Divine Doctor Huang nodded with satisfaction, then continued, "The second matter is that those remaining in the hall must obey my instructions completely."
The Emperor nodded, "As you wish, Divine Doctor."
"Regarding the third matter..." Divine Doctor Huang’s gaze fell on the Emperor, "I must ask His Majesty to leave the hall."
The Emperor was startled, "I..."
Divine Doctor Huang waved his hand to interrupt, sighing, "I know that Your Majesty is unwilling, but as the saying goes, ’Concern leads to chaos, and a physician should not treat the close ones.’ I’m afraid what I do might be unbearable for His Majesty to witness, and your presence is intimidating. If His Majesty remains, neither I nor the others in the hall can act freely, as it will cause distraction. Once the procedure starts, it cannot be stopped, and there will be no turning back, so I ask Your Majesty to please cooperate."
He could see at a glance that the Emperor was deeply attached to the young girl, and thus it was necessary for him to leave, for fear that the Emperor might lose his composure during the treatment.
A physician should not treat his loved ones. The closer they are, the harder it is to bear seeing them being treated, fearing the pain and fearing for their recovery. He understood this best when he treated his own wife. It required a heart of stone to use the needle without hesitation. Any disruption during medical procedures is undesirable, even if it is from the Emperor.
The Emperor hesitated, looking at the person lying on the bed with eyes tightly closed. He touched her cool hand, her eyeballs occasionally darting beneath her eyes as if restless even in dreams, causing him both pain and anxiety.
He understood Divine Doctor Huang’s concerns, yet felt that if he wasn’t there to supervise, what if something went wrong? Moreover, how could he not stay by his Little Concubine’s side as she suffered, to endure the crisis together?
Nanny Qi, also understanding his feelings, urged, "Your Majesty, please leave. I will watch over things here, and nothing will go wrong. Divine Doctor Huang is right, your presence will only hinder proceedings, so please step outside."
Divine Doctor Huang glanced at Nanny Qi, muttering inwardly, so she stopped calling him "Mr. Huang" and started addressing him like a fortune teller.
The Emperor remained silent, gripping Lian Hua’s hand tightly. He finally adjusted her hair by her temples and whispered to her, "Nannan, wait for me," then turned away and strode out, not daring to look back lest he couldn’t bear to leave. Follow current novᴇls on novel fire.net
Once outside the hall, he walked further away, gazing up at the starry sky. The bright moon now hung high, with the stars hidden behind its glow. He took a deep breath and turned to look at the brightly lit Main Hall.
The scenes from the previous night of walking hand in hand through the new hall were still vivid. Today, he stood alone, enduring the silent, desolate night. One person lay asleep, unable to respond or awaken...
"Your Majesty, Consort Liu requests an audience." Zhang Qing, who had followed the Emperor outside, carefully reported the matter only now.
Instantly, the air seemed to freeze, an intense pressure emanated, and Zhang Qing bent even lower, not daring to breathe heavily.
The Emperor’s demeanor became cold in an instant, his dark eyes resembling a deep, silent cold pool, filled with ruthless indifference.
Without even glancing at Zhang Qing, he asked, "Where is she?" His voice was icy, each word pierced like a shard of ice.
Zhang Qing, sweating profusely, bowed and replied, "Your Majesty, Consort Liu awaits outside the gate of the Canglan Court."
Consort Liu had actually been there for quite a while, waiting outside the gate with her sickly body. Despite Zhang Qing’s cold dissuasion several times, she refused to leave.
Supported by others, constantly coughing, she appeared so frail as if she might collapse at any moment. However, she spoke little, only weakly stating that her Palace Maid must have offended His Majesty somehow, insisting on waiting to meet His Majesty regardless. Her determination was unwavering, leaving Zhang Qing helpless.
Previously, Zhang Qing only sighed over Consort Liu’s poor health. Now, he harbored no fondness for her. He was unafraid if she waited endlessly but dreaded that this frail consort, who had nearly died before, might die waiting outside Canglan Court—what bad luck!
The Emperor continued to look at the Main Hall with his hands behind his back, standing quietly, becoming increasingly calm. Yet the aura radiating from him shocked Zhang Qing.
That sensation of fear returned, inwardly stirring up a storm within Zhang Qing. He instinctively felt that something was wrong; this was the calm before the storm. He feared for Consort Liu...
The Emperor cast a deep look at the Main Hall, withholding the last trace of tenderness from his eyes, flicked his sleeve, and turned away. "Bring her to the outside pavilion and take those two rogue maids along," he commanded. "Do not soil the place meant for his Little Concubine."
"Yes." Zhang Qing responded promptly, signaling a Young Eunuch from the Star Palace to take people to the pavilion.
Inside the inner chamber of the Main Hall.
The treatment proceeded orderly. Divine Doctor Huang instructed his necessary instruments to be brought out. Huang Zude acted as an assistant, providing items as needed. Xiao Qing, being the sole Palace Maid, supported Lian Hua, while Xiao Jizi coordinated other matters, positioning everyone properly.
He explained the upcoming steps and possible occurrences to everyone present.
The atmosphere in the hall was extremely tense, and everyone’s expressions were serious.
Xiao Jizi and Xiao Qing both had beads of sweat on their foreheads and noses, yet their eyes were firm. Xiao Qing seemed to have matured overnight, appearing much more composed than before.
Nanny Qi watched not far away, forcing herself to remain calm.
Once everything was arranged, Divine Doctor Huang pointed to an empty spot and instructed Chu Yuanzheng, "Young Chu, come here. There’s an important task that requires your assistance. The Soul-locking Needle is easy to seal but hard to extract. I will remove the Soul-locking Needle implanted back then. During this time, you must stabilize these major acupoints of the young lass. Listen carefully, do not deviate by even a fraction."
"Yes, Divine Doctor." Chu Yuanzheng replied respectfully, suppressing the excitement in his heart as he walked to the specified spot. Once again, he was able to observe the Art of Qihuang by the Thousand Gold Miracle Healer, feeling immensely thrilled. In his lifetime, being able to consult with the Divine Doctor was without regrets!
Divine Doctor Huang then pointed to several major acupoints, detailing the points to stabilize and the order to Chu Yuanzheng. Once preparations were complete, his eyes gleamed, and he sternly addressed those in the hall, "Everyone, regardless of what happens next, do not become distracted. Follow my lead. Understood?"
The group shuddered inside and nodded wholeheartedly, "Understood."
As soon as the words fell, Divine Doctor Huang first tapped several major acupoints, relaxing Lian Hua’s entire body. He then picked up a seemingly indestructible object, indicating for someone to part Lian Hua’s black hair. One hand moved the object gently closer to her head, constantly adjusting its angle, while the other hand sensed the motion at the acupoint with utmost care, as if fearing to disturb someone in a deep sleep.
At that moment, he glanced at Xiao Qing and Xiao Jizi.
Xiao Qing nodded, immediately following the previous instructions to hold Lian Hua firmly. Xiao Jizi secured her head position.
Everyone held their breath, watching Divine Doctor Huang’s movements. Shortly, a silver needle tip slowly surfaced from the acupoint.
Drowsy Lian Hua’s forehead was soon covered in sweat, her brows tightly knit, as though enduring something, her breathing became heavy, and her body involuntarily twitched, tightly restrained by Xiao Qing.