"I beg to your Physician. For one last time, can you make a clear diagnosis? The Empress' life is not a joke, so quit fooling around!" With bitterness and disappointment, Tang-Mama had addressed herself as 'I' and called Xuanji 'physician' despite the differences in their ranks, she had an angry look on her face as she glared at Xuanji's wary eyes.
"Do you think I'm fooling around! The Empress' pulse is shifting towards Chi Mai, Se Mai, Xu and then disappears whenever I try to examine it further. I can't give you a thorough diagnosis at the moment!" Xuanji exclaimed, facing Tang-Mama's fury.
Xuanji was saying the truth, in the span of four hours he had recorded a total of 20 different pulses from the Empress' left hand alone. Some of them were indicating stagnation of qi, blood statis, indigestion, excess of heat, heart palpitations, and other acute illness.
Encountering such an unusual situation, Xuanji liked to bash his head. Isn't the pulses suggesting that the Empress has multiple disease, and if the Dowager might hear this matter and decided to keep it hidden, then there is a possibility Xuanji might be silenced. Between an official and the Empress, the Dowager would surely choose the latter.
In doing so, Xuanji could only endure Tang-Mama's piercing gaze and factual claims. After multiple examinations, Xuanji can't draw a clear conclusion. The Empress' abnormal pulsation was beyond his capability, he had tried acupuncture and moxibution, however none seemed to work. Despite failing to recognize the Empress' condition, Xuanji kept ordering the maids for medicinal ingredients for appearance's sake.
"This servant thought that the 'Divine Doctor' Xuanji was able to cure any disease, even just using one needle. He was said to be a benefactor of the previous Emperors and a Physician who never failed to determine any illness, but as this servant sees it, Physician Xuanji is too old to accept patients anymore." Tang-Mama's mocking voice rang inside the room, waking Xiao Qu who was leaning on her arms.
Xiao Qu's eyelashes fluttered, seeing Tang-Mama behind the Imperial Physician. She hurriedly stood up and approached the two with her pink tinted cheeks flashing with embarrassment. She hadn't been aware that she slept at duty.
"This servant is here, does the Imperial Physician have any orders for this servant to do?"
Instead of the Physician, Tang-Mama's angered face gazed at Xiao Qu. Xiao Qu turned fidgety, witnessing Tang-Mama's face. She turned to look around for Xiao Yan, only to find her sitting on a stool, hanging her head down.
Tang-Mama didn't linger her eyes on Xiao Qu anymore. She switched her gaze to the Physician again. "The Physician Xuanji had served the country well, and had accumulated a good amount of karma, it's best for the Imperial Xuanji to retire and spend the rest of Imperial Physician Xuanji's days at home." Tang-Mama spoke with visible ridicule.
Xuanji was angered but kept himself from throwing blatant insults. "This Humble Physician doesn't to accept Tang-Mama's praise. This is the Physician's responsibility, and it is of the utmost honor to serve his Majesty and the people."
Tang-Mama's mouth slightly twitched, hearing his indifference speech. Even his ears were impaired! Which part of him thought I'm praising?
"The Empress Dowager would surely be happy after hearing the Imperial Physician's words." I'm done listening to your farce. Let the Empress Dowager handle you, and invite another capable physician.
The drowsy Ning Lou abruptly opened her eyes when she heard the woman outside. She was so engrossed in the Doctor's knowledge that she forgot her purpose. Sh*t, better stop the old lady before she calls Madam Ling Shi!
Ning Lou's desire to learn about pulsation rooted from her past life. It was during her imprisonment at a highly secured jail, she was charged and tortured for one week long commanded by a Politician she scammed. She was very unfortunate, failing to flee from the three-day chase.
Being so highly confident with her foolproof diversion plan, and Xu's aid in disabling the CCTV, she didn't know how that bastard managed to catch up and traced her even though she lost them on her trail multiple times.
It was only after she met with Xu again, she came to know the cause- an inconspicuous tracking chip was installed inside the suitcase filled with money. If she was able to find out about it earlier, she wouldn't have hesitated to throw it on a cliff and bag the money with an inside coat instead. However, she didn't have Xu's knowledge of technology and computer stuff, although she picked a thing or two, it wasn't at a level where she could discern and disable the chip.
In being so, she only exhausted herself while going to those bastards a show. With Ning Lou's temperament of holding grudges, there wasn't a moment inside that rotting place, she didn't think of squeezing that bastard's assets to nothing. It certainly reached a new height when the wardens suddenly made her days more miserable.
That took the last shreds of her patience, as she began to think of ways to abscond and one particular golden opportunity in the form of cellmate, Meng Yi paved her plans into motion.
With Meng Yi's master knowledge of the nervous and circulation system, Ning Lou got hold of one of her confidential research, and it was in exchanged for Meng Yi's freedom and restoration of her reputation.
The mentioned research was just a theory, which she didn't have any hopes that it would work. However, Ning Lou managed to perform the insane feat, even extending the 'dead' pulse for a few seconds.
With that successful negotiation, Ning Lou was able to escape, knocking two staffs in the middle of cremating her.
Then, Ning Lou retrieved the money she hid. This was precisely why she was kept alive, that bastard kept torturing her to reveal the location of 'his' money. Ning Lou wasn't dumb enough, and endured the inhumane lashes and whips.
After all, the syndicate made sure to accustomed her body to such tremendous pain. Ning Lou only whimpered and stubbornly bit her lips the whole time.
After a week of rest and preparations, on the day before the re-elections, Ning Lou gave him a big gift.
Little Flower made another storm online by exposing the Politician's illegal dealings with the LGUs, understated annual financial statements, and his scandals with other women.
Eventually, the news exploded, gaining a seat on the international newspapers' headlines. It pulled his reputation down the drain, his entire properties confiscated, and his family left him.
He also earned a room in an island prison, which had connections with the opposing party, and Ning Lou hasn't gotten any news about him ever since.
Meng Yi, on the other hand, was pardoned and had established a hospital of her own, with Ning Lou as her major shareholder.
Upon thinking, that particular misfortune had actually given her some benefits- and the ability to regulate the heartbeat by tricking the brain using the subconscious was another trophy. She was able to develop it further, she could even maintain an unconscious posture by controlling the diaphragm to moving subtly, unnoticeable.
And in an ancient environment, this ability was defying the law of nature, she had a pang of guilt towards the group of people outside, but she only hardened her heart into completing her task.
Tang-Mama began to take long strides towards the door, however a sweet voice from behind the curtain paused her movements.
"Tang-Mama", Ning Lou spoke, attempting to stop Tang-Mama from reporting to the Empress Dowager.
"This servant is here."