The Xing Wang's estate was not located within the imperial city, but in the southern district. After riding in a carriage for an hour, Han Li and the others noticed a clear difference in architectural style compared to the eastern residential areas such as Qin's residence—the buildings were mostly neat, standardized in design. The size and style of a household's residence revealed immediately the status and rank of its inhabitants, whether by official position or noble standing. These homes were all constructed by the government and distributed strictly according to rank and title. No one dared to expand or renovate them at will, for any such action would constitute a violation of protocol. As a royal relative holding the rank of a duke, the Xing Wang naturally enjoyed one of the most distinguished residences in the southern district. In fact, the estate was slightly larger than Qin's residence, making it truly a colossal mansion. As soon as the carriage stopped before the Xing Wang's compound, Han Li immediately sensed the profound aura of supreme nobility and imperial grace—something uniquely experienced in the mundane world. The gate is about five to six zhang high and three to four zhang wide, entirely encased in thick yellow copper plating, with dozens of massive door hinges embedded in the facade, giving the entrance an elegant and dignified appearance. On either side of the nearly ten-zhang-high steps stand two fierce bronze lions, their bodies polished to a brilliant shine, gleaming prominently and drawing immediate attention. Yet what most conveys the dignity of Xinwang's court is the group of sixteen well-dressed guards stationed on the steps outside the gate—men specially borrowed by Xinwang from the Imperial City's Imperial Guard to ensure stability and prevent any unforeseen incidents. The head steward of Xinwang's household is a slender old man, warmly greeting each new visitor with a smile, never showing any sign of negligence. At this moment, several dozen sedan chairs and carriages have arrived at the gate, filling up nearly the entire courtyard space. On the grand steps of the stone platform before the gate, there were five or six guests who had not yet entered the estate, chatting and exchanging greetings with one another. All of them were dressed in elegant attire, moving with graceful poise, clearly of high standing. Seeing this, Qin Yan straightened his garments and stepped down from the carriage with composed ease. After scanning the surroundings with cautious vigilance, Han Li noticed the presence of cultivators and felt reassured, then stepped down as well. As for Qin’s younger sons and daughters, they had already descended from the carriage the moment it stopped, now standing before the gate, excitedly discussing various topics. Han Li glanced at the guests still on the steps and observed that, aside from Qin’s younger relatives, most of the others also brought along young children or grandchildren. "Could it be that all these young people were invited by the so-called Prince of the Small Court, or is it simply that Xinxin Palace has deliberately gathered them here under this pretext?" Han Li mused, finding no clear pattern, and then turned to look at Qin Yan. To his surprise, Qin Yan's brows remained furrowed, clearly also taken aback. "Grandfather, let's go into the estate! The young princes are waiting for us!" A Qin family son, around sixteen or seventeen years old, stepped forward with a hesitant courage, encouraged by his siblings, after noticing that his grandfather had remained still near the carriage. He was afraid of being scolded by Qin Yan. "Understood. Everyone, come in!" To his astonishment, Qin Yan merely nodded casually and warmly agreed—something completely unexpected. The young man was genuinely stunned and excited, quickly returning to join his peers. Yet before Qin Yan and the others had even reached the estate, the steward of the royal residence, having just attended to one guest, immediately spotted the Qin family group. He immediately approached with a bright smile and, as soon as he reached them, warmly said: "Mr. Qin, you've finally arrived!" My lord has been mentioning this for several days now, saying how you haven't come to the estate in several days. He's really eager—come on over soon! Once he sees Mr. Qin, he'll be absolutely delighted! "Hehe, it's just recently..." This head steward of the estate is truly a master of words—just a few sentences, and everyone listening feels warm and cheerful! Qin Yan couldn't help but smile, chatting with the steward naturally and at ease. However, since guests were still arriving, the steward didn't get to speak much with Qin Yan, merely guiding them inside the estate. After a brief bow of courtesy, he hurried off toward the outer courtyard. Han Li had been quietly standing beside Qin Yan, silent all along. But now, as he glanced at the steward's back, a slight expression of curiosity flickered across his face. For some reason, Han Li hadn't detected any spiritual energy fluctuations on this man, yet as soon as the head steward approached, he suddenly felt a strange chill, as though a terrifying beast were drawing near. This made Han Li deeply uncomfortable. Though he didn't understand why, he had always been confident in his own instincts. Thus, he immediately placed the head steward on his list of people to watch closely and suspect. "Han junior, let's go!" Qin Yan, upon seeing the steward depart, smiled warmly and introduced, "I'd like to introduce you to several unmet uncles of mine." This made the other Qin