Chapter 50: Scars
The attendant said politely, “The divine physician is currently seeing patients and is unable to leave. I hope you understand…”
“What divine physician? Maybe they’re just a fraud!” Zhang Mama was offended and angrily interrupted the attendant.
She flicked her handkerchief and stormed out of the Jishi Medical Hall, a round-faced maid hurrying to follow her.
Seeing Zhang Mama’s grim expression, the maid whispered beside her, “Mama, the eldest young miss said that the Empress Dowager has already agreed to send a royal physician for the third young miss.”
“What can a small clinic have in terms of reputable physicians? It’s all just exaggerated fame,” the maid added. “Once the royal physician from the palace steps in, the third young miss’s face will surely heal.”
Zhang Mama did not respond.
It was easier said than done. Given the current situation in the mansion, with the Marquis and the First Lady at odds, who would still remember to send a physician for the third young miss?
The Second Madam was in a panic, so when she heard about the miraculous physician at Jishi Medical Hall, she eagerly sent Zhang Mama to ask for help.
But the divine physician was being so uncooperative!
“Make way! Make way!”
At that moment, two women in green robes pushed aside Zhang Mama forcefully. Almost immediately, a red-carpeted, red-canopied carriage pulled up in front of Jishi Medical Hall’s entrance.
“Whose family is this? Do they have any sense of propriety?” the round-faced maid frowned and complained.
Zhang Mama quickly covered her mouth, glaring at her with warning eyes, and whispered, “Propriety? That’s a red-wheel carriage!”
The red-wheel carriage was not something just anyone could use. Only those of noble rank—princesses, royal consorts, or ladies of high status—could travel in such a carriage.
Zhang Mama hurriedly dragged the round-faced maid aside, and they soon saw a wet nurse-like woman carrying a young girl dressed in pink from the red-wheel carriage.
Zhang Mama took one glance at the little girl, and her heart instantly tightened.
The girl had a terrifying, large scar on her face, resembling a huge spider sprawled across her left cheek.
Next, a beautiful woman dressed in a dark purple peony-patterned robe, supported by her maid, stepped out of the carriage and walked toward the front hall of Jishi Medical Hall.
Zhang Mama was stunned again.
Wasn’t that the Princess of Jing?
Could it be that the Princess had specifically come to seek treatment for her daughter?
The attendants of Jishi Medical Hall, seeing the distinguished guests, hurried to greet them.
The Princess of Jing anxiously asked, “Has the divine physician arrived today?”
The Princess had visited the day before, and the attendant remembered her, not only because of the noble red-wheel carriage but also because of the large scar on the little girl’s face. When she came the previous evening, Chu Qianchen had already left, so the attendant had honestly told her that the physician was no longer there.
Unexpectedly, they had returned today.
However, recalling that the divine physician had just refused the Yongding Marquis’s request for medical treatment, the attendant felt uncertain and said, “Please wait here, Madam. I’ll go inside and check.”
The Princess’s eyes lit up, and she picked up on the attendant’s subtle implication that the divine physician was indeed present.
She quickly responded, “Please, go ahead.”
She was dressed in luxurious attire, yet there was not a trace of arrogance on her face. Her speech was polite, and her expression conveyed more urgency than anything else.
Yesterday at noon, the third son of Marquis Zhongyong had slashed his half-brother's throat on the street. This shocking incident had spread like wildfire among the noble families of the capital. It wasn’t long before rumors surfaced, including one about a miraculous physician who could bring the dead back to life. The Princess of Jing, upon hearing this news, had rushed over with her daughter but unfortunately arrived too late.
Thus, early this morning, she returned, intending to wait until today, and if necessary, come back again tomorrow.
Fortunately, the heavens were kind.
The attendant quickly entered the back room, and the Princess of Jing turned to the little girl in the wet nurse’s arms, gently saying, “Qiniang, be good. You’ll be able to see the physician soon.”
The little girl, called Qiniang, lowered her head, absentmindedly playing with her pale fingers in silence.
The Princess of Jing’s heart ached, and she tenderly stroked her daughter’s soft hair.
Her daughter was her greatest sorrow and the source of her deepest regret…
Not long after, the door curtain embroidered with the words “Hanging the Pot to Save the World” was lifted, and a young girl in green, her face veiled, emerged.
The Princess of Jing, along with the wet nurse and maid, stood frozen, staring at Chu Qianchen.
