Chapter 410

Empress Jian angrily said: "Nonsense, pure alarmist talk, this palace has never heard of any bloodworm." She turned to the group of imperial physicians and said: "What do you have?"

The group of imperial physicians all lowered their heads; what Hu Xiaotian said were principles they had never heard before—unheard of, unheard of—like the bird that sticks its head out gets shot; in this situation nobody dared to step forward.

Empress Jian angrily said: "A bunch of useless! Normally you take your stipends and rewards without shortage, but at the crucial moment you are of no use whatsoever; why keep you useless?" She then asked the nearby eunuch: "Have you contacted Ren Tianqing?"

The eunuch said: "No, there is also no news from Miss Qin."

Empress Jian broke out in a cold sweat from anxiety, listening to the Emperor's continual wails, her mind in turmoil; all her status and honor were granted by the Emperor, and if the Emperor suffered any misfortune, her position would inevitably be affected.

Empress Jian paced back and forth, unable to make up her mind for a moment.

Ji Feihua coldly glanced at Empress Jian; since arriving at Xuanweigong he has rarely spoken, seeming to stand outside the affair, and the unfolding events made him feel increasingly interesting.

Empress Jian summoned her personal attendant Zhao Jinxi and gave him a few low-voiced instructions.

In the meantime, Long Yelin's condition worsened, his wails growing louder one after another; Hu Xiaotian cupped his hands toward Empress Jian and said: "The Emperor's dragon body is urgent; please, Empress, make a decision soon."

At this moment Empress Jian turned her gaze to Ji Feihua, suppressing her hatred, and said: "Lord Ji, what do you think?"

Ji Feihua said: "The Emperor's dragon body's well-being concerns the state of Dakang; I dare not speak recklessly. Empress, you are wise and discerning. We all will follow your decision." With that sentence he pushed all decision-making authority onto Empress Jian. "Aren't you annoyed that I meddle too much? Now I hand the decision to you—see how you will decide!"

Empress Jian felt hesitant and undecided; although Ji Feihua seemed to be shirking responsibility, in such a situation the person who should ultimately make the decision ought to be her, for she is the mistress of the harem; if her decision could let the Emperor recover, this would naturally be a cause for general rejoicing. But if her decision caused the Emperor to come to harm, Ji Feihua would likely seize the opportunity to cause trouble. Thinking of this, Empress Jian felt even more conflicted.

Hu Xiaotian beckoned Li Yifeng over, whispered something in his ear, and Li Yifeng nodded repeatedly.

Empress Jian eventually returned to the dragon bed's side, reached out and grasped Long Yelin's hand; Long Yelin trembled all over from pain, his voice quavering: "Where is Feihua… where is Feihua… I… I am about to die… Feihua…"

Empress Jian heard him repeatedly calling for Ji Feihua at this moment, her heart feeling as if sliced by a thousand blades. She bit her lip and said: "Emperor, please endure a moment; I have already sent for Ren Tianqing." She said this with no confidence, for Ren Tianqing's whereabouts were unknown, and it's not as simple as just going to find him.

Long Yelin seemed not to have heard her words at all, continuing to call out Ji Feihua's name nonstop.

Ji Feihua heard it crystal clear. His feet did not move an inch. A hint of a cold smile curled at the corner of his mouth.

Hu Xiaotian stood right beside him, seeing his expression clearly; Ji Feihua was pretending to be deaf and dumb here, seeming even to take a bit of schadenfreude. Hu Xiaotian couldn't help but wonder: logically Ji Feihua and the Emperor should be close friends, yet his demeanor gave off an air of "not my concern, I'll stay out of it," as if he felt nothing for the Emperor at all.

Long Yelin, calling Ji Feihua to no avail, clutched his stomach and wailed: "You bunch of useless… I'm in this much pain and you… are all at a loss… I… I will have you all… chopped……"

The group of imperial physicians were frightened and fell to their knees, wailing: "Emperor, spare your life! Emperor, spare your life!"

Empress Jian saw Long Yelin in this state. Her heart filled with panic; if the Emperor could not survive this illness, the situation would be dire. She whispered: "Emperor, please don't be angry; the Crown Prince will come shortly."

Long Yelin heard her mention the name of his eldest son, Long Tingsheng, and his eyes suddenly flashed with anger: "Why are you summoning him? Do you think I'm about to die?"

Empress Jian actually did have a private motive in having Long Tingsheng come, hoping to use the Emperor's grave illness to settle the crown prince's position, but she hadn't expected her husband to be so suspicious; she herself might be seen as having brought about her own undoing through over-cleverness, and she hurriedly said: "Your Majesty, you misunderstand; it is only natural for a son to come visit his father, and he is also concerned about your condition."

Long Yelin clutched his stomach and roared: "I will see no one, not a single person…… Hu Xiaotian…… Hu Xiaotian……" At this moment he actually thought of Hu Xiaotian again.

Hu Xiaotian dared not pretend to be deaf and dumb like Ji Feihua; he stepped forward toward the bedside, but Ji Feihua grabbed his wrist in one motion, and Hu Xiaotian did not understand what Ji Feihua meant.

Long Yelin wailed: "I'm calling you, can't you hear me?"

Ji Feihua whispered: "Are you confident you can cure the Emperor's illness?"

