Chapter 72
Xiao Li is the emperor's youngest son and the only legitimate son. He is only fifteen years old this year. He should have been respected and pampered in the palace, but because of his congenital intellectual disability, he was regarded as a disgrace by the emperor and was thrown into another palace and ignored. No matter how much the queen missed her son, she could only see him twice a year, once during the Mid-Autumn Festival and once during the Chinese New Year.
"Sixth Prince?" Hu Ji asked, "Why do you suddenly think of the Sixth Prince?"
Lin Qingyu found the row of records of the princes’ pulses: “I want to know how the Sixth Prince got sick.”
Although Xiao Cheng was quite respectful to the Queen, his biological mother, he still had a biological mother, and her was a noble imperial concubine. In the future, when Xiao Cheng ascends the throne, the Queen and Concubine Chen will both be Empress Dowagers, one the Mother Empress Dowager and the other the Holy Mother Empress Dowager. The queen has been on the throne for so long, it's natural that she wouldn't want to be on an equal footing with another woman.
Anyone who does not want Xiao Cheng to ascend the throne can temporarily become his ally. As for winning over the queen, Xiao Li is undoubtedly the best entry point.
Xiao Li was sent to another palace for more than ten years. The emperor was very secretive about his son's stupidity, so there was very little news about him in the palace. Lin Qingyu and Hu Ji had both entered the palace in recent years. They only knew that the Sixth Prince was a fool, but they had no idea how stupid he was.
Hu Ji helped Lin Qingyu find the pulse case and said, "I heard that the queen had searched for famous doctors to treat the Sixth Prince. But no matter whether it was the imperial doctors in the capital or the famous doctors in the martial arts world, they were all helpless against the Sixth Prince's illness. In this case, he must be born stupid and there is no cure."
Lin Qingyu agreed with Hu Ji's statement. But Xiao Li is the biggest bargaining chip to control the queen, so it is worth spending a little time on her.
"Found it!" Hu Ji pulled out a thick pulse diagnosis book, "Take a look and see if it's this one?"
Lin Qingyu took it and looked at it: "It is indeed the pulse case of the Sixth Prince."
The two of them started flipping through it on the spot. Every doctor who took Xiao Li's pulse said that his pulse was no different from that of an ordinary person. They couldn't even find the cause of his illness, so how could they talk about treatment?
Xiao Li's pulse diagnosis is much more accurate than others. At first, he was no different from other princes, with a normal pulse once a day and occasional minor illnesses before the age of two. After he was two years old, Xiao Li still couldn't speak, and the queen began to get anxious. She invited more and more doctors, and his pulse cases increased. When Xiao Li was five years old, the emperor gave up on him completely. He ignored the queen's repeated pleas and insisted on sending his young son to another palace.
On the day Xiao Li left the palace, there was another person who examined him. This person is not an imperial physician, nor a medical practitioner, but the Imperial Master of Dayu, Xu Junyuan. The last record in the case file says: The national teacher said that this is a disease of losing the soul and there is no cure.
"Amnesia?" Hu Ji seemed to be thinking about something. "When I was a child, my grandmother told me that babies' souls are unstable when they are just born. If they are frightened too much, their souls may be scared away..."
Lin Qingyu asked: "Do you believe it?"
Hu Ji smiled sheepishly: "I know doctors shouldn't believe these things, but many things really can't be explained by common sense."
Lin Qingyu closed the case book: "I didn't believe it before, but now..."
Gu Fuzhou's soul can fly all over the world, so what does Xiao Li's mere amnesia matter?
Hu Ji said: "If the Sixth Prince really has amnesia, then even if Hua Tuo is reborn, it will be useless."
Lin Qingyu thought for a moment and said, "I still want to see with my own eyes - who are the doctors in the other palace now?"
The palace that people in the palace often refer to is called Jinyang Garden. It is only a day's journey from the capital, and it only takes half a day if you ride a fast horse. Jinyang Garden was built by the water and was a summer resort for the royal family. The emperor has been in poor health in recent years and has not visited Jinyang Garden for a long time. Apart from a few old concubines, there was only one master, Xiao Li, living in Jinyang Garden. Naturally, the maids and eunuchs serving her were not as dedicated as those in the palace. Even the medical officers on duty were the lowest in the Imperial Hospital.
Lin Qingyu told his father that he wanted to go to another palace to visit the Sixth Prince. Father Lin didn't ask any further questions and quickly settled the matter for Lin Qingyu. The first snow fell in the capital, the days became colder, and many people fell sick. Imperial physicians generally don't want to go to places like the imperial palace. Lin's father employed a doctor who had no official position but real talent and knowledge on the grounds that the palace was short of staff, and others would not comment too much.
