EBE Chapter 417 His Highness the Crown Prince is Outstandingly Talented (55)
Chapter 417 His Highness the Crown Prince is Outstandingly Talented (55)
Inside the gauze curtains, Lin Shen was not asleep.
He was still pressing his throbbing temples when Yun Jin's clear and steady voice from the outer hall reached his ears, word for word.
He recalled those haunting, bizarre, yet chilling dreams, and the cold sweat and emptiness that washed over him when he woke up in the middle of the night...
So, this is the root cause of this excruciating headache?
Emperor Qi remained silent for a moment, his gaze deep as he looked at the young physician kneeling on the ground: "What exactly is this 'heart-guiding' you speak of? And how can you ensure it will help the Crown Prince sleep peacefully?"
“Your Majesty,” Yun Jin replied sincerely and cautiously, “‘Heart Guidance’ is a secret technique passed down through my sect. It involves verbal guidance and calming the mind, sometimes supplemented by specific calming incense and soothing music, aiming to calm the mind and stabilize the spirit. The specific implementation needs to be flexibly adjusted according to Your Highness’s daily mood and physical condition, and requires an absolutely quiet and undisturbed environment. I dare not guarantee immediate results, but I hope to do my best to help Your Highness resolve your inner turmoil and regain peace of mind.” He explained the method while leaving room for maneuver.
Emperor Qi gazed at him for a long time before slowly saying, "I will trust you this once. If you can truly alleviate the Crown Prince's suffering, I will not hesitate to reward you. But if it is ineffective, or even worsens the Crown Prince's condition..."
The words were left unsaid, but Yun Jin understood the warning they contained. He kowtowed deeply: "This humble subject will certainly do his utmost to live up to Your Majesty's trust."
……
The candlelight flickered inside the hall, and the aroma of medicine and ambergris mingled, creating an unusual tranquility.
The layers of gauze curtains have been lowered again, preventing outsiders from peeping.
On the soft couch, Lin Shen had already taken off his outer robe, wearing only a moon-white silk nightgown. He lay lazily on his side, his black hair cascading down like a waterfall, making the skin on his neck and a small patch of his back appear even whiter and more translucent, with faint blue veins almost visible.
Yun Jin stood quietly before the bed, holding a silver needle as thin as a cow's hair in her hand, her fingertips steady without the slightest tremor.
He had just explained in detail to Emperor Qi and the Crown Prince the acupuncture points and principles, aiming to clear the blocked meridians, temporarily relieve the severe pain, and buy time for subsequent treatment.
"Your Highness, please relax. You may feel a little soreness."
Yun Jin spoke very softly, afraid of disturbing the person on the bed who seemed to be cast in glass.
Lin Shen did not respond, but simply gave a lazy "hmm" as if to acknowledge it.
Yun Jin concentrated, his fingertips precisely finding the location of the Fengchi acupoint. Through the thin nightgown, he could feel the slightly cool touch of the skin beneath.
He held his breath, his wrist slightly lowered, and the silver needle pierced in silently with just the right force and angle.
The moment the needle pierced his skin, Lin Shen trembled almost imperceptibly, then quickly regained his composure.
Yun Jin was completely focused, selecting acupoints in sequence: Touwei, Taiyang, Shuaigu... His movements were fluid and graceful, with a unique sense of rhythm, clearly showing that he had been immersed in this art for a long time.
The silver needles seemed to come alive at his fingertips, precisely probing the acupoints and gently twisting them to guide the flow of Qi.
However, he could not ignore the gaze that was always fixed on him.
Lin Shen did not close his eyes to rest, but tilted his head slightly, his clear, glassy eyes fixed on him.
The gaze was no longer the scrutiny and inquiry of their first meeting, but rather carried a kind of... understanding, a playful look as if it had seen through the root of everything, so intense it almost burned two holes in his face.
Yun Jin's heart raced uncontrollably, and her ears felt faintly hot.
From the first time Lin Shen heard his name, he knew that he was the original male protagonist of this world.
The chosen one, destined to lead the Southern Continent's righteous army to overthrow tyranny and establish a new dynasty, was destined to fall apart.
However, the original text does not include the part where he enters the palace to treat his headaches.
