Jun Mo Han had never seen such a thing and was very curious.
“What, Prince Leng, are you scared?” Leng Ruo Li teased.
“Nonsense, how could this prince be afraid of such a small needle? I’m just curious,” Jun Mo Sai retorted.
“Your Highness, don’t you know how potent this girl’s potions are? This needle she’s giving you is to prevent the spread of tuberculosis.”
Upon hearing this, Jun Mo Han glanced at her, his purple eyes deepening. Her face was covered with a cloth made of an unknown material.
He truly wondered where this woman got her strange items from, as he had never seen them before.
“Eldest Young Lady Leng, where did you get these strange things?”
Jun Mo Han, with his long, narrow purple eyes, was scrutinizing Leng Ruo Li, trying to see through her.
Leng Ruo Li, with clear and cool eyebrows, met Jun Mo Han’s gaze with grace. Jun Mo Han was almost captivated by her again.
Damn it!
This man was so damn good-looking.
Today, he was wearing a black python robe with four claws. His three thousand strands of black hair were tied up with a jade crown. His features were chiseled, his purple eyes were deep, and he was exceptionally handsome, with a tall and slender build, exuding a cold and stern aura. He was a complete heartthrob, enough to make one lose their senses.
Jun Mo Han noticed Leng Ruo Li’s infatuated gaze and felt extreme disgust. He scorned her in his heart, thinking she was just another perfunctory woman. A chill emanated from him, making Leng Ruo Li shiver and quickly snap back to reality.
She replied, “These things were left to me by my master.”
“You have a master?” Jun Mo Han looked full of doubt.
“What? Is it strange that I have a master?”
“Not strange, but when did you learn medicine, and from whom?”
“I apologize, Your Highness, but I once swore a solemn oath to my master that I could not reveal his name to anyone.”
“I’m going to give you the injection now. You’ll have to bear with the pain.”
Leng Ruo Li skillfully changed the subject.
Then, she took out a mask from her “sleeve” and handed it to Jun Mo Han. “Wear this, and you can enter to see the Empress Dowager.”
Jun Mo Han took the mask Leng Ruo Li handed him. He studied it for a long time but couldn’t figure out what kind of cloth it was made from. He glanced at Granny Fang and Physician Zhang in the inner room, who were both wearing similar cloths. He followed their example and put on the mask.
In fact, Granny Fang and Physician Zhang had been given these masks by Leng Ruo Li the day before.
When Leng Ruo Li first entered last night, Granny Fang and Physician Zhang had been wearing veils for protection. However, veils were less breathable and less effective than masks, so she had everyone in Renshou Palace switch to masks for protection. She also brought out disinfectant and had Granny Fang arrange for the entire Renshou Palace to be thoroughly disinfected.
Jun Mo Han, wearing the mask, approached the Empress Dowager’s bed. Physician Zhang, who was busy examining Leng Ruo Li’s medical kit, hurried over to bow to him.
Jun Mo Han waved his hand at him.
Then, Physician Zhang, understanding the situation, discreetly left the inner room.
At this moment, Jun Mo Han quietly looked at the elder on the bed. Her eyes were sunken, her cheekbones prominent, and she was mere skin and bones. His heart ached.
Once a graceful, kind-eyed, yet dignified elder, now reduced to this state…
How could it not break one’s heart?
“Han’er, you’ve disobeyed me again.”
The Empress Dowager suddenly opened her eyes, looked at Jun Mo Han, and said with a look of reproach:
“Empress Grandmother, Miss Leng has already given me the injection of the preventative medicine for tuberculosis. I won’t contract it so easily now.”
“Alas… your wings have grown strong; I can no longer control you.”
The Empress Dowager had rested well after her IV drip last night. Her body had recovered a lot, and her mind was clear.
Then, she looked at Leng Ruo Li with kind eyes.
“Child, I heard Han’er call you Eldest Young Lady Leng just now. Are you the daughter of Leng Jin Yu and Xia Wan Er?”
Leng Ruo Li was slightly taken aback, not understanding why the Empress Dowager would ask this.
“Replying to the Empress Dowager, this humble one is indeed.”
Physician Zhang, standing not far behind her, almost dropped his jaw upon hearing her words. He stared intently at Leng Ruo Li with wide eyes.
“You… you’re that foolish and ugly girl from the Leng family.”
Physician Zhang was so excited that he couldn’t speak for a long time.
“Hehe, Physician Zhang, please don’t get too excited, you’re old.”
“Wuwuwu… old man… can I not be excited? Everyone else called you foolish, but now I feel like we are the foolish ones.”
“Girl Leng, I recall your name is Leng Ruo Li. Your grandmother and I were sworn sisters. When you were little, I even held you. You were so cute and clever then, very likable. Later, I heard you contracted a strange illness and were disfigured. Is that true?”
Leng Ruo Li had no idea that the Empress Dowager and the original host had such a connection. However, the original host, due to long-term consumption of slow-acting poison, had experienced a decline in intelligence. She only remembered fragmented bits of many things and people. She tried to search through the original host’s residual memories but couldn’t find any memories related to the Empress Dowager.
However, it didn’t matter. If she could cure the Empress Dowager’s tuberculosis, she would have a powerful ally, which was quite good.
“Yes, Your Majesty, this humble one’s face is indeed disfigured.”
“That’s perfect. Physician Zhang is here, so let him take a look at you. A young lady’s face cannot be ruined; it can easily affect her marriage prospects.”
“Your Majesty, this humble one is a physician herself.”
As she spoke, the Empress Dowager suddenly remembered and slapped her forehead. “Look at my memory.”
“Empress Grandmother, stop fussing over her. She’s very capable. Your body has just recovered a little; you should rest well and not worry too much.”
“You brat, speaking such nonsense! From now on, Girl Leng is my granddaughter.”
The Empress Dowager playfully hit Jun Mo Han’s forehead. Jun Mo Han didn’t get angry, which surprised Leng Ruo Li a little.
“Yes, Your Majesty, you must rest well. Today, this humble one needs to give you another IV drip.”
Leng Ruo Li took out antibiotics from her medical kit again, continuing with yesterday’s medicine. She would administer it for three consecutive days and then adjust the treatment based on the Empress Dowager’s recovery.
Leng Ruo Li administered three IV drips for the Empress Dowager in Renshou Palace. The Empress Dowager’s tuberculosis gradually improved. From coughing blood to having a rosy complexion, her condition had significantly bettered. She would no longer need daily IV drips, and oral medication would suffice. A check-up every three days should be sufficient.
“Your Majesty, after this IV drip today, you will no longer need them. This humble one will give you oral medication to be taken care of by Granny Fang. Then, this humble one will come to the palace every three days to check on Your Majesty. I believe Your Majesty will recover quickly.”
“Today, this humble one needs to return to the General’s mansion.”
Unexpectedly, when the Empress Dowager heard that Leng Ruo Li was leaving, she looked at her with great reluctance. She truly liked this young girl immensely. During the days she received IV drips, the girl, fearing she would be bored, told her engaging stories every day, like “Monkey King Makes Havoc in Heaven” and “The Legend of the Condor Heroes.” She hadn’t heard enough.
Even Jun Mo Han and Physician Zhang, who visited the palace daily, enjoyed coming to Renshou Palace to listen to Leng Ruo Li’s stories. With Leng Ruo Li around, Renshou Palace instantly regained its vitality.
“Girl Leng, you must visit the palace often to see me. If anyone bullies you, you must tell me, and I will discipline them for you.”
Leng Ruo Li nodded with amusement, went to report the Empress Dowager’s condition to the Emperor, and immediately left the palace to return to the General’s mansion.