Lin Qingyu took a horse carriage to Jinyang Garden, and it took two days to go there and back. After Gu Fuzhou learned about it, he wanted to go with Lin Qingyu, but was ruthlessly rejected: "You don't have to go to court or discuss politics anymore?"
"Yes." Gu Fuzhou said sadly, "But I have a disease that will make me wither if I don't see Doctor Lin for a day."
Lin Qingyu asked: "Will this disease affect your sleep?"
"That's a good question." Gu Fuzhou stroked his chin and said, "The last time I had insomnia was the last time."
Lin Qingyu looked at Gu Fuzhou as if he were a fool. Gu Fuzhou smiled and said, "I mean, when I was in Yongliang. At that time, the dog emperor refused to let me come back, and I was so anxious that I couldn't sleep."
Lin Qingyu calmly packed up the medical kit: "As long as it doesn't affect your sleep, it's not a big deal - I will be back as soon as possible."
Gu Fuzhou knew that Lin Qingyu was going to do serious work, so he was just talking about it, and he would definitely let him go in the end.
Lin Qingyu had a smooth journey. The guards at Jinyang Garden checked his identity, questioned him briefly and then let him go.
In Jinyang Garden, there are mountains and pools with running water; pavilions and towers are scattered at different heights. Summer is a prosperous scene, but winter is just desolate. When walking in the garden, you can only see a few eunuchs and palace maids sweeping the floor. It is not even as lively as the general's mansion.
Lin Qingyu followed the eunuch who led the way to the clinic. There was only one medical officer on duty in the clinic. He was fat and had a belly that almost burst his uniform. He was roasting sweet potatoes by the charcoal fire. Hearing footsteps, he said without even looking up, "There's no medicine in the clinic. If you're sick, you can either go out of the palace to see a doctor or endure it yourself."
The eunuch who led the way said, "Doctor Huang, the people from the Imperial Medical Bureau are here."
When the medical officer surnamed Huang heard the words "Imperial Medical Bureau", he immediately stood up and saw Lin Qingyu, and was shocked again: "You are..."
"My last name is Lin."
There are only a few people with the surname Lin in the Imperial Medical Bureau, and the man in front of him is so outstanding in appearance that anyone with a little bit of information can easily guess his identity. Doctor Huang smiled and apologized, "So it's the general's wife. I'm so sorry."
"You just said that the clinic is out of medicine?"
"That's right." Doctor Huang smiled at Lin Qingyu's cold face, "As soon as winter comes, more people get sick. Some have colds, some have coughs, so naturally the medicine in the clinic is not enough."
"If the Sixth Prince is ill, do you want him to 'either leave the palace to see a doctor or endure it himself'?"
Doctor Huang was at a loss for words: "What are you talking about, Madam General? The Sixth Prince is in good health."
"I mean just in case."
"Then, then we will definitely find a way. The Sixth Prince is the emperor's legitimate son, and we wouldn't dare neglect him even if we had ten heads."
Lin Qingyu had been working in the palace for a long time, and was no longer surprised by some people's hypocrisy and self-willed behavior. "Where is Your Highness now?" He said, "Today, I will take Your Highness' pulse."
Doctor Huang was groaning in his heart, fearing that Lin Qingyu would gossip about him in front of the judge, or even to the queen, so he could only be careful to please her: "Yes, please, Madam General."
Lin Qingyu came to Xiao Li's bedroom. As soon as she entered the door, she saw a young man in ink-colored brocade clothes squatting in the snow, with his head down, playing something. It was such a cold day, but the boy didn't even have a cloak on him.
Lin Qingyu asked the eunuch who led the way: "Is this person the Sixth Prince?"
The eunuch said timidly: "Yes..."
Someone was talking next to him, but Xiao Li didn't react. He thrust his red, frozen hands into the snow, scooped up a handful of snow, and stuffed it into his mouth.
"Your Highness!" The eunuch rushed to Xiao Li and grabbed his hand, "You can't eat this."
The eunuch pulled her like that and the snow in Xiao Li's hand fell to the ground. He stared at the ground blankly, then slowly stood up and looked towards Lin Qingyu.
When their eyes met, Lin Qingyu was slightly stunned.
Xiao Li was born with a good appearance and a slender figure. At the age of fifteen or sixteen, he was already as tall as Lin Qingyu. He had delicate and prominent eyebrows and handsome features, but his eyes were lifeless, and his appearance was dull and lifeless. No matter how handsome a young man is, his appearance will be greatly reduced by this.
For some reason, Lin Qingyu always felt that Xiao Li's appearance was somewhat familiar.
