Chapter 39: A Gentleman Without Equal in the World

The Empress bit her lip and let out a cold laugh. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Tan Qingjiu nodded, unsurprised. After all, the Empress was not young; at her age, she was still taking fertility medicines. The reason was obvious—one need not think too hard to understand. This was most likely the Empress’s secret.

Tan Qingjiu had laid it bare, and now the Empress must surely want to kill her even more. Yet Tan Qingjiu was unafraid, convinced the Empress would seek her out eventually.

“Your Majesty, please don’t be angry. I only care for your well-being. Taking the wrong medicine is a grave mistake. Luckily, you haven’t been using it for long; though your body is already showing some discomfort, it can still be remedied.”

“If you continue, however, it will damage your health fundamentally, leading to weakness that will be hard to recover from. What you desire, Your Majesty, will be even harder to attain.”

The Empress pressed her lips together, doubtful. The physician she consulted was renowned for his expertise in women’s medicine—how could his prescription be wrong? Surely he knew more than this ignorant girl?

She tried to convince herself, but an uneasy feeling crept into her heart. What if…

At her age, she clung to her last hope. If she failed this time, it would truly be the end.

The more anxious she felt, the more composed she appeared, snorting coldly. “How dare you speak such reckless words before me? Are you simply tired of living?”

No sooner had the words left her lips than Shen Yingjue’s voice came from the doorway. “I wonder what has displeased Your Majesty so much about my physician? I arrive only to hear threats and shouts.”

The Empress’s heart skipped a beat; she clenched her embroidered handkerchief. Hadn’t she already found an excuse to send this madman away? Why had he returned so soon?

She stepped back, regaining her composure. “It’s nothing—your physician claims I am ill.”

“Oh?” Shen Yingjue glanced at Tan Qingjiu, his smile ambiguous. “Your Majesty, don’t underestimate my physician. She may not look the part, but her skills are unmatched.”

“If she says you’re ill, then more than likely, you are.”

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The Empress nearly ground her teeth to dust. Shen Yingjue’s tone, half mocking, made it sound as if he were insulting her.

“If Your Majesty is unwell, it’s best to let the physician examine you properly. Hiding an illness and refusing treatment is never wise.”

The Empress took a deep breath. Shen Yingjue was certainly insulting her—but she feared him nonetheless. When Shen Yingjue lost control, he was terrifying.

She was about to retort when someone emerged from the main hall—a monk, about twenty years old, whose refined features, gentle expression, and scholarly bearing made him striking in his blue robes. Simply stepping out, he embodied the saying “a gentleman as flawless as jade.”

Tan Qingjiu’s attention was instantly drawn to him. That was…

His gaze swept lightly over her, pausing ever so slightly, before he nodded to the Empress and departed.

“Are you looking at him? Do you think he’s handsome?” Shen Yingjue’s low voice suddenly sounded in Tan Qingjiu’s ear. She hadn’t noticed how close he’d gotten and startled, quickly stepping back.

Shen Yingjue stared at her. “Hmm? You haven’t answered me yet. Is he handsome?”

“He is,” Tan Qingjiu replied, lowering her eyes. “A gentleman as flawless as jade, unmatched in the world.”

“A gentleman?” Shen Yingjue laughed, as if he’d heard an absurd joke. “Do you know who he is?”

“Who?”

“He is Master Li Xiao, the Imperial Advisor.”

Shen Yingjue seemed about to say more, but an attendant arrived to announce, “His Majesty summons the revered physician to the hall.”

Tan Qingjiu turned to glance at Shen Yingjue, then entered the hall.

“Your subject greets Your Majesty. Long live the Emperor.”

Tan Qingjiu sighed inwardly. Living in ancient times had its drawbacks—her low status meant constant kneeling, which was hard on the knees.

“Rise,” the Emperor’s voice commanded. Though aged, it still boomed like thunder.

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It was said that Emperor Shen Yanhuai of Qingning had lived over sixty years. Judging by his voice, his health seemed robust.

Tan Qingjiu stood, and heard faint footsteps approaching. The aged voice drew nearer. “You’re the one who took up the Imperial notice and treated the Prince of Duan?”

“I expected that notice to remain posted for a month or two, as usual, with no one daring to answer. Yet you, so young and a woman at that, have such courage?”

Tan Qingjiu flushed awkwardly. “I would not deceive Your Majesty. It was not I who claimed the notice. My child, seeing the generous reward for treating the Prince of Duan, boldly took it on my behalf.”

“My children and I have only just arrived in the capital and are unfamiliar with everything here. It was only after the guards brought me to the carriage that my maid explained the Prince’s condition.”

Recalling Shen Yingjue’s words earlier, Tan Qingjiu coughed lightly. “To be honest, Your Majesty, after hearing about it, I did regret it somewhat. Yet my master always taught me that treating the sick is the physician’s duty, and with Your Majesty’s generous reward, I forced myself to go.”

Shen Yanhuai listened, a strange smile crossing his face. His gaze toward her grew deeper.

“I heard that when you arrived, the Prince of Duan suffered an episode?”

Tan Qingjiu nodded. “That day, the Prince nearly killed me. Fortunately, I reacted quickly and used acupuncture. But the bruises he left around my neck still haven’t faded.”

Shen Yanhuai’s gaze fell on her neck. As she said, there was a patch of blue and purple, clearly the mark of someone’s grip. From the look of it, the Prince had indeed tried to kill her.

“And you are still willing to treat him?”

Tan Qingjiu swallowed, her face pale, though she tried to appear calm.

“I… The Prince said that when I treated him, the pain eased and he recovered quickly, so he sought me out again for acupuncture.”

Shen Yanhuai studied her closely. “But the Prince told me he wants to marry you.”

Tan Qingjiu’s head shot up, her face full of fear.

Shen Yanhuai lowered his voice. “Tell me honestly—do you have confidence in curing the Prince’s illness?”