Chapter 155 Your Majesty shall bear the consequences of any mistakes.
"Extremely dangerous."
Qin Ye only said four words before pulling her into the inner cabinet.
"The imperial physicians have run out of options. He summoned you to attend to his sick relative because he desperately needs your medical skills to prolong his life."
But behind this need, Yun Si and Qin Ye both knew very well that it wasn't a complete trust.
Emperor Jiaqing was already very familiar with Yun Si's medical skills; otherwise, he wouldn't have issued this imperial edict for her.
Although her medical skills were not the problem, Emperor Jiaqing was full of suspicion and wariness towards her as a person.
"I see."
Yun Si nodded: "No matter what, I will do my best."
The emperor's life or death affects the entire court and requires even greater caution.
She wasn't someone who disregarded the bigger picture; she would try her best to buy Qin Ye more time until he had complete control of the court.
By then, no one will be able to control them anymore.
Qin Ye gazed at her, his eyes filled with trust and entrustment: "Be careful in everything. There are countless eyes watching us in this Eastern Palace, so we must be extremely cautious in our words and actions."
"Yes," Yun Si replied solemnly.
Just then, the respectful voice of Eunuch Xu came from outside the hall: "Crown Princess, His Majesty summons you to the Hall of Mental Cultivation immediately to attend to his ailing father."
They came so quickly.
Yun Si and Qin Ye exchanged a glance, a hint of seriousness flashing in each other's eyes.
"I'll go with you," Qin Ye said in a deep voice.
Yun Si shook her head: "Your Highness has just been appointed Crown Prince and is busy with state affairs. There is no need to delay for me. Otherwise, it will only make him more dissatisfied with me. I know how to take care of you when you are ill."
She needs to face the emperor alone and figure out his true state and intentions.
Qin Ye knew her feelings and didn't insist. He just squeezed her hand tightly and said, "Be extra careful and make sure A-Wu and Xiao-Yi are with you at all times."
"I know."
Yun Si changed into a proper palace dress and, accompanied by Lan Xin, followed Eunuch Xu to the Hall of Mental Cultivation.
Ah Wu was familiar with the fact that the Eastern Palace had not yet returned, and Xiao Yi was secretly following behind.
Inside the Hall of Mental Cultivation.
A strong medicinal smell, mixed with an indescribable chill, wafted towards us.
The hall was brightly lit, yet it could not dispel the heavy, deathly atmosphere.
Emperor Jiaqing lay on his dragon bed, covered with several brocade quilts, yet he still couldn't stop trembling all over, his teeth chattering.
His face was an unnatural bluish-gray, his lips were purple, his eyes were sunken, and his breathing was rapid and weak.
What was most alarming was that the fingernails of his hands, which were exposed outside the blanket, had turned a faint bluish-black, clearly indicating that the cold poison had penetrated deep into his bones.
Several imperial physicians knelt before the bed, their faces filled with fear and their foreheads dripping with cold sweat, yet they were utterly helpless.
The charcoal fire inside the hall burned extremely brightly, making it as warm as spring, but Emperor Jiaqing felt as if he were in an ice cave, unable to feel the slightest bit of warmth.
"Useless...a bunch of quacks..."
The Jiaqing Emperor squeezed out broken curses from between his teeth.
His voice was hoarse and weak, but it still carried the emperor's imposing aura, making the imperial physicians tremble even more violently.
Eunuch Xu stepped forward quickly and whispered, "Your Majesty, the Crown Princess has arrived."
Emperor Jiaqing's cloudy gaze turned towards the palace entrance.
Upon seeing Yun Si's figure, a near-mad hope and an unmistakable, intense fear suddenly burst forth in those eyes that were almost frozen by the cold poison.
He needed Yun Si to save his life, but he was also acutely aware that his life was now in the hands of this woman he had repeatedly tried to get rid of.
This extreme contradiction and humiliation made his expression appear particularly distorted at that moment.
"Get out...all of you..." He waved his hand with difficulty, his breathing unsteady.
The imperial physicians, as if granted a pardon, scrambled out of the room.
Soon after, only Emperor Jiaqing, Eunuch Xu, and Yun Si remained in the hall.
"Crown Princess..."
Emperor Jiaqing stared at Yun Si, each word uttered with extreme difficulty: "I...I entrust my life...to you..."
These words sound like a trust, but in reality they represent the heaviest pressure and warning.
If she cannot be cured, she, the entire Yun family, and even Qin Ye, who was just appointed as the new emperor, may face annihilation.
Seeing Emperor Jiaqing's appearance, Yun Si finally understood why he was in such a hurry to appoint a crown prince, and why he was willing to lose face as an emperor to let her enter the palace to attend to his illness.
