The First Prince of the Ming Dynasty

The British Duke's delegation rushed to the front yard and met Qian Ning, who appeared calm and composed, as if he were an outsider.

"Commander Qian." Zhang Lun, as Zhang Mao's eldest grandson and the future heir to the Duke of Ying, quickly went up to greet Qian Ning.

Qian Ning smiled and said, "Isn't this the young master? I'm here on the Emperor's orders to visit various households and see if there's anything I can do to help. By the way, your grandfather should be quite healthy and doesn't need any assistance, right?"

He speaks slowly and deliberately, without any hurry.

Zhang Lun was so anxious that he was sweating profusely and almost cried. He said, "Commander Qian, my grandfather is seriously ill. Please give me some medicine."

"What medicine should I give you?" Qian Ning deliberately put on an indifferent expression.

"Of course it's a life-saving medicine." Zhang Lun didn't bother to hide anything. "My grandfather suffered from chest pain. I heard that a vassal king in the south had a prophecy that my grandfather would get this disease, and he even sent medicine. Please have mercy and ask for the medicine as soon as possible."

Qian Ning said, "What southern vassal king? I came here on the Emperor's orders, not on the orders of any vassal king. Have you no manners?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Lun knelt down with a thud and kowtowed, saying, "I am deeply grateful for the Emperor's boundless grace."

"Didn't you call a doctor? Or should I call a doctor from the Imperial Hospital for you?" Qian Ning seemed to be deliberately stalling.

He asked all the questions clearly and thoroughly beforehand.

Chest pain is not a disease that can be easily cured. The causes of the disease vary, but once you get it, it is basically a death sentence.

If that's the case, saving Zhang Mao is pointless. It would be better for him to find out that Zhang Mao did indeed suffer from chest pain, and preferably that it was indeed the cause of his death...

Even if the rescue was not timely, it cannot be said that Prince Ning and Tang Yin were making trouble out of nothing, nor can it be said that Qian Ning fabricated something out of nothing.

In short, Qian Ning was there to confirm whether the incident had occurred, not to rescue Zhang Mao.

Zhang Lun cried out, "It's too late. Besides, even if the imperial physician comes, it won't help."

"Oh dear, is that so?" Qian Ning said with regret. "If I had known, I probably shouldn't have come. I've just brought bad luck upon myself."

The people from the Zhang family nearby were all dumbfounded when they heard this.

Listen to this, is this what a human being says?

You, Qian Ning, came to my residence just to watch the show?

Qian Ning then calmly took out a small jar from his pocket and said, "This is some medicine I got from somewhere. I don't know if it will work, or what illness it's for. If you want to try it, that's fine. But since you're sick, who can guarantee it will cure you?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Lun, as if grasping at a straw when his boat capsized, quickly got up and tried to snatch the small jar from Qian Ning's hand.

But Qian Ning easily dodged it.

"Commander Qian?" Zhang Lun asked, puzzled.

Qian Ning said, "Your family won't try to renege on your debt, will they? Will you say your grandfather didn't die from angina? Or that my medicine killed your grandfather?"

"No, absolutely not." Zhang Lun seemed both amused and exasperated. "Commander Qian, even if you had the greatest courage in the world, you wouldn't dare to do such a thing. Besides, how could anyone from our Duke's mansion do something like repaying kindness with enmity?"

"Alright, give it a try. Do your best and leave the rest to fate."

Qian Ning then tossed the small jar over, and without waiting for invitations, sat down on a chair nearby, saying, "I'm so tired, why don't you let someone serve me some tea?"

"Someone, bring tea!"

……

……

Qian Ning did not follow Zhang Lun into the inner courtyard.

He is waiting.

As everyone rushed out to try and save his life with medicine, he muttered to himself, "This is really strange. Does Tang Yin really have such great abilities? And how did he get recruited by Prince Ning? Does Prince Ning truly possess the qualities of an emperor?"

"What are you waiting for? Hurry up..."

The courtyard was bustling with people.

At this moment, a commander from the Embroidered Uniform Guard entered and bowed to Qian Ning, saying, "Commander Qian, we questioned the doctor who just went out at the door. We heard that the old man collapsed on a woman's stomach, but it doesn't seem to be chest pain. They said it might be a stroke."

Qian Ning said, "I said he has angina, and he has angina! Are you trying to deny it? Today is the 29th, isn't it?"

"Yes." Qianhu dared not argue.

"Whether it's chest pain or sudden stroke, do you think it's that easy to come back from the dead?" Qian Ning said with a wicked smile. "We just need to verify that this is true, so we can go back and report back, and give the world an explanation."

The commander said, "Speaking of which, the tutor hired by the Prince of Ning's mansion really has a mouth that's like it's been blessed."

