Chapter 103: Let's Shave the Old Hag's Head

"Empress Dowager, I implore you not to act on impulse. This procedure is far too brutal," Su Jingluo said, wearing an expression that suggested she was only acting in the Empress Dowager's best interest.

"Speak, just speak! Oh, it hurts, it hurts me to death!" The Empress Dowager clutched the quilt tightly, her knuckles white, her lips bitten until they were drained of color.

"Empress Dowager, I truly dare not say. It is far too risky; no ordinary person could withstand it," Su Jingluo continued, playing a game of cat and mouse.

"You—you—you! Tell me! If you don't, I will have you executed!" The Empress Dowager was truly incensed, her eyes turning fierce.

"No, no, please don't kill me! I will speak, I will. The Empress Dowager has a parasite in her brain. To cure it completely, we must cut open the scalp and extract it," Su Jingluo said, cautiously revealing the treatment method.

"What?" the Empress Dowager roared. She was unsure if Su Jingluo was telling the truth, but the mere thought of such a treatment—cutting open one's own scalp—was unheard of.

"See? I told you that you wouldn't be able to accept it. Most people would be scared out of their wits just hearing about it. Perhaps we should stick to conservative treatment? If we keep up with the medication, the pain won't be as unbearable as it is now. We can worry about the future later," Su Jingluo quickly added, implying, "I warned you, but you insisted on asking. If you don't have the stomach for it, don't inquire about surgery."

The Empress Dowager glared at Su Jingluo, convinced that the woman was up to no good. Yet, suffering such agony, the thought of the pain continuing endlessly made her want to die, though she lacked the actual courage to end her own life. She was torn on whether to trust Su Jingluo.

The Empress Dowager summoned a eunuch named Chunxi, whispered a few words into his ear, and then, gritting her teeth and narrowing her eyes, looked back at Su Jingluo.

"If you try to play any tricks on me, you will meet a miserable end. I promise you, if anything happens to me, you will be the first to be buried with me." In truth, the Empress Dowager was quite afraid of death; she feared Su Jingluo might use this opportunity to kill her.

Su Jingluo offered a faint smile. Was she supposed to be intimidated? Were it not for her professional ethics as a doctor, she would have left the old hag with a few permanent side effects just to punish her arrogance. But Su Jingluo kept these thoughts to herself.

"As long as you cooperate, Empress Dowager," she replied. After all, the best medical skill in the world could not save a soul already halfway to the afterlife.

The Empress Dowager, weary of the back-and-forth and overwhelmed by the pain, gritted her teeth and nodded heavily. There were no anesthetics in this era, but Su Jingluo had her ways. When she had been poisoned previously, Yunbai had used a "Restful Insect" to render her unconscious. It was such a rare and useful treasure that Su Jingluo had snatched it from her son. She had kept it for herself, and now, it was finally coming in handy.

The moment the Restful Insect touched the Empress Dowager's wrist, she began to voice her displeasure, but before she could finish, she fell into a deep slumber. As soon as the Empress Dowager was asleep, Su Jingluo tucked the insect away, fearing someone might try to take such a precious item from her.

Su Jingluo then ordered the servants to shave the Empress Dowager’s head. In truth, only a small section needed to be cleared, but sterilization was difficult, and besides, since she had to shave a patch, why not shave it all? The old hag was infuriating enough to deserve it.

None of the palace servants dared to carry out this command; they stood there with pale faces, looking as if their own heads were on the chopping block. With no other choice, Su Jingluo took the scissors and razor herself. The result looked like it had been chewed on by a dog—it was immensely satisfying, though admittedly, her technique was poor. Fortunately, the area required for surgery was clean.