Chapter 859 - 765: Honeyed Words (2)
Could it be that Nanxia is unwilling to send the Princess for a diplomatic marriage, so they deliberately claimed she had a serious illness?
Otherwise, the news from the palace wouldn’t have spread so widely across the streets, and now that it has spread, a royal decree has even been posted, causing such a commotion that it raises skepticism.
They believe they must see for themselves, or how else can they report back to the Third Prince?
Since the royal decree has been posted, then send someone into the palace to see!
Once they’ve seen the real person, they should paint a portrait and quickly send it back to the Third Prince. If the Seventeenth Princess is actually fine, then they should paint a portrait of her as a beauty; if she truly is as the royal decree claims, then they should portray the Seventeenth Princess as she looks now and let the Third Prince decide.
The East Tang Envoy is quite torn, unsure whether it is true or false, while the Emperor also feels a bit frustrated.
The Emperor did not want to post that royal decree. The day before yesterday, Meng Zhang and Luo Jia saw that the Seventeenth Princess’s condition had not improved at all, and Consort Li was heartbroken. Observing the two whispering to each other with furrowed brows, Consort Li finally couldn’t hold back and unhappily said, "Gentlemen, it is already the sixth day. Didn’t you say in front of the Emperor that she would recover in seven days?"
Meng Zhang and Luo Jia originally wanted to find an opportunity to bring Xia Wenjin forward, and upon hearing Consort Li’s words, Meng Zhang bowed and said, "Consort Li, though I have studied medicine since childhood, for thirty-three years, I dare not guarantee to cure all ailments. The Seventeenth Princess’s illness is something I have never seen before. Initially, I believed it could be cured in seven days, but based on the medication’s effectiveness, it appears the Seventeenth Princess’s body has not absorbed any medicinal effects, seemingly rejecting or even protecting against the decocted medicine. Our medicine has proven ineffective, and we really have no solutions left!"
Consort Li witnessed these circumstances with her own eyes and felt anxious in her heart. Although her Ying’er can now consume food so she won’t starve to death, she occasionally wakes and asks about her condition to which Consort Li doesn’t know how to respond. She ordered all copper mirrors removed from the palace for fear Ying’er couldn’t bear to see herself in them.
Initially, there was still some hope that the Imperial Physician could heal her.
But now the Imperial Physician informs her that her Ying’er is rejecting the medicine, rendering it ineffective.
Consort Li’s expression changed immediately and she said, "Is there really no solution left?"
Meng Zhang hastily said, "Please don’t worry, Consort Li. Although we have not seen this condition before, there are many capable and extraordinary people in the world. Mr. Luo knows a woman who possesses excellent medical skills and is renowned as the Undying Poison Doctor! She can definitely cure the Seventeenth Princess! And we’ve heard she happens to be in the Capital City."
"Then what are you standing around for? Are you not going to go invite her?"
Meng Zhang said distressingly, "Although that young lady possesses exceptional medical skills, she is but an ordinary person, a commoner without any official position, and the Imperial Palace is such a prestigious place. I fear even if we invite her, she won’t be able to enter!"
"I will ask the Empress for a decree myself; you need not worry about this. Go quickly!"
Meng Zhang and Luo Jia hurriedly responded and left.
Actually, they had already invited her before, but they couldn’t admit it now.
The next day, when they returned to the palace, Consort Li urgently asked, "Did you invite the person yesterday? Where is she?"
Meng Luo lowered their heads, looking panicked, and said, "After leaving the palace yesterday, we immediately went to that young lady’s residence to invite her, but the young lady had left the Capital City five days ago!"
Consort Li’s newly raised hope was like a spark that fell into water, extinguished in an instant as she cried out, "Left the Capital City? Where has she gone?"
Meng Luo shook their heads, "According to her household’s gatekeeper, she went to Jinzhou and won’t return for at least ten days!"
"Even if she went to the ends of the earth, you must bring her back for me!"
Meng Luo hastily said, "Please, Consort Li, calm your anger. We are only Imperial Physicians and truly have no such authority. Consort Li, at present, the best course of action is to ask the Emperor to send people to quickly locate her!"
Worried about her daughter, Consort Li lost her composure for a moment, but after hearing Meng Luo’s words, her gaze suddenly turned sharp, saying coldly, "Are you deliberately pushing forward a scapegoat because the seven-day deadline is approaching and you fear punishment from the Emperor?"
Indeed, Meng Luo had such thoughts, but did not expect Consort Li to expose them so bluntly, leaving them somewhat frightened, though they dared not admit it.
Meng Zhang hurriedly said, "Consort Li, we are healers, and the priority for any healer is the patient, especially since the patient this time is the Seventeenth Princess. We are worried too and have never thought of any seven-day deadline; we only wish for the Seventeenth Princess to be liberated from her pain and return to her beautiful self soon. Although the seven days have reached their end today, we confess our lack of expertise and willingly accept punishment. But the Seventeenth Princess’s health remains our deepest concern!"