Crowned by the Treacherous Big Shot
Chapter 198 - 182: Lu Yuan Restored to Favor

Chapter 198: Chapter 182: Lu Yuan Restored to Favor

Meng Qianqian was skilled in martial arts, enough to make a few Imperial Physicians completely submit to her will.

Of course, if they listened obediently, they wouldn’t have to endure such physical hardships.

Meng Qianqian took the prescription and walked out of the inner hall.

Doctor Li immediately chased after her, shouting angrily, "The Imperial Hospital will never prepare this medicine for you! You’re trying to kill the Supreme Emperor! The Imperial Hospital will not be buried alongside you!"

Meng Qianqian ignored him and walked straight to the main door of Zhuanghe Hall.

The doors were tightly shut, but faintly, the sound of hurried footsteps could be heard, likely Lu Yuan investigating the source of the epidemic.

Just as Doctor Li claimed, when Meng Qianqian slipped the prescription through the crack in the door, asking for it to be handed to the physicians outside, not a single one was willing to prepare the medicine for her.

"Go prepare the medicine."

It was Lu Yuan’s voice.

The Imperial Physician hesitated. "This prescription... this prescription... is only recorded in books; no one has ever actually used it. It seems unwise. Moreover, it requires the Hospital Director and the signatures and seals of the two Hospital Judges before I dare proceed."

In essence, he didn’t want the responsibility either.

If all three approved, they would bear the consequences together should anything go wrong.

Meng Qianqian heard Lu Yuan address the Imperial Physician, "Give me the prescription."

Through the crack in the door, she saw the Imperial Physician hand the prescription to Lu Yuan.

"I’ll prepare the medicine and deliver it to you shortly."

Lu Yuan said this and then left.

Meng Qianqian returned to the inner hall.

She thought she would have to wait for quite some time, but to her surprise, only two periods passed before there was a knock at the hall door.

The last thing Meng Qianqian expected was that the person standing outside was Lady Yan.

Lady Yan threw a pile of medicine packets into her arms. "Here, your medicine."

Meng Qianqian held the medicine packets. "You collected the medicine yourself?"

Lady Yan snorted. "You think I wanted to? That brat tricked me into thinking I’d be allowed to leave..."

Turns out she left Zhuanghe Hall, only to end up in the Imperial Hospital.

"I’m done here. Don’t call me for anything ever again!"

Lady Yan stormed off toward the East Hall without looking back.

Meng Qianqian went to the small kitchen, opened the medicine packets, and inspected the herbs.

The herbs were untouched, and the quantities were plentiful. Originally, she had asked for five doses, but Lady Yan had directly given her ten.

It seemed Lady Yan was genuinely trying to avoid being bothered by her again.

However, Meng Qianqian truly needed to trouble Lady Yan one more time.

Meng Qianqian knocked on Lady Yan’s door.

When Lady Yan opened the door and saw it was her, her face immediately darkened. "Are you two insufferable?! When will this end?"

Meng Qianqian spoke softly, "Could I trouble Lady Yan to check on Eunuch Fu for me?"

"Why don’t you go yourself?"

"I need to brew the medicine."

"I’ll brew it for you."

"I don’t trust you."

You *ass*!

Lady Yan cursed inwardly.

If Lady Yan brewed the medicine and something happened, Meng Qianqian wouldn’t be able to wash her hands of the blame when delivering it to the Supreme Emperor.

Checking on Eunuch Fu was different. Meng Qianqian had no direct contact; if Lady Yan killed him, it couldn’t be pinned on Meng Qianqian.

Not to mention, Lady Yan had no reason to kill a eunuch.

Lady Yan glared coldly at Meng Qianqian. "So calculating—you two really are a match made in heaven!"

Despite her sarcasm, she still went.

Meng Qianqian focused on brewing the medicine.

She had no one she could trust; from brewing to feeding the medicine, she had to handle it all herself.

At midnight, Meng Qianqian entered the room carrying the brewed medicine.

Doctor Li sprang to his feet, his fists clenched tightly. "I will never let you do this recklessly!"

Doctor Liang also stepped in front of her.

The two Hospital Judges hesitated at this point because the Supreme Emperor’s condition had worsened again. In other words, he was more fragile than ever.

There was almost no chance that his body could withstand the potency of the Da Qinglong Decoction.

Meng Qianqian directly raised the butcher’s knife in her hand and slammed it into the table. "Try stopping me, and I’ll kill every single one of you."

