Chapter 397: Entering the Palace

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

After all the unrelated people left, only Emperor Jingxuan and Xiao Zhonghua were left in the imperial study.

Among Emperor Jing Xuan’s many sons, his eldest son, Xiao Duye, had the most real power—the Associate Imperial Guard, and his second son, Xiao Jinyan, had the highest official position. He was the imperial envoy of Youzhou, and his third son, Xiao Zhonghua, was not the most valued.

The reason why he arranged a marriage for him with the Qin family was that the Eldest Prince and the Second Prince were already married. He could not let the daughter of the Protector Duke be the Secondary Consort of the Prince with military power.

As for his younger brothers, it was either their mother’s family background was not good enough or they were too young to be suitable.

In the eyes of outsiders, Xiao Zhonghua knew how much Emperor Jing Xuan doted on him.

He would not think that his father liked him so much just because this marriage landed on him.

To put it bluntly, his father just had no choice.

Emperor Jing Xuan said, “Although it was an accident that something like this happened to Qin Yanran and your brother, you’ve suffered.”

Xiao Zhonghua said nothing.

If he were to say that he did not feel aggrieved at all, he would seem angry.

Xiao Zhonghua had already guessed what Emperor Jingxuan wanted to say to him.

If it was her—

Emperor Jing Xuan said calmly, “Your wedding date with the Qin family was originally scheduled for May. It’s already April…”

Xiao Zhonghua said seriously, “Father, she’s already married in the countryside. Father, do you want me to marry a married woman?”

Emperor Jing Xuan said indifferently, “If you have someone you like, just take her as your secondary consort.”

“Father…”

“Your Majesty! Your Majesty!”

Eunuch Quan walked over anxiously. “Something’s wrong! The Empress Dowager… fainted!”

Emperor Jing Xuan’s expression changed. “What!”

The Empress Dowager suddenly had an emergency and was unconscious. Many imperial physicians, led by Hu Jiusheng, gathered in Yongshou Palace to urgently discuss treatment plans.

Emperor Jing xuan entered the Empress Dowager’s bedroom with a dignified expression.

Looking at the withered Empress Dowager on the phoenix bed, Emperor Jing Xuan’s aura was extremely cold.

“What’s going on? Didn’t they say that the Empress Dowager has improved?” The imperial physicians fell silent.

Hu Jiusheng emboldened himself and cupped his hands. “Your Majesty, after I changed the prescription for the Empress Dowager, her illness has indeed improved…”

Emperor Jingxuan said in a low voice, “Then why did she suddenly faint?”

Hu Jiusheng was also puzzled, but he could not show it. Otherwise, people would doubt his medical skills.

He cupped his hands and said, “This… please allow me to take the Empress Dowager’s pulse carefully.”

Emperor Jingxuan suppressed the anger in his heart and agreed to Imperial Physician Hu’s request.

Hu Jiusheng took his pulse with a troubled expression.

“How is it?” Emperor Jingxuan asked.

Hu Jiusheng braced himself and said, “Empress Dowager… was overthinking…”

Emperor Jing Xuan’s voice darkened. “Overthinking again. Can’t you say anything else?! You’re the imperial physician. I called you here to ask you to treat the Empress Dowager’s illness, not to brush me off with a sentence!”

The emperor was abnormally agitated.

Imperial Physician Hu was really a little wronged.

In a few days, it would be the death anniversary of Prince of Nanyang. The Empress Dowager would usually fall ill at this time.

It was all because she missed the Prince of Nanyang.

As the saying went, it was a disease of the heart and mind. The Empress Dowager was indulging in the pain of losing her eldest son. What could they, as imperial physicians, do?

If one had to ask why she had survived in the past but could not be treated this time, it was because the Empress Dowager was aging and her body was not as strong as before. It would become more and more dangerous every year.

Emperor Jingxuan knew that the Empress Dowager was suffering from a mental illness, so he was even angrier.

