Chapter 210: Grand Court Meeting
That night, it was raining heavily. Suddenly, a group of passing merchants came to the outside of the small town of Qingfeng County. Leading them were several sturdy men dressed in black and wearing fighting hats on their heads. They rode their horses in front to lead the way, and finally stopped in front of an imposing villa and knocked on the door.
“Dudududu!”
“Dudududu!”
The sound of rain was noisy, hitting the eaves in a continuous curtain of rain. The old housekeeper heard the noise and walked out of the house holding an oil-paper umbrella. His steps were unsteady, and his brown clothes were soon soaked:
"Come, come, who is knocking at the door? It is already night."
The gate of the manor was opened, and two sturdy men were seen standing outside. They bowed to the housekeeper and said, "Old man, I am a merchant from the capital. My young master is seriously ill. I heard that the needle of the miracle doctor Lu can bring the dead back to life. I am willing to donate ten thousand gold and sincerely seek medical treatment. I hope you can pass on the message."
"Boom!"
A bolt of lightning suddenly split the sky apart, and the view before my eyes suddenly became as bright as day. I saw a plaque above the vermilion gate, and four large gilded characters were clearly visible:
To Weishan Village.
There are numerous doctors in the world, but only a few of them are famous. Moreover, they all have some quirks, such as requiring the lives of their loved ones to perform a treatment, requiring huge rewards, not saving patients they don't like, and so on. Only the miracle doctor Lu's family treats patients regardless of their wealth, and the acupuncture techniques passed down in their family are the best in the world. However, they have lived in seclusion in Ruzhou for generations, and few people know about it.
"So you want to ask for medical advice. No problem. I'll go tell the old man and his wife."
The old butler would meet at least eight or ten people who came to the house every day with complicated illnesses. According to the rules of the Lu family, they could not be refused without authorization, so he led them to the outer hall for reception in accordance with the rules.
The group of merchants was led by a middle-aged man with an extraordinary demeanor. Others called him Master Yin. There was also an elderly servant holding the seriously ill young master and a skinny little child, whose face could not be seen clearly because they were wrapped in fox fur quilts.
When they entered the hall, they saw a child of about ten years old sitting at the dining table, eating from a bowl. He had delicate features, like a rough jade. When everyone saw his face clearly, they were all startled for a moment and looked at each other in surprise.
Mr. Yin stroked his beard and looked at the child in doubt. After a moment, he calmed down and asked the housekeeper casually, "Old man, it's past dinner time, why is there still a child sitting here eating?"
The old housekeeper smiled and bowed, "This is my young master. He was punished by not being allowed to eat because he played too much today and didn't finish his homework. Who would have thought that in the evening, the mistress couldn't bear it and had someone secretly heat up the food for him."
Master Yin nodded: "So that's how it is. The young master is pretty and adorable, so it's okay for him to have some fun."
The old housekeeper smiled kindly, with an expression of pride: "My young master has been intelligent since childhood, and was born with the ability to remember everything he saw. At the age of seven, he was familiar with the Four Books and Five Classics, and at the age of eight, he was familiar with poetry and songs. Now at the age of eleven, he has memorized the family medical book and acupuncture formula by heart. The young man is very proud and refuses to sit in the study room honestly."
Mr. Yin was surprised again and secretly admired: What a smart young man.
The young man stayed far away, just lowered his head and ate quietly. He didn't pay attention to what others said. After eating, he didn't need the maid to serve him, but went to the kitchen with his bowl in his hand.
They had been sitting in the hall for a while, and a handsome young man came out with a beautiful woman. Mr. Yin stood up and bowed, "Excuse me, is the miracle doctor Lu all right?"
Lu Wuyang returned the greeting politely. He saw that although the group claimed to be passing merchants, they were wearing swords on their waists, which showed that they had extraordinary kung fu. He thought that they were not simple people, so he could not help but feel a little cautious. However, since the other party had already come to his door, he could not refuse them. It was better to treat them as soon as possible and let them leave:
"I don't dare to call myself a miracle doctor. May I ask who is seeking medical treatment?"
Master Yin motioned for the servant to carry the child forward, his concern unconcealed as he spoke: "This is my youngest son. He was born with a weak heart and lungs. I have sought out famous doctors to help him live longer, but now I am exhausted. I hope the miracle doctor can save him. We will definitely reward him handsomely!"
