CHAPTER 531: CHAPTER 530: I USED TO FIND YOU ANNOYING, BUT NOW YOU MAKE ME SICK.

"Chu Yu, are you trying to set a trap for me?" Su Bai did not believe it immediately.

She and Chu Yu had always been at odds, and countless grievances had arisen between them over the past three years.

Every time, Chu Qi had taken her side directly, thereby deepening Chu Yu’s resentment towards her.

Seeing that she did not trust her, Chu Yu snorted coldly, "Believe it or not, I’ve told you anyway." She waved her hand, "Now get out quickly, it pains my eyes to see you."

Unable to fight or out-talk her, it was better out of sight, out of mind.

She closed her eyes, just waiting for Su Bai to leave.

Seeing that Chu Yu did not wish to talk anymore, Su Bai thought for a moment then spoke up, "There’s no need for such hostility towards women, your current suffering does not stem from me. Ultimately, it’s because you rely too much on your royal brother."

Chu Yu opened her eyes wide, "How shameless can you be? Wasn’t it you who caused my broken rib?"

"..." Su Bai fell silent, coughing, "That indeed is the case, but your current situation isn’t my doing, you don’t need to please your royal brother."

"Mind your own business," Chu Yu rarely spoke so crudely, but today, seeing Yan Wanqing acting all concerned, she really wanted to crack open her skull to see inside, "You used to not be so meddlesome, Yan Wanqing. Have you been brainwashed by your so-called foster father over these three years? I used to find you annoying, but now you make me sick to my stomach."

"Get out!"

Chu Yu threw off the bedding and lay down, turning her back, no longer willing to deal with her.

Su Bai found herself unwelcome.

She touched her head.

She guessed she was being too meddlesome.

What she actually wanted to say was that Chu Yu didn’t need to try to please Chu Qi, to become someone Chu Qi would like.

Everyone is unique.

Depending on others, pleasing others, and eventually losing oneself, she would never be able to find herself again.

But since Chu Yu wouldn’t listen, she said no more, turning to leave.

Just then, the palace maid came in carrying a tray of medicine, with some candied fruit on the side. Seeing Yan Wanqing walking out, she was stunned, "General Su!"

"Hmm." Su Bai gave her a hand, "Hold it properly."

The palace maid quickly stabilized the tray, nearly spilling the bowl of medicine.

"Thank you, General Su."

Su Bai waved her hand and left directly, now that Chu Yu had mentioned the secret room, she wanted to check it out.

If there truly was evidence in the secret room proving she was Yan Wanqing, she would immediately take a knife to both Chu Qi and that man who claimed to be her foster father.

However, Chu Qi’s sleeping chamber and study were heavily guarded, places she couldn’t venture into.She had to think of a way to get in.

Meanwhile, Chu Yu opened her eyes.

"Princess, it’s time for your medicine."

She took the medicine bowl and drained it in one gulp, a cold gleam in her eyes as she said, "You go and do something for me."

...

Dawn broke.

Su Bai opened her eyes, and next to her pillow was something soft.

She picked it up to look.

It was a child’s shoe.

Complete with the scent of milk.

She held it to her nose and smelled it, her heart, for some reason, suddenly settled down.

It was clear who had sent this.

On the shoe was an embroidery of a cute little duck, its beak turned up in a silly expression.

She touched it over and over with her fingertips, her lips inevitably curving into a smile.

She was really eager to regain her memory and return to her family.

"General, are you awake?" A voice came from outside, belonging to a palace maid.

Su Bai tucked the little shoe into her jacket and quickly got up to put on her coat.

Opening the door, there stood the Head Palace Maid from Chu Qi’s side, respectfully looking at her, "General Su, good morning. His Majesty invites you to join him for breakfast in the Imperial Garden."

Su Bai was about to refuse, but remembering the secret room, she then nodded, "I’ll be there."

The maid was taken aback.

"Really?" She had merely asked as a routine, never expecting General Su to agree today.

What had his majesty said again? If you could get her to come, you would be rewarded!

The maid was unable to contain her joy.

"This way, General Su," she said.

In the Imperial Garden.

Chu Qi sat waiting expectantly at the entrance.

Instead of Su Bai, though, what he awaited was one of his concubines—Concubine Mei.

Concubine Mei’s father had made notable contributions to the Chu Kingdom, which he always respected; hence, he had included his daughter in his harem.

