Lin Miao returned home and took out the Cyan Fish Sword given to him by an old soldier. Although this small sword wasn’t anything valuable, it helped him quite a bit before he established himself in Dongshan.

However, the old man’s advice couldn’t be ignored.

It was time for this Cyan Fish Sword to be returned to its rightful owner.

"Junior Brother."

"Senior Sister is here." Lin Miao placed the Cyan Fish Sword on the sword rack, walked over, and saw the late-night snack Sun Youwei had brought. The familiar aroma wafted in the air.

"Senior Sister, I already told you, you don’t need to give me this. I’m in good health," Lin Miao said. "No need for supplements."

"No worries, this is a warm tonic, it won’t do you any harm." Sun Youwei said with a gentle smile, handing the bowl to Lin Miao.

"Senior Sister, don’t bind yourself like this. You know, I’ve been practicing a technique that can fortify the Yang and lock the essence, not afraid of this in the slightest. Aren’t you afraid I won’t be able to handle it if you still give me supplements?" Lin Miao said with a laugh as he placed the bowl on the table, then reached over and pulled her into his arms with a gentle tug.

Sun Youwei’s cheeks flushed red. She had grown accustomed to such intimate gestures with Lin Miao; there was no one else to see, anyway, as they were at home.

She also wished they could marry sooner, but given the rules and regulations, she could only endure and not take that final step.

In reality, she had long acquiesced to the closeness.

Though her Junior Brother wasn’t hers alone, she was the primary lady of this household, an unassailable position. Moreover, he adored and respected her, and that was enough.

She had already received so much; wanting more would just be greedy.

Her Junior Brother was so talented, surely as a Kunpeng in the skies. Being by his side, sharing in the glory he brings, was something many women envied.

If she merely uttered a willingness to give up her position as the "primary lady," it would surely result in a fierce competition.

After a long time, their lips parted.

Sun Youwei’s face was still glowing red as she buried herself in Lin Miao’s chest, her heart pounding. She was reluctant to leave his embrace.

"Junior Brother, for that uncle today, are you really confident in curing his back sores?"

"His are old injuries accumulated over the years, not easy to treat. If he were in his prime, it would be easier. But now, he’s weak in both energy and blood. If not for his high-level martial skills sustaining him, he would no longer be alive," Lin Miao explained. "However, because his willpower far exceeds that of ordinary people and his potential is profound, though it can’t be completely cured, extending his life by a few years should be possible."

"That’s good."

"Senior Sister, why are you so concerned about this?"

"Since I was a child, I’ve heard from my father that Wu Anhou Qingye is a great hero. Without him, the northwest border would not have enjoyed three decades of peace. In the past, the Beihu people frequently raided, often crossing Juxu Pass to burn, kill, and loot, committing all kinds of atrocities. Nearly every family in Qingping Town has a blood feud with the Beihu people. Since Wu Anhou began to guard Juxu Pass, leading the army against the Beihu army for years, he finally scared these Beihu barbarians, preventing them from crossing Juxu Pass again," Sun Youwei explained.

Lin Miao nodded. Such a general who serves the country and its people truly deserves respect.

Soldiers have always been among those Lin Miao respected the most.

Being able to secure peace for a region is a remarkable feat.

"Alright, Senior Sister, I promise you, I’ll do my best to treat this Wu Anhou. As for how well he recovers, that’ll depend on his own luck," Lin Miao said earnestly.

"Thank you, Junior Brother."

"It’s not you who should be thanking me, it should be him," Lin Miao chuckled, lowering his head once more to capture those tender lips.

The girl’s lips were truly sweet, never losing their charm.

...

It was a comfortable sleep, one that Qingye hadn’t experienced in years. As a soldier, he even forgot his usual wake-up time.

This clearly showed how much better he felt after Lin Miao’s treatment.

When he saw the sun high in the sky outside, he realized with a start that he promised to accompany the Crown Prince early in the morning to queue for the number card.

This delay couldn’t be afforded.

He quickly got out of bed, washed up, and rushed out.

His personal guards informed him that the Crown Prince had left with the Crown Princess Consort early, scaring Qingye greatly. He hurriedly dressed and dashed out of the inn.

If something were to happen to the Crown Prince, he wouldn’t be able to keep his head.

He sprinted to Lin Miao’s Convenient Medical Diagnosis Point at Xiuyue Square, seeing the Crown Prince and Crown Princess Consort queued up with others awaiting consultation.

Qingye heaved a sigh of relief.

He was about to greet them when he noticed the Crown Prince motioning him to hold back, indicating not to acknowledge their acquaintance.

Qingye immediately understood. Since he didn’t need a number card, he naturally had to wait. His treatment was time-consuming, and cutting in line wasn’t an option.

Moreover, as Lin Miao had instructed, his treatment times were actually squeezed into his time for meals and rest, without affecting the patients’ consultation times.

So, waiting was necessary.

With nothing much to do and having rushed over, Qingye hadn’t even had a drink of water and was feeling hungry.

He decided to find a restaurant to grab something to eat and fill his stomach.

