Chapter 340: The disappointing final conclusion (1/2)
Chapter 340: The disappointing final conclusion
Poor Zhu Zhengyang!
The empress dowager’s ‘bucket of blood’ made his legs go soft. Now he bitterly regretted agreeing to Imperial Physician Lin’s request to wait on this revered ancestor. Actually, he was about 90 percent certain that the empress dowager wasn’t poisoned, but the last ten percent was something he didn’t dare to believe in himself. His years of detoxification experience taught him that the empress dowager’s symptoms were very akin to poison, but he couldn’t find any sign of it in her blood. There were two possibilities, then: either she wasn’t poisoned, or he couldn’t find the poison himself.
Although Zhu Zhengyang knew nothing of palace politics, he understood enough to protect himself. With the empress dowager acting like this, there was no way he’d express his views on that last ten percent even if she beat him to death.
“Esteemed Empress Dowager, both your pulse and your blood shows that you haven’t been poisoned!” Zhu Zhengyang was so frightened that his ‘may not be’ turned into a definite denial. The empress dowager was so angry that her head felt like it was burning up. All of her attention was focused on the words ‘haven’t been poisoned.’ How could she pay attention to anything else? If she wasn’t poisoned, how was she supposed to deal with Han Yunxi? It would mean she’d did all this for nothing!
“Impossible, it has to be poison! If not, then what else could it be? Explain yourself!” the empress dowager raged.
“Esteemed Empress Dowager, this commoner will state it plainly. Your ailment could very possibly be related to that Medicine Fan.” Zhu Zhengyang was extremely tactful with his words. He still possessed enough professional ethics to speak the truth. The current situation showed that it was more like the Medicine Fan itself was poisoned.
At this, the empress dowager was overjoyed. “Zhu Zhengyang, do you mean to say that there’s poison on the Medicine Fan?” If that was the cause, Han Yunxi would be even more at fault!
Her joy terrified Zhu Zhengyang to no end. He replied truthfully, “Esteemed Empress Dowager, the possibility exists, but this commoner will need to examine that fan.”
The empress dowager generously had Xu mama hand over the fan. Zhu Zhengyang silently marveled over the item because carefully examining its handle, tassel, surface, and various embroidered silks.
“How is it?” the empress dowager was expectant.
Zhu Zhengyang raised his head. He wanted to cry, but he had no tears. “There’s…there’s no, no poison.”
Immediately, the empress dowager’s expression darkened. “Someone come, drag this quack out of the palace and give him 50 canings! Then chase him out!”
Zhu Zhengyang had spoken nothing but the truth. Now he fell to his knees in terror and cried, “Esteemed Empress Dowager, have mercy! Have mercy, ah!”
“Esteemed Empress Dowager, this commoner has already tried his best! Esteemed Empress Dowager, please have mercy on me on behalf of Imperial Physician Lin!”
After 50 canings, he’d be paralyzed, if not outright dead!
The empress dowager felt unwell all over. She took the Medicine Fan and furiously fanned herself without giving a second glance to Zhu Zhengyang.
“Esteemed Empress Dowager! Have mercy! Have mercy, ah…” Zhu Zhengyang kept shooting Imperial Physician Lin looks, but the latter was hard pressed to preserve his own life now, much less speak up in his defense. The empress dowager kept fanning herself, irritable to the max.
Before Zhu Zhengyang could be dragged out the door, he suddenly shouted, “Esteemed Empress Dowager, this commoner knows what’s going on. Esteemed Empress Dowager, I beg you to give this commoner one more chance! The problem is with the Medicine Fan!”
The empress dowager finally spared him a glance. After a pause, she indicated the eunuchs should let him go. Zhu Zhengyang scrambled to his feet and said, “Esteemed Empress Dowager, this commoner didn’t make a mistake. You haven’t been poisoned, and neither is the Medicine Fan poisoned…” The empress dowager’s eyes narrowed at that before Zhu Zhengyang quickly added, “Esteemed Empress Dowager, did the person who give you the Medicine Fan tell you that it shouldn’t be used carelessly?”
What was this about?
The empress dowager had always known that the Medicine Fan was a type of medicine that couldn’t be used casually. Even Han Yunxi had mentioned this when she came to take Gu Beiyue away. She even asked about her medication history and played her for a fool!
“What do you mean by using it carelessly? Speak clearly!” the empress dowager grew serious. She had seen another strand of hope. If the problem came from the medicine, then Han Yunxi would still be at fault. But Zhu Zhengyang’s answer was beyond her expectations.
“Esteemed Empress Dowager, the Medicine Fan is a type of medicine as well, so it’d naturally have adverse effects. Everyone’s constitution is different, so they’ll get different negative reactions from taking medicine. As this commoner sees it, it’s very possible that your body is unsuited for the Medicine Fan. The itchy scalp may be a side effect from using it.” Zhu Zhengyang had just thought of this possibility. If none of the imperial physicians could tell what was wrong, and he himself hadn’t found any traces of poison, then the possibility for illness or poisoning was low. In contrast, the Medicine Fan grew more suspect.
The empress dowager was about to speak when her neck suddenly started itching. Soon enough, her scalp followed as well. She scratched herself while recalling all the abnormal itching her body had felt over the past few days. Truthfully speaking, it had all began on the day she got the Medicine Fan.
Is that it?
“Aside from scalp itching, are there other negative side effects?” the empress dowager asked urgently. She hated Han Yunxi utterly, but now she was more worried about herself.
“This…this commoner doesn’t understand pharmacology. I ask that Esteemed Empress Dowager forgive me.” Zhu Zhengyang had come to treat poisons, not illnesses.
“Imperial Physician Lin, you tell me!” the empress dowager exclaimed urgently. She couldn’t even be bothered to frame Han Yunxi now. If there really were negative side effects, how was she supposed to use the Medicine Fan in the future? Nothing was more important than this item!
“To reply Esteemed Empress Dowager, there are negative effects to taking any medicine, but…” Imperial Physician Lin could only stammer. He wasn’t familiar with the Medicine Fan at all, so how was he supposed to answer?