’ll be able to test as high as my brother and become the second-place scholar.”
The maid beside her naturally followed along, “Who could compare to the brilliant and extraordinary brother-in-law? He tested as second-place scholar at just twenty years old.”
At these words, Shen Minglan was naturally pleased.
Li Mingde felt a little better too when he thought of his brother-in-law.
Just then, good news suddenly came from outside.
“Princess Anping, Princess Anping! The young master has placed first in the imperial examination—he’s the top scholar!”
Li Mingde and Shen Minglan’s expressions froze.
They thought of Li Yuan’an’s current age… a fifteen-year-old top scholar.
Unprecedented!
And Sikong Mingxuan, dressed in ordinary coarse cloth, saw Li Yuan’an in his red robe parading through the streets, and heard the chatter of the surrounding common people.
Only then did he realize…
So the teacher of this fifteen-year-old new top scholar was actually Ye Shaohua!
After the Nine Yin-Yang Needles and the Thirteen Ghost Gate Needles were passed on,
the Ye Family Clinic began receiving more visitors each day—scholars, all coming to seek apprenticeship.
Ye Shaohua’s ability to teach was unmatched. In contrast, Liu Lin, without the spiritual spring, never improved his martial arts again. Liu Mingxin even taught him that studying was not the only way out, telling him not to bury his head in books, and that he would accomplish nothing in life.
Knowing all this, Sikong Mingxuan no longer dared to look at Ye Shaohua or anyone around her, feeling utterly ashamed and deeply regretful—let alone the old princess consort, who had always longed to return to the capital.
[Ding! Main quest completed. System rewards 700 points. Congratulations, Host, on completing the hidden quest—passing down two needle techniques. System rewards 7000 points!]
[Ding! System No. 008 at your service. 7,700 points have been credited. Exiting world!]
**
When she woke again, Ye Shaohua felt the light before her was somewhat dim.
“Number 0737, these are your things. Go out and live a good life.” Ye Shaohua watched the woman in police uniform before her speak expressionlessly, then look away from her.
Released from prison?
Ye Shaohua frowned. This identity was a bit strange.
She followed the officer toward the large iron gate.
Outside the gate was a black car. A beautiful girl in a white dress walked over. “Sister, you’re finally out. I knew you were getting out today, so I came specially to pick you up…”
“Xuer, why are you telling her so much?” A middle-aged man pulled the girl behind him and looked at Ye Shaohua with disgust. “If Xuer hadn’t begged me today, I wouldn’t have come to pick you up. I, Ye Guoming, don’t know what sin I committed to have a daughter like you! Now that you’re out of prison, don’t come back to the Ye family—lest others find out that Ye Guoming’s daughter has been in jail. Your sister is a celebrity now and can’t have any stains.”
Next world preview… National Heavenly Queen!
