Old Junmei, the former top imperial physician of the previous dynasty's Imperial Medical Academy, had been retired at home for many years. The former emperor had bestowed upon him a luxurious manor in the suburbs, where the old man spent his days leisurely, playing with his grandchildren, tending to flowers and birds.

This peace was only broken when a gilded carriage made of camphor wood with a green canopy stopped in front of his door. Old Junmei personally led his entire family to kneel at the entrance, shouting three times, "Your servant receives the imperial decree - to welcome the Emperor!"

The Qianwan Emperor leaped down from the carriage, reaching inside to grab something, but the gauzy curtain blocked the view of what was inside. Everyone kept their heads bowed low. After a good while without any movement, some of the bolder children couldn't help but sneak a peek.

With just a glance, the sharp-eyed ones saw the Qianwan Emperor resolutely pulling someone out of the carriage with one hand, while that person struggled fiercely, pushing against the Emperor's hand. The Emperor coaxed softly for a few sentences, but eventually lost patience. He lifted the person over his shoulder in one swift motion and strode inside with big steps.

Old Junmei kept his old face still, steadily staring at the ground. He watched the Emperor's bright yellow dragon boots pass by the ground in front of his eyes, then heard the eunuch Zhang Kuo announce in a shrill voice, "The Emperor decrees, you may rise-"

Everyone kowtowed heavily once more, then stood up with lowered heads. "Thank you for the Emperor's grace!"

The Qianwan Emperor, who had fought his way to the throne on horseback, was very impatient with these empty formalities. He strode into the main hall and flung Mingde onto the enormous main seat, warning in a low voice, "You dare embarrass me in someone else's home, just try it!"

Shangguan Mingde had struggled quite ungracefully and been carried in by the Qianwan Emperor the whole way, his face flushed bright red, his eyes brimming with tears, looking both itchy and painful to the heart. The Qianwan Emperor's heart softened, but before he could say anything, he heard Shangguan Mingde say coldly, "Your servant receives the decree."

That expression was more or less saying: Your Majesty, restrain yourself! Stay away from your servant!

The Qianwan Emperor felt quite angry. He chuckled coldly and patted him on the shoulder, saying, "It's good that my beloved official has this self-awareness."

Old Junmei, wearing the court attire from his days at the Imperial Medical Academy, knelt respectfully on the ground, pretending not to see anything happening above. Seeing the Qianwan Emperor approach, he asked in a low voice, "Is this young lord the little noble Your Majesty said was being sent for treatment?"

The Qianwan Emperor said with a cold laugh, "This person is sharp-tongued, stubborn and fierce. If you're not careful, he'll hurt people. The imperial physician must be cautious in dealing with him."

Old Junmei saw that the young lord was barely of age, wrapped in a snow cloak with only half his face exposed, a pair of eyes so sharp they chilled the heart, yet his features were as beautiful as a painting, cold and peerless. After all, he had been in the palace for a long time and had seen all kinds of lewd and absurd things, so he wasn't surprised that the Emperor had some beautiful young men by his side.

With one glance, he understood and hurriedly said, "This old servant wouldn't dare, wouldn't dare."

He stepped forward to take Shangguan Mingde's pulse, but the young lord had quite a temper. He withdrew his hand, turned his head, and remained silent. Old Junmei just thought this child was spoiled, so he had been scolded and beaten by some palace concubine or master and was in a bad mood.

Although he disapproved in his heart, his face showed no change as he respectfully said, "Young noble, please extend your hand and let this old servant take your pulse for diagnosis."

Mingde remained silent, acting as if he hadn't heard. Old Junmei had good self-restraint and said again, "If you don't extend your hand, how can this old servant diagnose and prescribe medicine for you?"

The Qianwan Emperor strode over, grabbing Mingde's shoulder with one hand and seizing his wrist with the other, forcibly pulling it over. These few movements were too forceful. Mingde kicked the Qianwan Emperor, and the lofty Son of Heaven gritted his teeth and endured the kick. "...Oh! You rebel!"

Old Junmei hurriedly retreated half a step, said "excuse me", then pressed Mingde's wrist through the yellow silk. With just this probe, he discovered that his qi and blood were weak, his pulse was disordered, and his chest qi was turbulent, indicating he must have serious injuries.

Old Junmei frowned as he took the pulse for a while, then gently put down Mingde's wrist and knelt down to ask, "Excuse me, young lord, please disrobe so this old servant can examine your injuries."

Mingde said with a cold laugh, "The way you say that, sir, how would I dare? Now that the world is at peace and the palace is well, you insist that I'm injured. Then tell me, where did I get these injuries from? Could it be that I got into fights and brawls and hurt people?"

Old Junmei listened in confusion. It was the Qianwan Emperor who originally felt a bit uncomfortable when he heard Old Junmei say he wanted to examine the injuries.

Subconsciously, he still felt that Shangguan Mingde was his person. If his person was so beautiful that people envied him when they saw him, that was his pride. But if it wasn't just about the face and people had to look at the body too, that was unbearable for him.

The Qianwan Emperor coughed and said, "This..."

