Chapter 42
A few days later, the emperor's decree came from the palace, summoning Lin Qingyu to the palace for an audience.
With the relationship with the Queen, Lin Qingyu and the Emperor are also related. But he had no official title or imperial edict, so he could only enter the palace as a commoner.
Hualu specially picked out a dark blue dress, which made Lin Qingyu look as elegant and clear as the sky after rain when she wore it. Lin Qingyu recalled the first time he entered the palace to thank the Queen. Before leaving, Mr. Jiang was very reluctant. He asked him why and what did Mr. Jiang say?
——"I'm afraid that you'll be favored by the greasy prince. Oh, besides the prince, you should also be careful of the emperor. Old men like young and beautiful women."
Xiao Cheng has been predicted by Jiang, will the emperor also...
Lin Qingyu said: "If you don't want to wear this one, bring me the purple robe."
Hua Lu was surprised and asked, "Are you talking about the one made last year?" She remembered that Shaojun didn't like bright purple, and the young master also said that this color was so tacky that it hurt the eyes, and asked her to put it away quickly.
"Um."
"But the young master is still in mourning, so it would be better for him to dress more plainly."
"No problem."
Lin Qingyu changed into a purple dress, but his figure and face were still extremely eye-catching. This was the limit of what he could do. If one behaves improperly when meeting the emperor, there is also the risk of being punished.
Lin Qingyu followed the eunuch who came to the mansion to announce the arrival of someone into the palace and walked all the way to the Qinzheng Hall.
"The Emperor is discussing matters with the Crown Prince," said the eunuch in charge of the Qinzheng Palace. "Young Master Lin, please wait here for a moment."
The eunuch in charge was named Xue Ying. He had served the emperor for many years, and even the empress had to give him some face. Lin Qingyu nodded and said, "Thank you, eunuch."
Xue Ying is an old man in the palace. There are three thousand beauties in the harem, and he has seen all kinds of beauties. But when she saw the newly widowed Lin Shaojun for the first time, she was still amazed. Male homosexuality is prevalent in Dayu, and there are several charming male attendants in the emperor's harem, but compared with Lin Shaojun, they are obviously not good enough. It’s just that the emperor has good taste and prefers beauties with delicate complexions like lotus flowers in clear water. Lin Shaojun was dressed so tacky, and it was only because of his face that anyone else would not be able to attend such a formal occasion.
After being told to "wait a moment", Lin Qingyu waited for more than half an hour and finally waited for Xiao Cheng to come out. When Xiao Cheng saw Lin Qingyu, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes: "Why are you here?"
Xue Ying explained, "Your Highness, Mr. Lin has made great contributions in formulating the epidemic prescription. The Emperor will personally reward him for his merits."
"Oh?" Xiao Cheng raised one eyebrow and circled around Lin Qingyu. "I thought you had nothing but this face, but I didn't expect you to have such talent. You are worthy of my attention..." Xiao Cheng leaned close to Lin Qingyu's ear and said with a lingering tone, "Xiao Qingyu."
Lin Qingyu took a half step back and successfully avoided Xiao Cheng's aura: "In front of the Qinzheng Palace, I hope Your Highness will respect himself."
Xiao Cheng smiled faintly: "I just said hello to my cousins, why do you have no self-respect?"
Xue Ying noticed that the atmosphere between the two was not right, and tried to smooth things over with a smile: "Your Highness, have you heard that Lin Yuanpan adopted General Gu as his adopted son? It is a blessing for Young Master Lin to have a sworn brother like General Gu."
As expected of a smart person in the palace, he resolved the deadlock with just two or three words. Gu Fuzhou holds the power of 300,000 soldiers and is the chief military commander, enjoying great prestige in the army. The man surnamed Jiang once said that before Xiao Cheng fell completely in love with Shen Huaishi, what he valued most was his position as the crown prince. As long as Xiao Cheng still has some brains, he will not go against Gu Fuzhou for a substitute.
Sure enough, Xiao Cheng's eyes became much more restrained when he looked at him. "Gu Fuzhou..." Xiao Cheng licked his teeth and said meaningfully, "The Lin family is good at finding a backer for me. It's a pity that things are different now. Even Gu Fuzhou may not be reliable."
Xiao Cheng left after he finished speaking. A young eunuch came out of the Qinzheng Hall and said, "Mr. Lin, please come in."
