Chapter 189 Gu Doctor
Narcissus nestled in Emperor Zhaoheng's arms, feeling the still-rapid heartbeat beneath his chest.
Her tears soaked his front, seemingly moved by his concern, but in reality, though Narcissus had her eyes closed, her mind was perfectly clear.
The plan has been set up.
Whether she survives or not, her mark on Emperor Zhaoheng's heart will be immeasurably deep.
Next, it will be interesting to see how he uses his supreme power to fight for her survival.
——
The following day, Emperor Zhaoheng took action.
Emperor Zhaoheng issued an imperial edict during the morning court session, claiming it was to "find a good method to stabilize the pregnancy and preserve the vitality of Consort Jin," and sent it to all prefectures and counties.
The imperial edict stated that any renowned physician with superb medical skills or extraordinary person with unique abilities, regardless of their background, could go to the capital.
If someone can provide an effective remedy or rare medicinal herbs, once proven effective, they will be rewarded with gold, a mansion, or even an official position in the Imperial Medical Bureau.
This edict caused a sensation throughout the land, and within a short period of time, countless doctors, harboring dreams of achieving great things, flocked to the capital.
At the same time, several squads of imperial guards and secret agents quietly left the imperial city.
Carrying the meticulously compiled narcissus vein case by Pei Jichuan, they rushed to the miasma-ridden lands of the southern frontier and the mysterious Miao tribes at top speed.
Emperor Zhaoheng gave them only one order: to spare no effort in finding a master who might know the secrets of this elixir or how to break it.
However, while power can mobilize troops and cast a wide net, it cannot immediately bring peace of mind to an emperor.
After Emperor Zhaoheng learned of Shui Xian's health issues, his attitude towards her became increasingly cautious, bordering on neurotic tension.
When he was handling government affairs, he was always restless. Every one or two hours, he had to go to Lihe Palace in person, even if it was just to stand outside the palace for a moment to see her, or to personally feed her half a bowl of medicine, and only after confirming with his own eyes that her complexion was still okay could he feel a little at ease.
He even became somewhat paranoid. If you only looked at Emperor Zhaoheng beside Shui Xian, you would never imagine that this was the calm emperor who now reigned over the world and seemed unmoved by anything.
Even if Shui Xian frowned slightly due to discomfort during pregnancy, or her appetite decreased slightly due to feeling heavy, it became a major issue in his eyes. He immediately summoned Pei Jichuan and repeatedly asked if there had been any changes in her condition.
Pei Jichuan's claim that nothing was wrong was not enough; he summoned even more imperial physicians until they repeatedly assured him that it was just a normal part of pregnancy before Emperor Zhaoheng could finally relax a little.
Later, Emperor Zhaoheng moved Shuixian's diet and daily life into the Qianqing Palace.
Unaware of Narcissus's current health condition, the women in the inner palace watched as the emperor and his concubine lived together, and all sighed inwardly, feeling that Consort Jin's favor was growing ever stronger.
Although there was only one person, it seemed to block the path to favor for everyone else.
Although Narcissus didn't know their specific thoughts, she could guess them.
She didn't care, nor did she have the energy to care.
As the days went by, even though Pei Jichuan and the other imperial physicians drank bowl after bowl of tonics, Shui Xian's health deteriorated day by day, declining without warning.
Late that night, Narcissus drifted off to sleep, but her body was acting strangely, and she couldn't sleep well, waking up at the slightest noise.
Therefore, when the man lying next to her suddenly jolted awake, as if waking from a nightmare, Narcissus was also awakened.
Then an arm tightened around her waist, pulling her into a deeper embrace. Emperor Zhaoheng seemed to be embracing not her, but a lost treasure that had been regained.
She struggled to open her eyes, and heard Emperor Zhaoheng's suppressed breathing in her ears, as if he was still troubled by the lingering fear from the nightmare.
Narcissus gently stroked the arm that was holding her, feeling that Emperor Zhaoheng seemed to have fallen ill along with her.
Emperor Zhaoheng was not appeased by her actions. He recalled the blood-red scene in his dream and suddenly made a decision in the dead of night that went against ancestral precepts.
"Xian'er... Physician Pei Jichuan, has he ever mentioned... a method to abort a child?"
Let alone Narcissus being just a concubine, even if she were the empress, her life would never be higher than that of the imperial heirs.
In the imperial harem, the imperial heir is supreme.
Shui Xian was startled. Even though she knew that she must have a certain weight in Emperor Zhaoheng's heart, she never expected that Emperor Zhaoheng would think of... abortion!
Narcissus was instantly wide awake.
She turned around in his arms, meeting his eyes, which shimmered with pain, struggle, and determination, in the darkness.
Narcissus sighed softly. She didn't answer, but simply reached out and gently stroked his tense jaw.
——
The following day, Emperor Zhaoheng indeed summoned Pei Jichuan.
He even summoned Pei Jichuan while Shuixian was taking a walk in the Imperial Garden, so as not to put too much pressure on her.
Only the emperor and his minister remained in the hall. Emperor Zhaoheng, with his back to Pei Jichuan, gazed at the bright sunlight outside the window and remained silent for a long time before speaking in a low voice.
"Pei Jichuan... I ask you, if the imperial son is abandoned, can Consort Jin be safe?"
Pei Jichuan was deeply shocked. He was also surprised by Emperor Zhaoheng's resolute decision and knelt down to plead:
"Your Majesty...you must not!"
Since it concerned Shui Xian's life, after Shui Xian returned to the palace, Pei Jichuan and Shui Xian's first thought was to have an abortion.
However, after careful consideration, Pei Jichuan had no choice but to abandon the idea.
