Killer Queen: Tyrant, prepare to die!

Chapter 27 My prescription caused a sensation in the Imperial Medical Academy! Even the imperial physicians came to kneel and beg to become my disciples?

It's the 28th day of the twelfth lunar month, and there are only two days left until the Lunar New

The palace was decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations everywhere—except for the Cold Palace, of course.

Shen Qingci sat in the room, a pile of medicinal herbs spread out in front of him. Angelica, astragalus, aconite, dried ginger... these were all secretly sent by Physician Chen yesterday.

She is preparing the antidote.

The antidote for "the death of a beautiful woman".

It's not the kind that can be eradicated—eradication requires the ice-melting grass from Xiling, which she can't get for the time being.

But at least it's a remedy that can suppress the toxicity for six months.

This is the limit of what she can do.

"Your Highness," Jinshu squatted down beside her, looking at the medicinal herbs, "Can all these herbs really cure the poison in your body?"

"It can't completely cure it." Shen Qingci didn't even look up, precisely weighing the medicinal herbs with the small weight in his hand. "But at least it can prevent the poison from taking effect, buying me some time."

time.

What she lacks most right now is time.

My baby is already six months old and will be born in three more months.

She must prepare her body to a level where she can safely give birth before she is born.

Before that, we must prepare enough trump cards to deal with any attack that Princess Rou might launch.

"Three qian of Panax notoginseng," she read aloud, placing the weighed herbs into the stone mortar.

Jinshu quickly helped grind the powder.

The master and servant were busy when suddenly hurried footsteps came from outside the door.

It wasn't the steady gait of Eunuch Li, nor the cautious steps of Xiao Luzi.

The footsteps were fast and heavy, and carried a hint of...excitement?

Shen Qingci raised her head.

The door was pushed open, and Physician Chen rushed in—he really rushed in, without even knocking.

He was wearing a brand-new imperial physician's uniform, his face flushed with excitement, and he was carrying a large cloth bag in his hand.

As soon as he entered the house, he knelt down with a thud!

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty's kindness is boundless!" He kowtowed three times, his voice trembling, "This humble official will never forget Your Majesty's kindness in this lifetime!"

Shen Qingci and Jinshu were both stunned.

"Doctor Chen, what's wrong with you...?" Shen Qingci put down the medicinal herbs in her hand.

Physician Chen looked up, his eyes shining brightly: "Your Majesty! The alcohol disinfection method you taught me—it's miraculous! Truly miraculous!"

It turned out that three days ago, Physician Chen used the distillation method taught by Shen Qingci to produce a small bottle of simple alcohol.

That very day, the Imperial Hospital received a difficult case—Consort Rong had developed a carbuncle on her leg, which had ulcerated and become infected, and she had a persistent high fever. Several imperial physicians from the Imperial Hospital had examined her and used various wound medicines and swelling-reducing powders, but none of them worked.

The Imperial Censor Liu (a member of the Liu family) even said that amputation might be necessary, otherwise his life would be in danger.

Consort Rong cried her heart out.

Physician Chen was also present at the time. Seeing Consort Rong in such a state, he couldn't bear it. Remembering Shen Qingci's suggestion of "alcohol disinfection," he secretly went to treat Consort Rong, hoping against hope.

He cleaned the festering wound with alcohol, squeezed out all the pus, and then bandaged it with clean cloth strips.

A day later, Consort Rong's high fever subsided.

Three days later, the wound began to close and scab over.

This morning, Consort Rong was able to get out of bed and walk!

"Her Highness Consort Rong rewarded me with one hundred taels of silver! And...and she said she would promote me!" Physician Chen was so excited he could barely speak. "I've been in the Imperial Hospital for over ten years, and I've never...never been so highly regarded!"

Upon hearing this, Shen Qingci smiled slightly and said, "Congratulations, Physician Chen."

"No! It is Your Highness who should thank me!" Physician Chen kowtowed again. "If it weren't for Your Highness's guidance, I would have remained an insignificant, low-ranking physician for my entire life! I will forever remember Your Highness's kindness!"

