SFS Chapter 324 Getting Medicine
Chapter 324 Getting Medicine
Chapter 324: Getting Medicine
Chapter 324
After handing the prescription to Eunuch Su, Luo Shuiyao instructed, "Go and boil a pot of hot soup for your majesty's medicinal bath."
"Yes, Miss Luo, leave it to me. I'll take care of it right away," Eunuch Su replied, taking the prescription, tucked it into his arms, and walked towards the front hall. He had long anticipated that even a miraculous healer would need herbs to treat illnesses. The Imperial Hospital's insignificant staff had been purged, leaving only the Imperial Physician Your Majesty trusted. His top priority was to hasten the preparation of the medicine, allowing Your Majesty to detoxify sooner and suffer less pain.
After seeing Eunuch Su leave, Luo Shuiyao turned back to Emperor Yuanzhen, bowed, and said respectfully, "Your Majesty, this prescription can be combined with my acupuncture to help expel the poison accumulated in your chest. I was anxious and unbecoming just now. I hope Your Majesty will forgive me."
"I am not such a petty person. It's okay."
Emperor Yuanzhen waved his hand, indicating he wasn't concerned. Then, hesitantly, he asked, "Are you truly confident you can expel the poison from my body?"
"Your Majesty, although this poison is extremely powerful, your Majesty has only been taking it for a short time and it has not yet penetrated deeply into the lungs. It is still possible to cure it."
Seeing that she didn't express her certainty, but her expression was unusually calm, Emperor Yuanzhen became increasingly curious. Among the many doctors in the Imperial Hospital, no one dared to claim that this poison could be cured. How could this young girl be so skilled in medicine? Emperor Yuanzhen cast a probing glance at her and asked, "You are so young, yet you have such great medical skills. I wonder where you learned them from?"
Luo Shuiyao naturally noticed the inquiry in his eyes, but she just looked at him intently, lowering her eyes and saying, "My master is someone I met in the marketplace in my early years. After teaching me some medical skills, he disappeared, and I don't know where he is now."
"Oh? Is that so?" Emperor Yuanzhen's voice was thick with disappointment. He had originally thought that for a young woman to possess such exquisite medical skills, her master must be a truly remarkable one, but he had no idea that even she knew his whereabouts. However, he quickly dismissed the thought, thinking that perhaps masters were always elusive, like dragons that could be seen only from the beginning.
While Eunuch Su went to fetch the medicine, it would take some time. Emperor Yuanzhen rose from the dragon couch, donned his nightgown, and added an outer garment. He sat on the edge of the bed, gazing with interest at the two men standing like wooden stakes in the hall. "Lord Ye, I heard your mother is busy in the capital seeking a suitable husband for you. You are not young anymore, and it is indeed time for you to start a family. I think this Miss Luo is very beautiful and a perfect match for you. How about I choose an auspicious date and arrange a marriage for you two?"
Ye Yunzhou hadn't expected His Majesty to stare at him for a long moment before suddenly saying this. He suppressed his pounding heart and looked up at Luo Shuiyao, only to see her visibly stiffen. Ye Yunzhou gritted his teeth. This was truly a good opportunity. Ever since the last incident, Luo Shuiyao had acted as if she had nothing to do with him anymore. But if His Majesty could arrange a marriage, that would be perfect. He had to admit, his heart was shamefully tempted.
He wasn't surprised that His Majesty knew about his mother's matchmaking. Even if His Majesty's health was poor, as the ruler of the country, he was well aware of what was happening in the capital. Moreover, his mother hadn't been secretive. It would have been strange if His Majesty didn't know. However... he wasn't sure if Luo Shuiyao would dwell on it. But now was clearly not the time to dwell on such thoughts; the most urgent task was to respond to His Majesty. He suppressed the longing that welled up in his heart, maintaining a calm demeanor. He said respectfully, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your concern. However, I'm currently overwhelmed with affairs, and I'm afraid I don't have the time to attend to this matter."
"But no matter how busy you are, your lifelong commitment is paramount. If you wait until you're done with your duties, won't you be several years older?" Emperor Yuanzhen, seated at the head of the table, could clearly see the change in Ye Yunzhou's expression. He had expected him to refuse, but he actually declined, which once again surprised Emperor Yuanzhen.
Upon hearing this, Ye Yunzhou bowed and said gratefully, "Lifelong events are certainly important, but aren't national affairs even more important? I swore to support Your Majesty since I was young, so naturally I will put national affairs first. I hope Your Majesty will not blame me for my presumptuous refusal."
His words were sincere and flawless. Emperor Yuanzhen repeatedly promoted him, recognizing his sincere patriotism. Ye Yunzhou possessed exceptional abilities, being both loyal to the monarch and unconventional. He was truly a rare and worthy minister.
