Chapter 30

Honestly, Su Ci didn’t want to get involved in this mess!

If Prince Zhao had been born a decade earlier, he might have been peacefully adopted as the crown prince. Unfortunately, now that the princes have started their power struggle, no one will give up because of a child. None of them are easy to deal with.

Prince Zhao is only four years old and hasn’t established himself yet. Even if the old emperor is strong, he can’t make him the crown prince without consequences. Moreover, he doesn’t want to push Prince Zhao into the spotlight. Although, from birth, this child has been in the spotlight. Not only outside the palace but also inside. Before Prince Zhao, the old emperor favored Prince Qian’s youngest son, who was born to the niece of Empress Kun. That child is seven years old and has been raised in the palace for five years, currently living in Changqiu Palace.

Empress Kun and her brother facilitated the marriage of her niece to Prince Qian, who then gave birth to this child. They persuaded the old emperor to favor and bring him into the palace for upbringing. However, their plans were thwarted. Su Ci thought Empress Kun wouldn’t let this go easily, would she?

This is the imperial palace, after all. Prince Zhao is heavily guarded, and even his personal attendants are chosen by the emperor. Despite this, someone managed to poison him while the emperor was preoccupied with his own worsening injuries.

Su Ci suspected that Empress Kun was likely behind this. She had learned these details over the past year, especially after getting engaged to Yang Yanzong. Whenever she had questions, she asked him directly. Now, she was pretty clear about these important figures and their entanglements. So, as soon as she heard it, her scalp tingled. She really didn’t want to get involved in this mess!

But now, whether she wanted to or not, it was no longer up to her.

Dragged along by Sun Shiping, she hurriedly asked, “Where are the imperial physicians? Where are the doctors?!”

“I’m not good with poison!!! Can’t you find someone more skilled?!”

“Prince Zhao isn’t poisoned with an ordinary toxin; all the doctors are at their wits’ end!!!”

Su Ci: “…”

She was pulled along without any explanation, panting like a bellows. She almost tripped down the steps, but fortunately, Yang Yanzong caught her in time. He wrapped his arm around her waist and lifted her to keep up with Sun Shiping.

Sun Shiping glanced at him but said nothing, allowing him to follow them into Qingxi Study.

Despite its name, Qingxi Study, Prince Zhao’s study and living quarters were not small. It was pretty large, with green bricks and black tiles, rockeries and flowing water, a play area, a study, a sleeping palace, and even a small garden with a shallow lake. It had everything needed for daily life without stepping outside. The old emperor had given Prince Zhao the place initially prepared for the crown prince.

Now, the Qingxi Study was brightly lit, with Huang Dewei leading the imperial guards to surround it. Everyone looked serious and grim. Su Ci even heard crying. As soon as she was dragged through the gate, a middle-aged noblewoman, weeping bitterly, grabbed her wrist and pulled her inside, along with Sun Shiping, “Imperial physician, imperial physician, come quickly, save Shier!!”

Su Ci guessed that this was Prince Zhao’s mother, Princess Zhao. She was dragged through the front courtyard and into the palace bedroom. The first thing that caught her eye was a dazzlingly beautiful woman!

Sorry, Su Ci didn’t want to use the term “dazzlingly beautiful”—it’s usually used to describe buildings and decorations, but there was no other way to describe this woman. She wore a luxurious, floor-length red palace dress adorned with hundreds of phoenixes soaring through the clouds. The golden phoenixes on her dress seemed to rise and sing towards the sky, and the hem of her dress shimmered with golden light. She wore a crown decorated with nine dragons and five phoenixes, and her appearance was stunningly beautiful. With her arched eyebrows and almond-shaped eyes, she exuded an imposing aura. Her entire being, from her clothes to her face, seemed to radiate light. This woman was undoubtedly Empress Kun. Standing in this elegant and dignified palace room, she made everything else seem like a mere backdrop- except for the old emperor. The old emperor had also arrived. Upon receiving the news, he immediately ordered his attendants to carry him on a couch to Qingxi Study. Currently, this supreme couple of the realm was divided: one inside the screen guarding Prince Zhao and the other standing outside the screen with a cold expression.

