MCSCPM -Chapter 343 A Strange Illness

“There’s such a thing?” Chu Yifeng was deeply puzzled. “Just who is this Divine Physician? How could she have such ability—to make Father Emperor spare her?”

How could he know that he and Yin Qingyue had already met long ago, and that the itching powder afflicting him had been planted by Yin Qingyue herself? If he ever learned the truth, he would probably slap himself several times in regret.

At this moment, a servant came in to report, “Your Highness, the Divine Physician has arrived.”

“She’s here? Quickly, invite her in.”

“Yes.”

The servant hurried off to escort Yin Qingyue inside. Having been to Prince Yi’s residence several times before, Yin Qingyue was naturally familiar with the place.

As soon as she entered, she saw Chu Yifeng seated in the place of honor, a warm smile on his face. If not for this strange illness, he probably wouldn’t have been smiling at her at all.

When Chu Yifeng saw Yin Qingyue, though he maintained his smile, his heart jolted in surprise. He had never imagined that the Divine Physician would be so beautiful. He had heard of it long ago but never seen her—she looked like a fairy descended from heaven. This was the first time he had ever seen such a stunning woman.

But the most important thing at the moment was still his illness. He stood up to greet her and said, “I truly didn’t expect to meet the Divine Physician today. I’ve long heard of your superb medical skills, and that you are as beautiful as a celestial maiden. Seeing you today, the rumors were indeed true.”

Yin Qingyue snorted inwardly. A man who had killed Mei’er was not worth her treating at all. Still, she courteously returned a salute and said, “Prince Yi flatters me. Qingyue is merely a small-time physician. It is only thanks to everyone’s kindness that I’ve been given the title of ‘Divine Physician.’”

“But it certainly isn’t an empty reputation. You must truly be capable—otherwise, Father Emperor wouldn’t have sent you to examine me.”

“Then why not have Prince Yi sit down now, and let Qingyue take your pulse to see what’s going on?”

“Very well. Divine Physician, please sit.”

Chu Yifeng sat down. Yin Qingyue politely took a seat beside him and began to check his pulse.

Of course, the pulse-taking was just for show. Prince Yi wasn’t truly ill—everything was caused by the itching powder and those few medicinal ingredients. All of this had been part of Yin Qingyue’s carefully laid plan from the very beginning.

She deliberately frowned, revealing a puzzled expression.

Seeing her like this, Chu Yifeng’s heart leapt into his throat. He didn’t even dare breathe loudly. Usually, when a physician frowned, it meant the illness was serious.

“Divine Physician… is my condition very serious?” he asked nervously.

Yin Qingyue withdrew her hand from his wrist and fell silent for a moment before saying, “Prince Yi, judging from your pulse, it is very strange.”

“Strange? What does that mean? Divine Physician, please speak plainly.”

“Prince Yi, to be honest, I can’t be certain yet. I think it would be best to have the imperial physicians reexamine you before drawing a conclusion.” Yin Qingyue deliberately put on a troubled expression and even shook her head slightly.

The more she acted this way, the more tangled Chu Yifeng’s heart became. He was extremely anxious inside, though he tried to remain outwardly calm.

“Divine Physician, I trust your medical skills. If you’ve diagnosed something, just say it. I can accept it.”

“Prince Yi, I’ll say this again—some illnesses cannot be diagnosed by one physician alone. I suggest you immediately summon the imperial physicians for a joint consultation. Only then can we be certain. Otherwise, if I alone were to misdiagnose it, the consequences would be very serious.”

Though desperate to know what was wrong with him, Chu Yifeng felt she was right. Even if she was the Divine Physician, she couldn’t guarantee absolute accuracy.

He took a deep breath and said, “Very well, we’ll do as the Divine Physician suggests.” Turning to his guard, he ordered, “Go to the palace immediately and summon the imperial physicians.”

“Yes, this subordinate will go at once.” The guard, equally anxious, ran off toward the palace.

Yin Qingyue remained in the residence for a while. She never revealed what illness Prince Yi had, though she knew perfectly well.

While waiting for the imperial physicians, Prince Yi asked, “Divine Physician, setting my illness aside for the moment, there’s something I don’t understand. Today Father Emperor summoned you to the palace. Earlier, he even sent the Imperial Guards to the other residence—it was said they were to arrest you. So how is it that now you’ve been released and sent here to treat me?”

Yin Qingyue had long anticipated this question. But she certainly couldn’t say it was because she had forced the emperor into choosing between two options.

“Prince Yi, you’re overthinking it. His Majesty is a wise ruler—how could he kill people indiscriminately?” Yin Qingyue smiled faintly.

But Prince Yi was determined to get to the bottom of it and continued pressing. “Is that so? But I heard that Father Emperor sent the Imperial Guards to arrest you—that was clearly an order to kill you. Could it be that I heard wrong?”

“You yourself said it was something you ‘heard.’ Since it was just hearsay, how can it be trusted? His Majesty is a wise ruler and would naturally not kill people at will.”

“Then why did you suddenly disappear?”

“I had my own matters to attend to, so I left without informing anyone. I didn’t know that Prince Jing and Prince Yi were both looking for me, and I felt quite guilty, so I reappeared. His Majesty happened to learn of it and summoned me to the palace to ask a few questions. Everything else is simply Prince Yi overthinking it.”

