Doctor Zhang also turned around and knelt, saying nothing and trembling.
Chongzhen said coldly: "Come here!"
Wang Chengen came over and waited for Chongzhen's order. Chongzhen said, "Bring them in..."
At this moment, Wang Erxi ran over, knelt down, and said, "Your Majesty! Doctor Hu from the Imperial Hospital is here. He says he has a way to save the prince. He's even brought medicine!"
"Let him in!" Chongzhen said. He was in a state of mixed emotions. Three imperial physicians had already prescribed prescriptions that hadn't worked, and he was afraid that this Imperial Physician, Hu, was also mediocre. Yet, he also hoped that this Imperial Physician, Hu, could bring the prince back to health.
The two imperial physicians, kneeling on the ground, heard this news as if they had heard the sound of nature. Regardless of whether they could save the prince or not, at least their responsibility would be lessened, and someone would share the responsibility. If the prince was saved, their family decided to resign their positions as Imperial Hospital Directors and return home to become ordinary doctors.
"Your Majesty, I, Hu Jin, greet you!" Doctor Hu said as he knelt down.
"Doctor Hu! Do you really have a way to save the prince?" Chongzhen asked.
"Your Majesty! The best time for treatment of the prince has passed. I only have a 50% chance of success!" said Doctor Hu.
"What? How could the prince miss the treatment time?" Chongzhen asked.
"Your Majesty! In the past, the imperial physicians believed that the prince might have been infected with the flu, but after repeated judgments by me, I concluded that although there were no red spots on the prince's body, it was certain that he had the plague!" said Imperial Physician Hu.
"What? Plague!" Chongzhen felt a chill run down his spine at the word. He knew that if you got the plague, you had virtually no chance of survival. And just now, the palace maid had reported that the prince had developed red spots.
"Yes! It's the plague! Please allow me, Your Majesty, to treat the prince immediately," said Doctor Hu.
Chongzhen said, "I believe you! Just now, the palace maid reported that the prince has red spots on his body! Tell me, how do you plan to treat the prince?"
"Your Majesty, I have borrowed medicine from the second prince of Nan'ao Kingdom. I have sucked the medicine into the syringe and then injected it into the prince's body. Wait until the prince wakes up, then take the medicine and wait for the fever to subside." said Doctor Hu.
"How dare you! How can the prince use this method to treat illnesses! What if the needle hurts the prince? Can you bear the responsibility?" Wang Chengen said sternly.
"Your Majesty! I saw the second prince of Nan'ao Kingdom use this method in Gongji County and saved countless people. I guarantee with my life that there is nothing wrong with this medicine. If you don't give the medicine to the prince, I may not even have a 50% chance of success." said Doctor Hu.
Chongzhen paced back and forth, his heart in turmoil. Meanwhile, Empress Zhou, who had been listening to their conversation from behind the screen, had already burst into tears. If it weren't for the palace rules, she would have rushed over and asked Imperial Physician Hu to treat her son.
Chongzhen stopped and said to Wang Chengen, "Since it was the envoy Zhao Xiaofei who gave the medicine, let him come to the palace and treat the prince personally."
"Your Majesty, you can't do that! Zhao Xiaofei is just an envoy from a small foreign country, not a member of the Imperial Hospital. If he has any bad intentions, it might be detrimental to the prince!" Wang Chengen said.
"Your Majesty! I believe the envoy from Nan'ao is not qualified to treat the Crown Prince. Treating the royal family is the duty of my Imperial Hospital. I, a humble servant, can treat the Crown Prince." Imperial Physician Hu said this not because he was afraid Zhao Xiaofei would steal his limelight, but to protect him. If he couldn't cure the disease, he would be harming his benefactor.
But the more you try to stop Chongzhen, the more suspicious he becomes. They suspect they're afraid Zhao Xiaofei will steal the Imperial Hospital's reputation, that Zhao Xiaofei is truly capable and these people are holding him back. Besides, didn't Imperial Physician Hu's son write in a memorial that the Nan'ao envoy is a skilled doctor who can cure the plague? And the medicine was given to him by someone else, so why not just let Zhao Xiaofei come to the palace to rescue the crown prince without bothering two masters?
Chongzhen then said, "Wang Chengen! Go and invite Zhao Xiaofei to the palace immediately and have him treat the prince personally."
"This..." Wang Chengen hesitated for a moment, then looked at the emperor's murderous eyes and quickly said, "Your servant obeys your order!"
Zhao Xiaofei was trapped in his own home, facing a sudden disaster. He was discussing Ming Dynasty music and opera with Li Sihong when Xiao Sisi anxiously knocked on the door and said, "Master! Eunuch Wang Chengen from the palace has arrived in person! Please go to the front hall to receive him!"
When Zhao Xiaofei heard Wang Chengen was coming, he quickly opened the door. He couldn't afford to offend this eunuch, who was a favorite of the emperor. When he arrived at the front hall, he saw Wang Chengen, followed by several Jinyiwei. Zhao Xiaofei's heart was hanging in the air. Jinyiwei following him, this was not a good thing. But he still put on a smile and said, "I didn't know that Eunuch Wang was coming in person. I hope I will forgive you for not welcoming him!"
"Mr. Zhao! We heard that you have superb medical skills. Is this true? You are joking, sir. I only have a basic understanding and cannot claim to be an expert." Zhao Xiaofei said.
"Don't be polite! The emperor asked you to go to the palace to treat the Crown Prince. Come with me!" Wang Chengen said.
"Didn't you give the medicine to Doctor Hu?" Zhao Xiaofei asked as he followed Wang Chengen.
"Young Master Zhao, the emperor means that we should not trouble two masters for the same task. Since you are the one who gave the medicine, there is no need to ask others to do it. If the prince's illness can be cured this time, I think the emperor will reward him generously!" Wang Chengen said.
"But! I don't know how serious the prince's illness is now? I wonder if you can reveal something?" Zhao Xiaofei said.
"The palace maid just reported that red spots have appeared." Wang Chengen said.
"Eunuch, I said something I shouldn't have said. It has delayed me for so long. I'm afraid I have failed to live up to your majesty's expectations!" said Zhao Xiaofei.
Wang Chengen knew what Zhao Xiaofei was worried about and said, "His Majesty won't be too harsh on you. After all, you're not a doctor from the Imperial Hospital. If His Majesty didn't distrust them, why would they have asked you? As long as you put your heart into it, His Majesty will understand."
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