The emperor was over forty, and his health was sometimes good and sometimes bad. He had spent half a day reading the memorial and discussing the matter with the crown prince for an hour. He was already exhausted, but he still wanted to meet Lin, who had prescribed the epidemic prescription. To put it in a broader sense, Lin's contribution can even be compared to Gu Fuzhou's. One helped him maintain domestic stability, while the other helped him resist foreign aggression.
The emperor rubbed his forehead tiredly. He saw a young man in purple clothes walked in and knelt down in front of him: "I am Lin Qingyu, a commoner, and I pay my respects to Your Majesty."
"Stand up."
Lin Qingyu stood up, lowered his brows and closed his eyes, standing in the dim light, as if he did not dare to look directly at the holy face. When the emperor saw his clothes, he was too lazy to look at him seriously. "I heard from the Imperial Medical Bureau that the prescription for the epidemic was made by you?"
Lin Qingyu lowered his eyes and said, "Yes, but I was also guided by my mentor, so I was able to prepare the prescription in a short time."
The emperor also felt that Lin Qingyu was too young. For medical practitioners, experience and qualifications are important. "Where is your mentor now?"
"My dear teacher travels all over the world, has no fixed place to stay, and his whereabouts are unknown. I don't even know where he is."
"Your mentor seems to be a hermit. Of course, you are no less capable." The emperor said, "Your father just brought General Gu back from the brink of death for me, and you saved millions of my people. It is true that a tiger father will have a dog son."
"Your Majesty, I am overwhelmed with praise. I am terrified."
The emperor didn't want to waste too much time on Lin Qingyu: "You have made great contributions to the epidemic. Now, what reward do you want?"
Lin Qingyu's eyes flashed, and he said, "I...want to be able to walk freely in the Imperial Medical Bureau, work with famous doctors in the world, read all the medical books in the world, and contribute my humble efforts to your majesty's eternal rule."
"Oh?" The emperor's tone was somewhat similar to Xiao Cheng's. "I didn't expect you to have such ambitions."
Lin Qingyu did not want an official position or money, but only a qualification to enter the Imperial Medical Bureau, which made the emperor look at him with a new eye: "You are a talented person, but you have been married to a man as a man, so it is not convenient for you to show your face in public."
Lin Qingyu knelt down again: "Young Marquis Nan'an passed away, and I have fulfilled my duties as a wife. I hope Your Majesty will reconsider."
"Your marriage with Lu Wancheng was originally proposed by the Queen. A few days ago, the Queen also mentioned this matter. After all, marrying a man is against the ancestral system, and the Nan'an Marquis's Mansion has been plagued by troubles because of this. The Queen wants to let you go back to the Lin Mansion..." The Emperor thought for a moment and said, "Forget it. A hero does not ask where he came from. I will allow you to be a seventh-rank medical officer and you can freely walk around the Imperial Medical Bureau."
Lin Qingyu kowtowed to express his gratitude: "Your Majesty, I kowtow to thank you for your grace."
Lin Qingyu walked out of the Qinzheng Hall and suddenly felt like laughing. He did not take the Imperial Medical Bureau examination last year, nor did he have to wait another three years, and thus realized his former ambition.
It's almost ridiculously easy.
Since Lu Wancheng's death, his luck seemed to have changed: he had a fortune, regained his freedom, inexplicably gained a powerful brother, and finally got the Imperial Medical Bureau that he had long coveted.
Is... is it that person's soul somewhere that is protecting him?
"Congratulations, Doctor Lin." Xue Ying said with a smile, "I hope Doctor Lin will take good care of us servants in the future."
Lin Qingyu smiled and said, "You are too polite, Eunuch Xue. It is me who needs your care."
After entering the palace, he could finally reach the East Palace.
Lin Qingyu followed the eunuch who led the way out of the palace and happened to meet Hu Ji who was about to return home after finishing his mission. The two of them walked together. When Hu Ji heard that Lin Qingyu had been promoted to the seventh-rank medical officer, he said happily, "This way, Doctor Lin and I will be colleagues in the future."
“I guess so.”
"By the way, Doctor Lin, have you heard any interesting stories about General Gu?"
Lin Qingyu noticed that Hu Ji had a strange look on his face, as if he wanted to laugh but felt that he shouldn't. Lin Qingyu asked: "Why?"
"I just met Xiao Songzi serving tea in the Qinzheng Palace. He told me this interesting story." Hu Ji said with difficulty, "It's not entirely an interesting story. The emperor is worried about this matter."
