Chapter 43 Rescuing Someone in the Back Garden

Chapter 43: Saving a Life in the Back Garden

At this moment, Ji Yuntang had already passed through the crowd and arrived at the center of the back garden.

There lay a chubby little boy nicknamed Little Dumpling, his face flushed red, his little hands clutching his clothes tightly as his body convulsed on the ground, drooling foam.

Oh no, it's a seizure!

Ji Yuntang immediately shouted, "Everyone, back off! Don't crowd him—give him air."

She pulled a silver needle from her space and was about to insert it into Little Dumpling's chest when a palace maid grabbed her arm tightly.

"Stop! Who are you, daring to hurt the Seventeenth Prince?"

Ji Yuntang frowned in displeasure. "I'm saving him."

"Ridiculous! Even the imperial doctors can't figure out the Seventeenth Prince's condition. Who do you think you are, some random wild girl, to claim you can save him? If anything happens to the Seventeenth Prince and the Empress comes down on us, can you afford to pay with your life?"

Ji Yuntang narrowed her eyes. She glanced at Little Dumpling, whose breathing was becoming more labored; if she didn't treat him soon, it would be too late.

She yanked her hand away from the maid and quickly jabbed the silver needle into Little Dumpling's body. Another maid tried to stop her, but a small figure spread her arms to block her—it was Tao Zhi.

Tao Zhi was shaking, but she stood firm in front of Ji Yuntang.

"Please, everyone, just trust our princess this once. She can definitely heal the Seventeenth Prince."

Ji Yuntang had been treating Luo Junhe, and Tao Zhi knew better than anyone how much better he'd gotten.

She didn't know if Ji Yuntang really knew medicine, but all she could do was buy her some time.

But how could those maids and eunuchs believe Tao Zhi?

They charged at Tao Zhi, punching and kicking her.

"Who do you think you are, blocking our way? The Seventeenth Prince is way too important for your princess to touch!"

"If you don't get your princess to stop, I'll beat you to death!"

Fists rained down on Tao Zhi like a storm. She gritted her teeth silently, clinging to the legs of two eunuchs, refusing to let them pass.

Ji Yuntang couldn't stop her acupuncture. She hadn't expected Tao Zhi to step up at such a critical moment to buy her time.

Her heart softened a little. This timid, cautious girl had risked her life for her.

Ji Yuntang sped up, using professional massage techniques while pulling out the last silver needle from Little Dumpling's body.

Then she jumped up and kicked the eunuchs beating Tao Zhi, sending them flying.

"How dare you touch my people!?"

Ji Yuntang's eyes were sharp as knives. She kicked them a few more times, making them spit blood.

Tao Zhi's eyes welled up at Ji Yuntang's actions. Was the princess defending her?

As a servant, how could she be so lucky to have such a good mistress?

Tao Zhi's face was all swollen and bruised from the beating. Ji Yuntang helped her up and pulled out a healing ointment from her space. Just as she was about to apply it, she stopped and swapped the ointment for a pill.

"Tao Zhi, take this first. It'll stop the pain."

Ji Yuntang had checked Tao Zhi's injuries. Though they looked bad, they were mostly just surface wounds. Her ointment would bring the swelling down fast.

But for now, she wanted to leave the injuries as they were for another reason.

Since she was here and had been falsely accused, someone would have to cover Tao Zhi's medical bills—otherwise, it wouldn't be fair to her.

"Thanks, Princess." Tao Zhi's eyes filled with tears as she took the pill from Ji Yuntang and swallowed it. To her amazement, her wounds no longer hurt.

Just then, a middle-aged imperial physician with a square face arrived hurriedly, carrying a medicine box.

"Where is the Seventeenth Prince? Let me examine him quickly."

Shuixian, holding Little Dumpling, ran up crying. "Imperial Physician Sun, you're finally here! Please check on the Seventeenth Prince. After that woman jabbed him with needles, he hasn't moved."

She was the maid Ji Yuntang had first shaken off, responsible for the Seventeenth Prince's safety. If anything went wrong, she would be in deep trouble.

"Before I arrived, how could you let someone else treat the Seventeenth Prince recklessly? If something happens, you'll be skinned alive by the Empress!"

Imperial Physician Sun scolded harshly but quickly placed his hand on Little Dumpling's wrist.

Upon feeling the pulse, his brows furrowed and relaxed repeatedly, eventually turning into confusion.

Strange. The Seventeenth Prince's pulse was perfectly stable, with no signs of an episode.

Looking at him again, he was still drooling foam—clearly just asleep?

"The Seventeenth Prince is merely asleep. His body is fine, with no signs of illness. Why are you all crying and making a fuss?"

When Imperial Physician Sun finished speaking, Shuixian's expression nearly cracked.

Asleep?

How was that possible?

She clearly remembered feeding the prince medicated candied fruit to trigger his seizure. How could he just be asleep?

Shuixian refused to believe it. She was sure Ji Yuntang had done something to the prince!

"Imperial Physician Sun, are you mistaken? We all saw the Seventeenth Prince convulsing on the ground and foaming at the mouth. He clearly had a seizure!"

"That woman also jabbed him many times with needles. Please, check his pulse again!"

Imperial Physician Sun, angered by the doubt cast on his skills, snapped back!

"Are you the physician, or am I? I've practiced for over twenty years—can't I even tell if the Seventeenth Prince is asleep or not?"

"All of you can't even care for a young master properly. You're a bunch of useless good-for-nothings!"

With that, Imperial Physician Sun turned and left without looking back.

Ji Yuntang stood to the side, watching. She didn't miss the cold glint in the maid's eyes. Instinct told her that the prince's episode was connected to this maid.

She walked over and asked, "Are you one of the Empress's people?"

Shuixian, unsure why she asked, assumed Ji Yuntang knew her status and feared her, so she proudly lifted her chin.

"Exactly. I am a first-class palace maid in the Empress's service, specifically tasked with overseeing the daily life and care of the Seventeenth Prince."

"Oh, then take me, this Princess, to see Her Majesty the Empress, so we can settle the medical expenses for the Seventeenth Prince and my maidservant."

Ji Yuntang's words left Shuixian utterly dumbfounded.

A hideous woman who popped out of nowhere, calling herself a princess was one thing, but she actually dared to demand medical fees from the Empress?

Did she even realize that treating the Seventeenth Prince was already a blessing she'd earned over eighteen lifetimes of good karma?

The question was, what method this woman had used to cure an illness that even the imperial physicians had deemed hopeless?

A sudden thought struck Shuixian, and her eyes darkened. Since this woman was walking right into her own death, she might as well oblige her.

"Her Majesty the Empress resides in the Fengyi Palace ahead. If you wish to see her, follow me."

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