CHAPTER 527: CHAPTER 526: ENTERING THE PALACE AS A ROYAL PHYSICIAN, HE HAS A SPECIAL SKILL

"Her Highness the Princess really doesn’t learn her lesson," mused Yan Wanqing, shaking her head dejectedly. "The Emperor expressly warned her not to provoke Miss Su again, and yet she went and got herself injured by Miss Su—who broke her ribs no less. The Emperor forbade the Imperial Physicians from treating her, forcing the Princess to seek out common doctors among the people. What unnecessary suffering."

"Hush now, if the Princess hears you, she’ll haul you in for questioning again," whispered another.

"I truly don’t understand what deep-seated grudge exists between Princess Wuyang and Miss Su. They seem to come to blows upon every encounter..."

As Palace Maids carrying fresh change of clothes passed by Yan Li’an, they whispered among themselves.

The eunuch immediately rebuked them, and the maids quickly fell silent and hurriedly left.

Yan Li’an’s narrow eyes slightly narrowed.

Miss Su?

And who might that be...

"The Princess has been waiting inside for you for quite some time," the eunuch arrogantly threatened Yan Li’an. "Remember, no prying eyes, or it’s your head!"

Yan Li’an feigned a look of sincere trepidation, but his eyes remained reckless and unrestrained, clearly unbothered by the threat.

He followed the eunuch into the Princess’s sleeping chamber with a swagger.

A potent and heavy incense permeated the room, which Yan Li’an found suffocatingly uncomfortable.

Such poor taste in incense the Princess had, he thought to himself disdainfully.

Yan Li’an curled his lip.

He was led to a screen.

At that moment, a Palace Maid emerged from behind the screen with a red thread in her hand: "We’re in your debt, Doctor."

Yan Li’an’s handsome features and charming eyes made the young Palace Maid’s voice go shrill in an instant, her cheeks flushing red.

He looked at the red thread.

Thread Pulse Diagnosis?

Xiaoliu knew this well; he did not.

But Xiaoliu was nowhere to be found these days, having not sent any news for a long time.

Nevertheless, having seen it done enough times, he could fake the motions.

After all, it was just a broken rib—not a difficult injury to treat.

He pretended to take the pulse and, after a while, prescribed a medicine for traumatic injuries on paper: "If the Princess takes the medicine on time, she will surely recover."

The Palace Maid took the prescription behind the curtain, and soon after, a hoarse female voice called out from within.

"Drag him out and behead him."

Yan Li’an: "????"

"Why the rush to kill without a second word?" What is going on here?

If it’s a broken rib, isn’t medicine for traumatic injuries appropriate? After such effort to rely on memory to write that prescription, what kind of ridiculous Princess is this, with not a speck of reason?

The curtain inside was lifted by a Palace Maid.

A gaunt figure stepped out from behind it; she was so thin as to appear almost skeletal, her cheekbones protruding, her eye sockets hollow, and her complexion deathly pale.

"Why should I not kill you, you quack?" she demanded.

She flung a large sleeve and out flew a stone tied with a red thread.

"From a stone hanging by a thread, you conjure a prescription for traumatic injuries? You must truly be a miracle worker," sneered Chu Yu as she lowered her eyelids to adjust her wide sleeves, a mocking smile on her lips. "Could it be that you concocted this false prescription after overhearing the chatter of the court maids and eunuchs outside?"

Yan Li’an remained composed.

No one had approached to seize him yet, so he saw an opportunity for a reprieve.

"Your Highness misconstrues me—upon entering I heard your coughing, and coupled with the thick incense in the room, obviously meant to mask the smell of blood and medicine, I prescribed accordingly. Yet now, seeing Your Highness’s pallor, I fear the situation may not be so straightforward," he said, intentionally enigmatic, leaving room for doubt.

Sure enough, Chu Yu’s previously clouded gaze brightened slightly upon hearing his words.

Now, Chu Yu was willing to look directly at Yan Li’an, and with one glance, she froze in place.

She had thought that the handsome men in the world were limited to her royal brother and Xiao Pingfeng, but today, this unknown, humble physician also possessed a striking appearance.

Indeed... rather pleasing to the eyes.

Yet, she felt as if she had seen him somewhere before.

"Can you truly cure this princess’s chronic illness?" Chu Yu asked languidly.

