Chapter 272: Really Good at Acting
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
At the entrance to the Empress Dowager’s chamber, Qin Zhenzhen observed six imperial physicians, their heads bowed in contemplation, their expressions inscrutable. Their trembling hands betrayed their inner anxiety, and it begged the question: who could possibly save them?
Qin Zhenzhen’s brow furrowed as she noted the Empress Dowager’s unrelenting demeanor.
As Qin Zhenzhen and her grandma were escorted into the chamber by two elderly attendants, the six imperial physicians collectively exhaled a sigh of relief. The arrival of a scapegoat provided them with a momentary respite from their distress.
They had already heard rumors that Eunuch Chen had ventured outside the palace to fetch a woman to treat the Empress Dowager’s persistent headache. This woman happened to be the granddaughter of the esteemed Jiang family, carrying the lineage’s legacy.
Without the need for formal announcement, the two attendants ushered Qin Zhenzhen and her grandma into the room. The pervasive scent of medicinal oils hung in the air, intensifying within the lavishly adorned chamber. Through the sheer curtains, a frail elderly figure lay sprawled on an opulent bed, as slender as a matchstick.
“Leave!” A cup soared from the bed, striking a kneeling palace maid on the
forehead, causing blood to trickle down her face. Despite the pain, she remained motionless, refraining from covering her wound.
Qin Zhenzhen seethed with anger at the cruel spectacle before her. One of the attendants bowed and approached the bed. “Empress Dowager, Qin Zhenzhen, the scion of the Jiang Family, has arrived.”
“Bring her to me,” commanded the Empress Dowager.
The Empress Dowager had a splitting headache and could not wait for Qin Zhenzhen to kowtow to her.
But Qin Zhenzhen and grandma still knelt down.
“Greetings, Empress Dowager.” “Greetings, Empress Dowager.”
“Come here!”
The nanny discreetly signaled Qin Zhenzhen with a meaningful glance, urging her to approach the bed. Simultaneously, the two attendants extended their assistance to the Empress Dowager, carefully helping her rise from her lavish resting place.
Despite the Empress Dowager’s heavy makeup, it failed to conceal the ravages of time etched upon her visage. Enduring a decade of relentless migraines, her condition had deteriorated progressively. The torment of daily recurring headaches had rendered her restless and miserable. A decade of medical intervention had yielded no improvement, severely disrupting her daily existence. Sleep eluded her both day and night, rendering her indifferent to the most exquisite of meals.
However, rather than immediately addressing her own condition, the Empress Dowager turned her attention to Qin Zhenzhen and inquired, “Your grandma has been blind for over four decades. I’ve heard that you’ve managed to cure
Qin Zhenzhen nodded earnestly. “Yes.”
“Summon your grandma here; I wish to meet her,” the Empress Dowager instructed.
The nanny promptly beckoned Grandma Qin to approach. As Grandma Qin lowered her head in deference, the Empress Dowager scrutinized her closely and commanded, “Raise your head.”
Confronted with Grandma Qin’s presence, the Empress Dowager swiftly recognized her as the renowned third daughter of the Jiang family, Jiang
Fenglian. Her sightless eyes gleamed with a certain vitality in that moment.
What stoked the Empress Dowager’s intense envy was the fact that Grandma Qin, despite being roughly her contemporary, exuded a youthfulness that belied her age. She retained the allure and grace of her prime, appearing nearly two decades younger than her true age.
The reason behind this phenomenon remained a source of intrigue.
“Do you still recognize me?”
Grandma Qin replied in a neither servile nor overbearing manner, “I recognize you.”
How could she fail to recognize the malicious woman before her?
During the Empress Dowager’s time as the crown prince consort, they had crossed paths on three occasions.
Back then, the crown prince consort had been consumed by jealousy over
Grandma Qin’s
striking beauty. She had harbored a fierce desire not to become a prince consort like her, even as a secondary consort.
Grandma Qin had been convinced that her elder sister had made her move with the support of the crown prince consort.
However, Grandma Qin understood all too well that she couldn’t reveal any trace of animosity in her demeanor at this moment.
The Empress Dowager sneered inwardly. This woman certainly knew how to play her role!
“How did you manage to restore your eyes?”