Metamorphosis of an Ugly Girl – Part One

The Emperor saw Qingqing’s face turning blue, her brows furrowed in pain, her breathing sounding as if someone was strangling her, emitting a harsh groan. Li Qin’s words seemed devoid of any remorse, which further infuriated the Emperor, who then turned and left in anger. The Empress hurried after him, signaling Li Qin not to act rashly. “Physician, is there no method at all? Are we just to wait for her fever to break on its own?” Li Qin asked urgently once the Emperor and Empress had left. The physician explained, “Miss Lin’s fever started last night; I’ve already instructed the maids to apply cold compresses, but there’s been no improvement.” The method of cold compresses was extremely risky, involving boiling snow water with medicine, then soaking fine silk towels in it to apply to various parts of the body. If the patient shivered, turned pale, or their skin turned purple, it was as if they were already lost. The physician, having tried such a dangerous method with no success, seemed to imply that even divine intervention could not help. Li Qin felt deeply saddened, thinking if he hadn’t insulted her the day before, she wouldn’t have been angry with him, and they wouldn’t have ended up by the lotus pond where she fell in. The more he thought, the more he blamed himself.