Lu Wuyang signaled his wife to prepare needles and medicine, and took the child into his arms. He saw that it was a rich young man in a brocade robe. His breathing was weak, his lips were purple, and even breathing was difficult. He relied entirely on the servant to help his luck. He couldn't help but be shocked -
It was not because of his illness, but because this young man looked 90% similar to the young man who had just been sitting at the table eating.
Lu Wuyang paused for a moment and said, "Young Master, your condition is not mild. Please go to the pharmacy for a pulse check first."
Mr. Yin naturally agreed.
The beautiful woman went to get the silver needle and boiled the wine. As she passed the corridor, she remembered something and said softly to the small kitchen: "Yan'er, it's getting late. Go to bed early and don't miss your homework tomorrow morning."
Only then did he lift the curtain and walk into the inner room.
Lu Yan squatted in the kitchen to wash his dishes, then turned around and prepared to go back to the house. Except for Mr. Yin and a few servants in the group of merchants, the rest were waiting in the corridor. It was a dark crowd of people, with swords on their waists, and they looked very imposing.
In the middle of the group stood a man in his thirties, dressed simply and with a heroic face. He stood with his hands behind his back, staring at the rainy sky outside in a trance, coughing occasionally. He glanced inadvertently and suddenly found that the young man who had just eaten in the house was standing not far away in the corridor looking at him. He suddenly became interested and waved to him, "Young man, come here."
Lu Yan did not go over immediately, but moved two small armchairs over and placed them in the corridor. The man subconsciously said, "No need, I just found the young man interesting and wanted to talk to him."
Lu Yan tilted his head and asked, "Are we not allowed to talk while sitting? We must stand and talk?"
The man was stunned when he heard this, then he laughed out loud: "Yes, of course I will."
As he finished speaking, he really lifted the hem of his robe and sat down in a row with the young man on the porch. Lu Yan took out a handful of salted peanuts from his pocket, lowered his head, peeled them and ate them, occasionally looking up at the rain falling in the garden, and was quite content.
The man asked, "Is this young man the biological son of Master Lu?"
Lu Yan blinked and said, "Don't I look like Daddy?"
Man: "Since you are Mr. Lu's biological son, why do you have to go to the kitchen to wash the dishes yourself?"
Lu Yan said, "Everyone has already had dinner, and the cook who washes the dishes has also gone to bed. It was my own fault that I had to eat in the middle of the night. How could I call her up to wash the dishes just for me?"
The man raised his eyebrows lightly: "She is a slave and you are the master, why not?"
Lu Yan: "There is no such rule in my family. If my mother knew about this, I would be beaten."
The man patted his head and whispered in praise: "What a good parent. I wish my son could be as healthy and intelligent as you."
Lu Yan casually crushed a peanut and asked curiously, "Is your son the one lying inside?"
Man: “Guess?”
Lu Yan: "That's probably it."
The man smiled and said, "Why? Didn't you hear what Master Yin said? The young man in the book is his youngest son."
Lu Yan said, "I see you have gout. Your legs are extremely painful on rainy days. You would rather stand in the corridor and wait anxiously than sit down and rest. I guess the young man inside has a close relationship with you. I am just making a wild guess."
The man was startled when he heard this, and asked subconsciously: "How do you know I have gout?"
Lu Yan continued to crack peanuts: "Doctors emphasize observation, auscultation, questioning, and palpation. You have shortness of breath and a low cough, red spots on your hands, and purple and swollen joints on all ten fingers. It's spring now, and everyone else is complaining about the heat, but you're wearing the finest warm tiger skin around your knees. You probably have a leg disease."
The man smiled and said, "Is that why you moved the stool for me?"
Lu Yan's eyes were clear: "He who comes is a guest. How can we neglect him? You haven't told me why you don't go in and see him?"
The man said calmly, "His disease is difficult to treat. Needling and bloodletting are extremely painful. I have seen him so many times that I don't want to see him anymore."
Lu Yan expressed his understanding: "The injury is on his body, but the pain is on your heart. Since it is so difficult to cure, why don't you send him off earlier? Why keep him in the world and suffer?"
