After returning to the capital, the eldest daughter saved her entire clan with her medical skills.

"Alright, if Ruanruan doesn't need any medicinal herbs, Third Grandmother will convert them into silver for you. It just so happens that my family sent a piece of Yun brocade a few days ago. I'll have my maid bring it to you when I get back."

The Third Madam smiled broadly and, amidst laughter and conversation, presented the priceless brocade sent by her maternal family.

Yun brocade, with its bright and lustrous colors, resembles colorful clouds in the sky. Its exquisite and dense workmanship and intricate and delicate patterns have historically made it a tribute to the palace.

The artisans selected the finest silk threads and, through multiple processes and various techniques, wove them into beautifully patterned and soft silk fabrics.

The production process is extremely complex, and the craftsmanship is so exquisite that it is said to be "worth its weight in gold."

The Third Madam's family was wealthy, and every year they would send her a bolt of brocade to make new clothes.

But how could she bear to wear such fine fabric herself and give it all to the younger generation?

The brocade hasn't been distributed yet this year, and none of the daughters-in-law and granddaughters-in-law have any objections.

Only someone as beautiful as my sister-in-law could be worthy of such a wonderful thing.

"Madam, the Lady of Yongchang Marquis has brought a large amount of things to the door."

The servant rushed over to deliver the news.

"The Marquis of Yongchang's residence? Isn't that my nephew's wife's family home? Why would they come to our residence?"

The old lady glanced at the eldest old lady, her face full of doubt. Logically speaking, even if the wife of the Marquis of Yongchang came, she should go to her sister-in-law's place.

The old lady remembered that the other day her eldest granddaughter-in-law had asked her niece to treat her younger sister from her maternal family. She realized that her in-laws must have come to the General's Mansion to express their gratitude.

"My mother is here? I'll go see her first."

Just moments before, Madam Dong was worried about her third sister's scabies. Upon hearing that her mother had rushed to the mansion, she feared that something might have happened to her third sister again, and hurriedly walked towards the courtyard.

Xue Ruanruan looked up and saw that Lady Yongchang had already entered the front yard, her face beaming with smiles. She greeted the three old ladies with proper courtesy.

“A rare guest indeed, Madam Hou, please don’t stand on ceremony, please come inside.”

The old lady was a generation older than the wife of the Marquis of Yongchang, and received a great courtesy from her.

"Grandma, I've come today to express my gratitude."

Lady Hou smiled and glanced at Xue Ruanruan, in a very good mood, as if she had encountered a great joy.

"Madam Hou, what makes you say that? What good news is this?"

"Old Madam, I've come to thank the eldest young lady of the manor. A couple of days ago, Rou'er took her back to treat her sister's illness. Today, my third daughter's scabies has mostly healed. The Marquis instructed me to make sure to thank the eldest young lady properly."

Madam Dong explained the whole story to everyone, but omitted the fact that her youngest daughter had hanged herself.

The youngest daughter is not yet engaged, and if her reputation is ruined, it will affect her marriage prospects.

"So that's how it is. We've all benefited from Ruan Ruan's kindness."

The matriarch looked at her in-laws and sincerely thanked Xue Ruanruan.

"That's right. We consulted so many doctors before, and they all said that my daughter's scabies couldn't be cured. But after just a few doses of medicine from Miss, Wan'er's scabies were mostly healed."

Lady Hou looked radiant and showed no signs of the fatigue she had shown in the previous days.

Only then did Madam Dong feel completely relieved, at least her beauty and health-preserving pill hadn't been wasted.

"They're all relatives, so why bring so many gifts?"

The old lady looked at the valuable gifts piled up in the yard and exchanged a few polite words.

"Old Madam, please don't refuse. This is all what the young lady deserves. Even this is too little for the Marquis."

Lady Hou was grateful to Xue Ruanruan and did not feel any remorse for giving her these things. At the same time, she also wanted to be on good terms with the General's Mansion.

When their daughter was married off to the eldest son of the Xue family, both she and the Marquis were unhappy. However, Rou'er had a strong personality and insisted on marrying the eldest son of the Xue family. They had no choice but to prepare some dowry and marry him off.

In recent years, the two families have had very little contact.

In the imperial court, the Marquis kept his distance from the General of the State's Mansion, fearing that he would be alienated by the Emperor.

Things are different now. The first thing the Regent Prince did after returning to the capital was to deal with the embezzlement case of disaster relief funds for the floods in Jiangnan, and he appointed Xue Yan's former subordinate, a general who had served as the Grand General of the State.

In addition, the eldest daughter of the Xue family possesses medical skills; who can guarantee that she won't get sick or suffer from any mishaps in the future? We'll inevitably have to trouble her.

More importantly, since the Regent took power, he has treated the Xue family differently. Other ministers dare not even breathe loudly, for fear of being made an example of and becoming victims.

The Marquis once whispered that the Emperor's health was failing and the Regent's power was immense, suggesting that the court was about to undergo a major upheaval.

"Since Madam Hou is so sincere, I will shamelessly accept it for Ruan Ruan."

After everyone left, Xue Ruanruan was so hungry that her stomach was practically sticking to her back, and she wished she could devour a whole cow.

On the frontier, a blizzard is raging.

Compared to the prosperity of the capital, the border regions were frequently embroiled in war, with constant flames of conflict.

The blizzard lashed at the soldiers' resolute faces like knives, turning their thin but upright bodies white.

They were clad in heavy armor, wielding sharp weapons, and ready for battle.

The enemy formation in the distance gradually approached, with banners fluttering and drums thundering.

Inside the military tent, Xue Qing stared intently at the sand table map before him, his expression solemn and deep.

His father has disappeared without a trace. After his elder brother fell off the cliff, he immediately sent people to search for him, but so far they have not found any clues about his brother. It is as if he has vanished into thin air.

If the current situation were not so urgent and fraught with danger, he would have personally ridden out to find them.

However, at this moment, he knew he bore an important responsibility and could not leave easily.

Just then, a soldier clad in armor and gripping a long sword hurriedly arrived outside Xue Qing's tent.

"My lord, our provisions have run out, and even the dry grass and straw that our warhorses ate have been taken by the soldiers to fill their bellies."

A report came in that dozens more warhorses had starved to death. If food wasn't found soon, the soldiers might not even last seven days.

The soldier reported to Xue Qing with an anxious expression and a hurried tone.

"Okay, you can go now."

This news made Xue Qing, who was already in a heavy mood, even more silent. His thin lips were slightly pursed, and his fists were clenched, as if he was trying his best to endure something.

The army's provisions had long been exhausted. Before his father disappeared, he had repeatedly petitioned the court for supplies, but the court had not responded.

In the past, it would have been fine; at least they could support themselves by finding grass roots and tree bark to barely fill their stomachs.

But it is now the dead of winter, and there have been several blizzards since the beginning of winter, with snow accumulation reaching more than three feet deep. Even if there is food on the ground, it is extremely difficult to find.

Left with no other choice, he could only write a letter back to the capital to seek help from his grandmother and mother.

Before the supplies arrived, he had to ensure that his soldiers did not starve to death and had to compete with their warhorses for food. He ordered that the dry grass and stalks reserved for the horses be cooked and distributed among them.

The Xue family members were utterly loyal to the royal family, sacrificing their lives for the country. Countless heroic men died on the battlefield, never to return to the capital.

The emperor clearly intends to cut off the Xue family army's retreat and put them to death. Then, he can fabricate a charge of failing to resist the enemy and wipe them all out in one fell swoop.

What a vicious intention!