Hu Ji was promoted by Concubine Chen and the prince, and had a certain status in the Imperial Medical Bureau. Based on his seniority, he was able to diagnose the pulses and treat illnesses of concubines. But he is still the same as before, without any adult airs at all. Whether it was a eunuch, a palace maid, a guard or a nanny, as long as they came to him for treatment, he would do his best to treat them.
In the palace, the lives of slaves are the least valuable. Hu Ji's original intention was to cure diseases and save lives, but he also inadvertently won the hearts of a large number of people. Therefore, he is very popular in the palace, and even people around the emperor are willing to reveal some not-so-confidential information to him.
If it can be described as "funny", it must not be a big deal. It is probably just some brainless concubine in the harem competing for favor and making a fool of herself. Lin Qingyu didn't care much and asked casually, "What's the matter?"
"Today, the deputy commander of the Western Expedition Army, General Zhao Mingwei, sent a memorial to His Majesty."
The Western Expedition Army was the army that Dayu led to fight against Western Xia in Yongliang. According to Dayu's military law, those fighting outside are not allowed to contact the outside world privately. When the situation is serious, they are not even allowed to write letters home to avoid leaking military secrets. Violators, regardless of their identities, will be dealt with according to military law. It can be said that the only connection between Yongliang and the capital is the dragon table placed above the Qinzheng Hall. If Lin Qingyu wanted to know about his father, he could only rely on Hu Ji to ask the eunuchs in the Qinzheng Palace.
"But what happened to Yongliang?"
Hu Ji knew what Lin Qingyu was worried about, and said, "Don't worry, Doctor Lin. The Western Expedition Army won a great victory over the Western Xia Army under the leadership of General Gu not long ago. The judge must be fine. General Zhao submitted a memorial to impeach General Gu."
General Zhao had followed Gu Fuzhou for several years and was loyal to him. How could he suddenly impeach him for no reason, especially after winning a battle? "Why did he impeach General Gu?"
Hu Ji couldn't help laughing, "He said that General Gu loved to stay in bed too much, and getting up early every day to discuss matters was a disaster. In the end, the generals had to discuss military secrets in front of his bed. General Gu also thought that the discussion took too long, so he asked them to take a shower and go to bed early, saying that this would help them conserve their energy. Not long ago, the enemy army raided the city at night, and General Gu was half asleep and half awake. In a daze, he climbed the city gate with a quilt on and commanded the entire army to defend the city. Although our army won a great victory under his leadership, it was really... unsightly."
Lin Qingyu: "...What is this? What did His Majesty say?"
"Your Majesty hasn't made a decision yet, but General Gu has submitted a memorial himself, saying that he had a near-death experience due to poisoning and has become disillusioned with the world. His body and mind are no longer as good as before, and he is no longer able to fight for Dayu in battle. If he continues to command the three armies, it will at best delay military plans and at worst harm the country. He is now thirty years old, and does not want to lose his integrity in his later years. He hopes that Your Majesty will allow him to return to Beijing to live as an idle rich man, considering his past hard work." The more Hu Ji spoke, the more unbelievable it seemed to him. These are naturally not the original words written by Gu Fuzhou in the memorial. Xiao Songzi in Qinzheng Hall added his personal style when retelling them, but the general meaning is correct. "General Gu also recommended General Zhao to take over the post of General of the Western Expedition in his memorial, and repeatedly requested His Majesty to allow him to return to the capital immediately."
Gu Fuzhou joined the army at the age of fourteen and became famous in a battle at the age of sixteen. Lin Qingyu was only four years old. It can be said that Lin Qingyu grew up listening to Gu Fuzhou's deeds. Although he was a doctor, he also longed to fight on the battlefield and make great achievements when he was young. There are not many people who can gain his admiration and respect, and Gu Fuzhou is one of them.
What Hu Ji said didn't sound like something a serious general would say.
Lin Qingyu was silent for a long time, and couldn't help asking: "Are you really talking about General Gu Fuzhou?"
Hu Ji said, "The judge once said that if a person has experienced a life-or-death situation, it is common for his character to change drastically after surviving. Perhaps General Gu has really let it go and wants to return to Beijing to enjoy a peaceful life."
Lin Qingyu nodded: "Maybe."
The author has something to say: Salted Fish Attack: It’s really too much to ask me to fight.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