Lin Qingyu bowed to Xiao Li: "Student Lin Qingyu, I pay my respects to Your Highness."
Xiao Li still didn't react. He squatted back down and repeated the action of digging and eating snow.
Lin Qingyu said coldly: "Where is the nanny who is looking after His Highness?"
The eunuch was so anxious that he broke out in a cold sweat: "I'll go find them right away!"
Lin Qingyu stood beside Xiao Li and watched for a while, then stretched out his hand and helped the young man up: "Your Highness, please go into the house first."
Xiao Li let him hold her, not crying or making a fuss, like a walking corpse. Lin Qingyu asked him to sit on a chair and took out a pulse pillow to take his pulse. He could only see that Xiao Li had caught a cold, but other than that, he was no different from an ordinary person.
Lin Qingyu finally understood the meaning of the word "lost soul". The Sixth Prince Xiao Li was truly just a delicate shell left; his inner self was empty.
After a long while, the palace maids and eunuchs who served Xiao Li finally arrived, each looking uglier than the other.
These people are the elderly people who serve Xiao Li. Although the Sixth Prince was the legitimate son, he was not favored by the Emperor, and the Empress could only see him twice a year. The Sixth Prince could not speak and could not say a word even when he was treated harshly. They only work hard when the Queen sends someone to visit them, as they have long been accustomed to being lazy on weekdays.
Lin Qingyu didn't ask where they were just now, and ordered: "Your Highness has caught a cold, go and make a bowl of ginger soup."
While everyone was busy coming in and out, Xiao Li still sat there motionless, as if he didn't exist in this world.
Lin Qingyu wrote a prescription for Xiao Li to dispel the cold and asked the eunuch to give it to Doctor Huang: "I know that the clinic has no medicine. I will ask my father to report this to the Queen and ask her to send more medicine."
This sentence almost cost them half their lives. "Doctor Lin, I know I was wrong. I will serve Your Highness well in the future... Please..."
Lin Qingyu smiled compassionately: "Go and tell the Queen about this."
Lin Qingyu did not stay in Jinyang Garden for long. He traveled overnight and returned to the capital the next day.
"Doctor Lin is finally back." Gu Fuzhou had just come home from court, still wearing his official uniform, and welcomed Lin Qingyu in. "It feels like two days since we last met."
Lin Qingyu frowned: "What nonsense are you talking about."
Gu Fuzhou suppressed his laughter: "Nothing." He took the fox fur coat that Lin Qingyu took off and hung it on his arm. "It's been so long since we last met. Do you have anything you want to tell me?"
"Yes." Lin Qingyu stepped into the house, "First, please make me a cup of tea."
After drinking the tea made by her husband, Lin Qingyu told Gu Fuzhou everything about Jinyang Garden: "I will go to see the queen again tomorrow. I don't believe she won't see me."
Gu Fuzhou listened casually: "What else?"
"besides?"
"Is there anything else you want to tell me?"
Lin Qingyu thought for a moment and asked, "What did you look like?"
Gu Fuzhou didn't expect Lin Qingyu to suddenly ask this: "Are you serious? Didn't you see it in your dream?"
Lin Qingyu felt inexplicably guilty: "I forgot."
Gu Fuzhou raised his eyebrows: "Didn't you say you would have a photographic memory? Why did you forget what I look like?"
Lin Qingyu remained calm: "How can dreams and the real world be compared? Looking at people in a dream is like looking at the moon in the water or flowers in the fog. There is always a layer of separation. It's normal that I forgot."
"If you ask me, I don't know how to describe it to you." Gu Fuzhou said, "Besides, I haven't used my original body for such a long time. In another two years, I will probably forget what I originally looked like."
Lin Qingyu fell into deep thought. The Gu Fuzhou in his dream once made his eyes light up. Compared with him, Xiao Li gave him a very different feeling, but he was also a handsome young man. Unfortunately, he is a fool.
Gu Fuzhou looked at Lin Qingyu for a long time and sighed, "How annoying."
Lin Qingyu regained his composure: "Why are you annoyed again?"
"Because you didn't seem to think about me at all these past two days."
Lin Qingyu: “…”
Gu Fuzhou just complained casually and didn't expect Lin Qingyu to respond to him. After a long time, so long that he began to feel sleepy, he suddenly heard Lin Qingyu say: "Not necessarily."
Gu Fuzhou didn't react and responded slowly: "...Hmm?"
Lin Qingyu's cheeks were slightly hot as he changed the subject: "I'm hungry, let's eat."
The author has something to say: Xianyu: Where is my royal translator? Not necessarily what it means
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
