Don't Raise A Black Lotus Flower; Use The Emperor As A Substitute [Transmigration novel] - Chapter 19

It was just as I had suspected.

Lin Ruoxuan had already guessed why Emperor Chengwu had summoned him in such a hurry when he first smelled the heavy scent of medicine upon entering. He knew it was likely to treat the Empress Dowager. Hearing the confirmation now, however, his heart sank. This was not a good task to take on.

“Superintendent Lin, the Empress Dowager’s recovery depends entirely on you,” Noble Consort Li said with a coy, sweet voice.

Ji Ruyuan echoed her with a mocking tone, “Mother, rest assured. Superintendent Lin’s medical skills are divine; he will surely cure her immediately.”

The mother and son sang in harmony, which infuriated Lin Ruoxuan. Beside him, Ji Ruxue raised his eyes and looked coldly at the pair.

Noble Consort Li appeared deeply distraught on the surface, feigning concern for the Empress Dowager’s health, yet her words were clearly pushing Lin Ruoxuan into a trap. “Superintendent Lin has exceptional medical skills. You must save the Empress Dowager. My foster brother told me that although her illness is strange, since you were able to treat the mad dog disease so miraculously, this illness should be within your capabilities as well.”

“Head Physician Sun, is that true?” Emperor Chengwu asked calmly.

A middle-aged physician with a sallow complexion stepped forward and bowed. “In reply to Your Majesty, that is indeed the case.”

Lin Ruoxuan suddenly understood. This Head Physician Sun was Noble Consort Li’s foster brother. The whole affair was a blatant trap, and it was only a matter of whether he would willingly jump into it.

Consort Xian stammered, “Your Majesty, I heard from my father that there is a Divine Physician Hu at Qianjin Xuan who specializes in treating strange and difficult diseases. Why not summon him to the palace?”

Emperor Chengwu frowned. “Those so-called divine physicians are nothing more than charlatans.”

Noble Consort Li chimed in immediately, “Exactly! My sister should think carefully. The Empress Dowager is of noble status; how could she be treated by such a country bumpkin?”

Consort Xian was timid and dared not speak further, looking at her son for help. Ji Ruhan’s face was dark, but he remained silent.

Having shut down Consort Xian, Noble Consort Li turned to Lin Ruoxuan. “Superintendent Lin, you would not be unwilling, would you?”

“Why is the Superintendent silent? Is your medical skill not very profound?” Ji Ruyuan raised an eyebrow, his gaze provocative.

Ji Ruxue turned his head slightly toward Lin Ruoxuan, his eyes filled with worry.

By now, Lin Ruoxuan understood everything. Emperor Chengwu ignored the inner palace and only occasionally visited the Empress Dowager. Consort Xian was the Empress Dowager’s distant niece, and the Empress Dowager had always wanted the Emperor to change the heir to Ji Ruhan. Noble Consort Li and Ji Ruyuan might appear filial, but in their hearts, they likely hated her.

With the Empress Dowager seriously ill and Head Physician Sun, the Noble Consort’s foster brother, having already seen her, he must have disclosed her true condition to the Noble Consort. While she appeared worried, there was a hint of ease in her eyes. It seemed the Empress Dowager could not be saved.

He had offended Ji Ruyuan, and now this woman wanted to use the Empress Dowager’s illness to destroy him. If he handled it poorly, he could lose his life. This mother was far more sinister than her son.

Emperor Chengwu asked in a low voice, “Superintendent Lin, are you confident?”

Lin Ruoxuan collected himself and replied respectfully, “This servant only possesses minor medical skills passed down from my ancestors. With Head Physician Sun present, how could this servant dare to overstep?”

Emperor Chengwu pondered for a moment. “It does not matter. Both of you go inside and take a good look at the Empress Dowager.”

Head Physician Sun bowed. “This servant obeys the decree.”

Since the matter had reached this point, he could not refuse. Lin Ruoxuan bit the bullet and said, “This servant obeys.”

They entered the inner chamber without delay. The medicine smell was so thick it was nauseating. The windows and doors were draped with heavy curtains, leaving the room dim and stagnant. Under the flickering candlelight, one could see a large carved bed in the center, shrouded in white curtains. Two junior physicians stood outside the curtains in attendance.

