My Sister Insisted on Swapping Marriages, and I Became a Marchioness Instead

Qin Yuan also looked at Xiao Dong.

In the previous life, it was unknown how Xiao Dong convinced Doctor Li and managed to enter the Imperial Hospital.

When Doctor Li glared at Xiao Dong, Xiao Dong immediately waved his hands and shook his head, saying, "I won’t go."

"Hmm," Doctor Li’s expression calmed down, and he lovingly said, "You study well with your master; all my expertise will be taught to you. In the future, you will inherit Renhe Hall."

This was using Renhe Hall as bait to make Xiao Dong not go to the Imperial Hospital.

Qin Yuan: "..."

The disagreement between this master and apprentice was not something she could meddle with.

After some thought, she said, "How about when I draft the memorial, I mention that Renhe Hall offered this formula, which combined with my incense recipe, resulted in miraculous effects."

When saying "miraculous effects," Qin Yuan did not feel she was exaggerating.

Doctor Li shook his head and said, "No, no, I don’t trust that group of scoundrels at the Imperial Hospital. If you submit the formula and claim it has miraculous effects, it would be like slapping their faces, and who knows what excuses they might find in the future to discredit your formula, accusing you of having ulterior motives and making baseless boasts. At that time, even if you have seven or eight mouths, you wouldn’t be able to explain. Factions are rampant within the Imperial Hospital, but when it comes to dealing with outsiders, they unite very well."

Saying it so definitively clearly indicates past grievances.

Qin Yuan’s eyes narrowed slightly.

She really couldn’t understand why Xiao Dong entered the Imperial Hospital and later went to Yuhang County in a past life after learning under Doctor Li like this.

Doctor Li didn’t notice Qin Yuan’s expression and pondered for a long while, then said, "How about just saying on the memorial that this formula was obtained, verified to be effective, and combined with the methods you created, it formed a preventive measure, and it could be useful. Officials across the regions reading the bulletins could all see it, and if anyone with intentions keeps it as backup, it might save lives at some unexpected time."

Qin Yuan said, "This is too aggrieving for Master and Renhe Hall."

Doctor Li said, "Doctors desire to treat and save lives, often enduring considerable grievances; I’ve long grown accustomed to it. Living peacefully and safely is most important. Besides, as long as the Marquis Mansion benefits, Marquis Gu wouldn’t be stingy towards me. I’ve already received one thousand taels when I arrived, and we won’t miss this amount after leaving; consider it as selling the formula."

Xiao Dong made a face and said, "Clearly worried about elder sister and brother-in-law, why always bring up money?"

Doctor Li spat and said, "Worry is worry, money is money, what do you know, even among biological brothers accounts must be clear, and between us master and apprentice, there will be accounting in the future too."

Xiao Dong pursed his lips and fell silent.

Qin Yuan smiled and said, "Marquis is generous; if the plague is subdued, there will surely be great rewards. I previously mentioned to Marquis that in the future, for golden sore medicines used by the military, some should be purchased from Renhe Hall."

"Oh," Doctor Li was delighted, "The military is certainly a major client for medicines."

Qin Yuan said, "For now, this is all we can do; the medicines used by the military have all kinds of backgrounds, and Marquis said it can’t be changed hastily. But this golden sore medicine, having been tested by him, is indeed much better than the commonly used ones in the military, so he plans to purchase some for special use, while others continue as usual."

Doctor Li understood, Marquis Gu was swayed by pillow talk, intending to favor their Renhe Hall, thus finding such a rationale.

The ointment used by the Marquis is indeed the Chen family’s ancestral formula.

By entrusting this business to Renhe Hall, it meant handing over this formula to Renhe Hall.

Doctor Li smiled and said, "Alright, our Renhe Hall is small, with few staff; doing this is just enough. You provided the formula and found the path; Xiao Dong and I will take twenty percent."

"How can that be?" Qin Yuan countered, "I’ll only take twenty percent myself, since good medicine can reduce the military’s casualties. Only by seeing this benefit would the Marquis soften. Besides, I wouldn’t be comfortable entrusting the Chen family’s formula to others; if Master doesn’t agree, I wouldn’t dare take your formula either."

Doctor Li’s expression was complicated.

Xiao Dong quickly shook Doctor Li’s sleeve.

"Master, just agree with elder sister; in the future, Renhe Hall will also have a share for elder sister."

Doctor Li: "..."

He had just promised to leave Renhe Hall to Xiao Dong, and now this kid wants to grant a share to Qin Yuan.

"I’m still alive."

Doctor Li nodded, "Alright."

With this matter settled, Qin Yuan felt much relieved and mentioned casually, "Has Doctor Liu’s health improved in the past couple of days?"

Doctor Li squinted his eyes at her and said, "Do you think it’s possible to get better?"

The implication was clearly rhetorical, indicating it was impossible to get better.

Qin Yuan laughed, "I don’t know what Marquis plans."

Doctor Liu risked his life to harm others, meaning he had already given up his life.

His fate now lay in Marquis Gu’s hands.

Doctor Li had a sense of melancholy due to Doctor Liu’s plight, saying to Xiao Dong, "Look; people like Doctor Liu are a lesson from the past."

Xiao Dong nodded, "Don’t worry, Master, I won’t."

"Hmm."

Seeing it was getting late, Qin Yuan worried that Marquis Gu might start complaining again, so said, "Master, I’ll return to Wutong Garden first."

Doctor Li nodded.

Qin Yuan added, "My small kitchen in the courtyard has made some Suzhou Cuisine; I’ll send it over to you later."

Xiao Dong said, "The fish last time was really tasty; can elder sister have them make another one?"

"Little glutton, of course."

Qin Yuan hurried toward Wutong Garden, while Xiao Dong watched her back.

Doctor Li asked, "What’s the matter?"

Xiao Dong was feeling down, saying, "It’s a pity I have to leave the mansion soon; who knows when I can spend time with elder sister like this again."

Doctor Li chuckled, saying, "You should take some time in the afternoon to visit the front yard, teach Sixth Master Gu some Tai Chi and Eight Pieces of Brocade. Sixth Master’s health needs the exercise, and you can visit often later."

Xiao Dong was finally happy.

Doctor Li laughed cheerfully, saying, "When we leave the mansion, I wonder how the Marquis Mansion will thank me; opening this account means I can eat well for three years."

Xiao Dong said earnestly, "Master, didn’t you also say you’d leave Renhe Hall to me? Then you can’t be as lazy as before; there’s still me as an attendant, and when I grow up and if Renhe Hall remains poor, I might not even find attendants."

Doctor Li was so angry he took off his shoe and chased Xiao Dong for a beating.

"You little rascal, thinking about these things every day."

Xiao Dong darted away without a trace.

Qin Yuan had just reached the corridor when she saw Hong Mian signaling to her.

"What’s the matter?"

Qin Yuan stopped.

Hong Mian whispered, "Madam, Marquis has moved back."

Qin Yuan: "..."

Hong Mian hurriedly lifted the curtains for her and announced aloud, "Madam has returned."

As soon as Qin Yuan entered the room, she saw Hong Ye and Cui Ming sitting outside tallying accounts and flipping through ledgers.

"Madam has returned."

Both Hong Ye and Cui Ming changed their titles.

Qin Yuan’s lips curled slightly.

Hong Ye said, "Madam, Marquis is reading in the study."

What study; these days, due to many affairs, there wasn’t time to tidy it up.

Qin Yuan made a sound of acknowledgment and entered the inner chamber to change clothes.

Hong Ye hurriedly followed her, whispering, "Marquis had Sixteen move a clothes chest and a book chest back, and Cui Ming and I moved to the outer room."