The Empress could not allow Chu Qianli to examine her outside because her illness was indeed rather difficult to speak of.
"My abdominal pain has persisted for over a decade. More than ten years ago, Mr. Wu Chenzi had someone send me medicine..."
"Did you ever meet him in person?" Chu Qianli asked while taking her pulse.
"Never." The Empress's words were filled with disappointment and helplessness.
"After searching for many years, I never had the chance to see the先生's true face."
She was already the Empress of a nation, yet she couldn't find someone. This showed how elusive and mysterious that person's whereabouts were.
"Since you never met him, why would Mr. Wu Chenzi send you medicine?" Chu Qianli was somewhat surprised.
"I had the same question back then. The person who delivered the medicine said that the先生 had seen me..."
"Just by seeing you, he knew the root of your illness?" This was truly remarkable.
"This is the brilliance of Mr. Wu Chenzi. I don't know when he saw me, I didn't even notice. But after I took the medicine he sent, I indeed lived peacefully for many years."
However, in the last two years, it had started to flare up again.
Chu Qianli felt a pang of emotion.
A Chu was truly miraculous. It was a pity that such a miraculous and powerful person, admired by all, whom everyone wished to see, was merely a pitiable soul trapped in his own suffering.
"Your Majesty, this is a gynecological condition. If I'm not mistaken, when it flares up, it causes unbearable itching and an unusual odor."
The Empress blushed, instantly feeling awkward.
However, Chu Qianli's accurate description of her symptoms, as told by He'er, proved that the girl's medical skills were indeed formidable.
Perhaps she could truly cure her chronic ailment.
"Since Your Majesty can diagnose it, can you also..."
"That would require me to examine you. I am not a gynecologist, but I am a general practitioner, and gynecology is not difficult for me."
"Ex-examine?" The Empress's face, initially flushed, quickly turned pale.
"This..."
"In my hometown... never mind. Anyway, for gynecological conditions, an examination is necessary, and samples need to be collected for testing."
If it were just a common gynecological illness, it would be nothing. The real fear was when certain indicators turned positive.
"But, this place..."
"I am a doctor. If Your Majesty wishes for me to treat you, you must trust me."
Chu Qianli's current identity was that of a doctor. Therefore, whether the Empress was good or bad made no difference to her for the time being.
"If you cannot even face a doctor, how will you face your husband in the future? Does Your Majesty wish to never have the opportunity to serve the Emperor again?"
A shadow fell over the Empress's eyes.
In the earlier years, when her illness was better, she and the Emperor could still be together from time to time. In the past two years, due to her condition, the Emperor had visited many times, but she had always found excuses to refuse him.
The Emperor was not short of beautiful women, so he naturally wouldn't care about her.
But she herself cared deeply...
"Your Majesty, if it is a common gynecological illness, it is not difficult to cure and will not affect your life. However, if it is a certain type of chronic ailment, it can be fatal."
Upon hearing this, the Empress immediately panicked.
"Then, I..."
"Your Majesty, please remove your clothes and lie down on the bed. Leave the rest to me."
Chu Qianli understood her hesitation, but if the patient did not cooperate, she could not perform the examination.
Seeing her still wavering, Chu Qianli said lightly, "Your Majesty, I have urgent matters to attend to outside. If Your Majesty is unwilling, then I shall take my leave."