The plot has long since deviated from its intended course.
That's why he went along with it that day, allowing the doctor of unknown origin to come close and take his pulse, wanting to confirm whether he was really that person.
The result is obvious.
Lin Shen looked thoughtfully at the young man in front of him who was focused on administering acupuncture.
He had a handsome face, with a natural air of the mountains and the benevolence of a doctor in his eyes. At this moment, his lips were slightly pursed due to his focus, revealing a stubborn seriousness.
The original novel did mention that the male protagonist, Yun Jin, was proficient in medicine and studied under a reclusive master, but no one expected that he would enter the palace.
"Where is Mr. Yun from?"
Lin Shen suddenly spoke, his voice hoarse and languid due to his lying position and the pain, breaking the silence of the acupuncture treatment.
Yun Jin's fingers, which were holding the needle, trembled almost imperceptibly. Fortunately, the needle had already been inserted and did not deviate.
He suppressed the pounding in his heart, lowered his eyes, and respectfully replied, "Your Highness, I am from the Southern Continent. I am a rough man from the mountains and have only learned a little bit of medical skills by chance. I dare not accept the title of 'Master'."
Nanzhou.
Lin Shen silently repeated these two words in his heart, his eyes darkening slightly.
This matches the original work.
In the original story, after he ascended the throne, he was tyrannical and ruthless, and his killings were excessive. In addition, natural disasters and man-made calamities occurred, and the floods in the southern continent were particularly severe, causing the people to suffer. It was this man in front of us who, together with his chosen woman, raised his arms and called on the people, winning their hearts and ultimately overthrowing the crumbling Qi dynasty.
However, this thought must be put aside for now.
not the right time yet.
He slightly curled the corners of his lips, his tone revealing neither joy nor anger.
"Mr. Yun, you are too modest. If your medical skills are still considered mediocre, then wouldn't those mediocre people in the Imperial Medical Bureau be even worse than itinerant doctors?"
His gaze swept over Yun Jin's slightly tense profile as he spoke, and he continued slowly, "Your acupuncture technique is precise in its placement of acupoints and the force is just right. I feel that my headache has indeed eased a bit."
Yun Jin was about to say a few humble words when Lin Shen suddenly changed the subject, his voice calm but carrying an undeniable air of authority.
"If my headaches are cured this time, why don't you work in the Imperial Medical Academy? The Imperial Medical Academy needs someone like you."
Yun Jin had just carefully inserted the last silver needle when she heard this. Her movements stopped instantly, and she looked up in surprise, meeting Lin Shen's unfathomable eyes.
Imperial Medical Bureau?
Lin Shen took in his momentary astonishment and helplessness, but simply lowered his long eyelashes to conceal the fleeting glint in his eyes, his tone carrying a condescending and self-righteous admiration.
"What? Curing me is a great achievement. Your skills are far more useful than those quack doctors who are helpless. I need someone like you by my side."
His words were light and airy, yet like an invisible net, they quietly enveloped Yun Jin.
Yun Jin was deeply shocked and didn't know how to respond for a moment.
He looked at Lin Shen's face, which was slightly relieved by the acupuncture but was still pale and fragile. The strength in his eyes and his weak body formed an eerie contrast.
"Your Highness is too kind, this humble subject..." Yun Jin took a deep breath, lowered his head, and said in a hoarse voice, "This humble subject needs to wait until Your Highness is fully recovered before making a decision."
He did not agree immediately, nor did he refuse outright.
Upon hearing this, Lin Shen's lips curved into an almost imperceptible smile. He stopped pressuring her, closed his eyes again, as if his earlier earth-shattering recruitment remark had been just a casual remark.
"Okay, focus on administering the acupuncture."
The hall fell silent again, with only the soft crackling of the candlelight.
Outside the gauze curtain, a figure in black stood like a frozen statue, clearly hearing the faint conversation inside.
Cheng Song's hands, hanging by his sides, were clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white, and the dark color surging in his eyes almost swallowed up all light.
Stay? At the Imperial Medical Academy?
Your Highness actually values this unlicensed doctor from the Southern Continent so highly?!
A mixture of panic, jealousy, and violence gripped his heart like a poisonous vine, tightening its grip ever more.