Seeing his resolute refusal, Emperor Yuan Cheng's eyes flickered with regret. Judging from his recent words, it was clear that he was preoccupied with demonstrating his patriotism in the short term, and that marrying would likely be put on hold. This way, he would most likely miss out on this girl.
With this girl's outstanding appearance and extraordinary talent, coupled with her noble status as the daughter of the Right Prime Minister, there will surely be many people who want to marry her in the future. By then, facing the pursuit of so many young talents, a man like Ye Yunzhou, who is unsophisticated and unromantic, will find it difficult to gain an advantage in the competition.
Indeed, although the news of the Right Prime Minister's adoption of a daughter hadn't spread widely, he knew it all, and he wasn't unhappy about it. After all, the Right Prime Minister's family was quite special. The Right Prime Minister had no siblings, no biological daughters, and his only son was like that. Even if the Right Prime Minister's family valued this girl very much, so what? It wouldn't arouse his suspicion.
"Alright, since you have no intention of this, I will not try to match you up with anyone else."
Emperor Yuanzhen stroked his beard, then looked at Luo Shuiyao and said, "Miss Luo, don't be restrained. There is a place to sit in the hall. Why don't you take a seat and wait for a while?"
Luo Shuiyao had remained silent the entire time. When Emperor Zhencheng suddenly mentioned her, she just bowed slightly, then walked quietly to a corner of the hall and sat down, ignoring Emperor Yuanzhen's gaze, as if it was not her who was arranged to be married, nor was it her who was rejected.
Her self-possessed demeanor made Emperor Yuanzhen look at her with renewed respect. An enlightened emperor who disliked women who acted coyly, he couldn't help but admire her demeanor once again. If this girl hadn't been favored by one of his closest ministers, he would have wanted to bring her into the palace. But then he dismissed the idea. Such an exceptional woman should be free to soar outside the imperial walls, not trapped within them.
Ye Yunzhou saw the Emperor Yuanzhen's expression clearly. He stood aside, his hands clenched slightly in his sleeves, secretly regretting that he had refused too soon. Could it be that after seeing his refusal, His Majesty had begun to consider letting Luo Shuiyao into the palace?
He was becoming increasingly regretful, wondering whether he should go back on his word and reiterate his earlier request, asking His Majesty for permission to marry him. Even if His Majesty could punish him for deceiving the emperor and give him a beating, he doubted His Majesty would kill him at this point. He clenched his fists tightly in his sleeves and was about to speak when he was interrupted by the sound of hurried footsteps.
"Your Majesty, I've brought the medicine Miss Luo requested." Eunuch Su hurried in, clutching a bundle. If he had gone to the Imperial Hospital to get the medicine himself, it wouldn't have been so quick. But don't forget, the palace has secret guards, and the guards around your Majesty are all experts. A trip to the Imperial Hospital wouldn't have taken long. And with the Imperial Physician's assistance, the medicine arrived quickly. As soon as Eunuch Su received the medicine, he hurriedly brought it in and presented it to your Majesty.
His presence broke the strange atmosphere in the hall and stopped Ye Yunzhou from saying anything. Emperor Yuanzhen heard this and said, "Give the medicine to Miss Luo and let her take a look."
Upon hearing His Majesty's order, Eunuch Su turned around and handed the medicine bag to Luo Shuiyao who walked forward for inspection.
Luo Shuiyao opened the bundle and examined it carefully. Then Eunuch Su said, "The hot soup is ready. It's in the front hall. Do you want me to have someone bring it in?"
Luo Shuiyao stared at the herbs in the medicine bag and responded softly without raising her head. After receiving the response, Eunuch Su turned and left.
A few breaths later, two masked men in black walked in, carrying a large bucket of hot soup. Hearing the noise, Luo Shuiyao set down her herbs and glanced curiously at the two men. She knew something about secret guards, having read countless novels in her past life, but this was her first time seeing one in person, and a sense of novelty welled up in her.
When Ye Yunzhou saw this scene, he felt a sour feeling in his heart, and then he took half a step forward, just blocking her sight.
The two secret guards were quick and agile; after setting down the soup bucket, they quietly departed. With Ye Yunzhou blocking their path, Luo Shuiyao couldn't see anything beyond the initial sight of two men in black. She raised her eyebrows and happened to meet someone's lingering gaze. Somehow, even though she told herself she had nothing to do with him, a sense of guilt still welled up inside her.
"Miss Luo, what should I do now?" Emperor Yuanzhen did not see the quarrel between them, and asked when he saw the soup bucket being moved in.
