Chapter 164

Chapter 164 – How Could She?

Ye Zhen acted embarrassed—she avoided the empress dowager’s gaze and spoke softly.

“Empress Dowager, this official’s daughter was informed of the little prince’s cold for days and felt worried for him. With the prince’s permission, he let me feel his pulse.” At this moment, she looked up at the empress dowager with somber eyes. “His pulse is weak and for this reason, the emperor—”

Before her words were finished, Liu Hua abruptly interrupted. “How dare you feel the pulse of the sovereign prince; you have yet entered the School of Medicine. Do you think you are better than the imperial physicians?”

The empress dowager glanced at Liu Hua unimpressed and did not acknowledge her. She continued to speak to Ye Zhen, her son’s recovery was the most important thing to her.

“And then? What did you find out?”

“Empress Dowager, this official’s daughter has only learned a few medical skills. If she is wrong, can you forgive her?”

The empress dowager’s heart softened at Ye Zhen’s humbleness. “Aijia will not blame you,”

“Your Highness, I think the little prince is not only suffering from cold but also from abdominal tumors, explaining the pain he is suffering,” said Ye Zhen.

The empress dowager visibly became forlorn. The little prince had always said that his stomach ached but insisted that he only had heart disease.

She gave Aunt Cheng a perturbed look. “Qi Jin should have already finished her work. Ask her to report to this palace and look after the little prince.”

Aunt Cheng acquiesced. The empress dowager sighed helplessly at the thought of her stubborn son.

“All the imperial physicians are afraid of that boy. He is not willing to be examined and even refuses to let them feel his pulse. Heart disease, he says! When Qi Jin comes to the palace, he will naturally be obedient.”

Qi Jin? Who is she? Ye Zhen became curious but didn’t ask. It’s not deemed respectful to question the empress dowager.

“This official’s daughter hopes that the empress dowager is not offended by her bold remarks.”

The empress dowager shook her head and touched Ye Zhen’s head adoringly. “You are just concerned about the little prince. Why should I be offended?” She smiled gently at the little girl.

Nose up in the air, Princess Royal snorted coldly, which made all heads look her way.

“Aha! It seems that although Miss Lu grew up in the border town, she was taught how to win favor for her own benefit!”

At last, exasperation showed on the empress dowager’s face as she addressed the princess royal. The woman had already insulted her guests several times now.

“I don’t think caring for the welfare of my son is Lu Yaoyao’s way to win my favor. It is just that she has a kind heart.”

From the moment Princess Royal and Liu Hua visited her, not once did they ask after the condition of the little prince. This just showed that they had no compassion for the prince.

With disgust on her face, Princess Royal stood up, “Empress Dowager, you seem to have uhm… distinguished guests here, so I won’t bother you anymore. I’ll come back to visit you in two days,” she said in sarcasm.

“Aunt Cheng, accompany Princess Liu Hua and Princess Royal outside.” The empress dowager showed no intention to stop them from leaving and felt no remorse for it.

Instantly, the princess royal’s jaw fell—she thought the latter would beg them to stay longer, but instead, they were sent out directly! Her face turned red with anger. How could she?!

“Liu Hua, let’s go.” Princess Royal’s chest heaved violently. She glared at Ye Zhen before she left with heavy steps.

Not long after, Old Madam Lu got up to bid goodbye to the empress dowager as well.

But before the empress dowager finally let them go, she took a long look at Ye Zhen’s face and ushered Aunt Cheng to get a bottle of her snow lotus ointment.

“This ointment can help heal your swollen cheek. Aijia is already old and doesn’t need it now. But this is appropriate for a young miss like you.”

In haste, Ye Zhen shook her head in refusal. “Empress Dowager, there is no need. This miss has her own ointment at home. She doesn’t wish to bother Her Highness any longer.”

Still, the empress dowager put the bottle of ointment in Ye Zhen’s hand. “There are still plenty for myself here.”

“Yaoyao, you should offer your thanks quickly.”

As graceful as she could muster, Ye Zhen kneeled and kowtowed. She knew that snow lotus ointment was very precious. The empress dowager was indeed very kind to her… whether she was Wang Fei Ye or Lu Yaoyao.

Coming out of Cining Palace, Ye Zhen was still thinking about whether to go to Mo Rongyi again. She felt anxious that Mo Rongzhan would prohibit her from attending the School of Medicine if she disobeyed his order.

However, before she could come up with a solution, she saw Mo Rogzhan’s eunuch approaching with two bottles of snow lotus ointment in his hands.

“Miss Lu, these are the snow lotus ointments that the emperor wants to give to you. His Majesty also said that Imperial Physician Qi has already entered the palace to look after the little prince. You need not take what he said to you seriously.” Eunuch Fu informed her.

Ye Zhen breathed a sigh of relief.

She would not be obliged to return to the imperial palace anymore to treat Mo Rongyi, thus reducing the chance of running into Mo Rongzhan.

Sincerely, she thanked the eunuch with a grateful smile and accepted the two bottles of snow lotus ointment. However, when she looked at Old Madam, the latter bore a rather conflicted face.

For this reason, Ye Zhen’s heart pounded, fearing that Old Madam had misunderstood.