Feng Wuya, half-heartedly, finally lay down on the bench under Chu Qianli's coaxing and threats.
Chu Qianli performed basic checks on him: blood pressure, heart rate, and cardiopulmonary function.
Although she lacked more sophisticated instruments, she had quite a few useful things at her disposal.
Feng Wuya didn't know when he had fallen asleep.
When he woke up, he found himself in the room where he had slept before.
Liujin was still guarding him.
"Where is Ah Li?"
"Miss Chu is still watching over His Highness. She said His Highness is likely to wake up very soon."
Liujin's eyes were filled with excitement and a smile, but he lowered his voice: "Your Highness, you must not speak of this for now. Absolutely do not let the Emperor or the Empress Dowager know."
"I understand," Feng Wuya nodded.
The Emperor had agreed to give Chu Qianli seven days. At the earliest, he would send imperial physicians to check on the Fourth Prince around the third or fourth day.
Once the imperial physicians discovered that the Fourth Prince's injuries had improved and they could take over, the Emperor might seize the opportunity during the Fourth Prince's unconscious state to eliminate Ah Li.
If the Fourth Prince could wake up earlier, there might still be room for maneuver.
If not, he would have to find a way to protect Ah Li's safety first.
"Liujin, tell me, if I tell my father about the Mandarin Duck Gu, will he spare Ah Li for the sake of my life?"
After all, the Mandarin Duck Gu meant they would live and die together. His father... should also cherish his life and temporarily spare Ah Li, right?
"Your Highness, you might not know, but there is a way to undo the Mandarin Duck Gu."
"What?" Feng Wuya was somewhat taken aback.
Liujin, with no other choice, told him what he knew: "If one party, betting their own life, severs their own heart meridian to extract the Gu worm, it is very easy to lure out the other Gu worm with this extracted worm."
"Truly?"
"I've only heard of it. However, this method is too perilous. The one who extracts the Gu first will have their heart meridian completely severed and likely won't live long."
Liujin was genuinely worried: "I fear that the Emperor might also have experts skilled in Gu. In that case, to ensure Your Highness's survival, it's not impossible for the Emperor to order a Gu expert to forcibly sever Miss Chu's heart meridian to extract the Gu worm."
Therefore, even with the Mandarin Duck Gu, the Emperor still had a way to eliminate Chu Qianli while preserving Prince Xiaoyao's life.
In short, Chu Qianli was still in grave danger.
"Your Highness, we still need you to look out for the Empress Dowager. Don't let her know that our Prince is about to wake up."
Chu Qianli said that Prince Xuan would wake up soon, and Liujin believed her.
Regarding Chu Qianli's medical skills, Liujin had no doubts at this point.
Therefore, it was inevitable that the Prince would wake up.
This matter still needed to be kept from the Empress Dowager.
"I only hope His Highness can recover quickly to protect Miss Chu, otherwise..." Liujin didn't finish his sentence.
Feng Wuya's heart sank abruptly.
Even if the Fourth Prince could wake up, his body wouldn't recover immediately.
As long as his father issued a kill order, it would still be difficult for the Fourth Prince to protect Ah Li.
How could this knot be untied?
...
"How dare you! You dare to block my way?"
Just as Chu Qianli removed the needle from Feng Yexuan, she heard the Empress Dowager's hoarse voice from the courtyard entrance.
Although Leng Ji's attitude was respectful, he still dared not move aside.
"Empress Dowager, Miss Chu is currently treating His Highness. No one can disturb them at this time. Empress Dowager, this subordinate is only considering His Highness's health."
"I heard that Wuya stayed here all night yesterday. What exactly happened inside? Why can't I go in?"
The Empress Dowager took a step forward. Leng Ji immediately retreated but still refused to yield.
"Empress Dowager, Prince Xiaoyao merely came to accompany him for a while last night and left to rest soon after."
"Leng Ji, who do you obey? Is it Chu Qianli who told you to stop me?"
"No, this subordinate would not dare! This subordinate is merely afraid of disturbing His Highness's rest!"
Leng Ji subtly glanced at the dozen royal guards behind the Empress Dowager.
The Empress Dowager had never brought guards when visiting the Prince's mansion before.
But this time, it wasn't just these dozen people.
In the courtyard where she was staying, there were dozens more royal guards on standby.
Although their Prince's mansion guards were fully capable of blocking these people, they were the Empress Dowager's people. Did they really have to fight?
"Leng Ji, no matter what you say today, I must go in and see Xuan'er!"
The Empress Dowager continued to advance, and Leng Ji was forced to retreat step by step.
Behind the Empress Dowager, besides Nanny Jin, was also Yu Linglong.
Leng Ji had basically been guarding this courtyard for the past two days. He didn't know when Yu Linglong had arrived.
"Empress Dowager..."
"I must go in. If you dare to stop me, then kill me!"
"This subordinate would not dare!"
"If you dare not, then get out of my way!" The Empress Dowager continued to advance.
Yu Linglong supported her, remaining silent.
She didn't need to say anything.
Yu Linglong had learned her lesson. With the Empress Dowager taking the lead, she just needed to quietly hide behind her.
If such matters were handled poorly, it would easily leave a bad impression on anyone.
Previously, because Chu Qianli was favored and Feng Yexuan was partial, she had lost her composure in anger.
Now, after personally witnessing Chu Huaiyu's fate, she had calmed herself down.
"Make way!" The Empress Dowager quickened her pace.
If Leng Ji didn't move, she would walk directly towards him.
How could Leng Ji dare to stop her?
Unknowingly, a group of people had already stormed into the courtyard and, in a blink of an eye, reached the foot of the steps.
Above them was the door to Prince Xuan's bedchamber.
At this moment, only Chu Qianli and Feng Yexuan were in the room.
Chu Qianli's slender fingers moved away from Feng Yexuan's pulse.
His pulse today was calm, a sign of his impending awakening.
The Empress Dowager had surely brought her own physician. If that physician examined Prince Xuan, the Empress Dowager would know his condition clearly.
Knowing that Prince Xuan was about to wake up, the Empress Dowager would likely not let her live.
Finally, as they approached the steps, Chu Qianli stood up, preparing to greet them personally.
Unexpectedly, a guard's voice came from the courtyard entrance: "Reporting to the Empress Dowager, Princess Pingyue requests an audience!"
"Princess Pingyue?" The Empress Dowager was startled and turned to look in the direction of the courtyard entrance.
Several figures were seen hurrying over.
Fulong accompanied Long Ziyue, along with Long Ziyue's maidservant Danqing, and they walked over quickly.
Seeing Long Ziyue's gait, the Empress Dowager's brow furrowed slightly, showing some surprise: "Princess, I heard... you were severely injured? Why..."
"Greetings, Empress Dowager."
Long Ziyue walked up to her and bowed, saying, "Ziyue was previously stabbed by a thief near the heart, and even the imperial physicians of your esteemed country declared that Ziyue would not survive."
Danqing, with a thud, knelt towards the Prince's bedchamber door: "Thanks to Miss Chu's superb medical skills, she saved my Princess's life! Miss, this servant is here to thank you!"