Chapter 15: Daddy, Wake Up Quickly!

Xiao Ningxun coldly stared at Xiao Yuanhua, "Second Uncle, please conduct yourself properly; how can you be so rude to Mother, ignoring propriety?"

The atmosphere inside the room froze, and the situation reached an impasse.

Tuan Tuan lightly wrapped her arms around Cheng Ru'an's neck and whispered in her ear, "Mother, don't be afraid! Tuan Tuan knows this thing can save Father!"

With her son protecting her and her daughter a blessing bestowed by the ancestors, Cheng Ru'an felt somewhat reassured.

No matter what, we must have the Prince take this medicine! But now, even the imperial physicians dare not speak—what should we do? It seems we can only ask the Mother to take charge of the situation.

"Liu Popo, go invite the Old Madam."

"Yes."

Xiao Yuanhua didn't care; even if Lady Xia came, what of it? She wasn't his birth mother, so he needn't obey her. As long as he held his tongue, who would risk their own honor and safety to bear such a responsibility?

If this old woman insists on opposing me, once I inherit the Prince's Mansion I'll find some pretext to send her to a nunnery, so she won't be able to point fingers at me in the household thereafter.

Soon after, the Old Madam, supported by Shun Gu, took her seat in the Yangzheng Pavilion.

On her way here, she had already heard Liu Popo's brief report; after sitting down she directly asked, "Without a medicine guide, your elder brother won't wake up—does Xiao Yuanhua have any other good plan?"

Xiao Yuanhua put on a solemn face: "None. But I will scour every medical hall and pharmacy in the world to find this medicine guide for the Prince; giving it to him later will not be too late."

Liu Popo interjected, "Second Young Master, your intention is good, but the Prince's illness cannot wait that long."

The Old Madam looked at her son on the bed, then at her daughter-in-law the Princess Consort, and her gaze settled on Guo Taiyi: "Old Guo."

Guo Taiyi shuddered all over: "I dare not, Old Madam, please speak."

"How confident are you? Feel free to speak frankly to me."

Guo Taiyi had been in and out of the Prince's Mansion for years, fully aware of the situation there, but as a low‑ranking imperial physician he really did not want to get dragged into the mansion's internal feuds.

He lifted his sleeve to wipe the sweat from his forehead: "I… I… dare not."

Upon hearing this, the Old Madam also fell silent, while Xiao Yuanhua's lips curled in a smile of inevitable triumph: "Elder Brother, just lie there like this; I, the younger brother, have waited for your demise for many years—no one will let my efforts come to nothing!"

Tuan Tuan slipped out of the Princess Consort's arms and ran to Lady Xia's knees, calling, "Great‑grandmother!"

"Eh!" the Old Madam reached out and pulled her into her embrace.

Tuan Tuan pointed at the Night Bright Sand placed on the table and shouted, "Great‑grandmother! This thing can save Father! It really can!" The Old Madam's eyes lit up at the words.

Xiao Yuanhua snorted, "How can a child's words be taken seriously?"

The Old Madam looked toward the Princess Consort, and Cheng Ru'an made up her mind: "Mother, I, as daughter‑in‑law, am willing to put this into the medicine and have the Prince take it."

The Old Madam had always trusted Tuan Tuan; hearing this, she hesitated no longer: "Old Guo, please write the prescription at once, Shun Gu, you personally decoct the medicine!"

Xiao Yuanhua was shocked: "Mother! Please reconsider! How can such a major matter be decided on a child's words?"

"Princess Consort, being an outsider, today you take charge of everything, arbitrarily deciding the Prince's medicine, disregarding the clan laws of the mansion—if something goes wrong, how could she bear responsibility? Mother! You must think of the Prince! What I worry about is the Prince's safety!"

"This is merely something the child happened to find; how could it possibly be the hard‑to‑find excellent medicine? Mother, please consider everything carefully—caution is best."

Tuan Tuan didn't understand what he was saying, merely looking at him with a puzzled face: "Second Uncle! Clearly Father will wake up after taking the medicine and play with me—why won't you let him take it?"

Children's innocent words hit the nail on the head.

"I… you!" Xiao Yuanhua choked on her question, unable at once to find a suitable reply.

The Old Madam held Tuan Tuan tight, a fleeting smile in her eyes vanishing instantly: "Yuanhua, I too am an outsider. If anything happens, I will bear full responsibility. What else do you have to say?"

Xiao Yuanhua was utterly speechless, gritting his teeth: "If that's the case, then I will follow Mother's words."

