The empress dowager couldn't wait to lift the red cloth, only to see what she wanted the most … the Medicine Fan!
This Medicine Fan was oval-shaped and made of extremely fine, high-grade white silk. Its handle was made of precious ivory and decorated with purple tassels.
Every part of the Medicine Fan was extremely valuable, but none of them could compare to the two sides of the fan embroidered with fragrant grass on one side and purple lilies on the other.
Fragrant grass was the most effective medicine for insomnia, while purple lilies were meant to sober the mind.
Even the most severe cases of insomnia would be cured by the Medicine Fan. Moreover, it was easy to use and had no side effects!
This was something that drinking medicine and acupuncture couldn't compare to.
The empress dowager loved it so much that she couldn't help but lean over to take it. But Han Yunxi beat her to it and picked up the Medicine Fan.
Han Yunxi leisurely fanned herself with the fan. "Esteemed Empress Dowager, you recognize this thing, right?"
"Of course!"
The empress dowager was very certain. Her gaze hadn't left the Medicine Fan at all. Suddenly, her neck began to itch, but it wasn't much different from a normal itch. She scratched it casually without taking it to heart.
"Esteemed Empress Dowager, Imperial Physician Gu's grandfather prescribed you this fan in the past, right?" Han Yunxi asked next.
Han Yunxi had asked this question before, so the empress dowager nodded. "It's this fan."
Han Yunxi didn't hand it over immediately, but toyed with it in her hands. "Esteemed Empress Dowager, do you know how to use it?"
"I do. It has two sides, one for sleeping while the other sobers the mind," the empress dowager finally lost her patience. "Yunxi, let me take a look."
Han Yunxi glanced at the empress dowager's scratching hand with ridicule in her eyes. She purposely offered it with both hands. "Esteemed Empress Dowager, please kindly accept it!"
The empress dowager picked up the Medicine Fan impatiently, as if afraid that Han Yunxi would go back on her word. She flipped the fan up and down and immediately smelled its medicinal fragrance with a look of enjoyment.
Han Yunxi watched coldly as her lips curved into a mocking smile.
Take your time sniffing, the best part is yet to come!
Han Yunxi patiently waited for the Empress Dowager to smell enough before asking, "Empress Dowager, is this fake?"
"Heheh, it's still Yunxi who has the skills!" the empress dowager said meaningfully.
"It's real, isn't it?" Han Yunxi needed an affirmative answer.
She had to be ruthless in this matter, and she had to make sure that there were no loopholes for the Empress Dowager to cause trouble for her and Gu Beiyue.
The empress dowager had never seen a real Medicine Fan before, nor had she ever seen real incense or purple lilies. However, she was very familiar with these things. She knew that they couldn't be fake the moment she saw them at the birthday banquet!
The Medicine Fan was the only one in the world that could inscribe different medicinal herbs on both sides of the same fan.
Furthermore, she'd just fanned the opposite side of the Medicine Fan, and the fragrance of the purple lilies had instantly dispelled the exhaustion caused by her insomnia over the past few days. Right now, she felt completely refreshed!
"It's not fake, it really is the Medicine Fan."
The empress dowager generously gave Han Yunxi an affirmative answer. Although she'd suffered a lot of unpleasantness after obtaining the Medicine Fan and even missed the chance to make things difficult for Han Yunxi, she still secretly felt grateful towards Han Yunxi when she saw the treasure she'd admired for so long.
After all, she'd been searching for this item for almost 20 years without any results! Although the empress dowager didn't want to admit it, it was the truth. If it wasn't for Han Yunxi, she probably wouldn't have found it in this lifetime.
Of course, her gratitude only lasted for a moment. In the empress dowager's heart, she had to give the Medicine Fan to anyone who found it.
"That's good then. Then chenqie won't disturb you any longer, Empress Dowager." After making things clear, Han Yunxi took her leave.
The empress dowager didn't keep her for long, but let her go after a few polite words.
As soon as Han Yunxi left, the empress dowager's hidden delight showed on her face. She was so happy that her mood instantly improved.
She carefully stroked the Medicine Fan, then gently fanned it. She simply couldn't bear to part with it.
She couldn't wait any longer, hoping that night would quickly fall so that she could test the Medicine Fan's effects and have a good night's sleep.
When she fanned the Medicine Fan, she unconsciously scratched here and there. When Nanny Li, who had been newly promoted to replace Nanny Gui, saw this, she hurriedly asked with concern, "Empress Dowager, what's wrong? Did you touch something dirty?"
"Perhaps it's because it's just winter and my skin is too dry. Aiyo, my back is itching. Hurry and help me scratch it!"
The empress dowager said this while carefully examining the Medicine Fan, completely unaware of her body's abnormality.
After Nanny Li scratched her back for a while, she stopped itching.
Ever since Han Yunxi left, the empress dowager had been holding the Medicine Fan without doing anything other than waiting for the sky to darken.
She'd been suffering from insomnia for so long that she'd forgotten when it was normal to fall asleep.
After dinner, she and Nanny Li took a stroll around the imperial garden before returning. She specially took a hot bath and lay down on the bed early.
"Empress Dowager, let this old servant help you fan!" Nanny Li volunteered.
"No need, you can keep vigil."
It was likely that no one would be able to take the Medicine Fan away from the empress dowager now, so Nanny Li could only spread out the bedding and keep vigil on the ground.
The empress dowager lay down lazily with a leisurely expression on her face, completely lacking the usual anxiety before falling asleep. She faced the Medicine Fan in front of herself and deliberately glanced at the incense before gently fanning herself.
