Chapter 641 - 652: Becoming a Disciple
Upon entering, the Empress Dowager had been sitting calmly, not scolding Lady Xu nor speaking in favor of Gu Youyou. Now, upon hearing Gu Youyou mention how she almost died, the Empress Dowager uttered an "oh" and asked further, "Doctor Gu, is there such great risk to you when treating yourself?"
Gu Youyou replied to the Empress Dowager, "My illness was life-threatening, and thus the medicine was naturally extremely dangerous. If successful, I would survive; if not, death was all that awaited me. However, Your Highness need not worry, your ailment is in the leg and not life-threatening. If the treatment works well, you may be able to stand up and even walk a few steps after one month; if not, at least the pain will be lessened. But complete recovery is impossible. Whether to treat or not is ultimately up to Your Highness."
"Hmm, Doctor Gu speaks the truth," the Empress Dowager nodded and said, "Indeed, you are a bit braver than those Imperial Physicians in the Imperial Medical Bureau. They simply dared not treat me, claiming that my leg was incurable. You’ve put it well; I have come to terms with this leg issue a long time ago. Proceed with your methods. Whether it can be cured or not, I won’t blame you. You don’t have to take Lady Xu’s words to heart."
Lady Xu had not expected the Empress and Empress Dowager to highly regard a civilian doctor, which made her tremble with fury.
It was bad enough she couldn’t compete with these women for favor, but now she had been reprimanded by an insignificant medical maid today.
The Empress laughed, "Youyou really does resemble Minister Lin in temperament—bold enough to speak the truth without fear of offending others. I remember the Emperor once said that he admires Minister Lin for such traits, daring to say what others wouldn’t, daring to do what others couldn’t."
Upon mentioning the Emperor, the Empress Dowager’s face beamed with a smile, and she looked upon Gu Youyou even more favorably, "Exactly, Lin Xingyi is quite good, no wonder the Emperor favors him. He even praised him for being outspoken and a true gentleman."
Feeling snubbed, Lady Xu couldn’t say anything more about the medical maid given the curiosity of others, as it might displease the Empress and Empress Dowager.
As the Empress Dowager was seeking treatment, they all excused themselves.
Just as discussed the day before, Gu Youyou started by giving the Empress Dowager a leg massage.