Chapter 225 Swearing Revenge

Just as they were about to leave, the ceiling of the secret room suddenly collapsed, and stones and soil fell straight down!

"Oh no, they're going to bury us alive!" Pei Zhi exclaimed in alarm, pulling Ye Wanning behind him.

With a loud crash, Pei Zhi was struck in the back by a large rock. He groaned, and blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.

"Pei Zhi!" Ye Wanning cried out in alarm, trying to help him up.

"Don't worry about me, let's go!" Pei Zhi gritted his teeth, struggling to pull her along, and rushed towards the crevice in the collapse, squeezing out.

The two ran for their lives and finally broke out of the old house, hiding in the cellar closest to it.

The cellar was small, oxygen-deprived, drafty, and extremely cold. Blood streamed down Pei Zhi's back, staining his black clothes red.

Ye Wanning quickly took out some herbs and made him sit down: "Bear with it!"

She carefully cut open Pei Zhi's clothes, revealing the gruesome wound. She wiped away the blood with a clean cloth, applied crushed Panax notoginseng and hemostatic herbs, and then carefully bandaged it with strips of cloth.

Ye Wanning's hand trembled as her fingertips touched his warm skin and wound.

Pei Zhi was in so much pain that he was breathing rapidly; he was seriously injured, but he didn't utter a sound. He just watched her quietly.

The cellar was dark, and they couldn't see each other's faces clearly, only blurry outlines. They were very close and could clearly hear each other's breathing and heartbeat.

A faint smell of blood and herbs lingered in the air, along with an inexplicable sense of ambiguity.

"Why did you come to save me, Pei Zhi?" Ye Wanning asked softly, her voice choked with sobs.

“The guards said you arrived here, and I was afraid you were in danger.” Pei Zhi’s voice was hoarse. “Wan Ning, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about my contact with Prime Minister Wei before.”

"I approached him to gather evidence against him. I didn't tell you because I was afraid you'd be foolish enough to commit a crime against him, so I kept it from you."

Ye Wanning kept her head down, so Pei Zhi couldn't see her face, only her red and swollen eyes. "I shouldn't have left before you finished speaking today, I shouldn't have doubted you! Pei Zhi, I'm sorry!"

"Silly girl, you don't need to apologize." Pei Zhi gently stroked her hair. "It's my fault for making you suffer so much."

The cellar was cold, and Pei Zhi held Ye Wanning in his arms, warming her with his own body heat. Ye Wanning leaned against him, able to clearly feel his heartbeat and breathing.

The embrace was so warm, she couldn't help but want to lean on it. She closed her eyes, snuggled closer, her nose brushing against his neck, inhaling the sandalwood scent emanating from him.

All the grievances and confusion vanished in that moment. The two stood close together, leaning on each other, without saying another word.

The estrangement between them had largely disappeared, and trust had increased. As dawn broke and no further movement came from outside the palace, Pei Zhi led Ye Wanning away from the cellar and returned to the capital.

Lu Zhong spent half a year in seclusion reflecting on his actions before finally being released. However, he showed no remorse whatsoever; instead, he hated Ye Wanning even more and vowed to take revenge.

He conspired with several imperial physicians who had been dismissed from the Imperial Medical Academy by Ye Wanning to devise a vicious plan: to falsely accuse Ye Wanning of using the forbidden Western Region medicine "placenta" to treat illnesses and harm the people.

They found a commoner who had been bribed by the Wei family, made him eat a lot of cold foods, causing him to have incessant diarrhea, and then took him to the palace to file a complaint.

In the Golden Palace, Lu Zhong knelt on both knees, tears streaming down his face: "Your Majesty! Ye Wanning is a wolf in sheep's clothing, daring to use the forbidden Western Region medicine 'Placenta' to treat the illness!"

"Your Majesty, those people suffered from diarrhea and nearly lost their lives after taking her medicine! Please, Your Majesty, do justice for the people and kill Ye Wanning!"

The bribed commoners cried out, "Your Majesty, I went to see a doctor for diarrhea. Lady Ye gave me medicine, but after taking it, I got diarrhea and almost died! Please, Your Majesty, do justice!"

The emperor frowned and asked Ye Wanning, "Ye Wanning, is what Lu Zhong said true?"

Ye Wanning stood up calmly: "Your Majesty, I am innocent!"

