Chapter 850: Chapter 850: It Hurts...
Divine Doctor Huang’s beard was somewhat knotted, and one of his buttons was misaligned, making him look disheveled as he continuously checked the condition of the person on the bed.
Su Ran, upon hearing this, stopped crying immediately. Her eyes, previously swollen from crying, remained puffy. She reached out, wanting to touch the person on the bed but suddenly felt timid and dared not touch. The tears she shed these days seemed to have exhausted a lifetime’s worth.
Nanny Qi pushed Pang Ya’s hand away and, trembling slightly, walked to stand beside Divine Doctor Huang. She looked intently at the person on the bed and began reciting prayers nervously, hoping the person would awaken.
Xiao Jizi and the others felt invigorated and couldn’t help but move closer, holding their breath, their eyes full of anticipation.
Everyone’s appearance was more or less untidy, as if they had rushed over in haste.
And at this moment, the Emperor stood on the outermost edge, looking the most disheveled, perhaps never having been so disheveled in his life.
His hair was a bit messy, he was still wearing his sleepwear, and he leaned against the side of the intricate moon gate. A curtain lay sprawled on the floor as if it had been torn down forcefully.
At this moment, his face was still pale, his heart pounding violently against his chest. His eyes were fixed unblinkingly beyond the crowd, staring at the person he longed for.
Just now, he had held her and whispered in her ear, not expecting that the previously calm person suddenly showed signs of decline, first uttering the words of being very tired.
He had heard those words before. Before she fell unconscious, she had said something similar, words that he remembered clearly to this day: "Father, Mother, Nannan is so tired," and then she stopped responding and fell back.
At that moment, hearing similar words again almost caused the Emperor’s heart to stop. His face instantly lost all color.
He hastily called for help, his voice hoarse and desperate, and finally heard her respond, calling him "Brother Zhao," yet she was still not awake.
Subconsciously sensing a critical moment, he promptly laid her down, not bothering to put on shoes or outer clothes, and ran out to call for help.
The people who had just returned, intending to rest for a moment, rushed over as soon as they heard the news, quickly filling the room with commotion.
At that time, the Emperor’s fear knew no bounds, making it hard for him to stand steadily. He thought the person was gone, instinctively reaching for support, tearing down the curtains between the inner chamber and the anteroom, only finding stability against the moon gate, not regaining his composure for quite a while.
The shoes on his feet were brought back and put on again by the quick-thinking Xiao Jizi.
Such an experience, akin to a brush with life and death, was something he’d never want to feel again.
Divine Doctor Huang appeared extremely excited, muttering to himself, "The pulse, and this fetal movement, along with the previous reaction, can’t be wrong. I cannot be mistaken, it must be that the spiritual blockage has broken. What a good girl! Hahaha, I said she would pull through, hahaha, see, wasn’t I right!"
Saying this, he couldn’t help but stand up, curling his beard as he laughed heartily, so happy he almost danced!
For a moment, everyone, unable to contain their excitement, quickly gathered around, and even the Emperor couldn’t care about anything else, taking several large strides forward.
Everyone focused their attention on the person on the bed, frowning as one, then looking back at Divine Doctor Huang, finally returning their gaze to the person on the bed.
No mistake, the person wasn’t awake at all, still the same as before, no difference!
The Emperor couldn’t help but lean over, reaching out to touch Lian Hua’s face, gently calling "Nannan" twice.
Lian Hua still did not awaken.
Everyone felt a wave of disappointment, turning in unison to look at Divine Doctor Huang.
"Divine Doctor Huang."
"Mr. Huang!"
The Emperor, Su Ran, and Nanny Qi spoke in unison.
Nanny Qi, representing them, withstanding her anxiety, raised her voice to ask, "Mr. Huang, you said the spiritual blockage was broken. If it was, why isn’t she waking up?"
This question voiced the sentiment of everyone present.
"Hmm?" Divine Doctor Huang immediately ceased his laughter, glanced over, and slapped his forehead: "Look at me, growing old and confused!"
He turned his head to the side and pointed with his hand: "Hey boy, quickly fetch me my medicine box, hurry!"
Xiao Linzi took off running, reacting with unprecedented speed, fetching the medicine box before anyone could decide whom to call.
He knew where it was placed because Divine Doctor Huang had shown him. When they reached the door, Divine Doctor Huang had thrown the medicine box at him to hold, and he had left it in the anteroom.
Once he had the medicine box in hand, Divine Doctor Huang took out the Silver Needles and the Emperor stepped aside.
Returning to the bedside, Divine Doctor Huang sat down and explained, "Her vitality has returned. She’s now just in a regular slumber, but her soul hasn’t adjusted back from the deep dreams yet. If we want her to wake completely, we need to use a unique stimulus."
"What unique method?" The Emperor eagerly asked.
Everyone looked at Divine Doctor Huang with hopeful and expectant eyes.
Divine Doctor Huang paused for a moment, thinking it best to clarify beforehand, "My unique method is unconventional but for the girl’s own good. Please, do not hold back when the time comes."
He gave a significant look at the Emperor, then after consideration, gave another significant look at Nanny Qi.
Although not fearing authority, Divine Doctor Huang could not afford to disregard the power of the Son of Heaven—even a mere hint of it was intimidating. Though courageous, he didn’t wish to test it, wanting instead to live for several more years.
And this old woman, with a tongue sharp enough to cut without cursing, always left him speechless and unable to refute. Over these days, he had suffered enough from it indeed.
Moreover, this old woman, who ridiculed people openly, comparing him to a streetwise soothsayer, would call him Mr. Huang with implications. When he heard her say it, it meant she meant something deeper.
The Emperor and Nanny Qi exchanged glances, not knowing what needed doing but nodding in agreement.
Su Ran spoke anxiously, "Divine Doctor Huang, please go ahead and proceed. As long as it can make Nannan wake up, we’ll not be afraid."
Divine Doctor Huang felt reassured. He rolled up his sleeves and immediately instructed them to remove the quilt as he prepared to perform acupuncture.
As soon as the first needle went in, the person on the bed frowned, a sheen of sweat instantly covering her forehead, making her appear to be in discomfort.
The Emperor’s heart skipped a beat upon recognizing that acupuncture point. It was one of the most painful points on the body. There were some covert, nefarious methods within the palace that tortured people without leaving a trace, and they would pierce these points.
Unable to restrain himself, he exclaimed, "Divine Doctor Huang, she’s in pain!"
Divine Doctor Huang remained extremely focused, not responding at all to the statement as he proceeded with the next needle.
This time, the person on the bed moved slightly, breaking out in more sweat on her forehead.
"She moved, she moved, her hand moved," Xiao Jizi couldn’t help but shout, then quickly covered his mouth, afraid of offending or disturbing.
The Emperor suppressed his heartache, falling silent, suddenly hopeful. His Little Concubine, could she be waking up now...
Su Ran and Nanny Qi, who also recognized what Divine Doctor Huang intended to do, couldn’t bear to watch, but turned back at his words, watching tensely.
Divine Doctor Huang followed with a series of needle insertions, finally prompting a faint and barely audible "it hurts..." from the person lying on the bed.