As soon as these words were spoken, the entire sleeping quarters fell into a dead silence. Even the few princes who had been mocking Lu Yuan monts ago were instantly rendered speechless.
ng Qianqian stared blankly at Lu Yuan.
His "enough" was not a re cessation, but rather a declaration that we have enough to take a gamble.
But she had less than a thirty percent chance of success.
"I object!"
The Princess Wanping, who had been dragged out by palace attendants, suddenly broke free and rushed back into the hall. "Take back what you said imdiately!"
Zong Zhengxi was astonished: "Royal Sister."
The Second Prince frowned: "Wanping."
The Third Prince and others, as well as the Imperial Physicians in the hall, were equally baffled, clearly unable to understand the Princess Wanping’s attitude towards Lu Yuan.
Though there was no substantive evidence that Lu Yuan was involved in the Crown Prince’s death, everyone knew his death was inseparable from him.
As the Crown Prince’s sister, the Princess Wanping ought to hate Lu Yuan. Why did she care so much about his life and death?
Lu Yuan neither looked at the Princess Wanping nor paid heed to the astonishnt of the crowd; he rely addressed Zong Zhengxi and the princes, "Now, can I allow my wife to treat the Supre Emperor’s illness?"
Zong Zhengxi hesitated to respond.
Father’s illness had baffled the Imperial Physicians. Could Lu Yuan’s wife truly have the ability to cure him?
If she failed, Lu Yuan would have to accompany Father into death.
Zong Zhengxi clenched his fingers and made an exceptionally bold decision in his heart. Blocking Lu Yuan and ng Qianqian’s path, he said, "All these Imperial Physicians are at a loss. Why trouble Madam Lu? Madam Lu was invited into the palace by —I surely wouldn’t harm Father!"
Princess Wanping pointed at ng Qianqian. "But she could harm Lu Yuan! What if she deliberately fails to save Father?"
Zong Zhengxi was infuriated. "Royal Sister!"
Whose side are you on?
Initially, the Imperial Physicians were almost convinced by His Majesty’s words. The interruption from the Princess Wanping had undone all progress.
"The Pri Minister must have no objections?" Lu Yuan’s gaze shifted to Pri Minister Xun, who had remained silent all along.
Pri Minister Xun looked at the princes. "What do the princes think?"
Of course, the princes hoped that Lu Yuan would accompany the Supre Emperor into death. This treacherous minister had once suppressed them incessantly.
The Second Prince said sternly, "Then it’s settled! Madam Lu, please proceed!"
ng Qianqian first asked palace attendants to fetch a basin of clean water. She carefully washed her hands with soap, then stepped forward to the Supre Emperor’s bed. Taking out a clean handkerchief, she placed it on the Supre Emperor’s wrist to check his pulse.
Lady Yan stared straight at ng Qianqian, her gaze never wavering.
As ng Qianqian checked the pulse, she glanced at a palace attendant kneeling by the bedside.
Oddly enough, this person wasn’t Eunuch Fu.
"Where is Eunuch Fu?"
ng Qianqian asked as if casually.
The palace attendant replied, "Eunuch Fu fell ill, so it has been this servant taking care of the Supre Emperor these past few days. This servant’s na is Jiang Dehai."
He carried himself with considerable humility.
ng Qianqian responded with a simple "hm," withdrew her hand from the pulse check, then gently flipped open the thin blanket covering the Supre Emperor and loosened his inner garnts.
Faint red rashes were visible on his chest and abdon—sothing absent in Yu Zichuan’s recorded dical case notes. It appeared these had just erged.
ng Qianqian’s fingertips moved to the lower edge of the Supre Emperor’s right rib.
His liver was swollen.
While the spleen couldn’t be palpated, ng Qianqian speculated that it too was likely swollen.
"The only inconsistency lies in the pulse."
ng Qianqian pondered for a mont, washed her hands again, took out a silver needle, and lifted the Supre Emperor’s trouser legs. She inserted the needle into the Zhu Bin acupoint above the San Yin Jiao.
The Imperial Physicians watched her procedure, stunned.
The Left Hospital Director asked, "This is..."