Luo Shuiyao's thoughts were interrupted by him, and she immediately put the matter behind her. She averted her eyes from meeting Ye Yunzhou's, turned around, picked up a medicine from the table and handed it to Eunuch Su: "Boil this medicine with three bowls of water to make one bowl. Do not add raw water during the process. Please boil it as soon as possible."
"Yes, old slave, go right away."
Eunuch Su heard the call and hurried forward, taking the medicine bag with both hands. "Miss Luo, don't worry. This old servant will personally supervise the preparation of this medicine. There will be no mistakes."
"Your Majesty, I will soak this other dose of medicine in the tub. Please remove your outer garments, leaving only your undergarments and underwear in the water, so I can administer the acupuncture. Once the poison has concentrated in your chest, you can take the medicine to protect your heart meridians, and today's treatment will be complete. Continue this for three days, and all the toxin will be concentrated in your chest. At that point, you will simply use the induction method to draw out the poison, and it will no longer harm your body."
"Since Miss Luo is so confident, I will give it a try." Emperor Yuan Cheng was not a timid person, and he agreed after hearing this.
Then he hesitated and said, "I need to undress. Why don't you, Miss Luo, leave first?"
Luo Shuiyao nodded when she heard that, turned around and soaked all the medicine bags in water, then glanced at Ye Yunzhou, and when Ye Yunzhou nodded, she left the room and waited quietly outside the door.
Inside the inner hall, Luo Shuiyao didn't go far, but stood at the doorway, listening to the rustling of clothes coming from inside. About a cup of tea later, the sound of water splashing filled the air, and Luo Shuiyao's scattered thoughts instantly snapped back to focus, her gaze casting towards the room. Sure enough, just a few breaths later, a voice rang out from inside: "Come in."
Upon hearing this, Luo Shuiyao straightened her clothes before pushing the door open and entering. The room was filled with steam. Emperor Yuanzhen sat in a tub of hot water. His skin, perhaps from not having been exposed to sunlight for so long, was radiantly white. However, Luo Shuiyao only glanced at him briefly before lowering her eyes. She turned and picked up the silver needles she had brought with her when she entered the palace from the table. After placing the needles, she stepped forward.
As she passed by Ye Yunzhou, she reminded him, "Master Ye, please keep an eye on the water temperature. If it drops slightly, add hot water to prevent it from being too low and catching a cold."
Ye Yunzhou nodded slightly, indicating that he understood. Earlier, when the secret guards moved the soup bucket, they had already brought in a bucket of hot water. Now, after listening to Luo Shuiyao's instructions, he naturally understood how to operate.
Seeing Ye Yunzhou understand, Luo Shuiyao felt relieved. She didn't want to cure Emperor Yuanzhen of the poison only to have him catch a cold. After all, she didn't want to experience the power of an ancient emperor. Furthermore, Emperor Yuanzhen represented not only himself but also the people of the world. Therefore, his health was closely related to the safety of the people.
After reaching the soup bucket, Luo Shuiyao gently apologized: "Your Majesty, there may be slight pain when the acupuncture is performed later. I hope Your Majesty will forgive me for my intrusion."
Emperor Yuanzhen had been mentally prepared. Upon hearing this, he closed his eyes slightly, nodded gently, and said, "It's okay. No matter what, I will forgive you."
Hearing this, the last shred of hesitation in Luo Shuiyao's heart dissipated. She picked up a silver needle, her aura suddenly changing. Her eyes were firm, no longer as gentle as before. She raised her hand and pierced the acupuncture point on Emperor Yuan Cheng's head.
Emperor Yuanzhen felt only a slight tingling sensation on his head, and then no other unusual sensations. Luo Shuiyao continued to administer the needles, first and then the second. Within a short time, Emperor Yuanzhen's upper body was covered in silver needles, a truly terrifying sight from afar.
During this time, Ye Yunzhou kept a close eye on the water temperature, adding hot water from time to time to maintain a constant temperature. When he saw beads of sweat on Luo Shuiyao's forehead, he paused for a moment, but finally raised his hand to wipe them away. Luo Shuiyao noticed, but was too engrossed in the acupuncture to pay attention.
Time passed minute by minute, and only when the last needle was placed did Luo Shuiyao breathe a sigh of relief.
This acupuncture technique was extremely sophisticated, requiring no interruptions during the procedure, which kept the practitioner on high alert. When the last needle landed, Luo Shuiyao's breath, which she had been holding onto, instantly vanished. She felt dizzy and nearly collapsed.
Ye Yunzhou had already noticed her hands trembling slightly during the final stages of acupuncture, and he had a suspicion in his mind, so he had been keeping an eye on her. When he saw her fall, Ye Yunzhou immediately raised his hand and held her in his arms.