Their eyes met, as if time stood still, but their silent communication was quickly interrupted by Physician Yu.
"I am Physician Yu, here to examine Court Lady Yan's external injuries," said Physician Yu respectfully.
"Your Majesty, Court Lady Yan's wounds have indeed healed quickly, but it is difficult to completely remove scars without leaving a trace. I don't know what medicine Court Lady Yan used to eliminate scars. Could you kindly inform me?" Physician Yu asked with a serious expression.
"Court Physician Yu, I have never been injured. How can you be so sure that I have been severely punished?" YueXi coldly looked at Physician Yu, causing him to panic.
At this moment, Physician Chu spoke up, "I am Physician Chu Xunshuang, here to pay respects to all the ladies. Since Court Lady Yan doubts Physician Yu's medical skills, why not let me take a look?"
No one stopped Physician Chu's actions, but the palace fell into silence, making YueXi also nervous.
Physician Chu quickly approached Court Lady Yan to examine her hand, but he couldn't see any flaws in her skin. However, he did find something on Court Lady Yan's body.
"Your Majesty, I have not found any traces of previous injuries on Court Lady Yan's body," Physician Chu reported.
"Physician Chu, I haven't seen you before. Who are you?" Graceful Consort Ming examined Physician Chu.
"Respecting your words, I recently entered the palace to practice medicine," replied Physician Chu.
"Court Physician Yu and Physician Chu have conflicting statements. Whom should we believe?" Concubine Yuan asked.
"Naturally, we should believe Court Physician Yu. He is highly skilled and has been practicing medicine in the palace for many years, while Physician Chu has only been here for a few years," Imperial Concubine Xu said triumphantly.
"I am aware of my limited experience, but I have treated various peculiar diseases among the common people for many years. If you don't believe me, you can ask Imperial Physician Xu," retorted Physician Chu.
When they heard about Imperial Physician Xu, the ladies started discussing. Imperial Physician Xu was known for his impartiality and had treated all sorts of peculiar diseases among the common people. His skills were widely recognized, and he quickly became the head of the Royal Physician's Office. In comparison, Court Physician Yu, although practicing medicine in the palace, had not encountered many peculiar diseases. Therefore, Imperial Physician Xu was considered the most trustworthy.
"So, you are a disciple of Imperial Physician Xu. Imperial Physician Xu is known for his fairness, so we can trust his disciple as well. Your Majesty, I have examined Court Lady Yan's hand and couldn't find any signs of injury. Combined with the previous evidence, I believe Court Lady Yan is not the palace maid who sought glory," Consort Ran said to the Empress.
"It seems that Court Physician Yu was careless. He even mistook the examination of wounds. Your Majesty, you should punish this physician," Noble Attendant An seized the opportunity to attack the Empress, causing her embarrassment.
"Court Physician Yu is elderly, and his mistake can be understandable. I request leniency from Your Majesty," Noble Attendant An offered the Empress a way out, and the Empress took it by only deducting two months of Court Physician Yu's salary.
And so, the matter was put to rest. The consorts returned to their respective palaces, while Yue Xi went back to Xizhao Tower. Chu Xunshuang went to Xizhao Tower to see Yue Xi, and as the guards let him in, he hurriedly entered the room and looked at the woman before him. Yue Xi dismissed her attendants and left only Ru Xin behind.
"Is it you, Lu'er?" Chu Xunshuang looked at Yue Xi anxiously, asking.
"Doctor Chu, you've mistaken me," Yue Xi pretended to speak calmly and replied to Chu Xunshuang.
"It's definitely you, Lu'er. I recognize the birthmark on your hand," Chu Xunshuang began to search for evidence to force Yue Xi to admit.
But Yue Xi closed her eyes and ignored Chu Xunshuang, sitting on a chair without even sparing him a glance.
"Yes, I've wronged you, but I came to find you to make amends," Chu Xunshuang said.
"Chu Xunshuang, I am no longer Lu'er. I am now Yue Xi, a consort of the Emperor. I ask you to let go of the past," Yue Xi walked to the window, turned her back to Chu Xunshuang, and spoke. These words made Chu Xunshuang regain some rationality, no longer immersed in the past, and restored the relationship between the consort and the doctor.
"I have been impolite, and I ask for forgiveness, Your Highness," Chu Xunshuang said.
"Thank you for visiting, Doctor Chu. If I have any matters, I will seek you out," Yue Xi replied.
"Yes, I will do my utmost to take care of Your Highness." After speaking, Chu Xunshuang left to avoid any further criticism.
Ru Xin had wanted to ask something, but Yue Xi saw through her intentions and began to talk about past events.
Ten years ago, Lu'er, the fox spirit that possessed Yue Xi, came to the mortal realm and encountered a young man named Chu Xunshuang. Chu Xunshuang found Lu'er in the jungle and brought her to his home, taking care of her day and night. After a few days, Lu'er woke up and got to know Chu Xunshuang. They quickly became good friends and spent beautiful moments together. During their time together, they both developed affection for each other. One night, Chu Xunshuang invited Lu'er to a tree and promised to marry her. However, their happiness was short-lived. Chu Xunshuang's father had to move to the city to make a living as a doctor, but he didn't inform Lu'er. In the end, Lu'er was left alone. As a fox spirit, her vitality gradually diminished due to her inability to gather enough spiritual energy. If this continued, her soul would scatter. Soon, Lu'er found a dying palace maid, Yue Xi, and decided to possess her body so she could preserve her own life. This led to the current situation.
As Ru Xin listened to Yue Xi's dejected words and her own past, she couldn't help but empathize.
Inside Fengyi Palace:
"Empress, the rumors have been quickly dispelled. What should we do now?" Qinglan asked with concern.
"This matter was just to suppress her arrogance," the Empress said, supporting her forehead.
"Now, the palace members are curious about which palace maid sought glory that day. How should we handle it, Empress?"
"Just find any palace maid to take the blame. By the way, have you completed the task I assigned to you?" the Empress asked.
"Empress, I've already found someone. The guards at the Pauper's Cemetery remembered that there seemed to be a figure there that night, but they couldn't see the person's appearance clearly. Empress, hardly anyone goes in or out of the Pauper's Cemetery, only the guards changing shifts from a distance. It's likely that the person they saw was her," Qinglan explained.
"In that case, Zhao Yue Xi is indeed suspicious," the Empress grew even more suspicious of Yue Xi and began planning for what was to come.
YOU ARE READING
The Palace Maid is a Fox Spirit
Historical Fiction"In the captivating novel, 'Yue Xi: The Fox's Revenge,' we follow the story of a palace maid named Yue Xi, who finds herself on the brink of death after being framed and betrayed by the Empress. However, fate takes a surprising turn when Yue Xi enco...
