Li Chengqian of the Tang Dynasty: Please say long live His Majesty

Chapter 47: Imperial Physician Xie Jiqing: Why doesn’t the Crown Prince want to see me?

At noon, the palace gates opened.

The palace was quiet and deserted. The imperial physician Xie Jiqing, dressed in a green official robe and with a slightly hunched figure, walked towards the East Palace with a heavy heart.

The two imperial doctors in their thirties behind him looked at each other with curiosity in their eyes.

Why did the medical officer go to the Eastern Palace so early today?
They have never been well-received in the Eastern Palace.

The failure to cure the prince's leg caused the Eastern Palace to vent all its resentment on them.

But there is nothing we can do about it.

The prince's broken leg was almost impossible to completely heal because the best time for treatment was delayed.

This was what they had originally believed, but during the court meeting last month, the prince suddenly appeared in the Taiji Hall, and although he looked injured, he was basically not limping.

This surprised many people in the Imperial Medical Bureau.

You should know that the doctor Xie who treated the prince was not only a master in treating bone injuries, but he also studied with the Immortal Sun for a long time.

Now, the diseases that they could not cure have been cured by others. Isn’t this a slap in their faces?

But unfortunately, the prince did not give them the opportunity to return for a follow-up consultation, so they had no chance to find out what was wrong with the prince.

If the Prince of Jin had not happened to visit the Crown Prince a few days ago and pleaded for them, they might still not have been able to see the Crown Prince.

But today is fine...

……

A moment later, a group of five people were standing outside the East Palace gate.

One imperial physician, two imperial physicians, and two apprentices.

After checking their badges, the East Palace's commander led them inside with a cold face.

After passing through the many palace gates, Chongde Hall appears before your eyes.

Xie Jiqing breathed a sigh of relief and was about to walk towards Chongde Hall.

At this time, the East Palace guards beside him shouted coldly: "What are you looking at?"

Xie Jiqing was stunned for a moment, then asked, "Isn't the Crown Prince in Chongde Hall?"

"Who told you that the prince is in Chongde Hall? The prince will temporarily suspend the meeting today and will wait for you in Chongjiao Hall. Let's go quickly and don't waste time." The guard snorted coldly, then walked towards the Chongjiao Hall in the inner courtyard.

Xie Jiqing's face couldn't help but become slightly gloomy.

Chongde Hall was where the Eastern Palace held court meetings. Every time, all the officials of the Eastern Palace stood before the crown prince entered from the outer hall.

Xie Jiqing has heard news more than once recently that the prince enters the palace from outside and walks into the palace normally every day.

If it weren't for the news from Prince Wei's Palace, Xie Jiqing might have really thought that the prince's leg had healed, but Prince Wei's Palace said with certainty that the prince was relying on a mechanism to act.

Today, Xie Jiqing wanted to see the mechanism for himself, but the prince was not in the Chongde Hall where the court was held, but went to the Chongjiao Hall.

Compared with Chongde Hall, Chongjiao Hall is more of a place where scholars teach the prince.

Many times the prince would arrive first and the scholars would arrive later, which meant that the prince could completely remove the machinery.

Did the prince do it intentionally or unintentionally?

……

Outside the Chongjiao Hall, Xie Jiqing was about to step forward when the Crown Prince's Household Officer Li Anyan suddenly appeared and said, "Xie Yiling, wait a moment."

"Ah?" Xie Jiqing looked confused.

"Prince Jin will be here soon, and the prince wants to see him first." Li Anyan's face was cold, and he just stood on the steps, blocking the way ahead.

Xie Jiqing's expression changed slightly, and then a deep sneer flashed in his eyes. He then bowed and said, "I will obey your orders."

"Yeah!" Li Anyan nodded slightly and never looked at Xie Jiqing again.

At this moment, the two imperial doctors behind Xie Jiqing couldn't help but step forward and shout angrily, but Xie Jiqing stretched out his hand to stop them.

He just glanced at them and the two men had to step back.

