Faced with Princess Changpingâs yelling, Han Yunxi put on her most serious doctorâs expression instead of arguing. It was a face that was both calm and somewhat stern, filled with an authority that gave people a sense of security. Instead of answering the questions, she lightly stroked Princess Changpingâs face to quiet her down. Even the empress grew nervous and afraid to ask.
Han Yunxi touched the right side, then the left. According to the latest results of her scanners, Princess Changping should have another reaction very soon. She stayed calm as she stroked her for a long time while Princess Changping and the empress grew increasingly anxious. Yet neither of them dared to open their mouths and ask questions, much less make impertinent remarks. Even Gu Beiyue, who was standing outside the bed curtain, was starting to feel a little uneasy. He knew that Han Yunxi could treat poisons, but he wasnât sure if she could cure the one on Princess Changpingâs face. At most, heâd just recommended her.
In an instant, the atmosphere had turned tense!
And yet, Han Yunxi suddenly withdrew her hand as if frightened, before rising and backing away with a cry of alarm. âHeavens! The poisonâs changed, itâs going to turn contagious soon!â
What?
Hearing this, the empress backed away in fear of her life. All the surrounding court ladies did the same in terror. This was truly horrifying!
Not just the princess, but anyone with an infectious disease (including the emperor) would be taken away from the palace and shut up in a separate hall. If they couldnât be cured, then they wouldnât be able to return for the rest of their lives. Princess Changping gave a jerk before wailing loudly in fright, âI donât want to! Donât want to! WahhâŚmuhou, save me! I donât want anyone to send me away! I donât!â\nThe empress was the one that had retreated furthest away, so tense that her face had turned white. âYunxi, can you treat her or not?â
Han Yunxi avoided the question as her expression turned imposing. âIt seems like the poisonâs going to act up again.â
Sure enough, as soon as she spoke, Princess Changping began to struggle. âItchy! Muhou, my face is starting to itch again! Let me go!â
âFree my hands!â
âMuhou, why donât you help me scratch it instead? Iâm begging you!â
Very soon, her legs started to itch too. But they were tied up as well, and no amount of kicking could help her get free. Upon seeing this, everyone was amazed. They hadnât expected Han Yunxi to really have the skills to pinpoint the poison flare-up time. The empress was scared to death and didnât dare come forward. She tugged on Han Yunxiâs hand as spoke, âYou really guessed the right time! Yunxi, youâre too formidable. You must have some way to save Changping, right?â
âYunxi, a contagious disease is no small matter. You have a way, donât you?â
If news of this got out, it wouldnât be just Princess Changping, but the empress as well who had to be taken far away. Even if the empress didnât catch the illness, itâd take her a year before she could see the emperor again! Within the palace, how many eyes watched and coveted her position? She couldnât afford to lose a year.
âSave meâŚmuhou, hurry and let her save me!â
âIâm going to itch to death, which one of you can help me?â
âImperial fatherâŚsobâŚI want to see imperial father!â
âŚâŚ
Princess Changping tossed and turned, too tormented to speak. Only now did Han Yunxi push aside the empressâs hand with a serious tone. âIâll try.â
âGood, good!â the empress nodded her head.\nHan Yunxi walked over to sit by Princess Changpingâs side. Seeing this, everyone grew anxious and stared. Would this woman really have a solution? Princess Changping was shouting insanely, using all her strength to shake her head and twist her body. When she saw Han Yunxi, she gathered her senses and cursed her. âItâs all you! Everythingâs because of you!â
âYouâre the one that left me in this state!â
âIâm warning you, if you canât save me then my muhou wonât forgive you!â
âChangping!â the empressâs tone was severe. âWhat kind of drivel are you spewing?â She was about to apologize to Han Yunxi when the latter raised her hand for silence. The empress grew quiet, but Princess Changping became ever crazier.
âHan Yunxi, if youâŚâ
And yet before she finished, Han Yunxi placed a salve on her face. In an instant, Princess Changping shut her mouth, her eyes bulging open in disbelief.
