"Concubine Qi, what nonsense are you spouting? Step back at once!" The speaker was the Empress Dowager, who had regained some composure. Upon hearing Qi Daiyu's words, she immediately rebuked her.
A concubine—how could she possibly know anything about medical treatment?
Moreover, whether the Eldest Princess's sudden condition was accidental or deliberate remained unclear. If it was deliberate, every concubine present was a suspect, including Concubine Qi. Who knew if she was trying to seize the opportunity to harm the child again?
Qi Daiyu quickly realized how rash her suggestion had been, but her instincts had driven her to step forward.
A child's life was at stake.
Neither her professional ethics nor her conscience allowed her to stand by and do nothing.
But now, she had to choose between kindness and survival. If she continued to persuade the Empress to trust her, the consequences might not be gratitude—because if anything happened to the Eldest Princess, the Empress would be the first to hold her accountable.
Qi Daiyu decided to let the Empress make the choice herself.
For a child, a high fever with convulsions lasting more than five minutes could lead to oxygen deprivation, and if secretions or foreign objects remained in the mouth, the risk of suffocation increased. If the condition persisted for over half an hour, severe damage to the brain and heart could occur.
From the moment the Eldest Princess's condition was discovered, more than three minutes had already passed. The imperial physicians would take at least twenty minutes to arrive. If simple first aid could be administered during this time, it would significantly ease the physicians' task later.
Qi Daiyu fell silent, quietly watching the Empress.
Seeing the same fear and worry mirrored in the Empress's eyes, the Empress's heart trembled.
Her daughter lay before her, still foaming at the mouth, her small face growing paler by the second. The Empress didn’t know why Lingyi had suddenly fallen ill like this, but if she could, she would have taken the suffering upon herself.
"I trust you," the Empress declared firmly.
She was the Empress, and the Eldest Princess was her own daughter. With her approval, even the Empress Dowager could not interfere.
After ordering everyone else to leave, the Empress stepped aside, her sleeves clenched tightly in her fists. The long nail on her right pinky had snapped off at some point, blood dripping unnoticed.
Qi Daiyu leaned over, laying the Eldest Princess flat and quickly loosening the child's collar. She turned the little girl's head to the side and asked Zhuyi for a handkerchief, then instructed her to fetch warm water.
Taking the handkerchief, Qi Daiyu carefully wiped away the foam from the Eldest Princess's mouth and nose.
Seeing how she didn’t flinch at the mess, the Empress's expression shifted slightly.
Unaware of the Empress's reaction, Qi Daiyu had the small table and cushions on the bed removed to make space. She then took the warm, damp cloth and gently wiped the child's chest and back.
Once the convulsions subsided, she turned the Eldest Princess onto her side.
Time crawled by, agonizing for the Empress, Zhuyi, and even Qi Daiyu.
Finally, the imperial physician arrived.
Fearing the slippery snow, the physician had been carried by eunuchs, who stumbled several times along the way—though the physician himself remained unharmed.
As soon as he entered, Qi Daiyu stepped back.
The physician observed the Eldest Princess's condition and swiftly inserted silver needles into key acupoints: the philtrum, Yongquan, Shixuan, and the tips of the ears.
Qi Daiyu didn’t watch the rest.
In truth, the mental strain had been immense. Her back was drenched in sweat, and now that the tension had eased, she realized her legs were weak.
Still, she couldn’t relax yet. Summoning her last reserves of strength, she left the warm chamber, bowed to the Empress Dowager, and retreated to her place.
The Empress Dowager said nothing, ignoring her entirely. The other concubines, however, eyed her with unreadable expressions.
Only Noble Lady Qin's gaze held a trace of concern.
The hall was heavy with silence.
Then the Emperor arrived.
Jiang Yuan's face was tight with worry. "How is the Eldest Princess? Have Doctor Xia and Imperial Physician Chang arrived?"
