sbdcsierra Chapter 1265 You are the only imperial physician I trust
Chapter 1265 You are the only imperial physician I trust
His movements were extremely gentle, not disturbing Shen Zhinian, who was still sleeping beside him. He only tucked the corner of her quilt before leaving, took a deep look at her peaceful sleeping face, and then quietly left.
In fact, Shen Zhinian had already woken up when the emperor stood up, but he was still pretending to sleep with his eyes closed.
Only after his steady footsteps disappeared outside the hall did she slowly open her eyes. Her eyes were clear and there was no trace of sleepiness in them.
Last night's speculation was like a thorn in the back, making Shen Zhinian unable to sleep all night.
She must see Tang Luochuan again.
However, Zhongcui Palace had just invited the imperial physician yesterday. If they summoned him again today, it would be too conspicuous.
Moreover, at this critical moment, any unusual behavior of Zhongcui Palace might fall under the prying eyes of those in the dark.
Shen Zhinian sat up, his eyes turned slightly, and he immediately had a plan in mind.
She called softly, "Handan."
Handan, who had been waiting outside, immediately responded and came in: "Madam, your servant is here."
"Go to the Imperial Hospital and ask Doctor Tang to come back."
Shen Zhinian spoke calmly, as if giving instructions for a trivial matter: "Just say that the Fourth Prince was greedy last night and ate half an extra bowl of milk soup. This morning he seems to be feeling restless due to indigestion and has been crying non-stop. Ask him to come and see him."
Handan was slightly startled.
This excuse... I used it last time.
But she immediately understood the queen's meaning.
In the deep palace, such excuses were least likely to arouse suspicion when used on young children, as children had weak spleens and stomachs, and crying from indigestion was common.
"Yes, slave, go right away."
Handan lowered her head in response and walked out briskly.
When the news reached the Imperial Hospital, Tang Luochuan heard that the Fourth Prince was unwell and did not dare to delay. He immediately picked up his medicine box and hurried to Zhongcui Palace.
He stepped into the inner hall and saw Shen Zhinian dressed neatly, looking normal, without much worry on his face.
The fourth prince in the wet nurse's arms was playing with a nine-ring puzzle with great energy and giggling. He didn't look like he was suffering from indigestion or crying at all.
Tang Luochuan was such a smart man that he immediately understood that this was another excuse made by the Imperial Concubine.
His expression remained calm as he stepped forward to pay his respects according to etiquette: "Your humble servant greets Her Majesty the Imperial Concubine. May Your Majesty be blessed with good health!"
Shen Zhinian raised his hand to support him, and said in a gentle tone: "Doctor Tang, please stand up."
She waved her hand, and the palace maids in the hall retreated silently in order. The heavy door closed gently, leaving only her confidants.
Shen Zhinian's expression was somewhat solemn. Without any hesitation, he looked directly at Tang Luochuan, who stood with his head bowed. His voice was very low: "Doctor Tang, I suddenly had a guess last night."
"I haven't been able to get pregnant yet. Perhaps the problem...is not with me."
Upon hearing this, Tang Luochuan suddenly looked up, with unconcealable astonishment in his eyes.
He blurted out almost subconsciously: "My Lady, you mean..."
The following words were so horrifying that he did not dare to speak them out loud for a moment.
Shen Zhinian nodded slightly, confirming Tang Luochuan's unfinished guess. His eyes were deep as he said, "Since Concubine Chun became pregnant, there have been no more children in the harem."
"You and I are both best acquainted with my physical condition. No one in Zhongcui Palace has found anything unusual."
"Then, the only possibility is that something has happened to His Majesty."
Tang Luochuan took a deep breath, his face instantly paled, and he subconsciously said, "But this...how is this possible?"
"Your Majesty's body has always been taken care of by the Court Judge He..."
He paused in the middle of his words.
Tang Luochuan is a doctor, and he knows that the path of medicine is vast and unpredictable.
How many strange poisons, secret medicines, and shady methods are there in the world?
Some things are colorless and odorless, insidious, and can even disguise themselves as common weakness. Without early warning and targeted investigation, they are extremely difficult to detect.
No matter how skilled He Yuanpan's medical skills are, he is still a human being, not a god. How can he be absolutely infallible?
Fine beads of cold sweat oozed from Tang Luochuan's forehead. His thoughts raced, connecting what he had heard recently about the occasional fatigue of His Majesty and the unusual fact that the harem had no children for a long time.
The more I think about it, the more I feel that the Imperial Concubine's guess... is not groundless.
When he looked at Shen Zhinian again, his eyes had changed from initial shock to stern and heavy.
Tang Luochuan exhaled slowly, his voice dry, "Although your Majesty's thoughts are shocking, upon closer thought, they do... make sense."
To admit this is equivalent to admitting that the emperor may have been assassinated.
The entire Imperial Hospital, including the judge He Zhong, had never noticed it!
The danger and implications involved made Tang Luochuan feel a chill down his spine.
Shen Zhinian looked at his suddenly changed expression and knew that he had understood the seriousness of the matter.
She didn't need Tang Luochuan to be completely sure of her guess, she just needed him to realize that this possibility did exist.
"I know this matter is of great importance, and there is no way to verify it."
Shen Zhinian's voice remained steady: "But since I have doubts, I can't just ignore them."
"Doctor Tang, you are the only physician I trust. If you have the opportunity, please pay attention to any rumors or pulse diagnosis regarding His Majesty's health."
She didn't explicitly tell Tang Luochuan what to do, but they both understood.
Some things can only be done in the dark and slowly.
Hearing the words "only trustworthy", the corners of Tang Luochuan's lips curled up slightly, and the gloom in his eyes seemed to fade a lot.
He took a deep breath, suppressed the turmoil in his heart, and bowed solemnly: "Your humble servant... understands!"
"I will do my best to relieve Her Majesty the Imperial Concubine's worries."
Shen Zhinian nodded: "Go ahead."
"Wei Chen resigns!"
After Tang Luochuan took the order and left, the tense nerves in the hearts of everyone in Zhongcui Palace seemed to relax a little.
Although the road ahead is still shrouded in mystery and may even hide a more terrifying truth, at least the sharp blade hanging over one's head has been temporarily removed.
Fuqiu and Handan looked at each other. Although they didn't dare to say it out loud, they felt inexplicably relieved in their hearts.
If the problem really lies with His Majesty, at least they won't have to be vigilant day and night and turn the Zhongcui Palace upside down.
At this time, Xia Feng walked in lightly and reported: "Your Majesty, Concubine Zhuang is here and is asking for an audience outside."
Shen Zhinian raised his eyebrows slightly, not surprised.
Ever since the emperor granted Concubine Zhuang the power to assist in managing the six palaces, she had shared some of the power with her according to the rules.
Of course, the things she handed over were either trivial matters that were irrelevant, time-consuming and labor-intensive.
Some of them are seemingly glamorous but are actually very easy to offend people, or they are difficult jobs that involve old accounts.
Concubine Zhuang came here most likely to report on palace affairs.
Shen Zhinian suppressed the thoughts in his eyes and regained his composure: "Let her come in."
"Yes."
The palace door opened slightly, and Concubine Zhuang walked in slowly.
She was wearing a lotus pink palace dress today, with the collar and cuffs embroidered with intricate silver thread lotus patterns.
Although she retained the bearing of a royal concubine, her style seemed deliberately softer than the dignified and solemn tones she usually preferred.