Chapter 4, Secret Letter

The loyal and valiant marquis stiffened, "Of course I haven't forgotten"

Xie Fanghua took out a sealed letter from her bosom, shook it slightly, and explained, "My current identity is Wang Yin from the Northern Desert military camp. I am on a mission from General Wu Wei, ostensibly to deliver New Year goods to the Duke of Loyalty and Valor's residence, but in reality, I am evading the inspection of the military department at the post station, entering the palace to meet the Emperor, and directly presenting a sealed letter to His Majesty."

The Marquis of Loyalty and Valor, who was originally reclining, suddenly sat up straight, his brows furrowing tightly, "What happened?"

The room was dimly lit, and the strong smell of medicinal soup filled the air. Xie Fanghua felt a bit dizzy from the fumes and took out her handkerchief to cover her mouth and nose. The room remained arranged as it was when she left. On the inner bed lay a frail old man; if it weren't for his imposing brows and eyes, she would hardly recognize him as the grandfather she had left eight years ago, who had once been vigorous and radiant.

The loyal and valiant marquis stood up abruptly upon hearing the words, pointing a trembling hand at Xie Fanghua, unable to utter a single word.

"Did you hear what I said?" The Marquis of Zhongyong was filled with anger

Kneel down! The Duke of Loyalty and Valor shouted angrily

Aunt Fu handed the medicine box to Xie Fanghua, glanced at her, suddenly smiled, and whispered, "Miss, the moment you walked in, I felt it was you, but I didn't dare to recognize you casually. It has been eight years, and both the old marquis and the young master have been worried about you every day. Now that you have returned, it is wonderful."

The attendant choked slightly and looked at Xie Fanghua with some difficulty

Xie Fanghua tapped the wall of the teacup and casually asked, "Grandfather, do you still remember how my parents died? How my brother ended up with all these ailments?"

Xie Fanghua immediately smiled; after eight years apart, her grandfather was still her grandfather, and her brother was still her brother, everything remained the same. She felt a sudden sense of relief in her heart and did not want to worry him any further. "Grandfather, rest assured, I have some medical knowledge, and bandaging is not difficult. After we finish our conversation, I will do a simple bandage for you."

Aunt Fu's expression was gentle as she shook her head repeatedly, wiping her eyes and smiling as she walked out

The loyal and valiant Marquis instantly glared with anger, "You have been away for eight years, and only now do you realize that exposing your identity is not good?"

Over the years, Aunt Fu has worked hard to take care of Grandpa. Xie Fanghua smiled.

Xie Fanghua adjusted her collar and stepped into the room.

The Duke of Loyalty and Valor fell silent at once

The loyal and brave marquis's expression softened slightly upon hearing this, yet his tone remained somewhat stern, "Do not treat your body lightly! After all, you are a young lady and will eventually marry; what will you do if you are left with scars?" After saying this, he called out to the outside, "Aunt Fu, please bring me my medicine box."

"You are the young lady of the Hou family, living in luxury and splendor, yet you choose to endure such suffering!" The loyal and brave Marquis cast her a glance.

"In my current state, how can I summon the imperial physician? It would not be good to expose my identity," Xie Fanghua said.

"It's nothing much. Grandfather, you know, back in the day, I managed to sneak into the selection for the royal hidden guards and was taken to the Nameless Mountain. As for what the Nameless Mountain is really like, I need not elaborate; you must have some understanding. It is simply a place where the ruthless rise to prominence, the strong shine, and the weak are preyed upon. If one does not wish to die, one can only strive desperately to learn, to be stronger than others. Then, by coming out on top, no one would dare to provoke you. I muddled through and it wasn't too hard." Xie Fanghua said lightly.

Xie Fanghua smiled faintly and spoke candidly, "The unnamed mountain has been destroyed by heavenly thunder, the mountain has collapsed, and the palaces have been reduced to nothing. The unnamed mountain is located in the northern desert, and it was naturally discovered first by the border defense general of the Wuwei. This is a significant matter, and the Wuwei general did not dare to make it widely known, but could only submit a confidential letter, requesting the Emperor's instructions."

That is it! Xie Fanghua said lightly, "You are the Duke of Loyalty and Valor, and my brother is the heir. Neither of you can leave the capital quietly. Some matters can only be handled by me. Among the direct descendants of the Duke of Loyalty and Valor, only my brother and I remain. I cannot allow the Duke of Loyalty and Valor's residence to one day perish."

