Chapter 352: Chapter 353: Regretting Not Meeting Sooner

Qi Jiayuan saw the astonished look on Shao He’s face and hurriedly opened her mouth to explain, “Many wars have led to soldiers getting injured, some with disabilities in one leg, and others with hidden injuries to their hands or feet. Can these all be treated?”

“Such injuries can heal with just minor treatment, but there are some people who need to go through a long period of rehabilitation to fully recover their health,” Shao He elaborately clarified.

Hearing this, Qi Jiayuan’s eyes shone with light, “Then could you, Doctor Shao, please help treat the soldiers? As for the medical fees, just name your price in silver, and I’ll give it to you immediately.”

Shao He quickly demurred, “The soldiers are protecting their country and their homes. I’m just doing what little I can to treat them, how could I charge a fee for that?”

Qi Jiayuan did not expect her to have such magnanimity and immediately felt an increased fondness for her, “I did not expect Doctor Shao to have such sentiments; you’ve caught me somewhat off guard.”

“Miss Qi doesn’t need to say that. Compared to you leading soldiers to protect our country, what I’m doing is trivial,” Shao He said with a smile.

She knew that Qi Jiayuan sincerely cared for the country and the people. As a rare female hero, she was willing to befriend her.

“We need not be so modest with each other. You don’t have to call me Miss Qi; just call me Jiayuan.”

“Alright, then you should not call me Doctor Shao, just Shao He will do.”

Having said that, the two looked at each other and smiled, as though lamenting meeting each other too late in life, Qi Jiayuan almost went as far as to address her as a brother-in-arms.

The two of them were sitting in the pavilion, drinking tea and chatting about everything under the sun.

Suddenly, Qi Jiayuan remembered the rumors she had heard and asked doubtfully, “Do you really like Pei Huaian? That sickly man, how is he worthy of a fine woman like you?”

The more Qi Jiayuan looked at Shao He, the more agreeable she found her, and she also felt that Pei Huaian had the luck of the devil to find such a fine woman.

“Huh? I don’t feel like you and the Fifth Prince are as the rumors suggest. Aren’t you supposed to admire and sympathize with each other?” Ye Suwen asked in surprise.

“Admire? Sympathize? These words are not quite fitting for us. I’d rather we could fight bravely on the battlefield, side by side,” she replied.

“Who says that women can only stay at home to attend to their husband and teach their children? I’d much rather go to the battlefield to kill enemies and protect my country, even if it means wrapping my body in a martial cloak for burial, I would be willing.”

Qi Jiayuan became excited at the mention of the battlefield, and her otherwise placid eyes finally rippled with emotion.

Shao He finally understood that he had no interest in romantic affairs and only wanted to go to the battlefield and protect his country.

Outside the pavilion, Huimin hadn’t expected that their conversation would become more and more lively, and it seemed to be veering off the track she had anticipated.

At this moment, the ladies nearby started to whisper.

“Seeing how amiably they are chatting, could it be that Miss Qi has agreed to her becoming a concubine?”

“Yes, but Miss Qi is really magnanimous. Surely the Fifth Prince would not take both a principal wife and a concubine at the same time.”

“What do you know? Miss Qi is being smart. She knows that the Fifth Prince is smitten with that woman, so she’s doing him a favor by taking this woman in as well. It’ll make the Fifth Prince grateful to her.”

The ladies each had their say, and their words reached Huimin’s ears, infuriating her.

“Impossible, a woman like Shao He who has been married before, how is she fit to be a concubine,” Huimin said in a suppressed voice.

Xu Han saw her mother’s rage and quickly grasped her arm and whispered, “Mother, don’t forget, the Fifth Prince has warned you not to interfere with this.”

Xu Han was very clear about the Fifth Prince’s character. He seemed carefree and irresponsible most of the time, but if truly provoked, he could be ruthlessly vicious.

“Hmph, she’s not worthy of me taking action. The Empress Dowager and the Emperor will never stand idly by and watch Huaian mess around, letting him marry a woman who is not chaste as a concubine,” Huimin said with a cold laugh. As long as the Emperor and the Empress Dowager disagreed, even if Huaian wanted to marry Shao He, he would be unable to do it.

Xu Han watched her mother’s triumphant expression and shook her head helplessly, yet she had a feeling that the Fifth Prince was determined to marry Doctor Shao and that this time might not go as her mother wished.

While Qi Jiayuan and Shao He were chatting merrily, a palace maid of the Empress appeared and respectfully said to Qi Jiayuan, “Miss Qi, the Empress summons you.”

“The Empress summons me for what?” Qi Jiayuan’s face lost its smile, and she became solemn, her eyes flashing with displeasure.

Shao He knew in her heart that the Empress probably wanted to probe whether Pei Huaian should marry Qi Jiayuan; this summon was likely to gauge her thoughts.

“This… this servant does not know,” the palace maid said with lowered head.

Qi Jiayuan never liked to trouble others and knew that the maid was acting under the Empress’s orders. She had no choice but to get up and follow her.

Before leaving, she specifically instructed Shao He, “Wait for my return, you must wait for me to come back.”

Shao He could not help but twitch the corner of her mouth at this scene, which seemed somewhat amiss. Seeing the urgency in her eyes, she could only smile and nod her head.

Then Qi Jiayuan let go and followed the maid away confidently.

Jhiang Yijia’s gaze had been fixed on the pavilion, and seeing Qi Jiayuan leave, she hurried over.

“Are you alright?”

Miss Qi is not one to mince words with people she dislikes. Last time, a woman deliberately tried to cozy up to her, and she publicly humiliated that woman until she was red in the face. That woman eventually covered her face in tears and ran away,” Jhiang Yijia said in concern.

Having been very apprehensive, Jhiang Yijia came rushing as soon as she saw Qi Jiayuan leaving.