Chapter 154: This Princess Is Awfully Bad

Only when Xiao Li’s footsteps had faded completely did Lou Yan slowly get to his feet.

His shoulder ached, his face stung, and his heart felt as if a hole had been torn in it, letting a cold wind whistle through.

He had known Princess Xuanyang was merciless, but she was even more so than he had ever imagined.

He had forgotten his place, but she had always remained perfectly clear-headed, never wavering for a single moment.

He rose and left, grateful that the deepening night hid the red mark on his face.

The Princess moved through the palace unhindered, disguised as a palace maid, and he had been completely unaware.

Clearly, there were others loyal to the Princess—people so skilled he couldn’t even detect their movements.

’He had thought the Princess approached him only to use him. Now, it seemed her claim that he was simply ’to her liking’ might have been the truth.’

’Thinking about it that way, maybe she wasn’t so heartless after all.’

’But there were other servants useful to the Princess. There were probably others who were to her liking, too...’

’In the end, he was just someone she could take or leave.’

—

That same night, news of Chen Pingting’s death spread. The official story was that her cold had worsened due to improper treatment, leading to her demise.

The news sent a fresh wave of anxiety through the entire palace.

’If someone as young as Chen Pingting could die, how could the Empress Dowager possibly survive?’

Rumors that the Empress Dowager was on her deathbed grew rampant. The Emperor had even ordered the Ministry of Rites to begin preparations.

As reluctant as she was, Xiao Li still prepared herself and headed for the palace.

The Emperor had just finished unleashing his fury on the Imperial Physicians, and his expression was grim.

Several members of the Chen Family were in attendance, huddled to one side like frightened quails, not daring to utter a peep.

Even though Chen Pingting had died, they didn’t dare ask to go see her.

The Empress was at the bedside, looking worn and haggard.

Xiao Li went in first to take a look. In just a few short days, the illness had ravaged the Empress Dowager until she was barely recognizable. She had lost a shocking amount of weight, her face was deathly pale, and her lips were as white as paper. A group of Imperial Physicians surrounded her, applying acupuncture needles, but she couldn’t even open her eyes. Her life truly seemed to be hanging by a thread, as if she might breathe her last at any moment.

Xiao Li approached the Emperor. "Brother," she began, "do you still remember Cen An, the successor to the Divine Doctor?"

The Emperor’s head snapped up.

Xiao Li continued, "I’ve already had my people find him. He said he is willing to take a look, but he has two requests."

Overjoyed, the Emperor said urgently, "What requests? Tell me!"

Xiao Li said, "He is the successor to the Divine Doctor, not the Divine Doctor himself. He can only do his best. Whether he succeeds or fails, Your Majesty cannot give him trouble."

With the Empress Dowager on the verge of death, it was a last-ditch effort—like trying to save a dead horse. The Emperor naturally agreed. "I will not make things difficult for him."

Xiao Li continued, "Second, unusual illnesses require unusual remedies. Your Majesty must pardon him in advance for any potential disrespect."

Right now, the Emperor’s only thought was to save the Empress Dowager. Matters of respect could be dealt with later. He nodded. "I agree."

Xiao Li had someone bring a brush and paper. Only after the Emperor had personally written down his promise did she send for Cen An.

Xiao Li didn’t even go to meet Cen An herself. She knew he would be unwilling, but she held leverage he couldn’t refuse.

’...’ And that was why he despised this evil Princess more than anyone.

He had been forced into the palace to treat the Empress Dowager. At first, he was just as confused as everyone else. The symptoms pointed to a cold caught after falling into water, with pathogenic qi entering the body. How could her condition worsen after five or six days of treatment? ’Are the Imperial Physicians really this incompetent?’

He carefully examined the medical records and then the Empress Dowager’s symptoms, but for a moment, he too was at a loss.

’It looked like this was about to blow up in his face.’ He shot a nervous glance at Xiao Li. ’If I can’t fix this, will the wicked Princess cover for me?’

As he looked over, he found Xiao Li watching him, her eyes glinting with amusement. Her lips moved, silently forming a word.

