Unexpectedly, the Crown Prince did not attend the morning court for several days in a row, reporting to Emperor Kangxi that he had suddenly fallen ill. Emperor Kangxi initially thought that the Crown Prince had caught a cold and needed to recuperate for a few days, but the Crown Prince's absence for several days alarmed Emperor Kangxi.
That day, after court, Emperor Kangxi stopped the Fourth Prince and asked him about Hongli's situation after he returned home. The Fourth Prince recounted Hongli's situation at the residence, explaining in detail Hongli's daily routine to Emperor Kangxi.
"That's good. I'm relieved that Hongli is well. Fourth Prince, go and check on the Crown Prince for me. Why hasn't he come to court for three days?" Kangxi said.
"Yes, Your Majesty, I will go and take a look." Fourth Prince said.
When the Fourth Prince arrived at Yuqing Palace, he discovered that the Crown Prince was seriously ill. The Crown Princess had already summoned several imperial physicians, but they were all at a loss for what to do.
"Your Highness, what's wrong with His Highness the Crown Prince?" Fourth Prince was surprised to find that the Crown Prince was already in bed after only a few days of not seeing him.
"I don't know either. Ever since he returned from the Prince Heshuo's residence a few days ago, he has been lying in bed. At first, I thought he had caught a cold because he drank too much and caught a chill, so I asked the imperial physician to prescribe some medicine for him. He brewed it and drank it, but it didn't work. The Crown Prince still doesn't seem to wake up." The Crown Princess Shi cried as she held a handkerchief in her handkerchief.
"He won't wake up?" the Fourth Prince said in surprise. "Imperial Physician, what's wrong with the Crown Prince?"
"Your Highness," said Physician Yang, the head of the Imperial Medical Academy, "His Highness's illness is quite strange. I have examined his pulse several times, and it seems to fluctuate wildly. I have also consulted with Physicians Lin and Huang, and we all agree that His Highness's condition resembles..." Physician Yang had a close personal relationship with the Fourth Prince and had visited his residence many times to treat him. The Fourth Prince had great trust in Physician Yang's medical skills.
"What do you mean? Imperial Physician Yang, please tell me the truth. I am here on behalf of Father Emperor to see His Highness the Crown Prince," said the Fourth Prince.
"His Highness the Crown Prince seems to be under a spell," said Yang Yuanzheng. He knew that his words could determine the lives of many, so he dared not tell Shi Shi before the Fourth Prince arrived, for fear of causing her panic.
"A Gu image?" Fourth Master exclaimed in surprise. That legendary, curse-like thing unique to the Miao people sounded terrifying.
"Yes, Your Majesty, I have read about the pulse signs of someone afflicted by Gu in medical books. Just now, I took His Highness's pulse again, and indeed, I could feel the Gu worm's pulse in his pulse," said Imperial Physician Yang.
"What should we do, Imperial Physician Yang? You must find a way to save the Crown Prince!" Shi said in a panic.
"Your Majesty, please calm down and let Yang Yuanzheng finish speaking," said the Fourth Prince.
Shi then composed herself and stepped aside.
"Director Yang, now that the cause of the Crown Prince's illness has been diagnosed, why don't you hurry up and expel the Gu from him?" the Fourth Prince said.
"Your Highness, to expel this Gu worm, a special medicinal catalyst is required; otherwise, it will be very difficult to remove the Gu worm from the body," said Yang Yuanzheng.
"What kind of trigger?" Fourth Master asked.
“Human blood! Not ordinary blood. If the Gu worms smell this blood, they might come out of His Highness’s body,” said Yang Yuanzheng.
"Human blood is not hard to find. I wonder what kind of human blood Chief Physician Yang needs?" Fourth Master asked.
"This blood isn't ordinary blood. It has to be the blood of a close relative of the Crown Prince. Because the Gu worms are already sucking the Crown Prince's blood from his body, to draw it out, we must find blood that is similar to the Crown Prince's blood but tastes even better," said Yang Yuanzheng.
Lady Shi, listening nearby, almost vomited. They actually wanted to use human blood to expel the worms. But seeing that the Crown Prince was unconscious and she was helpless, she could only listen to the Fourth Prince and the imperial physician discussing the Crown Prince's condition.
"Alright, Chief Physician Yang, when shall we begin exorcising the Crown Prince?" Fourth Master asked.
"The sooner the better, of course. The longer the Gu worm stays in the Crown Prince's body, the more dangerous it becomes to His Highness's life. I predict that if the worm cannot be expelled from His Highness's body within three days, I fear His Highness's life will be in danger," said Yang Yuanzheng.
"What? Only three days?" Crown Princess Shi exclaimed in surprise. She immediately turned to the Fourth Prince and said, "Prince Yong, please go and inform Father Emperor immediately. The Crown Prince's condition is critical."
"Your Majesty, please don't worry, there are still three days. I believe that I can expel the Gu worms from the Crown Prince within three days," said the Fourth Prince.
"Imperial Physician Yang, let's start with me. The Crown Prince and I are brothers, so let's try my blood first," the Fourth Prince said to Imperial Physician Yang.
"Yes, if Prince Yong can give it a try first, I will certainly do my best to exorcise the Gu for His Highness the Crown Prince," said Yang Yuanzheng calmly.
"Then there's no time to lose. Let's start preparing now. Your Highness, you should go back first. There's nothing you can do here. You should go back and rest. After you've helped the Crown Prince get rid of the Gu worms, you can report to the Crown Princess." The Fourth Prince said firmly. His face had the air of a patriarch, and coupled with the coldness of his voice and the aloofness of his eyes, he seemed unapproachable.
“Alright, then I’ll leave His Highness the Crown Prince to the Fourth Prince. I’ll go back and think about it carefully. How could the Crown Prince have been infected with a Gu worm out of nowhere?” Shi said.
After the Crown Princess and her palace maids had all left the Crown Prince's room, the Fourth Prince walked up to the Crown Prince.
"Director Yang, shall we begin now?" Fourth Master said.
“We still need to prepare some things. Prince Yong, are you sure you don’t want to report to the Emperor first?” Imperial Physician Yang looked at the Fourth Prince in surprise.
"No need," said the Fourth Prince. "Father is too busy with state affairs. Let me handle what I can."
"Alright, Your Highness, please sit down and relax for a moment," the servant said.
After the Fourth Prince and Yang Yuanzheng discussed for a long time, they finally determined a method to exorcise the Gu poison from the Crown Prince.
"Director Yang, why are you preparing things like peach wood swords and paper ash?" Fourth Master asked.
“Peach wood swords are for warding off evil! Gu worms are something that lies somewhere between witchcraft and animals; they are extremely cunning. Once they realize they are being deceived, it becomes very difficult to expel them,” said Yang Yuanzheng.
"Alright, Imperial Physician Yang, I'll send someone to talk to the others first and tell them to prepare. In case my blood can't expel the Gu worms, then we'll have someone else do it," Fourth Prince said.
"Yes, Your Highness, please go quickly. Why not let His Highness the Crown Prince's sons give it a try? After all, they are the closest to the Crown Prince," said Yang Yuanzheng.
“No, they are still children. How can they bear such suffering?” Fourth Master refused.
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