Chapter 4: Saving the Crown Prince

"Your Majesty, Jun'er, he..." Upon hearing the news, the Empress collapsed to the floor in an instant.

"Insolence! My Crown Prince is perfectly fine. Whoever dares to spread such nonsense, I shall have their head!"

Emperor Qixuan strode out the door, but quickly returned.

He picked up Yaoyao and turned to look at Consort Shu. "You all follow as well."

Consort Shu gripped her handkerchief tightly. What did the Emperor mean by this?

Treating an illness was the duty of the imperial physicians; having her follow was understandable, but why bring Yaoyao?

Suddenly, she realized that the Emperor could also hear Yaoyao’s inner voice.

Could it be that the Emperor thought Yaoyao could save the Crown Prince?

But Yaoyao was only a two-year-old child. Even if she were blessed by the heavens and had encountered some miracles, how could she possibly have such great ability?

No, this was putting Yaoyao on the spot!

She would never allow such a thing to happen!

Thinking this, Consort Shu quickened her pace.

Eastern Palace

Before they even entered the Crown Prince’s bedchamber, they were hit by the thick scent of medicine.

The imperial physicians all wore grave expressions, and the surrounding eunuchs and maids looked as if they were mourning their own parents.

If anything happened to the Crown Prince, every single one of them would be buried with him.

"Jun'er!"

The Empress pushed past the surrounding physicians and threw herself toward the bed.

Only now did Chu Yaoyao see the Crown Prince’s condition: drenched in sweat, struggling to breathe, and forced to gasp for air with every breath.

[System, System, this looks like asthma, doesn't it?]

System: Mm.

Seeing the Crown Prince’s state, Emperor Qixuan roared in anger, "What is going on? What are you people in the Imperial Medical Academy even good for!"

A white-bearded physician reported tremblingly

"Your Majesty, the high fever alone would be easy to treat, but the pollen combined with the high fever has triggered the Crown Prince’s asthma..."

Emperor Qixuan raised a hand to cut him off, his gaze sharp and piercing.

"I don't want to hear these excuses. Just tell me, can you cure him or not!"

The physicians knelt down one after another to beg for mercy.

"We dare not use medicine rashly. We are incompetent; please forgive us, Your Majesty."

The Empress’s body suddenly went limp, and she collapsed beside the bed, trembling all over. It was as if she didn't even have the strength to speak, and could only weep silently.

Emperor Qixuan staggered backward, steadying himself against a tea table before sweeping a teacup onto the floor.

"Useless!"

As soon as Consort Shu entered and saw this scene, she quickly hugged Yaoyao.

"Yao'er, are you alright?"

Chu Yaoyao shook her head at her and asked in her heart

[System, do you have any way to help?]

System: Didn't you draw a medical kit?

After saying this, the system went offline. It couldn't be helped; energy was low, and since the host wouldn't upgrade it, it had to save where it could.

[Oh, right, the medical kit.]

[Found it, this is it: Budesonide Inhalation Powder. By the way, System, did you do this on purpose?]

System: I suggest the host administer the medicine to the Crown Prince as soon as possible. He really is running out of time.

[But will they believe me? I can't exactly tell them about you.]

System: The host must not reveal the existence of this system, otherwise the mission will be automatically judged as a failure, and you will be erased!

[Got it, got it! Watch me!]

Chu Yaoyao suddenly tilted her head back and flashed a big, bright smile toward a certain direction.

One hand covered her small pouch, while the other clenched into a tiny fist.

"I know now."

Emperor Qixuan and Consort Shu looked toward that direction in confusion, but they saw nothing.

Chu Yaoyao took the inhaler out of her small pouch. "White-beard Grandpa, save Brother."

System:...This "creating a grandpa out of thin air" move is truly impressive.

Consort Shu was stunned. Could someone tell her how a bottle twice the size of the pouch was pulled out of it?

Hearing her words, Emperor Qixuan seemed to have grasped a glimmer of hope. He scooped up Yaoyao and walked to the Crown Prince’s side.

"What do I do?"

He didn't care who gave it to her; as long as it could save the Crown Prince, that was all that mattered.

Looking at the Empress, whose eyes were red and swollen from crying, Emperor Qixuan whispered comfortingly, "The Crown Prince will be saved."

The Empress looked at the medicine bottle in Yaoyao’s hand. For some reason, she subconsciously believed that this medicine would definitely save her child.