"Yes, how could someone be in the Prince Ning's residence?" Qian Ning frowned.

Clearly, by this point, he had already begun to consider recruiting Tang Yin.

The commander then asked, "Should we go in and see what's going on inside?"

Qian Ning stood up and said, "No need, it's best to have the funeral already. Let's stay here and have some tea. His Majesty can watch the commotion outside, and we can watch from inside... Where else can you find such a good viewing platform?"

……

……

The backyard of the British Duke's mansion.

Shortly after taking the medicine, Zhang Mao opened his eyes.

After a while, she was able to get out of bed with the help of others.

When Zhang Lun rushed in and saw his grandfather, who looked just like usual, he was surprised and asked, "Grandfather, you...you're better?"

"What illness? What illness do I have?" Zhang Mao naturally started to deny it.

"..." Zhang Lun never expected that his most respected grandfather would be so shameless at this moment.

Zhang She, standing to the side, said, "Yes, the Duke was just feeling unwell; he'll recover after a little treatment. It's all just rumors spread by outsiders."

Zhang Lun was even more speechless, but still reminded him, "Commander Qian just came to deliver medicine for His Majesty, and he's still waiting up ahead."

"I'll go see him." Zhang Mao immediately wanted to use his own safety to dispel all the rumors and prove that he was not part of anyone's prophecy, nor was he the protagonist of the story.

"Grandfather, please don't do this. You go and rest first, let your grandson go." Zhang Lun said, feeling wronged.

I never imagined my grandfather would be so shameless.

Has our family's values ​​reached such an incurable state?

Zhang Mao asked, "What medicine did you just give me?"

Zhang Lun was speechless.

He was thinking, "You're only asking this now?"

The problem is, you're taking the medicine now and seem to be getting better, but if you refuse to take it, you won't have the medicine when you relapse.

Zhang She leaned over and whispered something in Zhang Mao's ear.

Zhang Mao's face instantly turned ugly.

"My lord, that Commander Qian outside... should we... just send him away?" Zhang She asked for instructions.

Zhang Mao got up, intending to walk as usual, but because he stood up too quickly, he almost fell back down.

Zhang Lun said, "Grandfather, this is someone sent by His Majesty. It would be best to tell the truth."

Zhang Mao said with a dark face, "Where is my dignity?"

Zhang Lun sobbed, "Doctor Wang said he was going to prepare for your funeral, but somehow... you came back to life. That medicine... it really was miraculous."

"It's not about the medicine. It's because... my own body is healthy... cough cough cough..."

Zhang Mao tried to hold on, but clearly, he wasn't as vigorous as one might imagine.

……

……

To prove he wasn't sick, Zhang Mao gritted his teeth and had Zhang Lun and other family members help him out.

When he reached the entrance of the main hall, he shook off the person who was helping him and walked in step by step on his own.

"Old Master Zhang?"

When Qian Ning saw Zhang Mao standing alive before him, he was also surprised: "You... you've recovered?"

"Not sick? What's wrong with you? Haha!" Zhang Mao wanted to burst out laughing.

But once you take a big step, your heart starts pounding uncontrollably.

He had to rein in his usual unrestrained personality.

Qian Ning sneered, "You're not sick? Oh, so you're the one with angina pectoris, and nobody came to bring you medicine, right?"

Zhang Mao walked in, too weak to walk any further, so he called Zhang She over and helped him sit down in a chair, his face showing a slight pain.

"Qian Ning, look at me, I'm perfectly fine, don't make things worse." Zhang Mao tried to explain his physical condition.

Qian Ning said, "Lord Zhang, the doctor just left your residence, and our Embroidered Uniform Guard has temporarily invited him there. His Majesty is still waiting for a reply. Your coming up here and denying everything shows you don't respect us."

Zhang Lun quickly explained on behalf of his grandfather, "That's not true. Commander Qian, please don't misunderstand."

"Yes, that's right. When your grandson knelt down and begged me for medicine in front of me, he didn't say that," Qian Ning said. "What, you want to take advantage of us and then leave us hanging?"

Zhang Mao was also very troubled and said, "I don't know what happened just now. I probably just fainted for a moment. It's definitely not what people outside are saying... that I have chest pain. Speaking of which, would someone with chest pain recover so quickly? You see, I... at most I fainted because of qi and blood attacking my heart. My family just believe whatever they hear, and it's just rumors spreading outside."

Qian Ning said, "Alright, I'll go and inform His Majesty. I heard this illness doesn't require just one dose of medicine, so you don't need the subsequent medications, right?"

"what?"

Zhang Mao then realized that there were some things he couldn't simply deny.

In the normal mindset, treating an illness certainly cannot be solved by simply taking one strong medicine.

If I continue to play dumb, doesn't that mean... I could just disappear like I did today at any moment?

