Sheng Xiyan listened carefully again, and she seemed to say nothing.

"Grandma." Mrs. Lou seemed to realize that she was too close, so she also walked over.

Sheng Xiyan took a half step back at the right time, adjusted her forehead, smiled as if nothing had happened, and said, "Madam, this is perfect for you. My craftsmanship is pretty good, isn't it?"

Seeing this, Lady Lou smiled and said, "Grandmother, the King of Zhenbei is here to see you today. He and the Marquis are in front. This Miss Shengda is the future daughter-in-law of the King of Zhenbei."

The lady ignored her all the time, her eyes were dull and she didn't move.

Sheng Xiyan handed over the headband and sat on the Luohan bed, chatting with the lady.

One moment she was talking about the delicious food and fun places in the capital, the next moment she was talking about how Princess Jingle kept talking about her, the next moment she mentioned that the weather was cold recently, and so on and so forth.

At first, Lady Lou's shoulders were a little tense, but then they relaxed. She, a lady of the marquisate, did not sit down, but stood beside the lady like a nanny, bowing her head from time to time to ask a few questions, with a kind smile on her face and a very respectful attitude.

"Miss, please have some tea." A maid brought tea to Sheng Xiyan's hands.

Sheng Xiyan held the teacup, took a few sips, and then put it back on the tea table. She said nonchalantly, "Madam, you came to the capital too late. If you had come earlier, you would have seen the locusts covering the sky."

Sheng Xiyan sighed and shook her head, saying, "That day, Achen brought the coffins of King Lingnan and his wife back to the capital. Even God felt that the death of the king and his wife was unjust..."

When the lady heard about Princess Lingnan, a little light flashed in her confused eyes, but it was like a candle in a storm, and it was extinguished in an instant.

Sheng Xiyan had been carefully observing her expression and asked, "Madam, I heard that my uncle and his family are going to pay homage to the prince and princess. Do you want to go with them?"

"Grandmother can't go." Lou interrupted, perhaps feeling a little too eager, and added with a smile, "Madam Tai is shy."

Sheng Xiyan nodded slightly: "That's right."

She brushed her sleeves, stood up and said, "Madam, it's getting late. I won't disturb you from resting."

Lou was stunned for a moment, with some surprise in her eyes, but more of a sense of relief, and thought to herself: This Miss Shengda is really just here for formality.

She followed Sheng Xiyan's words and said, "Grandma really needs to rest."

She made a "please" gesture to Sheng Xiyan.

"Madam, I will come to see you next time." Sheng Xiyan bowed and was about to leave with Lu Shi when she suddenly said, "Madam, wait a moment."

Hearing this, Lady Lou turned around and looked over.

Sheng Xiyan smiled slightly, "You sent..."

She raised her hand and took a small needle from Louisa's hair.

When her hand dropped, a silver needle pinched by her fingertips quickly fell on the acupuncture point on the back of Lou's neck.

She moved very quickly and accurately, and Lou Shisi didn't notice it at all.

"This is cedar, right?" Sheng Xiyan showed her the needles in her palm and said with a smile, "Maybe it got on the road just now."

There were several cedar trees planted on the way here. Sheng Xiyan took advantage of Lou's unpreparedness and secretly hid a piece of cedar in her sleeve pocket in case of emergency.

Mrs. Lou had no doubts: "I was so careless. Thank you, young lady. Young lady, please."

Sheng Xiyan followed her out as if nothing had happened. As soon as they walked out of the main room, Lou was about to order them to lock the door, but suddenly she felt dizzy and her body swayed uncontrollably.

Sheng Xiyan quickly supported her and said worriedly, "Are you okay? Do you want to take a rest first?"

"No need..." Just as Lou was about to say no, everything went black in front of her eyes and her body shook even more violently.

"Hurry up and let the lady sit down and rest."

Sheng Xiyan took over the task and started to command the maid of Lady Lou. She also winked at Xigui, who understood what she meant and quickly supported Lady Lou's other arm. She asked anxiously, "Madam Hou, are you having black vision and weak hands and feet?"

Lou covered her head and nodded with difficulty.

Xigui shouted nervously: "Then you must not move."

