"Mom, what should we do? What should we do?" From afar, Yi Shangxue's panicked cries could be heard.
The proud young master, Yi Shangjun, paced anxiously in the hall, back and forth, looking restless.
Aunt Lan was sitting at the table, her right hand resting on the table, her head drooping and her brows furrowed, looking depressed.
Even Yi Shangyun's mother was sitting opposite Aunt Lan; her mother rarely gathered with these people. Why were they all gathered together so late? Yi Shangyun wondered, and hurried towards the main hall.
"Mother, Aunt Lan," Yi Shangyun said, bowing as she entered the living room. When no one responded, she continued.
"Aunt, Yun'er has taken care of what you asked me to do, please rest assured." But Aunt Lan remained unmoved, as if she hadn't heard her.
Yi Shangyun turned to her mother, Nian Shi, and asked, "Mother, when did this happen?"
Upon hearing Yi Shangyun's words, Yi Shangxue hurriedly and fiercely strode towards him, shouting in an almost hysterical voice, "You jinx! The moment you wake up, you bring disaster to the Yi family! How could the Yi family be so unlucky? Father is in prison, are you satisfied now? You've truly had the worst luck in eight lifetimes! How could the Yi family produce a jinx like you? Why don't you just die?" Yi Shangxue roared viciously, and then burst into tears.
"Mother, what exactly happened? Why was Father imprisoned?" Yi Shangyun asked anxiously and in surprise.
"This afternoon, someone from the palace came to report that the herbs your father purchased for the palace were of incorrect quality, causing the prescription needed for the Empress Dowager's serious illness to become ineffective. He has now been detained by the Dali Temple awaiting trial. I'm afraid... I'm afraid..." Mother sobbed as she spoke.
“How could this be? My father has always been honest and meticulous in his work. All the medicines he purchases are inspected before being sent to the palace for further inspection. Moreover, Baicaotang is the number one pharmacy in the Western Qin Kingdom. How could such a mistake occur?” Yi Shangyun said solemnly.
"Mother, Aunt, everyone, there's no need to worry too much. I'll go and check on things tomorrow."
"You'd better not go out and embarrass yourself. You're stupid, ugly, and utterly useless, and you were even jilted. Most women would have died long ago from being jilted, but you act like nothing happened, wearing a veil and parading around all day. You still have the nerve to live? I really don't know where you get the courage," Yi Shangjun said without any politeness.
"Does my younger brother have any ideas on how to save Father?" Yi Shangyun asked Yi Shangjun with a resolute gaze, showing no sign of weakness.
"I...I..." Yi Shangjun's sarcastic words were cut off, and he choked back his words. Since receiving the news in the morning, the three of them had been busy all day, using all their connections. Because it involved the Empress Dowager's safety, it was a matter of great importance, and they had absolutely no chance.
"If my younger brother is incompetent, then I, his older sister, will have to give it a try," said Yunfeng with a smile.
Everyone remained silent, except for the mother, who stood up, took Yi Shangyun's hand, and looked at her with worry.
The next day at dawn, Yi Shangyun, with the help of Aunt Lan's connections, entered the palace and went to the Imperial Pharmacy.
At this moment, Xuanyuan Han was playing chess with Emperor Jing in the palace.
"As expected, my brother has not disappointed me. We have won another battle at the northern border. It is a blessing for the people of Western Qin to have such a valiant King of Qin as you. You are truly worthy of the title of God of War, King of Qin," Emperor Jing said in the imperial garden while placing chess pieces. His tone was full of hypocritical praise and suspicious scheming.
"Your Majesty flatters me. As a subject, it is my duty to kill the enemy and protect the country," the King of Qin quickly replied with a bow.
"Your Majesty has performed another great feat. How would you like me to reward you this time? I'm afraid you wouldn't care about ordinary gifts," Emperor Jing probed suspiciously.
