Li Man’er’s lips curved slightly as she saw Cui Shi in such a state. The蛊 poison in her body had clearly reached its breaking point.
Cui Shi’s expression contorted in pain. She let out a sudden roar, her eyes rolling back incessantly as her limbs flailed in the air, making strange gestures.
The Grand Princess flinched, and even Tong Xinrui forgot to cry, staring at Cui Shi with wide-eyed horror.
Cui Shi shrieked, her face a mask of agony. Du Momo quickly apologized and rushed to fetch medicine for Cui Shi, administering it to her.
While Cui Shi took the medicine, the Grand Princess impatiently inquired, "What is wrong with the Old Madam? She looks so... peculiar!"
"Doesn't she need a doctor?"
Du Momo dared not speak the truth, merely covering for her mistress. "The Old Madam has a strange illness. She cannot be provoked. When she is stimulated, she... she becomes like this." She struggled to continue, unable to conjure a better excuse.
Li Man’er sneered. Just as Du Momo thought she would expose the truth, she heard Li Man’er speak in a low, drawn-out voice, "Since the Old Madam is unwell, she should be resting. How can she involve herself in such matters?"
Du Momo breathed a sigh of relief. "The County Princess is right. I will have the Old Madam rest immediately."
"And to you, Grand Princess, the elderly are frail and require quiet. Why must you bring someone to agitate her? Are you afraid she will die too slowly?"
The Grand Princess bristled as if ready to devour someone. "What do you mean I brought someone to agitate her?" A chilling aura emanated from her; she had truly had enough for today.
"This is the Iron Shield Marquis's residence. The Old Madam is my grandmother, regardless of what you say. If you disrupt her granddaughter's betrothal, how can she not be anxious? The Old Madam is not a fool; she knows whether this matter is beneficial or detrimental."
Before the Grand Princess could react, Qi Yihan added, "Eldest Sister, instead of worrying about affairs in another household, perhaps you should pay more attention to Duke Tong."
The Grand Princess frowned. "What is wrong with the Prince Consort?"
Qi Yihan said no more, changing the subject. "Man’er and I are going to the palace to see the Emperor today. Grand Princess, you should take care of yourself."
Qi Yihan’s tone was icy when speaking to the Grand Princess, but when he turned to meet Li Man’er’s gaze, his eyes were filled with doting affection. "Let's go, the carriage is waiting outside."
"I need to change my clothes."
Qi Yihan nodded. "I'll wait for you outside." They left Songhe Hall together and parted ways.
The Grand Princess, forgetting everything else, took Tong Xinrui and hurried back to her mansion. In Songhe Hall, only Du Momo remained, staring blankly at the sky.
Li Man’er swiftly returned to Qingping Pavilion, changed her clothes, restyled her hair, and hurried out with Lüyi and Ziyan.
The carriage was waiting at the side gate.
Qi Yihan lifted the curtain and said, "Get in."
Li Man’er stepped onto the carriage, and Ziyan closed the door, following faithfully beside the carriage. Lüyi was on the other side. Neither spoke, but their eyes held a trace of gravity.
The County Princess's sudden summons to the palace surely signaled a major event.
"Why so sudden? Did something happen in the palace?"
There had been no mention of a palace visit before, yet now they were being summoned to see the Emperor. There must have been an unforeseen situation. Could it be that the Emperor intended to intervene in the Grand Princess’s attempt to place someone?
"Stop overthinking. The Emperor's health has deteriorated."
Li Man’er was stunned, then fell silent, not asking another question.
The Emperor's health failing at this juncture was not a good sign. Nothing was clear yet, and it was likely that someone would try to exploit the situation.
The two entered the palace smoothly and arrived at Qicheng Hall.
Qicheng Hall was Emperor Chenghua's residence. When he was not receiving visitors, he stayed here. He also held court and reviewed memorials here.
Eunuch Xia cautiously ushered Li Man’er and Qi Yihan into the inner chambers, sending the young eunuchs guarding the door far away.
As soon as they entered, they saw two imperial physicians kneeling and taking Emperor Chenghua’s pulse. Sweat beaded on their foreheads, and their expressions were as grim as if they had lost a father.
Indeed, failure to cure Emperor Chenghua could lead to the extermination of their entire clans, so no one was at ease.
"How is it?" Qi Yihan strode forward. "Do you know the cause of the illness?"
"Your subjects are guilty." They could detect toxins in the Emperor's body, but the exact nature of the poison remained unknown. However, Emperor Chenghua's body was already at its limit, and with the chronic poisoning, it was akin to a death sentence.
"Useless. Get out of the way."
The two looked up and saw Li Man’er. They immediately guessed her identity and instantly looked at her as if she were a savior, trembling as they moved aside.
Emperor Chenghua was extremely weak but conscious. He turned his head to look at Qi Yihan, a slight smile forming on his lips, as if seeing something remarkable.
"Your Majesty, I have brought Princess Anning to see you. Let her examine you first."
Li Man’er was about to kneel when Emperor Chenghua waved his hand weakly. "Dispense with it."
Li Man’er bowed respectfully. "Thank you, Your Majesty."
"Anning, come and examine me. See how many days I have left to live."
Li Man’er thought to herself, after becoming Princess Anning, she wasn't even entitled to her name anymore.
"Your Majesty, please do not worry. Excessive worry will worsen the illness." Li Man’er then reached out to take Emperor Chenghua's pulse. Midway, her eyebrows furrowed slightly, as if encountering a formidable problem.
The pulse was extremely strange. The poison had not entered the vital organs and was not fatal, yet the internal organs were deeply ailing, and vitality was gradually diminishing, showing signs of decay.
It was no wonder the imperial physicians were so terrified and could not devise a solution.
If the poison were to be detoxified, it could only address the superficial symptoms of the organs, but how could the internal chronic illness be eradicated?
In essence, this was organ failure. Traditional Chinese medicine offered little hope, and Western medicine would require transplantation, but there were no such techniques or conditions here.
At present, other than her spiritual mist spring water, there was no way to save Emperor Chengqing.
Li Man’er raised her head slightly and glanced at Qi Yihan. This one look conveyed a great deal.
*Will you truly save him? If not, perhaps many things will become simpler. If you do save him, you and your brother will eventually turn against each other, and you may regret it.*
However, Qi Yihan's reply was equally firm. He nodded imperceptibly, indicating that he would save him.
Their actions were very subtle, and before anyone nearby could notice, they had returned to their normal composure.
"What? You cannot cure me either?"
Emperor Chenghua had previously doubted Li Man’er's medical skills. Although Duan Xu had praised her extensively, emperors were inherently suspicious. He would not have summoned Li Man’er to treat him unless absolutely necessary.
"It seems my time is short."
Everyone in the chamber, except for Qi Yihan and Li Man’er, knelt in unison.
"Your Majesty, Anning believes you are overthinking. Your illness is not difficult to treat. With golden needles and the right medication, you will recover your health within a month."
The two imperial physicians exchanged glances, bewildered by Li Man’er’s audacity to speak such words.
Emperor Chenghua said softly, "Is that so? Anning, do you dare to deceive the Emperor?"