Chapter 180 He is powerless to refuse

The word spread, and in a moment, Xiahou Yu walked into the hall.

He stepped forward steadily and bowed to Meng Yan. "Your humble servant greets the Imperial Concubine. I wonder what instructions you have for her today?"

Meng Yan glanced at him and saw that he was wearing a water-clear cloak with a crane pattern. His hair was tied into a bun with an ebony hairpin, and he was not wearing a crown. He had a respectful and calm look on his face, with no trace of the arrogant look he had shown in Li Luo Courtyard yesterday.

She said calmly, "It's been quite some time since the outbreak of the epidemic. Imperial Physician Xiahou is known for his superb medical skills. I wonder if he has figured out a suitable prescription?"

Xiahou Yu hesitated slightly and replied, "Your Majesty, I am sorry that my skills are not good enough and I have disappointed you."

Humph, without the Liang family's original prescription in this life, wouldn't you be helpless as well?

Yesterday, he was yelling and shouting in front of me, acting very arrogant!

Seeing him being humiliated, Meng Yan felt a little relieved and said, "I have a prescription. Please ask the imperial physician to take a look at it first." As she said that, she handed the prescription in her hand to Yunxiang.

Yunxiang put down the beauty hammer in her hand, took the prescription in both hands, and presented it to Xiahou Yu.

Xiahou Yu was a little surprised. He took it and looked at it for a while, then a look of surprise and doubt appeared on his face.

"I dare to ask where did Your Majesty get this recipe?"

Meng Yan smiled lightly, "You don't need to know this. I just want to ask you, after reading this recipe, what do you think?"

This prescription is the remedy offered by the Liang family in the previous life to save the world, and it is also the source of the Liang family's great achievements.

She wanted to see how much Xiahou Yu was involved in this matter.

Xiahou Yu frowned and pondered for a moment, "In my humble opinion, this is a tiger and wolf situation."

Meng Yan raised her eyebrows slightly, "Oh?"

When discussing medical theory, Xiahou Yu relaxed considerably. He said, "This prescription uses all potent herbs, and the combination is extremely irrational. Your Majesty is also a doctor, so you naturally understand. The rationality of a prescription depends on the principles of monarch, minister, assistant, and adjuvant. This prescription seems to have been concocted by an amateur. Any herbs with some efficacy were piled on top, without regard for their pharmacology, properties, or whether the patient's body can tolerate them. With this prescription, those with a strong constitution might be able to survive, but those with a weaker constitution would probably not survive."

After saying this, Xiahou Yu was also confused. She was in the deep palace, where did she get this recipe from?

Did she figure it out on her own?

As soon as this thought came to mind, Xiahou Yu denied it himself.

No matter how inexperienced she was, Meng Yan was a disciple of the Medicine King Ning Zhonghuai. It was impossible for her not to understand the simplest principle of drug combination and come up with such a laughable thing.

Meng Yan smiled faintly, "Then, according to Xiahou Imperial Physician, if this prescription is to be used, how should it be adjusted?"

Xiahou Yu pondered for a moment before slowly saying, "Your Majesty, if you insist on using this recipe, you should add the three warming and tonic herbs, Bupleurum, Dried Ginger, and Cinnamon Twig, and remove Safflower and Aconitum. This will help balance the medicinal properties and promote the absorption of the internal organs."

Meng Yan had thought of this method before, but it took her an hour or two. But now, seeing that he came up with a solution in just a short while, Meng Yan was still impressed by his ability.

But in this case, it turns out that the great achievement of the Liang Mansion in the previous life was indeed the work of Xiahou Yu.

A strange-looking creature obtained from a Hu monk from the Western Regions was transformed into a panacea by Xiahou Yu.

Judging from the current situation, he has no connection with the Liang family and Lin Yanrong for the time being.

But Xiahou Yu continued, "That being said, even after this adjustment, the medicine in this prescription is still too strong. After the patient takes it, the disease may be cured, but other symptoms may remain."

That’s quite true, Meng Yan thought to herself.

In the previous life, although most of the people who were treated by the Liang Mansion were cured of the epidemic, many of them suffered from other diseases. Some had difficulty walking, some had liver damage, and some even had brain damage and became fools.

However, under the dazzling halo of eradicating the epidemic and saving the world, these things were completely overshadowed. Even if someone occasionally talked about it, they would be criticized for repaying kindness with enmity, being greedy, and being satisfied with just saving a life.

The Liang family's success in this matter posed a significant obstacle to Lu Haozhi's future efforts to eradicate the influence of the old ministers. Coupled with the subsequent incident with the Meng family, Lu Haozhi expended considerable energy and spent several years reorganizing his forces before finally expelling the Liang family from the court.

