Uncle from a poor family

Chapter 301: Illness cannot be cured

After leaving the Qianqing Palace, Li Zisheng stood under the porch, took a deep breath of fresh air, and immediately felt refreshed.

Qin Chang, who followed closely behind, saw this scene and approached to ask, "Master Li, are you not used to the smell of the medicine residue inside?"

"No, I just feel that it's more open outside, and my mind is broadened after coming out."

Li Zisheng looked embarrassed.

He was indeed not used to the foul smell inside, if for no other reason, but that Zhu Jianshen had become like an autistic patient recently, or perhaps because of his liver disease. He had no strength in his body and no appetite. He didn't comb his hair or wash his face, let alone take a bath or change clothes.

Then he went nowhere, and he ate, drank, defecated and urinated in the inner hall of the Qianqing Palace. When he occasionally went out, he just sat wherever he went, without paying any attention to the demeanor of a supreme ruler. He looked very sloppy, and over time, a foul smell developed on his body, which was similar to the smell of many bedridden elderly people.

"I can't help it. I've been taking this medicine for several months. I think the smell has almost penetrated my bones. It would be a miracle if I find it good!"

Qin Chang shook his head and sighed, "To be honest, your majesty's illness is similar to the symptoms that Empress Wan showed before, or it may have come from Empress Wan, alas..."

Li Zisheng nodded and said, "I have heard of this as well... It is said that liver disease is often a common disease between husband and wife. If one has it, the other will also have it. No one knows the exact principle, and I am afraid that even the doctors in the Imperial Hospital do not understand it."

Qin Chang narrowed his eyes and looked at Li Zisheng, and asked, "Hasn't Master Li ever heard of this kind of evil disease contracted by the relationship between husband and wife?"

"How could I not have heard of it? But..."

Li Zisheng was too embarrassed to say it. Isn’t syphilis the most typical disease?

But the problem is, some couples don’t both get liver disease. It’s hard to explain, but as for syphilis… as long as one of them has it, the other will definitely not be able to escape.

Qin Chang said with a bitter face: "In the harem, there are concubines who occasionally feel unwell, but not as seriously as your Majesty. This shows that your Majesty has been suffering from liver disease for many years, perhaps it was contracted when you were with Madam Wan day and night in the past few years... Now Madam Wan has passed away, and your Majesty... Alas!"

Li Zisheng asked again: "Your Majesty, have you been willing and able in that area recently?"

Qin Chang shook his head: "Ever since you, Master Li, sent the troupe to the palace, His Majesty has been favoring those female actors for five or six nights in a row. Maybe his health collapsed from all that. His Majesty hasn't visited any of his concubines for many days, nor has he touched those female actors."

Li Zisheng frowned.

I thought, are you blaming me for sending the opera troupe into the palace and ruining the emperor's health?

Seeing that Li Zisheng hadn't said anything for a long time, Qin Chang finally couldn't help but asked hesitantly, "Li... Li Xianshi, you have a wide network of contacts. Do you know any... famous doctors? I wonder if you can find someone to come back and diagnose His Majesty?"

Li Zisheng asked in surprise: "There are so many top medical experts in the Imperial Hospital. Are they all untrustworthy? Do we have to look for people from outside?"

“It’s not unbelievable!”

Qin Chang was extremely embarrassed, his eyebrows and beard were almost wrinkled together. He replied first, and then he continued after a long pause, "It's because those imperial doctors are too conventional and afraid of going beyond the line...

"Actually, anyone can find out about this matter with a little inquiry. Liver disease is too difficult to cure, so we can only delay it. However... the medicine your majesty is using is obviously no longer effective, but the Imperial Hospital is reluctant to change the prescription. I dare not report this to your majesty yet."

Li Zisheng sighed: "Eunuch Tan also does his job well!"

"Who isn't?"

Qin Chang said, "Isn't it the same for people in the palace? They don't seek to achieve anything but to avoid mistakes... Previously, when Zhonglan diagnosed your majesty, the results of the medicines he used were quite good. But after Zhonglan left, the medicines sent by the Imperial Hospital recently did not change even a single ingredient. Upon checking, it turned out to be the same prescription Zhonglan left behind."

"How did that happen?"

Li Zisheng frowned and asked, "Even if they follow the rules, they can't be so inflexible, right? The condition is changing all the time. They are well versed in medical knowledge, so they can't be ignorant of even the most basic principles, right?"

"Who says it's not?"

Qin Chang said with a bitter face: "But this is the doctor's business after all. Do you think we dare to ask casually? If we tell them, they will think we don't trust them, but if we don't tell them... His Majesty's dragon body is like this, are we just going to watch His Majesty's condition worsen day by day?"

