Chapter 603: Chapter 605: Tricked the Emperor
After the acupuncture was done, Yun Jinnian removed the needles, and the Emperor had already fainted from the pain.
"May Eunuch Hai change the Emperor into clean clothes and make sure he doesn’t catch a draft. We will begin the medicinal bath shortly!"
"Yes!"
Soon after, a large tub was carried in, filled with dark, bubbling medicinal liquid that emitted steam.
Yun Jinnian turned her face away, letting Eunuch Hai and several young eunuchs lift the Emperor into the large tub. At first, the Emperor didn’t feel pain, but gradually, he felt as if ants and insects were gnawing inside his body.
It was both itchy and painful.
Several times he wanted to get up, but recalling how he had almost perished earlier, he could only bear with it.
"Fourth Miss, could you give the Emperor another acupuncture to ease some of his pain?" Eunuch Hai asked anxiously.
Just as Yun Jinnian was about to speak, she heard eunuchs outside heralding, "The Empress Dowager, the Empress, are arriving!"
The Empress Dowager hurried in immediately after, "How is the Emperor?"
Without waiting for a response, she went straight to the Emperor’s side. Seeing the Emperor in such pain, she said urgently, "Fourth girl, think of something quickly to alleviate the Emperor’s pain!"
Yun Jinnian walked up to the Empress Dowager and curtsied, "Empress Dowager, the first detoxification is always this painful. It will be much better the next time!"
"There will be a next time? Can the Emperor’s body endure it?" the Empress Dowager asked urgently.
"To reply to the Empress Dowager, I am eighty percent confident!"
Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager’s anxiety was put to rest.
She took a deep breath, "That’s good, that’s good!"
As long as the detoxification was possible and the Emperor could recover, although the process was torturous, if it was necessary, then it had to be endured.
The Empress Dowager went to the front of the Emperor, took a silk handkerchief, and wiped the sweat off his forehead, "Your Majesty, it will be over soon, the pain will soon subside!"
At this moment, the Empress Dowager was gentle, kind, and benevolent.
Yun Jinnian looked on, feeling a bit heartbroken and turned her head away guiltily.
The Empress watched, keeping all her thoughts hidden, and approached Yun Jinnian, "Jinnian!"
"Empress?"
"The Empress Dowager is not feeling well. After a while, would you take her pulse?"
"Yes!"
Although Yun Jinnian did not know what the Empress meant, she did not feel it was appropriate to refuse.
Perhaps due to what Chu Yu had said, Yun Jinnian had become wary of the Empress, pondering her words with extra caution.
Half an hour later, the Emperor’s time in the medicinal bath was up. Eunuch Hai led people to clean the Emperor and changed him into clean clothes.
Yun Jinnian took the Emperor’s pulse.
"How is it?" the Empress Dowager asked anxiously.
Yun Jinnian withdrew her hand, slightly smiling as she curtsied to the Empress Dowager, "To report to the Empress Dowager, the poison from the Poisonous Insect inside the Emperor’s body has weakened slightly!"
She then took a porcelain bottle, walked to the side of the large tub, and sprinkled some powder into it.
In the dark medicinal liquid, several tiny red insects surfaced, wriggling a few times before going stiff and dead.
The Empress Dowager, looking on, felt a chill down her spine and turned pale. She commanded in a stern voice, "Take it out and boil it in a big fire. Make sure they are thoroughly boiled alive, and do not dispose of this medicinal liquid carelessly. Bury it together with the tub underground!"
The Empress Dowager’s expression was somewhat odd.
Yun Jinnian could not immediately pinpoint what was strange, so she did not dwell on it.
Eunuch Hai immediately called people to carry the tub out, and the Emperor continued to remain unconscious.
With the Empress Dowager present, the Empress did not have the right to speak, thus remained silent and stood aside, as if she did not exist at all.
The Empress lacked not only genuine concern for the Emperor but even feigned interest.
Yun Jinnian observed, deep in thought.
Seeing the Empress Dowager staying beside the Emperor’s bed, Yun Jinnian stepped forward and said respectfully, "Empress Dowager, since the Emperor will not awaken for a while, please return to Cining Palace to rest. Let me stay here to watch over him. Once the Emperor awakes, I will immediately send someone to inform you, is that alright?"