Chapter 544: Complicated Illness

Chapter 544: A Complex Condition

Ji Yuntang looked into Yuanchao's clear, pure eyes, as luminous and translucent as morning dew.

She immediately understood why Xie Liuzheng had reacted the way he did when he first saw Yuanchao.

He hadn't taken his anger out on him, nor had he hurt him, and his sympathy showed in his words.

Because Yuanchao was truly nothing like the Empress Dowager Yuan or the National Preceptor.

Perhaps it was because he hadn't grown up with them, he seemed like an innocent child, naive and completely without guile.

It was hard not to feel sorry for someone like him.

Ji Yuntang stepped forward, speaking in a deliberately gentle tone, "Young Master Yuan, may I take your pulse?"

Yuanchao looked at her, neither agreeing nor refusing, but remained unmoved.

Ji Yuntang sighed to herself. She could tell Yuanchao was on guard—he probably thought she was in cahoots with the Empress Dowager!

With no other choice, she pulled out her secret weapon: a vanilla-flavored lollipop.

"If you let me take your pulse, I'll give you this lollipop, okay?"

Yuanchao's eyes lit up the second he saw the lollipop.

He recognized that the lollipop in Ji Yuntang's hand was exactly the same as the one Xie Liuzheng had given him before.

No one knew that in his heart, he already thought of Xie Liuzheng as his first friend.

Seeing the lollipop made him feel a warm sense of familiarity.

Yuanchao nodded slightly in agreement, "Alright."

Ji Yuntang began to take his pulse, her fingertips resting on the young man's wrist, and her heart sank like a stone.

Yuanchao's illness was more severe than she had imagined—congenital heart disease with cardiac malformation, tricuspid regurgitation, pulmonary congestion, and a constant risk of heart failure at any moment.

But because of years of taking medication, his kidneys had also suffered serious damage, accumulating toxins that couldn't be flushed out, leaving his body at a breaking point.

After she withdrew her hand, Ji Yuntang asked Yuanchao, "Young Master Yuan, do you often have difficulty breathing, and do your hands and feet swell up?"

Yuanchao pursed his lips and gave a slight nod, "Yes, it's usually milder in the morning and worse at night, and my face swells up pretty badly too."

Ji Yuntang was well aware that surgery was necessary in this case—it was the only option.

Any further delay would only put his life at risk, and by then, even the gods couldn't save him.

Before Ji Yuntang could think of how to explain the condition, the Empress Dowager right away asked, "Doctor Yun, what's going on with my nephew's hair?"

Ji Yuntang's lips twitched, completely speechless.

At a time like this, the Old Witch was still worried about Yuanchao's hair!

Didn't she realize her own son was about to die?

With that thought, Ji Yuntang said, "Your Majesty, losing your hair is not a major issue—it will grow back in a while."

"What's most serious now is the issues with his heart and kidneys. It's quite complex and requires surgery to open up his chest, but the surgery can't be performed right away—it requires examination and medical evaluation."

She paused, glancing at Yuanchao, intending to stir the Empress Dowager's conscience.

Ji Yuntang continued, "Your Majesty, if you don't mind me saying so, Young Master Yuan needs to find a quiet place to recuperate. He must not overexert himself or be subjected to any stress, as fatigue and stress could put his life in danger at any moment."

"If Your Majesty truly cares for his well-being, you should respect his wishes rather than force your own will on him."

The implication was clear: the Empress Dowager should send Yuanchao out of the palace and give up on making him Crown Prince.

The palace was not a good place for him to live or recover.

Furthermore, Ji Yuntang was also thinking ahead—when the five great families arrived later, they'd likely clash head-on with the Empress Dowager and the National Preceptor in the palace.

If Yuanchao saw something like that, it would only worsen his condition.

Sending him away now would do him nothing but good.

But the National Preceptor didn't see it that way. He believed Ji Yuntang was deliberately trying to drive a wedge between their family of three.

Yuanchao's illness had been treated by imperial physicians for years, kept in check with medication—how could it be as severe as she claimed?

Moreover, Yuanchao was supposed to attend the investiture ceremony later. If he weren't present, how could the ceremony proceed?

With that thought, the National Preceptor fumed, "How dare you! A mere female physician like you dares to tell the Empress Dowager what to do?"

"If you can't treat him, just say so, and we'll find someone better. Why talk nonsense here to drive a wedge between the Empress Dowager and Young Master Yuan?"

Ji Yuntang wanted nothing more than to slap the National Preceptor across the face.

Yuanchao was really unlucky to have a dad like that.

The National Preceptor only cared about power and his own ambitions, completely disregarding his own son's health.

She snorted coldly and replied without backing down, "Whether you believe it or not, everything I've said is the truth."

"I am a physician, and I stand by what I say. But if the Empress Dowager doesn't trust me, then please seek another imperial physician to treat Young Master Yuan. I'll be going now!"

With that, Ji Yuntang turned on her heel and walked off.

The Empress Dowager furrowed her brow. She had to admit that Ji Yuntang's words had given her pause.

She loved power and authority, but she cared even more about Yuanchao's health, after all, he was her only son.

What if, as Ji Yuntang had said, Yuanchao got upset and his life was in danger?

Noticing the hesitation in the Empress Dowager's eyes, the National Preceptor felt a jolt of panic.

Damn it—could it be that the Empress Dowager had actually believed that girl's nonsense?

With that thought, he quickly pulled the Empress Dowager aside somewhere private and said to her, "Cousin, don't listen to that wild girl's nonsense. She's just making stuff up."

"Chao'er's health may be a bit fragile, but after all these years of taking tonics, they must have had some effect. We haven't been by his side all these years, and he's still doing just fine, isn't he?"

The Empress Dowager still seemed unsure, "Cousin, but..."

Before she could finish, the National Preceptor cut her off sharply, "No 'buts.'"

"Cousin, think about it. We've struggled for seventeen long years for this day. How much have you and I sacrificed during that time?"

"For you and our son, I jumped off a cliff and faked my death, ruining my face, and still coldly walked away from my parents, wife, and two children. I haven't returned to see them even once in over a decade—all because I feared you'd be upset."

"To stay by your side and help you plan, I even kidnapped the Perfected Person Lingxi from the mountain and used forbidden sorcery to trade faces with him."

"All these years, for you and for our son, how much blood have I gotten on my hands? Have you ever considered that, cousin?"

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