He was the one who killed the Prince of Nanyang. He was the one who caused the Empress Dowager to suffer from heartache. Other than missing her eldest son, the Empress Dowager hated her youngest son every day.

“I don’t care what method you have. If you can’t treat the Empress Dowager, bring your heads to see me!”

With that, Emperor Jingxuan flicked his sleeve and left.

“What should we do?”

An imperial physician asked softly.

“Court Commissioner, do you have any ideas?”

Another imperial physician asked.

Hu Jiusheng muttered to himself, “If only I had a way.”

“It’s really not that our medical skills are not good. It’s really…” An imperial physician was halfway through his sentence when Hu Jiusheng glared at him and he tactfully swallowed his words.

Hu Jiusheng returned to the Imperial Hospital and took out a yellowed handwritten letter from a pile of old medical books.

This letter was left behind by Imperial Physician Fu back then. It recorded many acupuncture techniques for difficult illnesses. He carefully studied it for an hour and discovered that one of the acupuncture techniques might be able to relieve the Empress Dowager’s symptoms.

However, this acupuncture technique was dangerous. Imperial Physician Fu had written it clearly—if one was unwell, it might backfire.

“There’s no other way now. If I can’t treat the Empress Dowager, I’ll die anyway.”

Hu Jiusheng’s strength was that he was bold and dared to try.

He went to Yongshou Palace and used Imperial Physician Fu’s acupuncture. Fifteen minutes later, the Empress Dowager really woke up slowly. When she woke up, she felt hungry and actually ate half a bowl of porridge.

This made the palace servants extremely happy.

She had an appetite. This meant that she was getting better!

Hu Jiuzheng heaved a sigh of relief. Their heads were finally saved.

However, before he could be happy for long, the Empress Dowager’s situation changed drastically in the evening and she suddenly lost her hearing!

The Empress Dowager was awake, but she could not hear anything. She was also dizzy and nauseous.

The entire Imperial Hospital panicked.

Hu Jiusheng panicked even more. He had expected that this acupuncture technique had failed. It was not that his technique was bad, but this acupuncture technique was not effective for everyone.

If there were side effects, it would be irreversible.

As Emperor Jing Xuan looked at the imperial physicians kneeling on the ground, killing intent flashed across his eyes.

“Your Majesty, the Third Prince requests an audience,” Eunuch Fu reported in a low voice.

“Why is he here?” Emperor Jing Xuan did not want to see him. “It seems to be for the Empress Dowager’s illness,” Eunuch Fu said. Emperor Jingxuan said impatiently, “Let him in.”

The young eunuch brought Xiao Zhonghua into the Empress Dowager’s bedroom.

Xiao Zhonghua did not waste his breath and went straight to the point. “Father, I want to recommend a physician.”

Emperor Jing Xuan asked, “A common physician?”

Xiao Zhonghua said, “Yes, this physician’s medical skills are brilliant. She’s not inferior to a imperial physician. She might be able to treat my grandmother’s illness. ”

Emperor Jing Xuan did not believe in common doctors. After all, the best medical skills were in the Imperial Hospital.

But now, the Imperial Physician Hospital was helpless— Emperor Jing Xuan said, “Who?”

Xiao Zhonghua said seriously, “The daughter of the Protector Duke, Su Daya.”

At the entrance of Yongshou Palace, Xiao Zhonghua bumped into Princess Jingning, who had come to attend to the illness with the Empress.

“Mother.” Xiao Zhonghua bowed respectfully.

The Empress nodded and walked into the Eternal Life Palace.

“Third Brother.” Princess Jingning stopped him. “I heard that you were terminally ill in Qingzhou. It was Miss Su who treated you.”

Xiao Zhonghua nodded. “That’s true.”

Princess Jing Ning asked coldly, “Then do you know that if she can’t treat Grandmother, Father will vent his anger on her? Father was just worrying about not having an excuse to deal with Su Cheng when you gave him something to use against him..”

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