Prince Ding was stunned for a long time before he finally came back to his senses.
The seventh young lady of the Beiming Duke's mansion, Chu Qianli.
She had a name, a surname, and a status.
Moreover, she looked no older than sixteen or seventeen.
How could it be…
“Mother, what’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”
Long Ziyue hurried over and supported her. “Mother, did His Majesty… give you any trouble?”
Although she had lowered her voice when she asked the last question, Prince Ding still glanced at her, warning, “Words can lead to trouble. Have you forgotten Mother’s teachings?”
“I’m sorry, it’s my fault. I just…”
“His Majesty has been very good to me. During this time, she has been sending imperial physicians to diagnose me.”
Although she had chided Long Ziyue in her eyes just now, Chu Qianli could tell that Prince Ding doted on her daughter.
However, with an outsider like her present, Prince Ding was cautious in her words and actions.
She did not seem to trust anyone easily.
“Ziyue, is this Miss Chu the divine physician you invited from Beiming?”
Before entering the palace, Prince Ding had received a letter from Long Ziyue mentioning this matter.
Long Ziyue quickly said, “That’s right, Mother. She is the A’li I mentioned in my letters to Ziyue and Zixin, the one who saved me when I was in danger.”
Prince Ding looked at Chu Qianli, her expression now calm.
She coughed twice, catching her breath, and then said, “Miss Chu, have you met His Majesty?”
“Naturally, I have,” Chu Qianli nodded, then suddenly looked at Long Ziyue. “Ziyue, I need to examine Prince Ding, but I don’t like anyone present.”
“Alright, I’ll stand guard outside.” Long Ziyue immediately got up, bowed to Prince Ding, and turned to leave.
Prince Ding couldn’t help but be a little surprised.
Her daughter trusted this Miss Chu so much.
After Long Ziyue left, Prince Ding looked at Chu Qianli and asked casually, “I heard His Majesty has also been unwell these past few days. I wonder if Miss Chu has examined her?”
“You mean, if my medical skills are truly excellent, why would His Majesty let me treat you? And if my skills are insufficient, my presence would be useless, wouldn’t it?”
Chu Qianli placed the medical kit on a low table nearby. Ignoring Prince Ding’s surprised expression, she began arranging her instruments and said,
“I have diagnosed Her Majesty the Empress. She suffered a severe injury over ten years ago, and I suspect there is a foreign object left in her body. For years, she has been able to suppress it with her strong physique and profound internal energy, but…”
She glanced at Prince Ding. As expected, Prince Ding’s eyes were filled with shock.
Chu Qianli smiled. “But now that she is older, her physique is naturally not as robust as in her youth. The foreign object has been in her body for many years, and it has already fused with her flesh and blood. The surrounding tissues have been affected, and it has already damaged her internal organs.”
“You actually…” Long Tianliu felt a myriad of emotions in her heart.
After all, this was her own sister, and she did not want to see her sister suffer from illness.
But for so many years, she had harbored a question: was it Long Tianliu who harmed the late emperor and His Highness back then?
If it was truly Long Tianliu’s doing, even if she were her sister, she would show no mercy.
Before the matter was clarified, Prince Ding was in a state of inner turmoil and conflict.
“Then… what did you tell His Majesty?” she asked.
“I told His Majesty that she has a deficiency in qi and blood and needs to be nourished with medicinal meals.”
“Besides that…”
“Nothing else.”
Chu Qianli’s words made Prince Ding immediately understand why His Majesty was willing to let her treat her.
It was likely that His Majesty now regarded her as just another physician, not much different from the imperial physicians in the palace.
“However, His Majesty is a person of meticulous thought. If she cannot figure it out now, she may do so tomorrow.”
“I know.” That was why she could not stay in this palace for long.
The longer she stayed, the greater the danger.
“But I must come to see you.”
“Why?” Prince Ding sensed that her words held deeper meaning.
Did she have another purpose?
“Let me take your pulse first.”
Chu Qianli placed her instruments down, and her slender fingers rested on Prince Ding’s wrist.
Gradually, her expression became solemn.
“I know I have been ill for a long time, and my condition is beyond treatment.”
A flicker of disappointment flashed in Prince Ding’s eyes.
Who wouldn’t want to live a few more years? But it seemed she truly had no chance.
“It’s not that there’s no chance. Your pancreatic function is impaired, and your illness is indeed very deep.”
Chu Qianli understood why people in this era were short-lived after coming to ancient times.
It was precisely because medical technology was too backward.
“It’s not untreatable, but I don’t have the medicine on hand right now. Only by obtaining the medicine specifically for your condition can you fully recover.”
“I can still recover?” Prince Ding looked incredulous.
All the physicians, whether they dared to say it or not, had reached the same conclusion.
They had all sentenced her to death!
“There is still a chance to recover with injections, but as I said, I don’t have the medicine at the moment.”
Chu Qianli packed her things and, at the same time, left a message for her senior brother in the WeChat system: Help me find a way to get these two types of insulin.
But she didn’t know when her senior brother would see the message and send it to her.
These things could not be bought on Taobao.
Therefore, she was temporarily powerless.
“I will write a prescription for Ziyue. You can take the medicine according to this prescription first, but it can only alleviate the symptoms, not cure the root cause. I cannot obtain the medicine for the root cause for now.”
She wrote a prescription but did not hand it to Prince Ding immediately.
“Miss Chu, is there anything else you wish to say?”
Prince Ding felt that this young girl was hiding many thoughts.
But from the moment she first saw this girl, she couldn’t guard against Chu Qianli.
Because she looked too much alike!
That demeanor was truly too similar!
She really looked like Princess Xiyue!
“I have some questions I wish to ask you in person, Your Highness.” Chu Qianli said expressionlessly.
“So, you intend to send Ziyue away?”
Prince Ding supported the carved pillar by the bed and slowly sat up.
Chu Qianli did not help her. Her complexion was not very good.
Prince Ding had no idea what she was thinking. She couldn’t even tell if this young girl harbored any hostility towards her.
“Speak, I am listening.” She coughed again.
“Who do you truly serve?” Chu Qianli asked.
Prince Ding was stunned, staring at her, not understanding.
“Ziyue said you are loyal to Princess Xiyue, but I dare not believe it easily.”
She suddenly took out a token from her pocket.
“Now, show me your loyalty. If you are willing to cut off your own hand, I will believe you!”