Today, dressed up, Concubine Mei walked out from a corner of the garden, gently calling in a soft voice, "Your Majesty~"

She sauntered over to Chu Qi’s side, curtsied, and said, "Your servant greets Your Majesty."

Chu Qi touched his nose awkwardly, "Why have you come?"

"Your Majesty, I was worried that you might find dining alone in the Imperial Garden lonely, so I hurried over. Could it be..." Mei Consort paused, feigning sadness, "that Your Majesty does not wish to see me?"

"Of course not." Since she had already arrived, he couldn’t send her away, Chu Qi could only gesture, "Then please sit."

Having spent the night with her, he couldn’t suddenly become heartless.

It was likely that Su Bai wouldn’t come today either.

Thus, it didn’t really matter who was by his side.

Mei Consort sat down beside Chu Qi, overjoyed.

Just as she sat down, the person she was waiting for arrived.

Mei Consort’s initially joyous expression twisted into a scowl the moment she saw Su Bai.

"Why has she come here?"

When Chu Qi saw Su Bai approaching, he rose to his feet eagerly, "You’ve come."

Su Bai nodded. Her attire was quite casual, her three thousand hairs interwoven at the back of her head with two hairpins, wearing a black long skirt and a white outer shirt, overly simple to the point of elegance.

At this moment, Mei Consort, dressed more brightly than the flowers, seemed to have made too much of an effort.

"This subordinate greets Your Majesty."

"Quick, sit." Chu Qi’s eyes sparkled with mirth as he beckoned her to sit down quickly.

The morning meal was very simple, all nourishing dishes.

Chu Qi felt the day was somewhat bland, he hadn’t expected Su Bai would actually come.

His Head Palace Maid made eyes at him, and he secretly gave her a thumbs up.

Mei Consort next to him looked quite displeased.

Femme fatale!

Unwilling to enter the harem, yet living in the palace and keeping the emperor in suspense.

She was both blocking and playing the game, simply looking at her was revolting!

Mei Consort gritted her teeth and picked up her bowl and chopsticks to start dining.

Su Bai ate quietly, not saying a word. Her dining posture was very pleasing to the eye.

Chu Qi’s eyes were fixed on her, unable to look away.

Su Bai, feeling the intense gaze, finished her breakfast.

"Thank you for the meal, Your Majesty. I need to go train the troops at the drill grounds, so I will take my leave now."

Chu Qi, watching her stand up, hurriedly asked, "When will you be back?"

"Does Your Majesty have any orders?"

"I, am about to start a major war, and I would like to understand the specific conditions of the soldiers in the camp from you, General Su," Chu Qi began calmly.

Su Bai lowered her head, her eyes flashing with intelligence.

"This subordinate will personally report to Your Majesty in the study by evening," she emphasized the word "study."

As expected, Chu Qi followed her lead, "Then I will wait for General Su in my study."

"This subordinate takes her leave." Su Bai turned and left.

Such suggestive words were indeed foolproof.

Now she could approach the study with complete legitimacy.

However, she still needed a vacuum period.

She needed someone to call Chu Qi out.

Su Bai thought of the person from last night who claimed to be her elder brother.

Since he was a doctor summoned from outside the palace by Chu Yu, and external males were not allowed to reside in the deep palace, he must have been arranged to stay at the Imperial Medical Bureau.

Su Bai thought for a moment and took a detour directly to the Imperial Medical Bureau.

As she reached the entrance, she saw a man in a hurry walking out.

His features were different from last night’s, but Su Bai, with her keen eyes, recognized him immediately.

"Stop!" she called out.

The man, startled by the sound, paused, "My dear sister, who are you trying to scare to death?"

"You committed a misdeed, running so fast." For some reason, speaking with this man, she felt quite unrestrained and comfortable, Su Bai found it very comforting.

Yan Li’an glanced at the doctors about to catch up behind him, and clasped his hands together.

"I was merely doing them a favor by watching over the medicine stove for a while, but they blame me for burning the medicine dry. I’m not a doctor and didn’t know what to add. If I added the wrong thing and it ended up harming someone, wouldn’t that be my bad karma?"

He was still as talkative as ever, going on and on.

Su Bai, annoyed, gestured with her hand: "Hide over there." She pointed behind a rockery.

Yan Li’an didn’t look back as he scurried in.

At that moment, the fierce-looking Imperial Physicians rushed out.

"General Su, have you seen a tall, shifty-eyed man?"

Su Bai pointed in the opposite direction, "Over there."