Chapter 1234

At this moment, Liu Hong, lying on the sickbed, had grown so thin he was nothing but skin and bones, and his body was trembling incessantly.

Two palace maids were pressing down on Liu Hong—one on his shoulders, the other on his legs.

Seeing this scene, Empress Dowager Dong immediately turned back to look toward the direction of the bedchamber door: "Send someone quickly, hurry and bring the Crown Prince here."

After saying this, Empress Dowager Dong looked again at the Head of the Imperial Hospital kneeling on the ground: "Is there any way to prolong his life?"

The Head of the Imperial Hospital first shook his head, but as if he had remembered something, he raised his head to look at Empress Dowager Dong.

"Empress Dowager, this humble subject previously heard the name of a person; this man is renowned for his brilliant medical skills."

"Previously, this humble subject sent men to find this person, and just yesterday, he arrived in Luoyang."

"This man is named Hua Tuo; perhaps... perhaps he might have some way."

"Bring this man into the palace," Empress Dowager Dong immediately ordered.

Outside the Jiade Hall, a thin, middle-aged man with disheveled hair, carrying a wooden medicine chest, was being escorted by four imperial guards as he walked rapidly toward the interior of the Jiade Hall.

The middle-aged man wiped the sweat from his forehead as he walked.

Upon reaching the front of the Jiade Hall, the middle-aged man raised his head and glanced at the magnificent Jiade Hall before him.

At this moment, the front of the Jiade Hall was filled with imperial guards.

Only the doorway was left open.

Inside, imperial guards could be seen everywhere.

All the palace maids and eunuchs stood on both sides of the great hall with their heads bowed.

Further inside, numerous imperial concubines knelt on both sides of Liu Hong's bedchamber.

Unlike the usual chirping and twittering of the past, the concubines kneeling before Liu Hong's bedchamber at this moment all wore expressions of sorrow.

With the Emperor passing away, the fate of these former concubines was naturally destined long ago.

At this time, besides the numerous concubines of Liu Hong, the Grand Tutor, the Three Excellencies, the Minister of the Imperial Clan, Empress Dowager Dong, and the young Crown Prince Liu Xie were all present before Liu Hong's sickbed.

"You are called Hua Tuo?"

Empress Dowager Dong asked directly after seeing the man brought in.

Hua Tuo, entering the palace for the first time, naturally did not know who the person questioning him was.

Thus, he nodded and replied: "This commoner is Hua Tuo."

Empress Dowager Dong did not waste words, pointing to Liu Hong on the sickbed: "Come over and diagnose His Majesty's illness."

Hua Tuo knew what he was here for upon entering the palace.

So, without further ado, he took his medicine chest and prepared to step forward.

However, he was blocked by Jian Shuo, who reached out a hand.

Then, Jian Shuo took the medicine chest from Hua Tuo's hands.

Jian Shuo said with a cold face: "Diagnose the pulse first; if there is a need, you may request it then."

Hua Tuo nodded, not daring to utter a sound, and walked with his head bowed to Liu Hong's sickbed.

When he lifted the gauze curtain before the sickbed and saw Liu Hong's ailing body, Hua Tuo was stunned for a moment.

At this point, Liu Hong had already wasted away; the skin on his exposed arms clung tightly to the bone, making him look almost indistinguishable from a dead man.

If not for his faint breathing, Hua Tuo would have nearly mistaken him for a corpse.

His eye sockets were deeply sunken, and the skin on his face resembled decaying, withered bone.

The Head of the Imperial Hospital narrated Liu Hong's condition while Hua Tuo was checking the pulse.

A moment later, Hua Tuo turned around and bowed to Empress Dowager Dong: "His Majesty's Yang Qi—when there is great rage, the physical Qi is severed, and blood stagnates in the upper body, causing a collapse."

"This commoner concludes that His Majesty has evil entering the skull, caused by blood stasis within the cranium."

The illness diagnosed by Hua Tuo was almost identical to that diagnosed by the Imperial Hospital.

"Is there a way to treat it?" Empress Dowager Dong asked, knitting her delicate brows.

Hua Tuo thought for a moment, then nodded and said: "Ordinary methods cannot cure this, but this commoner has a method that might be feasible."

