“I don’t dare, I don’t dare…”

Little Prince Sima’s terrified cries came from the room, even mixed with some sobbing.

“It’s alright, don’t be afraid,” Qi Yue said, placing her hand on the Little Prince’s abdomen.

The Little Prince was truly about to cry.

“What are you going to do…” he cried out in a trembling voice, gasping for breath.

“Listen to me, cough,” Qi Yue said, pressing her hands together toward the center.

The Little Prince screamed in fright but successfully coughed.

A’Ru wiped the sweat from his brow.

Little Prince Sima lay back down, his face pale – clearly quite frightened.

“How old are you? Don’t cry like a child,” Qi Yue said, having re-examined the incision, changed the dressing, and tied the abdominal band. She stood up looking at Little Prince Sima with a smile and patted his arm.

Little Prince Sima instinctively shrank his arm back, fear appearing on his face.

This impossibly beautiful woman now appeared to him like a demon.

When he had awakened yesterday, he didn’t know what had happened to him for a moment. He only remembered his stomach hurting so much he nearly died, but was he still alive now? Yet the sensations his body conveyed to him felt as if he were about to die, and then he heard his attendants and concubines crying and shouting as they explained.

He had actually been cut open in the stomach!

Little Prince Sima nearly fainted from fright in that instant. He didn’t dare look at his own stomach, but he could clearly feel that incision…

Looking at the strange iron tubes and bottles hanging from his arm, the people around him wearing white coats with their heads and faces covered…

Everything was an incomprehensible scene…

Before his eyes appeared the image of that woman holding a knife and grinning wickedly as she stabbed it into his stomach…

The woman’s voice berating his attendants and concubines also reached him.

If I cure him, it’s my skill. If I can’t cure him, it’s his fate…

How terrifying! How dare she say such things!

Of course, the key issue wasn’t that she dared to say it, but that no one stopped her when she did!

This was the Empress Dowager’s palace, and he could hear sounds of the Emperor coming and going outside, so this woman had already received permission!

No one would stop her!

Even if she really killed him, it wouldn’t matter!

Someone pushed the door open and entered, the wheelchair squeaking as it turned.

In the past, seeing this person and hearing this sound would make Little Prince Sima as excited as a beast seeing prey, but now he only shuddered.

“There is some abdominal distension,” Old Physician An said. “Master, do you have any good methods?”

Qi Yue waved her hand.

“I don’t. Do whatever you think is best,” she said.

Little Prince Sima watched this old white-haired man who had killed his brother wheel his chair to his feet, open his medicine box, and take out silver needles. A chilling sensation instantly traveled from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.

Father! Help me!

“The critical period has preliminarily passed. Little Prince Sima is recovering well, his gastrointestinal function is good, and he’s already begun eating. Family members can also visit and provide care,” Qi Yue said, flipping through the medical records in her hand.

The Emperor sat before her looking at memorials, not knowing whether he had listened.

“Your Majesty, this subject has finished speaking,” Qi Yue said, closing the book.

“If you’re finished, then wait. No need to remind me,” the Emperor said indifferently, his gaze not leaving the memorial.

Qi Yue pursed her lips inwardly. Watching the Emperor contemplate for a moment before picking up his brush to write a few characters on the memorial – since he was focused on busy reviewing memorials, he could ask about the illness when he was free.

Qi Yue simply lowered her head and looked through her book again.

The room was quiet and silent.

A eunuch entered with his head lowered, glancing at Cai Zhong who stood to the side as if he didn’t exist.

Cai Zhong glared at him and shook his head.

The eunuch looked troubled and had to lower his head, standing silently to the side.

The Emperor set down the memorial and reached for his tea, glancing at the woman on this side.

She stood there, head lowered looking at the book in her hands. Her posture wasn’t particularly good, as she was slightly lifting one foot to scratch her other calf. The hem of her skirt swayed, revealing small embroidered shoes. Her body swayed once, then she stood properly with both feet, her gaze never leaving the book throughout, looking focused yet relaxed and casual.

The Emperor looked around the surroundings. That’s right, this was indeed his palace, not this woman’s living quarters.

“What is it?” the Emperor asked, looking at Cai Zhong.

Qi Yue came to her senses and looked up.

She saw a eunuch step forward.

“Please excuse us, Lord Zhou requests Miss Qi to come, saying there’s something about the illness to discuss…” he said with his head lowered.

Watching Qi Yue hurriedly retreat, the Emperor waved his hand at Cai Zhong.

Cai Zhong understood and quickly went out, returning shortly after.

“Your Majesty, Lord Zhou was lying,” he smiled.

The Emperor looked at him, holding the brush in his hand.

“He was talking about Young Master Chang,” Cai Zhong said.

The Emperor nodded.

“Has he left?” he asked.

“Yes, he left yesterday,” Cai Zhong replied.

The Emperor said nothing.

“Really, Miss Qi doesn’t even know. She must be very sad,” Cai Zhong continued.

“I know,” Qi Yue smiled, looking at Zhou Maochun.

Zhou Maochun was startled.

“You know?” he asked.

“I saw him the day before yesterday,” Qi Yue smiled. “We agreed on it, so I didn’t see him off.”

“What about the marriage?” Zhou Maochun asked.

“No rush, we’ll discuss it later,” Qi Yue smiled.

“Later? When is later? You silly girl, don’t delay yourself for this unreliable man,” Zhou Maochun said with glaring eyes. “He only dares to coax you. See if he dares to come talk to me? If he did, I wouldn’t break his legs!”

Qi Yue smiled and pushed him along.

“Foster father, when he comes to propose marriage, he’ll definitely come to see you,” she smiled.

“That rotten man is just saving face. Wait? How long do we have to wait? Who has time to wait for him?” Zhou Maochun said angrily.

