Chapter 335: Distressed to the point of rage (1/2)
Chapter 335: Distressed to the point of rage
Han Yunxi had been spending her time researching Beauty’s Blood at home. But today, a Imperial Physician Chen1 had suddenly requested an audience, saying how Gu Beiyue had been kneeling in front of the empress dowager’s Palace of Heaven and Earth for three days and three nights because he couldn’t cure her insomnia.
Han Yunxi felt unwell all over at the news. She barely restrained herself from running to the palace immediately! After all, it’d been raining nonstop for the past three days. The season was just approaching the beginning of winter. Leaving aside how cold the rain must be, there was the fact that the floor before the Palace of Heaven and Earth was paved in white jade. Nobody’s knees could take that kind of surface for long. She couldn’t imagine how weak a chronic invalid like Gu Beiyue must be now!
“Insomnia!” Han Yunxi narrowed her eyes with a dangerous expression. She knew the empress dowager was aiming at her–or more accurately, at the Medicine Fan in her hands! Instead of asking her outright, she’d used Gu Beiyue against her. How despicable! Even then, the old woman had actually made him kneel for three days and three nights before sending someone to tell her!
Han Yunxi grew more and more furious at the thought before she swept her teacup off the table. It shattered on the ground against Imperial Physician Chen’s legs. Despite this, the man still continued on his road of ruin. He feigned anxiety and cried, “Esteemed wangfei, please calm your anger! Please calm your anger! Esteemed wangfei, this official snuck out to tell you the news. You must remain calm and find a way to rescue Imperial Physician Gu!”
Any other imperial physician might have come with true intentions to help out Gu Beiyue, but Han Yunxi didn’t recognize this Imperial Physician Chen at all. He was obviously sent here by the empress dowager. She glared at him, and he quickly stammered, “Esteemed wangfei, the empress dowager has always suffered from insomnia. Moreover, she’s lost sleep over her missing presents over the past few days, so she’s in a horrible mood. I don’t know what other torments she’ll think up for Imperial Physician Gu!”
“Is that so?” Han Yunxi picked up the teapot full of tea and threw it at Imperial Physician Chen. “Then why did you wait until now? You only showed up after three days and three nights? What do you mean by that?”
Imperial Physician Chen was hit in the stomach, causing his face to distort from the pain. Still, he continued to pretend. “Esteemed wangfei, please calm your anger. There was no way for this official to leave the palace until today.”
“You couldn’t leave the palace? How convenient!” Han Yunxi humphed.
“That’s right, esteemed wangfei. This official has known Imperial Physician Gu for many years, we’re–”
Han Yunxi didn’t wait for him to finish before she was throwing everything on the table at Imperial Physician Chen. “Many years of what? You still have the face to say it!”
“The empress dowager sent you, didn’t she? Tell me what’s going on right now, or else…” Han Yunxi paused before she raised her voice. “Someone come, shut the doors and bring in the dog!”
Steward Luo kept a wolfdog in the estate that nobody could provoke, save for the Duke of Qin and Qin Wangfei. Very soon, the large dog was led inside, his sharp teeth protruding from between his drooling mouth. Scared to death, Imperial Physician Chen fell to his knees. “Esteemed wangfei, please calm your anger! This official will talk! This official will tell you anything!”
Han Yunxi exhaled and finally told herself to calm down. Before she went blindly into the palace, she had to figure out just what had happened. Otherwise, how could she fight against the empress dowager? Even since she revealed the Medicine Fan at the birthday banquet, she’d been waiting for the empress dowager to make her move. The empress dowager was an intelligent woman, so she’d never ask Han Yunxi for it outright. Otherwise, Han Yunxi could refuse her with plenty of ready excuses. For example, she could say the fan in her hands was nothing more than an imitation, or that she’d already used the fan as an ingredient in one of her creations, things like that. Then the empress dowager would be helpless to do anything against her.
