Madam Meng held Meng Zhu's increasingly cold hand tightly, her body trembling.

"Zhu'er, wake up! Don't scare your mother..."

"Let me see."

Xiao Qingyin pushed through the crowd, walked to Madam Meng's side, and knelt down to take Meng Zhu's pulse.

"It's not too late to have surgery now. Do you agree to the surgery?"

Madam Meng then remembered that there was such a miraculous doctor as Xiao Qingyin. Upon hearing this, she was so excited that she became incoherent: "You...you can save my daughter?"

"The surgery needs to be performed as soon as possible."

Xiao Qingyin replied.

If this drags on any longer, she will lose too much blood and will be unable to receive a transfusion, and even she will be powerless to help.

"I agree to the surgery!" Madam Meng said hastily. "Please, you must save my daughter."

Xiao Qingyin nodded.

Because it was difficult to move Mengzhu, she had someone set up a screen to enclose the area, and then performed a splenectomy on Mengzhu.

If it had been earlier, it might have been preserved, since there were golden bugs there.

There's no time to repair it now; we can only excise, clean the blood, and suture it as soon as possible.

The guests thought the buffet was novel enough, but they never expected that someone's life would be in danger during the banquet.

I heard that they would have to open up the abdomen to save him.

Although they knew from the beginning that Xiao Qingyin was a skilled doctor, they were still quite eager to see this kind of surgery since they had never witnessed it in person.

But it's just a thought.

Even if someone showed it to them, they wouldn't have the courage to look.

The blood-stained gauze that was just taken out from behind the screen was enough to make one's stomach churn.

Behind the screen, Xiao Qingyin felt Meng Qi's pulse gradually regaining strength and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Her condition has stabilized, but she will have to stay in bed for the next week and cannot move except by lying flat."

She instructed Madam Meng.

After thanking her, Madam Meng hesitated and asked, "Our Zhu'er has had her spleen removed. How long can she live after that?"

Xiao Qingyin comforted her, saying, "The spleen plays an immune role. After it is removed, other immune systems will take over its function, so it won't have a big impact."

"It won't affect your lifespan, right?"

"Yes."

Madam Meng was finally relieved.

Her eldest daughter, who had just returned home after their divorce, was suffering from severe hepatitis and was half-human and half-demon. She didn't want her younger daughter to suffer from the same illness.

Thinking of this, she hurriedly asked, "My daughter Qi'er has hepatitis, can you treat her?"

Qin Wenjun had already told Xiao Qingyin about dealing with Meng Qi. Xiao Qingyin knew how many heinous things Meng Qi had done, so naturally she couldn't treat her.

"I can't cure her illness."

Madam Meng looked bewildered.

Why say "I can't cure her illness" instead of "I can't cure her hepatitis"?

Could it be that Qi'er doesn't have ordinary hepatitis at all, but a more serious disease?

Even Xiao Qingyin said she couldn't cure it, so which doctor could she turn to?

The brief moment of joy she had felt over her youngest daughter's rescue vanished instantly.

Xiao Qingyin had Meng Zhu sent back to the Meng residence, and Madam Meng also went back with her.

Meng Qi was unable to attend the palace banquet due to illness and was sulking in the courtyard when she heard that something serious had happened to Meng Zhu. She immediately sent her maid to inquire about it.

After understanding the situation, she sneered, "That idiot Meng Zhu didn't even realize she was tricked. Who would break their spleen from a fall? It must have been Xiao Qingyin who drugged her and then cut off her spleen."

Who would marry a woman who has lost her spleen?

She wouldn't want any other man, so she certainly wouldn't want Yi Shuihan.

Xiao Qingyin easily eliminated a powerful competitor.

He not only earned a reputation for being a benevolent doctor, but also greatly deterred those women who coveted Yi Shuihan.

From now on, who will dare to compete with her for a man?

His skill level is much higher than hers.

When Madam Meng heard what she said, she was momentarily shaken.

Her understanding of Zhu'er's condition was entirely based on the imperial physician's diagnosis.

But what if the imperial physician and Xiao Qingyin team up to put on an act?

Wouldn't Zhu'er have suffered for nothing and even lost her spleen?

If that's the case, then Xiao Qingyin's methods are far too ruthless.

But since her spleen had already been removed, she couldn't find a doctor to check if Pearl's spleen had ruptured.

He immediately began to blame himself.

She watched Pearl undergo surgery, but after the incision was made, she turned her head away out of fear of the bloody scene and didn't even notice what the spleen that was removed looked like.

—Even if you pay attention, it may not be useful. Xiao Qingyin could have crushed it before taking it out.

Minister Meng was still attending the palace banquet, so she could only suppress her doubts for the time being and patiently wait for his return.

In the palace, the noble ladies who had witnessed Xiao Qingyin's diagnosis of Meng Zhu were indeed shocked by this incident, just as Meng Qi had predicted.

However, they did not believe that this was a deliberate design by Xiao Qingyin.

Their focus was on Xiao Qingyin's miraculous medical skills.

A person whom even the imperial physician declared powerless to help was cured of his illness in less than half an hour in Xiao Qingyin's hands.

Do they really want to compete with a doctor like her for a man?

Is it more important to serve the emperor, or to have a doctor who can save your life in a crisis?

What's the use of immense wealth and glory if you're not alive to enjoy it?

Many people gave up.

Xiao Qingyin never expected that saving Meng Zhu's life would have this effect.

She was pleased with this outcome.

As the saying goes, it's hardest to resist the kindness of beautiful women. Being surrounded by so many beauties fawning over you must be exhausting.

It would be best if they knew when to back down.

At least she can have a peaceful New Year's Eve dinner.

While savoring the food, she noticed that the pipa music played by the musicians was quite beautiful. After the palace banquet ended, she asked Yi Shuihan, "Who played 'Yangchun Baixue' tonight?"

Yi Shuihan looked completely bewildered.

"How should I know? I didn't choose them; it was Sile who arranged it. What's wrong?"

"It was played very well."

"I'll ask tomorrow and send it to your residence. You can listen to it whenever you want."

Xiao Qingyin remained silent.

She just casually mentioned it, and this guy wanted to give her the person?

And this is supposed to elevate the status of people from all walks of life and respect artisans?

"You just hosted a simple palace banquet, and then you expect me to have all the musicians by myself? Are you trying to make me a femme fatale?"

Yi Shuihan chuckled: "Don't you know that because I dismissed my harem, people are already calling you an unparalleled enchantress?"

Xiao Qingyin: "..."

She really didn't know!

It was clearly Yi Shuihan who did this, so why is she being blamed instead?

You think you can bully her because she can't chop someone's head?

Yi Shuihan reassured him, "If you don't want people to come, that's fine. You can go listen after the music academy is built and open to the public."

Xiao Qingyin nodded.

The musicians in the palace were all top musicians of the Great Xi Dynasty. Yi Shuihan was originally going to disband, but she felt that it was a waste of artistic talent, so she suggested that he form an orchestra so that they could continue to create and perform.

Yi Shuihan thought this suggestion was excellent and could also increase the country's revenue, so he immediately adopted it.

That's how the Jianle Academy came about.

They also plan to select more outstanding musicians to join and expand the scale.

Xiao Qingyin had mentioned it and put it aside, but a few days later, someone came to her for medical treatment, which brought the matter up again.