sjar Chapter 1189: Being mocked by Ba
Chapter 1189: Being mocked by Ba
The emperor's attitude towards Concubine Wang was somewhat vague after the fall of Duke Dingguo's Mansion, and he never clearly expressed his dislike for her.
At this delicate moment when Shen Zhinian is about to be promoted to Imperial Noble Consort, it is not appropriate to stir up big waves.
Directly taking the princess's life was too radical and would easily give people a reason to criticize him.
But... it's easy to make her suffer a little and keep quiet for a while.
The corners of Shen Zhinian's lips curled up slightly.
In order to avoid visiting Queen Mother Liu, didn't Concubine Wang "claim to be sick" and stay at home after returning from the autumn hunt, avoiding suspicion completely?
Since she likes being "sick" so much, let her... really get sick!
Shen Zhinian's voice was neither too loud nor too low, and it was particularly clear in the quiet warm room: "Xiao Mingzi."
"The slave is here!"
Xiao Mingzi immediately emerged from the shadows in the corner and bowed to obey orders.
"Go to the Imperial Hospital and ask Doctor Tang to come over."
Shen Zhinian said in a normal tone, "Just say that I have some winter nourishment prescriptions and would like to ask him."
"Yes!"
Xiao Mingzi took the order and left without a sound.
Soon, Tang Luochuan arrived with a medicine box.
He was still dressed in the uniform of an imperial physician, his handsome young face expressionless. Only when his eyes looked at Shen Zhinian did a trace of imperceptible concentration and a sickly burning warmth flash through their depths...
Tang Luochuan bowed and saluted: "Your humble servant pays homage to Her Majesty the Imperial Concubine Chen. May Your Majesty be blessed with good health!"
"No gift."
Shen Zhinian motioned him to come closer, her voice soft and gentle, as if chatting casually: "I heard that Princess Wang has been in poor health since returning from the enclosure, and has been bedridden ever since?"
"Your Majesty and I miss you very much..."
Tang Luochuan was so smart that he instantly grasped the deep meaning from Shen Zhinian's words, which seemed concerned but actually had no warmth.
He lowered his head slightly to hide the understanding that flashed in his eyes, and said in a calm voice: "Your Majesty, I also know a little about the pulse of Concubine Wang."
"I heard it's due to stagnant heart qi, coupled with the cold air from the enclosure entering the body, triggering an old illness. That's why I have recurring low-grade fevers and mental fatigue."
Shen Zhinian's fingertips tapped lightly on the rosewood tabletop, making a very light tapping sound: "Oh?"
"Since it's an old illness, I'm sure the imperial physician who attends to Princess Wang has done his best to treat her. However, if this illness is delayed for too long, it will definitely harm your health."
She raised her eyes and looked at Tang Luochuan calmly: "Doctor Tang is an expert in medicine, especially in treating women's internal diseases."
"I'm wondering if the princess's lingering illness requires... some strong medicine to dispel the 'cold' and 'stagnation' that's deep within her internal organs, so that it can be eradicated?"
Shen Zhinian pronounced the word "heavy medicine" very lightly, but it carried an unmistakable hint.
The corners of Tang Luochuan's lips curved upwards imperceptibly, the arc was cold.
He raised his head, his gloomy eyes were clear, and he said respectfully: "Your Majesty is wise!"
"The Queen's condition may appear to be a simple case of cold and stagnation, but it is actually caused by a deep-seated evil spirit. Ordinary warming and nourishing medicines are unlikely to be effective and may even cause the condition to linger and recur."
"I believe that we must use something...of a slightly stronger strength to draw the evil out, so that we can solve the problem once and for all and strengthen our foundation!"
Having said this, Tang Luochuan paused, lowering his voice even lower, with the certainty that only a doctor can give: "Please rest assured, Noble Concubine Chen."
"Although the decoctions used by Concubine Wang on a daily basis are prepared by her own imperial physician, the methods of combining the herbs are ever-changing."
"I only need to give some guidance on the fumigation in the medicine furnace or the combination of the herbs, so that the efficacy of the medicine... can be more closely aligned with the 'root of the disease'. Help the princess recover quickly, without leaving any traces!"
Tang Luochuan's meaning couldn't be clearer—
The medicine was prescribed by someone else, and the prescription is also someone else's.
But he has plenty of ways to make the effect of the medicine "just right".
This makes Wangpin's illness more real, more lingering, and more in line with her image of being seriously ill.
And there is no substantiation.
Shen Zhinian nodded in satisfaction, a cold glint flashing across his eyes. "Then I'll have to trouble Imperial Physician Tang to 'carefully' treat Princess Wang. I hope... 'the medicine will cure the disease'!"
"I will obey your orders and live up to your trust!"
Tang Luochuan bowed and retreated, his steps still steady.
After handling this matter, Shen Zhinian called Fuqiu again. Her voice returned to its usual lazy tone, but with an unquestionable tone: "Go to the Jingshifang and tell me what I want to say—"
"My sister, the princess, is seriously ill and needs to rest. She is not suitable to serve the emperor. Her green card... please remove it for the time being."
Fuqiu understood and immediately agreed, "Yes, Madam. I will do it right away."
Shen Zhinian had picked up the silver scissors again and was slowly and methodically trimming the extra branches of the wintersweet in the vase.
The fragrance of plum blossoms is refreshing, reflecting her calm and peaceful profile.
The winter is still long, and it’s time to prune some branches!
The two orders were like invisible shackles.
Together, it will make Wangpin's "illness" real.
The other deprived her of the possibility of regaining divine grace.
In the deep palace, one can easily imagine the situation of a concubine who has lost favor and is "long-ill".
There were never any secrets in the palace, and soon everyone knew about it.
Concubine Zhuang paused slightly as she twisted the Buddhist beads, with no expression on her face, as if she had already expected this.
Concubine Chen...finally took action.
……
The main hall of Yiku Palace.
The smell of medicine and warm fragrance intertwined, so heavy that it was suffocating.
Concubine Wang was leaning on a beauty couch covered with a thick brocade mattress, wrapped tightly in fox fur, with a thin layer of powder deliberately applied on her face, revealing the paleness and haggardness of "long-term illness".
She was "sickly" accepting Ba's routine morning greetings, her eyelids half-closed, looking exhausted and troubled.
Ba agreed to sit on an embroidered cushion at the front of the lower table.
She was wearing a colorful palace dress, and her wheat-colored skin glowed with health under the warm light in the palace.
The slightly bulging belly is clearly visible under the skirt.
Ba Dacheng's charming eyes, which were filled with exotic charm, were now sizing up the deliberately sickly look on Wang Pin's face with great interest, with a hint of undisguised sneer on her red lips.
She lazily adjusted her sitting posture and picked up the teacup that the maid had just served her, but did not drink it. She only took the jeweled silver lid and nonchalantly stirred the foam.
Ba agreed, his voice drawn out sweetly, with a sharp edge: "Sister Wangpin's 'sick' look today... seems even more charming than the past two days. It really makes me feel pity for her."
"When I heard that my sister was seriously ill, I was so worried that I couldn't sleep at night."
Then, she changed the subject, her gaze fixed on Wang Bin's face as if it were filled with poison: "But if you think about it, my sister's 'illness' is quite appropriate."
"The Duke Dingguo Mansion has just been uprooted, and the Empress Dowager is now bedridden in the Cining Palace, unable to even see anyone. Sister, you must be feeling... mixed emotions, shocked and terrified."