Quick Transmigration: Underdog Turns out to be Untouchable

Chapter 932: Chapter 843: Unwilling to Be a Slave 63

But Lady Jing did not know whether Nangong Shuangshuang was willing to help. She had seen that Nangong Shuangshuang had been deliberately hiding her skills, not wanting others to know the extent of her medical abilities. Lady Jing did not wish to force Nangong Shuangshuang.

Now that Nangong Shuangshuang had agreed to treat the Empress’s illness, Lady Jing was quite pleased and immediately got up, hurriedly leading Nangong Shuangshuang to the Empress’s Fengchen Palace.

When Lady Jing and Nangong Shuangshuang arrived at Fengchen Palace, the Emperor happened to be there. The palace’s Imperial Physicians surrounded the Empress because she had fainted again. The Imperial Physicians feared the Empress was not doing well and reported to the Emperor, who rushed over with a very grim expression.

At this moment, the Emperor shared a rare sentiment with Lady Jing. The Emperor was very fond of the Empress’s gentle and virtuous nature. Although the Empress was weak, she was very capable, managing the harem affairs well without burdening the Emperor.

The Emperor feared that if he were to change to another Empress, who might cause problems, it would be troubling for him. Although he didn’t care much for the concubines’ palace intrigues, a good Empress could confine such intrigue to vying for his favor alone, which was an enjoyment for the Emperor.

If replaced by a troublesome Empress who not only did not suppress discord but joined in the conflicts, the harem would be plunged into chaos. The Emperor certainly did not want to visit a disorderly harem.

Seeing Lady Jing, the Emperor’s expression was not any better and he said in an annoyed tone, ”Lady Jing, the Empress is still sick, what are you doing here?”

If Lady Jing had still held the Emperor in her heart, she would have been hurt by his attitude while she was a Noble Consort. But after her recent calculations, having risen to the rank of a Lady and even receiving a title, Lady Jing had thoroughly let go of the Emperor.

Lady Jing realized that when she treated the Emperor sincerely, she was merely a mid-ranking Noble Consort. But when she lost her true feelings and calculated at every turn, her position rose rapidly. Such a man was not worth her love.

So facing the Emperor’s anger at this moment, Lady Jing was not angered at all but gracefully curtsied, saying, ”Your Majesty, I heard the Empress’s condition is severe, and I am very worried. I thought the medical-skilled Nangong Lady by my side could take a look at the Empress.

Originally, with the presence of the Imperial Physicians, I would not dare let my maid attend to the Empress’s illness. But now, with the Empress’s condition so dire, I selfishly thought of letting Nangong Lady try and see if she can cure the Empress.”

The Emperor naturally remembered Nangong Shuangshuang, but he had never paid much attention to her. This time, his mind occupied with thoughts of the Empress, he did not bother to pay much heed to Nangong Shuangshuang, only pondering whether to let her examine the Empress.

In the end, recalling that the Imperial Physicians were at their wits’ end, the Emperor, in a desperate measure, sighed and said to Lady Jing, ”It’s rare to see such concern from you. Alright, bring your maid in to have a look.”

Lady Jing again curtsied and hurried inside with Nangong Shuangshuang. The Empress’s chamber was filled with a strong medicinal aroma. However, the room was neither stuffy nor filled with stagnant air, making it quite suitable for patient recuperation.

A dozen Imperial Physicians were in the room, discussing prescriptions with visibly heavy expressions. They were deeply worried, for if they could not cure the Empress, they risked the Emperor’s wrath.

Of course, failing to cure a patient wouldn’t lead to beheading like in the commoners’ imagination, but fines and demotions were certain. Furthermore, they risked losing the higher-ups’ trust, potentially ending their career.

Seeing Lady Jing enter, the Imperial Physicians hurriedly saluted. Nangong Shuangshuang, due to her rank, did not salute the Imperial Physicians as before but went directly to diagnose the Empress. The Imperial Physicians did not mind; they were hoping someone could save the Empress to avoid incurring blame themselves.

As Nangong Shuangshuang took the Empress’s pulse, she immediately confirmed that the Empress’s condition was congenital, a fate destined for premature death in adulthood.

In modern times, with advanced scientific monitoring and effective drugs, perhaps the Empress could live decades longer. Unfortunately, this was not the modern era but an ancient one where medical science was not advanced.

As a young girl, the Empress’s ailment was not apparent. With age, her health deteriorated, but with proper care, it wouldn’t have become too obvious in the short term, allowing her to manage palace affairs.

Yet, her ailment had one major enemy: exertion. Physical exertion was to be avoided. Fortunately, as the head of the harem, the Empress rarely faced strenuous tasks. Even for major events like the year-end ceremony, the Emperor simplified things to spare her frail health.

Hence, the Empress never exhausted herself and never had a flare-up — until she attended to the sick Empress Dowager. As a daughter-in-law, attending to the Dowager, she could not afford leisure; otherwise, rumors of her being unfilial might spread.

Especially now, after the Emperor had angered the Empress Dowager by having her loyal Nanny Tang executed, the Dowager took her frustration out on the Empress, relentlessly making demands.

The Empress had to personally serve meals, bring water, wash the face, massage the waist and legs, and attend to injuries—tasks that seemed trivial but were exhausting upon execution. Such demands could wear down even a healthy person, let alone the frail Empress.

Her body, already weak, could not handle such upheaval; she dared not voice her fatigue, fearing accusations of complaining due to a few days of serving the Dowager. Fortified by sheer will, the Empress persisted, but her body eventually gave out, collapsing under the pressure, akin to exhaustion, explaining why the Imperial Physicians were helpless.

Luckily, Nangong Shuangshuang had a secret tool: the precious force she had stored and was reluctant to use. Naturally, Nangong Shuangshuang would not excessively exert her power, as that would transcend the realm of medicine.

During acupuncture, she used a small amount of power to invigorate the Empress’s vitality and then prescribed a herbal remedy. As the medicine was prepared, the Imperial Physicians stepped outside to avoid misconduct.

However, when they perused Nangong Shuangshuang’s prescription, they realized its brilliance. Skilled as they were, they recognized the prescription’s excellence without needing explanations from Nangong Shuangshuang.