"She used banned substances!" Lu Zhong roared. "And she still wants to deny it!"

"Whether it's sophistry or not, we'll find out soon enough." Ye Wanning picked out a green herb from the medicine box. "Your Majesty, this is 'purple alfalfa' that a physician from the Western Regions gave me."

“I used it to improve a prescription for treating diarrhea, and it’s not ‘placenta’! Alfalfa is non-toxic and can regulate qi and blood and treat diarrhea, which is completely different from the banned drugs.”

She then produced another letter: "This is the testimony of a physician from the Western Regions, which clearly describes the medicinal properties and uses of alfalfa. Your Majesty, please take a look!"

The eunuch handed the letter to the emperor. After reading it, the emperor's anger subsided considerably.

“Even if you used alfalfa, it doesn’t prove that the people’s diarrhea has nothing to do with you!” Lu Zhong refused to give up.

“This is easy to prove.” Ye Wanning walked up to the man, took out a silver needle, and with a “whoosh,” pierced his acupoint. The man cried out in pain.

Ye Wanning said, "Your Majesty, his pulse is deep and slow, and his tongue coating is white and greasy. It is diarrhea caused by eating cold food, and it has nothing to do with my medicine."

"I will now treat him with the alfalfa prescription and cure him on the spot to prove my innocence!"

Lu Zhong's expression changed drastically. He tried to stop her, but it was too late. He cried out urgently, "Your Majesty, no! Ye Wanning is going to use sorcery to harm people!"

"Lu Zhong, stop talking nonsense!" Ye Wanning said coldly. "If there's anything wrong with my medicine, I'm willing to accept any punishment!"

The Emperor nodded: "Granted! Ye Wanning, treat her on the spot."

"Yes, Your Majesty. This humble woman is willing to prove her innocence on the spot!" Ye Wanning immediately ordered someone to bring alfalfa, dried ginger, atractylodes macrocephala, and licorice, and brewed a bowl of medicinal soup for the people to drink.

A short while later, the people excitedly told the emperor, "Your Majesty, my diarrhea is gone!"

Ye Wanning looked coldly at Lu Zhong, a mocking smile playing on her lips: "Imperial Physician Lu, what do you have to say now?"

Lu Zhong's face turned pale, and he still wanted to argue, but Ye Wanning didn't give him a chance: "Your Majesty, I have another matter to report."

"Lady Li of the Imperial Hospital has been childless for many years. Imperial Physician Lu said that there is no cure for her, but I can cure her." She took out a modified alfalfa prescription. "I am willing to use this prescription to cure Lady Li's illness, to prove that I have not used any sorcery, and also to prove the medicinal properties of alfalfa."

The Emperor naturally did not refuse and immediately sent someone to summon Lady Li to the palace.

Lady Li entered with her maid and bowed to the emperor, saying, "Your Majesty, I pay my respects."

The Emperor asked, "Lady Li, Lady Ye says she can help you conceive. Would you be willing to give it a try?"

Madam Li nodded hurriedly: "I'm willing! I'm willing! I have no hope of having a child, but I'll try as long as there's hope!"

Lu Zhong panicked, but the emperor ignored him and only ordered Ye Wanning to take Lady Li's pulse.

Ye Wanning took Madam Li's pulse and wrote a prescription: "Three qian of alfalfa, five qian of angelica, five qian of dodder seed, four qian of atractylodes macrocephala... One dose per day, to be taken for half a month."

She dispensed the medicine in front of everyone: "Madam, please take it on time and come back for a follow-up visit in half a month."

Half a month later, Lady Li entered the palace with a beaming smile: "Your Majesty, Lady Ye's medicine is amazing! I am pregnant!"

The Emperor summoned the imperial physician to examine Lady Li's pulse, which confirmed that she was indeed pregnant, and he was overjoyed.

"Lu Zhong! You slander loyal officials, frame Madam Ye under the guise of banned drugs, and even claim that Madam Li is incurable, disregarding human life!" The Emperor was furious.

"Guards, expel Lu Zhong from the Imperial Medical Academy! He shall be banned from practicing medicine for life! The other imperial physicians who participated in the slander shall each have their salary deducted for one year and be confined to their rooms to reflect on their mistakes!"

"Your Majesty, spare my life!" Lu Zhong cried and begged for mercy, but was forcibly dragged away by the guards.