There was also another person, Imperial Uncle Kun (Empress Kun’s brother), who was kneeling outside the hall’s steps. In the icy snow and biting wind, with people coming and going, Imperial Uncle Kun knelt straight on the unswept white marble floor, his head bowed.

Su Ci had just passed by him earlier. Her feelings became complex and subtle. The person who once seemed to dominate everyone’s fate, including hers, had suddenly fallen from the pedestal. As she crossed the threshold, Su Ci was pulled and stumbled. Yang Yanzong caught her again. At this moment, Su Ci couldn’t help but look back at him. This man’s eyes were as deep as the sea, but his brows didn’t move.

Su Ci steadied herself. Then she was pulled inside the screen. The old emperor ordered all formalities to be waived, and she went directly to see the young Prince Zhao lying on the bed.

A small child dressed in white sleepwear lay on the bed. He seemed to be in a coma, but his brows were tightly knit, clutching his chest and abdomen, muttering faintly, “…It hurts, mother, it hurts… uncle, it hurts…”

The old emperor’s face was ashen, and he urgently commanded, “Quickly, no formalities, check on Shier immediately!!”

Actually, the symptoms had already been diagnosed. Although the imperial physicians and doctors had some areas they weren’t skilled in, they were undoubtedly experts in their field. Diagnosing the symptoms was not a problem; they just had no solution. Some illnesses, given the current level of medical knowledge, are simply fatal and incurable. Prince Zhao had been poisoned over a long period through his food with gold powder.

Yes, gold.

The people serving Prince Zhao were subjected to strict searches every time they entered or left; servants who did laundry or fetched water were no exception. The old emperor was highly vigilant, making it impossible for ordinary poisons or other harmful substances to get near him. However, no matter how tight the security, there was always a chance for someone to exploit a loophole. Even with daily thorough searches, preventing people from wearing jewelry was impossible, right?

Those close to Prince Zhao received generous rewards, including gold and silver, during festivals. In the upper echelons of palace servants, this was quite common. By grinding gold leaf and gold filigree into powder and mixing a little into Prince Zhao’s food daily, the gold, a heavy metal with high density, accumulated in his stomach and intestines and couldn’t be expelled. By the time it was discovered, the situation was already dire. The old emperor had been unwell for some time. While other areas might have been tightly controlled and unnoticed, the Qingxi Study was different. The emperor hadn’t personally visited Prince Zhao for a long time, which was clearly abnormal. So, during this period, the atmosphere in the Qingxi Study was tense—if their young master fell, they would face a grim fate. In such an environment, it was easy for the perpetrator to act frequently, and soon, Prince Zhao was poisoned.

Actually, saying “poisoning” isn’t entirely accurate, but in ancient times, it was indeed classified as a type of poisoning called “gold poisoning,” similar to the principle of swallowing gold to commit suicide—there’s no cure.

Su Ci was practically pulling her hair out. After diagnosing the child’s pulse and pressing on his abdomen, she was pulled into a group of imperial physicians to be briefed on the situation. One by one, they nervously explained, their faces pale. It was truly an unlucky year—after the emperor, now there’s another Little Prince Zhao!

In the end, everyone pinned their hopes on Su Ci. They weren’t skilled in the ancient method of using knives, but it was a well-known technique from ancient times, and they quickly accepted it. They had already found out about the treatment method Su Ci used on the old emperor—surgery to remove the poison, which sounded very feasible in principle.

Su Ci: The pressure is immense! Damn it!

Yang Yanzong asked in a deep voice, “Can you save him?” He had also entered the hall, his sharp eyes scanning inside and out. Standing beside Su Ci, he lowered his voice and asked.

Su Ci: “Seventy percent.”

It should be possible. The place the child was tightly covering was his stomach. When asked about other areas of pain, they were far less severe than this one. The pain sounded more like intestinal cramps caused by stomach spasms.

“Save him first.” Yang Yanzong said firmly without hesitation.