"Your Highness is now far along in your pregnancy and carrying twins. Your vital energy has been greatly depleted, and your body is extremely weak. If we were to perform an abortion at this time, it would be tantamount to destroying your last support, causing severe postpartum hemorrhage... I fear I would be powerless to save you!"
The strange medicine had already drained Shui Xian's body. After Shui Xian was kidnapped by Yi Xingyao and returned to the palace, Pei Jichuan noticed the signs of Shui Xian's depletion when he examined her pulse.
Pei Jichuan's previous plan for Shui Xian caused her to vomit blood. Although it did not affect her physical condition, her body was already close to vomiting blood at that time.
His medicine was only meant to make the narcissus manifest prematurely, so as to shake Emperor Zhaoheng's mind and make him take the initiative to send his elite secret guards to find the antidote.
Pei Jichuan's eyes were filled with sorrow.
At this moment, he wasn't pretending; he was genuinely worried about Narcissus's health.
"Your Majesty, the situation is now extremely precarious. The only way is to do everything in our power to stabilize the Empress's current condition, help her safely pass through the hurdle of childbirth, and after the imperial heir is born, to do everything we can to heal the Empress's damaged foundation. Perhaps... perhaps there is a glimmer of hope."
Upon hearing this, Emperor Zhaoheng swayed almost imperceptibly. As the emperor of the world, he felt a profound sense of powerlessness at this moment.
Emperor Zhaoheng did not turn around, but waved his hand weakly.
Pei Jichuan knew that any words would be futile at this moment, so he could only kowtow again, quietly leave the hall, and gently close the door behind him.
The empty hall was now empty except for Emperor Zhaoheng.
He still stood there, the sunlight gilding the edges of his bright yellow dragon robe, but it couldn't illuminate the gloom in his eyes.
That usually upright figure now revealed a deep, bone-deep weariness.
Just as Emperor Zhaoheng's mood grew heavier due to Pei Jichuan's reply, and he became inseparable from Shui Xian,
A turning point actually appeared!
The weather was fine that day.
The usually composed Feng Shunxiang practically tumbled into Lihe Palace, disregarding the fact that the emperor and empress were having a meal. His excited voice trembled as he exclaimed, "Your Majesty! Great news! The Southern Frontier... the Southern Frontier's secret guards have returned!"
"A highly skilled person from the southern border region came with them!"
A glint flashed in Emperor Zhaoheng's eyes, and he slammed the silver chopsticks onto the table with a "smack".
"Announce it immediately!"
Before long, a middle-aged woman dressed in the clothing of a foreign ethnic group in southern Xinjiang, with a calm and composed expression, was led to a side hall.
Her face wasn't particularly beautiful; her skin was slightly dark, and there were fine lines around her eyes, but her eyes were exceptionally bright, as if they could see right through people.
This is Ana, the reclusive Gu healer whom the secret guards went to great lengths and even spent a fortune to bring out from the depths of the southern border's dense forests.
Emperor Zhaoheng suppressed his turbulent emotions and gestured to Ana not to stand on ceremony, leading her directly into the inner room to treat Narcissus.
Ana didn't say much, but stepped forward to carefully observe Narcissus's complexion and then gestured for her to extend her wrist.
As her fingers touched Narcissus's pulse, Narcissus noticed that Ana's hand had some strange patterns that seemed to be stained with her skin.
For some reason, Narcissus felt that the pattern looked familiar, but she couldn't quite place it.
Ana closed her eyes and concentrated for a very long time, so long that Emperor Zhaoheng could hardly contain his anxiety.
Finally, Ana opened her eyes.
Speaking in heavily accented Mandarin with a steady voice, she said, "Your Majesty, there is indeed a poisonous drug lurking in the body of the Imperial Concubine. This drug forcibly stimulates fertility at the cost of overdrawing the mother's life essence."
"The saying that a third child dies suddenly upon birth is not an exaggeration."
Emperor Zhaoheng's heart sank with her words. "Is there a solution?"
Ana nodded, and the curve of her head was extremely captivating in Emperor Zhaoheng's eyes.
"Naturally, all things in heaven and earth are mutually generating and mutually restraining. Even such a sinister method... is not absolutely unsolvable."
"What do you mean?!"
Emperor Zhaoheng suddenly stood up and hurried forward.
"Whatever you need, please just tell me, Master!"
Ana raised her eyes, her gaze calmly meeting Emperor Zhaoheng's disordered stare.
There are two solutions, and neither can be omitted.
"Firstly, it requires a rare medicinal ingredient called Fairy Dew Grass, which grows only in the deepest and most dangerous places of southern Xinjiang, in the crevices of volcanic rocks, and is difficult to collect."
Emperor Zhaoheng was not afraid. It was difficult for ordinary people to collect the herbs, but his secret guards were highly skilled and had searched for precious herbs before without any casualties.
"And the second one?"
Ana calmly said, "Secondly... a secret Gu technique of our clan must be used to harmonize the Yin and Yang energies in Your Majesty's body, which have been disrupted by the secret medicine. This process is extremely painful, and..."
Ana lowered her voice, her gaze, as calm as still water, fixed on Emperor Zhaoheng, and said in a low voice:
"This method requires the purest and most powerful Yang energy of a true dragon as a guide to protect the Empress's heart meridian. If there is the slightest mistake, not only will the Empress's life be in danger, but Your Majesty... may also be harmed by the Gu technique and have your dragon body damaged."
She stared intently at Emperor Zhaoheng and asked the crucial question.
"This method is extremely dangerous. Your Majesty is of inestimable health. Would you be willing to give it a try?"
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