Soon, Imperial Physician Gao arrived.

This Imperial Physician Gao was quite young, appearing to be only around thirty years old. He looked very composed, but despite his young age, he was born into a family of medical practitioners. From childhood, he had been immersed in medical knowledge and acquired excellent “skills,” proficient in all manner of difficult and complicated illnesses.

Of course, compared to Muruo, he was slightly inferior.

He entered carrying a medicine chest and knelt to kowtow.

“This subject greets Your Majesty.”

Emperor Qizhen said, “Imperial Physician Gao, I summoned you here to have you examine what illness Consort Xiao has contracted. Why has she not improved despite taking medicine for so long?”

“Yes.”

Imperial Physician Gao rose and carefully approached Consort Xiao’s side.

“May Your Ladyship permit this subject to take your pulse.”

Consort Xiao extended her hand while coughing.

He produced a thin silk handkerchief and placed it over her wrist.

Taking the pulse!

After a short while, his fingers withdrew and the silk handkerchief was put away.

Emperor Qizhen asked, “Well? Is it some serious illness?”

Imperial Physician Gao retreated a few steps, bowing respectfully. “In response to Your Majesty, Your Ladyship has a weak constitution with cold wind entering her body. Combined with possible mental distress, this has caused her qi flow to become irregular, which is why she feels weak and powerless and cannot stop coughing. This is not a serious illness—Your Majesty and Your Ladyship need not worry.”

“Then why has she not improved despite taking medicine for so long? Could it be that the medicine you prescribed is ineffective?”

“May this subject examine the medicine Your Ladyship has been drinking?”

He suspected something was wrong with the medicine!

Emperor Qizhen nodded and ordered someone to bring the medicinal dregs left over from previous preparations.

Imperial Physician Gao smelled it, then picked up some of the medicinal residue between his fingers and rubbed it.

This medicine…

Emperor Qizhen asked, “Well? Is there a problem with this medicine?”

Could there be a problem with the medicine?

Consort Xiao grew somewhat nervous.

After all, she had been drinking this medicine for so long without any improvement—it was truly strange.

Imperial Physician Gao set down the medicine pot in his hands and replied, “Your Majesty, this medicine is indeed for dispelling cold and nourishing health. There is no problem with it.”

“Then what is the reason? Why hasn’t this illness improved?”

“Though Your Ladyship’s illness is not a serious disease, even injuries to muscles and bones require a hundred days to heal, let alone cold wind entering the body. Once cold enters three times, it requires years of quiet recuperation. Your Ladyship must rest more, drink ginseng soup and restorative medicine, and must not overexert herself. She will gradually improve naturally.”

That’s good then!

Emperor Qizhen felt reassured.

“Very well, then prescribe some more medicine.”

“Yes!”

Imperial Physician Gao received the order and returned to the Imperial Medical Bureau.

After he left.

Consort Xiao said, “Your Majesty, this concubine already said it wasn’t any serious illness. The imperial physician also said it’s cold wind entering the body, so you need not worry.”

“Then you must rest well and not exhaust yourself.”

“This concubine understands.”

Emperor Qizhen ordered someone to bring a large brazier and place it beside her for warmth. He stayed to talk with her for a while, instructing the eunuchs and palace maids in the hall to care for her well before leaving reassured.

Consort Xiao lay on the couch. Although she was ill and weak throughout her body, she still smiled with satisfaction.

After all, His Majesty had her in his heart.

Before long, all the ladies in the palace learned that His Majesty had gone to see her, and they all brought restorative medicines to Zhangjie Hall to present their offerings.

The threshold was nearly trampled flat.

In a short time, the room was filled with all sorts of medicinal materials.

Tianshan snow lotus.

Lingzhi.

Ginseng.

Blood bodhi.

…

But after Consort Xiao glanced at them, she snorted and ordered, “Throw all these things out and burn them.”

What?

These were all superior precious medicinal materials—any one of them was a great restorative medicine, and the prices were extremely expensive. Any single item could feed a poor commoner for a lifetime.

