Free Web NovelChapter 1117: Chapter 953: The Crown Prince Falls Ill
Moreover, these Imperial Physicians often attend to the pulses of the nobility in the harem, prescribing tonics and medicines, a practice they have become accustomed to.
Regardless of whether they wish to protect themselves, it’s uncertain if these Imperial Physicians can detect anything unusual about the Emperor’s health.
"Is the residue from the medicine mentioned by the Crown Prince last time gone now?"
Gu Chengyu still leaned towards the idea that there was an issue with the Lifespan Extension Pill taken earlier. Whether the elixir was genuine or not, for now, it’s worrisome that there might be something wrong with it.
The Crown Prince shook his head, "You were just about to go to Jiangnan for disaster relief, so I handed it over to Director Zhang of the Imperial Hospital. I’m afraid that by the time you return, the residue will have lost its medicinal properties."
Gu Chengyu expressed his regret, saying that he might have genuinely been able to find out something about the medicine.
"However, in recent days, Father has been taking the elixir made by the Tianji Taoist, and his health has gradually improved. Just yesterday, he permitted the Tianji Taoist to leave the palace to search for the herbs needed to make the Lifespan Extension Pill."
Hmm? Gu Chengyu narrowed his eyes slightly, "Did you send someone to follow?"
Since the Crown Prince also suspected the Tianji Taoist, Gu Chengyu spoke more directly.
The Crown Prince nodded, "Father sent a close guard to accompany him, and I also secretly assigned someone to protect him. After all, the Tianji Taoist is not young, and if anything happens on the road, what would we do?"
Gu Chengyu smiled, thinking that apart from being somewhat indecisive, the Crown Prince possessed all other qualities of a ruler. Unfortunately, sometimes indecisiveness can become a fatal weakness.
"Regarding the commerce affair, Father has already ordered me to handle it. Some time ago, officials from the Ministry of Revenue were sent to Jiangnan; you must have received the news. Since the commerce idea was yours, it’s a bit of a grievance for you to have the Ministry of Revenue officials take over."
The Crown Prince spoke while rubbing the corner of a memorial, as if he had some concerns.
"Your Highness overestimates it; how is this a grievance? The matters and details for establishing the commerce have been listed one by one, and I ask for you to review them!"
Gu Chengyu took out a memorial from his sleeve, which he had prepared before coming here, intending to present it to the Emperor or the Crown Prince upon being summoned.
It’s not that he’s a saint, helping others perfect something after having his achievements snatched away.
But because he proposed the commerce idea, if the officials who took over couldn’t handle it, all his previous efforts would be in vain.
Besides, the ministers in court are waiting to see him fail! If anything goes wrong with the commerce, these officials would certainly place the blame on him.
After all, Xia Qing had firmly opposed establishing the commerce before, and failing would give Xia Qing more to say.
Gu Chengyu did all this for his own reputation. Although the matter was taken over by other officials, it still has a significant connection to him.
The Crown Prince’s expression brightened. He had a good opinion of the commerce idea, but no matter who in court takes over, he felt no one could handle it better than Gu Chengyu.
It’s just a pity that Father wouldn’t allow Gu Chengyu to get involved, saying that he had other plans for him.
Now, with Gu Chengyu’s memorial, the Crown Prince felt reassured. Even if the assigned officials were lacking in ability, following the contents of the memorial would prevent things from going awry.
Gu Chengyu glanced at the pensive Crown Prince, contemplating whether to mention the road construction matter but eventually decided against it for now.
Since it would bring no benefit, he figured he should carefully weigh such matters that offer no advantage.
"Your Highness! The Emperor summons Mr. Gu!"
Pang Chu’s voice came from outside the hall, causing the Crown Prince to slightly frown before laughing and saying, "Since Father has summoned you, it would be inappropriate for me to keep you. Let’s reconvene tomorrow!" frёeωebɳovel.com
Gu Chengyu rose, prepared to take his leave, and after saluting the Crown Prince, intended to exit the hall.
"Ugh!" The Crown Prince suddenly clutched his chest with his left hand, his face turning ashen, his right hand, which braced against the edge of the table, trembling slightly.
Hearing the sound, Gu Chengyu turned back and noticing the situation, quickly stepped forward to support the Crown Prince.
"Your Highness! Are you alright?" Gu Chengyu frowned, hastily helping the weak Crown Prince to sit down.
"Someone, quickly fetch the Imperial Physician!"
Pang Chu entered from outside the hall, and upon seeing the Crown Prince’s pale complexion, he was utterly shocked.
"What’s happened to His Highness?" Pang Chu was terrified, his face drained of color, turning even paler than the Crown Prince’s.
"Why are you still standing there? Quickly fetch the Imperial Physician!" Gu Chengyu, seeing Pang Chu frozen in place, immediately shouted.
"Someone, quickly, someone! Hurry and bring Director Zhang here!" frёeweɓηovel.coɱ
Ignoring the panicked Pang Chu who acted as if the sky had fallen, Gu Chengyu checked the Crown Prince’s pulse.
Upon feeling it, he noticed the Crown Prince’s pulse was faster than normal. Just as he was about to examine further, the pulse unexpectedly returned to normal.
Gu Chengyu frowned. What could be the reason for this? He closely observed the Crown Prince’s complexion and noticed that his once pale face had regained some color.
Something is amiss; how could he recover so quickly?
"You all needn’t be alarmed. Lately, due to being overly busy, I sometimes experience unexplained palpitations. But after a bit of rest, it eases. Before, I also had my pulse checked by the Imperial Physician, who advised me to rest more and avoid overthinking. It’s just that this time, it was a bit more severe than usual!"
From beside Gu Chengyu, the Crown Prince’s weak voice slowly sounded. Hearing it, Gu Chengyu realized it seemed he had indeed recovered.
"Your Highness, do you often experience palpitations?" Gu Chengyu took the pulse for a while longer but detected nothing unusual.
His medical skills were limited. Even when he studied in a spatial environment before, most of his learning focused on making pills. While he had some understanding of pharmacology, his knowledge of illnesses was superficial.
"Not frequently, just occasionally. After resting for a bit, it returns to normal."
The Crown Prince had fully recovered, yet vividly remembers the pain from the previous palpitations.
Gu Chengyu nodded, considering consulting his fourth brother and Doctor Li for their opinions.
Previously, Doctor Li planned to return to his hometown with Mrs. Yao, but he was persuaded by the fourth brother to stay.
Even Doctor Li’s daughter and son-in-law had settled in the Capital, as there wasn’t much tying Doctor Li to Jingyuan Prefecture anymore.
So, Doctor Li stayed at the clinic assisting Gu Chengchi. With the clinic’s business thriving, they naturally needed a resident physician, making it convenient for Doctor Li to stay.
Doctor Li’s medical skills were commendable, and Gu Chengyu felt that inquiring from him might yield some insights.
Soon, Pang Chu brought Director Zhang into the hall, and as before, the diagnosis was still attributed to excessive fatigue.
Gu Chengyu rose to take his leave and then followed Xiao Quanzi towards Chengqian Palace.
By the time the clock struck 3:00 PM, through the bustling marketplace, a carriage slowly made its way, finally turning into a quiet alley.
The driver, with a flick of the whip, began to speed up.
As the carriage neared the gates of the Gu Mansion, a rider swiftly approached from behind.
The rider, seeing the carriage ahead, breathed a big sigh of relief, leaping onto the carriage with agility.
"Young Master! Have you considered the consequences of your actions? I cannot allow you to disrupt the master’s plans; please return with me!"