Her voice suddenly rose, startling Lou. She could hear her chattering, "My aunt suddenly felt dizzy and her eyes went dark, and then she became paralyzed. The doctor said, said... By the way, the doctor said it was a stroke."

When she heard the word "stroke," Lou froze.

Although strokes are more common among the elderly, Lou doesn't think she will have a stroke at her age, but she is still afraid.

Especially now that I am very dizzy, I see double images of everyone I see.

"The doctor said that if you feel dizzy and can't see clearly, you must not move. You will feel better after resting."

"The doctor also said that the most dangerous thing at this moment is to fall. If you fall, you may not wake up."

The more Xigui talked, the more scared Lou became. Her ears were buzzing because of Xigui's noise and she really didn't dare to move anymore. She was not afraid of a thousand things, but of one thing.

Xigui followed the trend and helped Lou to sit down on the stone bench in the yard, and then said to Lou's maid, "Sister, go and get a cup of warm water."

The maid was also confused and left in a hurry.

Sheng Xiyan nodded to Xigui, quickly returned to the main hall, and said to the nanny who was taking care of the lady in the main hall: "The marquis's wife is not feeling well, you should go out and take a look."

Her words were unclear and she looked anxious, so the nanny was startled and ran out without thinking.

"Madam Hou! Madam Hou!"

Xigui's panicked voice rang out in the yard. Sheng Xiyan's face changed drastically and she said quickly, "Go get a basin of water and call a doctor. Don't just stand there like an idiot. Hurry up!"

The maids looked at each other and ran out hurriedly.

Sheng Xiyan gave orders in a mess, and soon, only the lady was left in the main room.

Sheng Xiyan quickly glanced at the messy yard. She didn't have much time left, so she walked quickly to the old lady and said, "Madam, can you hear me?"

"Madam, I came here with Zhenbei Prince Chu Yuanchen. Achen's mother is Princess Jingle, and his grandfather is the former Zhenbei Prince Chu Shen. Do you remember them?"

Madam: “…”

Sheng Xiyan said again: "Madam, you really don't understand what I'm saying?"

Madam: “…”

She stared blankly ahead, as if her action of grabbing Sheng Xiyan just now was just a misunderstanding.

Sheng Xiyan glanced at the yard. Xigui was standing in front of Lou, blocking her line of sight, and commanding everyone in the yard around.

She took out the silver needle from her sleeve pocket, and with a firm heart, her eyes became firm and focused, and she accurately inserted a silver needle into the Taifu's Yintang point, gently twisted it for a few breaths, and then moved to Fengchi point, temple...

Her movements were as smooth as flowing water, and each needle landed on the vital points of the human body.

Any deviation in these acupoints could lead to irreversible consequences, but Sheng Xiyan's hand holding the needle was without any hesitation or doubt.

Every stitch is of great weight.

Finally, all seven silver needles were inserted into the acupuncture points without any error. Sheng Xiyan flicked his finger lightly, and the silver needles moved at the same time without wind, making a low buzzing sound.

She exhaled lightly, and a thin layer of sweat appeared on her forehead.

She didn't bother to wipe her sweat, and continued to call, "Madam, it was Princess Jingle Chu Wu of the Zhenbei Palace who asked me to come."

Judging from the time when the incident happened in Lingnan Palace, the old lady obviously did not recognize Chu Yuanchen, and she obviously had a reaction to Princess Jingle, so Sheng Xiyan simply only mentioned Jingle.

Sheng Xiyan half-knelt down, looked at her straight in the eyes, and tried to speak as briefly as possible: "I am... I am Chu Wu's daughter-in-law."

There was some clarity in the lady's confused eyes.

"Madam. Sheng Xi said solemnly: "Madam, you can trust me."

As soon as she finished speaking, her wrist was gently pulled. Sheng Xiyan did not move, but just leaned towards her again.

Immediately afterwards, a jade bracelet was put on Sheng Xiyan's wrist.

"Madam?"

This is the jade bracelet that the lady had taken from her own hand. She called softly, "Awu..."

She pronounced these two words with great difficulty and patted the back of Sheng Xiyan's hand.

She didn't have much strength, and the whole movement was more like a light brush.