He was only a dozen years old, but he uttered such shocking words. There was an inexplicable feeling of naivety and cruelty, but the man was not angry. He stopped the group of guards who wanted to come forward and whispered word by word:
"The burden on him is too heavy. He must stay alive."
Lu Yan had finished eating the peanuts in his hand. He put the broken shells in his clothes and shook off the crumbs on his body: "He is just a child. Where did the burden come from? It was imposed on him by adults. My father said that life and death are determined by fate and cannot be changed by human power. If you try to change it by force, you will be punished by God."
The man's eyes darkened, unable to hide his arrogance: "What if I am the sky?"
Lu Yan glanced at him and felt that this man had some problems in his head: "If you were God, why would you come all the way from the capital to seek medical advice? Well, I'm going to sleep now, otherwise my mother will scold me if I get up too late tomorrow."
The man stared at his departing figure for a long time without saying a word, until a guard came up behind him and said angrily in a low voice: "Master, this young man is really rude!"
The man waved his hands and laughed, "You are really smart. They look similar. It would be great if Kang'er could be like him."
This group of merchants stayed in Zhiwei Villa for a whole month. However, Lu Wuyang, with all his life's knowledge, was unable to cure the seriously ill young man. At most, he could only slightly alleviate his pain.
"Although the young master was born with deficient Qi and blood, he is not beyond help. It's just that you found the vicious golden insect from the Western Regions and implanted it into his body. The insect has been sitting in his lungs for a long time, absorbing his vital energy, making medicine ineffective. I have used my family's acupuncture method to treat him, but it can only protect his heart. If he takes medicine to recuperate, he may live past the age of twenty, but if he wants to die like an ordinary person, it is extremely difficult."
Upon hearing this, Master Yin's body shook, as if he had been struck by lightning. He asked with difficulty, "Dr. Lu, is there really no other way?"
Lu Wuyang bowed to him and said, "I am not well-trained in my skills. I have failed to live up to your trust. I cannot be called a miracle doctor. Please find another expert."
Master Yin's face was pale. Although he was in a state of despair, he was still polite: "I am sorry to bother you, Dr. Lu, for these days. We will leave for the capital tonight. I will leave you a small gift as a token of my respect."
As soon as he finished speaking, four servants came in from outside carrying two heavy wooden boxes. Inside were a golden mass of rare treasures, worth no less than ten thousand gold coins.
Lu Wuyang did not accept all of it, but only took a piece of silver as a symbol: "I was unable to cure the young master, and I feel ashamed to accept it. This piece of silver will be used as food allowance, and the rest can be taken back."
When other doctors saw the young man, they took one look at him and said that he would not live long, and they did not even dare to give him acupuncture or medicine. However, Lu Wuyang single-handedly extended his life for ten years. Who dares to say that his medical skills were not good?
Master Yin bowed and said, "Why do you say that, Dr. Lu? This is what you deserve. Please do not refuse it. I have an unwelcome request. Ruzhou is far away and not as prosperous as the capital. If you are willing to bring your family to the capital, you will enjoy high positions and generous salaries..."
Lu Wuyang simply said: "It's dark and the roads are slippery, let's set off early."
Mr. Yin smiled awkwardly: "Sorry for bothering you."
It had been raining continuously for the past ten days. When they packed their bags and prepared to set off, it started to rain again. However, Lu Wuyang did not try to keep them, and they did not stop either. They went on their way, with a group of people guarding the two carriages.
When they were thirty miles away from the town, a guard in black rode up to one of the carriages, leaned over and asked in a low voice: "Your Majesty, is it..."
He raised his hand and made a gesture of wiping his neck.
Through the curtain, I could see the young man sleeping in the carriage, and sitting next to him was the old man who had talked to Lu Yan in the rain that day. He tucked the quilt in for the other person, and his words showed that he was used to deciding life and death:
"If you can't be used by me, then I can only kill you."
The guards were about to lead their people back when they heard the old man say calmly, "The young man from the Lu family is quite smart. Let's take him back to Shenjing. I don't want anyone in Ruzhou to know him."
"yes!"
The group of black-clad guards rode away on their horses, swords gleaming on their waists. Each of them was a skilled fighter capable of taking on a hundred men at once, and they soon disappeared in the rain.
