Han Yunxi was indignant.
'Don't spread the Dao to those who will not learn it, don't knock on doors for those who don't want treatment'[1] was reason she still understood. It was Emperor Tianhui who wanted her diagnosis, so why did it sound like she was the one coming over to lie to them? When did she fished for fame and compliments? When did she gain renown by deceiving the public? Weren't those rumors outside spread by people intentionally?
The two little eunuchs that were about to approach her stopped, too scared to make any sudden moves. The empress dowager and empress couldn't believe their eyes. Wasn't this girl was too bold, acting so unbridled before the emperor? Meanwhile, Long Feiye's lips rose up into an attractive curve.
In the silence, Han Yunxi opened her mouth and spoke word by icy word. "Your majesty, I don't care who it was that diagnosed him with a pregnancy pulse. I'll say it once more, the crown prince seems to have a smooth pulse, not a pregnancy one. If you called me here just here to corroborate someone else's results, then you found the wrong person!"
These words left Emperor Tianhui speechless. The pregnancy pulse had been verified long ago, so he'd invited Han Yunxi here to treat just such an illness. After the crown prince's stomach swelled, Han Congan had prescribed a pill for miscarriage, but it had no effects whatsoever. Han Congan didn't even know where to start for treatment, so he only took the crown prince's pulse daily and fed him fortifying decoctions for his body. Emperor Tianhui couldn't help but fear that someday the crown prince really would give birth to a baby!
Yet he never expected that Han Yunxi would find something else besides a pregnancy pulse.
Seeing the emperor still looking as wrathful as before, Han Yunxi continued to speak. "Your majesty, it's impossible for a man to be pregnant. Yunxi dares to guarantee with her life that his highness, the crown prince, doesn't have a pregnancy pulse. The focus of his disease must be in his stomach, perhaps in the form of a giant sarcoma[2]. That's why it looks like he's with child and ended up with that kind of pulse reading. If it's not treated, the growth of the sarcoma will put the crown prince's life in danger!"
These words shocked everyone on site!
This woman actually dared to speak with so much self-assurance?
Han Congan had treated the disease for seven years convinced that it was a pregnancy pulse, and that there was a baby in that stomach. Han Yunxi, ah, Han Yunxi, why would she call it a stomach sarcoma instead?
Long Tianmo suddenly turned around. He couldn't help but admit that he didn't hold any expectations for Han Yunxi, but these examination results revealed a sliver of hope in his gaze. If it wasn't a pregnancy pulse but a strange illness, or Han Yunxi's sarcoma, then his entire life could turn around! The truth was, a verified pregnancy pulse–even if it was cured–would lead to a dark mark on the rest of his life. Once it was exposed, he'd be ridiculed by everyone under Heaven. If it was some sort of toxic tumor, then that was well within the norm. He wouldn't have to take so much pains to guard against spying and investigations from other imperial sons. Seeing Han Yunxi's stubborn face, Long Tianmo suddenly felt like believing her.
Meanwhile, the empress's expression grew complicated. Of course she wanted her son to be better because he was her everything. Yet she really had no way to completely believe Han Yunxi, much less have her do well at this task.
"Yunxi, but…your father checked his pulse everyday from the past seven years. He'd couldn't have been wrong all this time?" the empress asked with worry.
These words reminded Han Yunxi at the same time it did Emperor Tianhui and crown prince, thoroughly smashing their hopes to pieces. A trifling pulse was nothing to an ordinary doctor, much less Han Congan. Han Yunxi's gaze grew complex before she carried on with determined.
"Then it's his mistake!"
This…
"Yunxi, how about, you stay a few days, and observe some more?" the empress sounded her out.
"I'm 100 percent sure that he's wrong." Han Yunxi's voice wasn't very loud, but it left no room for doubts. Seeing her earnest and certain expression, even the empress was moved.
Then Long Tianmo spoke up. "Imperial Father, call for Han Congan to confront her."
Emperor Tianhui stalled for a few moments before replying for real. "Someone, call Han Congan here!"
While they waited, silence reigned. Everyone was filled with doubt and anticipation as they looked towards Han Yunxi. As a medical professional by trade, she was used to such gazes. She acted as if no one was there and sat quietly to one side, her mind earnestly searching for examples and cases she'd studied before. The crown prince's illness was extremely odd, but strange as it was, it wasn't without precedent. In her memories she recalled a case from her school days. There were about 100 such similar cases recorded in modern medical history texts, though it was seldom seen.
She'd harbored doubts ever since testing the pulse, and seeing the crown prince's stomach only made her diagnosis more definite. That sarcoma talk was just something she used as an excuse. As for the exact nature of this disease, she knew very clearly that it couldn't be spoken out loud. Once she did, she'd lose her life for sure. The problem she faced now was how to defy Han Congan.
Han Congan arrived very quickly.
He was a man around 50 years old, with a grayish beard like a goat's and gray robes. Though he intentionally tried to be low-key in the palace, it was hard to conceal his impressive, dignified bearing as the head of his household. This was the first time Han Yunxi had saw her 'father' since traveling back in time.
Han Congan entered and paid respects to everyone, even Han Yunxi, whom he called Qin Wangfei. Han Yunxi sounded cool and detached when she replied, "You're excused."
Towards this father, she not only felt foreignness, but hate. In all her life, the one thing she absolutely despised were men who envied woman. Han Congan was one such man. That year, Lady Tianxin died during labor. Why did she give birth to an ugly daughter afflicted with the commonest of poisonous scars? Something even an average medical practitioner could recognize was left unchecked and untreated. Sooner or later, Han Yunxi would find the answer to these questions.