Yan Li’an bowed with hands clasped in front: "This humble commoner will definitely give it his all." Whether he could cure her or not, he just hoped not to kill her in the attempt.

"Very well, from today onwards, you are appointed as this princess’s personal imperial physician, exclusively tasked with treating my illness," Chu Yu, having spoken more than usual today, felt somewhat tired and thus waved her hand and said, "Take him down and make the arrangements."

Watching the handsome man walk out,

Chu Yu then remembered she had forgotten to ask for his name, but it didn’t matter, there would be time in the future.

If her health was restored, it wouldn’t be unacceptable to invite this handsome physician to become a guest of honor within her chambers.

With this thought, Chu Yu felt slightly better in spirits.

Ever since she was flogged with twenty military sticks by her royal brother in Dawei three years ago, she had been left with a lingering ailment. No matter how she tried to nourish and sustain herself, her body never recovered to its previous state, and she grew increasingly frail, having lost the radiance she once had, no longer the unparalleled beauty, Princess Wuyang, of the Chu Kingdom.

"Has the royal brother come by?" Chu Yu asked the maid beside her.

The maid shook her head, her voice tinged with hesitation, "I heard that his majesty..."

"Speak."

"His Majesty went personally to find materials for forging a sword for Miss Su," the maid said while observing the princess’s expression, and sure enough, she saw her complexion darken, and she quickly lowered her head, fearing the princess’s anger might turn towards her.

Chu Yu clenched her fists, sharp nails digging into the center of her palms.

After quite a while, she scoffed, "Su Bai, you rely solely on that face which is identical to the one in the secret chamber, but the royal brother will soon tire of you, and we’ll see how arrogant you can be then!"

Some days ago, she had asked Su Bai to help catch a cat, but Su Bai had refused and became physical after a few words, pushing her and breaking her ribs.

Not only did her royal brother not support her, but he even cruelly forbade the imperial physicians from treating her injuries, leaving her to fend for herself.

Frankly, Chu Yu felt deeply disheartened.

However, being born in the imperial palace, one must learn to survive on one’s own.

"Princess, should we continue to keep a close watch on Miss Su’s every move?" the maid asked softly.

"Of course, I want to see just how long she can bask in glory," Chu Yu laid back down on her bed and closed her eyes.

It had been difficult enough when Yan Wanqing died, only for Su Bai to show up as another source of bad luck!

Meanwhile, elsewhere,

Yan Li’an followed a palace maid as they walked forward, his gentle smile inquiringly saying, "This humble commoner heard upon entering the palace that the princess had a quarrel with someone, which led to her current condition. May I know what exactly happened?"

The maid, charmed by his smile as beautiful as blooming peach blossoms, momentarily stood there, dumbfounded.

Thinking that the maid was still guarded, Yan Li’an explained, "No offense intended, but as a physician, it is natural to understand the patient’s medical history thoroughly so that one can treat the illness effectively. If the princess is suffering from an ailment of the heart, then a remedy for the heart is needed."

Only then did the maid share the recent incident involving a dispute over a cat between Chu Yu and someone else.

Yan Li’an raised an eyebrow, "Su Bai?"

Chu Qi wasn’t the hedonistic emperor rumored in the hearsay; quite the contrary, he was a man of considerable shrewdness and strategy. Why wouldn’t he favor his sister, but instead fully protect an outsider?

What kind of extraordinary abilities did this woman named Su Bai possess?

The maid, not noticing Yan Li’an deep in thought, continued on her own, "Miss Su is incredibly beautiful and kind-hearted, but for some reason, the princess always finds her disagreeable, constantly seeking trouble with Miss Su. This time, Miss Su could no longer endure and retaliated..."

Halting mid-sentence, the maid suddenly realized what she had said.

She was Princess Chu Yu’s maid; how could she speak favorably of someone else?

The maid looked at Yan Li’an with some concern, "Imperial Physician, you..."

"Don’t worry, I haven’t heard anything just now," he reassured her.

"Then, thank you so much," the maid sighed in relief. They had just arrived at the Imperial Medical Bureau, and after showing him to his residence, she promptly left.

Yan Li’an surveyed his living quarters alone; it was small but tidy.

It seemed that for the foreseeable future, he would be residing in this modest room.

He lay down on the bed, fully clothed, his demeanor carefree and unrestrained.

The name Su Bai surfaced in his mind.