The Dying Crown Prince

LUO FAN

I kept my surprise and amazement to myself as I silently followed Lord Lan.

Just judging by the heavily-guarded gate, the majestic palaces that we passed by, the high walls that surrounded the area, and the amount of guards scattered around, I knew that we had just entered the Imperial Palace of Xianru Empire.

I had no doubt that Lord Lan was a powerful person, but I had not expected that he was that omnipotent and very well-regarded that the imperial guards kept their heads low as he walked past them.

After witnessing this, I would not wonder if he turned out to be a member of the royal court or a royal himself.

We went straight to a certain palace, unhindered by anything or anyone along the way. The guards immediately opened the gate for us and the servants lined up in the courtyard to greet us.

I felt uncomfortable with all the courtesies, even if they weren’t intended for me. I tried to return their greetings with a bow, but the subject of courtesies himself never even bothered to regard them.

“My lord.” A man wearing a tall head cap rushed before Lord Lan and bowed his head. “I apologize for not meeting you at the gate. Your visit is sudden and unexpected.”

“Is the crown prince awake?” Lord Lan asked, his tone sounded like he was the emperor himself.

“I’m afraid His Highness has not wakened up since three days ago, my lord.”

“I’ll go see him.”

The man in a head cap, who I assumed was a high-ranked eunuch, led the way to the door and I again followed them.

I was still in a state of disbelief.

The crown prince is the sick man that Lord Lan was talking about? The man that I need to check on?

Am I even qualified?

Suddenly, I was anxious. I had heard of imperial physicians being executed just because they failed to cure a member of the royal family.

I was in a dilemma. If Lord Lan had told me earlier that the man I was going to see was the Crown Prince of Xianru, I probably would not have agreed to come along.

There were about half a dozen people inside the room of the crown prince. They were discussing something amongst themselves, but the moment Lord Lan walked in, they all formed a single line and bowed before him.

“Any progress?” Lord Lan asked.

“I’m afraid there’s no accurate conclusion yet, my lord,” one of them replied.

Lord Lan sighed and disappeared behind a tall rectangular object that I supposed was a dividing screen. A moment later, he walked out of the shadow and approached me.

“This is Priest Luo of the Yinhaimen sect. I brought him here to check on the crown prince.”

Yinhaimen sect? Where did that come from?

The six people, who I supposed were imperial physicians, turned their heads towards me.

“Forgive me, my lord, but I’ve never heard of that sect before,” one said.

“Look it up if you wish,” Lord Lan replied sternly. “I’ve no time to explain.”

The physicians did not dare say another word, but I was too aware of the murmurs they made. They were not pleased that an unknown priest from an unknown sect, not to mention blind, would dare touch the crown prince, but in Lord Lan’s presence, nobody dared to voice out their objection.

Lord Lan led me behind the screen where I found a tall figure lying on the bed. This must be the Crown Prince of Xianru. Unfortunately, I could not see his face. It would have been easier for me to diagnose him if I could see more details. All I was sure about was that he was too thin his frame looked like he had no flesh left in his body.

“Meet your patient,” Lord Lan said. “Prince Sheng, the crown prince of Xianru Empire.”

I held my breath. Even if I already knew the person’s identity, hearing those words from Lord Lan heightened my anxiety.

“The whole empire is expecting much from you. You’re now the last resort… and the only hope.”

My fingers trembled and I had to swallow hard so I could breathe again. This man had tricked me into coming here, but it was my fault for not asking relevant questions as to the identity of my patient.

Under the watchful eyes of the six physicians, the eunuch, the crown prince’s bodyguard, and Lord Lan, I made a thorough examination of the crown prince. Being a priest, although I had not opted to learn Healing, I knew basic diagnostic procedures. But I had only done it a couple of times. Most of my knowledge about the procedure was only through books.

Regardless, I knew the body’s anatomy too well, so it should not be too difficult to put my readings into actual use.

I was right. The crown prince was but skin and bones. His body was so dehydrated that he felt like a wrinkled, old man.

His condition had indeed some similarities with mine, but he was in a far worse state. His pulse was now so faint he was very close to dying.

But I would not say that in front of these people, not especially in front of Lord Lan who was probably hoping for a miracle from a former Divine Mage.

“Priest Luo.” One of the physicians handed me a booklet. “This book contains all the symptoms of His Highness, starting from the onset of the illness until today. Why don’t you take a look at it? You might find it useful.”

I was not sure if the physician was insulting me. Certainly, he must have already noticed that I could not see and he wanted to rub salt on that matter, as if to emphasize to everyone else that I was blind.

I looked at the physician and nodded politely. “Do you mind if I borrow it?”

“I’m afraid we only have one copy and we can’t let the information leave the palace. Why don’t you read it now and make a list of those things that you deem important?”

I was unable to utter a word. This man was indeed mocking me.

Lord Lan must have heard the disguised innocent offense and approached the physician. He stood too close before the lanky man and looked down at him. “You dare insult Priest Luo in my presence?”

The physician took a step back and quickly went down on his knees. “I had no such intention, my lord. I spoke too carelessly. Forgive this lowly physician.”

I was left confounded. I could not believe that even an imperial physician would get down on his knees and beg for forgiveness before Lord Lan.

Just who exactly is Lord Lan in the empire of Xianru? Is he the emperor himself? The one they called Emperor Yin?