Chapter 264: Chapter 264: The Holy Emperor Has Always Been Thinking of You
Ji Qingwu walked into the magnificent Zhaoyang Hall, carrying a large bundle half her height.
All eyes fell upon her.
The green hairpin she wore was long gone, her hair held back only by a hair band. Her Green Ink Plain Silk Large Sleeve Clothes did not appear dirty at first glance, but they were mottled with dark and light patches, and a closer look revealed mud on her feet.
In such a dishevelled state, Ji Qingwu looked more like the one who had suffered the great disaster alongside Emperor Wu Su.
Yuan Heng took a small step toward her, then pulled back, not wanting to cause a delay at this critical moment.
Wei Ting’s eyes were fixed on her right hand, where raw, bloody marks from gripping the reins too forcefully were still visible on her palm.
Princess Hua Chang said to her, "The Emperor’s condition..."
Ji Qingwu nodded. "I heard everything."
Her tone betrayed no other emotion.
She had been at the doorway for some time, hearing with her own ears that the Emperor had sustained such a grave injury only because he was saving Princess Consort Wei.
’Does he value Princess Consort Wei more than his own life...?’
Seeing her appear, Li Yuzong’s eyes blurred with tears. "Miss Ji..."
He knelt and kowtowed to her. "The Holy Emperor’s life hangs by a thread! Only you can save him, Miss Ji. Please, follow me inside at once."
No one voiced any further objections. After all, none of the many Imperial Physicians present had been able to help, not even the highly skilled Doctor Li.
"That is why I am here," Ji Qingwu said.
Wei Liru grabbed her arm. "Miss Ji, I beg of you, you must save His Majesty..."
Before Ji Qingwu could reply, Prince Yong stepped forward, frowning, and pulled Princess Consort Wei away. ’What sort of trouble is she causing at a time like this?’
Looking at no one, Ji Qingwu walked directly into the bedchamber, her eyes fixed straight ahead.
On the Dragon Bed, Emperor Wu Su lay with his eyes closed. His face was ashen, his breathing faint, and his lips were the color of frost.
Ji Qingwu placed her bundle on the carpet and lifted away his inner robes.
On the powerful muscle of his left chest was a cross-shaped gash from an arrow. The flesh around the wound was an unnatural, bruised red, though the bleeding had already been stopped.
The arrow had been aimed straight for his heart.
The Xijin assassin had intended a single, fatal blow.
She placed her hand on his wrist. His body had already lost its warmth; his skin was even colder than her own wind-chilled fingers.
Ji Qingwu sniffled. Her eyes stung, but no tears fell.
’Logically, it shouldn’t have grazed his heart meridian, but his pulse shows signs of heart failure and qi exhaustion.’
’Then again, it’s possible Emperor Wu Su’s heart is positioned unconventionally.’
’I almost want to cut his heart open to see for myself—to see if it’s truly off-center, and to see just who resides within it.’
Ji Qingwu blinked her dry, stinging eyes.
She knelt on the ground and arranged the many bottles and jars from her bundle across the floor.
Li Yuzong stepped forward. "Miss Ji, is there anything I can do?"
Ji Qingwu shook her head. Her hands moved swiftly as she poured several types of medicinal powder into a mortar, adding a dozen or so fresh herbs she had picked from Wutong Garden before grinding and pounding them together.
Ji Qingwu remained focused on her work, too preoccupied to notice the anxious sweat beading on Li Yuzong’s forehead.
When he saw her take out a bottle of multi-colored powder, Li Yuzong leaned in and whispered, "Miss Ji, the Holy Emperor has always held you in his heart."
The hand Ji Qingwu used to hold the vial faltered for an instant.
Li Yuzong lowered his voice and continued, "It pains me greatly to see you like this. In truth, the Holy Emperor... he..."
But he stopped abruptly, as if remembering something he had been warned against saying. With a long sigh, he lowered his head and stood there powerlessly.
Ji Qingwu finally finished preparing the medicinal poultice.
