The Empress Dowager also genuinely liked Feng Jin. Seeing Feng Jin being bullied made her feel uneasy, so she immediately sided with Feng Jin and began to reprimand Chu Chenyi.
This child had grown up by her side. He used to be sensible. How could he argue with Feng Jin in public over such trivial matters, being so impatient and unable to handle things? How could he govern the realm in the future?
"Your Imperial Grandmother, please forgive me. Your grandson was momentarily agitated, which led to this verbal dispute..."
Chu Chenyi quickly admitted his mistake and begged for forgiveness. His Imperial Grandmother had shown him immense kindness. If not for her protection over the years, he would have already lost his life. In this vast imperial palace, his Imperial Grandmother was the only one who truly cared about him.
He was always obedient to his Imperial Grandmother's words and naturally dared not show any defiance, which was why he immediately sought forgiveness.
"Alas... As a prince, you must learn to remain calm and composed, to show no emotion. Like just now, you got into an argument over a trivial matter and were so relentless. It will be difficult for you to govern the realm in the future..."
She had always placed great hope in Chu Chenyi, her grandson whom she had personally raised and who was the most considerate. His education was therefore of utmost importance.
Thus, she noticed even the slightest fault and spared no effort in guiding him to correct it, all to make this child more outstanding and capable of shouldering the heavy responsibilities of the empire soon.
"Your grandson will remember your teachings, Imperial Grandmother, and will never repeat this mistake."
Chu Chenyi listened intently to every word of the Empress Dowager's teachings, repeatedly imprinting them in his mind.
"Feng Jin, this child's temper is not stable. If he dares to bully you again, tell this old woman, and I will teach him a lesson. With me here, who would dare to bully you!"
As the Empress Dowager said this, she glared fiercely at Chu Chenyi, as if warning him.
Chu Chenyi quickly lowered his head, not daring to say another word. He never expected Feng Jin to be able to coax his Imperial Grandmother into such a state. Now that even his Imperial Grandmother favored her so much, he truly dared not provoke Feng Jin anymore. In the future, when he saw Feng Jin, he would definitely avoid her, keeping as far away as possible.
As the saying goes, if you can't afford to offend someone, you can avoid them. It was better to provoke Feng Jin less. Previously, it was already difficult enough to deal with just Chu Chenyi protecting her. Now, with the addition of his Imperial Grandmother, he truly dared not provoke her.
"What's wrong, Your Highness Prince Jing? Why aren't you speaking?"
Seeing Chu Chenyi standing there in a daze for a long time, Feng Jin could no longer hold back and asked.
Chu Chenyi, who had snapped back to attention, saw Feng Jin as if she were a plague and hurriedly took a step back. His tone was unusually polite: "This prince is fine. You should do what you need to do. If you require any assistance, please do not hesitate to command this prince."
It was now Feng Jin's turn to be stunned. Why did Chu Chenyi seem so abnormal, as if he had become a different person, being so polite to her? She was momentarily unsure of how to react, only managing a somewhat foolish smile.
"I don't need any help for now. I'll call you if I do."
"Alright... If you need any help, be sure to call me immediately. Don't be polite, just command me."
Chu Chenyi wore a gentle smile, and his eyes were full of tenderness as he looked at Feng Jin. This made Feng Jin feel uneasy all over, a slight chill down her spine, and she couldn't help but shiver.
Not daring to continue conversing with Chu Chenyi, Feng Jin hurried to check Emperor Xuanwen's condition.
Feng Jin stepped forward and examined Emperor Xuanwen lying on the bed. His complexion was pale, his lips devoid of color, and he seemed to be suffering from a deficiency of qi and blood. Yet, his pulse was strong and vigorous, just like that of a normal person.
For a moment, she couldn't immediately discern the issue, which explained why the imperial physicians in the palace had been examining him for so long without finding anything.
"How is it?" The Empress Dowager anxiously stood by, her gaze fixed on Feng Jin. As soon as Feng Jin had a moment, she eagerly stepped forward to inquire.
"Reporting to the Empress Dowager, His Majesty's condition is complex, and it's difficult to ascertain anything at a glance. I need to conduct further examinations on His Majesty to determine his illness."
The Empress Dowager's brows furrowed tightly. Hearing Feng Jin's words, her anxiety intensified.
All the imperial physicians in the palace had examined him, administered medicine, and tried several prescriptions, but there was no improvement. It was out of desperation that she had sent for Chu Chenyi to bring Feng Jin into the palace, hoping she might be able to diagnose something.
Unexpectedly, Feng Jin was also unable to make a definitive diagnosis, making her wonder if the illness was truly this severe.
Just two days ago, he had been full of vigor, but overnight he had collapsed like a mountain, falling gravely ill. It was heartbreaking to witness.
"You mentioned further examinations. What kind of examinations do you intend to perform?"
Feng Jin hesitated before slowly saying, "The method I am about to propose is extremely disrespectful. I must ask for Your Majesty the Empress Dowager's forgiveness for my impending disrespect."
"Just say whatever method you have. The urgent matter now is to save the Emperor. I will forgive you for any offense."
With the Empress Dowager's assurance, Feng Jin finally breathed a sigh of relief and dared to speak: "His Majesty's condition is extremely strange and complex. Surface examinations alone cannot reveal anything, making it impossible to administer the correct treatment. I boldly propose another method that can diagnose what ailment His Majesty is suffering from."
"Speak quickly, what is the method?"
Before answering, Feng Jin kowtowed three times to the Empress Dowager, then said, "Your Majesty the Empress Dowager, please forgive me. My method is to prick His Majesty's imperial body and draw blood. I can then use the imperial blood for examination to determine His Majesty's condition."
"You mean to injure the imperial body... and draw blood?"
The method Feng Jin described was unheard of and unseen by her. She had never heard of such a peculiar approach, and the Empress Dowager was momentarily at a loss.
Hesitantly, she worried that she might accidentally harm the Emperor further, which would be disastrous.
Feng Jin stood there with a calm expression, waiting for the Empress Dowager to make the final decision. She had said all she needed to say; the final outcome depended on the Empress Dowager's will.
"Can your method truly work? His Majesty's imperial body is extremely noble; how can it be easily injured? This is a grave offense. Do not act recklessly. If it fails, your罪名 will be even greater."