"Is that so?" Shen Lixue walked forward with a slight smile, and accidentally bumped into Su Yuting.
Su Yuting lost her balance and staggered back a few steps, coldly saying with a tone of exasperation, "Shen Lixue, I'm saving someone, stop being unreasonable..."
“Miss Su, you’ve pinched the old lady’s philtrum so hard it’s red, and you still say you didn’t press it lightly?” Shen Lixue’s voice was calm, instantly drawing everyone’s attention to the old lady. The deep fingernail marks on the philtrum below her nose were shocking.
The crowd's praise abruptly ceased, and their gazes towards Su Yuting shifted from admiration to suspicion. "She's pinching so hard, she's almost damaged her philtrum! Does she even know anything about medicine? She might just kill someone who was perfectly healthy..."
Su Yuting remained expressionless, her gaze darkening slightly as she calmly said, "The old lady's condition is serious, so it's natural that she woke up more slowly."
The implication was that it wasn't that her medical skills were lacking, but rather that Shen Lixue had hit the person too hard and severely.
"Is that so?" Shen Lixue raised the corners of her mouth slightly, forming a mocking smile, and said lightly, "Unfortunately, the old lady was not knocked unconscious by me, but rather from exhaustion from walking."
"Whoosh!" A stone struck, creating ripples. Groups of people gathered, discussing among themselves: "Did he really faint from exhaustion?"
"What evidence do you have to prove that my old lady fainted from exhaustion?" The old nanny stared intently at Shen Lixue, her eyes filled with anger. She had only blinked a moment ago, and the old lady had slumped against her. How could she not have knocked her unconscious?
Su Yuting pursed her lips, tears glistening in her eyes, and said pitifully, "Sister, are you upset that I interfered in your affairs? I just wanted to help you..."
Shen Lixue scoffed disdainfully. Help herself? More like help ruin her reputation.
"Miss Su, there's no need to be sad. I didn't mean to blame you; I was just stating the facts!" Shen Lixue said casually, taking out a slender silver needle, its gleaming tip shining in the sunlight.
"What are you going to do?" The old nanny quickly shielded the old lady behind her, looking at Shen Lixue warily.
"Granny, there's no need to be afraid. I just want to help the old lady improve her blood circulation!" Shen Lixue said calmly, her gaze lightly sweeping over Su Yuting and the old nanny.
The two of them had worked together very well just now. For a moment, she suspected that Su Yuting had deliberately set a trap for her. However, after Su Yuting's "treatment," the old lady remained unconscious. She realized that it was just a coincidence and that no one had deliberately set a trap for her.
"You can revive the old lady?" The old nanny glanced at Shen Lixue with disdain; she didn't believe Shen Lixue's words at all.
"Granny, the old lady's blood and qi are not flowing smoothly, and she has been unconscious for some time. If we don't wake her up soon, she may never wake up again!" Shen Lixue suggested softly. After all, it was a human life, and she didn't want to stand idly by. If the nanny insisted that she not get involved, she didn't want to force her.
The old woman lowered her eyelids, hesitant, but looking at the old lady with her eyes closed and her life hanging in the balance, she gritted her teeth and made up her mind: "Fine, I'll trust you this once, but let me make this clear: if anything happens to the old lady, you won't live either!"
043 She was actually the Empress Dowager
"Help the old lady properly!" Shen Lixue lowered her eyelids, gently wiping the tip of the silver needle. Saving lives was the priority, and she couldn't be bothered to argue with the old nanny.
Under the watchful gaze of the old nanny, Shen Lixue inserted the silver needle into the back of the old lady's neck. As she continued to twist it, the old lady's pale face gradually regained its color, her eyelashes trembled slightly, and she slowly opened her eyes.
"Madam, you're awake!" The old nanny beamed with joy, as if she had survived a disaster, her eyes slightly moist.
"Cough cough... I'm fine, it's just my old ailment acting up again..." The old lady smiled weakly.