"Ma'am, are you feeling better?"

Xigui shouted loudly outside.

Sheng Xiyan knew that the effect of the injection she had just given would not last long, and she thought that Lou would soon be well.

"Don't worry."

She spoke earnestly to the lady, then quickly pulled out the silver needle, put it back into the needle bag, and sat down as if nothing had happened.

This set of acupuncture can only restore the lady's clarity of mind for a short period of time, as she has been ill for too long.

As soon as I sat down, Mrs. Lou pushed the door open and smiled hesitantly: "Miss Shengda?"

"Ma'am, how are you?" Sheng Xiyan said nonchalantly, "It's too windy outside, so I'll come in and sit for a while. I hope you don't mind."

She said it coquettishly but as a matter of course.

Lou: “…”

I almost thought I was going to have a stroke and was scared to death, but she actually complained about the strong wind and ran in to avoid the cold?

Sheng Xiyan looked worried: "Are you okay? Is the doctor here?"

Was she really worried about herself, would she come in to avoid the cold? Lu subconsciously glanced at the lady, and saw that she was still sitting there in silence, without even changing her posture. She said, "It's okay, maybe there was a sudden cold wind just now."

Mrs. Lou only felt dizzy for a while, but she was fine after sitting for a while.

This disease came and went quickly, and now it seems like nothing happened.

However, Mrs. Lou was still a little panicked and planned to wait for the doctor to come and take a closer look.

I'm not even 40 yet, I won't have a stroke, right?

"That's good." Sheng Xiyan patted his chest in fear, and took the initiative to show her the jade bracelet on his wrist, "This is what the lady just gave me."

When Sheng Xiyan came, she saw the lady wearing this jade bracelet.

Lu must know everything about the lady's possessions. It would be bad if she found out that the jade bracelet was missing. Sheng Xiyan would simply spread it out in front of her.

Lou was slightly surprised, thinking: Why would the lady give her the jade bracelet? But she looked calm and there seemed to be nothing unusual.

Sheng Xiyan said, "I said no, but the Madam insisted on giving it to me."

She caressed the jade bracelet lovingly, and seemed to like it very much. She said reluctantly, "This meeting gift is too expensive."

Lou was stunned for a moment, and suddenly realized, could it be that this young lady did not come in to avoid the cold, but came here specifically to coax the lady into giving her a gift?

Really...

This eyelid is too low.

I just don't know whether it was given by the lady on her own initiative or whether she "half stole" it.

The corners of Lu's mouth twitched: "This is because grandma likes you."

Sheng Xiyan smiled and covered her mouth. She no longer mentioned the matter of returning the jade bracelet and only said, "If Madam is alright, then we can leave now."

Mrs. Lou no longer feels dizzy or blurry, and her hands and feet are strong, so it should be the case.

Sheng Xiyan said, "Madam, I will come to see you again in a few days." Then she went out with Lu Shi.

As soon as they left Rongfu Hall, Lou locked the door of the main hall again. Facing Sheng Xiyan's gaze, Lou sighed and said, "It's just another old man talking." Sheng Xiyan agreed with her and said a few words.

When they returned to the main hall in the front yard, Chu Yuanchen was having a pleasant conversation with Marquis Anping. There were two more boys in the main hall, one about seven or eight years old, and the other about ten years old. They all stood beside Marquis Anping with a serious look on their faces.

"Achen." Sheng Xiyan came in with a smile.

Chu Yuanchen asked, "How is the Madam?"

"The Madam is very good, and the Marquis's wife is taking good care of us." Sheng Xiyan said, "You and the princess can rest assured."

Chu Yuanchen relaxed his brows and nodded repeatedly, "That's good, that's good. My mother is always thinking about the lady. I will come with my mother in a few days. I hope we won't disturb the uncle."

"Don't disturb me, don't disturb me." Anping Hou said hurriedly.

He concealed his emotions very well, but a hint of impatience still appeared in his eyes.

After sitting for a while, Chu Yuanchen took the initiative to resign.

The Marquis of Anping and his wife personally escorted them to Yimen.

After they left, Anping Hou retracted his gaze. The couple looked at each other. Anping Hou wiped the sweat from his forehead, and his broad and honest face was full of impatience: "What a trouble."

