Everyone was stunned for a moment, and then the crowd erupted in a roar, rushing toward the scene of the incident. Hearing the words "having a seizure," Fu Yingzhi frowned slightly and followed the tide of people toward the source of the commotion.
The young princess was lying on the ground, her face as pale as paper, her eyes tightly closed, and her limbs rigid, like a lifeless wooden puppet.
Princess Rongjia was about to step forward when the young princess's body suddenly gave a violent twitch. The next second, her arms and legs began to shake violently, as if pulled by invisible strings.
This sudden and eerie sight terrified the surrounding noble ladies, draining the color from their faces. Some clutched their chests and backed away repeatedly, while others grabbed tightly onto their companions. Amidst a few cries of "It's a ghost!", the situation instantly spiraled further out of control.
"Everyone, please step back. Do not crowd around, so the air can circulate," Fu Yingzhi could not help calling out loudly, her tone carrying an unquestionable authority.
After looking at each other in dismay, the crowd retreated, hurriedly making a narrow path.
Seeing this, Fu Yingzhi did not hesitate for a second. She quickly squatted down, gently placed her fingers on the young princess's pulse, and concentrated on examining it. She found the pulse rapid and irregular. Combining this with the young princess's symptoms—full-body rigidity and limb convulsions—she already had a diagnosis in mind: it was undoubtedly a pediatric epileptic seizure.
Her mind worked quickly, formulating a small pill made from calming and soothing herbs such as Gastrodia, Uncaria, and Acorus. She pulled it from her sleeve and was just about to place it near the princess's lips when Princess Rongjia grabbed her wrist.
"What are you doing?" Rongjia demanded, glaring at her with cold, sharp eyes, filled with wariness and suspicion as she looked at Fu Yingzhi.
In the crowd, Fu Jing'an had already broken out in a secret cold sweat. Seeing this, she hurried forward and cried out anxiously, "Third Sister, what are you doing? It's fine if you act wild in the estate, but this is a princess!"
"That's right! Third Miss Fu, if you mess up the medical treatment, can you take responsibility?" someone in the crowd shouted.
Seeing that Fu Yingzhi remained unmoved, Fu Jing'an turned deathly pale with anxiety. Her voice suddenly pitched higher, carrying a hint of tears: "Third Sister, when did you ever learn medicine? Acting so recklessly—if you harm the princess, our entire household will be buried with you!"
Hearing this, Rongjia's brow furrowed even deeper. She looked at Fu Yingzhi, suspicion and warning flashing in her eyes.
Song Xiuyuan stood in the crowd, watching the scene unfold. His gaze turned cold, and he was just about to speak when a clear female voice drifted leisurely into the air, "It seems no one recognizes this young lady's medical skills. It's a pity for the pill I carefully prepared on time—in the end, once it's swallowed, it's forgotten."
Hearing this, Song Xiuyuan's gaze darkened. He looked at Fu Yingzhi and saw the young girl tilt her head slightly, blink at him, and move her lips in a way only the two of them could understand, silently "threatening" him: *No guarantee without the medicine.*
Song Xiuyuan narrowed his eyes, the corners of his mouth unconsciously curling into a doting arc. He then turned to Princess Rongjia and said in a clear, unquestionable tone, "Rongjia, let Third Miss Fu treat her. If anything goes wrong, I will take the blame."
At these words, Rongjia's pupils dilated in shock. "Brother!"
"I trust her." Song Xiuyuan looked at Rongjia and nodded.
Princess Qinghuan's illness had plagued her since childhood, striking without warning. Once it flared up, it would hit as suddenly as a violent storm, plunging little Qinghuan into excruciating agony. Even the most experienced imperial physicians in the palace were helpless, forced to watch Qinghuan struggle bitterly while praying she could pull through on her own.
Could this unknown Third Young Miss Fu really have the ability to save his sister?
Just as Princess Rongjia hesitated, Fu Yingzhi's urging voice rang in her ear again: "Hurry up, there's no time!"
As the words fell, Princess Qinghuan suddenly began to roll her eyes, foam at the mouth, and shake even more violently, as if being torn apart by an invisible, frenzied force.