Xie Fanghua entered Rongfu Hall with Shishu and couldn't help but frown upon smelling the strong scent of medicine

The attendant glanced around and, seeing that the courtyard was empty, spoke softly, "Aunt Fu, this is ... ... "

"Shishu, why are you not attending to the Young Master at Haitang Pavilion? How did you end up here? This person is..." A woman, around forty years old and dressed as a cook, walked out from the inner room. Upon seeing Shishu and the dark-skinned servant behind him, she couldn't help but feel puzzled

"My brother is more intelligent than I am, but he is merely burdened by his physical condition. I am not as noble as my grandfather claims; I simply understand that under a collapsed nest, how can there be intact eggs?" Xie Fanghua chuckled softly, setting down her teacup, "It is just for myself"

The medicinal soup in Rongfu Hall is rich in flavor

Aunt Fu responded from outside and quickly came in with the medicine box

Xie Fanghua smiled, took a step forward, and respectfully said, "Indeed!"

Indeed, time urges one to grow old

Xie Fanghua fell silent, and the atmosphere in the room became somewhat cold and desolate

The Duke of Loyalty and Valor observed everything and suddenly felt his anger dissipate. After she finished bandaging, his tone softened considerably, "How have you been these years? You must have endured a lot of hardships, right?"

Aunt Fu gestured for Xie Fanghua to enter the house

What secret letter? The Duke of Loyalty and Valor has a bad premonition

The attendant paused for a moment, slightly tilted his head and explained in a low voice, "Ever since the young master received the young lady's letter two months ago, coincidentally, the old marquis was also at the young master's place and saw the letter. Since then, he has fallen ill"

Xie Fanghua opened the medicine cabinet and the *illustrated* book to bandage herself. Her technique was skilled, as if she had performed this action not just a thousand times but at least a hundred. Before long, she had finished the bandaging.

The loyal and brave Marquis paused for a moment, stared at Xie Fanghua, and suddenly smiled, somewhat proudly, "Whether for this family business or for yourself, you are still a member of the Xie family, my granddaughter"

Xie Fanghua took a deep breath; this old man was still as unlikable as before. She ignored him and walked to the window, opening it wide. Fresh air immediately rushed in, dispersing some of the pungent smell of medicine. She turned around, stood by the window, and quietly watched the elderly man on the bed

"You just returned, what are you doing in the palace?" The loyal and brave marquis indeed retracted his smile.

Xie Fanghua lowered her sleeves and rolled up her pant legs, walked to a nearby table to pour herself a cup of tea, and then sat down on a chair. She briefly recounted the events that had occurred in front of the banquet hall. After finishing, she said to Duke Zhongyong with a sense of grievance, "It is not that I am unfilial and do not wish to bow to you, but I truly cannot endure any more torment on my knees. If things go poorly, I might end up incapacitating these two legs."

The loyal and valiant marquis was greatly enraged upon hearing this, "What are you still hesitating for? Hurry and summon the imperial physician!"

Oh, I see. I heard from the people in the front yard that the General of the Northern Border Defense sent someone to deliver the New Year goods to our residence. The messenger is a young servant. Could it be him? Aunt Fu interrupted the words of the attendant.

The skin on the elbows of both arms is scraped, and the knees of both legs are covered in blood, which is more severe than the arms

The Duke of Loyalty and Valor signaled for her to hand it to Xie Fanghua

Xie Fanghua suddenly realized that her grandfather had been frightened into illness by her letter

Let him in! A hoarse voice came from inside

Xie Fanghua sighed, rolled up her sleeves to reveal her arms, then bent down to roll up her pant legs, exposing her knees, and finally stood in a place with better lighting

Over the years, Xie Fanghua has developed a habit in Wuming Mountain, which is that he can bear to see others suffer but cannot tolerate seeing others succeed. He looked at the proud face of Lord Zhongyong and said, "Grandfather, please accompany me to the palace tomorrow!"

"The old marquis just asked me to go to the front courtyard to find someone, as he wants to ask questions, and you happened to arrive just in time." Aunt Fu smiled, reached out to lift the curtain, and said cheerfully inside, "Old marquis, the person you wanted to see has arrived."

After a long time, the Duke of Loyalty and Valor sighed, "It is commendable that you, at the age of seven, could see through the situation. If the Duke of Loyalty and Valor's residence cannot remain stable in this generation, it will inevitably decline. The collateral relatives only know how to fight for family assets day after day, engaging in life-and-death struggles, yet they fail to see the dangers outside the grand estate, believing that we, the Duke of Loyalty and Valor's family, are inherently noble. It is a pity that after hundreds of years of being a prominent family, this generation can hardly produce a self-reliant and strong man, and instead, it falls upon a girl to endure hardships outside in hopes of securing the family's future."