Years of dignity, but don't forget that there are fourth-rank officials in front of them. What are they arguing about?

Li Anyan didn't watch this little farce, his eyes were still fixed on the disciples of Chongjiao.

Soon, a Hu man of unknown age, wearing a strange black robe, holding a thick brown book in one hand and a medicine box in the other, appeared there. Led by Dai Zhide, he came towards the Chongjiao Hall.

Xie Jiqing watched the man dressed as a Nestorian priest walk up to his side and then onto the steps. At this moment, Li Anyan surprisingly bowed slightly, stepped aside, and said softly, "Master, please!"

"Xie Jialing." The accent was strange, but still clear enough to hear.

Xie Jiqing's face turned cold. He just watched Li Anyan lead the Nestorian barbarian into the Chongjiao Hall, and the medicine box on the other party was extremely clear in his eyes.

Of course, he knew that this was the prince's arrangement, but what exactly did the prince mean by such an arrangement?

Did the prince completely distrust their medical skills, or did he distrust him?

Maybe they are afraid that he will reveal the truth...

"His Royal Highness the Prince of Jin has arrived." Li Anyan's voice sounded again in front of Xie Jiqing.

Xie Jiqing didn't know when Li Anyan came back. He suddenly turned around and looked at Prince Jin Li Zhi who had walked to Chongjiao.

Following behind him were the Censor and Prince of Jin's secretary Li Yifu and the Doctor of Rites and Prince of Jin's tutor Xu Shuya.

Standing in front of Li Zhi and leading the way were the Prince's Secretary Gao Zhenxing and the Prince's Secretary Feng Yandao.

Gao Zhenxing was the son of Gao Shilian, Duke of Shen and the Right Minister of the Secretariat, and was also the cousin of the King of Jin.

Feng Yandao was the Imperial Consort Commandant and the Prince's Advisor. He was the husband of Emperor Gaozu's daughter, Princess Huainan, and the Prince of Jin's uncle. The person speaking with the Prince of Jin was Changsun Xiang, the Prince's Chief of Staff.

Changsun Xiang was the nephew of Empress Wende and Duke Zhao Changsun Wuji, and was deeply indebted to Empress Wende. That was why Prince Jin also had to call him cousin.

Of course, what Xie Jiqing cared about was not these, but the attitude of the ministers in the Eastern Palace.

From the moment he entered the Eastern Palace, he noticed that there seemed to be something extra among the officials in the Eastern Palace.

It seems to be self-confidence, or perhaps it is the cohesion of people's hearts.

Now seeing them leading Li Zhi towards the Chongjiao Hall, Xie Jiqing's feeling became even stronger.

Was it yesterday’s grand court?
The details of yesterday's court session had already spread like wildfire after the ceremony.

The fact that the results of the "Kaogong Zhi" compiled by the Eastern Palace began to come out was not a big deal. Instead, the prince's clear vision of the Sinong Temple's firewood sales was even more admirable.

There are even more surprising views on government affairs and people's hearts.

This is in stark contrast to the King of Wei who knows nothing.

Although Xie Jiqing was not qualified to enter the Taiji Hall yesterday, what happened yesterday had already spread among the ministers.

It is a common consensus in the court and the country that the Crown Prince is more virtuous than the King of Wei.

……

Li Zhi walked to the front of the Chongjiao Hall, and Xie Jiqing quickly took the lead in bowing and saying, "Your Majesty, I am Xie Jiqing, the Imperial Physician, and I greet His Royal Highness the Prince of Jin."

Li Zhi stopped and looked at Xie Jiqing with a smile on his face and asked, "Is Doctor Xie here to see my brother again today?"

"Yes!" Xie Jiqing bowed again and said, "The last time I treated His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was a month ago. It's been quite a while."

"So that's how it is. Let's go in." Li Zhi smiled, then walked up the stairs. Li Anyan above him immediately turned sideways and bowed.

Li Zhi nodded, then walked past Li Anyan, and the others followed.