Li Zisheng frowned and said, "Then Eunuch Tan should go to various places in the capital to look for him himself... The capital is the best place in the Ming Dynasty, isn't there even a famous doctor in the market?"

"Yes, yes."

Qin Chang said, "But they are either closely related to the Imperial Hospital, or they are too timid to offend the people in the Imperial Hospital...Nowadays, I don't know why, but it seems that all the doctors in the capital will close their doors and not see guests when they hear that someone wants to consult about liver disease. This disease has become a taboo for everyone, which is really puzzling."

Li Zi knew what was going on without much thought, but still asked, "Are you saying that someone leaked the emperor's illness?"

"do not know."

Qin Chang smiled bitterly and said, "Perhaps the news that Lady Wan died of liver disease has spread, and the doctors know something about it. It is expected that Your Majesty will also be infected with the disease. Liver disease is difficult to treat, and there is a huge risk of offending the Imperial Hospital. It is reasonable to refuse."

Li Zisheng already knew almost everything about the whole thing. He waved his hand and said, "Eunuch Tan, I advise you not to worry about it. It's useless!"

"Don't let me worry?"

Qin Chang seemed very confused.

Shouldn't you, Li Zisheng, be the one who fears the most that something bad will happen to the emperor?
You have climbed to your current position thanks to the emperor's favor. If anything happens to the emperor, you will be the first person to suffer.

Don't think that you can escape trouble just by establishing a little connection with the prince. Do you think that in the prince's eyes, you are comparable to those lecturers in the Eastern Palace who hate you to the core?
Li Zisheng said: "Because even if you and I want to do something, we are powerless... Think about it, even if we find a prescription and it is effective, do you think it can be given to His Majesty without passing the review of the Imperial Hospital? Will His Majesty accept these drugs of unknown origin? So..."

Having said that, Li Zisheng shook his head again.

Qin Chang said expectantly, "If you, Master Li, ask for it, maybe there will be a chance."

Li Zisheng looked somewhat impatient: "It seems that Eunuch Tan wants to leave all the flexibility matters to me? You two are all sticking to the rules and pretending to be good people...

"Eunuch Qin, have you ever thought about how big of a sin it would be if the prescription I found was not suitable for the disease? In addition, I offended the people in the Imperial Hospital for nothing because of something that had nothing to do with me. Am I crazy or stupid?"

"Can……"

Qin Chang was extremely anxious.

How could Li Zisheng be irritated by just a few words from me?

Aren’t we all doing this for the emperor’s benefit?

Li Zisheng's face was full of impatience, and he refused outright, "Eunuch Tan, I am not a doctor, and I don't know any famous doctors or miracle doctors. If you are hinting that Zhang Laizhan has the ability to cure diseases, you can go to him yourself, and don't have to test me in a roundabout way.

"I am just a Taoist practitioner. I only make a few predictions occasionally, and I cannot guarantee that they are all correct. Every profession has its own expertise. I can't even make Taoist elixirs, let alone prescribe medicine to treat diseases. If you think that there are experts in Taoist medicine, you can go to Deng Changen. He usually claims that he can make elixirs that can make people immortal, which is just right.

"That's it, farewell!"

After saying that, he walked away quickly.

"Hey……"

Qin Chang originally wanted to try to keep him, but seeing Li Zisheng's resolute attitude when he left, he could not help but sigh and shake his head.

Not only did the matter not get accomplished, but Li Zisheng was also offended!
Who can understand my painstaking efforts?
……

……

Li Zisheng rejected Qin Chang verbally, but he was still touched in his heart.

After all, the safety of Emperor Chenghua is related to his future, and he knows very well that even if the relationship he has established with the prince can save his life, it cannot protect his current power and status. Once the emperor dies, the order in the court will surely be in chaos. Once the old rules are broken, his decline will be over.

As soon as Li Zisheng walked out of Zuoshun Gate, he saw Pang Qing waiting for him there.

"Master Dao." Pang Qing took the initiative to come forward.

"what happened?"

Li Zisheng asked.

"It's like this. Eunuch Chen has already taken out the funds for repairing Wanhe Temple from the inner treasury, and said that he would have to listen to your instructions before transferring the funds to Laizhan." Pang Qing said.

"How many?"

"Three thousand taels." Pang Qing said.

"It won't cost that much. Lai Zhan said that the maximum cost is 1,200 taels. If we round off the amount, 1,000 taels will be enough." Li Zisheng said.

Pang Qing asked in surprise: "This has a rounded-off value? And one rounded-off value is two hundred taels?"

"What's the matter? Laizhan and Hui merchants want to show their filial piety to the Empress Dowager and help the Crown Prince at the same time. Is that not possible?" Li Zisheng said this with a dark face, leaving Pang Qing confused and thinking that he had said something wrong.