"Speak."

Hua Tuo glanced at Liu Hong behind him and said: "The method this commoner speaks of requires opening His Majesty's skull, and then using a secret technique to draw out the stagnant blood..."

"Audacious!"

Before Hua Tuo could finish his words, Empress Dowager Dong let out a sharp cry: "Such a demonic charlatan, actually daring to plot against His Majesty's life! What is your intent, and who sent you here!"

The Head of the Imperial Hospital on the side was also terrified after Hua Tuo's words were spoken.

Open the Emperor's head?

This...

Is this guy a madman?

Not only Empress Dowager Dong, but everyone standing in the hall was deeply frightened.

This man truly had a death wish.

"This commoner..."

"Shut up!" Empress Dowager Dong frowned as she looked at the Head of the Imperial Hospital and said coldly: "This is the person with brilliant medical skills you spoke of?"

"This humble subject deserves to die, this humble subject deserves to die. Please, Empress Dowager, grant me mercy."

The Head of the Imperial Hospital, pale with fright, hurriedly kowtowed to admit his mistake.

Only then did Hua Tuo realize that the woman before him was the Empress Dowager.

"Jian Shuo, take this demonic charlatan away and throw him into the dungeon," Empress Dowager Dong ordered without room for argument.

"Empress Dowager, this commoner is not a demonic charlatan... what this commoner said is the truth..." Hua Tuo cried out in grievance.

However, Jian Shuo did not listen to Hua Tuo's explanation at all; he grabbed Hua Tuo and threw him to the side.

The imperial guards outside immediately entered the hall, seized Hua Tuo, and marched him outside.

And just as Hua Tuo was being led away, Liu Hong, lying on the sickbed, began to tremble all over again.

"My son..."

Empress Dowager Dong immediately rushed to Liu Hong's sickbed with a cry of grief.

Everyone in the bedchamber also knelt on the ground.

The young Liu Xie was pulled by Empress Dowager Dong to kneel before Liu Hong's sickbed.

"Pfft!"

Liu Hong on the sickbed suddenly spat out a mouthful of black blood.

Seeing this scene, everyone knew that Liu Hong's time had come.

The transition of imperial power would happen today.

After spitting out the mouthful of fresh blood, Liu Hong, lying on the sickbed, suddenly coughed.

This was the first sound he had made since falling into a coma.

The Head of the Imperial Hospital, kneeling on the side, saw this and immediately stood up, shouting to the eunuchs nearby: "Quick, ginseng water!"

A young eunuch immediately brought over a golden bowl containing ginseng water that had been boiled for who knows how long.

The physician took it and immediately supported Liu Hong's head, slowly feeding it to him.

But the vast majority flowed out along the corners of Liu Hong's mouth, mixed with the black blood.

Only a small portion was poured into Liu Hong's mouth.

This ginseng water was no miracle medicine; it could only serve to help a critically ill person persist for a little longer during their final moment of clarity.

Sure enough, just as the ginseng water was poured in, Liu Hong slowly opened his eyes.

"My son..."

Empress Dowager Dong, kneeling beside Liu Hong's sickbed, hurriedly grabbed Liu Hong's hand: "My son, what other wishes do you have? Your mother is here."

As she spoke, Empress Dowager Dong also pulled the young Liu Xie, who was kneeling on the side, to her side.

Perhaps because he had been in a coma for too long, Liu Hong, after opening his eyes and looking around for a while, slowly spoke.

"The Empress... where is the eldest son..."

Hearing the characters uttered in Liu Hong's hoarse voice, Empress Dowager Dong's hand could not help but tremble slightly.

Even Jian Shuo, standing on the side, immediately lowered his head.

"My son... Bian'er has been missing for a long time. My son has been critically ill for half a year; this matter has passed half a year, but my son, rest assured, your mother will definitely continue the search."

"My son, Xie'er is here."

Empress Dowager Dong grabbed the young Liu Xie and said: "On the day my son fell critically ill, Xie'er remained by my son's side, never leaving for half a step, serving him for half a year."

"As for the Empress..." ===== CHAPTER 1236 =====