"Old Guo, please write the prescription, Shun Gu, bring the medicine cauldron in! Decoct the medicine!"

Soon the water in the medicine cauldron boiled over; Guo Taiyi, being as cautious as possible, crushed the Night Bright Sand, took only a pinch no larger than a fingernail, combined it with the An Hun decoction, and after a short while had prepared a bowl, which he presented to the Princess Consort.

Cheng Ru'an personally fed the medicine into Xiao Yuanhang's mouth.

Half an hour later, Guo Taiyi again placed his hand on his wrist.

After a moment, he lifted his head, his eyes clear, irrepressible joy bursting forth: "The Prince's blood flow is unimpeded, already showing improvement; if we continue with this prescription for a few more doses, he will surely regain consciousness."

At last, the stone in everyone's hearts settled to the ground.

Tuan Tuan looked at Guo Taiyi: "Grandpa Guo! Will Father wake up soon?"

Guo Taiyi smiled and replied, "Exactly! Little miss! The Prince will soon be able to stand up! It's all thanks to you bringing back the Night Bright Sand."

Tuan Tuan gleefully rolled into Cheng Ru'an's arms: "Mother! Am I awesome or not?"

Cheng Ru'an gave her little cheek a firm kiss: "Awesome! My Tuan Tuan is the most awesome!"

Tuan Tuan excitedly ran back into the Old Madam's embrace: "Great‑grandmother! Am I awesome or not?"

The Old Madam held her tightly: "My Tuan Tuan, oh my! Truly my great‑granddaughter, a great blessing!"

Tuan Tuan giggled, and everyone except Xiao Yuanhua rejoiced in relief at Xiao Yuanhang's imminent awakening.

The Old Madam glanced at Xiao Yuanhua: "Ru'an, take the children to eat."

Cheng Ru'an understood, leading the two little ones out of the Yangzheng Pavilion.

After they had walked away, the Old Madam's face darkened: "Kneel!"

Xiao Yuanhua dared not defy, and fell to his knees with a thud.

"According to the mansion's family law, the principal wife is the indoor authority; the various branches and nephews must not insult her with words. You, by calling her an 'outsider,' have shown disrespect to your elders—do you know your error?"

Xiao Yuanhua kowtowed: "Mother, just now I was worried about the Elder Brother, spoke hastily and improperly; I know my fault, please calm your anger."

The Old Madam said slowly: "Although you are a son of a concubine and not my biological child, you are still the Prince's Mansion's flesh and blood. I ask myself these years I have protected you plenty; we share not only the title of mother and son, but also genuine mother‑son affection."

Then she shifted tone: "You have been ambitious since childhood, wanting to inherit the Prince's Mansion—do you really think I don't know?"

Xiao Yuanhua's forehead broke out in a fine sweat, and he kowtowed again: "Mother, you see clearly; I harbor no ulterior motives—what I said earlier was purely sincere concern for the Elder Brother's life and safety; please believe me, do not doubt me."

The Old Madam softened her tone: "Even so, you must still be punished for your earlier words and deeds, so that the family's proper conduct may be upheld."

"At once, you are to be confined to the ancestral hall and copy the family code ten times."

"Yes. I have misspoken and erred; I willingly accept the punishment."

"Go."

Xiao Yuanhua gave Lady Xia another kowtow, then went to the ancestral hall.

On this side, Tuan Tuan had walked a lot today, she was somewhat tired and getting slower; seeing this, Cheng Ru'an picked her up.

Tuan Tuan yawned, wrapped her arms around her neck, and whispered in her ear: "Mother, that second uncle isn't one of our family."

Cheng Ru'an stopped in her tracks: "How does Tuan Tuan know?"

"I just know! Mother! He has dark energy on him, the same dark energy as that old black lady! Nobody in our family has it." Then she yawned again.

Cheng Ru'an rubbed her little cheek, whispering: "Mother knows, be good, remember this, keep it in your heart, don't tell anyone."

"Okay! Mother, I'm hungry."

"We'll be at Jinglan Garden soon, there's a table full of delicious food waiting for you!"

Xiao Ningxun saw her mother's expression change, thinking she was tired from holding her: "Mother, let me hold her." She reached out and took Tuan Tuan over.

"Tuan Tuan is hungry, walk faster, go ahead."

"Yes."

Cheng Ru'an watched the two little ones walk away, she could no longer suppress the turmoil in her heart, she leaned on the pillar of the corridor and slowly sat down on the bench.