Xiao Jingxi naturally understood that while Xiao Jinglin was openly criticizing Min Wenqing, she was scolding him indirectly. He couldn’t help but feel both amused and exasperated.

Having vented her anger, Xiao Jinglin’s mood became extremely pleasant. Though her expression remained as cold as ever, her eyes held laughter.

“It’s getting late. I’ll see Yaoqi out. Second Brother, please do as you wish.”

Xiao Jingxi nodded, then said to Ren Yaoqi, “Don’t worry.”

What Xiao Jingxi meant was for Ren Yaoqi not to worry about the Su family matter. Though the horse theft was done privately by Min Wenqing, the Su family couldn’t stir up much trouble at this stage.

Ren Yaoqi was perceptive and naturally understood, nodding slightly at Xiao Jingxi with a gentle smile.

Xiao Jingxi stepped aside and watched Ren Yaoqi and Xiao Jinglin leave before turning toward Jiuyang Hall.

Ren Yaoqi and Xiao Jinglin parted at Guangyuan Gate, which separated the inner and outer palaces, and Ren Yaoqi took her carriage out of the manor.

When the carriage entered a small street not far from the Yanbei Prince’s Manor, it suddenly slowed down.

Ren Yaoqi initially paid no attention, but then she faintly heard commotion outside the carriage, followed by a woman’s high-pitched, anxious voice: “Quick, quickly go to the Prince’s Manor to find the Princess Consort and request a physician! Madam… Madam, please wake up!”

Ren Yaoqi frowned and called out, “Stop the carriage,” then immediately pulled open the carriage curtain.

This small street wasn’t wide, barely able to accommodate two carriages traveling side by side. Ren Yaoqi now understood why the carriage had suddenly slowed – three carriages were stopped alongside the street parallel to hers, one of which belonged to the Yanbei Prince’s Manor.

A well-dressed nanny poked her head out from the first carriage and said to a guard accompanying the convoy, “Ride quickly back and report to the Princess Consort that Madam Xu has suddenly fallen ill. We’ll follow shortly after.”

Ren Yaoqi immediately recognized this nanny as Nanny Xin from the Princess Consort’s side.

Ren Yaoqi hesitated for only a moment before immediately getting up and stepping down from her carriage.

“Miss, what are you—” Sangshen was startled. Pingguo had already followed Ren Yaoqi down without a word, nimbly supporting her arm, while Sangshen hurriedly followed.

Ren Yaoqi quickly walked to Madam Xu’s carriage. Before the Xu family members could react, she had already lifted the carriage curtain.

Inside the carriage, Madam Xu was curled up and collapsed to one side, while a nanny held her head, crying anxiously while calling “Madam.”

Nanny Xin was beside them, sweating profusely as she pressed Madam Xu’s philtrum, saying urgently, “I don’t know if Madam can withstand the jolting of the carriage in this condition. Should we move her to the Prince’s Manor’s carriage to return to the Yanbei Prince’s Manor? But waiting here, I’m afraid…”

As she spoke, Nanny Xin looked up and saw Ren Yaoqi, freezing in surprise.

“You’re Miss Ren—”

Ren Yaoqi had Pingguo help her into the carriage. She hurriedly nodded to Nanny Xin, then half-knelt beside Madam Xu to examine her condition. Madam Xu’s face was pale, her lips purple, and she was unconscious. The more Ren Yaoqi looked, the more alarmed she became.

Madam Xu’s symptoms were identical to those of Pei Zhiyan’s wife.

Master Pei had once written a detailed record for his wife, carefully documenting Madam Pei’s symptoms during her attacks.

“Miss Ren, what are you—” Nanny Xin, who had been stunned by Ren Yaoqi’s actions, now came to her senses.

Ren Yaoqi knew she had to wake Madam Xu, or it would be too late when the physician arrived. She reached up and pulled out a silver hairpin with twisted silk, embedded pearls, and a phoenix tail design from her hair. Grasping Madam Xu’s left hand, she thrust it deeply into the Shaochong, Neiguan, and Hegu acupoints on her hand.

The nanny holding Madam Xu cried out in alarm, “You, what are you doing!”

Ren Yaoqi grasped Madam Xu’s right hand, continuing to pierce the same three acupoints on the right hand while saying gently, “Don’t worry, I’ve seen others use this method to save people who fainted from heart ailments.”

Ren Yaoqi’s voice was warm and calm. Her hands were also steady, without a trace of trembling, causing the two nannies to fall silent and miraculously calm down.

At this moment, Ren Yaoqi didn’t seem like a twelve-year-old girl at all. She possessed a convincing presence that made others overlook her age.

Master Pei’s record from those days had been very detailed.

Madam Pei had suddenly fallen ill and died when Pei Zhiyan was away from home. He hadn’t been able to see her one last time, which remained a constant source of regret for him – the greatest sorrow of his life.

After his wife’s death, Pei Zhiyan devoted himself to studying medical texts, hoping to find a way to treat his wife’s heart condition.

During those years, Master Pei was presiding over the court’s book compilation project. The Hanlin Academy had collected many rare medical texts and generations of imperial physicians’ practice notes. Though he ultimately never found a cure for Madam Pei’s condition, he did discover some methods for alleviating symptoms.

Master Pei had written all of this in his record, finally burning it for his wife, hoping she wouldn’t suffer from the illness in the afterlife.

Ren Yaoqi had assisted Pei Zhiyan during that period and had read many medical texts, gaining some superficial knowledge of medicine and acupoints. She never thought she would have occasion to use it.

