The harem is too complicated; the empress, a lazy bum, wins by doing nothing.

Chapter 251 Questioning
He patiently waited until the medicine was no longer too hot and the temperature was just right before bringing it to the Empress Dowager's lips, saying, "Mother."

Shen Qingwan sighed helplessly in her heart.

Since Emperor Yuanwu had personally fed her, it seemed rather inappropriate for her to speak up and stop him at this point.

But if she didn't speak, she felt uneasy.

She didn't think that this Physician Li would deliberately harm the Empress Dowager, but she felt that there was a reason why he had been in the Imperial Hospital for so long and was still only a low-ranking Physician of the third rank.

Shen Qingwan struggled for a while, and just as she was about to speak, the Empress Dowager coughed violently again by the bedside. Just as she raised her hand to cover her face with a silk handkerchief, her hand accidentally knocked over the bowl of medicine that Emperor Yuanwu was holding.

"Empress Dowager, are you alright?" Emperor Yuanwu, disregarding the medicine stains on his robes, hurriedly reached out to support the Empress Dowager, who was coughing violently.

The Empress Dowager coughed and waved her hands, saying, "I am old and useless. I only coughed a few times and I even knocked over this medicine bowl and dirtied the Emperor's clothes. I am fine, don't worry about me. My Emperor should go and change into some clean clothes."

Hearing the Empress Dowager's words, Emperor Yuanwu said helplessly, "Mother, what time is it? How can you still care whether my clothes are dirty or not?"

Then, he yelled at Physician Li, "Hurry up and bring another bowl of medicine!"

Shen Qingwan glanced thoughtfully at the Empress Dowager.

Why did she feel that the Empress Dowager had deliberately spilled the bowl of medicine?
Emperor Yuanwu didn't hear the Empress Dowager hear what he and Physician Li had just said, but he heard every single word.

She doesn't believe that someone who is sick would hear others questioning the doctor who treated them.

She could still drink every last drop of the medicine he brewed without any distraction.

After all, no one is unafraid of death, and no one is unafraid of being treated to death!

At this moment, Shen Qingwan seemed to be certain in her heart that even if the Empress Dowager didn't completely believe her doubts about Physician Li, she believed more than 70% of them.

After all, the Empress Dowager's previous cough was only cured after she listened to her advice and moved all the potted plants in her bedroom to the courtyard.

Physician Li hurriedly stood up from the ground. When he turned around, his gaze fell on Shen Qingwan.

He originally thought that Shen Qingwan would feel a little flustered by what Emperor Yuanwu had just said, because of his recklessness.

An empress who had been in the palace for many years without being favored wanted to make a name for herself when the empress dowager was seriously ill. However, she did not consider her own abilities. She knew medicine but knew nothing else and almost harmed the empress dowager.

But at this moment, Shen Qingwan stared at him with a firm gaze, without the slightest fear, which made Physician Li shudder.

Perhaps because Imperial Physician Li kept staring at the Empress for so long, Emperor Yuanwu, who was sitting to the side, also glanced at Shen Qingwan with some curiosity.

Shen Qingwan paused for a moment, then looked towards Emperor Yuanwu.

"What?" Emperor Yuanwu looked astonished.

Shen Qingwan remained silent, but Imperial Physician Li spoke first, "Your Majesty, the Empress seems to have little faith in my medical skills. Before Your Majesty arrived, I had already taken the Empress Dowager's pulse and prescribed medicine. The Empress questioned whether my pulse diagnosis was incorrect, so she reprimanded me a few times." Reprimanded?

Shen Qingwan's cold face revealed a smile, but the smile carried a hint of sarcasm: "Physician Li, you're exaggerating. I was merely questioning you; why the reprimand?"

After a pause, Shen Qingwan continued, "Imperial Physician Li is being far too sensitive."

At this point, her gaze shifted, filled with authority, "If you panic and become flustered even when I question you a few times, does Physician Li lack confidence in his medical skills, or does he feel that the prescription he wrote for the Empress Dowager is not up to scrutiny?"

"This..." Physician Li was speechless for a moment after being rebuked. He lifted his robe and knelt on the ground, crossing his arms over his chest. "If Your Majesty and Her Majesty the Empress have any doubts about my medical skills, then I am willing to resign."

Upon hearing his words, Emperor Yuanwu's expression instantly turned troubled. Indeed, none of the imperial physicians from the Imperial Medical Academy were in the palace at this time, and the only person available in the entire Imperial Medical Academy was Physician Li.

If he were to resign at this time...

Shen Qingwan: ? ? ?

Resignation?

Threaten her?
"If Physician Li truly has such thoughts, I believe Your Majesty and Empress Dowager need not force him to stay. After all, a forced marriage is never sweet. A doctor's heart is more important than medical skills, in my opinion." Shen Qingwan's voice gradually became stern.

Emperor Yuanwu didn't think that Physician Li's medical skills were particularly good, but the Empress Dowager was in such a state that she needed a trustworthy physician.

Normally, if he wanted to leave, Emperor Yuanwu would not stop him. But now, although he was displeased and felt as if his life was being held in someone's hands, he hesitated and did not speak.

"Your Majesty," Shen Qingwan curtsied, "The Empress Dowager's health has always been taken care of by Imperial Physician Zhang. Even if the other imperial physicians in the Imperial Hospital are highly skilled, they probably don't know much about the Empress Dowager's health, what she usually looks like, or what medicines she has been using to regulate her body. Since Imperial Physician Zhang is not in the palace at the moment, it would be better to have more imperial physicians in the Imperial Hospital take the Empress Dowager's pulse and carefully consider the medications before prescribing them. Being cautious might not be a bad thing."

Emperor Yuanwu nodded. "What the Empress says is quite right."

He raised his eyes to the imperial physicians standing to one side and said, "All of you come here and take the Empress Dowager's pulse, then write down the results on a piece of paper and present them to me."

These imperial physicians usually only treated palace maids and eunuchs, and at most they would take the pulse of concubines of lower rank. They had never even served a noble lady. Yet now they were going to prescribe medicine for the Empress Dowager.

They looked at each other, hesitant to be the first to put pen to paper.

Emperor Yuanwu looked at their timid and hesitant appearance and snorted coldly, "What are you all doing, looking around like this? Why isn't any of you writing anything?"

Shen Qingwan hesitated for a moment, "Since the Emperor has asked you to write, then just write. Just record the pulse you diagnosed truthfully. If you diagnose correctly and heal the Empress Dowager, you will be richly rewarded afterwards. If you diagnose incorrectly, the Emperor will not punish you."

You won't be punished!
With the Empress's promise, the imperial physicians lowered their heads and began to write. Before long, they presented the results of their pulse diagnosis to Emperor Yuanwu.

Since no one knows the pulse diagnosis made by others, such pulse records are not only more subjective but also more authentic.

Emperor Yuanwu looked at the several medical records. The results of the diagnosis were roughly the same, but the details were slightly different.

He moved his lips, about to speak, but Shen Qingwan spoke first, "Wait a minute..."