Doctor Xia was the head of the imperial medical bureau, and Imperial Physician Chang was renowned for pediatric care—both were exceptionally skilled.
"Imperial Physician Chang is inside," Concubine Miao replied quickly. Her eyes flicked toward Qi Daiyu. "None of us know the details, but Concubine Qi just came out from there."
Concubine Qi? Why had she been in the warm chamber?
Jiang Yuan turned to her, momentarily setting aside his earlier anger. "What happened?"
Before Qi Daiyu could speak, Concubine Miao cut in, recounting the earlier events. "Concubine Qi seemed so confident—surely the Eldest Princess will be fine, right?"
She didn’t believe for a second that Concubine Qi could actually save anyone.
Seeing that the Empress was too preoccupied to intervene while her subordinates bickered, Concubine Shu added fuel to the fire. "Concubine Miao, Concubine Qi acted out of kindness. Your words make it sound as though any misfortune befalling the Eldest Princess would be her fault."
Concubine Miao missed the provocation entirely. She had always despised Qi Daiyu and saw this as a chance to humiliate her.
With feigned concern, she said, "I’m only worried for the Eldest Princess..."
Surprisingly, despite Concubine Shu and Concubine Miao's back-and-forth, the Emperor didn’t immediately react. Instead, he waited in grim silence for the physician to emerge.
Qi Daiyu didn’t bother defending herself. Right or wrong, the truth would be clear once the physician came out.
Besides, whether from exhaustion or the earlier tension, her head was spinning. With nothing to lean on, she half-collapsed against Shiliu, eyes half-closed.
In the stillness, Jiang Yuan's gaze swept the room—then paused.
"...Is this woman asleep?"
His expression darkened, but before he could reprimand her, the Empress and the physician stepped out.
"Empress, how is she?" the Empress Dowager asked urgently.
The Empress managed a weary smile. "Do not worry, Mother. The Eldest Princess is out of danger."
"What exactly happened?" Jiang Yuan demanded of Imperial Physician Chang.
The physician bowed deeply. "Your Majesty, the Eldest Princess suffered from 'acute convulsions.' Children have delicate constitutions—their qi and blood are not yet robust, and their spirits are fragile. When external pathogens invade, it can trigger high fever and convulsions."
"The Eldest Princess had been battling a recurring low-grade fever that was never fully cured. Today, the fever spiked again, leading to this episode. I have used acupuncture to reduce the fever, and she is now stable."
"So that’s what it was." The Empress Dowager pressed a hand to her chest. In hindsight, there had been signs—when the Eldest Princess first arrived at the palace, her cheeks were flushed, and her hands were warm, unlike the Second Princess, whose hands had been cool.
At the time, the Empress Dowager had assumed it was just from running around in thick clothing.
"If the Eldest Princess was feverish, how did her attendants fail to notice?" Jiang Yuan frowned.
Though the Empress's heart ached for her daughter, she knew the servants weren’t to blame. "The physician said the convulsions come on swiftly—from fever to symptoms, it takes less than fifteen minutes. The Eldest Princess had been playing in the warm chamber for longer than that. This wasn’t their fault."
Moreover, Imperial Physician Chang informed her that young children, with their underdeveloped minds, often cannot articulate their discomfort. While Lingyi and the Second Princess were playing normally on the couch, attendants like Zhuyi naturally wouldn’t intrude without reason.
The Empress defended her people, but Jiang Yuan paid no heed to such excuses. "All those serving the Eldest Princess shall forfeit a month’s wages," he declared.
Zhuyi and the others tearfully expressed their gratitude—the punishment was already lenient.
Seeing that the Eldest Princess was unharmed, Concubine Shu raised an eyebrow. "So it seems Concubine Qi has truly become a physician through prolonged illness?"
Since the Eldest Princess was now fine, it proved that Concubine Qi’s earlier actions had been harmless. This meant Concubine Qi would inevitably receive rewards from the Emperor and Empress—a fact that couldn’t be changed. Yet Concubine Shu still managed to stir up trouble for Concubine Miao.
