Chapter 291: Medicine Arrives
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
‘Hurry up and announce it!” the Emperor ordered sternly. His usually gentle voice couldn’t hide his anxiety and worry.
‘Your Majesty, I’ve already sent someone to announce Shangqing Spiritual Master,” the palace maid in charge said nervously. ‘But Shangqing Spiritual Master’s hand is broken.’
Broken hand?! The Emperor frowned and narrowed his eyes. This was too sudden.
Eunuch Zhao Rang carefully added, “Shangqing Spiritual Master is an expert recommended by the Yu family.”
The sleeping hall fell silent.
There was only the low, pained moan of An Le and the crackle of the coals burning in the charcoal brazier.
” The Emperor frowned, his expression grave. His thoughts went back to five years ago.
That summer, An Le suddenly fell seriously ill. At that time, the Emperor, who was still the Crown Prince, had found all the imperial physicians, famous doctors, Daoist priests, and medical women in the capital and even the surrounding areas to treat An Le.
However, it was all in vain. An Le’s condition deteriorated, and she became more and more ill. In the end, she was left hanging on by her last breath. In less than ten days, her life was in danger.
He’d spent those days guarding his daughter day and night, almost thinking he was going to see his daughter off.
Until the Yu family recommended the Shangqing Spiritual Master of the Wuliang Temple.
The Shangqing Spiritual Master was indeed a little talented. He was skilled in both Daoist medicine and medicine. He used his divine power to pull An Le back from the gates of hell.
After that, An Le’s body weakened, and she had always been sickly. From time to time, she would catch a cold or have a headache, but these were only considered minor illnesses. Sometimes, when she was seriously ill, she would be bedridden for a month or two. The imperial physicians couldn’t even distinguish her illness and were helpless about it. Every time, it was Shangqing Spiritual Master who came to the East Palace to extend her life.
He knew that he had to sit on this dragon throne for his children.
If he was crippled, his son would probably stay in the State of Yue for the rest of his life and never be able to return to the country. His daughter would also be treated badly…
There was silence.
The quieter it was, the more obvious the moans of comfort and weakness became. It was as if an invisible net was tightening the Emperor’s heart.
‘The Yu family…” The Emperor snorted softly. His eyelids, which were slightly lowered because of his age, curled into a cold and thoughtful expression.
It was obvious that the Yu family, or rather, those aristocratic families, wanted to use the eldest princess to control him, the Emperor.
The Emperor clenched his right hand into a fist and knocked it repeatedly on his knee, as if he was venting something.
At this moment, An Lets chest heaved rapidly on the couch, and her breathing became heavier. Her cheeks on both sides were so red that they looked like they were about to bleed.
The palace maid in charge tested the temperature of her forehead and said in panic, “Your Majesty, Her Highness’s fever has worsened.’
“Anle!” The Emperor was so anxious that his face turned pale. He raised his voice and shouted, “Imperial physician, quickly take a look at An Le.”
There was a period of chaos in the sleeping hall.
A few kneeling imperial physicians hurriedly stood up and surrounded the bed.
The Emperor got up from the side of the couch and tried to get out of the way, but he was in too much of a hurry. His vision darkened again, and his feet were a little unsteady. He almost fell, but fortunately, Zhao Rang caught him in time.
The Emperor’s face turned even paler. In his panic, his forehead throbbed, and he hurriedly said, “Call.
He paused, then changed his words decisively. ‘Call the British Duke.”
The Emperor’s old eyes shone with determination. His thin body was straight, but there was also a faint hint of exhaustion and weakness.
He would never lower his head to the aristocratic families. Once he did, it would ruin the situation that his son had painstakingly set up.
‘Yes, Your Majesty,” the eunuch, Zhao Rang, quickly replied. He looked at the Emperor worriedly.
The Emperor’s dragon body was weak to begin with. If anything really happened to the eldest princess, it would definitely be a fatal blow to the Emperor.
Zhao Rang didn’t dare to delay and hurriedly left to pass on a message.
A moment later, the British Duke Fang Huairui, who had been summoned back by the eunuch before he left the palace, hurried over in a daze and left in a hurry, sweating profusely.
A thick layer of dark clouds slowly condensed above the imperial city, emitting an uncomfortable aura.
More than an hour later, Shangqing Spiritual Master entered the palace in the carriage of the British Duke.
‘Greetings, Your Majesty.”
Shangqing Spiritual Master bowed to the Emperor in a neither servile nor overbearing manner. His wide green Daoist robe made him look as thin as a matchstick, and he held a new white horsetail whisk.
This was Shangqing?! The Emperor was shocked. His eyes widened, and he stared at the Daoist in front of him in shock.
Although Shangqing Spiritual Master’s hands weren’t broken, he looked as if his essence had been sucked out of him. He looked haggard; half of his once-black hair was silver, and his eyes and cheeks were deeply sunken. He was so thin that he was only skin and bones. No, it should be said that he looked like a living, dried-up corpse and was no longer as sage-like as before. The Emperor sized up the Shangqing Spiritual Master in bewilderment. For a moment, he almost suspected that the other party had climbed out of the coffin.
The Emperor glanced at Fang Huairui, who was beside him. Fang Huairui nodded imperceptibly, meaning that this was indeed Shangqing Spiritual Master.
Fang Huairui knew that there was nothing else for him to do, so he tactfully left.
‘Shangqing, go over and see the Eldest Princess.” The Emperor rubbed his eyebrows. His temples were still throbbing.
Shangqing Spiritual Master bowed again and walked around a screen towards the comfortable bed. As he walked, his clothes fluttered.
From behind, he had the same detached bearing as before.
The two palace maids carefully pressed down on An Le’s limbs, afraid that she would hurt herself.
The imperial physicians had just given An Le acupuncture and a cold compress to her forehead, but she still didn’t improve at all. Even her nose and mouth began to bleed, and her eyeballs under her eyelids trembled.
The Emperor’s heart had been in midair. It was more like a million needles were stabbing him, and he wished he could suffer for his daughter.
At the side, Zhao Rang comforted the Emperor. “Your Majesty, Shangqing
Spiritual Master’s skill is profound and he has the ability to ‘revive the dead’.
The Eldest Princess is blessed by the heavens and will definitely be saved.”
Shangqing Spiritual Master’s back was facing the Emperor as he looked at An Le on the couch. His silver whisk flicked a few times as he calculated and muttered to himself…
The palace servants present held their breaths and didn’t dare disturb him.
A moment later, Shangqing Spiritual Master took out a small porcelain bottle from his sleeve pocket and handed it to the palace maid in charge beside him.
“Feed this pill to the Eldest Princess first.’
The palace maid took the small porcelain bottle and opened the lid to take a look.
Inside the bottle was a red pill the size of a pinky. It was no different from the one An Le had taken before.
After reporting to the Emperor, the palace maid in charge worked together with another palace maid. One helped An Le up, and the other stuffed the pill into An Le ts mouth.
They were all people who took care of An Le daily and were very nimble.
There was a gurgle.
The pill slid down her throat and into her body.
The palace maid in charge held her breath and stared unblinkingly at the unconscious An Le…
After a while, the palace maid in charge shouted excitedly, “Her Highness is no longer twitching… Her fever has also begun to subside!”