As the crowd continued to gossip, a stumbling palace maid rushed in, panting and anxiously stating, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager... the Empress Dowager is gravely ill."
Upon hearing this, the Emperor's face instantly turned anxious. However, one figure vanished from the crowd in a flash – the Cold King.
At this moment, the Emperor also rose from his dragon throne, dismissed the banquet, and hurried towards the Empress Dowager's Renshou Palace. The Empress, leading everyone, followed closely behind the Emperor towards Renshou Palace.
A large group proceeded towards Renshou Palace. Leng Ruo Li, upon hearing of the Empress Dowager's serious illness, also followed the crowd to Renshou Palace.
Inside Renshou Palace
A haggard old woman lay half-reclining on the bed, coughing incessantly.
Those guarding the Empress Dowager's sleeping quarters were all required to wear masks as a preventive measure.
"Director Zhang, the Empress Dowager is already coughing blood. What should we do?"
Granny Fang, her face covered by a white mask, asked anxiously.
"Granny Fang, we have done all we can."
Director Zhang said helplessly, while the other imperial physicians by his side shook their heads at Granny Fang, indicating they were also out of options.
Suddenly, an urgent male voice came from outside the door, "Don't block me, I must go in and see my Imperial Grandmother."
"Your Highness Prince Leng, you cannot enter. The Empress Dowager's illness is contagious. His Majesty has ordered that no one except the imperial physicians may enter Renshou Palace."
Several palace maids and eunuchs guarding the entrance to Renshou Palace blocked Jun Mohan firmly.
"Please just let me in to see my Imperial Grandmother for a moment."
"No!"
The palace maids and eunuchs resisted Prince Leng with their formidable aura.
Because the imperial physicians had stated that the Empress Dowager's illness was potentially contagious, and to prevent widespread infection, His Majesty had to station guards to strictly monitor Renshou Palace. Only imperial physicians could enter, and once inside, they could not leave freely.
It had been two months since the Empress Dowager was diagnosed with pulmonary tuberculosis by the court's imperial physicians, and he had not seen his Imperial Grandmother for two months.
Jun Mohan and the Empress Dowager had a deep bond from childhood. When he was six years old, Jun Mohan's birth mother passed away.
It was the Empress Dowager who personally raised him, so he had the best relationship with her.
"A few aunties, please just let me in to see my Imperial Grandmother for a moment."
"No, Your Highness Prince Leng, the Empress Dowager specifically instructed us to block you from seeing her."
The palace maids and eunuchs linked arms, guarding against Jun Mohan finding an opening. In reality, they were merely putting on a show. If Prince Leng forced his way in, they would be powerless to stop him. They were merely showing respect out of deference to the Empress Dowager.
At this moment, hurried footsteps approached from not far away. Before he could be seen, the Emperor's loud, angry reprimand was heard, "Scoundrel, don't you know your Imperial Grandmother's illness is contagious?"
"Father, I merely wish to go in and see Imperial Grandmother from afar, and then I will come out. I won't be infected."
"No!"
The Emperor refused decisively.
Jun Mohan was a prince he was proud of, and he absolutely would not let Jun Mohan risk his life.
Although Tianwu Kingdom had always valued filial piety, and he, as Emperor, was also a filial son, he too longed to see the Empress Dowager. However, he dared not take such a risk. Each time he visited Renshou Palace, he could only look from the entrance and inquire about the situation inside.
Alas, the main issue was that there was no one who could cure pulmonary tuberculosis at present.
Subsequently, the Emperor ordered two Jin Yi Wei guards to escort Jun Mohan away. However, the cold aura emanating from him made it impossible for anyone to approach.
"Jun Mohan!!!"
The Emperor's face was ashen. Looking at Jun Mohan's imposing gaze, although this son resembled him the most, his temperament was truly unpredictable.
Afterward, Jun Mohan still walked away.
Leng Ruo Li, who was watching the commotion from behind the crowd, heard that the Empress Dowager had contracted pulmonary tuberculosis. Instinctively, as a healer, she very much wanted to go in and see the patient. However, the Emperor forbade anyone from entering.
