After Discovering The Emperor Was A Woman… - Chapter 7

Master Changkong withdrew his gaze and continued turning the half-dried herbs spread across the rough cloth.

“You should indeed take some medicine. The rain was heavy yesterday, and the cold may have entered your body. I will prepare some herbs later and have Kaichen bring the decoction to you once it is ready. Drinking a few doses can only do you good.”

Hearing this, Liu Jiuning obediently nodded and murmured, “Mm-hmm.”

Then she continued staring eagerly at the old monk.

“Then… will I still live until I die peacefully of old age?”

That was her one small, modest wish.

Master Changkong glanced at Liu Jiuning, quickly finished turning the herbs, then stood and walked toward the shelves stacked with dried medicinal plants.

He selected several herbs in a few swift movements, wrapped them in paper, and tied the bundle with string.

Only after finishing did he hand the packet to Liu Jiuning, who had followed him over.

With a kindly, benevolent smile, he said, “Amitabha. Benefactor should drink her medicine as soon as possible.”

…

Liu Jiuning’s smile stiffened slightly.

Did that answer mean he thought the cold had already entered her body and muddled her mind?

She had every reason to remain suspicious.

After all, both the old monk’s smile and his words were expressing that exact meaning with perfect clarity!

They stared at each other in silence for a long while.

In the end, Liu Jiuning was the first to admit defeat. She obediently accepted the medicine packet from Master Changkong, puffed out her cheeks, and thanked him in a muffled voice.

As expected of the Imperial Preceptor.

The netizens from her previous life had been right: the balder someone was, the stronger they were.

She never should have tried coaxing information out of a true expert!

“Is there anything else Benefactor Jiuning wishes to ask?” Master Changkong casually picked up the string of prayer beads hanging from the herb rack.

After rolling two beads between his fingers, he seemed to remember something. He raised his hand and offered them to Liu Jiuning.

“Heaven has already determined all things. These will give Benefactor the answer.”

Liu Jiuning stared at the prayer beads before her. They looked quite new and carried a rich scent of incense, making her feel as though they had been prepared specifically for her.

After all, the old monk’s usual prayer beads looked nothing like these.

What did this mean?

Was she supposed to eat vegetarian meals, chant sutras, and leave her fate to heaven?

Or did it mean something else?

Speaking with an expert was always this difficult. Usually, one could only realize at the very last moment—So that was what he meant.

Liu Jiuning sighed silently. She pressed her palms together and bowed slightly toward Master Changkong, speaking with great sincerity.

“Thank you for your guidance, Master. Although Jiuning still has not understood your meaning, I now have an entirely new outlook. What joy is there in life, and what fear is there in death? Let us set everything else aside. I’ll do my best to live until ninety-nine, then return to Anchang Temple and fulfill my vow.”

Since the old monk insisted on being humorous with her, she could only respond in kind and join in the fun.

“It is enough that Benefactor Jiuning has such sincerity.”

Master Changkong accepted her peculiar words with perfect composure, then reminded her with a smile, “Remember to take the medicine soon. Do not delay.”

When experts exchanged moves, every strike was fatal.

Those two words—take medicine—blocked every unspoken reply she might have made.

Liu Jiuning decided that the old monk was no longer as lovable as before.

After knowing her for so many years, he had completely figured out all her tricks. She could no longer think of any way to regain the upper hand.

Realizing she would get nothing more from him, she looped the prayer beads around her wrist and picked up the medicine packet.

“I understand, I understand. Master, you should take care of yourself too. Look, even your eyebrows are turning white. Stop going out alone and secretly gathering herbs on the rear mountain. There are so many junior monks in the temple. Bringing one or two with you would be much safer. My eldest brother told me there are huge snakes and fierce beasts back there that eat people! I’ll go back and take my medicine now. I’ll come chat with you again tomorrow.”

She would return and recover from her “injuries” first.

Once she was feeling better, she could come back and “battle” the old monk again.

Every conversation they had might be one of their last.

She had to treasure them while she could. Who knew when she might close her eyes and never open them again?

Liu Jiuning was actually rather accepting of life and death.

Of course, that did not conflict with her firm determination to live until ninety-nine.

After chatting with the old monk for a while, much of the fear and urgency in her heart had faded.

She would do everything she could to remain healthy and alive.

At the same time, she would happily enjoy every day or year she had left, however many there might be.

Swinging the prayer beads around her wrist and carrying the medicine packet, Liu Jiuning hummed as she left the courtyard.

She looked so cheerful that one might have thought she had received a golden token granting her immunity from death.

She was in no hurry to reunite with her maids and guards.

Instead, she crouched beside the little monk outside the courtyard and joined him in watching the colony of ants that had not yet finished moving their nest.

The young monk had originally been concentrating intently. When he sensed someone beside him, he turned to Liu Jiuning, then lowered his gaze to the medicine packet in her hand.

He was still young and knew little about medicine. He had only learned a few basic methods of identifying herbs from his master.

Although he was not skilled in the subject, he knew how unpleasant illness could be.

“Benefactor Jiuning, are you ill?” he asked with concern.

“I’m not sick. It’s broad daylight—why are you talking nonsense? Your Benefactor Jiuning is perfectly healthy.”

