My Aloof Lord Ex-Husband Begs for Remarriage
Chapter 257 - 258 Headache

Chapter 257: Chapter 258 Headache

The Empress Dowager didn’t stay at the Emperor’s place for long; once the Emperor ceased to trouble Chu Nanli, she too departed.

Upon her return to Yikun Palace, and seeing Chu Nanli, her gaze deepened.

"Nanli pays her respects to the Empress Dowager." Chu Nanli greeted the Empress Dowager with a formal bow.

"Rise." The Empress Dowager’s voice was languid as she sat in the chair of her main hall, sizing up Chu Nanli.

"What brings you here?"

"I’ve come to express my gratitude, thank you for speaking up for me today. If there’s ever anything that Nanli can assist with in the future, please do not hesitate to ask," Chu Nanli said directly.

She didn’t utter grandiose words, opting instead for the most straightforward expression of sincerity.

The Empress Dowager’s expression towards Chu Nanli softened a bit.

"It’s nothing; you’ve saved me before, and besides, helping you was but a small effort."

"Is the Empress Dowager no longer angry with me?" Chu Nanli inquired.

Initially, she had deceived the Empress Dowager and thought that she would be enraged.

"I am not so petty," the Empress Dowager smiled and said, "Besides, before Ye Jiuxiao left, he specially entrusted me to look after you, should you cause any trouble in the palace."

The "old nine" the Empress Dowager referred to was naturally Ye Jiuxiao.

Chu Nanli had not anticipated that it was Ye Jiuxiao who instructed the Empress Dowager to help her, and a warm current involuntarily swept through her heart.

"Many thanks to the Empress Dowager and Prince Ye," Chu Nanli said.

"What’s there to thank? You’ve helped Jiuxiao so much; it’s only right for us to support you," the Empress Dowager’s tone became much gentler, "Furthermore, you’ve certainly contributed to the treatment of smallpox this time."

"I can’t very well let my foolish son punish you; wouldn’t that dishearten everyone?" the Empress Dowager sighed.

Chu Nanli admired the Empress Dowager’s magnanimity.

"Still, I must thank the Empress Dowager."

Once again, she bowed formally, noticing that the Empress Dowager’s eyes appeared somewhat sunken, and she looked very listless.

"Your Highness seems to be unwell, could it be a headache troubling you?"

Chu Nanli had nothing else to offer by way of repayment; her greatest advantage now was her medical expertise.

Therefore, upon spotting something amiss with the Empress Dowager’s complexion, she immediately brought it up.

The Empress Dowager looked surprised, "You can tell I have a headache?"

The matter of the headache was something she had never mentioned publicly; it was related to a secret incident from many years ago.

Over the years, she had always been careful not to show any signs of it to the outside world, and only her personal Imperial Physician was aware.

Besides, the illness was incurable.

How had Chu Nanli discerned it?

The Empress Dowager’s gaze towards Chu Nanli turned profound and inscrutable.

She was aware of Chu Nanli’s exceptional medical skills, but had not anticipated that they reached such a high level.

"Yes, I’ve made a preliminary judgment based on observation that it’s a headache, but to determine the exact condition, I would need to take your pulse," Chu Nanli said.

She saw that the Empress Dowager was somewhat reticent about her illness, but if left untreated, the condition would only worsen with time.

From the standpoint of a physician, she naturally wanted to cure the Empress Dowager’s illness.

"If you trust me, please allow me to take your pulse," Chu Nanli said gently, her expression earnest.

The Empress Dowager hesitated.

From the clarity in Chu Nanli’s eyes, she could see that Chu Nanli truly wanted to heal her.

But should she trust Chu Nanli?

While the Empress Dowager was conflicted, she suddenly felt dizzy and unsteady, tilting to one side, she sat down on the chair.

The Palace Maids by her side were terrified and rushed to assist her.

Seeing this scene, Chu Nanli’s expression grew serious.