"Serving the country loyally and sharing the burdens of my imperial brother is my duty, and I dare not ask for credit. My imperial brother is kind and has treated me well over the years, so I dare not ask for any reward," Xuan Yuanhan replied perfunctorily.
"Only by clearly distinguishing between rewards and punishments can all civil and military officials perform their duties and give full play to their abilities. How could Your Majesty refuse? However, Your Majesty is now second only to the Emperor, so you probably don't care much about ordinary rewards. Now that you are well past the age of twenty, how about the Empress Dowager and I find you a suitable princess?"
"Your Majesty can make the decision," Xuan Yuanhan naturally dared not refuse. Born into an imperial family, romantic relationships were not something they could control. At least not now; it wasn't the right time. Marriage was never what he wanted, and besides, he shouldn't be entangled by romantic feelings; he had more important matters to attend to.
"Alright, it's settled then. The Mid-Autumn Festival is coming soon, which is also the time for my daughter to pray for skill in needlework. I'm sure I won't disappoint my brother-in-law then." Emperor Jing was secretly delighted. Of course, he would not grant Xuan Yuanhan a happy marriage.
“Your Majesty can decide,” Xuan Yuanhan said, still focused intently on the game.
The Imperial Pharmacy was located in the courtyard at the very back of the Imperial Medical Academy. At this moment, inside the Imperial Pharmacy, Yi Shangyun, disguised as a female pharmacist, had already checked all the herbs on the prescription and found nothing unusual. The prescription was indeed appropriate.
"Do you know what illness the Empress Dowager has?" Yi Shangyun quietly asked the little medicine girl beside her. If there was no problem with the medicine, then the problem was most likely with the prescription.
"How could we lowly medicine girls pry into such confidential matters? Shh..." The medicine girl hurriedly gestured to Yi Shangyun, indicating that she shouldn't ask questions she shouldn't. Just as she was about to continue speaking, a female doctor entered and said as soon as she entered:
"The Empress Dowager's condition has worsened again; everyone must be quick-witted and cautious in their actions..."
Before he could finish speaking, a woman of similar age, also dressed as a female physician, followed closely behind, seemingly in a great hurry. "Quickly, come with me! The Empress Dowager has fainted. The Emperor and Prince Qin have already gone there upon hearing the news."
"Hurry up and take the Empress Dowager's medicine with you. Lord Zhang is urging us to come along," the woman said urgently, gesturing for the medicine to be taken along by the woman.
After a long journey, the three of them arrived at the Empress Dowager's palace in Yong'an Palace.
The Empress Dowager lay unconscious on her bed, and the Imperial Physician Zhang was already taking her pulse, beads of sweat dripping from his brow. The Emperor and Prince Qin sat at a table not far from the bed, waiting.
Yi Shangyun and her two companions bowed, and the Emperor gestured for them to be quiet. The three of them then quietly stepped forward and waited behind Imperial Physician Zhang.
The Empress Dowager is old and weak, and her body is deficient in fluids and energy. This prescription is correct, so why has she not recovered for so long, and why did she suddenly fall into a coma today? The Imperial Physician looked puzzled and couldn't figure it out.
"Judge Zhang, the Empress Dowager's illness has struck like a landslide. Your Imperial Hospital examines and inquires about her pulse every day; how could such dereliction of duty occur? Didn't you say a few days ago that there were problems with the procurement of medicines? What explanation do you have now?" The Emperor was furious and reprimanded him sternly.
The maids beside the Empress Dowager were so frightened that they all knelt down with a thud.
"Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager has been saying lately that her eyesight is not as good as before, she has almost no appetite, and her back and knees are sore and weak," a palace maid from Yong'an Palace reported in a panic.
"Your Majesty, Your Highness Prince Qin, the Empress Dowager is old and frail, and the prescription is indeed correct. As for why she suddenly fainted, I truly do not understand. I swear on my life that I will do my utmost." When Zhang Yuanpan said this, he was actually feeling guilty, because he had not yet found the cause of the problem.
