With the eunuch's shrill voice, Qi Yunshuang stopped arguing.
Everyone present, except the Empress Dowager, bowed.
"Long live the Emperor! Long live! Long live! Ten thousand times long live!"
Qi Yutian sat on the highest seat and said indifferently, "All rise."
After Qi Yutian sat down, his gaze paused on Song Zhaoyang for a moment, and then he looked at Qi Yunshuang.
"Sister, I already know what Xue Chuzhong has done. I've already asked the magistrate of the Shuntian Prefecture to conduct a serious investigation and handle the case impartially!"
Qi Yunshuang relaxed her frowned brows, then bowed to Qi Yutian. With gratitude on her face, she said, "Thank Your Majesty for upholding justice!"
Song Zhaoyang sighed silently in her heart. It seemed that it would be difficult for Xue Chuzhong to escape this calamity!
Qi Yutian continued, "Yesterday, the Marquis of Loyalty and Righteousness brought the divine doctor back to the capital. Originally, I planned to let the divine doctor go to the princess's mansion to see you today. Since you've entered the palace, now let the divine doctor examine you right away to detoxify you as soon as possible. In this way, I and the Empress Dowager will be at ease."
Hearing this, Qi Yunshuang's expression froze instantly.
Soon, she bowed to Qi Yutian and said, "Thank Your Majesty for your concern. I'd still like the divine doctor to go back to the princess's mansion with me to take a look. By the way, let the divine doctor check on Yan'er. Since she returned to the mansion, she hasn't eaten or said a word. I'm very worried about her."
Qi Yutian said indifferently, "It's okay. After the divine doctor examines you, then let him follow you to the princess's mansion. The Empress Dowager is so worried about your health. If the divine doctor diagnoses you here in person, she can know your condition immediately."
The Empress Dowager nodded in agreement. "The Emperor is right. Let the divine doctor come."
Seeing that the situation couldn't be changed, Qi Yunshuang had no choice but to compromise.
Qi Yutian's gaze fell on Song Zhaoyang.
"Cousin, the Marquis of Loyalty and Righteousness knows that you've entered the palace. I've asked him to wait for you at the palace gate."
Song Zhaoyang said with a worried face, "Your Majesty, just now the princess was quite emotional because of Miss Ji's matter. I'm also worried that her body can't bear it. Could I leave after the divine doctor examines the princess?"
Seeing that Song Zhaoyang was so concerned about Qi Yunshuang, Qi Yutian also nodded.
Qu Yanyang followed Imperial Physician Zhuang here.
Qu Yanyang felt a bit uncomfortable and bowed to Qi Yutian and the Empress Dowager sitting on the upper seats.
"I, Qu Yanyang, a commoner, pay my respects to the Emperor and the Empress Dowager."
The Empress Dowager nodded, signaling him to rise, and then said, "Divine Doctor Qu, you've had a long and tiring journey. She is the patient. Please take a look at her."
The Empress Dowager pointed at Qi Yunshuang.
Qu Yanyang said modestly, "Empress Dowager, I'm just a wandering doctor, not any divine doctor. If I can't save the princess, then..."
Seeing Qu Yanyang speak so bluntly, Imperial Physician Zhuang was both angry and amused. He interrupted Qu Yanyang and said, "Please forgive him, Empress Dowager. He doesn't understand the rules."
The Empress Dowager wasn't angry either. She said, "It's okay. Just do your best."
Qu Yanyang smiled and said, "Okay, then I'll boldly give it a try."
Qi Yunshuang watched Qu Yanyang walk towards her, feeling extremely nervous.
She knew that Xue Chucheng had brought the divine doctor back to the capital, but she didn't expect to be asked to be examined immediately after entering the palace.
If she had known this, she wouldn't have been so eager to enter the palace.
This wandering doctor didn't seem reliable either. He should not be able to tell.
The maid placed a silk handkerchief on Qi Yunshuang's wrist.
