The crown prince held out his wrist as instructed.
Lu Changfeng placed three fingers on his pulse and concentrated on its subtle rhythms.
Beneath his fingers, the liver pulse was taut, urgent, and rapid, like pressing against a blade's edge, stretched so tight it threatened to snap. This was the classic pulse of liver qi stagnation at its extreme, turning into fire and scorching the meridians. When he examined the heart pulse, it was soft and feeble, with irregular interruptions-a clear sign that prolonged fear and suspicion had depleted the heart's blood, leaving the spirit unanchored and causing palpitations, anxiety, and sleepless nights.
What concerned Lu Changfeng even more was a restless current of "inner qi" darting through the prince's meridians, tangled inseparably with stagnant fire and the qi of fright. This was precisely the "inner evil" bred by a severe imbalance of essence, qi, and spirit after prolonged exposure to extreme repression, fear, and resentment, making the illness all the more complicated and stubborn.
Lu Changfeng sighed.
Being crown prince was no easy job either. Look what they'd driven this kid to...
Lu Changfeng asked softly, "Your Highness, have you recently been experiencing swelling pain at the crown of your head, along with a sensation beneath both flanks as though masses of qi were blocking them, causing distention and discomfort that eases when you sigh?"
A flicker of surprise passed through Li Chongjun's eyes. He nodded. "You see clearly, sir. That is exactly so."
Lu Changfeng continued, "Do you toss and turn at night, unable to sleep, and even when you manage to drift off, suffer strange dreams and nightmares that easily startle you awake? During the day, does your heart remain suspended in unease, as though you were treading on thin ice, with the slightest disturbance leaving you