Yin Qingyue kept her lips tightly sealed. That matter was already over—she didn’t want to bring it up again, much less discuss it in front of Prince Yi.

Although Chu Yifeng was a stubborn person, after her explanation, he could say nothing more. After all, if others overheard and it reached his father’s ears, he could bring trouble upon himself.

He smiled and said, “Since you say so, then I am relieved.”

Yin Qingyue smiled without replying. The two exchanged a few more words, during which Chu Yifeng repeatedly steered the conversation toward Prince Jing—but Yin Qingyue skillfully avoided every attempt. His probing was far too obvious, and Yin Qingyue was no fool.

Soon, the imperial physicians arrived.

These physicians had been treating Chu Yifeng all along, so they didn’t find anything unusual this time.

“Greetings to Prince Yi,” the physicians said, bowing.

Chu Yifeng quickly replied, “No need for formalities. Hurry and examine me. The Divine Physician said my pulse was very strange but didn’t dare draw a conclusion, so I’ve troubled you all to come.”

“Yes. This humble official will take Prince Yi’s pulse at once.”

Several imperial physicians stepped forward one by one to examine him, fearing they might miss even the slightest detail.

After several rounds, their expressions looked just as baffling as Yin Qingyue’s earlier.

One of the physicians glanced at Yin Qingyue and asked in a low, uncertain voice, “May I ask what conclusion the Divine Physician reached?”

Yin Qingyue replied, “Since the physician asks this, I assume your diagnosis is the same as mine.”

The physician was startled, his face turning pale.

Seeing the physician’s expression, Chu Yifeng was also alarmed. He quickly said, “Physician, if you have something to say, say it. You must not conceal anything from me.”

“Yes.” The physician lowered his head, hesitated briefly, then cautiously glanced at Yin Qingyue. After she gave a slight nod, he finally said, “Reporting to Prince Yi—if this diagnosis is correct, then Prince Yi’s condition is… kidney deficiency. In the future, you may not be able to make a woman conceive, nor enjoy descendants at your knees.”

“What did you say? My kidneys are deficient? Where did this come from?” Chu Yifeng reacted violently. For a man to be unable to impregnate a woman was a tremendous humiliation—let alone for him, a prince. If the world found out, how could he go on living?

The physician hurriedly said, “Prince Yi, please calm your anger. This humble official only speaks according to the pulse and would not dare deceive you in the slightest.”

Still unable to believe it, Chu Yifeng turned his gaze to Yin Qingyue and asked shakily, “Divine Physician, is it truly as the physician says? I… really can’t make a woman pregnant?”

Yin Qingyue’s expression remained unchanged. Calm and serious, she replied, “What the physician said is true. My diagnosis is the same. Earlier, I didn’t dare reach a conclusion, but now that the imperial physicians have said the same, then it must be so.”

“Then does that mean I’ll never have children?” Chu Yifeng staggered back several steps, his face turning deathly pale, cold sweat breaking out on his forehead. He kept muttering, “That’s impossible… how could I be like this? This is absolutely impossible.”

Yin Qingyue and the imperial physicians said nothing, simply watching him.

At this moment, Chu Yifeng’s itching flared up again. His entire body felt unbearable, and combined with the devastating diagnosis, he was pushed to the brink of collapse. He slammed into the wall and fainted.

The guards and physicians were all startled and rushed forward.

“Your Highness? Your Highness?” the guard lifted him up anxiously.

After checking, one physician let out a sigh of relief. “It’s nothing serious. Prince Yi merely fainted. The itching likely became too unbearable—once unconscious, he won’t feel it. Carry Prince Yi inside to rest.”

Two guards carried Chu Yifeng into the inner chamber.

The physician then walked up to Yin Qingyue and frowned. “Miss Yin, in your opinion, how can the itching on Prince Yi’s body be eliminated? We’ve diagnosed him for a long time but haven’t been able to cure it. Do you have any method?”

Yin Qingyue merely smiled. “Physician, rest assured. Since His Majesty sent me to treat Prince Yi, I naturally have a way. I will prescribe some remedies to ease the itching—it will gradually improve. As for the kidney issue… that will take more time. Whether it can be resolved, I cannot say for certain.”

The physician sighed in distress. “As long as the itching can be dealt with first, that will be enough. As for that other matter, it seems best to report it to His Majesty.”

“I’ll trouble you with that, Physician.”

“Then we shall return to the palace to report,” the physician said, gathering his things and leaving Prince Yi’s residence.

As for Yin Qingyue, she had no intention of lingering. She wrote a prescription specifically to treat itching—one that would make Prince Yi feel much better, but only relieve the symptoms. She would never truly cure him. Even if he itched to death, he would deserve it. The debt of Mei’er’s murder was not so easily repaid.

After leaving Prince Yi’s residence, Yin Qingyue did not hurry back to the other residence. Instead, she said to the guard who had been following her, “Go and spread the news immediately—that Prince Yi’s kidneys are deficient. Spread it as fast and as widely as possible, but make sure no one traces it back to you. Understand?”

“Miss Yin, don’t worry. I know how to handle it,” the guard said with a grin.

Yin Qingyue wanted this news to flood the entire capital—let’s see how Prince Yi would face the world then, and how he could continue to act arrogantly.

Imagining Prince Yi’s expression when that happened, Yin Qingyue let out a cold smile.