After Yan Lan left, Murong Yan glanced at the nearby tree.
She had a feeling that someone had been there just moments ago, but when she looked closely, she only saw leaves rustling in the wind.
Murong Yan stared at the leaves for a long while before shifting her gaze.
The person hiding in the shadows let out a small sigh of relief.
To think that simply watching a woman had nearly led to discovery; it seemed that greater caution would be necessary in the future.
Recently, the atmosphere in the imperial palace had been extremely tense.
Xuanyuan Sheng's health had deteriorated despite taking tonics prescribed by the imperial physicians. Enraged by this, he had severely punished the entire group of doctors.
On Qi Tan's advice, Xuanyuan Sheng issued an order to search for renowned physicians, with Fukang prominently listed among them.
Fukang, who had been keeping his distance from court affairs, was now compelled to return to Shengjing promptly due to an imperial edict.
The divine doctor, who had originally wished to avoid this murky situation, now had no choice but to yield to power.
While he personally feared nothing, he wanted to continue operating the Five Elements Medical Hall in Shengjing, so he hurried back to the capital.
Qi Tan was already waiting for him at the entrance of the Five Elements Medical Hall with a group of people. Upon seeing his return, Qi Tan and those behind him were visibly excited.
They had searched every other medical hall in Shengjing, but not only had they failed to find anything, some had even tried to pass themselves off as experts.
Xuanyuan Sheng had become furious because of this, and these people had suffered as a result, either being beaten or having their salaries docked. Their lives had become utterly miserable.
"Divine Doctor Fukang, you've finally returned. By His Majesty's order, we've come to request your medical expertise," Qi Tan said.
Fukang glanced at Qi Tan. "So it's Eunuch Qi. It seems His Majesty is quite sincere."
"His Majesty has been waiting for a long time. Please, Divine Doctor, follow us into the palace."
Fukang suddenly became interested in this red-faced favorite of His Majesty. "As you wish, Eunuch. May I ask how old you are this year?"
"...This old servant is forty-five years old."
Having been a eunuch for so long, he had almost forgotten his own age.
He had sacrificed so much over the years; once everything was over, he would have to seek compensation.
Fukang looked into Qi Tan's eyes. "Forty-five? You don't look it. I'd say you're no more than thirty, it's just that your attire makes you appear older."
"...The Divine Doctor jests."
He had summoned this man to treat an illness, not to expose his identity. He suddenly felt that with this man's arrival, he might be in some danger.
He hoped that once they reached the palace, this man wouldn't speak out of turn, or he might meet his demise before accomplishing anything.
"This affair is your master's handiwork, isn't it?" Fukang said brazenly.
Qi Tan glanced at the people around them, praying they wouldn't speak out of turn.
"This old servant doesn't understand what the Divine Doctor means. My only master is His Majesty, and His Majesty certainly wouldn't harm himself. Please, Divine Doctor, be cautious with your words."
Fukang scoffed, "Oh, is that so?"
He had long since expressed his desire to stay out of this, but they insisted on drawing him in. He wasn't going to be so easily dismissed.
"This old servant speaks nothing but the truth. This matter has absolutely nothing to do with my master." Indeed, this affair was the doing of the Empress in the palace, so his words were not false.
Fukang followed Qi Tan into Yangxin Hall, where he saw imperial physicians kneeling everywhere.
Xuanyuan Sheng sat on a soft couch, his face grim.
Seeing this, Qi Tan hurriedly stepped forward. "This old servant has brought Divine Doctor Fukang as requested. Divine Doctor Fukang gained fame at a young age and is highly skilled in medicine. He will surely be able to restore Your Majesty's health quickly."
Xuanyuan Sheng sized up Fukang. Dressed entirely in black, he appeared aloof and proud. Even in the Emperor's presence, he showed no intention of bowing.
Considering that he had come to provide treatment, Xuanyuan Sheng didn't insist on protocol.
"We are grateful for the Divine Doctor's efforts."
Without a word, Fukang took Xuanyuan Sheng's pulse. Upon feeling the chaotic rhythm, he was quite surprised.
This poison was rather intriguing.
It wasn't Xuanyuan Yan's doing after all; it seemed he had guessed wrong.
The Heart-devouring Insect from the Southern Borderlands had somehow found its way into his body and was now consuming it. It wouldn't be long before it became incurable.
"Has the Divine Doctor diagnosed anything?" Xuanyuan Sheng asked.
Qi Tan also looked on with concern. "Divine Doctor Fukang, is there a way to treat it?"
Fukang explained to the two of them.
"Your Majesty has been infected with an insect poison called the Heart-devouring Insect. This is the most malevolent type of insect poison from the Southern Borderlands."
"Once the poisonous insect enters the body, it begins to devour it. At first, there are no noticeable symptoms."
"But as time passes, the insect requires more sustenance for growth, accelerating the consumption of the body."
"Eventually, when the Heart-devouring Insect fully matures, the infected person becomes incurable."
"This Heart-devouring Insect typically takes between six months to two years to fully develop. Your Majesty has only been infected for about two months, which suggests you've consumed something that accelerates the insect's growth."
"If I'm not mistaken, these substances are poisons. The poisonous insects thrive on toxins, especially the Heart-devouring Insect."
Hearing Fukang's words, Xuanyuan Sheng became alarmed, though he maintained a calm exterior.
"Does the Divine Doctor have a strategy to counter this?"
Although Qi Tan knew Xuanyuan Sheng had been poisoned, he hadn't expected it to be this severe. That woman was truly vicious.
"The solution is actually quite simple: remove the poisonous insect. However, this process is extremely dangerous. The slightest mistake could ruin everything and even result in death by poisoning. I urge Your Majesty to consider this carefully."
When faced with a life-threatening situation, no one can remain completely calm.
Xuanyuan Sheng didn't hesitate long. After all, taking a chance was better than no hope at all. "We beseech the Divine Doctor's assistance."
"Removing the insect requires some preparation. I will return to the palace in two days. In the meantime, Your Majesty should take two pills daily to slow the insect's consumption."
Fukang casually produced a bottle of pills from his sleeve and tossed it to Qi Tan.
Qi Tan caught the pills. "How should these be taken?"
"Two pills a day will suffice. I shall take my leave now." Fukang dusted off his sleeves and departed with flair.
Xuanyuan Sheng asked, "Can he be trusted?"
"According to this old servant's investigation, Divine Doctor Fukang comes from the Divine Doctors Valley and possesses considerable skill."
"Since he speaks with such confidence, he must have some assurance. Your Majesty should rest well these two days and wait for the Divine Doctor to return and remove the poison."
It was said that he had cured the master's eye condition, so his abilities must be significant. It's just that the man was difficult to fathom.
After leaving the imperial palace, Fukang headed straight for Prince Xian's Residence.
Even if this incident wasn't directly caused by Xuanyuan Yan, it was more or less related to him. Involving him in this matter meant he had to pay a price, to some extent.
Prince Xian's Residence was as desolate and lonely as ever. Fukang always found it rather distasteful whenever he came here.
"You've come."
Seeing that Xuanyuan Yan had already prepared tea in the room, Fukang knew he had anticipated his arrival.
"In just two short months, His Majesty's health has deteriorated to this extent. It seems Prince Xian's ascension to the throne is imminent."
Xuanyuan Yan knew this was a taunt, but he didn't take offense.
"It was wrong of me to involve you in this matter. Please allow me to offer you this tea in lieu of wine as an apology."