Although it wasn't her first time witnessing her sister's seizures, Rongjia's heart still ached fiercely at the sight.
She looked anxiously at Fu Yingzhi, only to see the latter maintaining a calm and composed expression. Fu Yingzhi quickly grabbed the princess's convulsing hand, a flash of silver light darting from her fingertips. With swift and precise movements, she drove silver needles one by one into the acupoints on the princess's palms.
In less than a moment, the princess's convulsions stopped. Everyone around was shocked by her fluid, effortless movements, staring blankly at what was happening before them.
Fu Yingzhi gently took Princess Qinghuan from Princess Rongjia's arms, cradling her tenderly. With one hand supporting the princess's shoulder, she used the other to gently pry open her lips, slipping the tiny pill into her mouth. Then, she slightly raised the princess's chin to ensure the pill went down smoothly.
When everything was done, she let out a deep breath, a thin layer of sweat already beading on her forehead.
Seeing that Princess Qinghuan remained motionless in Fu Yingzhi's arms, Fu Jing'an jumped out again, shouting, "Third Sister! Why hasn't the princess woken up after taking your medicine? Are you just putting on an act?"
Fu Yingzhi frowned, a trace of mockery flashing in her eyes as she looked at Fu Jing'an as if she were a fool. "Ordinary medicine still takes time to be absorbed. Does Elder Sister suppose my medicine is some celestial divine pill that takes effect instantly?"
"Third Sister, you'd better confess your mistake early and stop being so stubborn, lest you cause a catastrophe and live to regret it!" Fu Jing'an stamped her foot, her voice trembling slightly.
At these words, whispers broke out in the crowd: "The Second Miss keeps forcing the Third Miss to admit fault. Could it be that the Third Miss really doesn't know medicine?"
"The Third Miss actually dared to pull off a fraud in front of royalty—she has too much nerve!"
"I've never heard of the Third Miss knowing medicine. Could this really be a scam?"
Listening to the surrounding chatter, Qinghuan frowned more and more deeply, looking at Fu Yingzhi with growing hesitation and scrutiny. Just then, someone in the crowd shouted loudly, "The imperial physician has arrived!"
As the words fell, Princess Qinghuan in Fu Yingzhi's arms stirred slightly and slowly opened her eyes. Her long eyelashes fluttered as she looked around in a daze, seeming to have no memory of what had just happened, as if she had simply woken up from a brief dream.
"Does the princess feel any discomfort anywhere?" Fu Yingzhi looked down at the young princess in her arms and asked softly.
"I'm just a little sleepy," the young princess answered softly. She turned her head to look at Princess Rongjia, whose eyes were slightly red, and gently tugged at her sister's sleeve with a small hand, asking apologetically, "Sister, did I have another seizure?"
Hearing this, Princess Rongjia's eyes grew even redder. Fighting back her tears, she gently gripped her sister's small hand and said softly, "It's all right now." She paused, raised her eyes to look at Fu Yingzhi, and said to Qinghuan, "It was this older sister who saved you."
Princess Qinghuan collected herself, her gaze falling on Fu Yingzhi. Tilting her head slightly, a naive and innocent smile bloomed at the corners of her mouth as she said in a soft, sweet voice, "Thank you, fairy sister."
Princess Rongjia's expression softened. She reached out to gently stroke her sister's forehead, then stood up, bowed solemnly to Fu Yingzhi, and said with utmost sincerity, "Miss Fu, I misunderstood you just now. I will keep today's kindness in my heart and will surely reward you generously."
Seeing this, Fu Yingzhi leaned forward slightly, reaching out to support Princess Rongjia's arm. "You flatter me, Princess. Saving lives is a physician's duty; there is no need to be so formal."
At this sight, the crowd was inevitably moved, looking at Fu Yingzhi with a mix of admiration and envy—admiration for her decisive rescue and exquisite medical skills, and envy that she had caught the eye of the haughty Princess Rongjia.
Suddenly, a sharp female voice pierced through the crowd, carrying a hint of cool mockery: "With so many people here, why is it only this Third Miss Fu who happened to carry the antidote? Could this be a play intentionally directed by the Third Miss herself?"