Chapter 457: Three Days’ Time
Ye Chutang met her gaze calmly.
After a moment, she said, "We must continue to observe him closely."
The Eldest Princess’s jaw tensed, and a flicker of hesitation crossed her eyes.
As if she hadn’t noticed, Ye Chutang added, "He must especially avoid any intense emotional turmoil. Otherwise... I’m afraid it might damage his heart and lungs."
The Eldest Princess’s pupils contracted.
She was almost certain of one thing.
"You mean... his heart and lungs?"
Her reaction confirmed Ye Chutang’s suspicion.
’Emperor Muwu has a heart condition.’
’And this is a secret known to only a very few people!’
Ye Chutang lowered her eyelids, masking the look in her eyes.
"I saw that Your Majesty’s breath was feverish, yet his lips had a purplish tint. It reminded me of a medical text I once read."
The Eldest Princess’s heart clenched.
Ye Chutang spoke slowly. "The book said that this condition is most likely a blockage in the heart and lungs, obstructing the vessels. If it’s severe, it might even cause the blood to flow backward, which would be life-threatening."
The color drained from the Eldest Princess’s face as she heard the final words.
She stared blankly for a moment, then let out a long sigh, her eyes filled with a complex mix of emotions.
"I should have known I couldn’t hide it from you..."
This was what she had feared most.
Ye Chutang suppressed her thoughts, her expression remaining perfectly calm.
’For the Emperor to have a heart condition... it’s incredibly dangerous!’
’If anyone were to find out...!’
Ye Chutang paused, then asked, "Your Majesty’s illness—it must have started some years ago, right?"
The Eldest Princess fell silent for a long while, as if lost in a distant memory. After some time, she finally spoke with a note of sorrow. "That’s right. He never had this problem before, but eleven years ago, while leading an imperial campaign, he was stabbed in his own camp. Ever since then, he has suffered from occasional, sharp pains in his chest."
"Later, Chu Qiyuan took his pulse and discovered the problem with his heart. The matter was too grave, so the news was suppressed. Very few people know about it."
’That was understandable.’
’Other issues were manageable, but a problem like this was different. Any mishap would be irreversible.’
The Eldest Princess’s brow furrowed. "Chu Qiyuan secretly found many remedies to help manage Your Majesty’s health, and he did gradually improve. Aside from the cold winter months, Your Majesty very rarely experienced any discomfort. But—"
But then, of all things, the incident with Xiao Chengxuan happened.
In his fury, Emperor Muwu’s old ailment flared up, and he suddenly fell gravely ill.
"Chu Qiyuan left the capital this time to find medicine for Your Majesty. We never expected that just as he left, His Majesty would be unable to hold on."
The Eldest Princess was clearly frustrated as she spoke of it.
’If I’d known this would happen, I would have made Chu Qiyuan stay here, no matter what!’
’No wonder,’ Ye Chutang thought.
’Chu Qiyuan is the head of the Imperial Hospital. What kind of medicine would require him to search for it personally, instead of sending someone else?’
’Now the answer was obvious.’
The Eldest Princess sighed, looking much more worn out.
"If you weren’t here, I really don’t know what I would have done..."
As she spoke, she looked toward Ye Chutang again, a faint hope glimmering in her eyes. "So many Imperial Physicians failed to notice anything unusual, yet you figured it out immediately. Chutang, do you have a solution?"
In the Eldest Princess’s view, the Imperial Hospital was mostly filled with incompetents; all of them put together couldn’t compare to Ye Chutang alone!
’If Ye Chutang really has a solution, then—’
Ye Chutang pondered for a moment.
’Even though I could diagnose Emperor Muwu’s illness, there was essentially no way to fix it.’
’The conditions here are completely unsuitable for surgery.’
But the look in the Eldest Princess’s eyes was too desperate. Ye Chutang remained silent for a moment before she spoke.
"I humbly ask that the Eldest Princess grant me three days."