Chapter Seventy-Nine: Powerless

"Your Majesty."

After the imperial physicians had been inside for more than an hour, one finally emerged.

The four people immediately rose to their feet at the sound. The Emperor hurried forward, his voice trembling with emotion, "How is she? How is she? How is the Princess?"

Imperial Physician Hu, renowned for his skill, stepped forward, bowed, his face grave, and could only shake his head helplessly.

The Empress Dowager and the Empress, supported by palace maids, turned pale at this reaction, their bodies shuddering violently, unsteady on their feet.

The Crown Prince’s face also drained of color; he staggered back several steps.

The Emperor refused to believe it, his rage blazing, "What do you mean by shaking your head? Speak clearly, every detail! Otherwise, I will punish your entire clan!"

"Your Majesty!"

Imperial Physician Hu was so frightened he fell to his knees, answering in a trembling voice, "Your Majesty, I am utterly powerless. The Princess has been poisoned by a most unusual toxin, which spreads rapidly. It has now penetrated her internal organs, and there is no hope of saving her."

At these words, the Empress Dowager could not catch her breath and fainted once more.

"Grandmother!"

"Mother!"

The Emperor was shocked and shouted, "Someone! Help the Empress Dowager to the inner hall to rest!"

The palace maids scrambled to support the Empress Dowager inside, while several other imperial physicians quickly rose to attend to her. Upon examination, they found she had merely been overwhelmed by fright and would recover after some rest.

The Emperor breathed a sigh of relief, but he was now utterly exhausted, appearing years older. He fixed his gaze on the kneeling Imperial Physician Hu and said, "Hu, of all the physicians, I trust in your skill the most. You..."

He drew a deep breath, unwilling to accept the truth, his voice hoarse, "Is there truly... no way at all?"

Imperial Physician Hu kept his head bowed, his voice quivering with fear, "I am powerless, Your Majesty."

"No!"

Suddenly, the Empress broke free from the support of the palace maids, clutching Hu's shoulders desperately, her cry torn from deep within, "Impossible! Impossible! You must have a way! She is not yet fifteen—how can she leave me like this?! Save her, I beg you, save her, save my child!"

"Mother!"

The Crown Prince, grief-stricken, hurried forward and restrained the Empress, who had lost all reason, holding her tightly, "You must calm yourself, Mother!"

"What do we do! Chu’er, what do we do?!"

The Empress was consumed by hysteria, her hair disheveled, her face pale, sobbing inconsolably in the Crown Prince's arms—gone was any trace of her former dignity as the mother of the realm.

The Emperor’s face, too, lost all its luster. Unable to bear the sight of the Empress in such a state, he closed his eyes in anguish. Though the Empress was not the Princess's birth mother, the blood bond could not be severed, and she had always treated her as her own. If anything happened to her, the Empress would never recover from the blow—and how could he face the late Empress then?

Amidst this heavy atmosphere, Imperial Physician Hu, kneeling on the floor, fell silent for a moment. Suddenly, a spark of inspiration flashed through his mind; he remembered something, and his face lit up with hope. He raised his head, "Your Majesty, I suddenly recall there is a medicinal herb that can counteract the Princess’s poison."

No sooner had he spoken than the Emperor, Empress, and Crown Prince all showed expressions of joy, their hearts—until now gripped tight by terror—finally able to breathe.

The Emperor, overjoyed, pressed Hu, "What is this herb? I will have it fetched from the storeroom at once!"

Hu shook his head, answering solemnly, "Your Majesty, the poison afflicting the Princess is called 'Ten Days' End.' As the name suggests, anyone poisoned by it can live only ten days. During this time, the toxin rapidly infiltrates the internal organs, and the wound gradually spreads, slowly rotting the body. Throughout this process, the victim remains unconscious, but the pain endured is beyond compare. On the tenth day, the poison strikes, causing death, and the body dissolves into corpse water."