Qu Yanyang immediately felt Qi Yunshuang's pulse.
"Huh?"
Qu Yanyang looked surprised.
Hearing Qu Yanyang's exclamation, everyone present held their breaths.
"Junior brother, what's wrong?" Imperial Physician Zhuang asked.
Qu Yanyang didn't answer but felt Qi Yunshuang's other wrist.
After a while, he said, "Senior brother, are you kidding me? She's not poisoned at all!"
Qi Yunshuang's face changed instantly. Then, she said angrily, "Nonsense! I've been poisoned for more than ten years. I've seen countless doctors. Even Imperial Physician Zhuang said that he was helpless against my poison. Yet you say I'm not poisoned!"
"Impossible. You quack! You're just a quack!"
As she spoke, she got extremely emotional and then coughed violently.
Seeing this, Imperial Physician Zhuang quickly comforted her and said, "Princess, please don't get angry!"
Then, he said to Qu Yanyang, "Junior brother, don't joke around. All the imperial physicians in the Imperial Hospital have examined the princess. This poison has penetrated deep into her bones. How can you say she's not poisoned?"
Qu Yanyang also had his own pride. He said with a straight face, "Senior brother, I've studied poisons for so many years. What kind of poisons haven't I seen? She's not poisoned, that's for sure!"
"You!" Imperial Physician Zhuang was at a loss for words.
Qi Yutian sitting on the upper seat said, "Divine Doctor Qu, you say the princess is not poisoned. Then why have so many people examined her and all diagnosed her as poisoned?"
Qu Yanyang curled his lips and said, "It's because they're quacks."
"Quacks." Imperial Physician Zhuang's mouth twitched violently.
Seeing the strange expressions on everyone's faces, Qu Yanyang sighed and said, "Go and prepare a bowl of clean water!"
Eunuch Hua looked at Qi Yutian and the Empress Dowager. After seeing Qi Yutian nod, he went to prepare it himself.
Eunuch Hua carried the clean water in.
Qu Yanyang took out a bamboo tube from his sleeve and said to Qi Yutian, "Your Majesty, this is a little thing I've raised. It likes to eat poisonous things. If the princess is poisoned, drop her blood into the water. I'll use this little thing to test it."
Qi Yunshuang's face changed instantly. Fearfully, she said to Qi Yutian, "Your Majesty, this quack actually raises Gu worms!"
Qu Yanyang was so angry that his face turned red. He said, "What Gu worms? I've said that this is a little thing I've raised. It doesn't harm people!"
"Isn't this to prove whether you're poisoned or not? I can only use this little thing to prove it to you. What are you worried about? It won't burrow into your body!"
Imperial Physician Zhuang quickly helped Qu Yanyang explain, "Your Majesty, Empress Dowager, my junior brother does raise a bug that can identify poisons. This bug doesn't harm people. It only saves people. If the princess is poisoned, this bug can also help detoxify her."
"It's not a Gu worm. It won't take people's lives."
The Empress Dowager frowned. She was still a bit resistant to bugs.
Just then, Song Zhaoyang spoke up, "It's just to let the princess shed a drop of blood to see if she's really poisoned. What is the princess afraid of?"
"Song Zhaoyang, where do you see that I'm afraid?!" Qi Yunshuang retorted angrily.
Song Zhaoyang calmly looked at Qi Yunshuang and said, "If the princess is not poisoned, it's a good thing. Logically speaking, you should be happy, right?"
Qi Yunshuang was at a loss for words. Then, she quickly retorted, "Who knows if this bug can really identify poisons? What if I'm really poisoned but misdiagnosed by this quack?"
Qu Yanyang was so angry that he laughed. He said, "If you don't want to try, then don't. I don't even want to let it out!"
"How dare you talk to me like this!" Qi Yunshuang shouted sternly.
"Sister, calm down first." Qi Yutian's eyes were dark and deep. He spoke indifferently.
He said to Qu Yanyang, "Doctor Qu, please draw the princess's blood!"