None in the Xuan Family Are Reasonable
Feng Yu Heng’s words had succeeded in capturing the Emperor’s attention, and they had succeeded in causing Assistant Minister Liu to break into a cold sweat. He had originally thought that it was impossible for Feng Yu Heng to bring up what had been said in the yard to the Emperor; moreover, given the situation in the room, it was not the time to talk about such things! Also, who had ever heard of tattling to the Emperor after just a bit of an argument?
Yet Feng Yu Heng had done just that!
She did not care about anything like the atmosphere. She just knew that the Liu family was part of the eighth prince’s faction. Getting her into the palace to treat his younger sister’s illness, there was something fishy about it, no matter how one thought about it. Concubine Liu was indeed severely sick. Her earlier preliminary examination had found that there was a problem with her kidneys, but this did not mean that she could skip over the earlier matters. She had kindly come into the palace to treat your younger sister. Instead of feeling grateful, why should your Liu family get to curse her out?
Her eye twitched, as she coldly looked at Assistant Minister Liu then very pitifully added: “His Highness the ninth prince is one of Da Shun’s dignified princes, and he is Father Emperor’s son. Why is it that saving a life is considered not acting properly? What exactly did Assistant Minister Liu’s earlier words mean? A-Heng is still unable to understand and is feeling extremely flustered.”
The Emperor had already been biased in favor of Feng Yu Heng. When he heard that the situation also involved his most beloved son, he immediately lost it. He just glared at Assistant Minister Liu but did not ask anything of him. Instead, he said to Zhang Yuan: “Come! What just happened? How is it that Our son has been acting improperly?”
Zhang Yuan did not have much of a good impression of Assistant Minister Liu. He stood on Feng Yu Heng’s side, thus he immediately repeated what Assistant Minister Liu had just said in the yard to Feng Yu Heng. The Emperor’s expression became livid, especially after the last thing that was said. That had poked at his most sensitive point: “Our son and daughter-in-law are not living properly in Da Shun? Liu Huai, you really have some good thoughts!”
Liu Huai quickly dropped to his knees and kowtowed, immediately defended himself: “Your Majesty, this is all a misunderstanding! This official misspoke and had been angered by what His Highness the ninth prince had said! You don’t know it, but His Highness the ninth prince said…”
Before he could even finish speaking, the Emperor immediately flared up: “You’re a standard third rank official of the court, and Our son is a member of the imperial family! A prince! What, can he not say a few words about you? Then if We curse you as being a bastard, would you then respond with your own curse?”
Liu Huai trembled with fear on the ground, as he mentally cursed Feng Yu Heng millions of times, but the Emperor was in the middle of being furious. He did not dare say anything. After all, what he had said was right. If a prince cursed you, what right do you have to retort? Had things been flipped?
Feng Yu Heng continued to play pitiful: “Assistant Minister Liu naturally does not dare curse His Highness the ninth prince, but he is such a bully toward a young wife.”
“He dares!” The Emperor exploded and immediately stood up. Extending his hand, he pointed at the unconscious and severely ill Concubine Liu, loudly saying: “This is your younger sister, your own younger sister! A-Heng came into the palace to treat your younger sister’s illness. You don’t express gratitude and instead use such vile words to deride her. Just how cruel and unscrupulous is your Liu family? As We see it, you don’t really have much intention to have Concubine Liu treated. Urging Us to bring A-Heng in to examine Concubine Liu was most likely to criticize her, right? Don’t think that We don’t know. Back then, your father had many complaints about Imperial Concubine Yun and tried numerous times to have Us chase Imperial Concubine Yun out of the palace. Today, We will repeat what was said to your father at that time, so listen well. Which concubines are favored and which are demoted is my family matter. There is no room for you lot in the courts to make bluffs and threats over! We are Da Shun’s ruler. If even Our family matters are being controlled by the officials, the world’s matters might as well be left to you!”
