After being sentenced to death, she came to her senses.

"Thank you, father-in-law."

Fang Xiaoran nodded slightly and immediately knelt down.

Although the Empress Dowager did not say it explicitly, since she was deliberately keeping her out of the way, it was clear that she wanted to give her a minor punishment. If she didn't know what was good for her, she might anger the Empress Dowager instead.

In any case, it was unlikely that things would end well if the Empress Dowager summoned her; punishment was inevitable. Fortunately, her initiative offered some comfort to the Empress Dowager, and since she couldn't find any fault with her, there was no way to criticize her too much.

Seeing her kneel down like that, Eunuch Liu was very surprised. Compared to the others, this woman who had never entered the palace was so sensible and did not even show any nervousness, which showed how strong her mental fortitude was.

After Eunuch Liu went in to report, the Empress Dowager was somewhat surprised, but she did not let Fang Xiaoran get up. Since it was a punishment, it had to be carried out properly, otherwise wouldn't it make others look down on the imperial dignity?

She knelt for a full hour without being summoned by the Empress Dowager. Fortunately, the spring sun wasn't too strong, and Fang Xiaoran's body was strong enough that kneeling for several hours wouldn't be a problem.

In the Cining Palace, the Empress Dowager sat on a soft couch, resting with her eyes closed. A maidservant beside her carefully massaged her back until another incense stick burned out. The Empress Dowager was a little tired. She slightly raised her eyes and asked, "Is she still kneeling?"

“She’s kneeling. If you don’t let her get up, how dare she get up?” Eunuch Liu replied.

"She's a sensible girl. Since she's been kneeling for so long, let her in."

The Empress Dowager, having vented her anger, did not intend to punish Fang Xiaoran further. Eunuch Liu bowed and withdrew, then walked up to Fang Xiaoran and said in a high-pitched voice, "The Empress Dowager summons you in."

Upon hearing this, Fang Xiaoran immediately stood up. Although her legs were a little sore and numb, it didn't matter. After standing up, she circulated her internal energy slightly, and the soreness and numbness disappeared. Then she walked steadily toward the door.

Seeing that she was still nimble despite kneeling for so long, Eunuch Liu couldn't help but feel curious. Let alone a delicate girl, even a burly man would probably find it hard to kneel for so long.

Upon entering the Cining Palace, Fang Xiaoran could vaguely see the Empress Dowager's reclining figure through the screen. She first performed a grand salute outside the screen, and upon hearing the Empress Dowager's invitation to enter, she rose and slowly walked behind the screen, then bowed to the Empress Dowager again.

This time, the Empress Dowager did not tell her to get up directly, but coldly said, "Raise your head."

Hearing this, Fang Xiaoran dared not be negligent and immediately raised her head. Looking at the face that was very similar to Bai Qiqi's, the Empress Dowager couldn't help but sigh, "You are Bai Qiqi's daughter? You do resemble her somewhat, but your personalities are completely different. If you had learned a little from her, you wouldn't have caused so much trouble."

"Your Majesty's reprimand is correct. I will certainly correct these faults in the future," Fang Xiaoran replied humbly.

After glancing at her, the Empress Dowager said indifferently, "I'm not lecturing you, but just reminding you that being too sharp always attracts criticism."

Fang Xiaoran replied obediently, "This subject will remember."

Unexpectedly, Fang Xiaoran was so well-behaved that no one could find fault with her. However, she did make Zhou Qin unhappy, so the Empress Dowager still had to give her a warning.

"Qin'er is still your sister-in-law. How could you treat her with disrespect after she married far away, and even cause her to lose face and suffer all kinds of grievances?" The Empress Dowager's face darkened and her tone became stern.

Although the Zhou family was only a distant relative of the Empress Dowager, the Zhou family was large and powerful, and the Zhou father and son had a promising future. Naturally, the Empress Dowager wanted to win them over, which is why she doted on Zhou Qin and on the surface she was going to make decisions for Zhou Qin.

Knowing the implications, Fang Xiaoran didn't bother arguing. After all, the Empress Dowager was just trying to vent Zhou Qin's anger and didn't really intend to make things difficult for her.

Fang Xiaoran immediately bowed deeply and said respectfully, "This humble woman knows her mistake and will definitely apologize to my sister-in-law when I return."

The Empress Dowager thought Fang Xiaoran would at least argue back, but to her surprise, she directly admitted her mistake and even apologized. The Empress Dowager's impression of Fang Xiaoran changed completely; she was clearly not as unreasonable as Zhou Qin had described.

Moreover, although the Empress Dowager dotes on Zhou Qin, she knows Zhou Qin's temperament all too well. The fact that she and Fang Xiaoran have fallen out like this is mostly because Zhou Qin took the initiative to provoke trouble.

So the Empress Dowager waved her hand and said wearily, "Alright, since that's the case, you may go back now."

As soon as she finished speaking, the Empress Dowager was about to get up when her expression suddenly changed. She clutched her chest and looked pained. Seeing this, the maidservant hurriedly asked, "Is your chest hurting again? I will go and fetch the imperial physician right away."

"No need. Just take some medicine to ease the pain. They can't see my illness and always prescribe some unpalatable medicine. It gives me a headache." The Empress Dowager shook her head weakly.

Seeing this, Fang Xiaoran said, "May I take your pulse? I have learned some medical skills from my mother, and perhaps I can treat you."

Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager was pleasantly surprised and said, "I trust Bai Qiqi's true teachings. Come, if you can alleviate my illness, I will reward you handsomely."

Fang Xiaoran rose and slowly walked to the Empress Dowager's side, knelt down, held the Empress Dowager's wrist to take her pulse, and asked about her condition. After understanding the general situation, Fang Xiaoran said, "You have a heart ailment. The condition is quite complicated and requires slow treatment. However, I can now administer acupuncture to relieve your pain."

"Alright, proceed with the acupuncture." The Empress Dowager was pale, breathing rapidly, and her voice was extremely weak. This time, her heart ailment had come on fiercely, more severe than before. Usually, the pain would subside after a while, but this time it was difficult to relieve; otherwise, she would never have agreed to acupuncture.

"Please trouble you, Aunt, to fetch some silver needles," Fang Xiaoran said to the maid. The maid rose and, a moment later, prepared the silver needles and handed them to Fang Xiaoran. She took them, examined them carefully, and after confirming that they were correct, had the Empress Dowager lie down and began administering the acupuncture.

At first, the Empress Dowager was a little nervous, but she was relieved when the first needle pierced her skin without any pain. The next few needles gradually relaxed her and the pain began to subside.

An hour later, the Empress Dowager had fully recovered. Fang Xiaoran removed the silver needles, and the Empress Dowager felt refreshed and even seemed to have become a few years younger.

"You really have inherited your mother's skills. You are indeed very capable. When I was seriously ill, the imperial physicians were helpless. Fortunately, your mother came to the palace to treat me. Otherwise, I am afraid I would not be alive today."

"You flatter me. I only know a little bit about it, not even a tenth as much as Mother."

"That's enough. At least it can cure my illness. From now on, I'll entrust this illness to you. Hua Ling, go and fetch my token." The Empress Dowager was naturally happy that her condition had improved. She ordered her maid to fetch the token and give it to Fang Xiaoran, saying, "This token allows you to freely enter and leave the palace. You can come directly for your follow-up appointments."

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Fang Xiaoran quickly bowed and expressed her gratitude. This was an immense honor, one that most people would not be qualified to receive. It was clear that the Empress Dowager was indeed satisfied with Fang Xiaoran, as her heart ailment had troubled her for many years. Now that Fang Xiaoran could be cured, the Empress Dowager was naturally happy.