Chapter 115: She Made a Valid Point

Yuanbao, who was tagging along for the first time, found her awe far outweighing her shock. She marveled at how capable their Princess was; no wonder she could traverse such distances with such ease.

As she spoke, Qiao Qingyun placed her fingers on the Emperor’s pulse, closing her eyes to feel the rhythm. Everything else seemed fine, but near the cardiovascular region, something felt amiss—as if an obstruction were partially blocking the flow of blood. The dark blood he had vomited was merely a trick of the light against the color of the carpet.

"Uncle, have you been feeling heart palpitations or shortness of breath? Do you sometimes find it incredibly difficult to catch your breath?"

The Emperor pondered this, nodded, and rubbed his nose bridge with a weary expression. "Yes, it has been this way for a long time. I feel unwell, though I cannot say why. Occasionally, I suffer from splitting headaches, as if something is trying to bore its way out."

Hearing this, Qiao Qingyun’s expression darkened. She shook her head helplessly. "Uncle, you are suffering from cardiovascular and cerebrovascular damage. The vessels carrying blood from your heart to your brain are obstructed. This is largely due to your failure to prioritize rest. Do you stay up until the small hours of the morning reviewing memorials every single day?"

Qiao Qingyun laid out his habits with such precision that the Emperor flushed, embarrassed to admit it before a junior, yet he nodded sheepishly. Seeing his reaction, Qiao Qingyun grew stern. "Uncle, I do not say this to frighten you, but cases of sudden death due to overwork are common. No matter how well you think you are maintaining your health, if you do not rest properly at night, you remain in grave danger."

"Look at today—you vomited blood. What if you hadn't? Even if I had rushed here as fast as I could, would it have been in time?"

The Emperor, who had never been spoken to in such a manner, stared at Qiao Qingyun. He found himself unable to retort—not because of her youth, but because she was right. Xiao Shunzi was drenched in a cold sweat. He had never seen anyone dare to speak to the Emperor like this; he feared the next command would be to drag her out for execution.

At that moment, footsteps sounded outside. Yuan Zaichun hurried in. Upon seeing Qiao Qingyun, he paused, then quickly knelt. "Greetings, Father. How are you feeling?"

"Cough, cough. I am fine."

"Fine, you say?" Qiao Qingyun rolled her eyes at the Emperor without hesitation. She glanced at Hongying and said, "Go and fetch the medicine and supplies."

"Yes."

Hongying returned quickly and handed the items to Qiao Qingyun. Unconcerned with appearances, Qiao Qingyun sat cross-legged on the floor and began to prepare the infusion.

"Qingyun, what are you doing?" The Emperor did not understand her methods. Although he had seen her administer injections to others, he had never witnessed the preparation process.

"I am mixing your medicine, Uncle. From today on, Xiao Shunzi, you are not to let the Emperor stay up late. He must be resting by the hour of You (5:00 PM to 7:00 PM) at the latest."

Xiao Shunzi looked at the Emperor, who dared not look back, and hurriedly bowed. "Yes."

Once the medicine was ready, Qiao Qingyun turned to Zhong Shi. "Go and get the rest of the pills—the ginseng pills and the ones for replenishing blood and energy."

"Yes."

Zhong Shi, already well-versed in the contents of the medical kit, retrieved them instantly, handing Qiao Qingyun a nail as well. The woman looked around and smiled. "Uncle, could you come over here?"

"Very well."

The Emperor, now truly intimidated by Qiao Qingyun, dared not utter another word. She showed him no special deference, reprimanding him as if she were an elder scolding a wayward youth. While the Emperor was still in a daze, Qiao Qingyun used her hand to measure the distance on his head, placing the nail about two palm-widths above his brow. "Zhong Shi, can you drive this nail in?"

"I can."

Zhong Shi took Qiao Qingyun’s hand, placed it over the nail, and exerted force. With one swift strike, the nail sank halfway in. Qiao Qingyun nearly applauded! If she ever needed something nailed in the future, she could just leave it to Zhong Shi.

However, this series of interactions was piercing to Yuan Zaichun’s eyes. Zhong Shi had long since become indispensable to Qiao Qingyun; she was everywhere the woman went, a testament to the immense trust placed in her.

"There. Uncle, are you afraid of needles? If so, close your eyes, but you must not move."

The Emperor closed his eyes firmly, as if prepared for death, and turned his head away. He let her do as she pleased. With a faint smile, the woman tightened the tourniquet around his wrist, patted it until the vein became prominent, and wiped it with an alcohol swab.

She uncapped the needle, revealing its sharp, glittering tip, and inserted it steadily into the vein. She secured it in place and opened the valve for the IV drip. The Emperor, having felt nothing, waited for a moment before asking, "Qingyun, have you finished?"

"I finished a long time ago."

The Emperor started, turning his head to see that the infusion was already flowing. He had felt no pain, only a slight coolness on his hand.

"Qing Luo, stay here to watch the drip and ensure Uncle takes his medicine. I will prepare another dose to bring tomorrow."

Qiao Qingyun packed her things and, after instructing Qing Luo, took her leave. The Emperor dismissed Yuan Zaichun as well; for some reason, ever since the divorce between Qiao Qingyun and Yuan Zaichun, the sight of his son only irritated him more.

Qiao Qingyun had only walked a few paces when a voice called out behind her.

"Qingyun!"

The woman did not stop; instead, she quickened her pace. But Yuan Zaichun caught up, grabbing her hand with eyes full of anxiety. "Qingyun, please, listen to me."

"I have urgent matters to attend to. If the Crown Prince has anything to discuss, you may inform the servants at the Zijin Palace, and they will relay the message."

Qiao Qingyun’s expressionless face seemed to freeze Yuan Zaichun’s heart. Zhong Shi and Hongying stood by in silence, not wanting to make things difficult for her.

"Qingyun, I have humbled myself to beg you. Can you truly not grant me even one chance? Even if you cannot, I am still your brother!"

Yuan Zaichun pleaded earnestly. Liu Fu stood by, unable to speak, his heart heavy with words he could not express.