Shortly after Ren Yaoqi finished speaking, she used the hairpin to pierce Madam Xu’s philtrum acupoint.

The unconscious Madam Xu suddenly let out a soft moan, her eyelashes fluttered, and then she opened her eyes.

“Madam! You’re awake!” The nanny holding Madam Xu was overjoyed.

Madam Xu had just awakened and couldn’t yet speak.

Ren Yaoqi’s actions didn’t stop, but she inserted the hairpin back into her hair and used her fingers to press and massage the Neiguan acupoint on Madam Xu’s wrist, while looking up at Nanny Xin: “Nanny, please help me press and massage the acupoint on Madam Xu’s other hand like this.”

Seeing that Ren Yaoqi had awakened Madam Xu, Nanny Xin knew her instructions must be helpful. Without hesitation, she grasped Madam Xu’s left hand, watching Ren Yaoqi’s movements while pressing and massaging the acupoint on Madam Xu’s hand.

“Is this right?”

Seeing her skilled movements, Ren Yaoqi knew she was accustomed to serving others and smiled with a nod: “This is a point on the Hand Jueyin Pericardium Meridian, connected to the Yin Linking Vessel. Regular massage can protect the heart and stabilize the pulse.”

Hearing this, the nanny supporting Madam Xu also looked over attentively.

“You know medical arts?” Madam Xu had fully regained consciousness and asked while watching Ren Yaoqi massage her acupoints.

Ren Yaoqi concentrated on her hand movements without looking up: “Because I’ve been in poor health since childhood, I’ve read some medical texts and have only a crude understanding of medical principles and pharmacology. I can’t treat illnesses. Today is simply fate between Madam and me. I’ve seen this type of condition in a former imperial physician’s notes at my maternal grandfather’s house. Because that physician wrote excellent Liu-style calligraphy, I looked at it several more times and even copied it a few times.”

This was quite a coincidence, and Madam Xu was somewhat surprised.

However, considering that Ren Yaoqi’s maternal grandfather was the late Prince Xian, and Prince Xian’s birth mother, Noble Consort Wan, had once been the most favored in the harem, it was normal for him to possess a few exclusive medical texts when he came to Yanbei.

Madam Xu’s nanny said urgently, “Miss Ren, I wonder if that medical text still exists? Could it possibly… could it possibly…”

“Nanny Gao,” Madam Xu interrupted, gently shaking her head.

Madam Xu naturally knew that Nanny Gao wanted to borrow the imperial physician’s notes. However, she knew such medical texts were generally not shared with outsiders, or Prince Xian wouldn’t have brought them to Yanbei.

Though she was a woman, she understood propriety and didn’t want to put a child in a difficult position. Ren Yaoqi’s surname was Ren, not Li – how could she make decisions for the Li family? Even if they wanted to borrow it, they should ask the Prince Xian’s Manor.

Hearing this, Nanny Gao’s eyes dimmed, not daring to speak further, though her eyes reddened.

Seeing this, Ren Yaoqi couldn’t help but sigh. She said somewhat apologetically, “That book… I’m afraid it can’t be found.”

Ren Yaoqi’s face showed some shame as she spoke hesitantly, “The books my maternal grandfather brought… several go missing each year. Over these years, basically… nothing is left.”

Madam Xu immediately understood, thinking of the usual behavior of Prince Xian and his son. If they truly had any rare books or paintings, they would certainly sell them.

Seeing Ren Yaoqi’s expression, Madam Xu felt some pity and consoled her gently: “It doesn’t matter. Everything depends on fate and cannot be forced. If I had collapsed here today and couldn’t get up, that too would be fate – cause and effect. But today I encountered you, and you happened to be able to save me. That is the fate between you and me.”

Ren Yaoqi observed Madam Xu’s expression and, seeing that she remained calm and peaceful, couldn’t help but develop some admiration for her character.

People who could see through life and death needed not only wisdom but also magnanimity.

Ren Yaoqi smiled: “Madam is right, this is fate. Otherwise, that book recorded several difficult conditions – why did I happen to copy the page about heart ailments several times?”

Madam Xu was stunned.

Ren Yaoqi blinked: “Besides recording your type of condition, that imperial physician also wrote a prescription. I copied it several times and memorized it. Unfortunately, this prescription cannot cure your illness completely, only alleviate the symptoms.”

Ren Yaoqi then asked Nanny Gao: “Do you have writing materials in the carriage? I’ll write out the prescription right away.”

Nanny Gao was overjoyed and stood up without waiting for Madam Xu to speak: “Yes, yes, Miss Ren, please wait a moment while this servant fetches them.”

Madam Xu looked at Ren Yaoqi and smiled: “Thank you.”

Seeing that Nanny Gao had already spread paper and brush on the small table in the carriage and was grinding ink, Ren Yaoqi stood up and moved over, saying: “Madam needn’t thank me. This prescription isn’t mine. Moreover, medical arts are meant to heal and save people – what use is there in hoarding them?”

Ren Yaoqi took the brush Nanny Gao handed her, held it poised above the paper, and with movements like flowing clouds and water, quickly wrote out the prescription.

“Madam should still have a trusted physician examine this prescription before deciding whether to use it. Even if it can be used, the dosages need to be adjusted according to circumstances. After all, even if your condition closely resembles that patient’s, there will still be slight differences.”

Madam Xu received the prescription from Ren Yaoqi’s hand and immediately exclaimed, “Beautiful calligraphy!”