The Right Hospital Director, Hu, added, "Zhu Bin acupoint runs along the kidney ridian and can facilitate detoxification. Is she trying to expel the dicinal toxins from the Supre Emperor’s body?"
dicine is three parts poison; those who take dication for years accumulate toxins in their liver and kidneys.
But the Supre Emperor hadn’t taken dicine for even ten days. There was no need to expel dicinal toxins.
No—
She was dispersing the dicinal efficacy within the Supre Emperor’s body!
The Right Hospital Director exclaid, "The Supre Emperor’s life has been sustained by dicine. Dispelling the dicinal efficacy would leave the Supre Emperor..."
...on the brink of death.
He nearly blurted out that the Supre Emperor might die, but luckily stopped himself just in ti. rely uttering a curse against the Supre Emperor was enough for a death sentence.
"Foolishness! Utter foolishness!"
Another Imperial Physician declared, "The Qihuang Skill is vast and profound. Even we dare not claim complete mastery. How dare a re housewife, who learned so tricks from who-knows-where, proclaim herself a Divine Doctor and enter the palace to treat the Supre Emperor?"
This comnt seemingly insulted Lady Yan as well.
Another Imperial Physician added, "Maybe she’s simply here for fa!"
To them, ng Qianqian was an amateur; her so-called treatnt of the Supre Emperor was rely a superficial performance. And once the Imperial Hospital cured the Supre Emperor, she could claim credit.
The world has always been harsh toward won, societal prejudices deep-rooted across thousands of years. How many truly respected won in earnest?
Lady Yan spat back, "Bah! If you’re so skilled, step up and try yourselves! At least I’ve diagnosed that the Supre Emperor isn’t suffering from a warm illness. Unlike you lot at the Imperial Hospital, who all assud it was a warm illness, thereby delaying the Supre Emperor’s treatnt! Have you no sha!"
Go eat shit!
"You... you..."
Two Imperial Physicians wanted to argue back, but seeing Pri Minister Xun standing near Lady Yan, they swallowed their words.
They looked toward Dean Yang, hoping their superior would speak up for them. But Dean Yang was watching with more focus than anyone.
After a quarter of an hour, ng Qianqian checked the pulse of the Supre Emperor again: "It’s finally correct now."
She stepped down from the footstool and addressed the crowd: "The Supre Emperor is suffering from an epidemic disease."
The Left Hospital Director and the Right Hospital Director spoke in unison: "Epidemic disease?"
The princes’ faces changed simultaneously, and almost instinctively, they raised their sleeves slightly.
Lady Yan mocked, "Oh, so suddenly these are concerned sons now, eh? Weren’t you doubting her dical skills just a mont ago? But now you hear it’s an epidemic, and you imdiately want to cover your noses and mouths?"
The Fifth Prince countered, "We didn’t!"
Dean Yang quickly approached the bed and examined the Supre Emperor. "Early warm illness manifests as: pathogens at the Wei level, pulse floating and rapid. You used silver needle acupuncture to disperse the dicinal effects, reverting the pulse to its normal state."
ng Qianqian nodded. "Correct. After the acupuncture, the floating pulse disappeared."
Dean Yang elaborated: "Relative to a slow pulse, chest rashes of pale red color, liver enlargent, high fever, stomach pain, poor appetite, and bowel dysfunction—these symptoms confirm an epidemic disease."
"It... it really is an epidemic disease?"
The Fifth Prince staggered back, bumped into a chair, and fell heavily onto the floor.
The Second and Third Princes, disregardful of their dignity, imdiately pulled up their sleeves to cover their mouths and noses.
With the confirmation of an epidemic, and its high contagion risk, everyone else was escorted out—leaving only ng Qianqian, several Imperial Physicians, and the serving palace attendants behind.
"I’ll stay as well."
Lu Yuan declared.
ng Qianqian said, "Your presence won’t help. It would only an one more person at risk of infection. I’ve already been exposed to the Supre Emperor. You’re different; this epidemic isn’t transmitted through respiration—you’re safe."
Lu Yuan extended his hand.
ng Qianqian stepped back. "Investigate the water sources, wear gloves, and don’t touch any of the palace food carelessly."
After her instructions, she resolutely shut the door before him.
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