……

……

The eighth day of the first lunar month, early in the morning.

Zhang Luan was sorting out his court clothes at home. Thinking that he might meet the emperor for the first time today, Zhang Luan became extremely excited and kept urging Jin to hurry up.

"Now that you're capable, it's fine if you need help getting dressed, but you're urging me. You idiot, go find someone else if you think it's too slow."

Jin was not a woman who would suffer a loss, so she immediately retorted.

Zhang Luan scolded her, "How can you be so proud, woman? I am an official now, a high-ranking one at that. If you make me angry, I will take in a few concubines and let you stay at home all day long. Ouch..."

Before he could finish his words, he felt pain somewhere on his body.

Zhang Yanling sat by the window, eating breakfast and reading a book, paying no attention to his parents' actions.

Zhang Luan turned his head and asked, "Yanling, are you going with your father today?"

"No."

Zhang Yanling shook his head and said, "I'm very busy here... Dad, aren't you going to see the emperor? You can go by yourself. What's the point of a child like me being there?"

"If you don't go, I'll always feel like something is missing," said Zhang Luan.

At this time, Zhang Heling's head was swaying at the door, and he said with a smug look, "Dad, I'll go. Take me with you."

"roll!"

Zhang Luan shouted at him immediately.

Jin said, "On the Buddha's Bathing Festival, only members of the royal family can go to the Wanhe Temple. Second son, go with your father to join in the fun and ask the Buddha to bless our family."

For Jin, a devout Buddhist, she really wanted to accompany her husband today, but she also knew that she was not qualified, so she wanted her youngest son to do it instead.

"Mother, our family has always been blessed with a prince, when did he become a Buddha?"

Zhang Heling said disapprovingly.

"You little brat, you have no vision."

Zhang Luan cursed, "You said that in front of your mother, are you asking for a beating? Why don't you say that it's your brother who blesses our family? Get out of here."

……

……

Zhang Luan put on his official uniform and quickly asked someone to prepare the carriage.

Before leaving, he specially called Zhang Yanling over to ask him a lot of questions, fearing that he might not have done well in some aspect.

When he arrived at Wanhe Temple, he saw that the area around the temple was very lively and began to feel suspicious. After he got off the carriage, he stood there rubbing his hands, looking very useless until Qin Yun appeared beside him.

"Captain Qin, what are you doing here?"

Zhang Luan looked up and asked.

Tan Yun said: "Master Li just sent someone to tell you to wait for him at the Tongfo Pagoda next to the temple."

"What do you mean?"

Zhang Luan looked puzzled.

Qin Yun shook his head and indicated that he didn't know what the situation was.

Zhang Luan could only go to the iron tower in front of the stele forest next to the Buddhist temple, find a big rock to sit on, and wait for a while before he saw Li Zisheng's carriage arrive.

"Minister Li."

Zhang Luan stood up and went to greet him.

Li Zisheng got off the carriage and waved his hand, signaling the people around him not to follow him. Then he walked up to Zhang Luan and said, "No need to prepare too much. His Majesty will not come today."

Zhang Luan was disappointed when he heard this and asked, "Why don't you come?"

Li Zisheng said, "Your Majesty's condition has worsened again... By the way, Laizhan, you have never met the emperor, right?"

"Ah."

Zhang Luan nodded, looking aggrieved.

He has been an official until now, but he has never had the chance to meet his father-in-law. He sent his daughter into the palace, and now he is not even the father-in-law of the emperor. He just spends his days idling.

Li Zisheng sighed and shook his head: "There will always be a chance... Speaking of which, your Majesty's condition has been extremely bad recently, his face is getting yellower and yellower, and the people in the Imperial Hospital are not paying attention to his treatment. His condition is really getting worse and worse. Now that I think about it, the six-month period you mentioned... let's talk about it privately, it's very likely."

Zhang Luan asked, "Did I say that?"

Li Zisheng rolled his eyes at him and asked, "Laizhan, is this considered forgetfulness?"

“This… cough cough.”

Zhang Luan thought to himself that it was no use pretending to be ignorant.

"The Queen Mother will be here in an hour."

Li Zisheng said, "Let's find a place to rest first. I just want to ask you something about medical treatment. Although I know you are in a difficult situation, I hope... you can tell the truth."

Zhang Luan thought to himself, this is bad, if I had known this I would have brought my younger son here. Now you ask me about treating the disease, I know nothing!
Forget it. It doesn't matter who I'm fooling. I'm not in charge of the matter. I'll just answer what my son told me before. As long as I don't make up lies, it'll be fine.

(End of this chapter)