He paused and asked, "How is it?"

"This Miss Shengda probably just came here for show. She only gave the Madam a headband and took away a jade bracelet. There's nothing else." Lady Lu's face was still gentle, as if she was talking about something unimportant.

"I guess it's because of the trouble with King Zhenbei that I have to make this trip."

Anyway, Mrs. Lou felt that she didn't care at all. She said polite words to the lady for a long time, but she didn't even offer any water or anything.

Mrs. Lou curled her lips in disdain: "She is not her biological grandmother, so how could she care about it? She is just putting on a show to please her future in-laws."

"What jade bracelet?" This is all Anping Hou cared about.

"It's the one the old woman has been wearing." Lady Lou said sarcastically, "This young lady Shengda is really resourceful. She actually managed to trick the old woman into giving her the jade bracelet."

After Anping Hou inherited the throne, the late emperor gave him all the property of Zhenbei Palace. In addition to the relief given to Lingnan Palace, Anping Hou's Palace became very rich. Anping Hou was afraid of gossip, so he did not touch any of his wife's personal belongings. When he was in Lingnan, whenever someone visited him, he would let his wife wear them to show his filial piety.

They had carefully checked all of the lady's personal belongings several times.

Anping Bracelet I remember that she always wore a gold and jade bracelet.

"I heard that the ancestors of the Sheng family were all farmers. Only the old lady was successful and became an official. The mud on her feet hasn't even been cleaned off yet. No wonder she is so careless."

"Okay, stop talking." Anping Hou said impatiently, "It's just a bracelet, just take it away."

The Lou family was very angry and indignant.

This old woman, I have taken care of her for so many years in vain, but she never gave me anything!

Anping Hou sighed and said, "I heard that Zhenbei Wangfu and Xue Zhongzhi were as close as brothers in the past, but no matter how close they were, Xiao Shen and Xue Zhongzhi are both dead..."

Chu Yuanchen has already done his best by coming to visit them a few times. He won't keep an eye on them all the time.

"We have taken care of Madam Tai for so many years. Even if we have no credit, we have worked hard. Chu Yuanchen should know when to stop if he is grateful."

Lou nodded as a matter of course.

This old woman is so silly and stupid. It must not be easy to take care of him for so long! She also spent a lot of effort.

"Madam." A maid came over hurriedly, interrupted the two people's conversation, and reported, "The doctor from Huichun Hall is here."

Marquis Anping raised his eyebrows in confusion.

Mrs. Lou told him what had just happened. After saying this, she felt dizzy again. She covered her forehead and asked someone to call the doctor in.

Marquis Anping looked in the direction of the ceremonial gate, thinking of Chu Yuanchen, his eyes flashing.

At this moment, the carriage had already left the Anping Marquis Mansion.

As soon as they left the Marquis' Mansion, Chu Yuanchen let Wuti take a stroll and got on the carriage himself.

The first thing he asked was, "How is the Madam?"

Sheng Xiyan said bluntly: "Madam Tai probably doesn't have dementia, but she is indeed mentally confused. I suspect she has suffered an external injury."

"External injuries?"

Sheng Xiyan nodded and said carefully: "From the pulse, it seems that there is blood congestion in the Madam's brain, and it has been a long time. Because of the pressure from the blood congestion, her mind has been affected."

"I didn't have a chance to check, but the medical books say that the injury is most likely at the back of the head." She pointed to a spot on the back of her head.

Chu Yuanchen listened silently, and before he knew it, his fists had been clenched tightly, veins bulging on the back of his hands, and his slightly drooping eyelids half-hid the surging waves in his peach blossom eyes.

Chu Yuanchen usually looks a bit dandy, but in fact he is a very calm and self-controlled person, and rarely has drastic emotional fluctuations.

Sheng Xiyan couldn't help but put her palm on the back of his hand and gently stroked the back of his clenched hand with the tip of her thumb.

Chu Yuanchen gently loosened his fist and held her hand.

Sheng Xiyan tried to slow down her voice: "Madam Tai is still injured."

"Are you hurt?"

