Yun Chu Ling

Chapter 85: Capable of Conceiving a Child

Yun Chu had long heard of Divine Doctor Si's reputation.

He became famous in his thirties, having served as a court physician for several years. However, yearning for a carefree life like "wild cranes among fleeting clouds," he resigned at forty to wander freely.

He returned to the capital approximately every three to five years to check the pulses of the imperial family. Of course, he would also take this opportunity to earn some extra income, staying in the capital for about half a month each time.

Yun Chu followed Lin Shi into the temporary clinic where Divine Doctor Si was practicing.

While everyone knew the divine doctor's name, few were aware that he was practicing here. Upon entering, the interior was exceptionally quiet.

"This must be Lady Xie," Divine Doctor Si stroked his beard, looking at Yun Chu. "Judging by Lady Xie's complexion, you don't appear to be someone incapable of bearing children. Let this old man check your pulse first."

After speaking, he gestured for Yun Chu to sit down and expose her wrist.

Yun Chu performed a slight curtsy and said, "Thank you for making this trip, Divine Doctor Si. However, it's not for my pulse reading, but for another person."

Upon hearing this, Lin Shi's expression changed dramatically: "Chu'er, what nonsense are you speaking? Do you know how busy Divine Doctor Si is? Do you understand how difficult it is to secure a pulse reading with him..."

"Mother, please don't be angry," Yun Chu said quietly. "I've never considered having more children. Why trouble the divine doctor with meaningless matters?"

She gave Ting Shuang a look, who turned and went out, leading someone inside.

Lin Shi looked over and saw a person wearing a black cloak with a black veil hat, making it impossible to distinguish whether they were male or female.

The person seemed somewhat nervous upon entering, until Yun Chu spoke: "Young Master Wu, come forward. Remove your hat and let Divine Doctor Si examine you."

Young Master Wu stepped forward and extended his hand. When Lin Shi saw that hand, she recoiled in fright. What kind of hand was it? Blackened skin, bulging blood vessels, covered with round fleshy growths—the largest of which was the size of an infant's fist, broken open and still oozing pus...

When the veil hat was removed, Lin Shi was so terrified she nearly fainted, not daring to look even once.

"This..." Divine Doctor Si's gaze tightened as he extended his index finger to check Young Master Wu's pulse. "You... you're from the Wu family!"

Young Master Wu's eyes showed disbelief: "The divine doctor knows of the Wu family?"

Divine Doctor Si nodded: "Over forty years ago, the Wu family sought out my master, asking him to treat their unique hereditary illness. Unfortunately, my master's abilities were limited at that time. He only prescribed some formulas to control the condition before leaving the Wu family. However, throughout these years, my master never ceased researching this disease and passed all his research findings to me. I've refined the treatment methods based on my master's work... But when I went looking for the Wu family over twenty years ago, I received unfortunate news that all members of the Wu family had died."

Tears streamed from Young Master Wu's eyes: "In the entire Wu family, only I have managed to cling to life until today..."

Neither human nor ghost, he had lived for over twenty years.

If not for his mother's insistence that he keep living, he would have ended his life long ago.

"I've found a breakthrough for your Wu family's illness," Divine Doctor Si said. "However, thinking all Wu family members had perished, I stored the treatment records at my old residence in Qingzhou. After I finish treating Her Majesty the Empress, accompany me to Qingzhou."

Hope appeared in Young Master Wu's deathly still eyes: "Thank you, Divine Doctor!"

He directly knelt on the ground and kowtowed.Divine Doctor Si helped him up: "This illness is difficult to treat. After going to Qingzhou, you'll need to stay there for at least five to ten years for treatment. If you have any matters to settle, resolve them as soon as possible during this time, then come with me."

Young Master Wu quickly nodded and withdrew.

Yun Chu took the box from Ting Shuang's hands and handed it to Divine Doctor Si: "This is the consultation fee for Young Master Wu's treatment."

The pulse diagnosis fee was five thousand taels of silver, and she had additionally provided ten thousand taels for treatment expenses. Since she had obtained the Wu family's ancestral hot spring, she felt responsible for seeing Young Master Wu's treatment through.

Unexpectedly, Divine Doctor Si waved his hand: "Over forty years ago, my master already received payment from the Wu family. I won't accept payment a second time. Moreover, I have personal motives - if I successfully treat Young Master Wu, when I meet my master in the afterlife a hundred years from now, I'll be able to hold my head high before him."

Since Divine Doctor Si insisted on not accepting payment, Yun Chu had no choice.

Fortunately, Young Master Wu's illness could be treated, which was better than anything else.

After resolving Young Master Wu's matter, Yun Chu prepared to take her leave.

Divine Doctor Si spoke up: "This old man was ordered by Her Majesty the Empress to examine Madam Xie. Does Madam Xie wish for this old man to defy the Imperial Decree?"

Lin Shi pressed on Yun Chu's shoulder, forcing her to sit down, then rolled up her sleeve for the divine doctor to examine her pulse.

Divine Doctor Si placed his index finger on Yun Chu's wrist and said: "There are some symptoms of uterine coldness, but not severe. Although there's some qi and blood stagnation, with proper regulation, conceiving a child shouldn't be difficult... Has Madam Xie and Lord Xie not shared intimacy in the past year?"

Yun Chu's expression stiffened.

Could the divine doctor even detect this?

Divine Doctor Si withdrew his hand and picked up a brush to quickly write a prescription: "Follow this prescription to prepare medicine. Persist with the treatment for three months to completely cure the uterine coldness. Then, increase the frequency of intimacy, and you'll be able to conceive."

Lin Shi took the prescription, treasuring it as if it were priceless, and tucked it into her sleeve before taking out a thick stack of banknotes from her sleeve to hand over.

This time, Divine Doctor Si didn't refuse, accepting the banknotes and casually stuffing them into his medicine chest.

After leaving the medical hall, Lin Shi sighed: "We consulted so many doctors before, all saying your infertility was incurable, that you'd never conceive in this lifetime... In reality, it wasn't your problem at all. Those incompetent physicians simply lacked skill. See, with just one examination by the divine doctor, we understand why he's called divine. From now on, you'll be able to have your own children."

Yun Chu showed no expression on her face.

Mother and daughter boarded the carriage one after another. Once inside, Lin Shi finally asked: "Has Jingyu not visited your chamber for a whole year?"

Yun Chu didn't want to answer this question at all, deflecting instead: "Is Sister Ran's dowry fully prepared?"

"Chu'er!" Lin Shi raised her voice, "Tell me, is what the divine doctor said true?"

"Mother, why do you need to know these things?" Yun Chu pinched the bridge of her nose, "My husband and I are harmoniously married, with sons and daughters. Our life is quite comfortable. There's no need for you to worry about me."

Lin Shi's breath caught.

The more she claimed life was comfortable, the less comfortable it likely was.

She hardly dared to imagine why Chu'er wouldn't want a child of her own.

Was it that Chu'er didn't like children? No, Chu'er treated the several concubine-born children as her own - she couldn't dislike children.

Then it could only be that Xie Jingyu was unwilling to have a true legitimate heir with Chu'er."Alright, I won't ask anymore." Lin Shi lifted the carriage curtain to look outside. "Look, that silk shop is part of the dowry I prepared for Sister Ran. Would you like to go take a look and pick out some fabric to make a few new outfits?"

Just as Yun Chu was about to speak, she noticed another carriage passing by theirs.

She recognized it as a palace carriage.

Lin Shi glanced at it and remarked, "Yin Pin has sent someone to invite the Second Miss of the Tan family into the palace. It seems they're considering her as a potential Princess Consort for Prince Pingxi."