Chapter 665 - 668: Despair

Chapter 665: Chapter 668: Despair

Inside Hanzhang Hall, the atmosphere was heavy.

The Imperial Physicians gathered around the bed, attending to the Emperor.

The Empress Dowager was frantic, but she didn’t dare interrupt the Imperial Physicians. She could only pace back and forth relentlessly.

Princess Consort Zhen, Crown Prince Li Qiong, the Lady, and the Fifth Prince Li Yi had all arrived as well.

They all stood silently to the side, awaiting the Imperial Physicians’ diagnosis.

After a long wait, they finally saw the Imperial Physicians straighten up.

The Empress Dowager couldn’t wait to ask.

"How is the Emperor’s condition?"

None of the Imperial Physicians looked pleased.

The Chief Imperial Doctor at their head stepped forward and answered respectfully.

"To answer the Empress Dowager, Your Majesty’s condition is extremely grave. His internal organs have begun to fail, and common treatments will be difficult.

Our only option now is to try one last prescription.

The effects of this medicine are incredibly potent. It might stimulate Your Majesty’s organs and restore their vitality.

However, it comes with great risk. The slightest misstep could cause Your Majesty’s condition to worsen.

We do not know if we should administer this medicine. We must ask the Empress Dowager to make a decision."

Instantly, everyone in the room looked at the Empress Dowager.

The Empress Dowager’s face turned a shade paler.

Even though she had weathered many storms, she had never faced such a predicament.

The man lying on the bed was her only son, the flesh of her flesh whom she had carried for ten months and brought into the world with great difficulty.

If anything were to happen to him, how could she possibly go on living?

The Empress Dowager’s mind was a tangled mess, and she couldn’t make a decision.

Just then, Princess Consort Zhen spoke.

She asked the Chief Imperial Doctor.

"After using the potent medicine, what is the worst-case scenario?"

The Chief Imperial Doctor answered honestly, "I dare not conceal it from you, Your Highness. The worst-case scenario is immediate death."

The moment the Empress Dowager heard this, her heart leaped into her throat, and she cried out loudly.

"Absolutely not!"

The Chief Imperial Doctor reminded her, "But if we don’t use the potent medicine, in three days at most, Your Majesty will..."

He didn’t finish his sentence, but everyone present understood what he meant.

The Emperor’s illness was terminal. He only had three days left.

If he could not be cured within three days, only death awaited him.

The Empress Dowager was furious. "If the Emperor dies, all of you will be buried with him!"

Everyone present dropped to their knees, pleading in unison.

"Empress Dowager, spare our lives!"

After venting her anger at them, the Empress Dowager finally calmed down a bit.

Princess Consort Zhen chose this moment to offer some comforting words.

"Empress Dowager, please don’t be angry. The Saint’s life now rests entirely in your hands. At a critical moment like this, you must remain calm and composed. You mustn’t lose your nerve."

Her voice was gentle and calm, and her words were very reasonable.

After hearing her out, the Empress Dowager truly did calm down significantly.

She walked to the bedside, looked at the unconscious Emperor, and after much hesitation, she finally spoke.

"What do you all think should be done about this?"

Princess Consort Zhen was the first to answer. "I am but a humble woman with little knowledge. I will follow the Empress Dowager’s command in all things."

She was the first to give a model answer, and the others present immediately followed suit.

Li Qiong: "This grandson defers to the Grand Empress Dowager."

The Lady: "I will listen to the Empress Dowager."

Li Yi: "This grandson as well. I defer to the Grand Empress Dowager."

The Empress Dowager: "..."

She had passed the question around, only for it to circle right back to her.

The Empress Dowager knew perfectly well they were deliberately shirking responsibility.

The matter concerned the Emperor’s life and death. The responsibility was simply too great, and no one wanted to touch it.

’Not a single one of them can be counted on in a crisis,’ the Empress Dowager silently cursed.

She ordered Zuo Ji.

"Relay my orders! Have the Left and Right Ministers come to the palace at once. There can be no delay!"

"Yes!"

Zuo Ji hurried out to relay the Empress Dowager’s command.

The two Prime Ministers were both old foxes. Upon learning of the Emperor’s grave illness, they had been secretly speculating whether he would ever recover.

Now, the Empress Dowager had suddenly summoned them to the palace for an urgent discussion.

Their first thought was of the Emperor’s condition.

The Left Chancellor and the Right Prime Minister hurriedly left their homes and took their carriages to the Imperial Palace.

The two happened to run into each other at the palace gates. They exchanged a knowing glance, and with no time for pleasantries, they were led by a eunuch at a brisk pace toward Hanzhang Hall.

The Empress Dowager had been waiting for a long time.

When she heard the two Prime Ministers had arrived, she immediately had them brought in.

Although the two Prime Ministers were mentally prepared, their hearts still skipped a beat when they saw the dying Emperor with their own eyes.

The Emperor’s condition was far more serious than they had imagined!

A sense of panic rose in both of them.

However, something that would make them panic even more was yet to come.

"My mind is in utter turmoil; I cannot think clearly.

You two are pillars of the state, the Emperor’s right and left hands. The Emperor places immense trust in you both.

For this matter, I can only ask the two of you to help me make a decision.

I hope you will not disappoint me and the Emperor."

After finishing her last sentence, the Empress Dowager stared intently at the two Prime Ministers before her, clearly unwilling to give them any chance to refuse.

The Left and Right Ministers suddenly felt like a mute who has tasted bitter herbs—they had to suffer in silence.

In their hearts, they both knew that the potent medicine had to be used on the Emperor.

It was the Emperor’s only chance of survival.

But the matter came with immense risk. The slightest misstep would cause the Emperor to die, and when blame was assigned afterward, the person who made the decision would be made the scapegoat.

The Empress Dowager couldn’t bring herself to make such a harsh decision, so she passed this hot potato to the two Prime Ministers.

The two men tried to find an excuse to refuse.

But no matter what they said, the Empress Dowager gave them no opportunity to decline. She was dead set on making them take the fall.

Having no other choice, the two Prime Ministers could only pretend to confer with each other before saying to the Empress Dowager,

"After some discussion, we feel that we could invite the Doctor of the Observatory to perform a divination. Let Heaven decide whether this potent medicine should be used.

"The Saint is the Emperor, blessed by Heaven. Surely, Heaven will be able to provide the most appropriate answer."

The Empress Dowager stared at them expressionlessly, unable to speak for a long time.

By the time word of this reached Hua Manman’s ears, night had already fallen.

She was leaning against the window, thoroughly amused.

"To be fair, those two old foxes are truly cunning. At the critical moment, they actually pushed Heaven forward to be their shield.

If I were the Empress Dowager, I’d be furious enough to die."

The Three-colored Cat was crouched outside the window and let out a low meow.

"According to the divination performed by the Doctor of the Observatory, the omen is dire. Nine chances of death to one of life."

Hua Manman’s smile gradually faded. "The Empress Dowager must be on the verge of despair."

And at that moment, the Empress Dowager was indeed in despair.

She swept the teacup off the table with a wave of her hand, her eyes red as she roared in anger.

"Why is it like this? The Emperor is the Emperor, blessed by Heaven! How could the divination possibly result in a dire omen? I don’t believe it! Do it again!"