This medicineâŚ
So refreshing!
The place where it touched was ice-cold and not a bit itchy!
âIf IâŚwhat?â Han Yunxi asked in a low voice.
Princess Changping was thrown for a second before shaking her head. âNoâŚnothingâŚâ
Han Yunxi applied the ointment on another patch of poison rash, its refreshing coolness better than even turning into an immortal. Princess Changping sucked in a deep breath before exhaling and sighing with emotion. âIt feels so comfortable!â
âRight?â Han Yunxi smiled as she asked.
Princess Changping only nodded her head. âI want more! Even more!â
Han Yunxi seemed to hesitate, looking somewhat reluctant. Princess Changping was very nervous as she saw the giant bottle of ointment in Han Yunxiâs hands. She didnât bother with pride as she entreated, âImperial Aunt Qin, Iâm begging you, please! I was wrong, I brought everything on myself. I was wrong, please save me!â\nThe empress grew anxious as well. âYunxi, Changpingâs still young and doesnât know how to act. If sheâs wronged you in any aspect, please donât take it to heart!â
Han Yunxi turned around. âEsteemed empress must be speaking in jest. Why would Yunxi bear a grudge against the younger generation? Itâs just that there are cuts on her face, so Iâm afraid of leaving scars if I use this ointment. Thatâs why I hesitated.â She sat at the foot of the bed, applying medicine to Changping as she spoke in earnest. âLetâs stop the itching in the legs first. As for the face, I suggest that the princess bear with it for a bit so she doesnât ruin her looks. Iâll do my best to create an antidote before the poison turns contagious.â
Hearing this, the empress finally sighed in relief. âExcellent, excellent!â She proceeded to tell Changping, âJust endure it a while longer! If your face is ruined, your Qingwu gege wonât want you anymore!â
Princess Changping was noticeably tearing up. âFinefinefine! Iâll endure, I can bear itâŚsobsâŚIâve already endured so many times.â
She did her best to focus on the cooling sensations from her legs. But even though she said sheâd endured, her hands still struggled against their bonds. It really was too itchy to bear!
After applying the salve, Han Yunxi only said one thing. âShe might be contagious during this period of time, so itâs better not to approach her too often.â
Her words undoubtedly sent Princess Changping to the depths of hell. There was no such thing as pure familial affection in the palace. The empress wouldnât come to visit Princess Changping, leaving only a few court ladies to wait upon her. Even Han Yunxi had left her behind. Seeing her retreating form, Princess Changping was filled with hate. But she didnât know for how many days she still needed to suffer.\nBefore they reached the guest hall, the empress was already asking questions. âYunxi, what exactly was that poison?â
âPoison rash, probably picked up from the prison. That place is too filthy and filled with toxins.â Han Yunxi spoke, pretending to be thoughtful. âEsteemed empress, the princess is the golden branch and jade leaf. If thereâs nothing to do, donât let her run off to the prisons instead.â
Of course the empress knew of the princessâs torture methods that night in the prison cells. Faced with Han Yunxiâs taunt, she couldnât help it when her face turned red from irritation and embarrassment. Still, she had to grit her teeth and bear it. On one side, Gu Beiyue stealthily shot Han Yunxi a glance as he smiled. This woman really didnât take any losses. Those who owed her would eventually find themselves paying her back.
It was a long time before the empress spoke again. âHow long until she recovers?â
âSheâll be well as soon as the poisonâs treated. Iâll write a prescription for the antidote, so have someone collect the ingredients immediately.â Han Yunxi walked through the doors as she spoke, while the empress quickly followed, ordering someone to bring brush and ink to serve her.
A typical antidote only needed a few ingredients, but Han Yunxi wrote down a whole list of them, enough to fill two sheets of paper. There were quite a few rare and precious ingredients within them as well. The empress couldnât understand it, but Gu Beiyue couldnât resist a smile when he read through the list.
