Chapter 861 - 766: Gloom
This sudden news made Consort Li black out, and she fainted immediately.
The servants of Liqing Palace were flustered, and despite a flurry of chaotic busyness, Consort Li still did not wake up.
Now Princess Consort Lan was somewhat scared too. She was only vying for favor and saw that Consort Li was heading in the same direction as her, certainly to meet the Emperor.
She hadn’t seen the Emperor for half a month, how could she let Consort Li get ahead?
The East Tang envoy was asking for Consort Li’s daughter, the Seventeenth Princess, on behalf of the Third Prince of East Tang. This matter wasn’t a secret; although the Emperor said he would consider it without giving a firm answer, such matters typically result in agreement. After all, establishing friendly diplomatic relations between two countries is better than going to war. War costs money, and harms the people. Using a Princess to improve relations, which Emperor wouldn’t agree?
Moreover, although some Princesses can marry in the Capital City, a Princess who enjoys the people’s offerings, dressed in brocade clothes and living luxuriously, inherently has a role in political marriages.
Thinking about Consort Li’s daughter enjoying herself in front of the Emperor, causing the Emperor to favor them, making even more visits to Consort Li’s palace, Princess Consort Lan had long been filled with jealousy. Now that her daughter was to be sent for marriage, she wondered if, as her beauty fades with age, the Emperor will continue to favor her.
Seeing Consort Li’s haggardness, she naturally thought Consort Li didn’t want the Seventeenth Princess to be married off, so she purposely brought up this matter to provoke Consort Li.
But she never expected Consort Li herself didn’t even know, and upon hearing it, she fainted in shock.
Although many in the harem knew about this, without an official decree, she said it just to provoke Consort Li. Now that her provocation caused a problem, she was so frightened that her complexion changed and she dared not see the Emperor, hurrying back to her palace.
Consort Li suddenly fainting like this had to be reported to the Emperor.
The Emperor had also been considering the political marriage these days, and although he had made a decision, with the Seventeenth Princess falling ill, he had to reconsider now.
Coincidentally, the East Tang envoy submitted a letter, wanting an audience. The Emperor wanted to discuss the possibility of choosing another person with them.
Hearing that Consort Li was ill, being a favored consort, the Emperor naturally had to visit her.
Reaching Liqing Palace, Consort Li looked exhausted, nearly at death’s door, while the Seventeenth Princess’s sores on her face, just as he saw two days ago, showed no improvement.
Consort Li slowly awoke, saw the Emperor at her bedside, and could no longer hold back. She cried, begging the Emperor not to let Ying’er be sent off for marriage.
Seeing Consort Li crying uncontrollably, the Emperor felt quite distressed. Besides, the Seventeenth Princess was in such a state that even if he intended to marry her off, it required willingness. The Emperor was unhappy with the Imperial Physician’s incompetence, but he had to comfort Consort Li, saying he had no such plan.
Consort Li seized the chance to relay Meng Luo’s words.
The Emperor was displeased that after so many days Meng Luo could not cure the Seventeenth Princess, the name of the Undying Poison Doctor carried significant weight.
The Emperor knew the capabilities of the Undying Poison Doctor, but since the Undying Poison Doctor even dared to deceive him before, the Emperor had harbored resentment for a long time and didn’t have a good impression of him.
He didn’t want to go to great lengths just to seek the Undying Poison Doctor’s successor. Without the Undying Poison Doctor, does it mean nobody else can cure illnesses? Still, if the successor of the Undying Poison Doctor could come, it would be acceptable.
Now in Seventeenth’s condition, the alliance marriage was hopeless. He couldn’t stand by and watch his daughter die. He was the Emperor, the ruler of Nanxia, who owned the entire Nanxia. He couldn’t believe that among the Jianghu there weren’t extraordinary individuals, nobody who could cure Seventeenth!
Moreover, since East Tang was awaiting a reply, the Emperor couldn’t bluntly say Seventeenth had a severe sore. A straightforward imperial edict wouldn’t require saying anything more.
There, the East Tang envoy indeed brought a doctor to the palace. Not many dared to answer an imperial edict for this kind. The doctor accompanying the East Tang envoy was originally an Imperial Physician from the East Tang Palace, known for his brilliant medical skills.
However, he wasn’t there to answer the imperial edict; he was recommended by the East Tang envoy.
The reason why East Tang recommended a doctor was quite evident.
The Emperor naturally wouldn’t refuse.
The East Tang doctor, after seeing the Seventeenth Princess, held disdain for the Imperial Physicians of Nanxia. It was merely chickenpox, despite its frightening and severe appearance at present, but being a common illness, physicians already had mature treatment methods.
Of course, not just anyone would know those treatment methods.