But in this life, without Xiahou Yu, and even without this prescription, the Liang family’s luck has come to an end.

As Meng Yan thought about it, a gorgeous smile appeared on her lips.

After a while, she spoke again, "So, I have no intention of using this prescription. I summoned you here today simply to discuss the symptoms of this epidemic with you and come up with an effective prescription as soon as possible. Without the right medicine, relying solely on prevention like this is not a long-term solution."

Before she could finish her words, she saw Xiahou Yu's lips move slightly, and he added, "You don't have to persuade me anymore. If all the doctors below you in the Imperial Hospital were put together, I'm afraid they wouldn't be half as good as me. Otherwise, you wouldn't have made no progress for all these days."

She really didn't like Xiahou Yu, and the shadow of her previous life was still deeply engraved in her heart.

However, Meng Yan was not someone who didn't distinguish between public and private matters. Xiahou Yu was, after all, a rare and renowned medical expert. The epidemic was as severe as fire and water, and it couldn't be delayed. Every day of delay would result in the death of ordinary people. As the heir of the Ning family's medical skills, she couldn't tolerate it even for a single day.

Besides, she has learned a lot of skills, but if she just stays in the harem as a favorite concubine and lives a leisurely life, wouldn’t that be a waste!

Meng Yan looked at Xia Houyu, her delicate chin raised slightly, "With the combined efforts of you and me, we should be able to find a reliable prescription within a few days."

Xiahou Yu looked at the pair of charming and lively eyes and was a little dazed.

Those clear eyes overlapped with the eyes of the little girl lying beside his desk on that summer afternoon deep in his memory.

He was powerless to refuse. "Your humble servant obeys your command."

Meng Yan curled her lips into a smile, ordered the palace servants to bring over tables and chairs, prepare the four treasures of the study, tea, fruits and snacks, and discussed the prescription with Xiahou Yu without mentioning it.

In the afternoon, in the study of Liang Mansion.

Liang Benwu sat on a jujube wood armchair, looking at the secret letter spread out on the table in front of him, his shrewd and cunning old face twisted into a ball.

After a moment, he crumpled the secret letter into a ball and threw it into a clay basin beside the desk.

"Father, the tea is here."

A soft and beautiful voice sounded, and a bright figure appeared behind the pearl curtain.

Liang Benwu's originally tense expression relaxed a little, and he nodded slightly, "Come in."

Liang Chunrong walked in gracefully, holding a carved mahogany tray.

On the tray was a small covered bowl made of gold-painted white porcelain, with a painting of a rooster fighting a cockscomb.

The painting on this covered bowl has a title, called "Official Promotion", which sounds like a rooster's comb. It naturally has auspicious meaning for officials and their families.

When Liang Benwu saw it, he was very happy and his eyes fell on Liang Chunrong's narrow waist.

Today she wore a light blue satin double-breasted blouse and a matching long, wavy-patterned gauze skirt. A concubine's daughter couldn't match the adornment of a legitimate daughter, so she simply pinned some velvet flowers in her hair and wore a pair of jade earplugs, which only made her skin appear even whiter and her eyes brighter, like a pool of autumn water.

Liang Benwu looked at her and couldn't help but think of her biological mother.

Liang Chunrong's biological mother was originally a maidservant in his study, and she was quite pretty. He doted on her while drunk one day, and when she became pregnant, he made her his concubine, and she gave birth to Liang Chunrong.

What happened to that woman later? It seemed that she was sold because she stole the eldest lady's hairpins and rings, or some other thing.

By now, he almost forgot the woman's name, but when he saw Liang Chunrong, he remembered her again.

"Father, have some tea."

Liang Chunrong put down the tray, opened the lid of the teacup, picked it up and blew gently a few times, waiting for the heat to dissipate before she brought it to Liang Benwu.

Liang Benwu took the tea bowl, took a sip, and felt like a sweet rain penetrating into his heart, and all his internal organs felt soothed.

He felt much more comfortable, and he heaved a long sigh, looking at Liang Chunrong. "The water used to make tea is accumulated rainwater. The tea leaves are also very tender Maojian, and the cooking time is just to my taste. Chunrong, among all my children now, you are the most sensible and filial."

Liang Chunrong said respectfully, "Father, you are too kind. I heard that when my elder sister was at home, she was the most attentive and considerate in serving you. I am afraid that I am far behind now."

Hearing her mention Concubine Liang far away in the palace, Liang Benwu's expression was a little unhappy, so he changed the subject, "Chunrong, you have grown into a graceful and elegant lady now, even better than your elder sister was. You are also more gentle and considerate than her. If I send you to the palace in the future, I am afraid that your fortune will be even greater than your elder sister's."