No one else understood, but Cen An did.

Xiao Li had mouthed the name of an herb. He recalled a time when she had asked him, since he traveled the world gathering herbs, if he ever collected poisonous plants. She had shown a keen interest in poisons even then.

The name she mouthed belonged to a poisonous herb from a distant land.

It wasn’t a deadly poison, but it induced vomiting and, more importantly, counteracted the effects of other medicines.

Furthermore, there were almost no records of this herb in Longsheng Country.

’So, the Empress Dowager’s illness wasn’t incurable by the Imperial Physicians. Someone was actively preventing them from curing it.’

’This was... pure evil!’

’Although, thinking back to the rumors that the Empress Dowager had tried to kill the Princess... uh, well, it wasn’t like the Empress Dowager was a saint either.’

’Whatever. This had nothing to do with him. He shouldn’t get involved.’

Cen An put on a stern face and once again began writing a new prescription.

’He had no idea how the Princess had managed to find such a rare and inconspicuous herb, let alone how she’d administered it in the Empress Dowager’s medicine without being detected.’

Once the prescription was written, Cen An presented it. "Your Majesty, this is a formula left by my late master. I have made some slight adjustments to match the Empress Dowager’s symptoms. It should be effective."

After days of the Imperial Physicians claiming their skills were insufficient, the Emperor was finally hearing something promising.

"Quickly! Prepare the medicine according to this prescription!"

Less than an hour later, the medicine was ready. A single bowl was administered, and a short while later, the Empress Dowager went completely still.

This terrified everyone, who thought the Empress Dowager had passed away. Upon checking, however, they found she was merely asleep.

Cen An explained, "The Empress Dowager has been ill for many days, and her body is weak. I included a sedative in the formula. Once she wakes from a proper sleep and takes another dose, her condition is certain to improve significantly."

And just as he said, after the Empress Dowager woke up and took another dose of medicine, she was able to speak within the hour. Her spirits had visibly improved.

Everyone lavished praise on Cen An, declaring him a worthy successor to the Divine Doctor.

Cen An broke into a sweat, humbly insisting that all the credit belonged to his master.

In short, the Empress Dowager was on the mend, and the rest of her care could be safely entrusted to the Imperial Physicians.

Both the Empress Dowager and the Emperor wanted to keep Cen An in the palace, but before he could refuse, Xiao Li stepped in front of him. "When I invited Doctor Cen, I gave my word that I would ensure his safety, reward him handsomely, and never force him to do anything against his will."

She turned and gave the Empress Dowager a meaningful look. "I, Xuanyang, lost my mother at a young age. It was only under the Empress Dowager’s protection that I have survived to this day. No matter how you treat me, I will always remember this debt of gratitude. I could not simply stand by and watch you be tormented by this illness."

With that, she bowed. "I know that my presence displeases the Empress Dowager, so I will not disturb your rest any longer. I wish you a swift recovery and a long, healthy life."

As she turned to leave, she gave the Emperor a slight, knowing smile before leading the still-dazed Cen An away.

Having narrowly escaped death, the Empress Dowager was filled with complex emotions upon learning it was Xiao Li who had found someone to save her.

’The Emperor thought to himself, ’My sister knew the Empress Dowager detested her, yet she saved her out of gratitude. What a good child she is.’

’She might be unconventional on most days, but she understands gratitude and filial piety. She is truly my sister.’

General consensus: ’The Princess may be cruel to outsiders, but she has a clear sense of right and wrong and a grateful heart. Her fundamental nature can’t be bad.’

The only one who knew the truth, Cen An: ’AAAAAAAAH! Don’t be fooled by her! This Princess is rotten to the core!’

’She’s the one who did the evil deed, and she ended up getting all the credit and a good name for it!’

’And the way she stood up for me just now... if I didn’t know it was all an act, I might have actually been moved.’

’How can anyone be so wicked, playing everyone right into the palm of her hand?’

’It’s one thing for others not to know, but he knew the truth and didn’t dare speak it. Even if he did, who would believe him? This feeling... keeping it all in was going to drive him insane!’