Chapter 3: Imperial Physician

Seeing that everyone in the palace had left, only the Imperial Hospital staff remained. The female official then threw herself at Sarah excitedly and said, "Sarah, luckily you are okay; otherwise, how could I live up to the late emperor's instructions?"

Sarah thought quickly and whispered, emulating the characters from TV dramas in her previous life, "Who are you? Who am I? Where is this place?" After saying that, she covered her head in pain and claimed it hurt.

After she finished speaking, the female official abruptly stopped moving, stood up, and looked at her for a long time. From her appearance, it didn't seem like Sarah was pretending, and she appeared to understand something.

Upon hearing this, the female official frowned and asked coldly, "Dr. Elizabeth, what's going on?"

After she finished speaking, Dr. Elizabeth, who was addressed, remained silent for a long time. It had been she who had confirmed the Empress's death earlier that day, and it was she who had now declared the Empress alive. Faced with the Empress's sudden memory loss, Dr. Elizabeth was at a loss for how to explain this unexpected turn of events.

During this tense moment, a young female doctor, who had been kneeling with her head bowed, slowly spoke up. "When I was young, I read a strange book in a foreign land," she began. "The book described people in a state of suspended animation, without heartbeat or breathing, who could be revived through certain drugs, external forces, or other influences. The Empress's memory loss may be linked to her experience before her state of suspended animation." This explanation was subtle yet reasonable, and even Sarah turned her head to regard the young female doctor with interest. It seemed to be just the explanation needed to make sense of the situation.

"So that's how it is. You quacks don't even have this common sense. The Emperor has wasted the important task placed on the Imperial Hospital. A director of the Imperial Hospital is not as knowledgeable as a young female doctor. What do you think you should be punished for?" The words of Prime Minister Louisa of the Fenglin Dynasty frightened the group of female doctors. To them, Prime Minister Louisa was like the grim reaper, even more terrifying than the Empress.

The young female doctor seemed to realize her own recklessness and kowtowed hurriedly, saying, "It was my humble self who was reckless. That strange book was also read by a strange man when I was young and accompanied my father on business in a foreign land. Maybe it is not that..."

Before she finished speaking, Louisa interrupted and said, "You are not reckless; it's just that they are not well-trained. Let me ask you, what is your name?"

When the young doctor heard the prime minister ask her name, she was stunned for a moment, then she respectfully replied, "Your humble servant, Emma."

"Very good. From today on, you will be the director of the Imperial Hospital. The rest of you will be demoted to commoners and will not be allowed to practice medicine for the rest of your lives. It is truly shameful to keep such mediocre doctors in the Imperial Hospital. Director Emma, the Imperial Hospital is now under your management. If such treasonous acts occur again, I will show no mercy."

Louisa's words provided a reasonable explanation for the empress's resurrection today. The responsibility for this matter lay entirely with the Imperial Medical Bureau's lack of professional skills. Leaving them a way to live now is to stop people from gossiping, and also to make them aware of what to say and what not to say when they leave, otherwise they would be doomed.

Sarah wanted to speak, but given her current identity as an empress who had lost her memory, and not being sure who was on her side, all she could do was remain silent. Furthermore, this female official executed her role perfectly without any flaws. As expected, these female doctors would likely meet untimely ends after leaving the palace, so Sarah also wanted to give these people a chance.

But this is ancient times; her appearance is unacceptable to humans, and her current identity as the empress requires caution to avoid future troubles. This time, she couldn't afford to be lenient! She, who has always been kind-hearted, acquiesced.

She continued to pretend she didn't understand, staring at the woman in red with a look of confusion.

(End of this chapter)