The members of the Xuan family had never been reasonable. The Emperor was not reasonable, and his sons were even less reasonable. Back then, the Emperor really had said this to Minister Liu in court, nearly causing Minister Liu to faint in fear. Today, those same words were spat at Liu Huai, and he immediately broke into a cold sweat. Not only was he afraid, but he was also very frustrated with his earlier outburst. He had managed to get Feng Yu Heng into the palace to treat Concubine Liu. Why was it that he could not hold back? If the eighth prince found out that things went wrong because of him, he was worried that he would be unable to provide an explanation!
Liu Huai gritted his teeth and frankly kowtowed toward Feng Yu Heng while saying: “Would Princess Yu please hand down punishment. This official had misspoken earlier because of Her Highness Concubine Liu’s illness causing me to feel anxious. This official wishes to kowtow and apologize to Princess. Would Princess not blame this official.” As he spoke, he kowtowed another two times.
Feng Yu Heng did not say anything, but the Emperor’s anger had not been reduced, as he said to Feng Yu Heng: “A-Heng, you can leave the palace! It was Father Emperor’s mistake and should not have called you into the palace. Everyone in the Liu family is a thankless ingrate. This sort of person is not worth pitying. Since Concubine Liu’s illness can no longer be treated by the imperial physicians, her illness should have been fatal. Nobody can be blamed. Go on! There’s nothing for you to do here.”
Upon hearing that the Emperor would have Feng Yu Heng leave the palace, Liu Huai lost it and really began to tear up. He crawled forward a bit along the ground and endlessly sobbed, saying very pitifully: “Your Majesty please show some grace! I’m begging Your Majesty to show some grace! I beg Your Majesty, on the years that Concubine Liu has remained at Your Majesty’s side, you can’t just watch her wait to die like this! Princess Yu is a divine doctor with miraculous abilities. She is definitely able to save Her Highness Concubine Liu’s life. I beg Your Majesty to not abandon Concubine Liu!”
Feng Yu Heng looked at him like this and suddenly asked: “Precisely which imperial physician was it that told Assistant Minister Liu that this princess could treat this illness? Even if I am a divine doctor with miraculous abilities, I am not a deity. How can you be so certain that this princess can treat her?”
Liu Huai froze for a moment then spoke through sobs: “This official had just heard about it after court was dismissed. As for precisely which imperial physician, this official cannot recall clearly. At that time, I had just been thinking about getting treatment for Her Highness, and my mind was a mess. But Princess Yu being a divine doctor is something known around the world. Princess is a great and magnanimous person, so please do not argue with this official. I beg princess to save Concubine Liu!” Liu Huai had gone ahead with it, repeatedly kowtowing. His head thunked with each one. Where was that appearance of going tit for tat from earlier in the yard?
Feng Yu Heng looked at him and thought of the eighth prince. Sure enough, they were people of the same faction. Sure enough, this was someone that could go ahead and help the eighth prince. He could bring something up when it was mentioned, and he could let go of a matter just as easily. He was able to naturally pick things up and let them go. She smiled and said to the Emperor: “Father Emperor, please don’t get angry. Your health is most important. Assistant Minister Liu is right. Even if we ignore the Liu family, in any case, we need to think about Her Highness Concubine Liu! Daughter-in-law is a doctor. Seeing her like this, I feel quite bad. Please allow daughter-in-law to take a look at Her Highness Concubine Liu first. As for Assistant Minister Liu…”
“Hmph!” The Emperor waved his hand: “Scram! You don’t have much sympathy for your younger sister. From this day forward, you are no longer allowed to come and check up on her. Scram!”
With the Emperor getting angry, Liu Huai retreated without saying a single thing for fear of needing to leave his head behind if he was even a bit slower. With him leaving, the aura of anger surrounding the Emperor dissipated a bit. He then took a look in the direction of the bed. He could not help but sigh and say: “A-Heng, just take a look at her! In any case, she accompanied Us, but We never thought of coming to visit her even once over the years. Who knew that when we would meet once more, she would end up like this.” He felt a bit emotional, and there were all kinds of emotions on his face.