That night, a town disappeared quietly in Ruzhou.
That night, Zhiwei Villa was filled with kerosene and set on fire, like a purgatory on earth.
No one knows whether it was the rain that put out the fire, or the fire that covered the rain, because the person who made this decision has long been buried in the grave, along with countless debts of life and death.
The day of the grand court meeting happened to be a rainy day.
There were many people with a keen sense of smell among the civil and military officials. They realized that there would be a bloody disaster at today's court meeting, so they cleverly took the excuse of being sick and did not go. However, the Regent directly sent people to knock on every door, and as long as there was still breath in the air, anyone who was sick had to crawl to the court.
What? You said you can’t crawl?
This is what Zhang Jianyi said. In the end, the Regent King released a wolfhound to chase him halfway down the street. The hounds almost bit off his penis. He crawled faster than a pangolin!
Now, no matter whether they were high-ranking or low-ranking officials, honest or corrupt officials, upright or treacherous officials, loyal or remonstrant officials, they all had to put on their official uniforms and go to the court to pay homage. Even the great scholar Yan Liu, who was over 80 years old and had taught three generations of emperors in Beishu, rarely came out of retirement. He ordered his old servant to drive the carriage and came to the court in a trembling manner. In his arms, he was holding something wrapped in a long and thin cloth, and no one knew what it was.
Lu Yan was changing clothes in the bedroom. He opened his arms and let the dumb slave put on the dragon robe. He closed his eyes and listened to the noisy rain outside. His thoughts were pulled far away in an instant. He spoke lightly:
"Everyone who knew about this incident is dead now. How did your father know about this murder?"
Gongsun Mo was squatting in a corner, holding a plate of snacks and enjoying his meal. Who knew the emperor would go to court so early? He was dragged into the palace before he even woke up. He stammered with something in his mouth:
"There is no such thing as an impenetrable wall. Even if you kill an ant, it will leave a trace. God knows, and so does the earth. When the people of an entire county were slaughtered, how could we be sure that there would not be any survivors?"
"Even if there are no survivors, the more people who die, the more flaws will be exposed, not to mention more than a thousand lives."
Lu Yan was silent for a moment before he asked, "Did you bring them all back?"
Gongsun Mo said: "Some were burned to pieces by the fire, and some were taken away by wild dogs, but I pieced together a lot of them."
Lu Yan said no more. He saw that the palace maid had dressed him properly and walked into the inner room on the other side. Inside was a man who looked exactly like him. He looked haggard and panicked, like a bereaved dog that was always on alert. Even the dragon robe he wore did not show his usual aura.
Lu Yan walked forward and straightened his shirt. Although his tone was calm, it was inexplicably creepy. He smiled and said softly:
"Look at you, your clothes are all askew. What if people notice the damage?"
Zhao Kang saw him as if he had seen a devil. He trembled like a sieve and his legs went weak, almost falling to the ground: "Lu... Lu Yan, what on earth do you want to do? My kingdom has been taken away by you and Huo Lang, and Eunuch Wumei is dead. How else do you want to humiliate me?!"
During the days when he was severely tortured by Huo Lang, Zhao Kang was in so much pain that he wanted to die. He was born a favored son of heaven and had never suffered such an insult. But he did not have the courage to seek death. Today, those palace servants suddenly dragged him out, dressed him up, and put on the dragon robe again. Zhao Kang just thought that Lu Yan had come up with some new way to humiliate him.
Lu Yan looked at him quietly: "Going to court is the duty of the emperor, why humiliate him? The time has come, let's go."
The only difference is that Lu Yan went to the main hall, while Zhao Kang went to the underground palace.
Gongsun Mo finished his snack and patted the residue on his body. Perhaps he noticed that Lu Yan had a good temper, so he didn't care about the false courtesy and muttered, "He's just a decoration, why did you bother to dress him in a dragon robe?"
Lu Yan suddenly asked an irrelevant question: "I heard that Grand Tutor Yan also came to the court today?"
Gongsun Mo nodded. He happened to see her when he entered the palace. He raised his hand and gestured, "Not only did she come, but she also had a long strip of cloth in her arms. It was so long and so thick. I don't know what it was wrapped in."
Lu Yan smiled and said, "That's right."
That is the King's Golden Whip.
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