Emperor Kangxi lay reclining on the couch, and Liang Jiugong dismissed all the palace servants who had been attending to him, including Holland. Only Miaoshou remained in the room, still administering acupuncture to Emperor Kangxi. Several silver needles were inserted into the back of his head, and several more into his brow bone.
Liang Jiugong was quite knowledgeable, but he had never seen the imperial physicians use needles on Emperor Kangxi like this, let alone insert so many needles so deeply.
"Miraculous Doctor, what is the purpose of the needles you inserted into my master's eyes?" Liang Jiugong assumed that the doctor was unaware of Kangxi's identity, so he did not explain.
"When I was treating Your Majesty's... master's headache, I discovered some problems with his eyes as well. So I tried using acupuncture again. I wonder if Your Majesty's eyes have been blurry lately?" The skilled doctor was a sensible man. Seeing that Kangxi had not asked him to reveal his identity, he did not ask any further questions and pretended that he did not know his identity.
Kangxi nodded slightly, and Liang Jiugong was shocked: The Emperor's eyesight has deteriorated to the point where he can't see clearly? He, the Grand Eunuch of the Imperial Guard, didn't even know!
Miao Shou's heart sank, and he suddenly wondered if he had been meddling.
After performing the procedure on Kangxi for a while, he pulled out the needles that had been inserted into the emperor's head, wiped them with an alcohol cloth, and then put them into the medicine box.
Emperor Kangxi opened his eyes, looked at the miraculous hand, and asked, "How did Fourth Prince find you, sir? Would you be willing to become my imperial physician?"
Upon hearing this, Miaoshou's head buzzed and he was completely dumbfounded; the thing he feared most had happened.
Since Kangxi had revealed his identity to him and made up his mind, he probably wouldn't be able to refuse even if he wanted to.
"I? Your Majesty!! You are the Emperor? This humble subject kowtows to Your Majesty, may Your Majesty live ten thousand years!" Miao Shou hurriedly put down the silver needles in his hand, walked up to Kangxi, and performed a proper salute.
"Do you know your crime? You clearly knew my identity, yet you pretended not to, and now you're putting on an act before me! This is the crime of deceiving the emperor!" Kangxi said coldly, staring at the prostrate figure at his feet. Although this person had just cured his chronic ailment that had caused him excruciating pain, as the ruler of a nation, coldness and authority were indispensable. Otherwise, how could he, with his own intellect and energy, ensure the peaceful and prosperous lives of 400 million people in such a vast country as China, and even achieve the Kangxi Era of Prosperity?
"This humble subject knows his crime and begs Your Majesty's forgiveness!" Sweat began to bead on the skilled hands' forehead!
"Considering that you were willing to sincerely treat my chronic illness and did not avoid my eye ailment, you have truly embodied the benevolence of a physician. I forgive you! Get up." Kangxi's tone softened slightly.
A balance of kindness and severity, coupled with wisdom and understanding!
Using these words to describe Emperor Kangxi is by no means an exaggeration.
"What is the cause of my headache? Why have the imperial physicians been helpless all these years, and why does it seem to be getting worse?" Kangxi asked in a deep voice.
"Your Majesty," Miaoshou replied, bowing his head, "your headache is caused by prolonged periods of sitting at your desk reviewing memorials, which has led to spinal deformities and nerve compression. This is a chronic condition that did not develop overnight, and there is no cure. The only thing Your Majesty can do is to start exercising to strengthen your body and bones, and adopt a special sleeping posture to alleviate the pain."
Upon hearing this, Liang Jiugong silently breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed the Emperor's headache wasn't a life-threatening illness; regular exercise and changing his sleeping position would suffice. After all, as the Grand Eunuch of the Imperial Household, taking care of the Emperor's daily life was his duty!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