Was this woman really writing a prescription for an antidote?
She was clearly looting a burning house[1]! Many of these items were mutually exclusive ingredients that couldnât be mixed together in the same medicine. In the end, when Gu Beiyue thought that Han Yunxi was finished, she took out a third sheet of paper and wrote down the final ingredient: ten-seasons cicada slough.[2]\nThese cicada sloughs were skins left behind by molting cicadas and commonly found in traditional Chinese medicine. But a typical cicada only shed nine-season skins. A ten-season skin cicada was a rare thing. The empress didnât understand these things, but the gaze of the experienced storehouse user Gu Beiyue turned momentarily complicated, although he kept his composure.
âEsteemed empress, this is the prescription. Please gathered the ingredients listed as quickly as possible. I will boil the antidote myself,â Han Yunxiâs face was full of sincerity.
The empress promptly passed on the prescription to Gu Beiyue. âImperial Physician Gu, Iâll leave this to you. Be sure to get everything on the list.â The empress had really thought too simply about everything, but it wasnât her fault. Didnât the palace have all sorts of medicinal ingredients?
Gu Beiyue nodded his head and left. The afternoon of the same day, heâd collected all the necessary ingredients on the list for Han Yunxi except the ten-seasons cicada sloughs.
âThe palace doesnât have these?â the empress was incredulous. âDid you search carefully?â
âEsteemed empress, this official can verify that we have none in the storehouse.â As Gu Beiyue spoke, he looked towards Han Yunxi before continuing. âThe ten-seasons cicada slough is a priceless item equal to the worth of several cities. Only two have existed so far, with one in the hands of empress of Northern Li Country, and the otherâŚâ
âWhere is it?â the empress grew testy.
âThis official only knows that itâs in Grand Concubine Yiâs hands, but I donât know if itâs been used yet.â Gu Beiyue replied honestly.
âItâs with mufei?â Han Yunxi looked astonished.
All right, so she knew long before. Otherwise, she wouldnât have added it to the list. She saw it in Grand Concubine Yiâs rooms where it had been mounted as a work of art. Rumors had it that she was saving it for Murong Wanruâs dowry so that the girl was happy every time she saw it.\nThis left the empress in a difficult position. It wasnât easy to get something off of Grand Concubine Yi. After a while, the empress asked sincerely, âYunxi, why donât you speak with your mufei about it?â
Han Yunxi heaved a sigh. âEsteemed empress, my mufei is honest and kindhearted. Sheâd definitely help if it can save a life, itâs justâŚâ
The empress anxiously waited for her to continue.
âAyeâŚif I go to demand it, wonât I have to let her know about Changpingâs illness? But neither you or Changping will let me tell,â Han Yunxi was really in an awkward position. These words made the empress realize the severity of the situation. A cold look flashed past her eyes as she wondered whether Han Yunxi was doing this on purpose. After Han Yunxi cured Changping and went home, Grand Concubine Yi would no doubt ask her questions. By then, sheâd be stuck between two difficult decisions: telling all and offending the empress, or keeping silent and making Grand Concubine Yi unhappy.
If she went to ask for the cicada slough now, then itâd be the same as the empress giving her permission to tell Grand Concubine Yi the truth. Nobody could blame her then. The empress was filled with indignation at Han Yunxiâs cleverness. She really had underestimated her.
Seeing the empress hesitate, Han Yunxi waited patiently. Actually, she had an antidote from modern times currently in her medical pouch. She just took the chance to grab some precious ingredients as her consultation fee while resolving the troubles with Grand Concubine Yi, all the better to pave her way for the future.
-o-
[1] looting a burning house (????) â chen huo dajie, to take advantage of someoneâs misfortune to do him harm, a fish in troubled waters.
[2] cicada sloughs (??) â chantui, the molted skin of cicadas, a common ingredient in Chinese traditional medicine used to dispel wind and heat from the body.\n\n<!-- AI CONTENT END 2 -->