The group suddenly remembered she was someone who had actually killed before, and they dared not utter a word.

Meng Qianqian approached the bed.

The Supreme Emperor was unconscious. Unable to drink on his own, she would have to use silver needles to stimulate his acupoints and awaken him first.

Meng Qianqian placed the medicine bowl on a stool and took out the Ghost Gate Thirteen Needles.

After the acupuncture, the Supreme Emperor woke up groggily.

"Your Majesty, it’s time to take your medicine."

The effect of the silver needles would only last a short while, so he had to drink the medicine before falling unconscious again.

The Supreme Emperor, in his dazed state, saw a woman and naturally refused to drink.

At this moment, Dean Yang stepped forward and said to the Supreme Emperor, "Your Majesty, allow this humble servant to assist you with the medicine."

The Imperial Physicians all exclaimed in unison, "Dean Yang!"

Dean Yang fed the Supreme Emperor the decoction, and no sooner had he finished than the Supreme Emperor fell unconscious again.

Doctor Li was in a panic, pacing back and forth. "It’s over, it’s all over... Dean Yang is going to be ruined by this girl..."

The Da Qinglong Decoction took effect quickly, and two periods later, the Supreme Emperor began to sweat profusely, his days-long high fever finally subsiding.

However, this wasn’t necessarily a good thing. His perspiration wouldn’t stop; if it continued like this, he would die.

Meng Qianqian urgently performed acupuncture on the Supreme Emperor.

Whenever the Supreme Emperor regained a sliver of consciousness, Dean Yang fed him some saline glucose water.

Everyone’s heart was in their throats; they didn’t dare breathe too loudly.

After an unknown amount of time, the Supreme Emperor’s sweating finally ceased.

But before they could sigh in relief, the Supreme Emperor vomited again.

So it went, back and forth, throughout most of the night. By dawn, his condition had finally stabilized—for now.

The crucial test was the next twenty-four hours. If he endured this, he’d survive.

If not—

Meng Qianqian said nothing and went out to continue brewing medicine for the Supreme Emperor.

During the day, the Supreme Emperor’s condition did not relapse. The Imperial Physicians were elated. That night, however, his condition deteriorated sharply.

Meng Qianqian tried her best, performing acupuncture with all her ability.

But by the hour of the tiger, the Supreme Emperor’s pulse stopped.

"Your Majesty—"

The inner hall of Zhuanghe Hall echoed with the wails of the Imperial Physicians.

"Father... Father!"

Princess Wanping burst into the inner hall like a madwoman, collapsing onto the Supreme Emperor’s body and wailing, "Father—"

Zong Zhengxi staggered, falling to the ground in disbelief.

The Fifth Prince suddenly seized an Imperial Guard’s sword, kicked open the doors of Zhuanghe Hall, and bellowed, "You vile woman! You killed my father! Your life is mine!"

Han Ci kicked the sword out of his hand with a single motion.

Lu Yuan stood at the entrance to Zhuanghe Hall.

The Third Prince shouted angrily, "Lu Yuan! Are you going back on your word?"

Lu Yuan’s gaze was piercing as he stared down the princes intent on storming in to kill Meng Qianqian. In a chilling tone, he said, "I promised to lay down my life for the Supreme Emperor and will not renege on that. But when did I ever say my wife’s life would be exchanged for his?"

The Third Prince was momentarily speechless. "You—"

Just as tension reached its peak, Jiang Dehai stumbled out, flustered. "An edict from His Majesty—Lu Yuan is summoned for an audience—"

Zong Zhengxi was overjoyed. "Father is awake?"

Jiang Dehai, trembling with excitement, declared, "Madam Lu’s medical skills are unparalleled... She brought him back..."

Lu Yuan stepped into Zhuanghe Hall.

The princes attempted to follow but were blocked by Jiang Dehai. "His Majesty summoned Duke Lu alone."

The Third Prince appeared utterly crushed. "Father would rather see an outsider than meet his own sons?"

Lu Yuan... was about to regain favor.

And not just the favor of a young, untested Emperor—this time, it was the Supreme Emperor himself, the true wielder of power.

Inside the hall.

Meng Qianqian sat by the bed, her expression serious, and asked the Supreme Emperor, "Are you truly awake this time?"

The Supreme Emperor smiled wryly. "Awake, girl, and no more using the Dowager’s life as leverage against me."

Meng Qianqian: "Oh."

Next time, she’d do it again.