He should have known that without an imperial decree, Yun Si would not have gone to the palace to help him cure the poison.
He was in dire straits, and Yun Si was his last chance for survival.
Yun Si's expression remained calm as she stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Your subject's daughter-in-law will do her utmost."
She walked to the bedside and placed her fingers on Emperor Jiaqing's wrist, which was icy cold and almost impossible to feel for a pulse.
As her inner energy slowly penetrated, Yun Si roughly understood that the situation might be worse than she had imagined.
The cold poison not only eroded his legs, but also spread to his internal organs. His heart meridian was enveloped by the cold energy and was in imminent danger.
It has only managed to hold on until now thanks to the countless rare medicinal herbs in the palace that have kept it afloat.
The cold poison in the Northern Yan palace is indeed formidable.
She withdrew her hand, lowered her eyes and pondered for a moment before speaking: "Your Majesty, the cold poison has penetrated deep into your body, and ordinary acupuncture and medicine may not be effective. Your Majesty, I need to use golden needles to open your blood vessels and use my unique internal energy to dispel the cold poison. The process will be extremely painful and... there are great risks. Please make a decision as soon as possible."
The Jiaqing Emperor stared intently at her, as if trying to discern any unusual expression on her face.
Ultimately, the will to survive prevailed over everything.
He closed his eyes and squeezed out two words from his throat: "...Granted."
Yun Si remained motionless for a long time.
The Jiaqing Emperor opened his eyes again and asked, "Is there anything else?"
"Your Majesty, when my daughter-in-law is treating patients, no one should be around. Please have those around her removed."
"..."
The Jiaqing Emperor glared at her fiercely, a hint of malice flashing across his face.
Yun Si met his gaze without flinching, her voice calm and composed: "Your Majesty's glare at me is useless. The presence of others will affect my performance. If any mistakes are made as a result, Your Majesty will have to bear the consequences."
These words were spoken.
The already chilly atmosphere inside the hall suddenly dropped several degrees.
Standing to the side, Eunuch Xu was covered in cold sweat on his back and forehead, and his legs felt weak in waves.
Who would have thought that the seemingly gentle and frail Crown Princess would be so bold?
This is practically a threat to His Majesty!
Doesn't she want to live?
A long time passed.
When even Eunuch Xu was at a loss for how to smooth things over, Emperor Jiaqing finally relented: "All of you, step down."
Yun Si's gaze fell on a certain spot in the hall. Just as she was about to speak again, Emperor Jiaqing spoke first: "Don't push your luck."
Upon hearing this, she stopped speaking.
After Eunuch Xu left the room, she asked Lan Xin to leave as well.
After closing the door, she opened the medicine box she had brought with her and took out the gold needles.
"Your Majesty, your daughter-in-law is beginning."
Yun Si gave a warning, and before Emperor Jiaqing could respond, the golden needle in her hand flashed with a cold light and accurately pierced Emperor Jiaqing's major acupoints.
Each needle insertion was accompanied by Emperor Jiaqing's uncontrollable painful spasms and muffled groans.
Immediately afterwards, she quickly channeled her inner energy into him, slowly dispelling the cold poison within his body.
In fact, she had a better, gentler solution.
But it was no use.
Instead, they chose this method, which is painful, time-consuming, and leaves some damage.
However, compared to her, she herself also needs to put in some effort and time.
But it doesn't matter.
What she has in abundance right now is time and stamina.
On the contrary, we need to buy Qin Ye more time.
The hall was silent except for Emperor Jiaqing's painful, suppressed breathing and the occasional crackling of the charcoal fire.
Time passed slowly, and fine beads of sweat appeared on Yun Si's forehead, her face gradually turning pale.
Feeling that it was about time, Yun Si slowly withdrew her internal energy.
Emperor Jiaqing's violent trembling finally subsided, and a faint trace of color returned to his ashen face.
He exhaled a long, chilly breath, opened his eyes with difficulty, and looked at Yun Si with a somewhat complicated expression.
There was the relief of surviving a disaster, the humiliation of having to rely on the enemy, and even more so, the unfathomable suspicion.
"I feel much better."
His hoarse voice was noticeably smoother.
Yun Si withdrew the golden needles, took a slight step back, and said with a hint of fatigue in her voice, "The cold poison in His Majesty's body has been temporarily suppressed, but not eradicated. He needs to receive acupuncture for seven consecutive days, supplemented with herbal medicine. After that, we will see how things go. During this period, he must avoid getting angry or overworking himself and must rest absolutely."
She paused slightly, then, without beating around the bush, said directly, "And..."
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