News of the close relationship between the Empress Dowager, Meng Zhelan, and the other two women quickly spread within circles of power and influence.
Moreover, Meng Zhelan even cured the long-term illness of the Grand Secretary's wife, which undoubtedly increased her prestige.
Meng Zhelan became increasingly busy because many people at Ren'an Hall requested her to make house calls every day. She treated each patient with utmost dedication.
“Miss Lan, Lu Yi said that Prince An asked you to come and treat him.” Tian Tian followed behind Meng Zhelan, carrying a medicine box in her hand.
"How strange. Did Prince An owe me something in my past life? Why does he always give me money on his own initiative?" Meng Zhelan muttered to herself.
In fact, every time she examined Prince An, she noticed that his complexion was not very good, but his pulse was normal.
These seemingly healthy patients are the most troublesome, since no one would deliberately fake illness and spend a lot of money to make them happy.
The actions of members of the royal family are always unpredictable, and Meng Zhelan was also very puzzled by Prince An's behavior.
As Meng Zhelan stepped into the Prince An's residence, she immediately saw him chatting and laughing with his friends in the courtyard.
"Is this the legendary healer Meng Zhelan?" The woman in green sat to the side, scrutinizing her closely, and asked curiously.
Meng Zhelan humbly lowered her head slightly, "The title of 'miracle doctor' is an overstatement. I only have a slight understanding of traditional Chinese medicine."
"Then why do people outside call you a miracle doctor? Did you spread that word yourself?" The woman in green spoke with obvious doubt and dissatisfaction, seemingly unconvinced by Meng Zhelan's modesty.
"Qingwan, do not be rude. Doctor Meng's medical skills are recognized by the Empress Dowager and the Emperor, so there is no need to question them."
Prince An was chatting with Du Ziteng when Du Qingwan interrupted him, her voice revealing a hint of displeasure.
Meng Zhelan smiled calmly, not directly answering the woman in green's question, but instead looking up at the distant mountains.
A profound light shone in her eyes. "The title of 'divine physician' is neither what I seek nor what I wish to spread. My daughter is merely an ordinary doctor among the masses."
Prince An noticed that Meng Zhelan's tone seemed somewhat dissatisfied, so he cleverly changed the subject, "Dr. Meng, I've been experiencing heart palpitations lately, could you please take a look at me?"
"Should we move the Prince indoors for treatment?" Meng Zhelan suggested calmly, bowing her head slightly.
Prince An gently shook his head. "There's no need for that. These two are my cousins, my mother's nephews. They're all family, so there's no need to be shy." His tone was relaxed, clearly indicating that he had a good grasp of the current situation.
Sweetie placed the pulse pillow on the table, and Prince An placed his hand on it without hesitation.
Before half a cup of tea had been brewed, Meng Zhelan raised her eyes, remained silent for a moment, and said softly, "This young master does indeed have some health problems, but they are not incurable."
"Tell me!" Du Qingwan looked at her urgently, "What exactly happened to His Highness?"
Meng Zhelan took a deep breath and said, "His body is somewhat weakened and needs careful recuperation and sufficient rest, otherwise it may affect his lifespan." Everyone was stunned by these words.
“Your Highness must fully cooperate,” Meng Zhelan added. “Otherwise, the consequences will be unimaginable.” She did not delve deeper into the topic, but she had clearly expressed her concerns.
Meng Zhelan was filled with confusion. Why did Prince An want her to exaggerate the severity of his illness in front of others?
She didn't understand his intentions, but she knew that if she didn't receive proper treatment in the long run, even if Prince An didn't want the imperial physicians to treat her, the emperor might still summon her to the palace.
"Your Highness, may I ask you a few questions in private?" Clearly, she was determined to get to the bottom of things this time.
“Of course, then let’s go to the flower hall.” Prince An stood up and walked into the room. “Please wait here for a moment, I will be there shortly.”
The two did not speak to each other the whole way, which was not surprising, since they were currently just in a normal doctor-patient relationship.
“Your Highness, I truly do not understand why you insist that I exaggerate the severity of your illness in public. If this continues, I fear we will not be able to hide it from the Emperor. If I am then accused of deceiving the Emperor, I fear I will lose my life.”
She really didn't want to continue in this state; it made her feel very uneasy.
"Doctor Meng, I was forced to resort to this tactic. Otherwise, I fear I would still have been assassinated. And I am not always so lucky to encounter a divine physician like you."
Prince An understood that if he stopped feigning illness, his elder brother would continue to plot against him in secret.
Now, every move he makes in public is under the close surveillance of his elder brother, the Emperor.
However, this was not a long-term solution. Meng Zhelan knew that dealing with the Emperor was not easy.
She was just an insignificant folk doctor, and probably wouldn't be able to handle such a situation.
Seeing Meng Zhelan's worried expression, Prince An took out a porcelain bottle containing pills he had found outside. He explained, "These pills, once taken, will cause an unstable pulse, thus creating the illusion of illness."
Meng Zhelan was taken aback and looked at him in confusion, "Why would you do this?"
Prince An chuckled softly, a sly glint in his eyes. "Instead of living in constant fear of trouble from my elder brother, I might as well play along. If he thinks I'm truly ill, he might lower his guard."
After hearing this, Meng Zhelan pondered for a moment, recalling the scene she had witnessed in the palace last time.
On the surface, they appear harmonious and joyful, but in reality, they are full of scheming and conspiracies.
This made her sigh that the struggle for power and the grudges among royalty are always so complex and cruel.
Meng Zhelan knew she shouldn't get caught up in this power struggle.
However, seeing Prince An's calm and composed demeanor, she couldn't bear to remain uninvolved.
In her mind, a voice kept urging her to take action and help Prince An.
"Long-term use of this medicine will cause some damage to your body. I'll take it back and study it carefully, and try to refine some more effective pills."
"Then thank you very much, Doctor Meng. I will handle things properly with Father Emperor, so you don't need to worry."
As Prince An watched Meng Zhelan deep in thought, he suddenly felt that this scene was familiar, as if he had seen it somewhere before.
"Regarding those two outside, I'm not quite clear about your relationship, so it's best not to comment," Meng Zhelan answered cautiously, to avoid touching on Prince An's or other people's private matters.
"You go back first. I'll have Lu Yi go with you to the clinic to get the medicine. I'll handle everything else."
Prince An seemed unaware that he did not use the title "this king" when addressing Meng Zhelan.
As Meng Zhelan left, Du Qingwan caught up with her and asked, "Tell me, how is His Highness's illness?"
Although Prince An was not the Empress's biological son, he was raised by the Empress after his birth mother passed away, and Du Qingwan vowed to marry him from a young age.
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