Upon entering, the Empress Dowager had been sitting calmly, not scolding Lady Xu nor speaking in favor of Gu Youyou. Now, upon hearing Gu Youyou mention how she almost died, the Empress Dowager uttered an "oh" and asked further, "Doctor Gu, is there such great risk to you when treating yourself?"
Gu Youyou replied to the Empress Dowager, "My illness was life-threatening, and thus the medicine was naturally extremely dangerous. If successful, I would survive; if not, death was all that awaited me. However, Your Highness need not worry, your ailment is in the leg and not life-threatening. If the treatment works well, you may be able to stand up and even walk a few steps after one month; if not, at least the pain will be lessened. But complete recovery is impossible. Whether to treat or not is ultimately up to Your Highness."