Before he could finish, Old Junmei interrupted him sternly, "Young lord, what kind of talk is this! A physician has the heart of a parent. Since you came to the door seeking treatment, you are this old servant's patient. Even if it was from fighting, brawling, and hurting others, that is a matter for the authorities and has nothing to do with this old servant. All this old servant wants is to hope to heal the young lord's injuries and illness. What does anything else have to do with me? For the young lord to use words like fighting and brawling to pressure me is a great slander against a physician's intentions!"

"..." Mingde was at a loss for words. He stared at Old Junmei for a long time before slowly untying his lapels. "...Sir, forgive me."

Old Junmei had originally thought the injury was nothing more than being hit with a board or whipped, the kind of punishment common in the palace. Who would have thought that when Mingde's clothes fell away, a foot-long knife wound could be seen above his heart, hastily wrapped with bandages soaked through with blood. Furthermore, his lungs were slightly black and blue, a sign of internal energy damage that had been forcibly suppressed with cultivation.

With one look, anyone with discerning eyes could tell these were injuries from a clash between experts. Taking the pulse of this young lord again, although his pulse was weak and rough, there were faint traces of true qi flowing and internal energy supporting his heart.

Old Junmei was secretly shocked. Could it be that this frail, delicate, and extraordinarily beautiful young lord was actually a hidden expert? He knew that once martial arts reached a certain level, even people who looked thin and weak could possess ultimate skills. But he never would have imagined that this young man, who seemed like the Emperor's boy toy, was also this kind of person.

The Qianwan Emperor's face darkened as he calmly asked, "Imperial Physician, are you just going to look and not treat him?"

The old physician was startled and quickly bowed down, "Your Majesty, please forgive me. External injuries are easy to treat, but internal injuries are difficult to heal. I have checked his pulse, and this young master has stagnant qi and blood in his heart, with depression that cannot be relieved. To resolve the internal injuries, I'm afraid he will have to suffer a bit."

The Qianwan Emperor said indifferently, "...What does it matter? As long as he is cured, it's fine. Suffering a little is not a bad thing for him."

The old physician glanced at Mingde. This young master's face showed no expression, and if there was any, it could be summed up with the word "cold". At that moment, the old physician inexplicably sighed in his heart. Living in the imperial family, covered in wealth and honor, outsiders see it as incomparably glamorous, but how much suffering one has endured, only they themselves know.

The old physician had served in the Imperial Medical Academy for many years and was especially skilled in treating internal injuries.

Shangguan Mingde was young and impetuous. When he was injured, he did not dodge but stubbornly stood his ground. He did not lose face, but his internal organs were greatly damaged. He was already burdened with heavy thoughts every day, and with the added pressure of internal injuries, he became even more depressed and stagnant, making it very difficult to fully resolve.

Not only was it difficult, but he also had to suffer quite a bit. The hundred-year-old ginseng was forced down his throat every day, followed by heavy pressing and kneading until the stagnant blood was dispersed. Then, he was steamed with medicine until his entire body's blood vessels were activated. This continued for half a month.

After all, Mingde was young and weak, and it was very difficult for him to endure such needle-like pain. The first day the old physician treated him, he couldn't bear it. At the peak of pain, he lost his senses and raised his hand to strike his own crown.

Fortunately, the Qianwan Emperor was by his side and grabbed his wrist, quickly tying it to the bed frame.

Mingde struggled desperately at the peak of pain, begging the Qianwan Emperor, "I don't want to be treated anymore! Just let me die! I don't want to be treated!"

The Qianwan Emperor looked at him. The ginseng's effect was too strong, and Mingde's body couldn't withstand it. His cheeks were flushed red, and at a glance, it seemed to have a peach blossom-like color.

He reached out and gently embraced Shangguan Mingde. His hands were not heavy, but they smothered all of Mingde's struggles in his arms.

That day, after Mingde was steamed with medicine and treated, he fell into a deep sleep. Just as the Qianwan Emperor got up, he heard someone softly knocking on the door outside, saying, "Reporting to Your Majesty, there is an anomaly in the palace."

An anomaly? Those words were too vague. The Qianwan Emperor glanced at Mingde, got up, and walked out the door, lowering his voice to ask, "What anomaly?"

The secret guard said, "In the Cold Palace, the Noble Consort's fetus was disturbed, and I'm afraid... the dragon seed is in danger."

Mingde waited for a long time but did not see the old physician. He sat in a chair, reading a currently popular novel about love and chivalry. He became so impatient that he still didn't see any sign of the old physician.

"Where is the Imperial Physician?"

The servant came to serve tea with utmost respect and finally said, "Young Master, please wait a little longer. The Imperial Physician has gone to the palace."

Mingde suddenly sat up straight and asked the servant with a slight smile, "To the palace? Who is sick?"

The servant rubbed his hands and said vaguely, "Who knows about this? Palace matters, we servants, haha..."

Mingde gently patted the servant's hand, quietly passing a piece of silver from his sleeve. The servant hurriedly withdrew his hand, feeling that the silver weighed at least two taels, and instantly became so excited that his face turned red. "How can I let the young master spend money! How can I!"

