Xiao Jingxi naturally understood that Xiao Jinglin was ostensibly teasing Min Wenqing, but in reality, she was mocking him. He couldn’t help but feel both amused and exasperated.
Having vented her frustration, Xiao Jinglin felt immensely pleased. Though her expression remained as cool and detached as ever, a hint of a smile flickered in her eyes.
“It’s getting late. I’ll see Yaoqi out. Second Brother, please make yourself at home.”
Xiao Jingxi nodded, then said to Ren Yaoqi, “Don’t worry.”
Xiao Jingxi was referring to the Su family matter. Although the incident of seizing the horses was Min Wenqing’s doing in private, the Su family was not yet in a position to cause any major trouble at this stage.
Ren Yaoqi, sharp-minded as she was, understood immediately. She nodded slightly at Xiao Jingxi with a faint smile.
Xiao Jingxi stepped aside, watching Ren Yaoqi and Xiao Jinglin leave before turning to head toward the Jiuyang Hall.
Ren Yaoqi and Xiao Jinglin parted ways at Guangyuan Gate, which separated the inner and outer halls of the mansion. Ren Yaoqi boarded her carriage and left the estate.
As the carriage entered a narrow street not far from the Yanbei Prince’s Mansion, it suddenly slowed down.
Ren Yaoqi initially paid it no mind, but then she faintly heard commotion outside the carriage. A woman’s shrill voice cried out anxiously, “Quick, go to the mansion and ask the Princess Consort to send a physician! Madam… Madam, wake up…”
Ren Yaoqi frowned and called out, “Stop the carriage!” She immediately pulled aside the carriage curtain.
The street was narrow, barely wide enough for two carriages to pass side by side. Ren Yaoqi now understood why her carriage had slowed down abruptly—three carriages were parked on the other side of the street, one of which belonged to the Yanbei Prince’s Mansion.
A well-dressed nanny leaned out from the first carriage and said to a mounted guard, “Ride back quickly and report to the Princess Consort that Lady Xu has suddenly fallen ill. We’ll follow shortly.”
Ren Yaoqi recognized the nanny at once—it was Nanny Xin, who served the Princess Consort.
After only a moment’s hesitation, Ren Yaoqi immediately rose and stepped out of the carriage.
“Miss, what are you…” Sangshen was startled, but Pingguo, without a word, followed Ren Yaoqi out of the carriage, deftly offering her support. Sangshen hurriedly followed suit.
Ren Yaoqi strode quickly to Lady Xu’s carriage. Before the Xu family attendants could react, she had already lifted the carriage curtain.
Inside, Lady Xu lay curled up and slumped in the carriage. A nanny cradled her head, weeping anxiously as she called out, “Madam!”
Beside them, Nanny Xin was frantically pressing Lady Xu’s philtrum, sweat beading on her forehead as she said urgently, “I don’t know if Madam can withstand the jolting of the carriage. Should we move her to the mansion’s carriage and return to the Yanbei Prince’s Mansion? But waiting here is also risky…”
As she spoke, Nanny Xin looked up and saw Ren Yaoqi, momentarily taken aback.
“You are Ren…”
Ren Yaoqi had Pingguo help her into the carriage. She nodded briefly at Nanny Xin before kneeling beside Lady Xu to examine her condition. Lady Xu’s face was pale, her lips tinged with purple, and she was completely unconscious. The more Ren Yaoqi looked, the more alarmed she became.
Lady Xu’s symptoms were strikingly similar to those of Mr. Pei’s wife.
Mr. Pei had once written a detailed journal of his wife’s daily life, meticulously recording the symptoms she exhibited during her episodes.
“Miss Ren, what are you…” Nanny Xin, momentarily stunned by Ren Yaoqi’s actions, finally regained her composure.Ren Yaoqi knew she had to wake Lady Xu, otherwise it would be too late by the time the doctor arrived. She reached up and pulled out a silver hairpin from her own hair, shaped like a phoenix tail with inlaid pearls and twisted filaments. Grasping Lady Xu’s left hand, she firmly pressed the pin into three acupoints: Shaochong, Neiguan, and Hegu.
The nanny holding Lady Xu exclaimed in alarm, “You—what are you doing…?”
Ren Yaoqi then took Lady Xu’s right hand and, while continuing to press the same three acupoints on that side, said softly, “Don’t worry. I’ve seen others use this method to save someone who fainted from a heart condition.”
Her voice was gentle and calm, and her hands were steady, without the slightest tremor. This unexpectedly calmed the two nannies, who fell silent.
At that moment, Ren Yaoqi did not seem like a girl of barely twelve years old. She possessed a reassuring presence that made others overlook her age.
Mr. Pei’s daily records from those years were written in great detail.
His wife had passed away suddenly from an illness while Pei Zhiyan was away from home. He hadn’t been able to see her one last time, a regret that weighed heavily on Pei Zhiyan’s heart for the rest of his life.
After his wife’s death, Pei Zhiyan devoted himself to studying medical texts, hoping to find a way to cure the heart condition that had afflicted her.
During those years, Mr. Pei was overseeing the imperial compilation of books, and the Hanlin Academy had collected many rare medical texts and handwritten notes from court physicians throughout the dynasties. Although he never found a complete cure for his wife’s illness, he did discover some methods to alleviate it.
Mr. Pei recorded all of this in his daily notes, which he later burned as an offering to his wife, hoping she would no longer suffer from the illness in the afterlife.