“No rush, no rush, there’s still time,” Qi Yue smiled.

“Who does he think he is? Who wants to wait for him! We won’t wait. Yueniang, tomorrow father will find you a good family…” Zhou Maochun said furiously.

Qi Yue smiled and pushed him along as they walked away.

In early July, the weather was still swelteringly hot. Two eunuchs carrying a basket of candles walked into Ningxiu Palace, their clothes soaked through.

“Are these enough?” they asked.

Two palace maids looked and nodded.

“They’ll have to do for now,” they said.

“Why can’t the Empress Dowager still not sleep at night?” a eunuch couldn’t help asking in a low voice.

The two palace maids nodded.

“The lights must be kept on, and quite a few people must accompany her,” they also said quietly.

The eunuchs looked surprised.

“This is already the ninth day. How can she keep going like this? Find an imperial physician to examine her…” they said.

The two palace maids quickly shushed them.

“Don’t mention imperial physicians here,” they quickly stopped them, waving their hands. “Go quickly, go quickly.”

The two eunuchs hurriedly shrank back and left.

The palace maids lifted the basket and went inside.

The Empress Dowager lay on the bed, half-asleep, with a female official speaking to her in low tones.

“Saw it with my own eyes, walking around the room,” she said.

The Empress Dowager opened her eyes.

“Walking by himself?” she asked.

“Two people were supporting him,” the female official quickly said.

The Empress Dowager sighed and looked mournful again.

“That was deliberately done for you to see,” she said. “From what you’ve told me, Peng’er has been frightened silly these days, just sitting there stupidly, not daring to speak or cry, just doing whatever he’s told…”

The female official quickly comforted her in low tones.

“He seems to be much better,” she said, thinking of what she’d heard over there. “They said the… the stitches could be removed today.”

“What does removing stitches mean?” the Empress Dowager asked, confused.

This female official knew – she had listened to a few more sentences at the time.

“It means taking out the thread that sewed the wound closed,” she quickly answered, gesturing with her hand.

The Empress Dowager looked at her. Wound, sewn closed, thread, knife…

She clutched her chest and turned toward the white porcelain spittoon beside her, dry heaving.

The people in the room became nervously busy again.

In the midst of this chaos, it was announced outside that Prince Julu had arrived.

“Quickly announce him, quickly announce him,” the Empress Dowager called out, clutching her chest.

With these words, a tall, thin man of about fifty entered. He wore simple jade-colored wide-sleeved scholarly robes, and on his head was not a crown but a scholar’s cap. His features were refined and elegant, looking nothing like the wealthy grain warehouse owner that Prince Julu was today, but rather like a teacher.

Prince Julu entered and bowed respectfully.

“I’m grateful for the Empress Dowager’s care of Peng’er…” he said in a trembling voice.

The Empress Dowager interrupted him.

“I’m not worthy, not worthy,” she also cried out, tears in her eyes. “Have you gone to see Peng’er yet?”

Prince Julu shook his head.

“Peng’er has startled Your Majesty and the Empress Dowager. This subject has come first to beg forgiveness…” he said, bowing deeply again.

“Stop bowing, my heart can’t bear it,” the Empress Dowager said, wiping her tears with a handkerchief. “Go see him quickly, go see him quickly. I don’t even know if Peng’er is alive or dead.”

Prince Julu looked up with a shocked expression.

What?

“Master isn’t here?” Old Physician An asked, looking at A’Ru and two disciples carrying trays filled with instruments like knives, scissors, and porcelain bottles.

“Lord Zhou pulled her aside to say a few words, something about Madam Chen having some matter. The mistress left in a hurry,” A’Ru nodded.

Old Physician An nodded, his face showing some worry.

“Don’t worry, Old Physician An,” A’Ru said with a smile. “Removing stitches is very simple. We all know how to do it.”

Old Physician An smiled and shook his head.

“I’m not worried about that. I’m worried about Master,” he said. “Master has seemed absent-minded lately, and her spirits haven’t been good.”

A’Ru smiled.

“That’s because she’s lovesick,” she said in a lowered voice.

Old Physician An finally understood and smiled, shaking his head. He turned his wheelchair and entered the sickroom with A’Ru and the others.

As A’Ru had said, they were very skilled at this.

Watching the last thread being pulled out, Old Physician An couldn’t help but lean in closer to look at the wound.

“This local anesthetic is really powerful,” he said while sighing with admiration.

Just then, hurried footsteps sounded outside the door.

“Who are you people? You can’t enter here…”

“Get out of the way!”

With this shout, someone kicked the door open.

The people inside were startled, and Little Prince Sima, who had been listless, suddenly became alert. He looked toward the door and saw the tall, thin man appearing in the doorway.

“Father! Save your son!” he cried out hoarsely.

With his cry, he struggled to sit up.

Prince Julu’s eyes immediately fell on Old Physician An, and his refined, elegant face darkened.

“Old thing, it’s you again!” he said grimly.

Old Physician An looked at him. Though his expression didn’t change, his breathing became slightly irregular.

“Your Highness, we’re treating the Little Prince…” he said.

Before he could finish speaking, A’Ru suddenly screamed, and the knives and scissors in her hands clattered to the floor.

“It’s split open! It’s split open!” she shouted.

What had split open?

Everyone quickly looked, and saw that on the exposed abdomen of Little Prince Sima, the healing wound had burst open, and colorful intestines were bulging out.

The room immediately filled with screams. Little Prince Sima was half-sitting, and instinctively looked down at his abdomen when he heard the commotion – this was the first time he had looked at his own stomach in all these days…

So that’s what intestines look like…

Little Prince Sima’s eyes rolled back and he fainted.