Chapter 285 Met Emperor for the First Time
The room was very quiet, and the incense at the window, which could calm heart and tranquilize mind, curled upwards with a hint of slight sweet smell.
In the bed, Chu Liuchen closed his eyes, but it could be seen that he did not fall asleep. His handsome and delicate face was pale like snow. He frowned from time to time, but obviously he could not spare energy to say something.
Empress Dowager tucked him in quilt and turned to Qin Wanru after a sigh. At this time, she started to look up and down at Qin Wanru.
Perceiving Empress Dowager’s gaze, Qin Wanru tightly held her head down with a little bit reserved look, and her long eyelashes shook several times uneasily. Nevertheless, whoever saw Empress Dowager for the first time, no girl would not become reserved.
“Are you the second daughter in Ningyuan Army General’s Mansion?” Empress Dowager asked in the voice which was not high, but quite serious.
“Report to Empress Dowager, yes, I am!” Qin Wanru said softly.
“Did you get to know Chen when you were in Jiangzhou?” When saying this, Empress Dowager did not look at Qin Wanru. She glanced at her grandson, and as expected, she saw that boy’s eyelids slightly twitching twice, thus a faint smile naturally flashed on her face.
“The highness lived in my mansion, and then he was treated in Jingxin Monastery!” Qin Wanru replied respectfully, and a pair of bright watery eyes stared at the inch of land in front of her, which made her seemingly lovable and mannered.
“You studied medicine from Abbess of Jingxin Monastery?” These words provoked Empress Dowager’s interest, and Qin Wanru’s lovable look left a favorable impression on her, so she asked now with a smile.
“Yes, I just studied a little medical skill from Mingqiu Nun in Jingxin Monastery!” Qin Wanru replied. The previous reserved feeling had gradually faded away, so her look became more natural, and she also behaved in a good manner.
Empress Dowager was very satisfied with Qin Wanru, who could relax quickly and behave with no mistakes in rules and etiquette.
“Then please help diagnose me!” Empress Dowager reached out her hand, and a Nanny had already slightly rolled up her sleeves for her. Qin Wanru lifted up a pair of watery eyes, and was stunned to look at Empress Dowager. But she immediately saluted to Empress Dowager gracefully and walked forward, and then she reached out to take Empress Dowager’s pulse.
The room suddenly became quiet. The moment Empress Dowager turned back, she saw Chu Liuchen slightly lifting his eyelashes, which obviously showed that he had been peeking, so she was more sure about it in her heart.
“Empress Dowager, you have symptoms of deficient energy and much phlegm. When getting worse, you will also cough up of blood!” Qin Wanru put down Empress Dowager’s hand, and said softly.
“Then how to treat them?” Empress Dowager laughed and asked.
Qin Wanru thought for a moment. “Empress Dowager, it is certain that you have your own medicine to treat this disease. I just want to remind Empress Dowager that you should pay more attention to your daily diet. More attention to daily life should be paid for this disease and you need to nourish yourself slowly. Especially in such a cold day, Empress Dowager should take more care of your body!”
She said these words subtly, and did not belittle other imperial physicians to show her excellent medical skill or even say more about Empress Dowager’s symptoms. However, she had already spoken out the cause of Empress Dowager’s disease, and done no harm to other imperial physicians, which could be described as being well-rounded.
Empress Dowager nodded repeatedly, and was quite satisfied with Qin Wanru.
If Qin Wanru indulged in empty talks at this time and said how to diagnose and treat her illness, Empress Dowager would not believe this, because she naturally had her own doctor who was trustworthy. Moreover, Qin Wanru was still too young. In Empress Dowager’s eyes, she was just a child. Even though she had learned some medical skills, how could such a child know much? It was very good for her to be able to point out a cause.
If she must be stubborn, she would only cause Empress Dowager’s dislike.
What she said now were consistent with her current age, and she said these words without any omission, which also made Empress Dowager feel that she was very clever and lovely.
What was more, she also looked pretty with white skin. Anyone who saw her would like her.
“You just took Chen’s pulse. How about Chen’s disease? Empress Dowager looked at her and asked, with a much gentler voice.
This was quite hard to answer, and even harder than taking Empress Dowager’s pulse previously.
Everyone in this world knew that Chu Liuchen could not live long, but only she knew that he actually could live for a long time. In his previous life, his body got better and better afterwards, otherwise he could not become the crown prince of the country, have authority over a country, or even take the position of Emperor in the future.
But now, he looked dying and this look should also get affirmation from all the doctors in the palace. Last time when Chu Liuchen met her, he said that another highly skilled doctor had been found in the palace in order to treat him. It also meant that all the ministers in the palace were so helpless that they could only find other master doctors.
In this way, how could Chu Liuchen’s body get better?
“Report to Empress Dowager, my medical skill is quite limited. I dare not to casually discuss Highness’ disease. I just know that if Highness can nourish himself well, not get angry and keep in good mood, he will definitely get better!” Qin Wanru squatted down, and held her head down to answer respectfully.
This answer was more perfunctory than that for Empress Dowager’s disease just now. It seemed to be said casually, but her sudden kneeling down and her words, which were said after a long hesitation, all made people understand that what she had said was her real thinking instead of some words that made excuses. As for Chu Liuchen’s disease, she dared not to discuss casually.
