Chapter 1584 - 1431: Fake Commandery Princess 41
It seems the Empress and this eunuch are both trusted by the Emperor, so while others have withdrawn, these two were tacitly allowed to stay by the Emperor.
As the Emperor dismissed everyone else, his face didn’t look well, although it never really did. The Emperor is not an idiot; he can sense that there’s something unusual about his illness from Ye Shuangshuang’s behavior.
If it were just a common illness, there would be no need to avoid other people, unless his illness was abnormal.
Once the palace maids and eunuchs left the room, Ye Shuangshuang didn’t speak of the illness, but first asked the Emperor, "Your Majesty, may I ask if you’ve been consuming some unique tonics since half a year ago, resulting in mental and physical health improvements?"
The Emperor was taken aback and nodded, "Indeed, I have been consuming a health supplement since half a year ago, but it is not one of the Alchemists’ Elixirs. I’m sure I haven’t been poisoned by one."
The Emperor had reason to say this because the previous dynasty had fallen due to three consecutive emperors’ obsession with Alchemy and immortality, trusting the Alchemists and their various peculiar methods.
They used pure blood from maidens before they reached menstruation, and heart blood from boys, capturing a thousand boys and girls each time to make Elixirs, and this happened very frequently.
How many boys and girls could there be to capture? Which parents would let their children be taken away to perish in Alchemy?
Not only that, the Emperor drove the common people to gather the Immortal Herbs in deep mountains as described by the Alchemists.
No time was left for the common people to rest or farm, while taxes were increased incessantly. Those who couldn’t pay were taken to do hard labor, constructing the Immortal Palace for the Emperor.
The common people couldn’t endure; they were driven to destitution and revolted under the Grand Ancestor, who then seized the throne.
The Grand Ancestor did not trust the Alchemists. He gathered renowned physicians to break the secrets of the Immortality Elixirs and used a large number of death row prisoners to test whether those Elixirs led to longevity or death.
Finally, the Grand Ancestor confirmed with the death of those prisoners and the previous dynasty’s emperors’ identical fates that the Alchemists’ Immortality Elixirs not only did not grant longevity but were actually toxic to the point of causing early death.
Due to this, no noble family dared to seek the Alchemists’ help in Elixir making, completely abolishing the nobles’ centuries-old practice of Alchemy for immortality.
Elixir poison starts by making people spirited, but is a chronic poison that slowly leads to death. Hence, Ye Shuangshuang’s query naturally reminded him of Elixir poison.
Ye Shuangshuang shook her head and said, "Your Majesty, you have not been poisoned by Elixir. The poison you have encountered is unheard of by me, though I can diagnose the symptoms generally.
Initially, the potion made you feel excellent and prevented illnesses, but this was not a blessing; it was due to the Elixir over-stimulating and depleting your body’s yang energy and vitality.
Once your yang energy and vitality are nearly exhausted, you begin to fall ill, and even a minor illness will incapacitate you.
I suspect that when you fell ill this time, it began as a minor cold, not serious, but it lingered and worsened because the poison has penetrated your lungs and heart."
The Emperor’s expression grew more serious with Ye Shuangshuang’s words. Indeed, he had a minor cold before, didn’t take it to heart, but it worsened progressively.
Ye Shuangshuang stopped speaking, knowing it wasn’t her place to speculate on who poisoned the Emperor; as a healer, her involvement should not extend beyond treatment.
The Emperor also didn’t seem inclined to discuss the culprit with Ye Shuangshuang, remaining silent after her words, then stoically asked, "How confident are you in curing me?"
Ye Shuangshuang replied without hesitation, "Initially, I was only fifty percent confident, but having treated Your Majesty and observed your clarity after the acupuncture, I am now seventy percent confident."
"Seventy percent," the Emperor repeated, smirking coldly as if recalling something, "Seventy percent is quite a lot. Princess Renxin, do your utmost to heal me. If I am truly unfortunate to fall among the thirty percent, I will not hold you accountable."
Implying that Ye Shuangshuang was granted a kind of immunity from being blamed if she didn’t succeed, encouraging her to give her all without fear of punishment.
The Emperor’s action likely contained elements of gaining her devotion, but there was genuine admiration for Ye Shuangshuang and a desire to see her spared if she failed.
Clearly moved by the Emperor’s consideration, it was indeed rare for a ruler to think of subordinates.
Ye Shuangshuang looked at the Emperor, eyes firm: "The Emperor trusts me, and I will devote all my knowledge to treat him, ensuring His Majesty’s continued health and prosperity!"
The Emperor’s pale, thin face broke into a smile, with a hint of encouragement and consolation: "I believe in you!"
Ye Shuangshuang then checked the Emperor’s pulse again. The previous alertness had exhausted his energies, and now he fell asleep once more.
Afterward, Ye Shuangshuang began to meticulously draft a prescription, during which neither the Empress nor the Chief Eunuch made a sound.
The Chief Eunuch stood calmly by the Emperor’s bedside while the Empress sat in a chair with a grim face, her expression inscrutable, lost in thought.
Once Ye Shuangshuang had finished the prescription, the Chief Eunuch by the Emperor’s side stepped forward and asked, "Princess Renxin, hand the prescription to me. I will personally oversee the gathering and preparation of the medicine."
Clearly, this trusted aide had understood the gravity of the situation and decided to personally ensure the Emperor’s medication safety.
Ye Shuangshuang pondered and suggested, "If it wouldn’t be inconvenient for you, could you bring back the ingredients? I will personally oversee and prepare the medicine to ensure accuracy."
There are countless types of herbs, and a slight discrepancy in dosage could alter the effect. Despite the Chief Eunuch’s loyalty, he couldn’t distinguish herbs or understand medicines.
As an outsider to herbalism, even with vigilance, he couldn’t guarantee deception wouldn’t happen under his nose; hence, personal involvement would elicit more confidence.
The Chief Eunuch hadn’t expected Ye Shuangshuang’s meticulousness and was immediately grateful: "Princess Renxin is truly loyal to His Majesty. If you manage to cure him, I will be just as grateful to you!"
The sincerity of the Chief Eunuch’s words was undeniable; as the Emperor’s close confidant, his status and fate were tightly bound to the Emperor’s survival.
Ye Shuangshuang, however, didn’t dare act arrogantly, knowing such an imperial confidant wouldn’t easily offend even the Emperor’s own children. She smiled, "No need for formality. As a citizen of this dynasty, serving the Emperor is my duty.
On a personal level, the Emperor has recognized and favored me, comparable to a mentor. Without him, I would never have achieved today’s honor, thus making it incumbent upon me to diligently treat the Emperor with not a hint of negligence."