Hu Xiaotian gazed into Ji Feihua's deep eyes, pursed his lips, and nodded firmly; appendicitis is merely a minor surgical procedure, but today his patient is the Emperor, and even a slight mistake would not only cost him his life but could also implicate the entire Hu clan.

Ji Feihua released his hand: "Go!"

Only then did Hu Xiaotian hurry to the bedside, saying: "Long live the Emperor, long long live; I, Hu Xiaotian, have come late, and I hope Your Majesty will forgive me."

Long Yelin trembled as he said: "……You……you……do you actually have a way? If you dare to deceive me…… I…… I…… will exterminate your whole clan……"

Hu Xiaotian silently cursed, "That dog of an Emperor is truly no good; now it's you begging me, yet you not only speak no kind words, you even threaten me, demanding I die with my whole family—you deserve a painful death, you scoundrel."

He whispered: "Just now Hu Xiaotian already reported to the Empress, there is a bloodworm in the Emperor's dragon body; the pain is caused by this worm's activity, and to relieve the Emperor's suffering we must cut open the dragon body with a blade and extract the worm."

Empress Jian did not believe Hu Xiaotian's words at all; she hurriedly urged: "Your Majesty, you must absolutely not listen to his nonsense; I see this child harbors malicious intent, fundamentally seeking to take advantage and harm the Emperor."

Hu Xiaotian loudly declared: "Empress, I am loyal and devoted to the Emperor; may the heavens bear witness—if I harbor even the slightest thought of harming the Emperor, let me be struck by lightning and die a terrible death!"

Empress Jian angrily said: "You are nothing but a slave; what is your life worth?"

Hu Xiaotian would not yield: "Empress, although my life is humble, I also know that treating the Emperor's illness is no trivial matter; any mistake would make it impossible for my entire Hu clan to escape. Having been favored by the Emperor, I will surely exert my utmost to repay the grace; if I cannot relieve the Emperor's pain, I am willing to die to repay the grace, and even if I were willing to take the risk, I would certainly not gamble the lives of my whole Hu clan."

Empress Jian said: "Your Hu clan is wholly rebellious; you are the son of a traitor, your heart deserves punishment; the Emperor must absolutely not fall for his scheme."

Hu Xiaotian said: "Empress, what crime could there be without cause? I admit I am the son of a guilty official, and my father also admits his mistakes, but since no sage is free of fault, there is one thing I can guarantee: none of the old and young of my Hu clan dare harbor treasonous intentions; I came here to treat the Emperor because I was summoned by his favor, and the Empress, despite trying every means to stop me from treating the Emperor, I do not know what her motive is."

"Scoundrel! Bold! Seize him, drag this bold slave out and behead her!" Empress Jian's phoenix eyes widened, and she let out a loud shriek.

Hu Xiaotian not only showed no fear but burst out laughing: "Empress, you truly have a scheme; today only I can save the Emperor's life—if you kill me, it's tantamount to cutting off the Emperor's vitality. Empress, the Emperor is not only the ruler of Dakang but also your husband; do you really have no affection for him at all?"

Empress Jian never expected this rash, reckless brat to dare bite back at her; furious to the point of seeing stars, she almost spat out a mouthful of old blood. She hystericly shouted: "Come! Come! Quickly drag this madman rebel out……"

The guards on either side wanted to step forward, but were met with Ji Feihua's gloomy gaze, frightening them into retreating; Ji Feihua walked over slowly and said softly: "Emperor, I am willing to stand surety for Hu Xiaotian; if he fails to cure the Emperor, I am willing to forfeit my own head."

Upon hearing this, Hu Xiaotian felt a surge of emotion; regardless of Ji Feihua's motive, being able to say those words was truly no easy feat, given his status there was no need for him to involve himself in this matter, yet acting as his guarantor indeed entailed great risk.

At this moment Long Yelin's pain flared up again; he was in such agony he could not speak, after enduring it for a while he felt slight relief, his voice trembling: "……You go out……" yet his gaze remained fixed on Empress Jian.

Empress Jian's phoenix eyes widened; she thought she had misheard.

Long Yelin erupted from the depths of his heart with an angry roar: "Get out!"

In front of all those people, being rebuked by the Emperor, Empress Jian's phoenix eyes instantly turned red, tears swirling in her sockets; she bit her lip hard to keep them from falling, then abruptly rose and walked outward, took a few steps, turned back, and looked at Hu Xiaotian, saying: "If the Emperor suffers any misfortune, I will have all of your heads roll!"

Long Yelin truly could not bear the severe abdominal pain; he weakly said: "Hu Xiaotian……quick……quickly treat the Emperor……as long as you cure the Emperor's illness, you may ask for anything……and I will give it to you……"

Hu Xiaotian felt a surge of joy upon hearing this, and immediately thought, "Old man, I want your sister—will you agree?" But then he reconsidered: the Emperor's solemn promises are often unreliable; monarchs throughout history are prone to reneging on their word. If he were to make a demand the Emperor could not fulfill, the Emperor might very well have his head chopped to preserve his own reputation.

Hu Xiaotian said: "I want nothing; as long as the Emperor's dragon body is healthy, Emperor, please pardon my offense!"

"Pardon you no guilt……quick……quick……"(To be continued~^~)