Liang Chunrong looked flattered and said hurriedly, "Father, you have given me such a great favor. I only wish to serve you and my stepmother at home. I dare not dream of anything else. Besides, my stepmother took me to the flower viewing banquet, and I have already met the emperor. It is obvious that the emperor does not like me..."

Liang Benwu snorted coldly, "Women's tricks are useless. It doesn't matter. Next year is also the time for the imperial election. The emperor's harem is empty, and he has no children. When the time comes, I, your father, will find a way to send you into the palace."

While the father and daughter were talking, Old Lady Liang was standing under the window and heard everything clearly.

She was so angry that her whole body was shaking, her eyes were black, and she was holding her chest and gasping for breath.

He is truly a bastard raised by a slave girl!

What kind of lowly mother you have, what kind of lowly daughter you will have!

The mother uses seductive tactics to climb into her master's bed, and the daughter also uses seductive tactics to sow discord!

Liang Chunrong is going to enter the palace?! She's dreaming of a lifetime!

She would never allow anyone to stand in Liang Chengbi's way.

Madam Liang panted a few times, walked up the stairs, lifted the curtain, walked in, and said coldly, "Master, I have something to discuss with you."

Liang Benwu glanced at her, frowned, and said to Liang Chunrong, "Take out all these discarded papers and burn them."

Liang Chunrong responded quickly, picked up the clay basin on the ground and walked out.

When she walked in front of Madam Liang, she whispered, "Madam."

Mrs. Liang didn't even look at her, but just snorted.

Liang Chunrong then went out with the clay basin.

As soon as she left, Madam Liang couldn't wait to blurt out, "Master, have you made up your mind? Are you going to send this lowly... Chunrong into the palace? A girl born from a maid's belly, aren't you afraid that she will be ridiculed and bullied by the daughters of officials? Where will our Liang family's reputation be?"

Liang Benwu said coldly, "Regardless of her biological mother, she is also the daughter of Prime Minister Liang. How could an ordinary young lady of the Liang family be ridiculed and bullied? Besides, once you enter the palace, you are the one who is favored by the emperor. What's the point of talking about legitimate or illegitimate children?"

“Master, you…!”

Madam Liang could barely catch her breath. After a moment, she spoke bluntly, "If the Master insists on doing this, where will Chengbi be placed? If this girl enters the palace and is not favored, she will be a burden to Chengbi. If she is favored, won't she be a hindrance?"

Liang Benwu knocked on the table, glancing at his wife with a half-smile. "Isn't this what you're thinking? You're just counting on Chengbi becoming empress so you can boost your own family. The Liang family's honor and disgrace are nothing to you. Cui, I'm telling you today, in the Liang family, the capable are the most powerful. All these years, Liang cultivated Chengbi and accompanied her into the palace to make mischief, all for the sake of that phoenix crown! But look for yourself, has she made any progress since she entered the Crown Prince's residence? Now she's even better, and she's lost her position as Imperial Concubine! Since she's useless, don't blame the family for treating her like a discarded child!"

Madam Liang's face was pale. She pointed at him with one hand, but she couldn't stop shaking. "Liang... Benwu, you have such a cruel heart..."

Liang Benwu stood up and waved his sleeves, "He's useless, why keep him here?"

Mrs. Liang stood there for a while before turning around and going out. Supported by her maid, she staggered towards the small courtyard where she lived alone.

Liang Chunrong carried the square clay basin and walked straight back to her residence. The respectful look on her face turned into cold indifference in an instant.

Enter the palace?

She won't enter the palace!

The shadow of being manipulated by the Imperial Concubine at the flower viewing banquet has not yet dissipated. Even today, when she thinks about it, she still feels a lingering fear.

What's more, the emperor only has eyes for Concubine Meng. It seems that the candidate for the queen has already been decided. How many lives does she have left to join in the fun?

The methods of the emperor and the imperial concubine are not something that the Liang family and Liang Chengbi can match. The Liang family is just trying to fight against a rock with an egg.

She turned the clay basin over, found the secret letter her father had just thrown away, and took a few glances at it.

No matter how many secrets she had discovered, what was written there still shocked her.

She folded the secret letter into a small square and put it in a purse. She walked to the second gate and found a big servant with a scar on the left side of his face. She handed him the purse and said, "It's the same as before. Nothing else."

The servant took it and turned away silently.

Liang Chunrong returned to her residence and then did as Liang Benwu said. She brought the clay basin to the corridor, threw a tinder into it, and watched the flames lick the paper inside.

But her heart was calm.

She just wanted to secure a safe future for herself and her sister.

Shanghe Garden, inside Chunze Zhai.

Ever since she invited Xia Houyu to study the prescription together, her progress has been rapid, but Meng Yan feels that she is becoming more and more mentally exhausted day by day.