Following her movements, the faint medicinal fragrance of the incense gradually spread out and pervaded the empress dowager's surroundings.
This fragrance had the miraculous effect of calming one's mind and relaxing one's body. Gradually, the empress dowager's movements became slower and slower. Her expression changed from leisurely to blissful, and then from blissful to hazy sleepiness.
Not long after, she actually fell asleep. Her hand drooped and the Medicine Fan fell to the ground with a plop, but she still didn't wake up.
Nanny Li watched in disbelief. She waited for a long time and only carefully picked up the Medicine Fan after confirming that the empress dowager had truly fallen asleep.
That night, the empress dowager slept very deeply. She didn't even notice when she frequently scratched herself in the second half of the night.
The next day, Han Yunxi had Nanny Zhao use some money to inquire about the Heavenly Palace.
"Esteemed wangfei, the empress dowager went to bed very early yesterday and slept all the way until dawn. Today, all of the servants in the Heavenly Palace were rewarded! "Nanny Zhao truthfully reported.
"Aiyo, you're in such a good mood?" Han Yunxi was also in a good mood.
"How could I not be? Sleep is her life! Esteemed wangfei, you … you're letting that old thing off so easily? "Nanny Zhao was very unwilling.
"People often say that happiness is built on top of pain, but in reality, pain is built on top of happiness." Han Yunxi revealed a harmless smile.
Happiness? Pain? What did this have to do with the Medicine Fan? Nanny Zhao was completely confused.
"Esteemed wangfei, this old servant doesn't understand what you mean."
"Let's go ask around tomorrow." Han Yunxi said mysteriously.
The next day, as soon as Nanny Zhao received the news, she couldn't wait to tell Han Yunxi.
"Esteemed wangfei, the entire Heavenly Palace is in a state of panic today. I heard that even Nanny Li, who was recently promoted, was beaten until she was crippled! The empress dowager used the Medicine Fan last night and was about to fall asleep, but she was woken up by the itch. It's said that her scalp was itchy and no matter how she scratched or washed it, it wouldn't stop until morning. "
Nanny Zhao was very excited. "Esteemed wangfei, did you do something to it?"
Han Yunxi glanced over and said with a serious expression, "Bold servant, if you dare slander this wangfei again, I'll drag you out and feed you to the dogs!"
Nanny Zhao was stunned at first, but then she smiled. She understood.
Pain is built on top of happiness. If she didn't let the empress dowager taste the sweetness of sleep, how could she experience the pain of insomnia?
It was currently evening. In the Heavenly Palace, the empress dowager had just woken up. After tossing and turning all night, she could only catch up on sleep during the day like before.
She had clearly used the Medicine Fan perfectly, but for some reason, her scalp had suddenly itched last night.
If it was any other day, it wouldn't matter. She was awake anyway, so she could do whatever she wanted. But last night, she had used the Medicine Fan to make her scalp itch. When she was drowsy and had no energy at all, she had no choice but to scratch her scalp and wash her hair. How painful must that have been!
The most painful thing wasn't that she couldn't sleep even if she wanted to, but that she couldn't sleep even though she wanted to!
This was simply a nightmare!
She had used the Medicine Fan perfectly, so the empress dowager didn't think that it was related to it. She found several imperial physicians to take a look, but none of them could give her a reason.
Her hair had always been clean, and she had never had an itchy scalp in all her years! Moreover, her entire body was fine, only her scalp was itchy.
The imperial physicians even went to study the food the empress dowager had eaten these past few days, but they couldn't find any allergens. Since they couldn't find the cause, the imperial physicians all waited in the Heavenly Palace, waiting to see what would happen tonight.
The empress dowager tidied up and prepared to sleep early just like the first day she obtained the Medicine Fan.
She gently fanned herself with the Medicine Fan and soon felt sleepy again. But who knew that just as she was about to fall asleep, her scalp would itch again?
The empress dowager was extremely sleepy and her consciousness was drifting. She unconsciously scratched her hair and continued to sleep.
But soon, her scalp itched again and she scratched it again.
This time, no matter how she scratched, it was useless. Soon, her scalp itched unbearably like last night.
Unfortunately, the empress dowager was so sleepy that she couldn't even open her eyes. Sleepiness and itchiness coexisted, so how could she not be in pain?
"Someone … someone …"
The empress dowager weakly said, "Scratch it … quickly …"
The newly arrived Nurse Xu hurriedly came over to help her scratch the itch, but it was useless. Nurse Xu could only call for the imperial physicians.
The empress dowager was very reluctant, but she had no choice but to get up and change her clothes. When the imperial physicians arrived, she leaned against the chaise lounge with her eyes half-closed. She was so weak that she didn't even want to speak.
After the imperial physicians examined her, they began to speculate. Some said it was a food allergy, some said it was a skin disease, some said it was a drug allergy, and some said it was poison.
Unfortunately, there was no definite diagnosis.
At this time, the empress dowager only wanted to sleep. She didn't have time to think.
"Get out … a bunch of trash, all of you get out!"
She pointed at the door. Although she was furious, she didn't have the strength to throw a tantrum.
That night, the empress dowager tossed and turned until dawn. She alternated between scratching her itch and washing her hair. The itchiness only subsided when the sun rose.
The empress dowager was exhausted, but she didn't catch up on sleep. Instead, she ordered coldly, "Which imperial physician said that Aijia was poisoned last night? Send it in!"
No matter how stupid the empress dowager was, she could guess that something was wrong. This definitely had something to do with Han Yunxi.
Han Yunxi, if you dare poison me, you're dead meat!
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