When it came to Xie Jiqing, Li Anyan suddenly said softly: "Thank you, Imperial Physician, you are being disrespectful."

Xie Jiqing glanced at Li Anyan calmly, smiled faintly, and said, "Please forgive me, Master. I am also concerned about the Crown Prince's illness."

"If you really have the ability, please cure the prince's leg." Li Anyan glanced at Xie Jiqing indifferently, turned around and walked into the hall.

Xie Jiqing's chest suddenly felt tight.

……

As soon as Xie Jiqing stepped into the Chongjiao Hall, his brows couldn't help but frown.

In the hall, Prince's Secretary Yu Zhining, Prince's Junior Secretary Zhang Xuansu, and Prince's Groom Linghu Defen were respectfully welcoming Prince Jin.

Others Gao Zhenxing, Feng Yandao, Li Anyan, and Chang Sun Xiang all stood on both sides.

There was even the Nestorian priest, but the prince was nowhere to be seen.

Seeing Xie Jiqing, Yu Zhining said something to Li Zhi and was about to go up to him. At this moment, a strange figure walked out from the inner hall.

He was a middle-aged man in his thirties, wearing a dark crimson round-necked robe, of average height, broad and plump, with a kind face, yet trying his best to look solemn and noble.

Xie Jiqing immediately understood.
The fourth-rank officials newly added to the Eastern Palace were only the newly appointed prince's servant, the earl of Gucheng County, and the former chief officer of Puzhou, Dugu Dabao.

General of the Right Guard, son of Dugu Kaiyuan, Duke of Kaocheng County.

Great-grandson of King Dugu Xin of Liang.

Dugu Dabao came out and bowed to Li Zhi, saying, "Your servant Dugu Dabao greets His Royal Highness the Prince of Jin."

"Hello, cousin." Li Zhi immediately returned the greeting to Dugu Dabao.

Dugu Dabao bowed earnestly and said, "Your Highness the Crown Prince, please invite Prince Jin into the inner hall."

"Oh!" Li Zhi looked at the inner hall, suddenly realized what was going on, and then walked towards the inner hall.

"Mr. Yu, Mr. Zhang, the housekeeper, the night watchman, the horse groomer, and the magician." Dugu Dabao looked at everyone in a serious manner, calling out their names one by one, then stepped back and held out his hand: "Please come in!"

Yu Zhining, Zhang Xuansu, Li Anyan, Changsun Xiang, Linghu Defen, and Li Qin all bowed and entered.

The others whose names were not called all stood there calmly.

Li Yifu noticed that Li Anyan nodded slightly to him before entering the inner hall.

Li Yifu nodded slightly and couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

"Why am I not here?" Xie Jiqing's voice suddenly sounded beside Li Yifu.

Li Yifu turned around subconsciously, and saw Xie Jiqing staring at Dugu Dabao with suppressed anger.

Li Yifu sneered in his heart, don’t you know what’s going on?
Dugu Dabao, who was standing at the door of the inner hall, looked at Xie Jiqing seriously, then said, "The prince didn't call you. Either wait or go back."

"You!" Xie Jiqing couldn't help but get angry, and at this moment, a figure walked out from the inner hall.

Dressed in red and golden armor, it was the prince's personal officer, Helan Chushi. Helan Chushi placed his hand on his long sword, looked at Xie Jiqing, and said coldly, "What's the matter, Doctor Xie?"

As Xie Jiqing opened and closed his mouth, his gaze subconsciously fell on the other officials of the Eastern Palace. Gao Zhenxing, Feng Yandao, Dai Zhide and others all looked at him coldly.

"Hmph!" Xie Jiqing snorted coldly, then nodded indifferently at Helan Chushi, then took a step back and stood.

But he just wouldn't leave.

Helan Chushi glanced at him, then stood at the door of the inner hall with a knife in his hand.

Although Dugu Dabao had a kind face, he did not give Xie Jiqing a good look and stood aside silently.

(End of this chapter)