Read Novel Full CHAPTER 32 PART1
CHAPTER 32 PART1
Rounding the screen, Eunuch Liang saw the emperor curled up on the chaise lounge, writhing in pain. His facial muscles twitched slightly, and he gasped for air like a fish thrown ashore, his breathing ragged and labored.
The emperor looked deathly pale, low groans escaping his lips from time to time. Every so often, he would ask with increasing agitation, “Has Master Wu Liang arrived yet? What about the Imperial Physician?”
Empress Liu sat anxiously by his side, one hand clutching a handkerchief to wipe away her tears. Her heart ached terribly at the sight.
Eunuch Liang kept his head down respectfully as he continued forward, his eyes meeting Gao An’s for a brief, charged moment.
Gao An sneered contemptuously, ready to send him away, but Eunuch Liang spoke first, addressing the Emperor:
“Your Majesty, this servant has something to report. A few days ago, someone came forward to offer a medicinal pill.”
“A medicinal pill?” The emperor lifted his head slightly, intrigued. Even Empress Liu turned to look.
Eunuch Liang quickly added, “Your Majesty, it is a pill said to treat severe headaches.”
He deliberately called it a “pill” to appeal to the emperor’s preference for such remedies.
“Nonsense!” Gao An’s brows furrowed as he cut in sharply, his tone lofty and reprimanding. “Eunuch Liang, how dare you bring strange and dubious medicine to His Majesty!”
“The emperor’s body is of utmost importance,” he continued, adopting the posture of a superior giving a solemn lecture, all the while acting as though his only concern was the emperor’s well-being.
Still holding the small porcelain vial, Eunuch Liang maintained his bowed stance and said earnestly, “Your Majesty, this servant has recently suffered from headaches as well—and took this very pill just earlier today.”
“As soon as I took the pill, the effect was immediate,” Eunuch Liang said tactfully—subtly letting the emperor know he had already tested it himself.
“Truly!?” The emperor, deathly pale, struggled to sit up with the help of his attendants, his eyes fixed anxiously on Eunuch Liang. “Bring it here—quick, give Me that pill!”
Tormented to the brink by his splitting headache, the emperor had no energy left to care about trivial details. All he wanted was relief—and fast.
Imperial Physician Cao, who had been standing silently to the side, turned pale. He couldn’t allow the emperor to take something of unknown origin. He stepped forward and tried to advise him: “Your Majesty, please, you must not risk your sacred body.”
But his words only made things worse. The emperor’s fury flared, as though someone had struck a nerve. He snapped, “Then can you fix it?”
Ordinarily, the Emperor was mild-tempered, but once a headache struck, he became irritable and short-tempered.
Physician Cao: “…”
He fell silent at once, like a mute, unable to utter another word.
Gao An frowned at the small porcelain vial in Eunuch Liang’s hand. A thought flashed through his mind: What if this pill actually works? Then…
“Your Majesty…” he began.
Gao An, too, had intended to dissuade him. But at that moment, the emperor resembled a wild beast in the throes of rage—completely unwilling to listen to anyone. He waved impatiently at Eunuch Liang, barking, “Give it to Me—now!”
“……”
Sensing the mood, Gao An wisely stepped back half a pace and fell silent.
Eunuch Liang carefully stepped forward and presented the small porcelain vial with both hands. “Your Majesty,” he said.
Though he wore a calm smile on his face, his heart was pounding like a drum in his chest.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
This was a high-stakes gamble.
If the medicine given by that Miss Xiao truly worked, he might finally rise again—perhaps even surpass Gao An. But if it harmed the emperor in any way, his life would be forfeit.
At that thought, Eunuch Liang’s body tensed involuntarily, eyes filled with a desperate resolve.
For the past two years, he had been ruthlessly suppressed by Gao An, barely allowed to appear in front of the emperor except when testing questionable medicines. If he didn’t seize this chance, there would never be another. He would be finished.
