A bearded physician walked out, slightly stunned upon seeing Ning Wanwan, and cupped his hands in greeting, “This official, Xu Shijie, pays respects to the Princess.”
“No need for formalities.”
“May I ask what brings the Princess to the Imperial Medical Bureau?”
“Seeking medical treatment,” Ning Wanwan answered simply before entering the curtained area, her maid following closely behind.
Xu Shijie looked confused and glared at Doctor Liu, “What is going on?”
Doctor Liu explained in a low voice, “The Princess caught a chill yesterday. I prescribed some medicine, but her condition worsened today. She specifically requested your diagnosis…”
Xu Shijie pondered, “…You may leave.”
“Yes.”
Xu Shijie entered the room and smiled, pointing to a rosewood chair, “Princess, please sit.”
Ning Wanwan nodded slightly and sat down, beginning to carefully observe her surroundings.
Her clothes made her tense. She nervously whispered, “Miss, I see a royal physician coming this way. What should we do?”
Upon hearing this, Ning Wanwan’s heart sank.
She had feigned illness to enter the Imperial Pharmacy, but too many visits would arouse suspicion, making it harder to steal Si Zhan’s medical records in the future. Today, she must find those records.
As she searched quickly, she said, “I must find the medical records today. You need to distract him.”
Fuyi, stunned, focused on “find a way.”
As the royal physician approached, Fuyi suddenly rushed out, determined.
Ning Wanwan then heard Fuyi exclaim, “Oh! I’m sorry, sir. I think I’ve sprained my ankle…”
Her heart raced; the cabinet contained hundreds of medical records, making a blind search difficult.
Moments later, Ning Wanwan thought of where Si Zhan’s records might be. Her eyes widened when she rushed to the top row and opened the drawer with the Empress Dowager’s medical records.
Inside were over a dozen thick green scrolls. Pulling one out, she confirmed it was indeed Si Zhan’s record. The royal physicians had hidden Si Zhan’s records in the Empress Dowager’s drawer, showing her constant wariness of him.
Without time to examine them closely, she quickly extracted two medical records, tucked them into her clothes, and hurriedly descended the ladder.
Due to her rushed descent and being top-heavy, she nearly missed a step but landed safely.
She straightened her clothes and walked out as if nothing had happened.