It was during that time, while assisting Pei Zhiyan, that Ren Yaoqi read many medical texts and gained a superficial understanding of medicinal herbs and acupoints. She never imagined she would one day actually put this knowledge to use.
Shortly after speaking, Ren Yaoqi used the hairpin to press the Renzhong acupoint on Lady Xu.
Lady Xu, who had been unconscious, let out a soft groan. Her eyelashes fluttered, and then her eyes opened.
“Madam! You’re awake!” exclaimed the nanny holding her, overjoyed.
Lady Xu had just regained consciousness and was still unable to speak.
Ren Yaoqi, however, did not stop. She returned the hairpin to her own hair and instead used her fingers to press and knead the Neiguan acupoint on Lady Xu’s wrist. Looking up at Nanny Xin, she said, “Nanny, could you please help by massaging the acupoint on Lady Xu’s other hand in the same way?”
Having witnessed Ren Yaoqi successfully wake Lady Xu, Nanny Xin knew there must be a purpose to her instructions. Without hesitation, she took Lady Xu’s left hand and, observing Ren Yaoqi’s movements, began massaging the acupoint.
“Like this?”
Seeing how skillfully Nanny Xin performed the action, Ren Yaoqi knew she was accustomed to serving others. She smiled and nodded. “This point belongs to the Pericardium Meridian of Hand-Jueyin and connects to the Yin Linking Vessel. Regularly massaging it can protect the heart and stabilize the heart’s rhythm.”
Hearing this, the nanny supporting Lady Xu also watched attentively.
“You know medicine as well?” Lady Xu had fully regained consciousness and asked while watching Ren Yaoqi massage her acupoint.Ren Yaoqi focused on her movements without looking up: "Because I was sickly since childhood, I've read some medical books and only have a rough understanding of medical principles and pharmacology—I cannot treat illnesses. Today was also a fortunate coincidence between you and me, madam. I once saw your condition recorded in a former dynasty imperial physician's notebook at my maternal grandfather's home. Since that physician wrote in an excellent Liu-style calligraphy, I read it several times and even practiced copying it a few times."
This was too much of a coincidence, Lady Xu was somewhat surprised.
But considering Ren Yaoqi's maternal grandfather was the deposed Prince Xian, and Prince Xian's birth mother Consort Wan was once the most favored consort in the imperial harem, it was normal for him to have a few unpublished medical books when he came to Yanbei.
The nanny beside Lady Xu hurriedly said: "Miss Ren, is that medical book still available? Could it... could it..."
"Nanny Gao," Lady Xu interrupted, gently shaking her head.
Lady Xu naturally knew Nanny Gao wanted to borrow that imperial physician's notebook, but she understood such medical books were generally not circulated outside. Otherwise, Prince Xian wouldn't have brought them all the way to Yanbei.
Though a woman, she was reasonable 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 Xianwang Residence.
Upon 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 apologetically: "That book... I'm afraid it can't be found anymore."
As she spoke, Ren Yaoqi's face showed some shame, and she hesitated: "Every year, several books disappear from those my maternal grandfather brought. Over these years, basically... basically nothing remains."
Lady Xu immediately understood. Considering the usual conduct of Prince Xian and his son, if they truly had any rare books or paintings, they must have sold them.
Seeing Ren Yaoqi's expression, Lady Xu couldn't help but feel some pity, comforting her gently: "It doesn't matter. Everything follows fate and cannot be forced. If I had collapsed here today and couldn't rise again, that would be fate, karma. But today I met you, and you happened to be able to save me—that is the fate between you and me."
Observing Lady Xu's expression and seeing she remained calm and composed, Ren Yaoqi couldn't help but feel some admiration for her character.
To see through life and death requires not only wisdom but also broad-mindedness.
Ren Yaoqi smiled: "What you say is right, madam. This is fate. Otherwise, why among several difficult diseases recorded in that book did I specifically practice copying the page about heart disease several times?"
Lady Xu was taken aback.
Ren Yaoqi blinked: "Besides recording your condition, that imperial physician also wrote a prescription. I wrote it several times and memorized it. Unfortunately, this prescription cannot cure your illness completely, only alleviate the symptoms."
Then Ren Yaoqi asked Nanny Gao: "Is there writing brush and ink in the carriage? I'll write the prescription now."
Nanny Gao was overjoyed. Without waiting for Lady Xu to speak, she stood up: "Yes, yes, Miss Ren, please wait a moment. This servant will fetch them."
Lady Xu looked at Ren Yaoqi and smiled: "Thank you."
Seeing Nanny Gao had already spread paper and prepared the inkstone on the small table in the carriage, grinding ink, Ren Yaoqi stood up to approach while saying: "Madam needn't thank me. This prescription isn't mine. Moreover, medical knowledge exists to treat illnesses and save lives—what use is there in hiding and hoarding it?"Ren Yaoqi took the brush handed to her by Nanny Gao, lifted it with a poised wrist, and moved her hand with effortless grace, quickly writing out the prescription.
"Madam should still have this prescription reviewed by a trusted physician before deciding whether to use the medicine. Even if it is suitable, the dosage should be adjusted as needed. After all, even if your symptoms closely resemble those of that patient, there will still be slight differences."
Lady Xu took the prescription from Ren Yaoqi's hand and immediately exclaimed, "What beautiful handwriting!"
Thank you to Boring Bear Cub, Sissy, Yan Qinyin, asdr5743, Night Charm Night, Xie Lili,
Georgiana, cardcat, Mi Yin, asdr5743, and Nimble Pisces for your pink tickets |(￣3￣)|.
OpenNovel