She always knew the old woman would cause her trouble, but she never expected her to target Gu Beiyue. While Imperial Physician Chen trembled in fear on the ground, an impatient Han Yunxi said coldly, “Why aren’t you hurrying up and explaining yet?”
“Esteemed wangfei, this servant has always been in charge of the empress dowager’s insomnia medication. Ever since the birthday banquet ended, the empress dowager’s been seeking out Imperial Physician Gu to do acupuncture and moxibustion to help her sleep. Imperial Physician Gu says that the treatment has to match with this official’s prescription so as to avoid any negative effects. But three days ago, the empress dowager secretly stopped taking her medicine. Then her body began to ache all over, and in a fit of temper she penalized Imperial Physician Gu.”
Imperial Physician Chen might not have said a thing without the dog’s sharp teeth staring him in the face. He’d rather Gu Beiyue die altogether! That man had become the Head Imperial Physician while still very young. None of the factions in the palace could draw him to their side. Aside from people in the palace, there were plenty of doctors in the Imperial Physician Courtyard awaiting his downfall!
“The empress dowager sent you?” Han Yunxi asked coldly.
Imperial Physician Chen didn’t want to admit it, but could only nod his head.
“What has that old woman prepared for me?” Han Yunxi asked next.
“This official doesn’t know. Esteemed Empress Dowager only told this official to pass on the message to esteemed wangfei,” Imperial Physician Chen replied truthfully.
“Is Imperial Physician Gu still kneeling outside?” Han Yunxi continued to question.
“He’s still kneeling, still kneeling.” Imperial Physician Chen didn’t dare dive into details, but Han Yunxi purposely asked for specifics.
“He’s been kneeling for three days and three nights, but has he had a change of clothes? Or eaten or drank anything? Has he been in the rain the entire time?”
“Esteemed wangfei, you should hurry to the palace instead. This official is afraid that Imperial Physician Gu won’t be able to hold out for much longer!” Imperial Physician Chen was probably more worried that the empress dowager would be unhappy if Han Yunxi came late, wasn’t he?
“Fine, then this wangfei will head for the palace immediately!” Han Yunxi left as soon as she spoke, leaving behind Imperial Physician Chen, Steward Luo, and the giant wolfdog in the hall.
Imperial Physician Chen was about to get up when Steward Luo laughed and said, “Imperial Physician Chen, my family’s wangfei never gave you permission to rise!” When he finished, the large wolfdog even barked a few times to back him up. Imperial Physician Chen wanted to cry, but he had no tears. He could only remain kneeling in the hall.
Inside the carriage, Han Yunxi sat with her eyes closed, deep in thought. Her elegant face was drawn into a stern expression. Zhao mama kept shooting Chu Xifeng meaningful looks. She’d been unhappy ever since that Imperial Physician Gu had come to the estate to check esteemed wangfei’s pulse and treat her illnesses. Judging from Zhao mama’s old, shrewd eyes, Imperial Physician Gu definitely harbored feelings for esteemed wangfei.
Chu Xifeng was too lazy to pay Zhao mama any attention. As he saw it, nobody in the world possessed a charm quite like His Highness Duke of Qin. Esteemed wangfei was so smitten with His Highness that she’d probably never spare another man a second glance.
“Esteemed wangfei, how do you plan to deal with this? Don’t blame this old servant for the reminder, but His Highness isn’t in the capital. We shouldn’t provoke that pair in the palace,” Zhao mama said seriously.
Both the empress dowager and Emperor Tianhui had plenty of ways to cause esteemed wangfei trouble. Their noble ranks were already enough to suppress everyone else beneath them. The reason that esteemed wangfei hadn’t gotten into trouble already was because the Duke of Qin was blocking most of the pressure. With an adequate handle on the situation, neither the empress dowager nor Emperor Tianhui would touch His Highness, especially after what happened at the birthday banquet. They politely yielded three parts to him–or rather, they fearfully yielded three parts to him.