Sure enough, Concubine Miao took the bait. She eyed Qi Daiyu suspiciously. "I’ve never heard that Concubine Qi knows medicine. Could this be a case of the thief crying 'stop thief'?"
Her sharp gaze made Qi Daiyu wonder whether she genuinely suspected her of harming the Eldest Princess or simply didn’t want to see her praised.
Suppressing a headache, Qi Daiyu replied, "What I did can hardly be called practicing medicine. Even common women in orphanages who care for children know such methods."
Orphanages were state-funded institutions that housed orphans and the elderly. Though funded by the court, they provided only the bare necessities. The children there often suffered from cold and frailty, making high fevers and convulsions far more common than among the meticulously cared-for young nobles in the palace.
Thus, while palace nurses might not know emergency measures, the women in orphanages would be familiar with them.
"You said it yourself—those are women who frequently tend to children. Concubine Qi, you’ve never borne a child. How would you know so much?" Concubine Miao seized on the inconsistency in her words.
Huh? Since when did she become so sharp?
Qi Daiyu sighed. "Concubine Miao, I have younger sisters at home." Apologies to my unseen sister—just pretend you had convulsions as a child.
Concubine Miao had nothing more to say.
But then Imperial Physician Chang spoke up. "So it was the Concubine who acted first. Thanks to her timely intervention, the Eldest Princess’s fever subsided quickly. Had it been delayed, the consequences could have been dire."
"Though the Concubine’s methods were unconventional, they were undeniably effective. Having served in the palace for years, I’ve long been out of touch with folk remedies. I had no idea there were such emergency measures for 'acute convulsions.' I am truly ashamed."
His words unequivocally affirmed Qi Daiyu’s innocence and merit.
The Empress Dowager’s gaze softened at once. "Concubine Qi has done well. She shall be rewarded."
Qi Daiyu expressed her gratitude.
Though the Empress’s eyes also held appreciation, she said nothing.
The only one conflicted was likely Jiang Yuan. Still angry with Qi Daiyu, the thought of rewarding her only deepened his frustration.
"I shall go see the Eldest Princess," he said abruptly, making his escape.
As the hour grew late, the others departed the Palace of Compassionate Peace one by one.
On the way back, Shiliu voiced her concern. "My lady, why did you take such a risk?"
She had nearly died of fright! In the Palace of Compassionate Peace, she hadn’t dared utter a word, though her mind had raced through countless dire scenarios.
That was the Eldest Princess—if anything had gone wrong, the entire Yanqing Residence wouldn’t have been enough to atone for it.
"Even if Her Majesty the Empress has shown you kindness these past years, you didn’t have to..." Even doing nothing would have drawn no blame from the Empress.
Qi Daiyu was silent for a long moment. "I didn’t think that far ahead... Consider it an act of virtue."
"Virtue?"
She smiled faintly. "Think about it. I was bedridden for years, and even the physicians thought me beyond saving. Yet here I stand, alive and well. Perhaps it’s because of past good deeds."
Shiliu seemed to ponder this, recalling how her mistress had once saved the Empress. But then again, hadn’t that very act condemned her to three years of illness?
Unbeknownst to her, Qi Daiyu was referring to something entirely different.
Upon returning to Yanqing Residence, Qi Daiyu claimed exhaustion and retired to bed after washing up.
Her head throbbed, and her body burned with fever—perhaps she’d caught the Eldest Princess’s ailment.
In a daze, she purchased fever-reducing medicine from her phone, swallowed it, and drifted back into sleep.
That night, Qi Daiyu dreamed.
In the dream, she relived that afternoon—the children playing in the activity yard, the out-of-control car crashing through the railing, her unhesitating push that sent the three stunned toddlers to safety before she was dragged beneath the wheels...