When she saw Jun Mohan appear behind her with a troubled expression, she felt a strange tightness in her chest. She then said to Jun Mohan, "Your Highness Prince Leng, I might have a way to save the Empress Dowager's life."
"Don't cause trouble," Jun Mohan snapped. Then, he came to his senses. "What did you just say?"
Jun Mohan's face was filled with astonishment, thinking he had misheard.
"I said, I might have a way to cure the Empress Dowager's illness."
"Do you know what illness the Empress Dowager has?"
Jun Mohan, not quite believing her words, retorted.
"Isn't it pulmonary tuberculosis?" Leng Ruo Li asked, puzzled.
Jun Mohan nodded.
"Find a way to have His Majesty dismiss everyone standing at the entrance of Renshou Palace, and let me go in to examine the Empress Dowager to see if she can still be saved?"
Looking at Leng Ruo Li's determined eyes, Jun Mohan hesitated. Although he had witnessed firsthand Leng Ruo Li detoxifying his subordinate, he had never seen her treat anyone else.
Should he trust her or not?
A moment later, Jun Mohan approached the Emperor and whispered a few words in his ear. Then, the Emperor turned to look at Leng Ruo Li and pondered quietly.
Thus, he finally decided to order everyone to disperse, even the Empress. Only Jun Mohan and Leng Ruo Li were left.
Leng Jin Yu saw his daughter singled out by the Emperor to remain, his face filled with confusion and his eyes brimming with worry.
However, he could not openly defy the Emperor's command in front of everyone.
"Ruo Li, be careful."
Leng Jin Yu could only remind her with concern.
"Father, Ruo Li will be fine. You should leave the palace and return to the residence."
Leng Ruo Li comforted Leng Jin Yu with a smile.
Leng Jin Yu nodded. Although he was uneasy about Leng Ruo Li being here, since the Emperor had issued the order, he had to leave.
After everyone had departed, the Emperor then asked Leng Ruo Li.
"Miss Leng, Prince Leng said you have a way to save the Empress Dowager. Is this true?"
"Your Majesty, this humble subject indeed has a method to treat patients with pulmonary tuberculosis, but I need to enter and take the Empress Dowager's pulse and conduct an examination to confirm."
"Very well, Miss Leng. You must think clearly. Once you enter, you cannot come out casually until the Empress Dowager's illness is cured."
"This humble subject understands."
"Then, you may go."
With that, the Emperor had the guarding palace maids open the door. Leng Ruo Li took a mask from her sleeve and walked inside.
Jun Mohan also wanted to accompany her, but he was ordered by the Emperor to be stopped by two Jin Yi Wei guards, preventing Jun Mohan from entering.
At this time, in the Empress Dowager's sleeping quarters.
The Empress Dowager's cough grew increasingly severe, and the amount of blood she coughed up increased. Granny Fang and several imperial physicians were anxiously pacing around the Empress Dowager's bedside. However, they had also overheard the conversation outside the door, seemingly about the Emperor allowing a young girl to enter and treat the Empress Dowager.
Two imperial physicians immediately scoffed, "Heh heh, another one rushing in to meet their death."
Granny Fang frowned upon hearing the words of those two imperial physicians. Although she knew in her heart that these two were not willing to come to Renshou Palace to treat the Empress Dowager, their attitude was too blatant.
Even Director Zhang was immediately angered upon hearing what they said. He seriously suspected that these two were not here to treat the illness, but were specifically there to provoke and cause trouble.
"Imperial Physician Chen, instead of thinking about how to treat the Empress Dowager, why are you bothering with others?"
"Heh... Director Zhang, have you become senile? Never in history has it been heard that someone with pulmonary tuberculosis could be cured."
Imperial Physician Chen, with his shifty eyes, spoke with sharp and biting words, displaying the demeanor of a vile scoundrel.
As Leng Ruo Li stepped into the room, she heard someone inside speaking about her. She paid him no mind and did not immediately enter the inner chamber. Instead, she first retrieved a medical kit from her system space before entering the inner chamber, which was the Empress Dowager's main bedroom.
At this moment, the old woman on the bed was still coughing incessantly. A spittoon was placed by the bedside, and several palace maids were supporting her, continuously rubbing her chest.
As everyone watched Leng Ruo Li enter, all eyes focused on her slender figure.