She looked up. "Do you find me pitiful, Eunuch Li? Is that why you’re trying to comfort me? I don’t need your pity."
As she applied the poultice to his wound, her fingers no longer trembled when they touched Emperor Wu Su’s chilling skin.
"This medicine works wonders for internal injuries. It can even reverse cases of severe hemorrhaging in women. However, I am not certain if it can treat an ailment of the heart. We can only try."
Ji Qingwu spoke with crisp clarity. "I am acting out of my duty as a physician. The Emperor is the sovereign of this nation. If something were to happen to him, the people of Beili would know no peace. I am here for their sake."
But the words sounded more like an attempt to convince herself, to calm her own heart.
After Ji Qingwu finished applying the medicine and washed her hands, she heard the clamor of many voices from outside the hall.
News of the assassination attempt on the Emperor had not been completely contained; it had already spread. Senior court officials were now gathered outside the hall, demanding an audience.
The Empress Dowager had sent someone to instruct them to wait in a side hall, but the stubborn old men, led by Prime Minister Su, refused to budge. In the end, the Empress Dowager simply gave up and ignored them.
As Ji Qingwu lifted the gauze curtain and stepped out, all eyes in the room turned toward her.
"Is there a way to treat His Majesty’s injury?" Princess Hua Chang asked.
The water on her palms made the raw skin throb. Enduring the pain, she said, "I can only try. I am not certain it will be effective."
Princess Hua Chang sank back into her seat, crestfallen.
Yuan Heng walked to Ji Qingwu’s side and took her hand, his eyes rimmed with red.
Startled, Ji Qingwu pushed him away, frowning and shaking her head.
’For the little one to be close to me at a time like this is a dangerous move.’
The Empress Dowager, seated in the place of honor, did not miss this exchange. "Qingwu," she said, "come here to my side."
Ji Qingwu walked over and stood by the Empress Dowager, her gaze sweeping over the people in the room.
’With Emperor Wu Su struck down, the real battle—the one without smoke or gunpowder—was only just beginning.’
The Empress Dowager said, "The ministers are still waiting outside. I believe you are all well aware of why they have come."
Prince Yong replied without hesitation, "Mother, there is no need to worry. Imperial Brother is protected by the true dragon; he will be well by tomorrow. He can address the ministers himself during the morning court session."
Princess Qingyun nodded in agreement. "Imperial Brother has always been strong. He will be fine."
But the flicker of doubt in their eyes betrayed them. He had lost so much blood and the wound was near his heart meridian; even if Hua Tuo and Bian Que themselves were to descend from the heavens, a recovery would be difficult. Their only hope was for a miracle.
Princess Hua Chang, of course, understood the implication in the Empress Dowager’s words. "What is Your Majesty suggesting?" she asked.
The Empress Dowager’s gaze fell on the shadowy figure behind the gauze curtain. She spoke deliberately, "The Emperor is in the prime of his life, which is why the matter of appointing an heir has always been postponed. Now that this sudden tragedy has occurred, it is time to decide upon a successor."
"A nation cannot be without a ruler for even a day," Princess Hua Chang said coldly. "It is indeed wise to make plans early."
The Empress Dowager continued, "Yuan Heng is the Emperor’s only son, but he is still young. Ming Hong is the Emperor’s younger brother and Yuan Heng’s imperial uncle. He is also—"
Zhao Minghong shot to his feet, aghast. "Also what? Mother, what are you saying!"
Hearing the Empress Dowager’s intention to promote Prince Yong, Wei Liru was shaken from her grief. "Young Master Yuan Heng is the Emperor’s biological son," she declared. "It is only right that he should be the one to ascend the throne."
Wei Ting added, "If we are to speak of legitimacy and bloodline, it must be the Prince."
With Emperor Wu Su lying injured and unconscious, the scene, which had been relatively harmonious, began to fracture as factions argued heatedly amongst themselves.
Ji Qingwu lowered her eyes. On the surface, she seemed to be a mere bystander, but she knew the truth in her heart.
’She was the one at the very center of the storm.’
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