Chapter 485: Treatment
Chapter 485: Chapter 485: Treatment
CRASH.
The Jade Bowl in Consort Rong’s hand slipped and fell to the floor, shattering to pieces.
She shot to her feet in a panic. "Wh-what?!"
Emperor Muwu’s expression turned grim. "What exactly happened?!"
The palace attendant knelt on the floor and spoke, trembling, "Your Majesty, Consort Rong, a messenger has come from Prince Lie’s Mansion. He reports that less than an hour after taking his medicine this morning, His Highness Prince Lie suddenly vomited blood and fell into a coma! Prince Lie’s Mansion is now on high alert and has been locked down, with no one allowed in or out. But His Highness’s condition is critical. We await Your Majesty’s decision!"
Consort Rong’s face was ashen as she staggered backward.
Thankfully, a palace maid rushed forward to support her, barely keeping her on her feet.
"How... how could this happen..."
Consort Rong looked at Emperor Muwu, her eyes welling with tears and turning red.
"Your Majesty, I... I must go see him for myself!"
But Emperor Muwu immediately denied her request. "If you suddenly leave the Imperial Palace, it will only lead to endless speculation. Besides, your constitution is weak. What good could you do by going?"
It was the truth.
Consort Rong wanted to speak but hesitated, ultimately just biting her lip as tears streamed down her face.
’Yes!’
’If I go now, what can I do besides cause more trouble?’
Emperor Muwu commanded, "Immediately summon Chu Qiyuan of the Imperial Hospital to Prince Lie’s Mansion!"
"Yes!"
The attendant hastily started to withdraw but was stopped by Emperor Muwu.
"Also, order Ye Chutang to go with him. Report back immediately if anything happens!"
Ye Chutang gazed at the medicine stove, which was still giving off wisps of steam, and sighed internally.
’Working the early shift every day is one thing, but now I have to make a house call... Prince Lie’s Mansion is quite a distance from the Imperial Palace!’
Hearing this, a spark of hope ignited in Consort Rong, and she looked over with tear-filled eyes.
’That’s right, that’s right! There’s still Ye Chutang!’
’She was able to cure even His Majesty’s illness. She can surely save Cheng Qi!’
"Miss Ye, we’re entrusting everything to you!"
Ye Chutang rose and bowed.
"Chutang will obey Your Majesty’s decree."
...
The moment Ye Chutang arrived outside Prince Lie’s Mansion, she noticed many more hidden lookouts and guards in the vicinity.
From the outside, it seemed no different than usual, but...
Anyone truly determined to find out would surely make detailed inquiries.
Led by the steward, Ye Chutang walked inside, holding Xiao Wu’s hand.
Prince Lie’s Mansion didn’t have many servants, but it was clear that a considerable number of them possessed extraordinary skills.
She had heard that when Xiao Chengqi returned to the capital, he brought back many of the soldiers who had followed him.
Though these men were simply dressed and acted with deference, their gazes were razor-sharp. They were clearly elite soldiers who had fought and killed on the battlefield.
The security at Xiao Chengqi’s mansion should have been ironclad.
’Of course, if he deliberately exposed a weakness, that would be another matter entirely.’
"Second Miss Ye?"
Chu Qiyuan had already arrived. He was quite surprised to hear that Ye Chutang had come as well.
Ye Chutang explained succinctly, "Consort Rong is extremely worried, but it is inconvenient for her to leave the palace, so I came to have a look."
Chu Qiyuan understood.
’Her presence must be at His Majesty’s behest. It’s not hard to see that His Majesty already trusts Ye Chutang implicitly.’
"His Highness Prince Lie is in the inner room. Follow me."
Ye Chutang nodded.
Chu Qiyuan reached the door, then paused and glanced back hesitantly at Xiao Wu.
’A scene like this... it doesn’t seem right for this Little Bun to witness it...’
Ye Chutang smiled. "Xiao Wu is shy around strangers. I’m afraid she’ll cry if she’s separated from me. It’s better to let her stay with me."
