NOVEL WEB Chapter 457
Is Consort Liang feeling unwell?
The Emperor walked over and patted the Seventh Prince's little bottom, causing the child to pout and nearly cry. He quickly stepped out and headed to Shunan Palace as well.
From dawn until the sun set in the west, golden rays of light bathed the rooftops, yet the doors to Consort Liang's chambers remained closed.
Medical maids occasionally emerged, carrying basins of bloodied water to dispose of.
The Emperor frowned. "What's going on?"
Only then did everyone notice that the Emperor had arrived at the entrance. He walked in briskly and stood beside Jiang Xinyue.
"Greetings, Your Majesty…"
"At ease!"
The Emperor's gaze shifted toward Consort Liang's room, where a heavy scent of blood mixed with the pungent aroma of medicine hung in the air.
It was an ominous smell.
"What's wrong with Consort Liang?"
He directed his question at Jiang Xinyue: "Wasn't it said that she caught a cold? This doesn't seem like a cold to me."
The eldest princess, her eyes red from crying, stood by the chair, her pregnant belly prominent.
Even Consort Liang's father had entered the palace. Clearly, this was no ordinary illness.
"It's the lingering poison Huang Yanyu once administered to Consort Liang. The residual toxins in her body have flared up again. If Noble Consort Ye hadn't discovered it and informed me, I would still be unaware. The poison nearly took Consort Liang's life."
"What?"
Consort Liang still had lingering poison in her system?
"How is Consort Liang now?"
"Yan the Imperial Physician is currently performing a blood transfusion between Consort Liang and Madam Yu."
As for her condition, they would have to wait for Yan the Imperial Physician to emerge.
After the sun set, darkness fell quickly. When Yan the Imperial Physician looked up from his array of surgical tools, he suddenly felt dizzy, his vision blurred, and he nearly collapsed backward.
Fortunately, he had prepared for this. Two medical maids supported him from behind. "Master… Master, are you all right?"
Yan the Imperial Physician shook his spinning head. "I'm fine, I'm fine. Let's continue…"
The Empress Dowager had entrusted him with this task, so even if something was wrong, he had to say he was fine.
In Shunan Palace, the imperial kitchen had prepared a few light dishes. No one had much of an appetite, but with a pregnant woman present, they had to force themselves to eat a little.
The Emperor insisted that Jiang Xinyue eat a bowl of plain rice and instructed Wang Dequan to serve the eldest princess a bowl of bird's nest porridge.
"I know you're all worried about Consort Liang, but you must eat to have the strength to care for her. Especially you, Mingyu. You're carrying a child, so you need to eat something."
The eldest princess, her eyes still red, nodded and forced herself to finish the porridge.
"He's out!"
"Yan the Imperial Physician is out!"
"Huh?"
Yan the Imperial Physician's legs felt as if they were stepping on cotton, weak and unsteady.
His vision was blurry. "Food… I need food…"
He had completely exhausted his strength. Even if the Emperor and the Empress Dowager wanted to question him, they would have to wait until he regained some energy.
Tang Shiliang had just fetched a bowl of porridge, originally intended for the Empress Dowager as per the Emperor's orders. However, at a subtle glance from Jiang Xinyue, Tang Shiliang handed the porridge to Yan the Imperial Physician instead.
The imperial kitchen's skills were impeccable, and Yan the Imperial Physician downed the entire bowl of porridge in one go.
He had the best appetite in the room.
After finishing, he smacked his lips, clearly wanting another bowl.
"Ahem!"
Jiang Xinyue coughed loudly, and Yan the Imperial Physician, hearing the tone, finally opened his weary eyes. "Your… Your Majesty, I pay my respects."
He truly was getting old and hadn't noticed the Emperor sitting beside the Empress Dowager.
"Enough, enough. Skip the formalities. How is Consort Liang?"
Yan the Imperial Physician straightened up. "I have completed the blood transfusion between Consort Liang and her mother. The toxins in Consort Liang's body have been completely cleared. However, she will require a long period of recuperation and care. I will leave two medical maids in Shunan Palace. Madam Yu will also need to stay in the palace for a few more days, just in case."
This "just in case" likely meant that Madam Yu would serve as a mobile blood bank for Consort Liang.
"Will my grandmother be in any danger?"
The eldest princess voiced the question Master Yu dared not ask.
Yan the Imperial Physician shook his head. "Rest assured, Your Highness. I have strictly controlled the amount of blood exchanged. Madam Yu will not be in any life-threatening danger."
At most, she would be weakened, her vitality drained, and she might feel dizzy or faint.
The poison hadn't been directed at Madam Yu. After circulating through Consort Liang's body, it had been diluted significantly. Once transferred to Madam Yu through the blood exchange, her fresh blood flowed back into Consort Liang's veins, creating a cycle.
This way, Madam Yu would expel the toxins through sweat, while Consort Liang's blood would be completely purified.
Madam Yu would also need to undergo medicinal baths to expel the toxins, so she couldn't leave the palace.
If Consort Liang required another blood transfusion in the coming days, it would be more convenient this way, wouldn't it?
Yan the Imperial Physician certainly didn't view Madam Yu as a mere blood bank. He was genuinely concerned for her well-being.
"Is Consort Liang safe now? Will this issue arise again in the future?"
Consort Shu's question echoed the concerns of Jiang Xinyue and Noble Consort Ye.
Yan the Imperial Physician didn't answer immediately but pondered for a moment. "After the blood transfusion, this problem won't recur. However, Consort Liang's lifespan will undoubtedly be affected."
The eldest princess felt the world spin around her. "Just… just tell me. How long does my mother have?"
"Well…"
Yan the Imperial Physician stroked his chin. "It depends on Consort Liang's natural lifespan. If she was destined to live to ninety, she might now live to sixty. If she was supposed to live to seventy, she might now live to fifty."
The eldest princess had thought he was going to say Consort Liang only had a few months left…
"Yan the Imperial Physician!"
Xi Que, standing at the front, placed her hands on her hips. "Could you please finish your sentences in one go next time? You nearly scared us to death."
"Huh?"
Feeling the hostile gazes of everyone in the room, Yan the Imperial Physician shrank back. "But you were the ones who asked me…"
"Since everything is settled, let's disperse."
The Emperor spoke up. "Mingyu, if you're worried about your mother, you may stay in Shunan Palace for now. It would be better than returning home and being unable to rest."
"Thank you, Father!"
According to palace rules, married princesses were not supposed to return to the palace so frequently. However, such rules had always been mere formalities under Jiang Xinyue's influence.
After all, who had ever heard of a daughter being forbidden from visiting her mother after marriage?
On the way back to Kunning Palace, palace lanterns had already been lit, their soft glow illuminating the path. The Emperor's figure was elongated by the cool moonlight and the warm lantern light.
Jiang Xinyue held his hand tightly, her petite frame almost entirely enveloped by his shadow.
Exhausted from the day's events and the constant tension, Jiang Xinyue had no strength left. She leaned against the Emperor like a boneless creature.
"Are you sleepy?"
The Emperor's voice was deep and magnetic, his gentle tone soothing to the ears.
Jiang Xinyue nodded drowsily, her eyes barely open.
The Emperor chuckled softly, then stopped in his tracks. Ignoring the surprised looks of the palace attendants, he scooped her up into his arms.