A tree lay across the middle of the road. The carriage Princess Zhenzhen had been riding was toppled beside the road, with one side smashed into a gaping hole.

The fine horse that Binglu had so envied had long since neighed and galloped away. The personal guard Long Ying was disheveled, protecting Princess Zhenzhen in his arms, while the palace maid Princess Zhenzhen had brought, lay motionless on the ground.

“Ah—” Binglu cried out in alarm, quickly lowering the carriage curtain and comforting Qiao Zhao: “Don’t be afraid, Miss, don’t be afraid. There’s just a small situation ahead.”

Seeing the little maid was clearly frightened yet desperately trying to comfort her, Qiao Zhao reached out to pat her, saying gently: “I already saw it. Binglu, come sit over here.”

The more panicked and frightened Binglu became, the more obedient she was to her mistress. She immediately moved over at these words, leaving the carriage entrance clear.

Qiao Zhao picked up the umbrella and bent down to crawl out of the carriage.

“Miss, what are you doing?” Binglu hurriedly tried to pull Qiao Zhao back.

Qiao Zhao turned back: “Stay in the carriage and don’t move. I’m going down to take a look.”

Seeing Qiao Zhao open the umbrella and walk outside, Binglu came to her senses and hurried after her, reaching for the umbrella in Qiao Zhao’s hand while saying: “That won’t do—wherever Miss goes, this servant accompanies you.”

Outside, the rain poured down heavily. The oil-paper umbrella could barely hold up. Qiao Zhao said nothing more, letting Binglu hold the umbrella as she stepped forward.

Long Ying saw the carriage that had stopped behind them, immediately stood up holding Princess Zhenzhen, and strode over with large steps.

Through the curtain of rain, he barely paused before directly carrying Princess Zhenzhen toward Qiao Zhao’s carriage.

“Hey, what are you doing?” Binglu watched helplessly as Long Ying carried Princess Zhenzhen into the carriage and couldn’t help shouting.

How detestable! Were there such shameless people in the world?

That was her mistress’s carriage. How could this person just enter directly without saying a word? That princess was covered in mud and water—wouldn’t she make Miss’s carriage wet and messy everywhere!

Binglu wanted to chase after and stop them, but noticed Qiao Zhao striding forward. Fearing Qiao Zhao would get rained on, she hurried to follow with the umbrella.

Qiao Zhao walked to the palace maid lying on the ground and crouched down.

The palace maid’s eyes were wide open, letting the heavy rain wash over her originally beautiful face. A tree branch was stuck diagonally in her slender, pale neck. Blood, diluted by the rain from thick to thin, quickly flowed to the ground, forming pale red puddles.

“Miss, is she—is she dead?” Binglu’s face was deathly pale as she asked tremblingly.

She usually wasn’t afraid of cockroaches or mice. Others said she was braver than boys, but no matter how brave, she’d never seen a dead person before!

Qiao Zhao pressed her lips together, reached out to place her hand on the palace maid’s wrist, drawing a shocked cry from Binglu: “Miss, don’t!”

Qiao Zhao withdrew her hand, her voice inexplicably sorrowful in the wind and rain: “She’s dead.”

Binglu’s face grew even paler as she gripped Qiao Zhao’s sleeve tightly: “Miss, let’s go back quickly.”

“Mm.” Qiao Zhao stood up.

If she had only been injured, she would have tried her best to help treat her. Since the person was already dead, it should naturally be handled by her master.

Thinking this, Qiao Zhao turned around just in time to see Long Ying jump down from her carriage and say to the dumbstruck coachman: “Come help.”

After speaking, Long Ying reached out and pulled the coachman in their direction.

“What does he want to do?” Binglu murmured, then suddenly covered her mouth. “Heavens, is he going to carry the dead person to our carriage?”

In the blink of an eye, Long Ying had already approached, but it wasn’t what Binglu had guessed—carrying the palace maid to the carriage. Instead, he bent down to lift one end of the large tree lying across the road and coldly shouted at the coachman who stood there motionless: “Come help!”

The coachman came to his senses and hurried to help.

With the effort of both men, the tree was gradually moved aside.

Long Ying was already soaked through. He straightened up, wiped away the rainwater, immediately strode back and jumped onto the carriage, sitting in the coachman’s position and raising the whip.

Qiao Zhao raised her eyebrows but said nothing.

Binglu became anxious. In her anger and fury, she completely forgot her fear and rushed over, shouting: “Hey, what do you mean by this?”

“Move aside!” In the heavy rain, Long Ying’s tone was especially cold and merciless.

Binglu simply spread her arms wide, furious: “Do you have any shame? Not only did you forcibly occupy our carriage, but now you want to abandon us too?”

“I said move aside!” Long Ying’s forehead veins bulged as he raised the whip high. “If you don’t move, the carriage will go right through. Three, two—”

“Wait a moment.” Because Binglu had angrily rushed over to question him, Qiao Zhao was now standing in the rain. She remained composed, showing no sign of being a bedraggled mess, and asked Long Ying, who had reached his limit of patience: “Is Her Highness the Princess injured?”

Perhaps the young lady’s calm demeanor soothed his agitated mood. Long Ying, his lips tightly pressed, replied: “That’s right. Her Highness the Princess has injured her leg and won’t stop bleeding. She must return to the palace immediately for treatment. If we take you along, it will affect our speed. Please step aside, Miss.”

Qiao Zhao walked step by step toward the carriage: “If the bleeding won’t stop, then a blood vessel has been severed. Never mind such rainy weather—even on a clear day on a good road, rushing back to the palace for treatment would be too late.”

Upon hearing this, Long Ying’s expression grew even worse. Sitting on the carriage gripping the reins, his knuckles turned white as he stared down at the approaching young lady.

The young lady said lightly, “You move aside. I’ll stop her bleeding!”

Long Ying instinctively moved aside, letting Qiao Zhao onto the carriage. Seeing her bend down to enter, he only then reacted and called out: “Wait, Miss, you—”

The young lady turned around. The rain had washed her plain face completely clean, her eyes bright and dazzling like black gemstones.

“Come in and help,” Qiao Zhao dropped this line and bent down into the carriage.

Inside the carriage, the smell of blood was strong.

Princess Zhenzhen covered her leg, barely keeping her eyes open. Her exquisite face was pale and bloodless, already weak and powerless.

Qiao Zhao’s gaze moved down to Princess Zhenzhen’s hastily bandaged left leg, where the fabric was already soaked through with blood and rainwater.

She reached out to untie the bandage.

Long Ying, who had entered the carriage, immediately grabbed Qiao Zhao’s wrist: “What are you doing?”

“Re-bandaging and stopping the bleeding for the Princess.”

“Miss, don’t move carelessly, or the Princess will bleed even more, and the consequences won’t be something you can bear.”

Qiao Zhao looked at Long Ying coolly: “You speak as if Her Highness the Princess isn’t bleeding now. Let go. Unless you want to see Her Highness the Princess bleed to death.”

“Long Ying, let… go…” Waves of dizziness struck as Princess Zhenzhen bit her tongue tip and spoke.

This girl was quite strange. At this point, rather than believing she could hold on until returning to the palace for imperial physician treatment, it was better to trust this enchantress.

Long Ying released his grip.

Qiao Zhao quickly untied the cloth strips serving as bandages, pressed one hand on a certain spot above the leg wound, and coldly instructed Long Ying: “Press here!”

Long Ying didn’t hesitate and immediately pressed down.

Qiao Zhao reached into her pouch to take out silver needles and, without explanation, inserted them along the wound.