TGPSAC – Chapter 2

Chi Wan subconsciously avoided Yu Jiuzhou’s gaze. The hatred in those eyes was simply too astonishing.

In her past life, she was an academic researcher, primarily studying ancient medicinal formulas, as well as tui na massage and acupuncture. She combined this with modern traditional and Western medicine to improve upon those formulas.

She had completed her master’s and doctoral degrees consecutively. Her grandmother had been a Daoist priestess and was highly skilled in traditional medicine. Lacking a medical license, she had passed down all her lifelong knowledge to Chi Wan.

To be invited to the national traditional medicine conference at such a young age was a testament to her skill. However, she was a typical academic, rarely interacting with others unless it concerned her professional field.

Before the Grand Princess’s gaze, which seemed forged from mountains of corpses and seas of blood, she felt as if she were utterly exposed.

She decided to stop looking at Yu Jiuzhou and said in a low voice, “I’ll go get someone.”

Yu Jiuzhou’s exquisite face was filled with disbelief. She could only think that Chi Wan had some other scheme in mind. A person audacious enough to spread rumors about the Grand Princess and even drug her—how brazen must they be? Having succeeded once, such a person would not give up so easily.

This scum was a hypocrite, skilled at being two-faced. There was no telling what she would do next. Today, Yu Jiuzhou had been careless. But once today was over, Chi Wan, and anyone behind her, would die.

Chi Wan wanted to explain further, but Yu Jiuzhou had only managed to endure this long thanks to her formidable willpower. If this continued, her glands would probably be burned out.

Chi Wan hesitated no longer. She turned, walked out of the inner chamber, opened the door, and called to a maidservant not far away, “Someone, quickly!”

When the maidservants outside saw it was her, their eyes all widened in surprise.

One of them immediately stepped forward, her suspicious gaze fixed on her. “Fuma? What are you doing here?”

She then gave a meaningful look to another maidservant, who quickly entered the room.

This courtyard was where Yu Jiuzhou lived, and her predecessor had never been allowed near it.

A few days ago, the matter of the Princess never summoning the Fuma had somehow reached the censors. A meddlesome censor had impeached Yu Jiuzhou, so her predecessor had been temporarily moved into a corner of this courtyard, only to be moved out again once the storm blew over.

But the place her predecessor lived was hundreds of meters from the main building. How could she have appeared in the heated chamber?

Seeing a maidservant go inside, Chi Wan didn’t stop her. She spoke quickly, “The Princess is unwell. Prepare a bucket of hot water, just for soaking her feet. Make the heated chamber warmer to induce sweating.”

As long as she sweats enough, the toxins will be expelled from her body. This should be supplemented with some medicinal soup to clear heat and detoxify.

The formula for clearing heat and detoxifying needs to be gentle. Soaking her feet to induce sweating will also cause internal heat, so medicinal herbs must be added to the water as well.

“Where is the pharmacy? Take me there.”

Just as Chi Wan finished speaking, the maidservant inside shouted, “Sister Chun Gui, come quickly!”

Her tone was alarmed, but she didn’t say what was wrong. Chun Gui paid Chi Wan no mind and hurried into the room.

No one paid any attention to Chi Wan. She had no choice but to run out of the courtyard, searching for the pharmacy based on her predecessor’s memories. The Princess’s Residence was quite large, so she simply broke into a run.

Those who saw Chi Wan running through the Princess’s Residence all made way for her, then began whispering after she passed.

“Has the Fuma gone mad? How can she act with such a lack of decorum?”

“Keep your voice down. She is a master. No matter how much we dislike her, we can’t speak of her like that. If she heard, she might beat us to death.”

Her predecessor’s life in the Princess’s Residence had basically been a straight line from the main gate to her own courtyard. She wasn’t very familiar with many places, only having a rough idea of their locations.

Chi Wan had to grab a servant and ask, “Hello, do you know where the pharmacy is?”

The person waved their hands in terror, not saying a word.

Chi Wan was in the western part of the front courtyard of the Princess’s Residence. The resident imperial physician was here, so the pharmacy must be here as well. But no matter whom she asked, they just waved their hands and said nothing.

The few people she asked were good at feigning ignorance, but she could still see the disdain and disgust in their eyes.