The empress couldn't wait to speak her piece. "Han Congan, Qin Wangfei firmly believes that the crown prince has a malignant tumor in his stomach. What do you think?"
Han Congan originally thought that Han Yunxi would be at a loss before this strange illness, which was why Emperor Tianhui had summoned him. Somehow things had turned out this way instead. He gave Han Yunxi an incredulous glance. This damned girl was too bold. Even if she studied her mother's personal medical texts, she only learned some poison arts from it. But she dared to make such a diagnosis?
Han Congan shook his head. "Qin Wangfei, do you have proof for your malignant tumor?"
"Then do you have proof for your fetus?" Han Yunxi asked back.
Han Congan's lips curled into a sneer. "The pulse is the proof. His highness the crown prince's abdomen is also proof. Qin Wangfei, even the Cloud Realm Medical Academy directors have verified that this is a pregnancy pulse."
"The pregnancy pulse is exactly the point of dispute. The pulse itself isn't sufficient evidence," Han Yunxi's attitude turned rigid.
If it wasn't for her status and all the people present, Han Congan would've lost his temper long again. No wonder these few days the empress dowager and empress's people kept searching for him for questioning. This damned girl really had changed into a completely different person. If this was the past, then even if she was Qin Wangfei, she wouldn't dare speak to him this way!
"You say it's a sarcoma, but how can you tell?" Han Congan asked. Even if this blasted girl had extensive abilities, a diagnosis couldn't stray far from the reality of the pulse. She actually said that the pulse wasn't evidence; well, he'd like to see what proof she'd offer instead.
"Poison!" Han Yunxi was supremely confident.
These words made everyone suck in a breath. It was actually poison?
"His Highness Crown Prince was poisoned with a liudu[3] toxin. This poison won't take away a life immediately, but it'll stay in the body for long periods of time and absorb all the foul and muddy qi from the surrounding organs to become a malignant tumor. When the tumor gets big enough to press on the vital passages, his life will be in danger."
These were all lies made up by Han Yunxi, but she made a show of being calm and unhurried as she pretended. Everyone present was gaping at her words, not ever thinking that such a dangerous poison could exist in this world, much less that this was the cause behind the crown prince's illness! This was completely different from a pregnancy pulse and its ensuing pregnancy!
Compared to a pregnant man, Han Yunxi's words appeared far more sensible and trustworthy. Even the empress, who had intended to make things difficult for her, revealed an expression filled with pleased surprise. With things as they were, she really wanted to believe Han Yunxi! Han Congan was stunned as well.
It took him awhile to ask, "Then…then you have proof?"
Han Yunxi wouldn't say something as foolish like she saw it from the pulse. Her eyes glimmered with self-confidence as she said, "I can dissolve the poison and extract the malignant tumor. It's already been seven years, but can you birth a baby from that stomach?"
"You…" Han Congan couldn't bear it anymore and backed up two steps, face filled with incredulity. Those who didn't know they were father and daughter would probably think they were competing rivals.
"Esteemed wangfei, you can't make jokes with His Highness Crown Prince's life!" Han Congan said earnestly. Though he wasn't familiar with poison, he didn't want to believe that the crown prince could be one of its victims. It was clearly a pregnancy pulse, and his stomach clearly held a life. Even if he was wrong, would the medical directors' top medical academy be mistaken as well?
Though all the medical directors had left, these years he'd consulted with a few of them in secret to discuss this problem. The pregnancy pulse was a certain thing, so they had to discuss how to shrink the crown prince's stomach and kill the fetus within without endangering his life. Abortion pills were completely ineffective, so they'd have to attempt a birth. But if birthing was already so dangerous for a woman, how much more would it be for a man?
Truthfully speaking, none of them had figured out from where a man would birth a child. Nobody dared to use a knife to do surgery, either. Moreover, if they really cut out a child, their lives would be forfeit. The emperor had believed in the pregnancy pulse a long time ago, but he still held hope in his heart for another possibility.
"As the wangfei, I haven't used the crown prince's life as a joke. Instead, it's you who can't even tell his pulse's been poisoned and dragged everything on for seven years. Don't you know that treating the poison early on would've prevented his highness's stomach from getting so large?! You're the one that wasted seven years of the crown prince's time!" Han Yunxi wrathfully rebutted.
She could admit that she was seizing the opportunity to take revenge.
Don't think she didn't know how Han Congan stuck his foot into the young general's affairs. Without even mentioning her bullying and humiliation in the Han household, her father's readiness to sacrifice a daughter for the sake of making good with the empress dowager was enough to make Han Yunxi hate him for a lifetime. Did a man like this deserve to be her father?
"You, you're speaking nonsense! Balderdash!" Han Congan was stirred up, censuring her with no thought for status.
Yet Han Yunxi only dressed him down in exchange. "Audacious Han Congan, is this how you speak to the wangfei? An inferior going against a superior, shouldn't that be punished?" These words were rather unexpected. Nobody thought that an unloved Qin Wangfei like Han Yunxi would hold up her noble status against Han Congan in front of everyone.
This woman was a little too interesting, wasn't she?
The curve in Long Feiye's lips grew more and more attractive, while Emperor Tianhui massaged his chin in thought.
Han Congan was shocked beyond speech as he kept shaking his head in disbelief, unable to say a word. Han Yunxi set herself above the masses as she looked at him disdainfully. "Whether or not I'm speaking nonsense will be proved once I extract the malignant tumor."
As she spoke, she turned towards Emperor Tianhui. "Your majesty, I've already explained the results of my examination. Please take the lead in approving or denying treatment."