Days later, Ruyi was working in the hospital with Bolin, when a messenger rushed in with a panic-stricken expression.
"What's wrong, Ang," Bolin asked immediately, to the young boy, who was panting.
"The Emperor," he gasped out, "He's ill!"
Immediately, Bolin swept up his medical kit and gestured for Ruyi and Yuan to follow. They both rushed alongside him towards the Emperor's living quarters.
On the way, Yuan looked towards her with worry, as if to ask, how could he be ill? Ruyi wondered the same thing. The last time she had seen the Emperor, he had been exceptionally healthy, young and robust. He was still in his prime and wasn't the sort of man to dwindle away his youth. He was an active man who did not participate in much of the excess eating and dunking that many emperors tended towards.
At the sight of Bolin, the maids opened the doors and allowed them to enter. In his room, there was the smell of vomit, and Ruyi could see the Emperor's limp form on his bed, surrounded by palace staff.
"Move, move," Bolin commanded, and quickly they scuttled away. When they neared him, it was clear that the Emperor's ailment was serious. He had a frighteningly pale face, and sweat dripped down his forehead. He was unconscious, but his eyes moved beneath his lids.
"When did he become like this?" He asked.
"Just after lunch," a voice called from behind. Ruyi turned to see a young man standing by the door, face covered and in all black clothing. He was the man from the throne room that day, dressed as a soldier, but in a slightly different fashion. His voice was husky as if he had just recovered from a cough, and he looked to be on high alert. He was definitely the Emperor's personal guard, Ruyi thought, as he seemed to shadow the Emperor's every movement.
Bolin was already working to strip down the Emperor and check his temperature. "It must have been something he ate or drank. From his skin, I would go as far as to say he could even be poisoned."
This made Ruyi pause in her work to gather medical equipment for Bolin. "Poisoned?"
Bolin nodded. He turned to the man half-hidden in the shadows. "Did you notice anything strange at all?" The man shook his head.
"He was receiving a visit from many high-ranking officials, ladies and men of the palace. There were too many people, coming in and out. It was difficult to keep track of everyone there."
"I see. That's perfect timing then. Well, the first thing is to try and work out what poison it is. We'll have to work fast, so we can find the antidote and administer it immediately."
They began a full check of his body to find symptoms. Ruyi wrote down the notes as Bolin spoke, while Yuan assisted in moving the Emperor's body.
She scribbled down that he was pale, sweating, and extremely hot, feverish. There weren't many other clues that could help them, it all seemed very standard, and nothing popped out at the three doctors.
It wasn't until Yuan pulled up his sleeves and found his veins were unusually dark, more of a blackish purple than greenish blue. And then his nose began to bleed.
As they hastily began to clean up his nose and face, Ruyi found that Bolin had not moved to help them. When she looked back at him, she found he was staring directly at her with an odd expression.
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The Pearls - RUYI
ऐतिहासिक साहित्य~ Ruyi's Book (Book 1) ~ Completed, undergoing editing A young female medic, Ruyi enters the Song palace to protect her brother who has been conscripted for the war against the Qing empire. Set in a fictional world inspired by Ancient China, The...