The light green veil covered the young girl’s face, only revealing her curved willow-leaf eyebrows and a pair of phoenix eyes that shone brighter and more radiant than the morning star, sparkling with brilliance.
The young girl walked slowly toward them, her posture graceful and light, with a touch of briskness, like a glowing pearl that drew the gaze of everyone around.
The Princess of Jing raised her eyebrows slightly. For some reason, she thought the phoenix eyes looked strangely familiar, resembling those of her elder sister…
The attendant addressed Chu Qianchen, saying, “Miss, this is the lady seeking treatment.”
Only then did the Princess of Jing snap back to reality, shaking off her sudden feelings of recognition, and hurriedly asked, “Are you the divine physician?”
She had heard that the physician who had saved Young Master Yun from the brink of death was very young, a girl who hadn’t even reached adulthood yet, but her medical skills were so extraordinary they could wrest lives from the hands of the King of Hell.
The attendant quickly answered, and Chu Qianchen did not humble herself, instead asking, “Is the patient this one?”
She pointed to the little girl in the wet nurse’s arms.
“Yes, yes,” the Princess of Jing replied carefully. “My daughter, Qiniang, was injured last year, and it left some scars on her face.”
“I’ll take a look.”
Chu Qianchen said, and the Princess of Jing quickly gestured for the wet nurse to set the little girl down.
The eight-year-old girl had her hair styled simply in a drooping braid and wore a pink embroidered dress with hibiscus flowers. Her eyes were large, but they lacked the vitality one would expect from a child of her age—there was a certain dullness to them.
Chu Qianchen knelt down and looked closely at her face.
The scar on the left side of the little girl’s cheek covered almost half of her face. The longest wound stretched from the corner of her eye to the corner of her mouth, with cuts crisscrossing like a chessboard—glaring and horrifying.
Chu Qianchen’s long lashes trembled slightly. After pondering for a moment, she instructed Hu Po to bring some clean water.
After washing her hands, Chu Qianchen raised her hand to gently touch the little girl’s face, but Qiniang instinctively took a half-step back.
The Princess of Jing hurried to squat beside her daughter, comforting her, “Qiniang, let the physician check.”
“You’re called Qiniang?” Chu Qianchen asked with a faint smile, her phoenix eyes curving softly, making her appear approachable. “Don’t be afraid.”
The little girl relaxed slightly, looking at Chu Qianchen directly. Her eyes were black and cold, like a stagnant pool of water.
Chu Qianchen carefully examined the shape of the scar, mentally estimating, and then said, “Her face was probably lashed by a whip. The whip had barbs, and those barbs tore the skin, leaving these scars.”
The Princess of Jing’s eyes lit up, and she nodded repeatedly. “Yes, yes!”
She hadn’t expected Chu Qianchen to understand so quickly.
“Divine physician, is it... possible to treat?” The Princess of Jing’s voice trembled, cautiously asking.
“It’s possible,” Chu Qianchen affirmed with a nod.
In her previous life, after learning medicine, Chu Qianchen had considered removing the scar from her own face, but by then, it was too late.
However, she had developed some ointments that worked wonders for scar removal.
The scar on Chu Qianling’s face could be completely removed in half a month.
The scars on this little girl’s face were indeed terrifying at first glance and were more severe than the ones on Chu Qianling, but fortunately, the wounds weren’t too deep, and since she was young, her healing ability was strong. It could still be treated now.
Upon hearing this, the Princess of Jing’s apricot-shaped eyes widened slightly, and she couldn’t hide her joy.
It had been almost a year since her daughter was injured, and they had consulted countless famous physicians, including those from the Imperial Medical Bureau. Yet no one had ever so confidently told her that it could be treated.
The two words “can treat” felt like a blessing from the heavens, pulling the Princess of Jing back from the abyss of despair.
Chu Qianchen continued, “The wound isn’t deep, but it’s been some time, so treatment will take a little longer.”
The Princess of Jing was about to say that she would wait for as long as it took, whether it be a year, two, or even three years, but then she heard Chu Qianchen add, “To restore it to its original state, at least a month.”
Her soft, clear voice carried a hint of regret, as if she wasn’t entirely satisfied with this outcome.
“It will take some time,” Chu Qianchen sighed.
The Princess of Jing: “…”
What does ‘some time’ mean? A month is far better than anything she could have hoped for!
(End of chapter)
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