The ladies behind her, anxious for Gu Youyou, began to frown, feeling that her words were inappropriate to say in front of the Empress. The rules of her medical hall were respected by these noblewomen, a token of respect for Doctor Gu’s character, a courtesy to the Lin Family, a favor to the Princely Heir.
Does the Empress need to give those two face?
They truly feared that if the Empress were displeased, she might accuse Gu Youyou of grave disrespect.
Madam Lin, in particular, was so nervous she could almost wring water from her handkerchief.
This child, wasn’t everything settled at home? She had agreed so readily, what was she doing now?
Everyone watched the Empress anxiously but discovered to their relief that she was not angry; in fact, a faint smile hung upon her face, and they gradually calmed down.
The Empress said, "It stands to reason, as your medical hall has its rules, we should follow them and not make things difficult for you. However, the Empress Dowager has trouble with her legs, and it would not be good to disturb the common people with too much fanfare by bringing her to your Jisheng Hall. Hence, I invite you today to have an audience and examine the Empress Dowager’s leg ailment at Renshou Palace. What do you say?"
Gu Youyou smiled slightly and said, "The Empress Dowager’s situation is indeed a special case, and I shall do my utmost. However, I need to prepare some items and would ask your permission to make a trip to the Imperial Medical Bureau."
That seemed more like it, and everyone felt relieved.
The Empress said with a smile, "Very well, in that case... come, someone escort Doctor Gu to the Imperial Medical Bureau."
Gu Youyou followed the Palace Maiden out, and after the Empress exchanged a few more words, she too rose and said, "As Miss Gu is attending to the Empress Dowager, I, myself, shall also take a look. Madams, please enjoy yourselves here without restraint."
Everyone rose and bid the Empress farewell.
Gu Youyou did not truly need to go to the Imperial Medical Bureau but to retrieve her tools from the carriage and then, on the way, pick up some medicinal herbs from the Bureau.
The reason she mentioned the Imperial Medical Bureau was to make it seem as though everyone wasn’t trying so hard to be considerate, for you see, she should not have known beforehand that she would be summoned to treat the Empress Dowager.
The Empress’s Palace Maidens understood this principle well and thus led Gu Youyou to fetch her things from the carriage at the palace gate first.
When Gu Youyou arrived at Renshou Palace with the Palace Maiden, the Empress was already there waiting, conversing with an elegantly dressed elderly lady.
This was the Empress Dowager.
Gu Youyou paid her respects, and the Empress hastily had her rise, saying to the Empress Dowager with a smile, "This young lady is the Divine Doctor once personally honored by the Emperor. Mother, don’t you think she’s quite young?"
The Empress Dowager appears to have suffered hardships in her youth, and she wasn’t as well-cared-for as other noblewomen, appearing like an eighty-year-old woman, though in her sixties.
With a head full of white hair, her face was nonetheless kind and affable.
She looked at Gu Youyou and said, "Indeed, she’s young. To possess such remarkable medical skills at this age is no easy feat. The Lin Family’s members are each extraordinary in their own right, haha. Have I heard correctly that your cousin’s daughter is also quite a prodigy, reciting at three, writing at five, crafting beautiful paintings by eight, which she presented during your grandmother’s birthday banquet, earning great praise?"
The Empress was beaming, humbly laughing as she said, "Mother, you flatter her too much. That girl was clever as a child, but now I hear from my cousin that she is quite the lively one, causing no small amount of trouble."
Gu Youyou, however, could not help but be curious—could her seemingly unreliable older cousin actually possess such talents? This really aroused her curiosity.
The Empress Dowager nodded and said, "At the age of fourteen or fifteen, it’s normal to be lively. Back then, our young lady... Empress Dowager Xiaoci, was also a lively spirit in her youth..."