"Commander Qian, please wait!" Zhang Mao was also anxious. "That medicine..."

Qian Ning said with a disdainful look, "Didn't you say you didn't have chest pain? His Majesty believes that now. Since it wasn't you, it must be someone else. The medicine should naturally be reserved for those who need it more. What are you trying to do?"

"I……"

Zhang Mao instantly felt an immense sense of powerlessness.

Qian Ning said, "Also, Mr. Zhang, guess how I got to your door?"

"Did His Majesty... send you to inspect each household?" Zhang Mao asked tentatively.

"Hmph. You've only heard about Prince Ning's first memorial, right? He submitted another one later, saying that Tang Yin further deduced that the incident occurred at your Duke of Ying's residence. Guess how many people are watching your gate now? It doesn't matter if you don't admit it, as long as His Majesty believes it. Besides, if you don't admit it, you'll be the one who suffers, because this illness and this medicine are actually only available in one unique quantity," Qian Ning sneered.

Zhang Mao frowned and said, "I don't believe that the imperial physicians of the Imperial Medical Academy can't prescribe the medicine based on the prescription?"

Qian Ning adopted a relaxed smile and said, "Old Master Zhang, then I wish you good health and a long life?"

"Grandfather, it really won't work." Zhang Lun quickly explained, "Before you took the medicine, I checked it for you. It wasn't made from ordinary herbs, but rather an oily substance. There wasn't even any trace of the medicine residue in it."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Mao's body suddenly trembled again.

"Has it flared up again? I didn't touch you! I've come to realize that some people are truly treacherous. To think that such an act of repaying kindness with enmity would happen right before my eyes... Oh well. I'll go back and report to His Majesty now."

"Commander Qian..."

Zhang Lun wanted to chase after him, but found that his grandfather's condition was not good, so he had to quickly turn back to take care of his grandfather.

……

……

The second floor of the teahouse.

Zhu Houzhao found Qian Ning's story increasingly amusing.

"Your Majesty, guess what happened to the Duke of England? He just came back to life and immediately denied everything, saying he just fainted from some kind of qi and blood attack. He's still stubbornly insisting on it, so I threatened him that if he doesn't admit it, there won't be any more medicine for him," Qian Ning said with a smile.

Zhu Houzhao asked, "And then? Did he back down?"

"Not yet," Qian Ning said.

Zhu Houzhao said, "He's already over sixty, and yet he still has problems with women's bellies. It's not a good reputation for him. Saying he has chest pains is already being kind to him!"

Jiang Bin, who was standing nearby, said, "Maybe it really isn't chest pain?"

Qian Ning glared at him and said, "If it's not chest pain, how could the doctor say that? Also, why did the young master go to beg for medicine so desperately earlier? Your Majesty, in my opinion, this Tang Yin really has great supernatural powers. We can't let him stay in the Ning Prince's Mansion any longer. We should... summon him to the capital to predict the future."

"Hmm." Zhu Houzhao nodded, his eyes shining.

Whether Zhang Mao admits it or not does not affect Zhu Houzhao's judgment on this matter.

Qian Ning added, "Furthermore, Prince Ning's lack of discretion in such matters demonstrates his loyalty to the court, rendering the previous rumors baseless. He previously proposed sending a prince to the capital for sacrificial rites; why not seize the opportunity to grant his wish?"

Zhu Houzhao frowned and said, "He wants to come to the capital to offer sacrifices? I have no sons, does he want his son to be his adopted son?"

Jiang Bin cautioned, "This is unacceptable."

Qian Ning laughed and said, "Isn't that perfect? ​​We can keep one of Prince Ning's sons in the capital as a hostage, which will appease public opinion."

"That makes sense," Zhu Houzhao said with a smile. "Anyway, it wasn't said that he would be directly adopted into my name. If this child really does know how to behave, then I can adopt him as my godson! Just like you guys."

"Father is wise," Qian Ning quickly complimented.

Zhu Houzhao suddenly lost interest, got up to leave, and said, "Oh, right, take another good look around this doorway and see if that old man Zhang is dead."

"Yes." Qian Ning smiled as well.

Although Zhang Mao now possesses the stubbornness of a mule, in the emperor's eyes, he has become the biggest joke of the Ming Dynasty.

The more unruly you are, the more ridiculous you become.

"And that captain," Zhu Houzhao said, squinting. "He's quite interesting. Promote him to centurion first. And while you're at it, send the woman from the Duke's mansion to him."

"Your Majesty, what is this?" Qian Ning asked, his face filled with confusion.

Zhu Houzhao said, "We've known each other for a while, and it's rare that he's still so loyal to his duty, answering my questions and resolving my doubts. That's just how I am; anyone who helps me will be rewarded, and I won't miss out on any insightful person."