Shen Lixue withdrew the silver needles and softly advised, "The old lady is in poor health, so moderate exercise is fine. Please do not overexert yourself..."
The old lady looked at Chen Lixue in the direction of the voice, her kind gaze suddenly stopping: "Who are you?"
"Madam, it was this young lady who woke you up!" The old nanny's eyes flickered unnaturally. The old lady had really fainted from exhaustion; she had wronged her.
"Thank you so much for saving my life, young lady!" The old lady smiled kindly, yet with an indescribable air of nobility. "Now that you have saved my life, would you please come to my residence for a chat so I can express my gratitude?"
Shen Lixue smiled and said, "It's nothing, Madam, you don't need to take it to heart!" She saved people not because she wanted anyone's gratitude.
"It's a small matter for you, young lady, but it's a life-saving favor for me." The old lady's solemn gaze and heavy tone made it impossible for anyone to refuse her invitation.
“Well… alright!” Shen Lixue nodded in agreement. It was still early, and she had nothing to do back at the Prime Minister’s residence, so it wouldn’t hurt to go and visit him.
The old lady smiled slightly, gently rubbing the philtrum, which bore deep fingernail marks, with a silk handkerchief, and murmured to herself, "Did I just bump my philtrum?"
The old nanny's eyelids twitched, and she gave Su Yuting a cold look: "Madam, this servant will go and call for the carriage!"
Shen Lixue raised her eyebrows slightly. The old nanny was clever enough not to implicate Su Yuting. Otherwise, she would have been implicated for failing to protect her mistress.
Su Yuting's gaze darkened, and she slowly walked towards the old lady, preparing to apologize. Unexpectedly, the old lady took Shen Lixue's wrist and walked forward: "The carriage is here, let's get in!"
Su Yuting's steps faltered awkwardly in mid-air, unsure whether to go forward or retreat. Her beautiful face turned pale instantly as she watched helplessly as the carriage carrying the old lady and Shen Lixue sped away down the bustling street.
Once everyone came to their senses, they began to discuss among themselves:
"That old lady was truly exhausted."
"We've wronged that girl."
"That young lady's medical skills are quite good, unlike someone who clearly doesn't know anything about medicine but pretends to, almost killing a patient..."
Su Yuting's face turned pale, but she didn't argue. A dark glint flashed in her beautiful eyes: "Xiang'er, help me into the carriage. We're going to the palace for the banquet!"
The carriage sped along the wide road. Inside, after hearing Shen Lixue's answer, the old lady smiled warmly: "So you are Prime Minister Shen's daughter. Then why didn't you attend the banquet at the palace?"
Whether it was Shen Lixue's imagination or not, there was a hint of pity in the depths of the old lady's eyes.
"I'm new to the capital, and my father is worried that I might offend the Empress Dowager due to my lack of manners!" Shen Lixue said, feigning helplessness. Shen Minghui is the Prime Minister of Qingyan, and dealing with him requires careful planning. We shouldn't be too hasty and should give him some face for now.
"Li Xue is gentle and graceful; how could she be lacking in manners?" The old lady gently shook her head, her every move exuding elegance and nobility.
Granny Tong glanced at the old lady, bowed her head and curtsied to Shen Lixue, saying apologetically, "Miss Shen, I was very rude just now, please forgive me!"
Shen Lixue smiled: "Granny is loyal to her mistress and lost her composure for a moment, which is only natural..." Although Granny Tong wronged her, she was also protecting her mistress, so she wouldn't hold it against her.
"Madam, we're home!" As they spoke, the carriage came to a stop, and Granny Tong carefully helped the old lady down from the carriage.
Shen Lixue also lifted the curtain and went out, thinking to herself: I wonder which noble family the old lady is from?
The Imperial Palace!
Looking up at the gilded characters on the plaque, Shen Lixue was startled. She closed her eyes tightly, then opened them again. The two characters for "Imperial Palace" shone brightly in the sunlight. This was the old lady's home. At her age, in the Imperial Palace, besides the nannies, there were only…