Chapter 2639 - 2572: Falling Ill Together

In matters concerning the emperor’s health, the secretary naturally has to follow along. At this moment, he was holding a little notebook and standing on one side. After hearing the words, he looked up at Zhou Man and then turned his head to look at the emperor.

The emperor was holding his stomach and said, "I still feel a bit of pain, but these are minor ailments, nothing serious. I can still handle some small matters."

Manbao pondered which small matters could be dealt with.

Is sitting and reviewing documents considered a major task or a small matter?

Is discussing affairs with court officials considered a major task or a small matter?

But certainly, riding out to hunt is not possible. When sick, one must rest quietly. She could confirm this was a major task.

Yet...

Manbao couldn’t help but secretly glance at the emperor, wondering if His Majesty had realized this. Did he actually want to go hunting?

The main thing was that she kind of wanted to go too.

Manbao became conflicted and simply took and held the emperor’s hand again, feeling his pulse and contemplating, "Your Majesty, besides the stomach pain, is there any other discomfort?"

She thought the emperor wasn’t making a good excuse. Wanting to slack off is human nature. She sometimes wants to slack off from going to court herself. If it weren’t for the people around her being all doctors and physicians, she wouldn’t know how many times she’d have taken leave using sickness as an excuse.

Alas, she could understand the emperor but felt she couldn’t spoil the emperor too much. What Director Xiao said wasn’t necessarily all correct.

Resting is necessary, but resting for too long isn’t good. If anything goes wrong with the stomach, then at least three days of medication are needed, followed by three to four days of recuperation, and seven days would just pass like that.

Manbao gave the emperor a suggestive look to find another excuse.

Unfortunately, there wasn’t enough tacit understanding with the emperor. They stared at each other, and the emperor thought she was unwilling to fake sickness for him, thus becoming somewhat unhappy. He angrily said, "My shoulders hurt, my back hurts, my waist hurts..."

Everywhere hurts, so do you dare say I’m not sick?

Manbao’s eyes lit up and said, "Your Majesty, you’re suffering from overwork and have caught the summer heat. This is simple to treat. Let me examine it carefully; it’s quite easy to treat."

Emperor: ...He belatedly realized he might have misunderstood, and couldn’t help but glance at Gu Zhong.

Gu Zhong smiled slightly and stepped forward, "How does Lord Zhou plan to examine?"

"No need for anything too complicated. I just need to look at His Majesty’s tongue coating and press the painful areas." Manbao excitedly asked the emperor to open his mouth for her to check the tongue coating. Upon seeing it, her smile froze. After a pause, she rolled up her sleeves, "Your Majesty, lie prone for me to examine?"

The emperor lay sprawled on the couch, and Manbao pressed several spots on his body. Upon reaching his upper shoulder, the emperor hissed, prompting Manbao to move her hand back, pressing again and asking, "Does this hurt here?"

"Yes."

Manbao pressed a few more spots, asking, "How about here?"

The emperor could not help but cry out in pain, which made Gu Zhong nervously step forward.

Manbao’s gaze sharpened and she withdrew her hand, saying to the emperor, "It’s fine, I’ll prescribe you some medication and later prepare some ointment for massage."

The Imperial Hospital does have adept doctors and assistants skilled in massage, so Manbao considered and prescribed a formula.

As for stomach medicine, Manbao had already forgotten, and so had the emperor. He sat upright on the couch and frowned, asking her, "So I am sick?"

Manbao nodded.

The emperor frowned further, "What illness is it?"

"You have sunstroke."

The emperor did not believe it, "I’m sunstruck? And yet, it isn’t even hot today."

Manbao replied, "You are indeed sunstruck, it’s just not acute."

She turned to ask Gu Zhong, "Has His Majesty lately had no appetite, eating less than one-third of usual, and has had disturbed sleep, often feeling sleepy yet never rested?"

Gu Zhong nodded repeatedly, giving a thumbs up, "Everything you said is accurate, Lord Zhou."

"Then he’s caught the summer heat." Manbao paused and then said, "His Majesty needs quiet rest for a while. During this period, avoid mental and emotional exertion, and refrain from sun exposure or hunting, but a stroll in the summer residence is fine."

Hearing the first part made the emperor somewhat happy, but by the end, his expression was flat as he asked, "How long does this illness require?"

Manbao sighed, "At least a ten-day rest is required."

It’s worse than a stomach illness; at least that only requires six to seven days.

The emperor lay back on the couch, looking at the beam above him expressionlessly, not expecting to find a real illness while trying to shirk.

After prescribing the medication, Manbao stood up, "Rest first, Your Majesty. I’ll prepare the medicine pack; someone will come in the afternoon to give a massage."

With that, she retreated.

The secretary silently watched, his pen never stopping, noting everything straightforwardly.

Manbao took her medicine chest outside, and Lord Wei immediately asked, "Lord Zhou, how is His Majesty’s health?"

He was already prepared to scold, no, to admonish the emperor.

But Zhou Man replied, "His Majesty needs quiet rest for a ten-day period."

Wei Zhi frowned, skeptically looking at Zhou Man.

Not only Wei Zhi, Yin Li and a few others also looked at her with doubt.

Seeing this, Manbao leaned back and raised her voice slightly, "Do not suspect I’m faking; this truth is indisputable."

Wei Zhi twitched his face, wondering if the emperor was indeed right about a stomach issue?

Manbao said, "His Majesty is sunstruck."

The court officials: ...

They quietly sighed in relief, quickly asking, "Why sunstroke?"

"I observed His Majesty’s complexion is quite rosy, not appearing sick."

"Yes, judging by complexion and pulse alone, it’s hard to discern. His illness hasn’t fully manifested yet, so it’s not serious. I only prescribed two doses of medication; the rest will focus on recuperation."

"Why then a ten-day rest if it’s not serious?"

Manbao replied, "To eradicate the issue, I believe His Majesty needs a ten-day rest."

Wei Zhi rolled up his sleeves and gave his hand, "Come, Lord Zhou, can you check for me? How long do you think I need to rest?"

Manbao grabbed Wei Zhi’s hand, placing her fingers on his pulse.

Wei Zhi: ...

The officials: ...

Manbao gently frowned after checking, then looked at Wei Zhi’s face, "Let me check your tongue coating, Lord Wei."

Lord Wei: ... Didn’t she understand he was being sarcastic? He extended his hand, and she truly took his pulse?

Zhou Man stared at Wei Zhi, compelling him to open his mouth. Minister Li and Minister Han, who trusted Zhou Man’s medical skills, both urged, "Lord Wei, let Lord Zhou examine you."

Wei Zhi was helpless, so he opened his mouth for her to see.

Manbao then calmly lowered her hand, seriously informing him, "Lord Wei requires at least a month’s rest. Even after a month, avoid excessive exertion."

She said, "Vital energy is the essence for humans, and vital blood is the foundation of the body. Lord Wei has already harmed the fundamental."

Hearing this from behind the screen, the emperor rushed out wearing only his inner garments and socks, without time for outerwear and shoes, his face serious, "Zhou Man, what’s wrong with my trustworthy minister?"