“Your servant greets the Dowager Princess and wishes her good health.”

The Dowager Princess suppressed the unease in her heart. “Eunuch Hong, for you to deliver a message in person, does the Emperor have any orders?”

Eunuch Hong Yi appeared hesitant and somewhat grief-stricken. “Your Highness, the enemy invaded, and Duke Dingbei led his troops to drive them away in a great victory. However, when the Prince pursued the retreating enemy, he fell into an ambush and was gravely wounded. His condition seems… rather dire. Your Highness… Your High—” Before he could finish his words, the Dowager Princess had already fainted. Eunuch Hong Yi broke out in a cold sweat. If something happened to her, the Emperor might very well have his skin flayed when he returned. The Dowager Princess, after facing countless storms in her life, was known for her unyielding strength. Otherwise, the Emperor would not have entrusted such grave news to her directly. But how… how did it come to this?

Chaos erupted in the room as people began shouting for an imperial physician. Princess Changning, upon hearing bad news about her brother, was already wrought with emotional turmoil. Now, seeing her grandmother faint, she became even more frantic and couldn’t stop crying.

Even though Xiao Cao wanted to help, there was no way she could get close in such a chaotic situation.

Furrowing her brow, Xiao Cao took a deep breath. “Silence! Why are you all shouting?” In such a chaotic moment, her words carried exceptional authority. Everyone instantly quieted down and turned to look at her. Ignoring their stares, Xiao Cao said, “Move aside.”

Without thinking, the people in front of her stepped back instinctively.

With quick, purposeful strides, Xiao Cao approached the Dowager Princess. Before anyone could react, she was already applying acupuncture needles to the Dowager Princess. With the Dowager Princess’s noble status, how could someone just casually start using needles on her? One person stepped forward to intervene, but as if Xiao Cao had developed a third or fourth eye, she cast a sharp glance in that direction, freezing the person in place, unable to act.

Now uninterrupted, Xiao Cao was focused entirely on the emergency treatment.

Truthfully, in such a critical moment, Xiao Cao seemed entirely different from her usual self. She was calm, composed, and exuded a confidence that commanded the room. It gave off a strong sense of reliability, as if everything would be alright as long as she was there.

Xiao Cao then requested medicine.

But no one moved for a moment, as if they were still in shock.

Wenren Ying quickly stepped in front of Han Shi and grabbed Princess Changning by the arm. “Your Highness, you need to instruct someone to fetch pen and ink right away.”

Princess Changning dazedly looked at her.

Seeing her in such a state, Wenren Ying applied a bit more force to her grip. “Your Highness, pull yourself together. You are the master of this household. The situation requires your leadership! Stay calm. The Dowager Princess will be fine, trust me. Trust Xiao Cao. As long as she is here, nothing will go wrong.”

“Sister Ying…”

“Call for pen and ink for the prescription! Don’t you understand?” Wenren Ying rebuked her sharply. “And you,” she directed her ire at the attendants. “It’s one thing for the young Princess to lose her composure, but what about all of you? Are you all also incapable of understanding simple commands?”

Wenren Ying couldn’t help but wonder: had Xiao Cao’s ability to command the situation been too overwhelming? The attendants serving the Dowager Princess were all known for their intelligence and competence. It was strange for them to all be falling apart at once. Could the root cause really be Xiao Cao’s dominant presence?

Finally, someone snapped out of the stupor and hurriedly brought pen and ink. Wenren Ying took it without delay. “Xiao Cao, what’s next?”

Throughout the whole commotion, Xiao Cao remained unaffected by the changes around her. If she didn’t have to waste her breath giving instructions, all the better. She calmly and methodically gave out orders: which items they needed immediately, what should be prepared next, and the sequence of medications. Her voice was clear and precise, and Wenren Ying rapidly jotted everything down, almost matching Xiao Cao’s pace.

Han Shi watched silently from the side, her lips moving as if she wanted to say something but ultimately deciding against it.

In this situation, the best course of action was not to interfere. Any misstep could lead to being implicated in a disaster. However, Han Shi knew her daughter, Xuan’er, would never stand idly by. After so many years, the family had grown immensely fond of the Dowager Princess. Han Shi couldn’t bear to watch the Dowager Princess in such a critical condition either, so she chose to remain a quiet observer for the moment.

Xiao Cao’s actions, however, took her by surprise. Her daughter wasn’t panicking in this crisis?

When she was done writing, Xiao Cao said, “Read it back to me.”

Wenren Ying read it aloud, “Fourth Sister, does it sound correct?”

“Yes, follow it precisely.”

Wenren Ying handed the prescription to Princess Changning, who had finally regained some composure. “Your Highness, quickly.”

“I will deliver it.” One of the Dowager Princess’s senior attendants snatched the prescription and hurriedly left the room.

At last, some semblance of order returned to the room.

Even though there were still lingering doubts, everyone quietly observed Xiao Cao’s actions, awaiting her next move.

Princess Changning unconsciously gripped Wenren Ying’s arm, trembling slightly. Though the grip made Wenren Ying’s arm ache, she didn’t scold her. Instead, she spoke softly to calm her down.

As for Eunuch Hong Yi, ever since Xiao Cao had taken charge of the situation, he had withdrawn to the side, quietly observing. As someone who served the Emperor personally, he rarely encountered high-ranking noblewomen. Some were of importance due to their status, while others were unique in their own right. However, he was familiar with the situation at Prince Dingbei’s manor. Among the families close to them, only Wenren’s family had a direct relationship. Was it true that Wenren’s family had a daughter skilled in medicine?

Before the requested items could be delivered, the Dowager Princess regained consciousness, and it seemed as if she hadn’t suffered any lasting harm.

However, she wasted no time on her own wellbeing. Her sharp eyes immediately sought out Eunuch Hong.

Eunuch Hong hurried forward, gently reassuring her before heaving a sigh of personal relief. The Dowager Princess was alright, and for that, he was immensely grateful to Xiao Cao. He would be able to report back to the Emperor without fear now.

The person most visibly moved by this turn of events was Wenren Ying. In her previous life, they hadn’t visited Duke of Dingbei’s manor at this critical moment. They only heard that Duke of Dingbei had been severely injured, and when the Dowager Princess found out, she fainted immediately. It took her a full day to regain consciousness, and when she did, she had suffered a stroke, leaving her paralyzed, her face crooked, and her speech slurred. Even before Duke of Dingbei’s body was carried back to the imperial capital, she had fainted again and never woke up.

It was said that Duke of Dingbei’s wife, already pregnant at the time, was so stricken by the news that she miscarried. Despite her own weakening condition, she attended to her husband daily. By the time people realized something was wrong with her, it was too late—she passed away before reaching the capital.

The successive blows drove Duke of Dingbei mad.

Emperor Xuanren was heartbroken and posthumously raised Duke of Dingbei’s title to “Prince of Pacification,” granting Princess Changning the title of “Princess of the Imperial Family,” allowing her to marry into the imperial household. He also promised that her first-born son would carry on the Duke of Dingbei’s lineage. However, before Princess Changning completed her mourning period, Emperor Xuanren succumbed to a sudden illness and passed away.

Although Emperor Xuanren had favored Princess Changning, the new emperor did not care much for her. In addition, Princess Changning’s betrothed had always been at odds with the new emperor. When the marriage was rushed and held hastily, her status as a member of the royal family lost its importance. Within six months, both Princess Changning and the Duke of Dingbei had tragically passed away, leaving no survivors to continue their noble line.

This family, so loyal and valorous, met such a tragic end. Not a single drop of their bloodline remained.