As he spoke, he opened the large cloth bag in his hand.

It's full of medicinal herbs.

Moreover, they are all high-quality medicinal materials—top-grade wild ginseng, lingzhi, deer antler, and even a small box of bird's nest.

"These were bought with my reward money, and some were given to me by Consort Rong," Physician Chen said, pushing the cloth bundle in front of Shen Qingci. "Your Highness, please use them as needed! I can get more later!"

Shen Qingci looked at the medicinal herbs and a thought struck her.

With a stable source of medicinal herbs, her plan could proceed more quickly.

"Physician Chen," she began, "I appreciate your kind gesture. But there's one thing I'd like to ask you—"

"Your Majesty, please speak!"

"Consort Rong has recovered. Has Imperial Physician Liu said anything about it?"

The agitation on Physician Chen's face subsided somewhat, revealing a hint of unease: "Director Liu... is very unhappy. He asked me what prescription I used, and I didn't dare to tell the truth, only saying it was a family-inherited folk remedy."

Shen Qingci nodded: "You did the right thing. The method of disinfecting with alcohol must not be revealed for now. Especially not to the Liu family."

"Your Majesty, I understand!" Physician Chen nodded emphatically. "Your Majesty, rest assured, I will not tell anyone!"

"However," Shen Qingci changed the subject, "this method can be taught to some people."

Physician Chen was taken aback: "Teach...to whom?"

"Which of the imperial physicians in your opinion truly want to heal the sick and save lives, rather than currying favor with the powerful?" Shen Qingci asked.

Physician Chen thought for a moment and then named a few people.

They were all like him, from humble backgrounds, with good medical skills but no talent for flattery, so they didn't do very well in the Imperial Hospital.

"Get them in touch," Shen Qingci said. "Don't explicitly say that I taught them; just say that you developed it. Teach them the alcohol disinfection method and let them use it to treat illnesses as well."

Physician Chen's eyes lit up: "Your Majesty means..."

"Many hands make light work," Shen Qingci said calmly. "You can form a small, mutually supportive circle. Share your medical skills, provide each other with medicinal herbs, and look out for one another."

She looked at Physician Chen and said, "In the future, if there are cases like Consort Rong's, you can treat them together. We'll share the credit and the risks. Even if Imperial Physician Liu wanted to suppress you, she couldn't suppress all of you at the same time."

Physician Chen was thrilled to hear this.

Why didn't he think of that before?

There were at least seven or eight other imperial physicians like him in the Imperial Medical Academy who were ostracized. If they all united…

"Your Majesty is wise!" he exclaimed excitedly. "This humble official will take care of it immediately!"

"No rush," Shen Qingci said. "Finish preparing my medicine first."

She continued weighing the medicine, and Physician Chen quickly came over to help.

While preparing the medicine, Shen Qingci asked, "By the way, has there been any progress on the 'Bloodthirst' I asked you to find last time?"

Dragon's blood is the most important ingredient in her antidote prescription. It has a remarkable effect in removing blood stasis and stopping bleeding, but it is extremely precious.

Physician Chen nodded: "I've got it! I've contacted a herbalist from the Western Regions who has top-quality dragon's blood. However, he's asking for a very high price—ten taels of silver for every qian (a unit of weight)."

Shen Qingci didn't even frown: "Buy it. How much silver do you need? Get it from me."

She is not short of money now.

Two days ago, Xiao Luzi secretly sent a message saying that several inconspicuous pieces of jewelry had gone missing from Consort Rou's palace—actually, Shen Qingci had asked him to "smuggle" them out. She had already had Eunuch Li take those pieces of jewelry outside the palace to pawn them, getting over fifty taels of silver.

Including what Physician Chen gave her before, she now has nearly a hundred taels of silver.

That's enough to buy medicinal herbs.

"Also," Shen Qingci added, "keep an eye out for a medicinal herb called 'Ice Melting Grass.' This herb comes from the Xiling Snow Mountain and is rarely seen in the Central Plains, but if you have any news about it, let me know immediately."

