Chapter 407 The Truth
After leaving Chang Le Palace, the Grand Princess went straight to the Imperial Hospital.
In the Imperial Medical Academy, Imperial Physician Pei and Pei Xing'er were working on a prescription, surrounded by a group of imperial physicians who were all watching the grandfather and granddaughter's actions.
The Pei family had been practicing medicine for generations, and they were itinerant doctors. The symptoms and prescriptions they collected came from the common people and were of great reference value.
Taking advantage of this period of leisure, and with access to the countless medicine stores in the palace, the grandfather and grandson decided to take out all the incomplete prescriptions and medical records left behind by the Pei family and complete them properly, so that they could become part of the Imperial Medical Academy's collection and benefit future generations.
Upon seeing this, a group of imperial physicians who usually buried themselves in medical studies gathered around, some learning and others offering advice, all working enthusiastically. Since there were few masters in the palace, they weren't worried about being suddenly called away.
Therefore, as soon as the Grand Princess stepped into the Imperial Hospital, she found that the palace servants on duty were all dozing off. She was immediately furious and scolded, "Outrageous! I had no idea that this is how the Imperial Hospital staff usually work! In broad daylight, you can't even see a single person!"
Upon hearing the voice, the palace maid, who had been squinting and tilting her head, immediately stood up straight. Seeing that it was the Grand Princess, she widened her eyes in fright and quickly knelt down, begging for forgiveness: "Your Highness, Your Highness, please forgive me! I didn't mean to. It's quiet now, and the imperial physicians have all finished their shifts, so I got confused..."
She had only said a few words when the Grand Princess snorted coldly, "You dare to fool me? This room is bustling with noise, where is the imperial physician on duty?"
The Grand Princess spoke as she walked inside. The palace servants, unable to explain, could only hurry to follow, watching helplessly as she pushed open the door—
The imperial physicians inside were completely oblivious to the commotion at the door, continuing their noisy chatter.
Physician Wei, unusually, blushed: "No, no, using Citrus aurantium here is not as good as using Cyperus rotundus, which is worse than Bupleurum chinense..."
"What do you know, you brat!" Physician Zhang shoved him aside. "Spleen deficiency and qi stagnation, instead of using immature bitter orange and atractylodes macrocephala, why use cyperus rotundus and bupleurum, those things that treat liver stagnation and hypochondriac pain..."
Pei Xing'er listened to the adults arguing back and forth, and felt a headache coming on. She quietly crouched down and crawled out of the crowd. When she looked up, she saw the Grand Princess standing angrily at the door. She was so frightened that she crouched down again and tried to crawl back in.
She had just turned around when Meng Xian, who was beside the Grand Princess, called out to her: "Miss Pei."
When Meng Xian spoke, all the imperial physicians were stunned.
They stopped talking at the same time and looked towards the door.
That one glance sent alarm bells ringing in everyone's hearts.
The Grand Princess is clearly up to no good!
Thinking of what had happened a few days ago, and the conflict between the Empress and the Empress Dowager, they dared not stay here to watch the spectacle any longer. The prescription was indeed precious, but they needed to be alive to see it.
"Your humble servants greet Your Highness the Grand Princess—" A dozen or so imperial physicians bowed and then prepared to make their escape.
"Oh dear, before I knew it, it was time to go home. I have some matters to attend to at home, so I must take my leave now!" Physician Wei was the quickest to slip away.
Other imperial physicians followed suit, and soon only Physician Pei and his granddaughter Pei Xing'er remained.
The two of them were originally homeless and didn't want to spend their money. Before, when they were doctors in the Xiao family, they lived in the Xiao family mansion. When they were officials in Chang Le County, they lived in the Princess's mansion. Now that they were doctors in the palace, they asked the Department of Internal Affairs for two rooms near the Imperial Hospital to stay temporarily, so that they could go to the Imperial Hospital at any time to work on those prescriptions and medicinal materials.
So now, they were the only two people who had no excuse to slip away, and could only obediently bow and greet the Grand Princess, asking about their origins.
Seeing that it was getting dark, the Grand Princess decided to get straight to the point and had Meng Xian explain his purpose:
"The Grand Princess just came out of Chang Le Palace. She heard from the Empress that the Empress has been experiencing severe menstrual cramps these past few days. Therefore, His Highness is concerned for the Empress and came to ask Physician Pei and Miss Pei whether the Empress is truly having trouble adjusting to the new residence or if there is some other reason that has caused her to miss the audience with the imperial relatives and the homecoming ceremony."
Hearing her say that, Pei Xing'er glanced at her grandfather.
The grandfather and grandson were on the same page.
Although the Empress had not instructed them not to spread this matter, now that the Grand Princess had personally visited the Empress and had not found out anything, they should be even less inclined to speak up rashly.
That was a feud between the Empress Dowager and the Empress; when gods fight, mortals suffer.
Physician Pei spoke first: "Your Highness, I only found that Her Majesty's pulse was deep and tight, with a worsening of the hesitant pulse and a weak radial pulse, indicating coldness in the uterus. I know nothing else."
"Moreover, although it's not common for a woman to experience severe abdominal pain at this time, it's not uncommon. Even Your Majesty has occasionally experienced this before. After taking a few doses of medicine and resting properly for three to five days, she was fine..."
"Hmph!" The Grand Princess snorted coldly, her phoenix eyes narrowing slightly, her tone icy and stern. "Old man Pei, don't try to fool me. The past is the past, and the present is the present. After three days, you still have a persistent stomachache and look weak. You still dare to say that you'll be fine after three to five days of rest? If you don't tell me the truth, I don't think I want your head anymore!"
Pei Xing'er had always been afraid of the Grand Princess, and this reprimand startled her. She immediately hid behind her grandfather, not daring to look at the Grand Princess.
However, this action reminded the Grand Princess that there was still someone in the room who could tell the truth.
She raised her hand and pointed at Pei Xing'er, "You tell me, what exactly happened?"
Pei Xing'er shuddered. Although she was full of resistance, she could only reluctantly move out and repeat what her grandfather had just said in a different way.
"You keep repeating the same old things, and you're eyeing me like this?!" The Grand Princess knew that this little girl was easily frightened; she had only said a few words, and she was already trembling and on the verge of tears.
In the end, Pei Xing'er was so frightened that she blurted out what had happened. Even though her words were incoherent and she needed someone to help her understand, the Grand Princess still managed to comprehend them.
"You mean, all of this is related to the Empress Dowager?!" Her beautiful phoenix eyes were lowered, her lips were taut, and her whole body exuded a terrifying and dangerous aura.
The Pei family grandfather and grandson were now completely silent, but they still shook their heads and reiterated, "No, no, it's just that Her Majesty the Empress ate those pastries three days ago. It doesn't necessarily mean that the contraceptive medicine worked. Your Highness, you know that contraceptive medicine has some effect on women..."
Before the grandmother and granddaughter could finish their exchange, the Grand Princess turned around angrily, flicking her wide sleeves in the air and declaring, "I understand."
The voice and the figure quickly disappeared into the Imperial Hospital.
The grandfather and grandson exchanged a wry look; things were in trouble now.
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