However, it was an awkward time, just past breakfast and not yet lunchtime, so there weren’t many food vendors on the street.

After walking a few steps, he spotted the "Furong Garden" pastry shop.

As the Grand General, Qingye was accustomed to eating meat and drinking wine, not interested in pastries like sweets, which were considered snacks for women and children.

They couldn’t be considered a proper meal, and they weren’t filling either.

Unfortunately, the breakfast shops on this street were closed, the teahouses were also selling pastries, and the restaurant kitchens probably hadn’t started cooking yet; he couldn’t wait any longer.

These pastries seemed to be the only choice. Seeing the crowds coming and going at the entrance, indicating good business, Qingye decided to enter.

"Sir, try our shop’s newly launched savory pork pastry, it’s delicious. Try one, and if you like it, you can buy more."

A pastry shop selling savory pork pastries?

It was the first time Qingye had seen such a thing, especially those freshly baked pastries, with a blend of meat aroma and wheat fragrance that immediately stirred up his appetite. As a Grand General who couldn’t do without meat, he loved eating meat and drinking wine the most.

"Let me try one then?" Qingye reached out, took one, and tossed it directly into his mouth. With a slight chew, he felt the aroma of the meat spreading in his mouth, along with hot oil, savory and fragrant, melting in his mouth—absolutely delicious, unlike anything he’d tasted before.

"Give me a hundred of these pork pastries, how much for the lot!" Qingye commanded immediately.

"Alright, but a hundred is quite a lot; you’ll have to wait a bit. Our savory pork pastries are baked and sold fresh, and they’re best eaten hot."

"I’ll start with ten, no, make it twenty for me to sample."

As a border defense general with a high daily training load, although his current appetite couldn’t compare to his younger years, eating twenty savory pork pastries in one go still startled Lanya, the current shopkeeper of Furong Garden.

If the customer eats too much and gets stuffed, it could be dangerous.

She hurriedly came out and urged Qingye not to eat so many at once...

Upon seeing Lanya, Qingye was momentarily stunned, as Lanya’s demeanor and appearance bore a six to seven-tenths resemblance to his deceased wife.

However, the deceased wife was a few years younger than her, but Lanya was clearly much younger.

"Xiaolan..."

"Sir, do you know me?" Lanya asked in surprise. In her memory, she had never met Qingye. Of course, it’s possible they might have met and she forgot, given her previous work in the service industry.

"No, you’re not my Xiaolan; my Xiaolan has already passed away." Qingye quickly regained his senses and said somewhat despondently.

Lanya immediately understood that this imposing gentleman might have mistaken her for someone else he knew who looked similar. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

It’s not uncommon; among the vast population, having one or two people look alike is rather normal.

...

"Are you two together?" Xu Qixi asked as Crown Prince Zhao Yuanze and the Crown Princess Consort approached together.

"Yes." Zhao Yuanze nodded.

"Alright, please come inside." Although Xu Qixi’s Qi Observation Skill wasn’t very advanced, she did have some expertise, sensing that something about this couple today was different from usual, quite profound.

But since they came for a medical consultation, it wasn’t appropriate to ask more about a patient’s privacy; she should focus on her reception duties.

Zhao Yuanze lifted the door curtain and entered.

The Crown Princess Consort followed closely behind, a half-step behind, slightly lowering her head, appearing somewhat nervous.

After finishing with the previous patient, Lin Miao added some hot water to his cup, took a sip, and upon seeing Zhao Yuanze enter, immediately put down the teacup.

"Are you two together?"

"Yes, we’ve heard of Mr. Lin’s outstanding medical skills, and my wife and I came together today hoping for your advice." Zhao Yuanze said with a sincere smile, clasping his hands in respect.

"Seeking offspring?" Coming with his wife, it generally had to be about seeking offspring.

"Yes."

"Please have a seat." Lin Miao gestured with a raised hand.

"Thank you."

Zhao Yuanze sat down beside the Crown Princess Consort.

"Let me see your tongue, if you would." Zhao Yuanze complied.

Lin Miao inspected without any comment, nodded, then asked him to extend his left wrist for a pulse diagnosis.

As soon as he took the pulse, Lin Miao frowned slightly. Both the liver and kidney were deficient, with disharmony between the heart and kidney. This was clearly due to indulgence, depleting essence and damaging yin, resulting in damage to both yin and yang!

With such a condition, let alone conceiving a child, even marital relations would be problematic.

"Sir, I will speak frankly." Lin Miao said, understanding that the couple must have communicated beforehand; otherwise, they wouldn’t have come.

"Please speak, Mr. Lin!"

"Is your marital relationship harmonious?"

A faint flush appeared on Zhao Yuanze’s pale face; this question indeed touched upon some privacy.

But it wasn’t his first visit to a doctor. Previously he’d gone alone, but now it was in front of the Crown Princess Consort—how was he supposed to answer?

Concerning a man’s dignity, yet he couldn’t act out.

In such a situation, as a man himself, Lin Miao immediately understood, stood up, and said, "Sir, please come with me for a private examination."