Although Physician Chen did not know what the Empress wanted the Ice-Melting Grass for, he still carefully noted it down.

The three of them worked for more than an hour, and finally the antidote was prepared.

There were twelve dark brown pills, each the size of a longan.

"Her Majesty should take one pill every seven days." Physician Chen smelled the pill, then carefully scraped off a small amount to taste, a look of astonishment on his face. "This prescription... is truly ingenious! It suppresses the cold toxins without harming the fetus, and it also nourishes the meridians!"

He was an imperial physician, so he naturally understood the properties of medicines.

But the combination of the principal, assistant, adjuvant, and guide herbs in this prescription was something he had never seen before in his life!

"Your Majesty," he couldn't help but ask, "this prescription...was it your own idea?"

Shen Qingci didn't deny it: "I guess so."

Actually, she figured it out herself by combining modern pharmacological knowledge with the characteristics of medicinal materials in this era.

The way Physician Chen looked at her had changed from admiration to worship.

This lady is knowledgeable in toxicology and medicine; now she can even prescribe such exquisite remedies…

He's practically a miracle doctor reincarnated!

"Your Majesty," he tried to kneel again, "this humble official... may I... become your disciple?"

Shen Qingci: "..."

Come again?

"Physician Chen," she said helplessly, "we should just treat each other as equals. We can learn from each other and exchange ideas."

Although Physician Chen was a little disappointed, he was already very satisfied to receive such words from the Empress.

"Then from now on, I will call you... sir?" he asked tentatively.

Shen Qingci thought for a moment and nodded: "Okay."

The title "Sir" is more discreet than "Empress," and it is more suitable for their "master-disciple" relationship.

Physician Chen was as happy as a child: "Don't worry, sir! Whatever medicinal herbs you need in the future, I will definitely find a way to get them! I will also help build up that little circle within the Imperial Hospital!"

"Okay." Shen Qingci nodded. "Go back first and be careful."

Physician Chen bowed again before leaving, his heart filled with excitement.

After he left, Jinshu looked at the twelve pills on the table and asked softly, "Your Majesty, is this medicine... really effective?"

Shen Qingci picked up a piece, put it in her mouth, and swallowed it with water.

The pill was bitter, but soon after swallowing it, a warm feeling spread from my stomach and slowly flowed to my limbs and bones.

She could feel that the cold poison belonging to "Zhu Yan Mo" lurking deep in her meridians had temporarily quieted down under the suppression of this warmth.

Although it wasn't completely cured, at least... it doesn't hurt anymore.

For the next six months, she could focus on her pregnancy, practice her exercises, and make plans.

"It works," she said.

Jinshu breathed a sigh of relief, but her eyes reddened: "That's wonderful... Your Majesty, you're finally saved..."

Shen Qingci patted her hand without saying anything.

There is only hope.

We are still a long way from being truly safe.

She walked to the window and looked at the gloomy sky outside.

On the other hand, Physician Chen has been initially won over.

The imperial physician network is also under construction.

The supply channels for medicinal herbs have also been opened up.

The antidote has also been prepared.

Everything is moving in a positive direction.

But it is precisely at times like these that we must be extra careful.

Consort Rou will definitely not let this go.

Liu Chengming has returned to Beijing, and the Liu family will only make more moves.

And then there's the mastermind behind "The Death of a Beautiful Woman," far away in Xiling...

She has many enemies.

The road ahead is still long.

The little one inside my belly moved slightly at that moment.

It's as if it's saying: Mother, don't be afraid, I'm with you.

Shen Qingci lowered her head and placed her hand on her lower abdomen.

"Baby," she whispered, "Mother won't be afraid."

"Mother will only punish those who harmed us—"

"Afraid."

Outside the window, snowflakes suddenly began to fall.

Fine and crumbly, like grains of salt.

Winter is not over yet.

But spring will always come.

And she will take care of Bao'er and get through this winter.

Then, in spring—

Bloom.