EMHTC -Chapter 113 Imperial Physician! Quickly, call the Imperial Physician!

Xu Yanmiao didn’t understand the intricacies and hidden meanings in political dealings. However, he was obedient, didn’t stir up trouble, and never considered himself smarter than others.

—Since the Minister of War had advised him to pay attention to the children of officials, he would focus on them as instructed.

But as soon as court was dismissed, the families and elders of those children surrounded him.

“Xu Lang, to achieve the position of a chief examiner at only nineteen, you are truly a rare talent.”

—The Chief Examiner’s Tower (至公楼) is the viewing platform where the main examiner supervises candidates during the imperial exams.

“My relative is over forty and still attempting the imperial exam—truly shameful.”

“My boy is the same. Xu Lang, I’m someone who tends to overthink, so I’ll be straightforward: I hope this child has genuine talent and ability, so he can better serve His Majesty. If he lacks the virtue to match his position, disaster is inevitable. Xu Lang, please show no mercy to him.”

“Same for me!”

Xu Yanmiao was surrounded so tightly he could hardly move. After being bombarded by their remarks, he managed to extract a single core takeaway: 【They just want me to be fair and impartial, right?】

【Even if they didn’t say it, I would still be fair. Whether these people are being honest or subtly hinting at something, it has nothing to do with me.】

The young university scholar held his head high.

【The imperial exams—no, any exam tainted by favoritism—is garbage!】

After finally escaping the crowd, Xu Yanmiao accidentally bumped into Ji Sui. He clasped his hands in greeting, “Greetings, Lord Ji.”

Then, he walked away. However, the faint glances he cast as he left…

Ji Sui’s temple throbbed. He wanted nothing more than to grab Xu Yanmiao and tell him: Either walk away properly or just say what you mean directly! This ambiguous, half-glancing look only made people overthink!

After Xu Yanmiao had gone far, Ji Sui pulled aside an official—one known for his honesty. “What did Xu Yanmiao just think in his heart?”

The official immediately turned pale and hesitated, unable to speak.

—Clearly, whatever Xu Yanmiao thought wasn’t something good.

Several breaths later, the official finally whispered, “He… he praised you, Lord Ji…” Seeing Ji Sui’s skeptical gaze, the official added, “He said… Lord Ji is very courageous.”

Ji Sui: “?”

He actually praised me?

Impossible. Why would Xu Yanmiao praise him for no reason?

“Explain in detail. I won’t hold it against you.”

The official clenched his teeth and continued, “Xu Lang said you are very courageous. First, you misjudged your first wife, then you misjudged your fake nephew. Yet you still haven’t realized that you’re terrible at judging people. Despite this, you dared to adopt a godson, hoping he’d serve as a pillar of support for your beloved granddaughter. Aren’t you afraid of being swindled out of everything? If you’re really determined to choose, you’d be better off drawing lots blindly than relying on your own judgment. At least that way, you might find someone reliable…”

“Lord Ji?”

Ji Sui’s face was already contorted with frustration, the stress clearly visible.

After a pause, he spoke in a displeased tone: “The world has female heirs. Naturally, my wealth and connections are meant for my granddaughter. But women face greater challenges. If the household has no male protector, all sorts of vultures will test whether they can carve a piece of flesh from her. That boy Xu knows nothing!”

The official murmured quietly, “Xu Lang mentioned that too. He said: If you’re really worried, why not trust the Crown Princess instead of outsiders?”

“He also said that if you must choose someone yourself, you should first eliminate anyone you find pleasing to the eye. Then, from the remaining candidates, pick the one you find most displeasing…”

Faced with such blatant “insulting advice,” Ji Sui took a deep breath and decided to let it go.

“He thinks I made this decision without careful thought? When I adopted a godson, I had a contract drawn up as proof. The agreement includes the signatures of the godson, witnesses, and guarantors. After my death, he is obligated to ensure the safety and well-being of my granddaughter, serving as her protector. Should he break this agreement, he will face punishment. Even though I may no longer be alive, my friends and relatives will still be around.”

—But sending her to the imperial family is different. If someone in the royal family bullies Ah Zheng, no one will stand up for her.

The official whispered cautiously, “Xu Lang also mentioned… that your friends and relatives are already advanced in years, while your godson is still young. One day, he will rise to become a high-ranking official. By then, who would dare oppose him on behalf of an orphaned girl? A mere contract would rely solely on his conscience.”

Ji Sui’s silence was deafening.

How could he not harbor these hidden fears? But Ah Zheng was unwilling to marry, and Ji Sui didn’t want to force her. His only option was to create more familial ties for her, so outsiders wouldn’t dare mistreat her.

What else could he do?

“If only I had left behind a son or two in my younger years…”

The official hesitated, wanting to speak but holding back.

“In fact… Xu Lang also said something about that…”

Ji Sui choked, his breath caught.

How does that kid think of so many things?!

“What did he say?”

The official hesitated, then mimicked Xu Yanmiao’s voice: “Ji Sui, why don’t you just step down and let your godson take over so he can protect you…”

“Absurd!” Ji Sui waved his sleeve angrily. “I am a dignified man—”

The official interjected, “Actually… Xu Lang had a comment about that too.”

“…”

Ji Sui felt his heart seize up, his vision darkening.