In other words, she did not know what to say at all!
Empress Dowager showed a disappointed look on her face and laughed bitterly. Actually, she also knew how her grandson’s physical condition was, but she just had a delusion. Although she was disappointed at this time, it was not the biggest blow for her because she had prepared in her heart.
How could she not know Chu Liuchen’s physical condition?
Her grandson was good in all aspects, expect his physical condition. It was not easy to diagnose and treat the congenital disease. At the thought of this, Empress Dowager’s eyes watered a little and she picked up a handkerchief to gently wipe the corners of her eyes. She really loved this grandson more dearly than other grandsons.
Such a good child. If not at the beginning… it would possibly not be the situation like this now!
What she could do now was to spoil him as much as possible. Even if she spoiled him to become the most foppish child in this dynasty, Empress Dowager still believed that it did not matter. As long as he was happy and he could be happy, nothing else did matter. Her own son committed a sin, but her grandson was the most innocent one.
“Stand up!” Empress Dowager said in a low voice.
“Yes!” Qin Wanru held Yujie’s hands to stand up.
“You can go to change your outfit. Go on!” Seeing that there were some spots of ashes and damaged clothes on Qin Wanru, Empress Dowager said, “After a while, the banquet still has to be held!”
“Yes, Empress Dowager!” Qin Wanru nodded and was about to leave. Suddenly she heard someone outside saying loudly, “Emperor is coming!”
One after another, the sound was getting closer and closer. Hearing the hurried footsteps in her ears, and seeing that all the servants in the room were kneeling down, Qin Wanru also followed them to plop and kneel down again on the ground.
Here came Emperor.
The door was pushed open heavily, and when she heard all the people in the room shouting “Long Live Emperor” three times, she also followed to kowtow and prostrate herself. A piece of golden corner of robe flashed in front of her eyes and the s.h.i.+ning golden silk thread pa.s.sed away at an extremely fast speed. Then she heard a serious voice from a man, “Empress Mother, how about Chen?”
“How about what? He almost lost his life. They cannot tolerate Chen at all. Even though he is in such condition… they do not allow him…” Empress Dowager’s voice was a little bit choked now.
Emperor rushed a few steps forward and sat down on the bed. With a gloomy look, he looked at his nephew’s face, which was ghostly pale and bloodless. Several eunuchs who followed him to come in all held their heads down and did not dare to move at all.
“Prince Zhou’s horse?” When coming over, Emperor had already known parts of this matter, so he asked directly now.
“It is said to be Prince Zhou’s horse, but whom it actually belongs to is still unknown. Chen becomes a tool for them to scramble for power and wealth!” Empress Dowager said furiously.
Born in a royal family, she could see these things much deep and would not conclude that this was done by Prince Zhou just because of everything she saw apparently, but she could not say that it absolutely had nothing to do with Prince Zhou.
However, someone could even play a trick on Chu Liuchen, which meant that he definitely wanted to use the value of Chu Liuchen to profit some people. As long as she thought of this, Empress Dowager felt painful as if a knife were being twisted in her heart.
Her grandson who had finally grown up in the palm of her hands could not become a tool for those who were scrambling for power and wealth.
“Find! When I go back, I will definitely find it out!” Emperor said coldly, with a glance at Chu Liuchen’s face.
“It is necessary to find it out. This matter cannot be easily let go. It will possibly happen twice. Chen can survive this time, but it will be uncertain next time. What’s more, Chen originally has such a weak and sick body. These people are so ruthless that they still want to kill Chen despite his poor physical condition like this!”
Empress Dowager’s face was similarly as gloomy as water.
“Mother, please rest a.s.sured. I will never condone. Whoever is involved in this matter, I will give Chen an explanation!” Emperor a.s.sured Empress Dowager.
Empress Dowager took a handkerchief to wipe the corners of her eyes and nodded. “You go back first. I am here and it is nothing serious on Chen now! I will stay here!”
“Yes, Mother!” Emperor answered, but he did not leave. Hesitantly looking at Empress Dowager , he was about to say something but he held back these words.
Empress Dowager’s face clouded. “Don’t tell me that she wants to see Chen!”
“Mother, she is always… very worried…” Emperor felt awkward and entreated in a low voice.
“You say that she is worried… I do not want to hear this. Neither does Chen. Ask her not to bother Chen’s life when nothing is important, otherwise I will definitely not forgive her!” Empress Dowager reproached loudly, “You do not defend her anymore. I do not want to hear anything about her!”
After saying this, she turned away decisively, giving Emperor a cold back.
Seeing Empress Dowager’s behavior, Emperor knew that whatever he said would be useless, so he could only sigh and stood up to look at Chu Liuchen, and then turned to leave.
But when pa.s.sing by Qin Wanru, he stopped, “Is she the second daughter of Ningyuan Army General? Was Chen hit when he saved her?”
“It is my great honor to meet Emperor!” Qin Wanru prostrated herself and said respectfully.
“Raise up your head!” Emperor glanced at Qin Wanru and said.
Qin Wanru slowly lifted her head up with her eyes looking down on her nose instead of looking around. She behaved herself calmly, and saw a piece of bright yellow robe at the corners of her eye. Her face felt a strong sense of severe power, since Emperor was gazing at her. Thus, she pressed hardly on the corner of her skirt with hands.
“Mother, she is too young!”