Quick Transmigration: Underdog Turns out to be Untouchable

Chapter 946: Chapter 857: Unwilling to Be a Slave 77

When Nangong Shuangshuang was dismissed, the Emperor finally remembered that Beauty Cheng had been kneeling for nearly two hours. He casually asked Nangong Shuangshuang to check on Beauty Cheng, but completely ignored her suggestion about detoxifying Yang Pin’s body.

As Nangong Shuangshuang withdrew, Beauty Cheng had already been assisted by a palace maid to the side hall, so Nangong Shuangshuang had to go directly to the side hall.

Inside the side hall, Beauty Cheng lay on the bed, her face pale. She was drenched in cold sweat from the pain in her legs, wetting the black hair at her temples. The strands of black hair clung to Beauty Cheng’s temples, making her look fragile and helpless, with a hint of desolation.

The palace maid attending to Beauty Cheng was tearfully applying a hot towel to her knees. Nangong Shuangshuang sighed inwardly, thinking of how all of the Emperor’s women lived in sorrow; favored one day, discarded the next. This was why Nangong Shuangshuang never liked the Emperor in her previous life, and was merciless when dealing with him.

Since all the servants were focused on Beauty Cheng, no one came to report to Nangong Shuangshuang. Although the Emperor said Beauty Cheng was wronged, he didn’t order an Imperial Physician, and Beauty Cheng dared not call one on her own, enduring the pain instead.

Seeing no one report to her, Nangong Shuangshuang approached on her own and found a gap to insert herself. She bowed to Beauty Cheng on the bed, ”Greetings, Beauty Cheng. I am Nangong Shuangshuang, the Lady of Yingyue Palace, sent by the Emperor to treat your leg injury.”

Nangong Shuangshuang was renowned—her medical skills surpassed the Imperial Physicians. She was the legendary female official who checked the Emperor’s pulse specifically. All the concubines in the harem envied Lady Jing for having such a skilled Lady by her side, not to mention being at ease during pregnancies.

Upon hearing Nangong Shuangshuang’s words, the people around Beauty Cheng immediately stepped aside, and even the pale-faced Beauty Cheng struggled to sit up. With a weak smile, she said to Nangong Shuangshuang, ”Lady Nangong, no need for such formalities. I entrust my leg injury to you, Lady Nangong. Chun Jing, bring a soft stool for Lady Nangong to sit.”

Beauty Cheng’s personal palace maid, Chun Jing, had already prepared a soft stool. Upon Beauty Cheng’s instruction, she promptly brought it to Nangong Shuangshuang, offering a flattering smile, ”We’ve all been attending to Beauty Cheng, neglecting to announce Lady Nangong’s arrival. Please forgive us, Lady Nangong. Our mistress is in great discomfort and implores you to carefully check her condition.”

It was clear that Chun Jing’s flattery was for her mistress’s sake. Nangong Shuangshuang smiled lightly, ”Rest assured, I will do my utmost to treat Beauty Cheng’s leg injury.”

Saying this, she sat on the soft stool and had her medicine box brought over. Every time Nangong Shuangshuang traveled, a little eunuch was responsible for carrying her medicine box, as it was heavy and a palace maid lacked the strength to do so.

This little eunuch was also sent by the Emperor. In addition to him, a little palace maid attending Nangong Shuangshuang was also sent by the Emperor. As a Lady, she was entitled to command servants, so Nangong Shuangshuang having two attendants was not overstepping.

More importantly, the palace maid and little eunuch were actually sent to monitor Nangong Shuangshuang for the Emperor. This precaution was because physicians held control over life and death; if unwatched, the Emperor couldn’t be at ease. Even the Imperial Physicians had attendants assigned by the Emperor.

After preparing the medicine box, Nangong Shuangshuang uncovered the hot towel applied to Beauty Cheng’s knee. Her knee was now bruised and covered the entire area, looking quite alarming. Nangong Shuangshuang gently touched it, causing Beauty Cheng to shudder in pain.

Nangong Shuangshuang sighed inwardly. With such an injury, anyone else would likely be left disabled. She had to use her strength to expel the cold that had entered her knee.

Nangong Shuangshuang had a favorable impression of Beauty Cheng. Though there were many concubines in the harem, few of low status were favored for long, and Beauty Cheng was one of them. Thus, Nangong Shuangshuang remembered her.

However, her impression was not deep, just that Beauty Cheng was gentle and silent, avoiding disputes. She only paid respects to the Empress and then stayed within her own domain. After the Empress’s death, she was even less seen in the harem, showing that she knew her place well.

For a woman with such a disposition, anyone giving it some thought would know she couldn’t have enraged a pregnant concubine into a coma. The Emperor didn’t care about Beauty Cheng at all, which is why he believed Lian’er’s words and punished Beauty Cheng so severely without a second thought.

Out of a bit of compassion for Beauty Cheng, Nangong Shuangshuang decided to help her, so she wouldn’t spend the rest of her life bedridden. As an unfavored concubine of lower status, having her legs crippled would be worse than being sent to the Cold Palace.

For Nangong Shuangshuang, her strength was like a continuous trickle, easy to muster, but for Beauty Cheng, it meant a lifetime.

Nangong Shuangshuang first prescribed a foot bath decoction, which Chun Jing kept. This decoction was to be boiled each morning and evening for Beauty Cheng’s foot baths. After prescribing, Nangong Shuangshuang began acupuncture to relieve pain and expel cold, slowly channeling a bit of energy to purge the cold from Beauty Cheng’s knee.

After the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Nangong Shuangshuang’s treatment was complete. Beauty Cheng felt the excruciating pain subside, leaving only a dull, achy pain. Though still uncomfortable, it was now bearable.

With today’s treatment done, Nangong Shuangshuang explained how to brew the decoction and how to give Beauty Cheng foot baths, then informed Beauty Cheng she would return the next day for more acupuncture before taking her leave.

Beauty Cheng, of course, wouldn’t let Nangong Shuangshuang leave empty-handed. Before she left, Beauty Cheng gifted Nangong Shuangshuang a large pouch containing a pair of golden bracelets—glittering and exquisite—as well as over twenty gold ingots, each weighing about an ounce.

For Nangong Shuangshuang, such a reward was not much. Just the rewards from checking the Emperor’s pulse were considerable. Whenever the Emperor sent her to treat nobles and important ministers, the rewards were several times greater, even for minor ailments. For life-saving illnesses, the silver thank-yous started at a thousand ounces.

But for Beauty Cheng, with her meager background, even though the Emperor liked her and often rewarded her, it was usually precious artifacts. Such a large amount of gold ingots was a significant burden for Beauty Cheng. Hence, Nangong Shuangshuang accepted the reward, unchanged in expression, thanked Beauty Cheng, and left.