Su Ci nodded. She understood that saving the life came first, no matter who she might offend or what whirlpool she might get caught up in later.

Compared to the current hurdle, the rest was nothing. Leave it to Yang Yanzong to worry about!

Su Ci whispered a few words to Sun Shiping, who was overjoyed and rushed to the old emperor, practically crawling and rolling. The old emperor immediately ordered the hall to be cleared, and everyone exited. A few people ran out to fetch the narrow couch and other equipment from Shangyang Palace.

Su Ci felt Empress Kun’s gaze. It was very intense, making her scalp tingle. The empress’s sharp gaze was incredibly pressuring. She didn’t dare look back. Politics wasn’t her forte, so she left it to Yang Yanzong. She focused on saving the child.

There were many people in the hall, and more were arriving upon hearing the news, bringing various remedies like gold-dissolving powder and revival pills. Even Ji Yuanhao and Ji Chengtan, who were well-informed, had sent people, but they were all stopped and escorted out by Huang Dewei.

Ji Chengtan looked in with great concern, but with his brother present, he didn’t dare say anything.

Of course, Su Ci didn’t know any of this. Even if she did, she wouldn’t have any thoughts about it. She was busy preparing for surgery—If only there were a gastroscope or colonoscope. With a gastroscope, the chances of non-invasive removal would be high, and if lucky, the child could be bouncing around soon without needing much medication.

But for now, she had to perform open surgery.

The old emperor considered moving to Shangyang Palace, but it was too cold. He feared that moving the child outside might worsen the situation, so he decided to perform the procedure in the Qingxi Study, specifically in a side hall. The screens were moved aside, the bed was taken out, and the carpets and furniture were all removed. Sun Shiping directed people to repeatedly clean and fumigate the room with vinegar, ensuring the temperature was right—not too cold or hot.

When Su Ci returned after washing and changing clothes, the room was empty and properly set up. This was the best sterile environment she could create. Sun Shiping, Huang Dewei, and a wet nurse for Prince Zhao were present. The wet nurse was there to comfort and care for the child, who was frightened and kept crying after being woken up. Once he drank the anesthetic soup, the wet nurse would leave.

“Don’t be afraid, Your Highness. Just sleep, and you’ll be fine when you wake up.” Su Ci comforted him with a few words and glanced at Sun Shiping, who understood and brought over the anesthetic soup. The sniffling child was helped to sit up and bravely drank the entire bowl of medicine himself.

After a strong dose of anesthetic soup, the child fell into a deep coma within less than two-quarters of an hour. After a skin test and an injection, Su Ci signaled Sun Shiping to undress Prince Zhao. She felt the area the child had been clutching tightly, applied a gold needle to stop the bleeding, disinfected the skin with alcohol, and made a precise incision with a sharp blade. The clear sound of flesh being cut was followed by fresh blood immediately oozing out.

“Retractor, rinse!” She separated the preperitoneal fat and tissue and finally opened the peritoneum. The incision was not large. She reached in to locate the foreign object and made a quick cut to the stomach. She successfully removed the foreign object. The gold powder had clumped together over time, its surface corroded and blackened by stomach acid, but the golden color was still visible. It was irregular in shape, with the thickest part as thick as a pinky finger.

Su Ci weighed the piece of gold in her hand and let out a soft breath. She noticed Yang Yanzong watching her and instinctively looked up and smiled at him. Although her large mask hid her smile, her eyes curved, and despite the sweat on her forehead, her slightly upturned fox-like eyes still sparkled.

Yang Yanzong lowered his gaze. Neither of them spoke. Su Ci continued with the surgery. The child’s stomach showed signs of perforation, but fortunately, it hadn’t penetrated. The inflammation was quite severe. After some thought, she decided to clean the wound and stitch it up as much as possible to maintain its original state. The child was small, and so was his stomach. Any cutting could significantly impact his future growth and development. This approach took a bit longer. She repeatedly rinsed with saline, carefully stitched up, and then began closing the abdominal cavity layer by layer. She used both sizes of needles she had, employing two different stitching techniques, and finally closed the skin.