She lunged forward and grabbed Yaoyao’s small arm, clinging tightly to this final hope.

"Yaoyao, I was wrong before. I misunderstood Consort Shu, but the Crown Prince is innocent. Please, save him, save him."

Yaoyao held the inhaler, feeling troubled.

[It needs to be inhaled by himself, but Brother Crown Prince has passed out.]

Emperor Qixuan turned his head and shouted urgently, "Physician! Is there any way to wake the Crown Prince up?"

A middle-aged physician stepped forward. "Reporting to Your Majesty, this humble servant can use silver needles to stimulate acupoints to briefly wake the Crown Prince."

Emperor Qixuan scrutinized him. "Is that so?"

This person looked unfamiliar; he couldn't recall him ever treating the Prince before. Could his medical skills really be that impressive?

At this moment, Zhang Zheng, the head of the Imperial Medical Academy, explained, "Your Majesty, Xu Shu is extremely skilled in acupuncture. Perhaps it is worth a try."

Emperor Qixuan raised his hand slightly. "Then proceed with the needles."

Surprisingly, Physician Xu really did have some skill. After one needle, the Crown Prince’s eyelids flickered, showing signs of waking up.

Emperor Qixuan nodded at the sight.

But Yaoyao, watching where Xu Shu was about to place the next needle, furrowed her tiny brows.

[Third rib on the sternal midline, ventral side—aren't those the Yamen and Zhangmen points? Those are dangerous acupoints! What on earth is this person trying to do!]

Emperor Qixuan, who was paying close attention, quickly swatted the hand holding the needle away and kicked Xu Shu aside.

"Seize him!"

[Found him! My guess was right. This person is a remnant of the previous dynasty, trying to harm Brother Crown Prince!]

A remnant of the previous dynasty!

Emperor Qixuan was just about to erupt in anger when a faint coughing sound came from the bed.

"Cough, cough..."

[Brother Crown Prince is awake. It seems that person’s first few needles were indeed effective, just to dispel suspicion.]

"I only regret that I was too slow and you discovered me! But it’s already too late, hahahaha! Chu thief, today I will make you taste the pain of losing a loved one!"

Xu Shu, held by the guards, laughed maniacally.

Emperor Qixuan’s aura surged, his cold gaze fixed on the man as he ordered the guards

"Take him away, interrogate him strictly, and remember—do not let him die!"

Watching the triumphant Xu Shu, Chu Yaoyao pouted.

[Doesn't matter, I'll take care of it!]

[With the inhaler, Brother Crown Prince will definitely be fine!]

She took out the inhaler and had the Empress follow the simple diagrams included to administer the medicine to the Crown Prince.

As the medication was inhaled, the Crown Prince’s symptoms visibly eased.

A look of relief, as if he had survived a catastrophe, appeared on the Crown Prince’s face.

The physicians hurriedly crowded around.

The Empress was sobbing uncontrollably, but she dared not move, fearing she would disturb the physicians' diagnosis.

"Your Majesty, the Crown Prince’s asthma has been suppressed. With a few more doses of medicine, the high fever will break."

Chu Yaoyao took a blister pack of ibuprofen out of her small pouch.

"Fever medicine."

[Might as well finish the job. This one brings the fever down faster.]

Having witnessed the magic of the inhaler, how could the Empress doubt the efficacy of the medicine?

She immediately popped one out and fed it to the Crown Prince.

System: Detected that the fate of Crown Prince Chu Jun has been changed. Reward: Counterattack progress +10. Current progress: 13. Points +50. Balance: 55.

Seeing the result, Chu Yaoyao was so angry she laughed.

Losing to the Consort Mother was one thing, but she actually lost to the Crown Prince?

[System, are you kidding me? So in your eyes, I’m the least valuable one?]

System: The counterattack progress is calculated scientifically. Chu Jun’s fate is closely tied to the national destiny of the Great Qi; the judgment is correct.

[But then again, if Brother Crown Prince is safe and sound, then that love-struck male supporting character won't have a chance to act.]

[In that case, the Great Qi won't fall in six years, right?]

Emperor Qixuan, who had come to find the little hero after learning the Crown Prince was safe: What?

My Great Qi, this massive empire, is going to fall in six years?!

The Crown Prince, who had just regained some spirit after taking the medicine: Who understands? I just escaped death only to hear such terrible news.

(End of chapter)