“Could that incense be poisonous?” Eunuch Li exclaimed in surprise.
“Incense?” Imperial Physician Li was utterly confused.
He scrambled up from the floor and hurried over to the incense burner.
At a glance, Imperial Physician Li saw the incense that had been extinguished with water. He picked it up and carefully smelled it.
Since the incense had been soaked with water, its scent was extremely faint.
Imperial Physician Li sniffed it for a long while but detected nothing unusual.
“Your Majesty, may I light it?” Imperial Physician Li asked cautiously.
The Emperor did not object. Imperial Physician Li carried it to the window and found a spot sheltered from the wind.
He broke the incense apart, found a section that had not been dampened, and carefully lit it.
A wisp of green smoke slowly rose into the air.
Imperial Physician Li inhaled deeply, trying to identify its ingredients.
Worried that the incense might be highly poisonous, he quickly extinguished it.
Duoduo saw Imperial Physician Li’s brows draw tightly together, his face filled with confusion.
“This incense isn’t poisonous!”
“This incense is indeed not poisonous.” Duoduo’s childish voice only made Imperial Physician Li even more puzzled. “It can promote sleep and help people rest better.”
Imperial Physician Li nodded. “That’s right.”
“Imperial Grandfather has always slept poorly, so this incense should help him rest better. It should only be beneficial to him.”
After hearing this, the Emperor’s brows furrowed.
Duoduo gently shook her head.
“Imperial Physician Li, you were the one who prescribed Imperial Grandfather’s medicine, weren’t you?”
Imperial Physician Li hurriedly nodded. “In answer to Princess, yes. I personally prepared the medicine, so there couldn’t possibly be any problem with it.”
Duoduo nodded slightly.
“Was there a herb called cyperus rotundus in the prescription you wrote?”
Imperial Physician Li nodded repeatedly. “Yes.”
Having gradually recovered from his initial confusion, Imperial Physician Li suddenly understood.
“Princess, do you mean that the incense and the cyperus rotundus counteracted each other?”
Duoduo shook her head again.
“They didn’t counteract each other. They complemented each other!”
“It enhanced the medicinal effects of the cyperus rotundus while suppressing the effects of the other herbs, causing the prescription you wrote to become an entirely different medicine.”
Duoduo added, “If an ordinary person took this medicine, it wouldn’t cause any major problems.”
“But Imperial Grandfather has a heart condition, so instead, it caused him to be poisoned.”
Imperial Physician Li’s face lit up with sudden understanding.
He was so excited that he struck his right fist into his left palm.
“So that’s it! So that’s it!”
“May I ask, Princess, do you have any of those pills you gave His Majesty left?”
“Could you let me take a look at one?”
Duoduo shook her head. “There aren’t any left.”
“My father had me bring this pill into the palace for protection.”
“The palace gates were being searched strictly, so I only had one.”
This was also, in a roundabout way, an explanation for why she had medicine on her.
Imperial Physician Li looked deeply disappointed.
“Then, Princess, do you know the prescription? I have no ulterior motives. I simply wish to know how this medicine can both detoxify the body and strengthen it.”
Ordinarily, after being poisoned, a person’s body would suffer some degree of damage.
What was more, the Emperor already had a heart condition.
Yet when Imperial Physician Li had taken his pulse moments ago, he had discovered that not only had the Emperor’s body suffered no damage, it was even in better condition than it had been the previous day.
Duoduo hesitated for a moment before refusing.
“This prescription belongs to my teacher. I don’t know it.”
Imperial Physician Li froze for a moment, then immediately understood.
Everyone who practiced medicine had a closely guarded skill or secret.
It might be several prescriptions passed down through generations, or perhaps a unique method of treating illness.
They would never easily share such secrets with others.
After all, those were the skills that supported their families.
Once Imperial Physician Li understood, he felt somewhat embarrassed.
He cupped his hands and bowed to Duoduo.
“Princess Changle, please forgive me. As a physician, I only had the patient’s best interests at heart, which is why I overstepped.”
“Please don’t take offense. I was presumptuous.”
Duoduo gave him a well-behaved smile but said nothing.
The Emperor, who had been deep in thought, suddenly spoke.
“Changle, do you think the person who placed this incense here did so deliberately or accidentally?”
Duoduo turned to look at the Emperor. After thinking for a moment, she said, “Imperial Grandfather, Changle wouldn’t dare make a reckless statement.”
“I only feel that if that person did it deliberately, then he or she must be an expert!”
The Emperor nodded involuntarily and fell silent for a moment.
“If I hadn’t noticed anything amiss, what would have happened?” His voice was heavy.
Duoduo hesitated briefly before answering with certainty.
“I would have fallen asleep and never woken up.”
Horror appeared in the eyes of Imperial Physician Li and Eunuch Li.
The two of them looked at the Emperor at the same time.
The Emperor’s expression was extremely grim.
“Xiao Lizi, investigate!”
“Find out who put this incense here!”
“And investigate who is behind them and gave them the orders!”
“I want to see exactly who is trying to take my life!”
The Emperor was filled with murderous fury.
“Yes! This servant will see to it at once!” Eunuch Li hurriedly acknowledged the order before retreating.
Duoduo gently patted the Emperor’s arm.
“Imperial Grandfather, please don’t be angry.”
“Look, you’re perfectly fine now.”
“Doesn’t that prove that Heaven is watching over you and that you’ll live to be a hundred?”
The Emperor forcibly suppressed his anger and squeezed out a smile.
“Imperial Physician Li, weren’t you planning to take Changle as your disciple?”
“Perfect. I’ll serve as witness. You can perform the apprentice ceremony today.”
Imperial Physician Li was delighted, but he quickly realized something.
“Your Majesty, Princess Changle’s medical knowledge is no inferior to mine.”
“Quite honestly, I should be the one becoming her disciple!”
After hearing this, the Emperor regarded Imperial Physician Li with newfound respect.
He turned to Duoduo. “Changle, what do you think?”
Duoduo hurriedly waved her hands.
“Imperial Grandfather, I’ve heard that Imperial Physician Li is the leading authority in the Imperial Medical Academy.”
“His medical skills are something I can only look up to. How could I possibly become his master?”
Imperial Physician Li simply lifted the hem of his robe and knelt before Duoduo.
“Princess Changle, please accept this disciple’s bow!”
Duoduo was so frightened that she quickly hid behind the Emperor.
“No! Absolutely not!”
“Imperial Grandfather, Imperial Physician Li is about the same age as you.”
“How could I possibly take him as my disciple? No!”
The Emperor cast a sidelong glance at Imperial Physician Li, who was kneeling on the floor.
“Hmph! He’s merely a little older.”
“It’s the same as with scholarship. Being older doesn’t necessarily mean having greater knowledge!”
Imperial Physician Li nodded from his knees. “His Majesty is absolutely right.”
“Just based on what Princess said a moment ago, she is fully qualified to be my master.”
Imperial Physician Li’s humble eagerness to learn gradually dispelled the Emperor’s displeasure with him.
“Changle, he’s telling the truth, at least in that regard.”