Liu Jiuning spoke with great confidence. At the same time, she mischievously moved a stone into the ants’ path, blocking their way forward.

Watching the tiny ants wander in circles, uncertain where to go, she laughed happily.

The little monk frowned, picked up the stone Liu Jiuning had deliberately placed there, then turned back to her with a grave expression.

“Benefactor Jiuning, you must not conceal your illness and refuse treatment. You should return and take your medicine soon. Master is extremely skilled in medicine. He would never make an incorrect diagnosis.”

“Oh, honestly. You’re so young, yet you already act like a little old man.”

Looking at the little monk’s furrowed brows and expression filled with concern and Buddhist solemnity, Liu Jiuning smiled and lightly tapped his small head with the medicine packet.

His bald scalp was so bright beneath the sunlight that it almost seemed to glow.

She picked up another small stone and placed it in the ants’ path.

“Don’t you trust me? Look at me. Do I seem ill?”

This time, the ants were not confused by the stone. They simply went around it and continued carrying their belongings.

Seeing this, the little monk did not interfere again.

Instead, he looked directly into Liu Jiuning’s eyes. Although they were clearly smiling, they were inexplicably clouded with gloom.

“But Benefactor Jiuning, didn’t you once tell me that sick people always insist they aren’t sick…?”

…

Liu Jiuning had not expected the words she once used to coax the sick little monk to come back and strike her.

Was this the legendary cycle of heavenly justice?

Had cause and effect come full circle, only to land on her own head?

“Fine. Whatever you say.”

Liu Jiuning answered carelessly and continued tormenting the ants with stones.

However, just as she had no intention of sparing the poor ants, the little monk had no intention of sparing the healthy and innocent Liu Jiuning.

“This will not do. When you are ill, you must take medicine early,” the young monk said while rolling his prayer beads between his fingers. “Are you avoiding it because the medicine is bitter? Even if it is bitter, you must still take it. How can you recover without medicine? Good medicine is bitter, and that cannot be avoided…”

Liu Jiuning could not withstand his endless, repetitive lecturing.

His verbal skills were far more powerful than the old monk’s deadly attacks.

Sentence after sentence.

Add the sound of a wooden fish, and he would be chanting scripture. Add rhythm and flashing lights, and they could start dancing.

“All right, all right. I surrender. I’ll go back and take my medicine now.”

Liu Jiuning clapped the dust from her hands and stood helplessly.

Just as she was about to straighten her skirt, a wave of dizziness struck her.

It took her quite a while to recover.

Having received years of scientific education, she immediately concluded that it was nothing more than a temporary shortage of blood flow to the brain.

Perfectly normal.

She raised a hand to shield herself from the blazing sun and told the little monk, “The sunlight is too strong. Play for a little while, then return to the courtyard. Don’t get heatstroke.”

Only after receiving his obedient reply did Liu Jiuning walk toward the place where her maids and guards were waiting.

After spending the entire morning running around, she had no intention of wandering elsewhere.

She was also afraid of encountering someone she did not wish to see.

By the time she returned to her guest room, it was almost time for lunch.

Perhaps because something still weighed on her mind, she had little appetite. She ate only a small amount, then prepared to take an afternoon nap.

While alive, one should eat when it was time to eat, drink when it was time to drink, sleep when it was time to sleep, and play when it was time to play.

Not a single step could be skipped.

Liu Jiuning lay on the familiar bed and quickly sank into a deep sleep.

However, the nap was far from restful.

When she woke, even opening her eyes required all her strength.

Her head felt heavy and clouded, and her entire body ached as though a mountain were pressing down on her.

She tried to call for a maid.

But her voice was hoarse and weak, so faint that only she herself could hear it.

…

Was this punishment for behaving wickedly that morning and blocking the ants from moving their home?

Liu Jiuning lay on the bed, staring lifelessly at the bed curtains as she waited for the maids to enter, almost as if waiting for death.

Only then did she suddenly remember the old monk repeatedly telling her to take the medicine early.

So he truly had not been deceiving her.

She really was sick!

She had been wrong again.

She never should have questioned the strong.

She never should have doubted a master.

Liu Jiuning’s thoughts wandered aimlessly. She even began regretting that she had not eaten another delicious dinner before coming to Anchang Temple or enjoyed several more pieces of tender meat braised by the old cook at home.

As she drifted back into a hazy sleep, the maids finally noticed that something was wrong with their mistress.

They called her several times but received no answer, so one of them reached out and touched Liu Jiuning’s forehead.

The instant her hand made contact, she felt scorching heat.

This did not seem like an ordinary illness.

Terrified, the maids hurried away to summon help.

Liu Jiuning’s illness came on with frightening speed.

In the end, even the old monk and the young monk were alarmed. Both came to her bedside to examine and treat her.

Naturally, the frantic maids also fetched Liu Zhuoyi.

With a member of the family present, such decisions could not be left to servants like them.

There was only one conclusion.

She was seriously ill.

So ill that she did not even have the strength to speak.

So seriously ill that, in her feverish haze, Liu Jiuning began to wonder whether the emperor had spared her life only for this sickness to take it first.