The surgery wasn’t complicated and was completed smoothly in about two hours. Su Ci checked the child’s pulse and breathing, cleaned the sutured wound with alcohol, and then bandaged it.

“The gold lump in the stomach has been removed. There might be some residue in the intestines. We’ll have to see after the child… Prince Zhao wakes up. A second surgery might be necessary.”

Without CT or X-rays, this was the best they could do. If only small traces of gold powder were left, it wouldn’t be a big problem. But if it had clumped together, another surgery would be required.

Every time she worked late into the night, Su Ci was quite exhausted. After finishing, she was sweaty and washed her hands several times. After explaining the precautions, she left the room.

The old emperor was still there, half-lying on the couch covered with a bright yellow brocade quilt, his legs motionless. Hearing the report, he slightly turned and propped himself up. An attendant quickly and gently placed a support pillow behind him. The lighting in the outer hall was dim, but his face still looked unwell, yet he still exuded immense pressure.

The emperor fingered the gold lump on a tray and asked, “How is Shier? Can he be cured?”

Su Ci said, “He should be fine.”

“Should?” The old emperor lifted his wrinkled eyelids and stared at Su Ci. Under the pressure, Su Ci nodded after a moment.

Well, whether she nodded or not didn’t really matter. She decided not to make things difficult for herself.

So tired. Dealing with these people in the palace was truly exhausting. Why couldn’t doctors just focus on treatment and research? Damn ancient imperial power!

After staying up most of the night, Su Ci was so tired she could barely keep her eyes open. She declined Sun Shiping’s offer to have someone escort her, but he still sent a young eunuch to guide her, along with a few guards.

However, unlike Sun Shiping, these people followed at a distance, not too close. As Su Ci carefully looked up when she reached the door, she saw Imperial Uncle Kun still kneeling there. It seemed the old emperor was genuinely furious.

On the other side, in the brightly lit side hall, a figure in a striking red palace dress stood behind the wide-open hall doors, eyes fixed in this direction.

A cold wind blew, and Su Ci shrank her head, wrapped her large fur cloak tighter, and hurried out quickly. After leaving Qingxi Study, she glanced at Yang Yanzong, who shook his head slightly—Imperial Uncle Kun and Empress Kun would ultimately be fine.

The Kun family were founding ministers, flourishing for over ten generations. The old emperor had ascended the throne with their assistance, and the Kun family had always been his trusted aides. Both of the old emperor’s empresses came from the Kun family. In his old age, with his injuries and the powerful princes united, the old emperor would never cut off his own arm!

From the fact that Uncle Kun was only kneeling outside the hall and not dragged out for a beating, let alone executed at the Meridian Gate, one can see a glimpse of the situation.

He lowered his voice and said a few words, and Su Ci immediately understood, “I see.” She sighed a little, realizing that he was acting with impunity.

It turned out that the one who should be worried was not him but herself. Now, they had inevitably offended Empress Kun and Uncle Kun. Just thinking about it made her head spin.

“When soldiers come, use a general to resist; when water floods, use the earth to contain it.” Yang Yanzong said calmly. He had faced countless life-and-death situations throughout his life, becoming the leader of two families before the age of twenty. There was nothing to fear; as long as he wasn’t immediately put to death, he had a chance to turn the tables. Listening to him speak always gave people a sense of extraordinary reassurance as if he remained unmoved in the face of storms and high winds.

T/N: This Chinese proverb means to take appropriate measures to deal with different situations as they arise. It emphasizes the importance of adaptability and resourcefulness in the face of challenges.

Forget it. She decided not to think about it and leave it to him. Specialization is critical, and this person was a top-notch strategist.

Su Ci hunched her shoulders and returned to Deqing Palace. It was already the fourth watch of the night. She was exhausted, collapsed on the bed, and didn’t want to move at all. She felt like she was going to die.

A day in the palace felt like a year outside. The room was heated by the earth dragon, making it warm. After a while, her eyes couldn’t stay open. Just before her consciousness slipped into a deep sleep, Su Ci thought the old emperor and Prince Zhao should hurry up and get better. Preferably, as soon as possible!