And knowing Gao An’s nature—vengeful and petty to the extreme—there was no doubt in Eunuch Liang’s mind that if he failed, he wouldn’t be left alive. In the past, any eunuch in the Yangxin Hall who posed a threat to Gao An’s position had mysteriously “slipped” into misfortune—either losing their lives or being cast off to guard imperial tombs, half-dead and forgotten.
He had no choice left.
Lowering his head, Eunuch Liang silently handed the porcelain vial directly into the emperor’s hands.
Empress Liu’s red lips parted slightly, as if to protest, but before she could speak, the emperor had already shaken out the white pill and swallowed it without hesitation.
Empress Liu quickly changed her tone. “Your Majesty, how are you feeling?”
The emperor said nothing. He simply pressed a hand to his forehead and lay back down, eyes closed.
Time passed in silence—nearly half a cup of tea’s worth.
Empress Liu let out a small breath of relief and softly instructed one of the palace maids, “Bring a basin of warm water to cleanse His Majesty’s face…”
But before she could finish her sentence, the emperor’s eyes flew open. He suddenly sat up again, his expression contorted in agony. Then, to everyone’s horror, he slammed his head against the armrest beside him.
“Your Majesty!” Empress Liu cried out in panic, hot tears spilling down her cheeks. Her voice trembled. “Your Majesty, what’s wrong?!”
Seeing the Emperor in such visible torment, she was overwhelmed with fear, helplessness, and heartbreak.
Gao An rushed forward to restrain the Emperor, preventing him from hurting himself further. He turned to Eunuch Liang and shouted angrily, “Liang Zheng, what exactly did you give His Majesty!?”
His words instantly drew Empress Liu’s attention toward Eunuch Liang. Her eyes blazed with fury, and her teeth clenched so tightly they audibly ground together. “Liang Zheng, how dare you attempt to harm His Majesty! Drag him out and give him fifty strokes of the rod!”
Fifty strokes would be enough to kill a grown man.
“Your Majesty, please, I beg you to see clearly—this servant had no intention of harming His Majesty!” Eunuch Liang dropped to his knees with a loud thud, trembling as he tried to explain. “This medicine takes time—between a quarter of an hour to the time it takes to burn an incense stick before its effects appear. I tested it myself, Your Majesty, please—just wait a little longer!”
The emperor clung tightly to Gao An’s arm, his fingers digging deep into the flesh of Gao An’s hand. Cold sweat streamed down his face, soaking his temples. He struggled once more to strike his own head with his fist…
Empress Liu hurriedly instructed the palace attendants to massage the emperor’s pressure points to relieve the pain. But after another half a cup of tea’s time, not only did the emperor’s condition fail to improve—it clearly worsened. The Empress was so terrified, it felt as if her very soul was being torn apart. Nearly hysterical, she shrieked, “Take him away!”
“Drag Liang Zheng out and beat him to death!”
At her command, two young eunuchs quickly stepped forward. One seized Liang Zheng by each arm and, murmuring a quick, “Forgive us,” began to drag him away roughly.
Liang Zheng opened his mouth to protest—but before he could utter a word, a voice rang out:
“Wait!”
“…” Empress Liu froze for a moment, stunned, before realizing that the voice had come from the emperor himself.
Both she and the kneeling Liang Zheng turned toward the short couch where the emperor lay.
Supported by another eunuch, the emperor had been helped into a seated position. His deathly pale complexion had eased somewhat. With a disbelieving expression, he pressed his fingers to his temples and murmured, “The pain is gone. My headache… it’s gone.”
The moment those words left his lips, the weight crushing Liang Zheng’s heart lifted. He exhaled in profound relief and instinctively tried to pull free from the two attendants still gripping him. The young eunuchs glanced toward the Empress, unsure whether to release him.
But Empress Liu wasn’t even looking at them anymore. Her gaze was fixed on the emperor, and the fear in her eyes had been replaced by astonishment and joy, her face lighting up with radiant hope.