"There are both new and old wounds." Sheng Xiyan chose her words carefully, not wanting to make him too sad. "I only saw some pinch marks on her arms, but I also smelled a bit of rotting and festering smell from the wounds. I don't know where the wound is."

Chu Yuanchen was silent for a while, then he slammed his fist on the stool. His dark eyes became even dimmer, and a sad aura permeated his whole body, like a fog that could not be dispelled.

Sheng Xiyan called him softly: "Achen."

"I'm fine." Chu Yuanchen shook his head, and after a moment of silence, he smiled bitterly and said, "I'm thinking about how to tell my eldest brother. This is his only remaining relative. How can my eldest brother bear this?"

Everyone died in Lingnan, only the lady was still alive.

I am still alive...

"Then let's not tell him for now?" Sheng Xiyan suggested, "Let's bring the person out and then tell him."

Chu Yuanchen: “…”

Okay. Sheng Xiyan also knew that this idea was a bit bad.

According to etiquette and law, Marquis Anping was the legitimate heir of the Xue family. He called Prince Xue his father and respected Lady Dowager as his grandmother.

Chu Yuanchen is just an outsider. It would definitely not work if he just rushed in and insisted on taking people away.

It's even worse if it's Xiao Shuo...

There were sounds of gongs and drums outside the carriage, and the coachman asked, "Miss, the clan officials are going to perform the wedding ceremony. Should we avoid them?"

"The conjugal gift from the clan house?" Sheng Xiyan thought, could it be the conjugal gift that Prince Zhao gave to Zhao Yuanrou?

Sheng Xiyan didn't want to get stuck in traffic for such a small matter, so she said, "Let them go first."

The carriage stopped by the street.

Sheng Xiyan took off the jade bracelet on her wrist, handed it over and said, "This was given to me by the Madam."

Chu Yuanchen took the jade bracelet.

This is a gold-inlaid jade bracelet. The jade is of good quality and feels warm and smooth to the touch. There are auspicious cloud patterns painted in gold on the bracelet.

He is good at wielding swords and guns, but he is not good at appraising jewelry Chu Yuanchen.

But the lady would not give Ah Yan a jade bracelet for nothing, just as a meeting gift.

Sheng Xiyan told the whole story and then said, "The Madam should not be completely confused."

There has not been a detailed diagnosis yet. Sheng Xiyan made this judgment based on the pulse and the lady's reaction.

She said, "If the lady had received medical treatment after the blow to the back of her head, she might have recovered. But..."

Sheng Xiyan sighed softly, and then said, "She still occasionally reacts to the outside world. Sometimes she is clear-headed, and sometimes she is confused." She lowered her eyes and looked at the jade bracelet. "When she is clear-headed, she may be hiding some secrets. When she is confused, she uses the last bit of her rationality to keep the secret."

Sheng Xiyan stared into Chu Yuanchen's eyes and said, "When Madam Tai was occasionally sober, she was actually pretending to be crazy and stupid. That's why she kept it a secret from them for so many years."

Chu Yuanchen's heart was shocked.

How has an old man, who is almost 70 years old, survived these years?

Sheng Xiyan sighed softly: "Judging from her pulse, the blockage in Madam's brain is already very serious. She won't be able to stay awake for long."

This kind of willpower is really hard to imagine. The lady's occasional lucidity is now very short, but she still tried her best to hold Sheng Xiyan. It was the vague "Awu" that made Sheng Xiyan realize this.

Otherwise, you might miss it.

After finishing his words in one breath, Sheng Xiyan took a cup of tea to moisten his throat and gave him some time to think.

Chu Yuanchen silently checked the jade bracelet and found nothing unusual. However, if it wanted to hide something, the only possibility was that the bracelet was hollow.

Chu Yuanchen's eyes darkened. He pinched the jade bracelet and inquired about Sheng Xiyan's opinion with his eyes. When Sheng Xiyan nodded, he took the jade bracelet and knocked it on the small table in the carriage without saying a word.

The jade bracelet immediately broke into several pieces. Just as Chu Yuanchen expected, the jade bracelet was hollow, and the fine cracks on the surface were covered with gold patterns.

Chu Yuanchen's eyes lit up and he took out a tiny piece of silk paper from the jade bracelet.