If she wasn’t mistaken, if the Empress Dowager continued like this, it was very likely to develop into cerebral thrombosis!

Without hesitation, she stepped forward and took hold of the Empress Dowager’s wrist.

The Empress Dowager wanted to retract, but upon seeing Chu Nanli’s confident and resolute gaze, she felt a sense of comfort in her heart.

"The veins are blocked, we must apply acupuncture immediately!" Chu Nanli declared decisively.

She dismissed most of the people present, then took out several silver needles and applied them to the Empress Dowager’s head.

The Palace Maid beside her was initially worried, fearing that Chu Nanli would not be able to cure her, but seeing her skilled operation and firm eyes, she felt inexplicably reassured.

Moreover, the Empress Dowager had allowed Chu Nanli to treat her, so naturally they were not in a position to say much.

As Chu Nanli administered the needles, she also wrote a prescription and instructed the Palace Maid to concoct the medicine.

By the time the acupuncture session was over, Chu Nanli retrieved the needles, and the Empress Dowager’s complexion immediately improved; her previously pale lips now had color.

The Empress Dowager gradually came around, feeling an unprecedented clarity in her head.

"I, I seem to be in no more pain."

"You are only temporarily pain-free, continued treatment is necessary," Chu Nanli said.

The Empress Dowager looked at Chu Nanli incredulously, "Was it you who cured me when I fainted and made my head stop hurting?"

Though it was a question, her gaze was filled with affirmation.

"Yes," Chu Nanli nodded.

She knew the Empress Dowager merely could not believe that her headache could be cured and wanted to confirm it once again.

Those suffering from a long illness always lack hope.

"Your headache is not incurable. As long as you follow my treatment, you will recover in less than half a month," Chu Nanli said with great confidence.

In their era, cerebral thrombosis was no longer an incurable disease.

The Empress Dowager was extremely moved upon hearing this.

To keep it secret, she had not sought medical attention publicly, only consulting her personal Imperial Physician, who was also at a loss and could only prescribe medicine for relief.

But Chu Nanli said she could cure her!

This sense of mental clarity was something she had not felt for many years.

"Very well, you shall treat my headache; once cured, you shall be handsomely rewarded." "However, please keep this matter confidential."

Chu Nanli nodded, "Empress Dowager, rest assured, I will not say a word more than necessary."

After all, maintaining patient confidentiality was part of their professional ethics.

"Good." The Empress Dowager did not know why, but she inexplicably trusted Chu Nanli a great deal.

"Now, please take your medicine, and I will come again for acupuncture tomorrow morning," Chu Nanli said.

After speaking, she exchanged a few pleasantries with the Empress Dowager and then turned to leave.

"Ah, such a good girl. If only she could be betrothed to my son, but alas, she was married young to Ye Yunting," the Empress Dowager said to herself.

The little Palace Maid beside her only felt it strange.

The Empress Dowager was again saying some strange things. What did she mean by ’married young’?

As soon as Chu Nanli left Yikun Palace, she planned to pack up and leave the palace.

She couldn’t wait to move.

Upon returning to the Jade Concubine Palace, she first delegated her duties to Zhuang Muyan and Ji Shen, then bade the Jade Concubine farewell and turned towards the exit.

"Master, why don’t you wait for me, and we can leave together later?" Zhuang Muyan suggested.

Chu Nanli shook her head, "No, I still have some things to do, so I won’t stay here."

Zhuang Muyan, watching Chu Nanli’s departing figure, saw a flash of loss in his eyes.

"It’s just as well, the master has been tired these days, she should go back to rest early," he said, his lips curling into a forced smile.

Outside the Imperial Palace, in a carriage.

Lin Fuying sat in the carriage, idly holding a book and reading.

In reality, she could not focus on the book, and was merely sitting there out of boredom.

In contrast, Ye Yunting looked completely calm and composed, not in the least bit rushed.

But they had already been waiting for Chu Nanli for an hour!