Chapter Ninety-Two: Offering Herself in Marriage

It was Shen Yingjue.

Tan Yunge stared in astonishment at the man who had suddenly appeared at the window, her face full of disbelief.

Shen Yingjue... how could he be here?

Hadn’t the person she sent back to the residence report that Tan Qingjiu had come alone?

She had even specially sent someone to ask, and Tan Qingjiu had only ordered tea and pastries for one...

Where had Shen Yingjue come from?

"Uncle..."

Yet Shen Yingjue merely turned to look at Tan Qingjiu. "Exactly. She is Shen Xiao’s wife, so she should call me Uncle Duan. If you marry me, shouldn’t she call you Aunt?"

"How splendid."

Shen Yingjue laughed. "Because you’re a little younger than her, you’ve had to call her sister and treat her with due respect. But if you truly became her aunt, then she would have to come and pay her respects to you often."

Seeing that Shen Yingjue paid her no mind at all and only spoke to Tan Qingjiu, Tan Yunge’s face darkened even further.

Tan Qingjiu, however, only cast her a timid glance, then quickly lowered her eyes, panic flickering within them. "My lord, my sister is still waiting to take me back home."

"All right, then I’ll go with you. It so happens that I haven’t seen Lady Tan for quite some time."

Tan Yunge gritted her teeth and drew a deep breath. "Prince Duan, this is a family matter between my younger sister and me. Would it really be proper for Your Highness to interfere?"

Shen Yingjue arched a brow. "Since the heir’s wife still remembers calling me Uncle just now, then she should also remember that she has long since been married off, should she not?"

"Now that you are married, the heir’s residence is your home. Tan Qingjiu may be your younger sister, but now she is only your natal younger sister. A daughter who is married out is like water spilled; the affairs of her maternal family are better left alone, Princess Consort."

"And besides, I’ve said it many times already: I wish to ask for Qingjiu’s hand in marriage. It is only because Qingjiu has never agreed that nothing has come of it. If she does agree, I will go to the Tan residence at once to present the betrothal gifts. By then, Qingjiu will belong to my Prince Duan’s residence, and it will be even less for the heir’s wife to concern herself with."

"Princess Consort, what do you say?"

Tan Yunge was so furious she nearly ground her back teeth to dust.

So no matter how it was said, Prince Duan had decided to meddle in Tan Qingjiu’s affairs today, had he?

Tan Yunge clenched her hand tightly inside her sleeve, her nails nearly digging into her palm.

A gentleman takes revenge, and ten years are not too late.

As long as the green hills remain, there will be no fear of lack of firewood.

If Prince Duan stayed by Tan Qingjiu’s side all day, it would be very difficult for her to strike at Tan Qingjiu. Even if she managed to summon Tan Qingjiu back to the residence, it would be meaningless.

After a long moment, Tan Yunge finally loosened her jaw. "Then forget it. Since my sister is accompanying Your Highness today, I shall not intrude further."

She was choking on resentment, yet dared not act on it. Instead, she gave a casual laugh. "I quite envy my sister, actually. After disappearing for six years, she became a divine physician and now, under the pretext of treating the sick, she can meet so many powerful and noble people in the capital and cultivate friendly ties with them."

"My sister is truly remarkable. She treated Prince Duan only once, and already His Highness favors her so much. And she has always maintained excellent relations with the other patients she has treated before. It is truly... most enviable."

Tan Qingjiu glanced at Tan Yunge indifferently.

Was that an insinuation that she was using the pretense of healing to curry favor with the powerful and noble?

Tan Qingjiu blinked. "What is that supposed to mean, sister? There are so many physicians in this world. Healing the sick and saving lives is every physician’s instinct. Could it be that, in your eyes, so long as a doctor treats the powerful and noble, it means they are using medicine as an excuse to approach and flatter them?"

"If people all thought that way about us physicians, who would still dare treat the powerful and noble? After all, the moment we go to see a patient, we are liable to be saddled with the reputation of currying favor with others."

Tan Yunge’s expression darkened even further as she gritted her teeth. "I am speaking of you alone. I never mentioned any other physician."

"Ah... only me, sister? Is it because I have been practicing medicine for less time? Because I am a woman? Because I am prettier than you, sister?"

"But before physicians, there are no men and women, only patients. Whether the physician is male or female, how old they are, or how long they have practiced medicine—so long as they can cure the patient, they are naturally a good physician."

"Sister thinks I use the pretense of treating illness to court the powerful and noble? Then why not consider this: there are not only one physician in all of the capital. Why is it that I can cure the sick and gain favor, while the other physicians cannot?"

Tan Yunge clenched her teeth. When had Tan Qingjiu become so sharp-tongued?

She had even left Tan Yunge nearly speechless.

Tan Yunge drew in a deep breath and was just about to speak when she heard Shen Yingjue, who had been watching the spectacle from the side, speak again.

"If only Qingjiu were willing to curry favor with me. I would immediately enter the palace and ask His Majesty for an imperial marriage decree."

"And if that were the case, Qingjiu could become my physician alone, treating only me. When I think of it like that, I am shamefully tempted."

Tan Yunge burned with anger.

Shen Yingjue again. Shen Yingjue again.

Why was this madman always lingering by Tan Qingjiu’s side? What was so good about Tan Qingjiu?

Was it not merely that she was a little prettier...

Tan Yunge’s gaze sharpened as she lifted her eyes toward Tan Qingjiu.

Yes. Tan Qingjiu had long since lost her chastity. Shen Yingjue’s protection of her must be because of her face.

She could...

Either ruin Tan Qingjiu’s face, or find a woman more beautiful than Tan Qingjiu and more skilled in pleasing men, then send her to Shen Yingjue’s bed.

By then, once Shen Yingjue had found a new favorite, he would naturally lose interest in Tan Qingjiu.

And of course, he would no longer stand up for her.

This thought flashed through Tan Yunge’s mind, and her eyes lit up, though her face remained calm and unreadable. "Prince Duan is truly completely bewitched by my younger sister. I won’t disturb Your Highness and my sister while you listen to the storyteller. I shall take my leave first."

With that, Tan Yunge turned and quickly left the teahouse.

The teahouse immediately grew lively again.

Shen Yingjue turned to Tan Qingjiu, a smile on his lips. "Divine Physician Tan, hasn’t I helped you once again?"

"For me to keep rescuing Divine Physician Tan from trouble over and over like this, wouldn’t it be rather hard to justify if you still refused to repay me with yourself?"

Tan Qingjiu slowly turned the teacup in her hand. "Does Prince Duan really think I need your rescue?"

"Even if you had not come today, I could still have dealt with Tan Yunge. On the contrary, it is you, Prince Duan, who always arrive uninvited and disrupt my plans, which is rather distressing."

Shen Yingjue blinked. "Is that so? I arrived uninvited and caused Divine Physician Tan distress?"

"In that case, as an apology... should I repay you with myself?"