Mingde shook his head slightly, indicating for him to speak. The servant looked left and right, seeing no one around, and hurriedly leaned over and whispered, "It is said that the Noble Consort who angered the Emperor and was sent to the Cold Palace is from the Ding family. She is also carrying the dragon seed. Going to the Cold Palace is just for show; she will definitely be brought back.

"Young Master, see, that person had a fetal disturbance, and the Emperor immediately summoned our master to diagnose and treat her overnight, which shows that he still values the unborn dragon seed... Do you know, Young Master? Last night, rumors were already spreading in the palace, saying that our master diagnosed it with one pulse reading - it's a prince!"

The servant chuckled, but suddenly saw the veins on the back of this young master's hand, resting on the armrest, instantly bulge out. It was a very long and beautiful hand, but at that moment, it looked extremely hideous.

He was startled and looked up, only to see Mingde smile faintly and say, "It's nothing, thank you."

The smile was very faint, but in that fleeting hint of a smile, there was a heavy murderous intent, instantly making one's heart turn cold.

The old physician was, after all, a divine doctor. He prescribed a formula and had someone decoct a bowl of fetus-calming medicine. After the Noble Consort drank it, in just the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the fetus's movements settled down, and she gradually began to feel drowsy.

Seeing that the Noble Consort was out of danger, Zhang Kuo hurriedly made way and said, "Imperial Physician, please come this way. His Majesty is waiting for you in the outer room."

Half asleep, the corners of the Noble Consort's lips curled up in a charming smile.

So what if she seduced and bewitched the Emperor, and what if the harem was in chaos? She, the daughter of a minister, the noble consort carrying the dragon seed, even if she was sent to the Cold Palace, she would definitely have the day to make a comeback.

In fact, this time, she deliberately disturbed the fetus. If the child was born safe and sound, it would likely be taken away and given to the Empress to raise, and all her hard work would be in vain.

Wasn't there a similar example before? Eighteen years ago, Empress Mingrui somehow angered the Emperor. At that time, the Emperor was young and had a terrible temper. He immediately strangled her to death with a white silk ribbon and announced to the outside that she had died of a sudden illness. The crown prince she left behind was later given to the current Empress to raise.

If it weren't for this adopted crown prince, the current Empress, who had no children, would have long been deposed.

She could not follow in Empress Mingrui's footsteps. She had to make a fuss and let the Emperor notice her, to make everyone remember how much she had suffered for this dragon seed.

No one should dare to snatch away the credit for carrying the prince from her. She was already a noble consort, and with a prince, the position of Empress was not far from her reach. The concubine slept for a while, in a daze, feeling as if someone was sitting beside her. The breathing was calm and long, and although very light, there was a kind of icy, needle-like aura that always accompanied her, making the concubine's sleep uneasy.

It wasn't until dusk that she suddenly woke up. The faint glow of the setting sun penetrated the tall, carved wooden windows, leaving only blurred light and shadows on the crude furnishings of the cold palace. A clear, youthful voice sounded behind her: "Your Highness, are you well?"

The voice was gentle and quiet, even shy and soft. The concubine turned her head abruptly, only to see a young man sitting by the window in the shadow of the flowers, smiling slightly at her.

The concubine sat up suddenly, her voice changing pitch: "Who are you? Someone come! Someone come!"

However, her voice was smaller than she had imagined, and after a few gurgles in her throat, she could no longer say anything.

She fell limply on the couch, and the young man stood up and walked over. The concubine was startled and suddenly recognized that he was Shangguan Mingde, whom she had unsuccessfully framed.

But how could it be him? Wasn't he just an unfavored son of an assistant minister? How did he get in? What did he want to do?

Mingde stared at the woman's frightened eyes for a while and asked, "...You really want to be the empress?"

To be the empress, to be the empress dowager, was the dream of every woman in this harem, right?

The concubine couldn't make a sound. Shangguan Mingde gently placed his hand on her neck.

"Xia Zhaoyi also wanted it very much."

Mingde's profile in the shadow of the flowers was hazy, elegant and cruel.

The concubine suddenly thought of Xia Zhaoyi's death, and in an instant, her whole body turned cold. That woman was more favored than her and the empress, and of course, with a strong family background, it was not impossible for her to be promoted or become the empress.

At the time of her "sudden death from illness", many people rumored that it was the concubine's doing, but the emperor favored the concubine and did not punish her; but only she herself knew that Xia Zhaoyi's death had nothing to do with her.

Mingde's hand gradually tightened, and the concubine heard the creaking sound of the bones in her neck rubbing against each other.

"The struggle in the court is originally the winner takes all, so if you are not strong enough, don't blame others, just go in peace."

The concubine tried in vain to wave her nails, but she couldn't even move a little finger. Her eyes were wide open, and her throat made a gurgling sound, then her head tilted and her body sank.

Mingde stared at her quietly for a long time and sighed, "...I only wish that in the next life, I will not be born into a royal family."

He turned around and strode out of the grand and imposing palace gate.