To just throw them out and burn them?

What a waste!

But the eunuchs and maids dared not make a sound and could only comply.

They carried those things out.

Consort Xiao’s phoenix eyes curved. “Those people all wish this palace lady would die from illness so they could take this palace lady’s position. Previously, when His Majesty didn’t come to visit, they thought His Majesty had grown distant from this palace lady. Now that His Majesty has come, they all rush over to send supplements. How ridiculous.”

Sang Lan at her side chimed in, “Your Ladyship will surely have great fortune and auspiciousness.”

“This palace lady’s life—even the King of Hell cannot take it.”

Harsh words!

She still had to wait for the day her son ascended the throne, for the day she became Empress Dowager!

How could she be willing to die?

…

Imperial Physician Gao returned to the Imperial Medical Bureau, his mind heavy with concerns.

He was writing a prescription for Consort Xiao, but halfway through, he stopped his brush. For a long while, he didn’t continue writing.

“Imperial Physician Gao, what’s wrong with you?” A young eunuch who came to collect medicine saw this and came over to ask.

He said nothing.

As if he was lost in thought about something!

“Imperial Physician Gao…”

The person called out several times.

Imperial Physician Gao came to his senses, looked at him, and said, “It’s nothing.”

“Didn’t you go examine Consort Xiao? Why do you look like this since returning? Did something happen to Her Ladyship…?”

His voice was extremely low.

Imperial Physician Gao immediately glared at him. “Don’t speculate wildly. Her Ladyship’s health is not seriously affected. If others heard what you just said, it would be grounds for execution.”

“Yes, yes, yes.” The young eunuch slapped his own mouth several times harshly. “Thanks to Imperial Physician Gao’s reminder—this slave’s mouth is just stupid.”

“Enough, enough. I’ll finish writing this prescription, and you prepare the medicine according to it and quickly deliver it to Zhangjie Hall.”

“Yes.”

Imperial Physician Gao hurriedly finished writing the prescription and handed it to the young eunuch to prepare the medicine!

However—

He had something on his mind and remained frowning with worry. After sitting in the chair for a long while, he hurried to find Imperial Physician Chang.

At this time, Imperial Physician Chang was searching for medical texts in the Imperial Medical Bureau’s book repository.

He had just found one and was preparing to read it—

“Imperial Physician Chang.”

Hearing the voice, he looked up to see Imperial Physician Gao rushing in.

“Suwen?”

Imperial Physician Gao’s original name was Gao Suwen.

He walked over and said, “Imperial Physician Chang, I need to speak with you about something.”

Getting straight to the point.

Imperial Physician Chang closed the book at hand, sat upright, and looked very serious. “What matter is so urgent?”

“I just… went to take Consort Xiao’s pulse.”

“Did Consort Xiao summon you?”

“It was His Majesty.”

Ah!

Imperial Physician Chang froze for a moment, his originally wrinkled face scrunching together.

He asked, “Then… what did you say?”

Yes, Imperial Physician Chang didn’t ask about the diagnostic results, but rather asked what he had said.

He understood instantly and sighed. “I didn’t dare say much—after all, I can’t be certain. But judging from the pulse, Her Ladyship indeed has cold wind entering her body. Yet it’s been so long, and medicine has been prescribed—it’s impossible for there to be no improvement, so…”

“You suspect there are other symptoms.”

“Yes, but… it’s only suspicion.”

Imperial Physician Chang narrowed his eyes and remained silent for a long while before saying, “Actually… Imperial Physician Liu and I have also discussed privately that Consort Xiao’s illness is not as simple as just cold wind. But we’ve taken her pulse several times with no results, and it’s not good to speak directly about it. You must understand—although we hold the status of subjects and are imperial physicians in the palace, to put it bluntly, we’re no different from those eunuchs. We all serve our masters. So some words can be said, and some words… cannot be said.”

“Then… what do we do now?”

He was somewhat worried.