The official continued cautiously, “He said, ‘Ji Sui, you could also pretend to be a woman…’ Uh, the rest is a bit crude.”

Ji Sui pressed a hand to his throbbing temples, the veins on his forehead bulging. “Speak!”

—You’re the one who told me to say it!

The official, with a hint of mischievous excitement at the drama, delivered the line: “Xu Lang said, ‘If relying on others feels so good, why don’t you try it yourself?’”

“Ji Sui?”

“Ji Sui?!”

“Imperial Physician! Quickly, call the Imperial Physician!!!”

“He once told me why he adopted a godson…”

Qin Zheng’s voice was soft and delicate as she spoke. Across from her sat Empress Dou.

—The reason she had traveled with Ji Sui was to visit the Empress in the capital. The Empress had given her a token. If Qin Zheng wanted to enter the palace, she could present it at the Empress’s estate, and arrangements would be made.

After explaining the origins of the godson situation, Qin Zheng’s throat seemed rusty. She appeared to have more to say but didn’t know how to express it. She remained silent, her head slightly lowered.

The Empress reached out and covered Qin Zheng’s hand with her own.

Startled, Qin Zheng looked up. The warmth from the Empress’s soft palm seemed to spread throughout her entire body.

The Empress gently asked, “Ah Zheng, what do you usually spend your days doing?”

This was something she could articulate without hesitation.

“In my daily life, apart from reading and learning dance, I go to the countryside to provide free medical treatment for those who cannot afford it.”

As Qin Zheng spoke, her expression remained unchanged.

She had no lofty ideals and never considered herself guided by the benevolence of a healer. She simply wanted to keep herself occupied. That said, she did feel compassion for the poor who couldn’t afford treatment. But this compassion was the same as when she saved the Crown Prince’s life or helped a little rabbit with an injured leg she found by the roadside.

Empress Dou smiled at her. “Ah Zheng’s medical skills are remarkable. The slight illness I had this time was something Ah Zheng detected.”

The room fell silent again.

A ray of warm sunlight streamed through the gap in the window, illuminating the frosted edges of a wintersweet branch in the vase. The frost shimmered from the tips of the petals down to the base of the stem, its golden edges faint and crystalline.

A light blush colored the edges of Qin Zheng’s ears.

Embarrassed, she said, “My knowledge is crude at best, and the prescriptions I write only use inexpensive herbs. Your Highness is kind to even consider taking them. If it were an imperial physician…”

The Empress’s gentle smile turned into a soft laugh. “I wasn’t born Empress. When I was younger, not to mention rare medicinal ingredients, even cheap herbs were a luxury I couldn’t always afford. In fact, the prescriptions you write feel familiar to me. And they’re effective, too. Just one dose made me feel much better.”

Qin Zheng grew even more self-conscious. The faint blush on her ears spread to her cheeks.

The Empress asked, “Since Ji Sui is so concerned about what will happen to you after his time, do you have any plans of your own?”

The rosy flush on Qin Zheng’s face faded slightly.

She straightened herself, summoning her resolve to answer the Empress seriously: “I don’t know. Perhaps I’ll live as a simple village doctor… but I’d definitely have to scar my face.”

The Empress’s knowing gaze met Qin Zheng’s. Tears welled up in Qin Zheng’s eyes, turning them red.

“Even with Ji Gong’s influence, even with guards assigned to protect me, men still try to harass me when I’m treating patients. Wearing a veil hasn’t helped. In the future… it will only get worse. I might as well ruin this face.”

“Maybe Ji Gong is right. Marrying and having someone to rely on would make things much easier. But I don’t want that… Your Highness, I don’t want to marry.”

The incident with the Crown Prince had left a deep psychological scar on Qin Zheng, making her even more resistant to the idea of marriage.

The Empress said, “Ah Zheng, have you ever considered that your own skills are your greatest source of support?”

Qin Zheng froze.

“Your dance skills could allow you to work as a dance instructor in a princess’s household. With the protection of the princess’s residence, who would dare mistreat you? And your medical skills—”

The Empress’s voice softened further. “The Crown Prince is not drawn to beauty, and his health is poor. If someone were willing to reside in the Eastern Palace and tend to his health, it would put my heart at ease. While the capital has skilled physicians who are heirs of medical legends, one of them has a husband who was exiled. His Majesty harbors suspicions toward her, fearing she might tamper with the medicine. As a result, she cannot be entrusted with the task of treating the Crown Prince.”

Qin Zheng lowered her head in a daze, staring at her hands, which often prepared medicinal herbs. Her fingers twitched slightly, as if wanting to grasp something, yet hesitating.

“This isn’t charity, nor is it pity—” The Empress’s words gripped Qin Zheng’s heart tightly. “Your future depends entirely on your medical skills.”

“If my son lives another twenty or thirty years, by then you’ll be in your thirties or forties. As a palace physician, no one will dare lay a finger on you. The only person who could wield power over you would be the next emperor. But if my son lives even ten more years, you’ll already be in your fifties. By then, the world will be full of young, beautiful women. Why would the next emperor turn his attention to you?”

“Ah Zheng.”

Empress Dou gently folded Qin Zheng’s hand into a loose fist.

With a serious expression, she said, “Ji Sui is overwhelmed with worry, but what I need to tell you is this—”

“In this lifetime, the only person you can truly rely on is yourself.”