Xia Yuwei raised her tear-filled face, glistening tears rolling down her fair cheeks: "Ever since my sister was injured while flying on her sword, she's been saying strange things... like wanting to strive for fame and fortune, wanting to become a disciple of an immortal..."
At this point, she seemed unable to continue, biting her lip and shaking her head: "Father consulted so many doctors, and they all said that my sister's hysteria hadn't fully healed. She must have had another attack today, that's why...that's why..."
She suddenly turned to Bai Ying, her eyes filled with tears but with a look of "heartbreak": "Sister! Quickly apologize to the Imperial Concubine! The Third Prince is a noble lady, how could you..." Before she could finish speaking, she was too "sad" to continue and covered her face with her sleeve and began to sob.
Her slender fingers gripped her sleeve tightly, her knuckles turning white: "Your Majesty, I beg you, for my sister's incoherent state... please spare her this time... Yuwei is willing to take the punishment in her sister's place..."
She was about to kowtow when Xia Mingde stopped her, feigning concern: "Silly child, what does this have to do with you? It's your sister who doesn't know her place..."
Xia Yuwei stubbornly shook her head, tears streaming down her face. "Father, although my sister always... always bullies me, we're still family..."
She turned to Consort Qi, pleading pitifully, "Your Majesty, the Soul-Nourishing Stone is of utmost importance. Please... please allow the imperial physician to examine the Third Prince again. My sister... she truly doesn't know medicine..."
At this point, she seemed to suddenly remember something and covered her mouth in alarm: "Ah... I didn't mean to hurt people on purpose... it's just... it's just..." Her voice grew softer and softer, finally turning into a sigh of self-reproach.
The atmosphere inside the hall instantly plummeted to freezing point.
The imperial concubine's hand froze in mid-air, just an inch away from the Soul-Nourishing Stone.
She looked at her father's gloomy face, then at her son on the bed whose complexion was gradually improving, and was caught in a dilemma.
Bai Ying remained calm, merely watching Xia Yuwei's performance with amusement.
When her gaze swept over Xia Yuwei, the latter was struck dumb, shrinking back behind her father with a start, her face turning deathly pale.
"Father..." the Imperial Concubine began with difficulty. She still chose to believe Bai Ying. Her voice was hoarse, "Miss Xia is indeed..."
"Shut up!" Elder Qi roared in fury.
"Even the most skilled doctors in the Imperial Hospital are helpless with this illness, and you know the Third Prince is unlikely to wake up. How could a mere girl possibly cure him? You're really confused. Even if someone is desperate and will try anything, you can't just trust anyone!"
Guards, seize this demoness!
The guards hesitated before stepping forward, but stopped abruptly when they were three steps away from Bai Ying.
An invisible pressure emanated from the seemingly frail young girl, making them feel as if they had fallen into an ice cave. The head guard in the front row had cold sweat on his forehead, and his hand holding the sword trembled involuntarily—he had fought on the battlefield for many years and had never felt such a terrifying sense of oppression.
"Wait!" Wei Ji suddenly spoke, stepping forward to block Bai Ying's path. His sleeves moved without wind, revealing his centuries of cultivation. "Prime Minister Qi, you are wise enough to know that His Highness the Third Prince has indeed improved. I guarantee with my century of cultivation that Miss Xia has no ill intentions..."
"Master Wei!" Xia Mingde interrupted sharply, his voice becoming shrill with anxiety. "You've been deceived by this girl! She's completely ignorant and incompetent, spending her days swindling and cheating. What medical skills does she know?" As he spoke, he glanced at Grand Secretary Qi out of the corner of his eye, fearing that the high-ranking prime minister might implicate the Xia family in his anger.
Xia Mingde was now in a difficult situation.
He knew that if Xia Qingdai continued to treat the Third Prince today, it would bring utter disaster to the Xia family, regardless of the outcome.
Rather than that, it's better to make a tough decision—even if it means giving up this daughter, we're willing to do it!
Anyway, he has never admitted that she is his biological daughter; everyone thinks she is his adopted daughter.
"You wretched child!" Xia Mingde grabbed Bai Ying's wrist with such force that he almost crushed her bones. "You're causing trouble here! Why don't you immediately apologize to Elder Qi? Are you going to drag the entire Xia family down with you?"
To his astonishment, Bai Ying remained completely still, not even flinching. She simply looked at him with her cool, clear eyes, a mocking smile playing on her lips: "Has Lord Xia forgotten? I have nothing to do with you anymore."
"Good! Very good!" Xia Mingde trembled with anger, and when he turned to Elder Qi, he had put on a heartbroken expression.
"Lord Qi, you've seen it yourself. Xia Qingdai is merely my adopted daughter. Now that she has severed ties with the Xia family, how you decide to deal with her is none of their concern."
After saying that, he turned around and was about to pull Xia Yuwei away.
Xia Yuwei struggled to leave, her eyes gleaming with excitement—she couldn't wait to see Xia Qingdai's pathetic state after being punished.
"Yuwei, let's go!" Xia Mingde snapped in a low voice, "You pleaded for her out of kindness, but she doesn't appreciate it at all!"
Seeing that Xia Mingde had publicly distanced himself from Bai Ying, Elder Qi sneered and waved his hand, signaling, "Take him down!"
"No!" The imperial concubine struggled to stop them, but was held back tightly by two palace maids.
Her phoenix crown was askew, her hair was disheveled, and she had lost all trace of her former elegance and nobility.
The guards surrounded Bai Ying again, this time numbering more than twenty.
Xia Yuwei stood on the outskirts of the crowd, her lips curling up uncontrollably, her eyes flashing with malicious pleasure.
Xia Qingdai, you fool! I don't know how you managed to gain Wei Xianren's favor. It's a good thing you dared to come here and covet the Soul-Nourishing Stone. Now you've messed with the wrong person, and you're finally doomed!
Xia Yuwei's eyes remained fixed on the scene; she wanted to see with her own eyes as they dragged Xia Qingdai away.
In this way, the entire Xia family would only have her as their only daughter.
However, at this critical moment—
"cough......"
A weak cough came from the direction of the bed.
The sound was soft, yet it struck everyone like a thunderclap, causing them to turn their heads simultaneously.
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