Chapter 18 Masked Bug
How the prince met Li Yuanying was thanks to Jiang Qie, the second wife of the Li family. Jiang Qie and the current queen both had the surname Jiang and were from the same large family, with the same ancestor, but the family tree had to go through dozens of pages to find their connection.
But because the queen's branch was prosperous, all distant relatives had to be related, especially Jiang Qie, who was recognized as the queen's sister and was allowed to keep her surname and have the same surname as the royal family.
For Jiang Qie, such an honor was something she could never have dreamed of. She knew in her heart that Li Zhongdao had a crush on her not because of love, but because of her relationship with the Queen.
After the prince was rescued by Master Fu Yu, he had been weak and sickly. One year, an epidemic broke out along the coast, and Master Fu Yu went there personally to deal with it. The prince was thirteen years old and suddenly fell ill. It took Master Fu Yu more than half a month to rush back, so the queen had no choice but to ask Li Zhongdao of Yaoshui County to come and treat him.
At that time, the entire Imperial Hospital was in chaos. They were so worried about the illness of the Crown Princess that they hadn't slept for three days and three nights.
Li Zhongdao knew that the Crown Prince’s “illness” was probably not a real “illness”, otherwise the Queen would not have asked him to come, so he brought Li Yuanying with him.
Li Yuanying followed her father to fight demons and monsters everywhere. She had been to many places in Kyushu, but she had never been to Chang'an.
Chang'an is where the emperor is. If the emperor does not summon them, it seems that the people of the Li family cannot go there.
She actually had some yearning for Chang'an. She heard that it was very luxurious there, people all wore silver silk and satin, even the pillars were gilded, fruits were transported from the surrounding areas by fast horses, the men there were as beautiful as the women, and the women there were more beautiful than fairies.
This time, she will not only see Chang'an, but also the imperial palace.
Three days later, Li Yuanying followed her father to Chang'an. Before she could even savor its splendor, she was ushered into the palace. The palace was even more luxurious than she had imagined. She had never seen such thick golden nanmu pillars, such ornate white marble railings, or a bed made of gold.
The prince's bed was quite luxurious. It was made entirely of gold, with a flying dragon carved on it, inlaid with pearls and agates, and decorated with auspicious clouds and mountains.
He was pale, his eyes sunken, skinny, gaunt, and withered. He lay on his bed, covered with a thin blanket, taking a nap on his side.
Li Zhongdao's arrival disturbed the prince's rest. When he saw Li Zhongdao, he immediately started cursing him, saying that he would not let this old man treat him and wanted to kick him out. Empress Jiang tried to persuade him for a long time, but he finally gasped and stopped talking. He was sweating all over and his lips were trembling from the ordeal.
"Thanks to the Queen's trust, the entire Li family is willing to do our best to treat the Crown Prince's illness. May the Crown Prince be in good health." Li Zhongdao and Li Yuanying knelt on the ground and bowed deeply to the Crown Prince and the Queen.
Li Yuanying really disliked the prince. He was born with a mean look and a bad temper, and did not seem like a wise ruler.
"Master Li, please stand up. No need to be so formal. I'd also like to trouble you to examine the child. These imperial doctors are truly useless. All this time has passed, and the prince shows no signs of improvement." Queen Jiang looked extremely worried. "He's getting thinner and thinner, and it seems he can't even walk."
"Mother, what's the point of calling these crappy Taoist priests? I only want the Imperial Master!" The prince's breath was as if he was dying, but he still refused to surrender.
"Yan'er, don't be so rude! Even if the Imperial Master travels day and night, it will take more than half a month for him to arrive. Your body can't wait that long." The Queen scolded.
"Those imperial doctors have tried so many methods, but nothing is working. I don't want to be treated anymore!" The prince yelled and started coughing violently.
The queen wanted to come over to check out what was happening, but he pushed her away.
"Maybe if I'm punished by them, I'll walk faster!" the prince shouted.
"Yan'er!" Queen Jiang shouted angrily, "Don't talk nonsense!"
After she finished speaking, she glanced at Li Zhong and said, "Master Li, please come and take a look at the prince's condition first."
The Queen touched the Crown Prince's hand, which was only left with a thin layer of skin. The veins were clearly visible, like ravines running through his body. Then, she lifted the Crown Prince's blanket. Li Yuanying frowned slightly. She saw that the Crown Prince's belly was as big as a woman pregnant with twins for ten months. His belly was as thin as paper, and his internal organs seemed to be barely visible.
Li Yuanying had a rough idea in her mind. She looked at her father, whose face was pale and who dared not look directly at the Queen and the Crown Prince. She knew that her father had no idea at all.
"Empress... let me take a closer look at the prince's condition." Li Zhongdao's reply became vague, unlike the wholehearted expression he made at the beginning. As he spoke, he glanced at Li Yuanying. Li Yuanying knew that her father was hoping that he would help her out of the predicament as usual.
"Investigate in detail? Master Li, I will give you three days. If you can't save the prince, you and your family will be reunited in the underground!" The queen was furious when she saw that Li Zhongdao was beginning to back down.
Li Yuanying felt that the show was over here. If she didn't say anything else, she would no longer be the obedient eldest daughter in Li Zhongdao's eyes.
"Father, you have seen this disease in Heishui before, why do you need to investigate it in detail? Is it because you think acupuncture is not suitable for the prince's golden body, so you want to investigate it in detail?" Li Yuanying pretended to be anxious and looked at Li Zhongdao and said.
Li Zhongdao pretended to be angry and said, "Don't talk nonsense in front of the Queen!"
"Have you seen this disease before in Heishui?" The Queen raised her eyebrows, her eyes brightening as if she had grasped a lifeline. "This is Li Yuanying, the eldest daughter of the Li family, right? Tell me, what is this acupuncture treatment?"
"Empress, please don't kill my father and mother. I beg you. I will ask my father to rescue His Royal Highness the Crown Prince." Li Yuanying looked innocent with tears in her eyes.
"Good Yuanying, I will not kill your father and mother. As long as your father can save the prince, not only will I not kill you, I will also let you enjoy endless wealth and glory."
Li Yuanying glanced at Li Zhongdao. Her father, a cunning old man, was feigning embarrassment. She continued, "Empress, my father won't tell me because treating this disease is extremely painful, even more painful than the disease itself. Do you know of a demonic puppet called a masked worm?"
The queen shook her head, her face darkening: "What kind of demon is this..."
"To answer the Queen, there are four types of demons: puppets, enchantments, spirits, and evil spirits. Puppets are the weakest and often rely on numbers to prevail. The mother hides in the dark, while the puppets are scattered everywhere. This masked worm is a type of puppet demon that lives year-round in the shallows of the Blackwater River. It gets its name from the mask-like appearance of its head. This creature lives and dies every day, but its reproductive capacity is extremely strong. A single mother can give birth to tens of thousands of puppet worms in a single day."
"If a person or animal comes into contact with a masked beetle's puppet, it will summon its mother. At night, the mother will invade the person's flesh and begin to reproduce, sucking away their nutrients until the person dies. Eventually, the masked beetle will break free, its body growing longer."
Upon hearing this, the prince fainted.
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