“Your Majesty, you really… the pain is truly gone?” she asked, unable to conceal her elation. She quickly returned to the couch, gripping the emperor’s cold hand in hers.
The emperor straightened up, still in disbelief. He raised his hand and gently rubbed between his eyes again before affirming, “This medicine truly is miraculous.”
Just moments ago, he’d been in such agony it felt worse than death. Yet now—barely the time it took to drink a cup of tea later—the pain had vanished without a trace.
“Liang Zheng, who provided you with this medicine?” the emperor asked, his voice tinged with urgency, eyes alight with curiosity.
The two young eunuchs, still trembling with fear, hurriedly helped Liang Zheng to his feet. They brushed the dust from his knees in silence before quietly stepping back.
Liang Zheng had already rehearsed his response before presenting the medicine. Calm and composed, he answered, “Your Majesty, seeing how Your Majesty has been tormented by persistent headaches of late, this servant was deeply troubled. In private, I visited numerous Taoist temples around the capital, seeking out reclusive masters and inquiring about remedies. By chance, I encountered a wandering immortal who entrusted me with this very pill.”
“Originally, I had intended to conduct more tests before offering it, but when I saw Your Majesty in such unbearable pain just now, I acted on impulse and tried it myself. Upon confirming its extraordinary effect, I dared to present it to Your Majesty.”
“This servant was reckless and overstepped his bounds. I humbly beg Your Majesty’s forgiveness.”
With that, Liang Zheng bowed deeply again, lowering his upper body with utmost deference in a long and respectful salute.
The emperor, still basking in the blissful relief from pain, felt no inclination to rebuke Liang Zheng. On the contrary, he was moved by his dedication—so concerned for his sovereign’s well-being that he risked his own life to find a cure. The emperor regarded it as an act of true loyalty and selflessness.
“This immortal must truly possess otherworldly abilities. The medicine is beyond precious.”
He raised a hand to gently rub his temples again, confirming that the agony—like being sliced by a blade—had indeed vanished as if it had never existed. The torment now felt like nothing more than a nightmare.
As the Emperor continued speaking warmly with Liang Zheng, a tense silence fell over the others. Off to the side, Gao An’s body stiffened, his gaze darkening with jealousy and resentment.
He lowered his gaze to his own hand, where the emperor had just dug his nails in during the height of his attack. The marks were still there—deep red welts, nearly breaking the skin.
Gao An steadied himself, then cautiously asked, “Your Majesty, shall we return to the palace? Once back, the Imperial Physicians could examine you properly, just in case…” —in case there were side effects from the medicine.
Before he could finish, the emperor raised a hand, waving off the concern. “No need. I feel perfectly fine now. Why return?”
“Of course, Your Majesty,” Liang Zheng chimed in promptly, stepping slightly to the right so as to subtly place himself between the Emperor and Gao An. With a smile, he said, “Your Majesty has perspired quite a bit. Would you care for some water?”
The emperor nodded. “A cup of Biluochun tea, then.”
Liang Zheng turned his head slowly and said to Gao An with deliberate calm, “Eunuch Gao, if you would be so kind.”
Though the words were polite, his tone was detached, almost mocking, as he took full advantage of the emperor’s favor to issue a veiled command.
Gao An had served the emperor since the days of the Eastern Palace. For over two decades, he’d enjoyed power and prestige, never once being spoken down to—let alone ordered to fetch tea.
But now…
Gritting his teeth, Gao An gave a stiff bow and left to prepare the tea.
Liang Zheng turned back. “Your Majesty, may I help you change into fresh clothes?”
The emperor had broken into a heavy sweat, especially down his back where his inner robe was soaked through. He did feel uncomfortable.
He gave a slight nod. “You’re always so thoughtful.”
Liang Zheng silently retreated from the waterside pavilion and gave instructions to the palace attendants to prepare a change of clothes for the emperor.
***