At this moment, Zhang Yuanpan gestured to Yi Shangyun to feed the medicine. Yi Shangyun stepped forward and fed the medicine little by little, while also carefully examining the patient. The patient had insufficient qi and blood, a weak pulse, and dry mouth and tongue. In addition to the symptoms mentioned by the palace maid earlier, it was indeed a case of insufficient body fluids and qi. There was nothing wrong with the prescription and herbs. So what was the problem?
Yi Shangyun's eyes widened in surprise, as if she suddenly understood something.
"Your Majesty, this servant understands," Yi Shangyun immediately walked towards the Emperor and Prince Qin, bowed her head, and knelt down on both knees.
"Your Majesty, Physician Zhang's diagnosis is correct, but one of the herbs in the prescription needs to be changed," Yi Shangyun continued to report with his head bowed.
"Your Majesty," Yi Shangyun said calmly and firmly, "the prescription includes Dendrobium, but there are dozens of varieties of Dendrobium, each with different medicinal effects. The highest quality Dendrobium officinale is of the iron-skin variety, possessing the greatest medicinal value and efficacy. However, its growing conditions are extremely demanding, typically found in the crevices of cliffs and rocks, making it very rare. Therefore, the Dendrobium procured in the palace are all mid- to high-grade varieties. The Empress Dowager's illness is acute and severe, and the Dendrobium's efficacy is clearly insufficient. If we could find a substitute of Dendrobium officinale, the Empress Dowager would surely recover." The maids beside her, however, were terrified, their faces showing astonishment. They wondered how someone could be so bold.
Upon hearing this, Judge Zhang suddenly realized the truth. "Yes, yes, that's right, that's the problem. How come I didn't think of that? Indeed. Your Majesty, this maid is absolutely right." Judge Zhang nodded, casting an approving glance, while Yi Shangyun remained kneeling on the ground, not daring to raise her head.
"Judge Zhang, today your dereliction of duty almost caused the Empress Dowager's death. Do you know your crime?" The Emperor was even angrier. Prince Qin, who was sitting next to him, couldn't help but glance at the Emperor and said.
"Your Majesty, Mother's condition is more serious. It is more important to treat her first." Everyone present could see that the King of Qin was pleading for them to exonerate themselves.
"Your Majesty, my daughter, a sinner, wishes to find the finest Dendrobium officinale to heal the Empress Dowager and atone for her father's sins. I beg Your Majesty's mercy. It is early autumn now. Although Dendrobium officinale can be harvested year-round, early autumn is the most suitable season, and its medicinal effects are naturally at their best." Yi Shangyun suddenly spoke, her will resolute.
"The daughter of a disgraced official, who are you?" the emperor asked, frowning.
"My father is a pharmacist in the Imperial Pharmacy. He has been imprisoned in the Dali Temple for dereliction of duty. I beg Your Majesty for mercy. I am willing to do anything to save my father," Yi Shangyun hurriedly explained.
"Since you say that the finest Dendrobium officinale grows on cliffs, how could a weak woman like you manage to do that?" The Emperor asked, his face full of doubt. The Prince of Qin was also taken aback and looked up at Yi Shangyun.
"Your Majesty, rest assured, for my father's sake, I will do my best within three days, even if it means going through fire and water," Yi Shangyun replied, always kneeling with her head bowed.
"Very well, I'll give you three days. If you fail, you and your father will be severely punished without exception."
"Your Majesty, I thank you for your grace," said Yi Shangyun, bowing deeply in gratitude.
"Rise," the emperor said.
Yi Shangyun then stood up and raised her head, only to be met with the icy gaze of King Qin, Xuan Yuanhan. Their eyes locked, and Yi Shangyun quickly looked away. Xuan Yuanhan also withdrew his piercing gaze, but looking at the veiled Yi Shangyun, he seemed to have just remembered something…
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