It seemed her predecessor was deeply disliked in the Princess’s Residence. The place was clearly close by, yet no one would tell her where it was.

Just as Chi Wan was about to search room by room, someone ran in from outside, shouting, “Imperial Physician, Imperial Physician! Quickly, go see what’s wrong with the Princess!”

An elderly female Qian Yuan ran out from inside. “Quick, get my medical kit.”

A Qian Yuan? Thinking of the heated chamber filled with Yu Jiuzhou’s scent—the scent of a top-tier Kun Ze was not something just anyone could withstand—Chi Wan shouted, “Stop!”

“Is there a Kun Ze physician?”

The maidservant thought Chi Wan was being particular about the distinction between Qian Yuan and Kun Ze. “Where are we supposed to find a Kun Ze skilled in medicine right now? The Princess is already unconscious! Why is the Fuma still fussing over such things? If anything happens to the Princess, we will all die.”

This concerned Yu Jiuzhou’s reputation, so Chi Wan couldn’t speak plainly. She could only say forcefully, “I will take full responsibility for this matter and will not implicate anyone else. But if something happens after the Imperial Physician goes inside, then it will be your fault.”

Who would have thought that even after she said this, the maidservant would still disagree? She merely bowed to her. “If something happens to the Princess, the Fuma cannot bear the responsibility.”

The maidservant led the Imperial Physician away. Chi Wan’s attempt to stop them failed, so she hurried to the pharmacy. Fortunately, the drawers containing the medicinal herbs were all labeled.

As someone who had earned a doctorate, her memory was quite formidable. After a quick scan of the medicines, she suddenly realized her memory had become almost eidetic. She could immediately and accurately locate the herbs she had just glanced at.

This greatly increased her efficiency. Chi Wan quickly gathered the herbs and ran back.

She had just reached the courtyard when she heard Chun Gui giving an order, “Xia Qu, come carry Her Highness to the Cold Spring.”

Chi Wan rushed forward. “Didn’t I tell you? She needs to sweat! The Cold Spring might neutralize the poison in her body, but it will also harm her. Do you want to turn her into a cripple?”

Drinking iced water in summer can relieve heat, but it harms the stomach. For the human body, this damage accumulates over time. But to put Yu Jiuzhou into a freezing Cold Spring, and for a bath no less, was simply courting death. Even if Yu Jiuzhou survived, she would be ruined.

A physician’s heart is benevolent. Even if it weren’t for her own life, Chi Wan couldn’t just stand by and watch them act so recklessly.

The Imperial Physician stood to the side, sweating profusely with anxiety. She had just rushed over and hadn’t even had a chance to examine the Princess when she saw Chun Gui and the others about to plunge her into the Cold Spring. If anything went wrong, she, the Imperial Physician, wouldn’t live to see another day.

“The Fuma is right! You mustn’t, ladies!”

“It is Her Highness’s command. We dare not disobey.” Xia Qu looked at Yu Jiuzhou’s crimson skin. The moment she touched the Princess, she recoiled from the heat.

She was burning up like this. Of course, the fever must be brought down first.

Xia Qu hoisted Yu Jiuzhou onto her back and was about to head for the Cold Spring. The old Imperial Physician was swaying her head, seemingly affected by the scent. Chi Wan took out a few mint leaves and placed them on the old physician’s nose.

Chi Wan grabbed Yu Jiuzhou’s hand, forcefully stopping Xia Qu. Then she said to the Imperial Physician, “Elder, you should go back first.”

It was a good thing the old physician hadn’t entered the heated chamber. If she was like this in an open space, something would have definitely happened in the heated chamber.

“What is the Fuma doing? You won’t let Her Highness go to the Cold Spring, and now you’re sending the Imperial Physician away. Does the Fuma want to watch Her Highness die?” Xia Qu demanded sharply, her temper indeed as fiery as the summer sun.

But Yu Jiuzhou’s condition was critical. Chi Wan had no time to explain. She raised her voice and declared forcefully, “I am the Fuma, the second master of the Princess’s Residence! The Princess is unconscious, so I am in charge of everything here. If anyone dares to disobey, don’t blame this Fuma for being discourteous!”

Chi Wan hadn’t even gotten used to her identity as the Fuma, yet she was already using it to assert authority. She strode into the room, drew a short sword that was lying on the table, and pointed it directly at the crowd.