Empress Dowager Du's eyes darkened slightly, and her voice, carrying the majesty of the empress, coldly declared: "Although it was an unintentional mistake, the damage has already been done. Drag this maid away and give her fifty strokes of the cane."

As soon as she finished speaking, the courtyard fell silent. Everyone held their breath and dared not say a word.

The little maid kneeling on the ground trembled slightly, but did not beg for mercy.

She knew that after this beating, she would most likely not survive, but as long as she could get enough money to treat her mother's illness, she would accept it.

Fifty strokes of the cane would be too much for even a strong man to bear, let alone a frail girl.

Jiang Luoluo's gaze turned slightly cold. She knew very well that she was the target of today's scheme, and both Zhen'er and the little maid in front of her were innocent pawns who had been implicated.

Her gaze fell on the small, thin figure. The maid was even younger than Dingdang, and her body was so frail that it seemed as if she would fall over with a gust of wind.

She couldn't bear it any longer and said, "I beg Your Majesty to have mercy. I will take responsibility for treating Zhen'er's injuries until she is fully healed."

The wife of the Minister of Works was shocked upon hearing this.

She was always shrewd; how could she not see that there was more to this turmoil than met the eye?

But no matter what, she was unwilling to watch a young maid be beaten to death.

As a noblewoman, she usually only scolded her servants when they made mistakes, and never actually hit them. Moreover, this maid was still young, and if she were to be beaten fifty times, she might not be able to save her life.

Moreover, since the eldest daughter of the Jiang family had already offered to vouch for her, she naturally understood Jiang Luoluo's intentions.

Anyone could see that this maid was just a scapegoat pushed out to take the blame.

Thinking of this, the wife of the Minister of Works did not hesitate any longer. She respectfully bowed to Empress Dowager Du and said, "Your Majesty, Zhen'er's injury has been properly treated. Since it was the maid's negligence, let's leave it at that."

If blood were to be shed today, it would inevitably disturb Empress Dowager Du's peace and quiet.

The timely intervention of the Minister of Works' wife averted a terrible tragedy.

This also made Empress Dowager Du look at her with new respect; this Minister's wife was indeed a clever and quick-witted person.

However, what truly surprised Empress Dowager Du was Jiang Luoluo.

Xie Yizhi once said that Jiang Luoluo cured Xie Zhichen's lip ailment, but at the time she simply didn't believe it.

She thought it was Xie Yizhi who deliberately created a good reputation for Jiang Luoluo.

After all, Lu Anrou had said to Empress Dowager Du more than once that Jiang Luoluo was uneducated and only knew how to follow Gu Boyuan around all day, and was later dumped by Gu Boyuan.

It was a disgrace to the noble ladies of the capital. Most outsiders also regarded Jiang Luoluo as a good-for-nothing and a good-for-nothing.

She grew up with Yao Shiyu since childhood, but she was wild, arrogant and domineering, and had none of the modesty and dignity that her cousin Yao Shiyu possessed.

Moreover, despite having a highly skilled medical mother, Jiang Luoluo's own medical skills are utterly incompetent, far inferior to Yao Shiyu's.

However, today's events have made Empress Dowager Du re-evaluate this eldest daughter of the Jiang family.

While everyone was discussing and watching the spectacle, Jiang Luoluo calmly and collectedly began to treat Zhen'er.

Jiang Luoluo's technique was steady and her movements were fluid and decisive, showing no sign of panic. Her medical skills also appeared to be excellent, clearly indicating that she was a highly capable person.

Moreover, back in Cining Palace, she dared to use herself as a bargaining chip to negotiate with me, which clearly shows she has guts.

Empress Dowager Du narrowed her eyes slightly. It seemed she needed to re-evaluate Jiang Luoluo.

She remained unmoved, only glancing indifferently at the guard, her tone cold: "This is a forbidden Buddhist sanctuary; what kind of decorum is this, fighting and killing? Put away your swords."

"Whoosh—"

The swords and blades instantly returned to their sheaths, and the chill dissipated.

The kneeling maidservant quickly kowtowed three times, her voice clear and crisp, "Thank you for your kindness, Empress Dowager, and for your generosity, Madam."

Empress Dowager Du waved her hand, signaling her to step down.

She had only admired half of the plum blossoms, and she didn't want to let such a trivial farce spoil her enjoyment.

The young maid knew that she had escaped this ordeal entirely because Miss Jiang had stood up for her.

But she also understood that Yao Shiyu and Jiang Luoluo had always been at odds, and if she thanked Jiang Luoluo in public, she might get into trouble. So she could only keep this kindness in her heart.

The farce quickly came to an end, and the Minister of Works' wife, feeling somewhat down, had lost all interest in appreciating the plum blossoms.

After asking for leave from Empress Dowager Du and saying goodbye to Jiang Luoluo, she hurriedly took her granddaughter back to the capital.

The plum blossom viewing continued, but everyone's thoughts were already divided, and several women began to whisper among themselves.

"I have truly witnessed Miss Jiang's prowess today."

"What a pity, what a pity, what a pity. Such a good girl, and His Highness Prince Yi snatched her up first. If only she could be my daughter-in-law."

"That's right, that's right! Everyone used to say Yao Shiyu was good, but I think Jiang Luoluo is really good!"

"Speaking of Yao Shiyu, I feel like every time she does something, it's aimed at her cousin."

"If you ask me, it was she who spread Jiang Luoluo's bad reputation in the past."

Three women make a drama, and a group of women together can certainly make for a grand spectacle.

Lu Anrou glared at Yao Shiyu, feeling extremely resentful. Today, she hadn't accomplished anything, but instead had paved the way for Jiang Luoluo, allowing Jiang Luoluo to steal the spotlight in front of everyone.

If Yao Shiyu hadn't shielded her from Xie Yizhi's wrath last time, Lu Anrou would have suspected that Yao Shiyu was a spy sent by Jiang Luoluo, and that every bad idea she came up with was paving the way for Jiang Luoluo.

Lu Anrou could only grit her teeth in resentment. She would deal with Yao Shiyu, that good-for-nothing, better-for-nothing, later.

Yao Shiyu could vaguely hear the whispers of the crowd, and she felt quite uncomfortable. Fortunately, the wife of the Minister of Works was kind-hearted, otherwise she would have lost another maid today.

However, the current situation is not necessarily good. Her reputation and Jiang Luoluo's reputation in the eyes of the public have suddenly switched. In the past, all the praise was for her, but now it is for Jiang Luoluo.

Yao Shiyu couldn't understand how Jiang Luoluo, who was supposed to be afraid of blood and knew nothing about surgery, could suddenly learn it now. She was completely baffled.

Could it be that last time in the valley, it was Jiang Luoluo who pulled the arrow out of the little red horse, and it was Jiang Luoluo who treated Dingdang's external injuries?

Could it be that Xie Zhichen's lip ailment was also cured by Jiang Luoluo?

Could it be that Jiang Luoluo, like her, was reborn?

Rong Momo, who was by Empress Dowager Du's side, came over. This time, her tone was a bit kinder. "Miss Jiang, the Empress Dowager invites you."

Jiang Luoluo knew that the highlight of this flower viewing banquet was coming. Empress Dowager Du had come out and done everything she could to make things happen.