Manbao said, "We are not gods, who can restore clothes to their original state with a wave of the hand. Madam, doctors are human. And humans cherish life. Since you know that the Imperial Hospital might conceal so truths, why don’t you think about why they do so?"
She removed the herbal stick and extinguished it, then raised her head to look at the Empress Dowager, saying, "Since I joined the Imperial Hospital, colleagues have occasionally guided on how to report illnesses without offending nobles. I don’t feel malice from them, only goodwill. Even though I am a woman and it wasn’t proper for to join the Imperial Hospital or beco an official, they still cannot bear for to be punished for speaking the truth. Madam, you are a patient and also a relative. Do you truly wish for us to tell all the dical truth to patients and their families?"
The Empress Dowager opened her mouth, but couldn’t say a word for a while.
The Empress Dowager leaned back silently for a mont, and finally gestured to the senior maid.
The senior maid bowed her head to pay her respects, then stood up to lead everyone out of the hall.
Once everyone had left, the Empress Dowager leaned forward slightly to look at Zhou Man, "Setting others aside for now, I won’t force you to speak the truth about my illness. I just want to know how Yunfeng’s health is. Tell honestly, is there any problem with her pregnancy?"
She paused and added, "Speak, and I promise no harm will co to you."
Manbao then knelt on the ground, contemplated for a while, and finally stole a glance at the Empress Dowager.
The Empress Dowager was also looking down at her.
Manbao hesitated for a mont, then said, "You did say so, that no harm will co to , and also shouldn’t bla our Imperial Hospital."
The Empress Dowager frowned but nodded in agreent.
Only then did Manbao sit back on her legs and say, "Commandery Princess Yunfeng’s current pregnancy cannot be preserved."
The Empress Dowager had already prepared herself ntally, yet she still felt sad for a mont, just as she was about to ask the truth, Zhou Man began to talk earnestly, "Imperial Doctor Liu knows as well. Her pulse will be noticeable to any other doctor as well. We didn’t dare speak directly because we were afraid you and Commandery Princess Yunfeng could not handle it, so we planned to tell you gradually."
Manbao wasn’t reckless; doctor-patient relations, especially in the Imperial Hospital, have always been sothing Director Xiao and Imperial Doctor Liu warned her to be cautious about.
Therefore, she didn’t tell the Empress Dowager that they didn’t dare say it openly because they feared you’d take it out on the Imperial Hospital.
Manbao deliberated for a bit, then subtly ntioned Commandery Princess Yunfeng’s health status, "Commandery Princess Yunfeng’s base health isn’t good..."
She paused, trying hard to find the right words, and finally found a way to say it, "Madam, although the fatigue of travel is not conducive to protecting a pregnancy, it shouldn’t be the case that issues arise so early in the journey. The convoy has been taking great care of the princess..."
The Empress Dowager, seeing her hemming and hawing without ntioning the key point, couldn’t help but say, "I understand, just directly tell , what’s wrong with her body?"
Manbao worriedly scratched her head, finally rged her hands to make a lotus bud to show her, "Madam, you see, when won nurture offspring, they develop in the uterine lining, right?"
The Empress Dowager stared at her joined small hands, dumbfoundedly nodding, is this the uterine lining?
Manbao said, "Imperial Doctor Liu and I suspect that the princess’s lining is particularly thin, or that the internal environnt is poor, though the coldness is definite, so the fetus struggles to implant and develop."
Manbao sighed, "Unfortunately, this is only our assessnt; after all, we are not able to see inside with an X-ray, we can only make guesses based on the pulse condition and her complexion and tongue coat."
The Empress Dowager stayed stunned for a while before asking, "So, it’s an issue with the uterine lining, what about the next pregnancy..."
Manbao then cautiously responded, "The next pregnancy is very likely to face the sa situation. Moreover, if she loses the first and second pregnancies, future pregnancies might be difficult to maintain. Each miscarriage can cause significant harm to the mother’s body, and without caution during a miscarriage, it could result in massive bleeding..."
This is one of the reasons she’s always wanted to tell them if it’s only that this pregnancy can’t be saved, then she’d focus on treating the current situation.
But Li Yunfeng’s body is unlikely to conceive again shortly, or else, once pregnant, there’s a significant risk of another miscarriage, along with the threat of massive bleeding...
Though she dislikes Li Yunfeng, and they sowhat have a vendetta, she is also a doctor. If she didn’t know, or the other party wasn’t her patient, that would be one thing, but since she is already her patient, to conceal the truth...
If Teacher Mo knew, he’d probably be ashad to teach her, and she’d likely be ashad of her own dical ethics. Imperial Doctor Liu suggested taking it slow and subtly hinting, but in her heart, she understands Li Yunfeng’s special status, Director Xiao might not want to stir this matter.
Whether they understand after a hint or whether they accept it, that’s up to the patient.
But Manbao always felt a bit uneasy, she said, "Madam, massive bleeding can be life-threatening."
The Empress Dowager leaned back against the pillow behind her, taking a mont before regaining her composure to look at Zhou Man, "Why did you tell all this, let her... Massive bleeding, could be considered your revenge?"
Manbao said, "But in doing so, every ti I treat a patient in the future, it would remind of Commandery Princess Yunfeng, and then I’d feel uneasy internally?"
She paused, then said, "Madam, I really dislike Commandery Princess Yunfeng. She is the daughter of my parent’s killer. To her, perhaps I bear a similarly deep grudge. But when you think seriously about it, when my parents died, she was only two or three years old, and Prince of Yizhou didn’t die because of . So, between us, it’s not necessarily a matter of life and death, and there’s also that saying about when will grievances ever end."
She sighed and said, "I’ve made friends with the Empress Dowager, so why specifically harm her then?"
The Empress Dowager was still in thought, instantly pulled from her contemplation by this statent: ... since when did they beco friends?
Manbao continued, "Moreover, harming her is harming myself. Even if many people might doubt in the future, I can guarantee I never planned to harm her. Otherwise, I could have just not warned her about the dangers to her health, given her current condition. A few stressful events at the palace banquet, having a couple of drinks, and she would lose the child. She’s quite young now, and once miscarried, thrombosis is highly likely to ensue, then..."
"Alright, alright," the Empress Dowager hurriedly stopped her from listing more possibilities, and asked, "Then tell , how should her illness be treated?"
Rembering Zhou Man’s ntion of suturing earlier, alarm gripped the Empress Dowager’s heart, and she nervously asked, "Can her illness be treated?"
Manbao remained silent.
The Empress Dowager then sat up straight on the couch, staring at her face and asked, "Be honest with , can it be treated?"
Manbao sighed and said, "How to answer this... Besides myself, even Imperial Doctor Liu and Director Xiao Yuan wouldn’t dare to assure you. The best solution I can co up with is not to conceive or bear children within three years, maintaining dication for conditioning, perhaps it could recover. But Madam, she’s married into a prominent family; would her husband’s family be willing to wait for three years?"
The Empress Dowager did not speak.
User Comments
0 comments from readers