In the courtyard of Prince Qing.
Until the hour of You (6 p.m. to 7 p.m.).
"Ah—"
A pained scream ripped through the sky above Prince Qing's mansion.
Zuo Qing kicked open the room door and rushed in. As he looked up, he saw two disheveled women kneeling on the floor. Prince Qing's mouth and nose were bleeding, his face contorted in pain, and he had fainted. He was covered by a quilt.
Zuo Qing thought, this is bad this time.
"Quick, quick, go to the palace and invite the imperial physician!"
Zuo Qing roared anxiously at those behind him.
After a long while, a guard finally returned from the palace with Physician Zhang.
As soon as Physician Zhang stepped into Prince Qing's room, he smelled an unpleasant odor in the air. Being a man who had been around, he knew why Prince Qing had fainted from pain.
This Prince Qing was truly unafraid of death. Hadn't he warned him before not to casually consume aphrodisiacs to compensate for his deficiencies? Yet, he had treated his words as mere gossip. Now he was in trouble.
Alas...
It truly made him furious!
Although he was a doctor, he was not an omnipotent immortal who could cure all illnesses.
"Physician Zhang, please take a look at my prince," Zuo Qing said with a splitting headache.
Physician Zhang helplessly carried his medicine box to Prince Qing's bedside, sat down, and extended his finger to feel Prince Qing's pulse.
After a long silence, he still did not speak.
This made Zuo Qing anxious.
"Physician Zhang, how is my prince?"
"Alas, I can only alleviate his pain. His... is completely ruined. However, I suggest you find the Cold King's consort to have a look at your prince; perhaps she has a solution," Physician Zhang said, shaking his head as he looked at Prince Qing.
"The Cold King's consort? My prince and the Cold King and his consort are sworn enemies. Asking my prince to seek treatment from the Cold King's consort, wouldn't that be making things difficult for him?"
Zuo Qing's brows furrowed upon hearing Physician Zhang's words.
"In short, I have warned you. Whether you choose to find the Cold King's consort to examine your prince is no longer my concern," Physician Zhang said indifferently.
Hmph! Who would have thought that their prince had bullied his own betrothed in the past, mistaking a precious jade for a stone and discarding it, only to pick up a piece of dog excrement, and as a result, let the Cold King find a treasure of a consort.
It was truly satisfying.
"Then what about my prince now? We can't just watch him be completely ruined, can we?"
Zuo Qing looked at Prince Qing lying on the bed, unconscious from pain, his heart filled with conflict. Should he go and beg the Cold King's consort to treat his prince?
"I will prescribe a medicine for your prince now. Quickly have someone fetch the herbs and decoct them for him. It can alleviate some of his pain, but I cannot cure his other symptoms. If in the future, your prince is really unable to... in that aspect, you will have to help him, since he won't mind."
Physician Zhang spread his hands, shrugged, and suppressed a smile as he said.
Upon hearing Physician Zhang's words, Zuo Qing was completely stunned. This old man Zhang actually said such a thing, asking him to help the prince with that...
He, Zuo Qing, was still a...
As Zuo Qing thought, his face instantly turned flushed.
Immediately, Zuo Qing's expression darkened, and he looked at Physician Zhang, saying, "Physician Zhang, you are an old man, how can you say such a thing? The prince is an imperial prince of the current emperor."
"Haha, Guard Zuo Qing, I was just joking. Please don't mind me," Physician Zhang quickly corrected himself.
Heh, when Prince Qing was confined by the Emperor, who in the court didn't know what he had been doing in Prince Qing's mansion?
"I hope Physician Zhang will not joke about this matter again in the future."
Zuo Qing reminded him again.
Physician Zhang smiled and nodded.
Then, Zuo Qing had someone bring the writing implements for Physician Zhang to write down the prescription. After that, Zuo Qing instructed someone to go to the pharmacy outside to fetch the medicine for Prince Qing.
At this moment, Physician Zhang reminded Zuo Qing again.
"Guard Zuo Qing, I have nothing more to say, but I still suggest you find the Cold King's consort to examine Prince Qing's condition. Perhaps she will have a way to treat Prince Qing."
"Alright, thank you, Physician Zhang." Zuo Qing replied.
"If that is the case, then I shall take my leave," Physician Zhang said, and then he left Prince Qing's mansion.
After Physician Zhang left, Zuo Qing kept deliberating whether to go to the palace to inform the Empress about Prince Qing's situation and ask her to find a way to invite the Cold King's consort to Prince Qing's mansion to treat his prince.
However, ever since the Empress learned that the Imperial Concubine Leng had given birth to a child of indeterminate gender, her feelings for her prince had become much more indifferent. Since the Empress was released from her confinement by the Emperor, she had not arranged for anyone to inquire about the prince's condition at Prince Qing's mansion for a long time. Perhaps she was utterly disappointed in Prince Qing.
A few days ago, his prince had heard news that the Empress had secretly sent people to Wan City, preparing to bring her eldest legitimate son (Prince Shou) back to the capital to wish the Empress Dowager a happy birthday.
Zuo Qing heard that this Prince Shou had suffered from a heart condition since he was in his mother's womb. The current Emperor and Empress had sent people to search for renowned physicians all over the realm, but none could cure his heart condition. In the end, having no other choice, the Emperor sent him to Wan City, a place of eternal spring, to recuperate. He had been gone for more than ten years.
Only after the Empress had Prince Qing did she pour all her attention onto Prince Qing. But now, the Empress suddenly remembered Prince Shou. Was she planning to abandon Prince Qing and support Prince Shou to ascend the throne?
The more Zuo Qing thought about it, the more he felt that the Empress was likely to do this.
However, with his current abilities, he couldn't possibly invite the Cold King's consort to treat his prince.
He still had to go to the palace to ask the Empress to find a way to have the Cold King's consort treat his prince.
No matter how disappointed the Empress was with her own son, she couldn't possibly neglect her own flesh and blood.
After Zuo Qing saw the servants give Prince Qing the medicine prescribed by Physician Zhang, he instructed other guards and servants to take good care of Prince Qing and immediately set off for the palace to find the Empress.
At this moment, in Fengqi Palace.
The Empress was tasting the pastries brought to her by a palace maid.
Little Anzi rushed in.
"Your Highness, something bad has happened! Prince Qing has fainted!" Little An said, panting.
"What happened now? Eunuch, I just encountered Physician Zhang returning from his house call at the palace gate. Physician Zhang told this eunuch that Prince Qing had fainted."
Little Anzi flicked his whisk, pulling on a sharp, duck-like voice.
"When did this happen? And why did he faint?" the Empress asked faintly, her delicate brows furrowed.
"Physician Zhang said it was around the hour of You. It is said that it was because..."
Little Anzi was interrupted mid-sentence by a young palace maid who had just entered.
"Your Highness, Guard Zuo Qing of Prince Qing is requesting an audience!" the young palace maid said respectfully.
"Let him in!" the Empress said directly.
"Your Highness, this eunuch guesses that this Zuo Qing has come because of Prince Qing's matter," Little Anzi said, raising a finger with a flourish.
As soon as he finished speaking, Zuo Qing walked in.