family members standing on the other side of Qin Yan feel immediately pained, thinking that the head of the household was rather biased. Yet Han Li only smiled internally, knowing this was actually Qin Yan creating an opportunity to keep him close and together with them. Without hesitation, he readily agreed. Then Qin Yan was led into the grand reception hall of Xinwang's estate. The hall seemed to be filled with around a hundred people, though most of them came in groups of two or three—only a few families had brought seven or eight guests at once. At this moment, Xinwang had not yet appeared in the hall, clearly intending to stay until all the guests had arrived. As soon as Qin Yan stepped into the hall, several close friends and longtime acquaintances warmly invited him over. Qin Yan politely bowed to each in turn, and after taking a quick glance around, he apologized briefly and then walked toward an elderly man who appeared to be unwell, sitting beside him were two young guests—a man with broad, steady features, and a woman whose appearance was ordinary but whose bright, direct gaze kept scanning over Qin Yan’s younger relatives, making no effort to hide her interest—Han Li was naturally within her line of sight. "Master Hu, I didn't expect you, a true master of medicine, to be here! I thought, given your temperament, you'd definitely decline such an occasion." As Qin Yan approached the elder, he sat down without hesitation and added a quiet, teasing remark. "Cough! I must admit, I originally didn't intend to come. But the strange illness of the Princess of the Marquis has been cured by someone—this has piqued my curiosity. I'd like to see just how this master physician achieves such miraculous recovery." The elder, addressed as "Master Hu" by Qin Yan, didn't seem at all reserved. With a gentle smile, he replied softly. "Ah! So it's no longer a rumor that the Marquis once invited you to treat his concubine. It's quite remarkable—how could Master Hu's skill fail to cure this condition?" Han Li noticed Qin Yan's evident astonishment, clearly indicating that the elder's reputation must be well-established in Yu Jing. "Heh, illnesses in this world are endlessly varied. To have earned the recognition and reputation I currently enjoy, with just my modest medical skills, is truly a matter of luck!" "What's so remarkable about some illnesses that can't be cured?" the elder said with a carefree smile, his chest seeming remarkably open. "But I still don't believe it—do you really have any doctors in Yuejing who are more skilled than my brother?" Qin Yan shook his head, clearly placing great trust in the elder's medical expertise. Yet, upon hearing this, the elderly man with the Huá surname merely smiled gently and didn't respond immediately. Instead, he pointed to the two young men and women beside him. "Hua Nan, Hua Fang—people you've met before. Come, let me introduce you to Grandfather Qin!" The Huá elder clearly held an immense authority in the eyes of these two. Without a single hesitation, they promptly approached and paid their respects to Qin Yan. "Ah, I didn't expect that after several years, your two grandchildren and granddaughters have grown so tall and mature. I don't have much to offer, but this pair of jade pendants set with green jade shall serve as my welcome gift to you!" "Qin Yan spoke gently, patting his own robes as he reached inside and pulled out a pair of white jade pendants set with green jade. Clearly, these were valuable pieces. Though the man's eyes briefly flashed with surprise, it quickly faded. In contrast, the woman beamed with delight, her gaze burning with enthusiasm on the jade pendants. "You're such a soft touch! Since you've decided to take them, just go ahead—Qin, you're no stranger to our household!" the elder with the Huá surname remarked, chuckling and scolding. Upon hearing this, the couple finally accepted the jade pendants from Qin Yan, the woman's face alight with excitement. "Besides this one, I've met several of the younger members behind you before. Is this your newly arrived nephew from the capital?" the elder finally turned his attention to Han Li, studying him with growing interest. "Yes, this is Han Li—he's the descendant of one of my elders." "Han nephew, this is your uncle, Huá, one of the two foremost physicians in Yuejing." "He's on par with Dr. Ye, the physician who specializes in treating the imperial family!" Qin Yan suddenly remembered that he hadn't yet introduced Han Li to this elder brother. "Good morning, Uncle Hu!" Han Li politely greeted him. "Hmm, quite good, quite good!" The elder, however, didn't immediately see anything particularly outstanding in Han Li and merely offered a casual commendation. Yet, upon recalling the recent rumors circulating about this young man, he hesitated slightly before extending his thin, withered hand and withdrawing a small white bottle from his sleeve, offering it to Han Li. "This is a carefully prepared bottle of Heart-Protecting Pills. While I can't claim it cures all ailments, it certainly handles most minor illnesses and injuries well. I'm giving it to you, Han nephew, as a preventive measure." As soon as the elder finished speaking, Han Li immediately sensed the envy and admiration from several of Qin family's children behind him, while Hu Nan and Hu Fang also showed signs of surprise—clearly, the reputation of these Heart-Protecting Pills was quite impressive! (Haha, didn't expect that after typing and typing last night feeling a bit tired, just wanting to take a short nap, I ended up falling asleep right away!)