Lin Ruoxuan walked to the bedside, hesitated slightly, and carefully lifted the curtain. On the bed lay an unconscious, frail old woman who bore a slight resemblance to Emperor Chengwu. Her eyes were tightly closed, her sockets were sunken, her lips were chapped, and she looked extremely withered.

This was, naturally, Emperor Chengwu’s own mother, the Empress Dowager Ningci.

Head Physician Sun sat by the bedside and placed a thin silk cloth over the Empress Dowager’s wrist to check her pulse. He sighed, “The pulse is still very weak. I fear…”

Lin Ruoxuan ignored him, frowning as he looked at the old woman, sensing something was wrong.

Physicians were outside ministers and had many reservations when treating women of the inner palace. Lin Ruoxuan, as an internal official, had fewer restrictions. He hesitated, then gently pinched her cheeks to carefully open her mouth and sniffed closely. There was a faint, metallic scent.

Head Physician Sun asked suspiciously, “What is it?”

Lin Ruoxuan pondered, then picked up a Buddhist scripture from the bedside, rolled it into a tube, placed one end on her chest, and the other to his ear. He listened carefully to the sounds in her lungs. There was a sound like tiny water bubbles bursting.

Lin Ruoxuan had reached a preliminary conclusion: the Empress Dowager was not just ill, she was suffering from heavy metal poisoning, likely mercury. The other physicians could neither get close enough nor conceive that she had been poisoned, so none had noticed.

Yet, in this deep palace, who could poison such a noble woman?

The inner chamber was dim, and the flickering candlelight made the swaying gauze curtains look like ghosts. Lin Ruoxuan shuddered involuntarily.

He shook his head, refusing to think about royal secrets or the poisoning. He turned and ordered, “Bring some warm water and a small bowl of egg whites. Later, use magnesium sulfate for a laxative. No, just decoct a bowl of senna leaves and cassia seeds.”

Head Physician Sun sneered, “Superintendent, you joke. In the Empress Dowager’s current state, how can you use a laxative?”

The two junior physicians looked at each other, not knowing whom to obey.

Lin Ruoxuan sighed. “Head Physician Sun, please rest assured. I will take full responsibility if anything goes wrong.”

“Truly?” Head Physician Sun narrowed his eyes.

“I do not lie.”

After a moment of deliberation, Head Physician Sun finally nodded.

Within moments, the warm water and egg whites arrived. While Head Physician Sun muttered on the side, Lin Ruoxuan ignored him. He instructed a junior physician to lift the Empress Dowager, fed her warm water, gently tapped her back, and used a bamboo stick to press down her tongue to make her vomit the water into a basin. After repeating this several times, he fed her the bowl of egg whites.

Head Physician Sun just shook his head from the side.

A moment later, the Empress Dowager gave a loud heave, vomiting out some reddish-white substance. Her eyelashes fluttered, and she actually opened her eyes, albeit in a daze.

Lin Ruoxuan said joyfully, “Empress Dowager.”

The frail old woman stared fixedly at Lin Ruoxuan. Her claw-like hand suddenly gripped his sleeve, her cloudy eyes misting over. She made indistinct gurgling sounds in her throat, appearing as though she desperately wanted to speak but could not.

“Empress Dowager?” Lin Ruoxuan felt a cold sweat break out on his back.

The old woman struggled for a long time but could not speak. Finally, as if giving up, she slowly let go of his sleeve and lay quietly on the bed, her cloudy eyes staring blankly at the canopy.

Seeing her state, Lin Ruoxuan frowned, filled with suspicion. The Empress Dowager seemed to know something, but…

Head Physician Sun asked tentatively, “Is the Empress Dowager awake? What exactly is her illness?”

Lin Ruoxuan replied vaguely, “I am not entirely sure. Perhaps it is the heat, and given her frail constitution, she developed some indigestion. She is stable for now. Decoct the senna and cassia leaves to clear her stomach, let her rest for a few days, and ensure she drinks plenty of milk and rice porridge.”

As he spoke, he tucked the blanket around the Empress Dowager and turned to walk out.

Head Physician Sun stood frozen for a moment, then suddenly pulled Lin Ruoxuan aside and whispered, “Superintendent Lin, I will be frank. Head Physician Zhou is about to retire. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me. You are the Superintendent of the Eastern Depot, so this credit is not important to you, but for me, it would mean becoming the Head of the Imperial Academy of Medicine. If the Empress Dowager’s recovery is attributed to me, and since I am the foster brother of Noble Consort Li, mother of the Crown Prince, I will ensure you are well rewarded.”