Xiao Wu immediately cooperated, hugging Ye Chutang’s arm tightly. Her large, grape-like eyes were clear and innocent, tinged with a helpless nervousness.
Chu Qiyuan considered it for a moment and agreed that this was probably for the best.
’Xiao Chengqi has vomited blood and is unconscious. Prince Lie’s Mansion might not be safe right now.’
He nodded and turned to push open the door.
Ye Chutang and Xiao Wu followed closely behind him.
Inside the room, Xiao Chengqi lay on the bed, his eyes shut tight and his face as white as paper.
Standing by the bed were Zhao Xuanping, the physician who had been in charge of Xiao Chengqi’s care, and a man of about thirty.
He stood with his hands at his sides, a sword at his waist. His features were ordinary, but he exuded a subtle, powerful aura.
’He must be Xiao Chengqi’s personal attendant.’
Ye Chutang’s gaze swept lightly over the man’s face before she calmly looked away.
Zhao Xuanping’s brows were tightly knitted, his expression grim.
Seeing Ye Chutang arrive, he only gave her a quick glance before his eyes returned to Xiao Chengqi on the bed.
Chu Qiyuan said, "I have just taken the Prince’s pulse. I discovered that the residual poison has been accumulating in his body for a long time and was triggered today. Overwhelmed by a deficiency of both qi and blood, his body gave out, leading to the sudden coma."
"Residual poison?" Ye Chutang looked at Zhao Xuanping. "Didn’t you already bring back the antidote from Guanling? How is it that after all this time, not only has the poison not been cleared, but it has led to this?"
Zhao Xuanping knew the question was directed at him.
"I don’t know either."
Zhao Xuanping’s hands were clenched tightly as he forced the words out.
"Everything was fine before, and His Highness was even showing signs of improvement. Who knew that today he would suddenly—"
Chu Qiyuan said, "I just wrote a prescription that might slow the spread of the residual poison in His Highness’s body. Since you are here, Second Miss Ye, I would trouble you to look it over and see if there is anything amiss."
As he spoke, he took a piece of paper from his sleeve and politely handed it to Ye Chutang.
Ye Chutang accepted it with both hands. After a quick scan, she asked, "Has Doctor Zhao seen it as well?"
Zhao Xuanping was in a terrible state of mind. "I’ve seen it. Chief Doctor Chu’s prescription should be fine. It’s just... the poison affecting His Highness is extremely rare. At this point, I can no longer make any guarantees."
Ye Chutang gave a slight nod, then turned to the attendant.
"Has His Highness Prince Lie shown any unusual symptoms recently?"
The man clasped his fist in a salute and replied, "To answer Second Miss Ye, His Highness has not been unwell these past few days, aside from occasional feelings of listlessness and cold, and his appetite has not been what it used to be. We all assumed these were side effects of the medication, but we never expected..."
All medicine is poison to some degree; it’s quite normal for uncomfortable side effects to appear during treatment.
But who would have thought it would lead to vomiting blood and falling into a coma today?
Ye Chutang nodded in understanding. "At times like this, it is even more crucial to pay attention to the body’s subtle reactions and adjust the medication accordingly."
These words made Zhao Xuanping look extremely embarrassed.
But Ye Chutang wasn’t wrong. In the end, the problem lay with that so-called "antidote"!
"It was my negligence," Zhao Xuanping said, taking a deep breath and forcing himself to speak. "I am willing to bear full responsibility for all of this!"
Ye Chutang raised her eyes slightly, a faint smile playing on her lips as she calmly advised, "Doctor Zhao, don’t be in such a hurry to accept punishment. Nothing has been concluded yet. The most important thing right now is to diagnose His Highness Prince Lie."
In truth, Zhao Xuanping’s mind was a complete mess.
He had been in charge of Xiao Chengqi’s health all this time. Now that such a major disaster had occurred, he could not escape the blame!
Hearing Ye Chutang’s words, he finally regained a sliver of composure.
"Does Second Miss Ye have a better solution?"