diymy Chapter 1143 - 979: At a Loss
Chapter 1143 - 979: At a Loss
"Quick! Quickly summon the Imperial Physicians!" The Crown Prince finally snapped out of his daze and shouted at Xiao Quanzi.At this moment, Xiao Quanzi quickly realized what had happened and immediately ran out of the palace, heading towards the Imperial Hospital.
"Father?" The Crown Prince rushed forward, pushing aside the dazed De’an kneeling by the bed. When he held the Emperor’s right hand, his face was already streaked with tears.
The Emperor was now more exhaling than inhaling.
The blood at the corner of his mouth stung the Crown Prince’s eyes, leaving him somewhat at a loss. Birth, aging, illness, and death are the natural courses of life.
In truth, he had already prepared for the worst regarding his father’s illness, but the Emperor’s sudden attack still caught him off guard.
He hadn’t expected it to happen so soon; he had just informed the Emperor about the Tianji Taoist. Unexpectedly, the Emperor suddenly fell ill, leaving him in a state of panic.
"Quickly! Mr. Zhang, hurry up." Xiao Quanzi dragged Director Zhang while sprinting all the way, so that by the time they reached Chengqian Palace, Director Zhang was already out of breath and feeling dizzy.
"Xiao Quanzi, you’re young, naturally you can run fast. This official is getting old and can’t withstand your pulling! What happened to the Emperor?"
Just now, Xiao Quanzi hadn’t clearly explained, he just dragged Director Zhang towards Chengqian Palace.
Xiao Quanzi, with a grief-stricken face, said, "Mr. Zhang, the Emperor just vomited blood and is now unconscious. Please go take a look!"
Other Imperial Physicians, Xiao Quanzi didn’t have time to summon; he just rushed to the Imperial Hospital and brought Director Zhang over.
Upon hearing that the Emperor had vomited blood, Director Zhang dared not delay.
"Quick! Help me inside!" Director Zhang also ignored his weak legs, letting Xiao Quanzi support him as they rushed into the hall.
"Your Highness! Director Zhang is here." As soon as Xiao Quanzi entered the hall, he immediately announced loudly.
The Crown Prince wiped away the tears on his face, and his previously clouded eyes suddenly became clear.
"Director Zhang, please check on my father. He suddenly vomited blood and is now unconscious."
The Crown Prince now regretted mentioning the matter directly to his father, fearing that it might have agitated the Emperor.
Director Zhang barely had time to perform a formal greeting, glanced at the Emperor’s state, then immediately stepped forward and took out a row of silver needles from his medicine box.
Now was not the time for formalities, and the Crown Prince naturally wouldn’t fault Director Zhang for his lack of decorum.
Director Zhang used his hand to part the Emperor’s tightly shut eyes, then carefully observed his complexion.
Finally, he unbuttoned the Emperor’s inner garment, took out one silver needle after another, and inserted them into the Zhongfu, Yunmen, and Tianfu (entirely fictional) acupoints on the chest.
The Crown Prince and De’an held their breath, waiting for the Emperor’s reaction. After a few breaths, the Emperor’s eyes remained tightly closed, but his breathing was noticeably more relaxed than before.
Director Zhang’s face was grave. Seeing that the Emperor’s breathing gradually steadied, he placed his hand on the Emperor’s pulse.
Half a stick of incense’s time passed, and Director Zhang’s brows never unfurrowed.
De’an was also wiping his tears with a handkerchief. He couldn’t imagine what he would do if anything happened to the Emperor.
After a long while, under the anxious and worried gazes of the Crown Prince and De’an, Director Zhang began to remove the silver needles.
"How is it, Director Zhang? Is my father out of the woods?" Seeing Director Zhang’s actions, the Crown Prince immediately stepped forward to inquire.
The Crown Prince thought that since Director Zhang was removing the silver needles and the Emperor’s breathing was stabilizing, things should be fine.
"Yes, Mr. Zhang, how is the Emperor?" De’an was actually more anxious than the Crown Prince but didn’t dare to speak out of turn, so he watched Director Zhang eagerly.
Unexpectedly, Director Zhang only removed three silver needles, leaving the last one in the Zhongfu acupoint. He shook his head, letting out a deep sigh.
The Crown Prince and De’an’s hearts sank, and the Crown Prince immediately asked, "What do you mean, Director Zhang? How is my father?"
"Your Highness, it would be best to summon other Imperial Physicians for further diagnosis. I’ve done my utmost."
Director Zhang staggered, kneeling, not daring to meet the Crown Prince’s disappointed and shocked eyes.
"What? But my father seems much better than before." The Crown Prince was incredulous, his words heated and his heart anxious.
"Your Highness, I’ve used a single silver needle to temporarily suppress the poison in His Majesty. If he doesn’t wake within a stick of incense’s time, then medicine will be of no help."
Director Zhang, trembling, was also deeply worried. If the Emperor couldn’t withstand this, he didn’t know if he, with his old bones, could survive the day.
Although the Crown Prince was benevolent, other Princes and Ministers were hard to predict!
The Crown Prince felt a glimmer of hope rise in his heart, "Then if he wakes, will he be out of danger?"
Faced with the Crown Prince’s hopeful gaze, Director Zhang shook his head again, once more leaving the Crown Prince utterly crestfallen.
"Even if the Emperor wakes up, he won’t be as before; the ailment has taken root and may manifest in his limbs. Even if he wakes, the Emperor won’t last ten days."
Doctor Zhang was being conservative; in his mind, he had already concluded that the Emperor wouldn’t survive beyond three days.
The silver needle at hand was actually suppressing the Emperor’s internal clotted blood and deadly poison. Once removed, the poison would spread upward from the chest, and there would be no saving him.
He was the most senior and skilled Imperial Physician. If even he couldn’t help, then no one in the Imperial Hospital could reverse the situation.
The Crown Prince was deeply saddened, "No! I don’t believe it. Xiao Quanzi, go summon the civilian medical experts temporarily confined in the palace."
Just as Xiao Quanzi went out, the palace’s Imperial Physicians arrived successively.
Several Imperial Physicians stepped forward to check the pulse, but afterward, they all shook their heads and sighed.
"Mr. Zhang’s needle has already temporarily suppressed the poison in the Emperor’s body; otherwise..."
Doctor Lin stepped forward, his expression extremely grave. The Emperor’s condition was dire; it seemed inevitable.
Several Imperial Physicians wore expressions of terror. If anything happened to the Emperor, their careers would certainly be over.
"Hmph! You diagnose my father every day, and you all said there was no problem. But now that he suddenly falls ill, you’re still helpless. What of your past assurances? Were they just to placate me and the Emperor? If you can’t diagnose or revive him, what use are you?"
The Crown Prince flung his sleeves in anger.
The Imperial Physicians were helpless against the toxins of the Tianji Taoist; so many of them failed to detect it—they were nothing but inept.
Terrified, the Imperial Physicians knelt, "Your Highness, please calm down! The poison remained dormant, making it impossible to diagnose. The Emperor showed no obvious symptoms, only slight fatigue. Had the poison not manifested, we truly would not have detected it."
Several Imperial Physicians mourned their plight; such a strange poison was unheard of.
"Now even the blind can see my father is poisoned. I command you to find a solution immediately. If you don’t put forth your best effort, I’ll send you for monastic training."