His skin was thick indeed. It took Lin Ruoxuan a moment to realize the man wanted to steal his credit to become the head of the academy.

The poisoning of the Empress Dowager was a convoluted affair, likely involving even more terrifying secrets. If he were the one who cured her, he would be inextricably tangled in royal business, which was a dangerous path. Head Physician Sun’s proposal actually played right into his hands, though he could not appear too eager. He feigned hesitation.

Lin Ruoxuan glanced at the two junior physicians nearby. “Head Physician Sun, I fear that would be inappropriate.”

Head Physician Sun said urgently, “Superintendent, these two are my disciples; they will not leak the news.”

Lin Ruoxuan thought for a moment and sighed theatrically. “Very well, as you wish.”

Head Physician Sun was overjoyed and, acting on behalf of Noble Consort Li, promised Lin Ruoxuan many benefits before they walked out of the chamber together.

The crowd outside swarmed them, asking in a flurry, “Superintendent Lin, Head Physician Sun, how is she? Were those egg whites for the Empress Dowager? Is she awake?”

Emperor Chengwu asked calmly, “Is the Empress Dowager awake? What exactly is happening?”

Head Physician Sun bowed and smiled. “In reply to Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager is awake. It was likely the heat causing some indigestion. After taking two doses of medicine to cleanse her stomach and resting for a few days, she will be fine.”

Consort Xian breathed a sigh of relief and slumped to the side. Ji Ruhan held her steady. “Mother, be careful.”

Emperor Chengwu looked at Lin Ruoxuan and raised an eyebrow. “Superintendent Lin truly has brilliant medical skills. How is the Empress Dowager now? Can she speak?”

Lin Ruoxuan shook his head. “She cannot speak yet, but her condition has stabilized. This is not my merit, but Head Physician Sun’s. I did not do anything at all.”

Emperor Chengwu clearly relaxed. “As long as she is stable, that is good. Head Physician Sun, this is a great contribution.”

Head Physician Sun said proudly, “Solving Your Majesty and the Empress Dowager’s troubles is my duty.”

Ji Ruxue frowned, looking at Lin Ruoxuan with confusion, but Lin Ruoxuan shook his head slightly.

The expressions of Noble Consort Li and Ji Ruyuan were very peculiar. Clearly, the Empress Dowager waking up was not what the mother and son had wanted, but since it was the work of the Noble Consort’s foster brother, it was still better than anyone else getting the credit.

Noble Consort Li’s expression shifted several times before settling into a bright smile. “Wonderful! The Empress Dowager truly is blessed!”

Ji Ruyuan forced a smile. “Imperial Grandmother is indeed destined for good fortune.”

Emperor Chengwu nodded. “This is Head Physician Sun’s contribution.”

The crowd showered them with sickening flattery. “Head Physician Sun is truly a miracle worker! To bring back the dead is no small feat! This is the blessing of the Great Yuan, the blessing of Your Majesty!”

With the crowd surrounding the Emperor and Head Physician Sun in a display of nauseating adulation, Lin Ruoxuan was left standing alone. Ji Ruxue glanced at him and squeezed his hand comfortingly. Lin Ruoxuan felt a warmth in his heart and lowered his voice. “It is fine, Your Highness, do not worry.”

“I will go in and see the Empress Dowager.” Emperor Chengwu’s expression softened. He entered the chamber with the consorts and princes. After emerging, his mood was excellent, and he promised on the spot that once Head Physician Zhou retired, he would promote Head Physician Sun to the head of the Imperial Academy of Medicine. The Cining Palace was filled with joy.

By the time they returned from the Cining Palace, it was late, and the palace gates were locked. Lin Ruoxuan stayed the night at the Cold Palace.

He was utterly exhausted and heavy-hearted. Without a word to Ji Ruxue, he fell asleep early.

In the middle of the night, a frantic knocking echoed at the door. “Fourth Prince! Superintendent Lin! Something is wrong! A disaster has occurred!”

Lin Ruoxuan was in a deep sleep. In his dazed state, he heard Ji Ruxue get up to open the door and exchange a few words with the person outside. He finally forced his eyes open and asked groggily, “Your Highness, what is it?”

Ji Ruxue stood at the door, leaning on his crutches, and turned his head slowly, his expression grave. “The Empress Dowager has passed away!”