Feng Yu Heng understood the feelings of the elderly. She also thought of treating Concubine Liu’s illness. While treating it, she would see precisely what sort of vile plan the Liu family had thought up with the eighth prince. Thus she did not say anything further and turned around to sit back down on the bed. She picked up Concubine Liu’s wrist once more and had roughly confirmed her illness after a short period of time.
“It’s her kidneys that are failing.” She said to the Emperor: “Father Emperor, Her Highness Concubine Liu has a kidney ailment. There is a reduction in kidney function, which led to her kidneys failing. It’s already in its late stages. Although the great imperial physicians had different methods, the result was roughly the same. To them, this sort of situation is hopeless.”
The Emperor looked at Feng Yu Heng and noticed her very deliberate choice of words: “You mean to say that it’s hopeless for them, but to you, she can still be saved. Is that right?”
Feng Yu Heng shook her head and said: “It’s not that she can definitely be treated. It’s just to say that daughter-in-law is not completely hopeless. There are some methods that can be tried, but the treatment is extremely difficult, and there is no guarantee that it will succeed.”
“That it can be treated is better than waiting to die.” The Emperor sighed and said, “A-Heng, you don’t know it, but while We have not thought about the many concubines of the imperial harem for many years, there are still some feelings from the past. They entered the palace, which means that they will never be able to leave. There are some that had sons, which allows Us to feel a bit more at ease, but to those without children, they will remain alone in this palace until they grow old and die. We do Our best to come up with ways to make it up to them in different areas. That’s why their family members were promoted to officials. We also understand that doing things like this is improper, but there’s nothing that can be done. We truly cannot favor anyone after meeting Pian Pian. It feels too disgusting.”
The old emperor did not ask Feng Yu Heng what the method was. He just sat on the chair and reached out to feel her face. In just this one moment, it was as though all of the years had been touched. The sight even caused Feng Yu Heng to feel a bit choked up.
Zhang Yuan was worried that his mood would affect his health, thus he quickly advised: “Your Majesty has already done everything that can possibly be done. Which dynasty’s imperial harem did not have such a situation? Who can guarantee that the ruler’s loved ones would always be around? Could it be that those concubines that had lost favor were no longer alive? If it really was brought up, Your Majesty has treated the imperial harem quite well. At the very least their families had been given good positions. If it was still like it was from 20 years earlier, allowing them to compete for favor, who knows how many of them would have died?” But the families that had been provided with good positions did not know what was good for them.
Zhang Yuan was reasonable, and the Emperor understood it; however, there was a hurdle that his heart could not get over. In the end, he was not a heartless person. If he truly could be completely heartless, the imperial physicians had already announced this person’s condition. He could not possibly have called Feng Yu Heng into the palace to examine her. He glanced at Feng Yu Heng and finally asked: “The method that you mentioned, what is it?”
Feng Yu Heng indifferently said: “Kidney transplant.”
“What?” The Emperor was stunned, “Kidney transplant?” After saying this, he subconsciously felt at his own lower back. In the end, he was someone that had enjoyed martial arts in his youth. He had a certain degree of understanding of human anatomy, and he very accurately located his kidneys. After finding them, he asked with a great deal of fear: “Can these things be swapped?”
Feng Yu Heng nodded, “Daughter-in-law will personally take care of the surgery. It can be done. But kidney transplants have extremely great risks and certain requirements. First, a suitable kidney needs to be found. It needs to be a match with the patient’s kidney. Only like this can the greatest risk of rejection after the transplant be avoided. From there, she will begin to recover. Following that, even if a suitable kidney is found, it does not mean that the transplant will be completely successful. There is still a certain risk of rejection. That sort of outcome would be considered a failed operation, and the patient would remain without hope.”
The Emperor was completely dazed from hearing this, a kidney transplant! His daughter-in-law really dared to do anything, “But the suitable kidney…”
Feng Yu Heng revealed a ghastly smile: “Naturally, it would be easier to find from someone related to her…”