Chapter 171 The Powerful Minister Returns to His Youth 25.
In the southeast of Huai'an, at the junction of Fujian and Zhejiang, a group of people temporarily stopped in a mountain forest. The group seemed to be in a hurry, and their rest was also urgent, as if they were about to break camp and leave.
A boy, head down, carrying a basket on his back, ran into a horse-drawn carriage at the edge of the road.
"Master, I'm back!"
The carriage reeked of medicine. Only one person sat inside, a man in his forties or fifties with a long beard and triangular eyes, who was kneading pills. He was none other than Doctor Rong, whom Yu Shiqing had never met but had heard of more than once.
"What are you yelling about?" Dr. Rong rolled his eyes at the boy, his gaze subtly sweeping across the gap in the car door. "You're always so unruly."
The boy, oblivious to everything, chuckled and plopped down, eagerly saying as he unloaded the basket filled with herbs, "Master, look at the herbs I've gathered! You were right, there really are a lot of these kinds of herbs here..."
Doctor Rong took the basket from the back, took out the herbs inside, and examined them slowly. As he looked at them, he casually said, "The herbs are not bad. How's the matter I asked you to inquire about?"
“I didn’t find out,” the boy said, “but I overheard something and heard that the prince suddenly ordered him to rush back day and night because he received a message that the young princess and the young prince were seriously ill and about to collapse. If he hadn’t been injured and hadn’t had a headache in the past two days, making it difficult for him to walk, and had a bunch of trusted men holding him back, he probably would have rushed back alone on horseback long ago, disregarding his own safety.”
Doctor Rong paused slightly in his hand, which was twisting herbs: "Is the young princess and the young prince seriously ill?"
“Yes,” the boy said, seemingly puzzled as well. “I don’t think I misheard, but it’s strange. Before we came out, these two young masters were perfectly fine, weren’t they? At most, one of them had trouble sleeping. How could they suddenly become so seriously ill? It’s like they’re about to die…”
"Stop talking about such taboo things," Doctor Rong said, his expression hardening. "Get all the medicine ready. The prince is in a hurry. Although he is injured and has to stop to rest and change his dressing, he can't rest for long. There's still some time before dark, so he'll definitely have to push himself to travel a bit further."
The boy muttered, "The prince is really unlucky this time. He was just checking tax silver, but he got into trouble with the river bandits..."
"Alright, that's enough." Doctor Rong glared at the boy and got up to pack.
Before the master and apprentice could finish packing, the convoy started moving again, just as Dr. Rong had predicted.
Dr. Rong lifted the carriage curtain and watched quietly for a while, without saying much.
When the convoy stopped again, it was already past 7 PM and 9 PM was fast approaching. The mountain road was pitch black, making it truly difficult to continue. Prince Yong seemed to have no choice but to order them to set up camp and rest.
Doctor Rong and his young apprentice were crammed into a carriage, their heads resting on hard planks. The carefree apprentice was already snoring away, fast asleep. Doctor Rong, however, had his eyes closed but was not asleep.
After an unknown amount of time, Doctor Rong felt an unbearable bloating in his lower abdomen, so he climbed out of the carriage.
"Dr. Rong?"
The patrolling guards immediately came to look.
"I need to use the restroom," said Dr. Rong.
As people age, they become lighter sleepers and urinate more frequently at night, and the guards have grown accustomed to Doctor Rong's habit of making two trips to the woods every night. Hearing this, they said nothing more and turned to continue their patrol.
Dr. Rong walked around to the outside until the campfire was no longer visible in the distance, then bent down to loosen his belt. At the same time, he used this action to shake a packet of unidentifiable powder from his sleeve onto the ground.
"Everything is going according to plan..." He smiled silently as he turned on the water.
However, before he could finish drinking the water and before his laughter could subside, he suddenly felt a chill on his neck as a sharp knife was pressed against his throat.
Doctor Rong froze. "Brave warrior, spare my life..." He raised his hand tremblingly, but before he could finish, he suddenly turned and was about to scatter the powder.
Even faster than him was another knife.
A muffled, pitiful groan escaped, quickly disappearing into the shadows. Doctor Rong, his hands tied behind his back, was pinned against a tree. The person who acted was incredibly swift, gagging him, binding his hands and feet, and lifting him up.
Dr. Rong struggled to look at the people who had attacked him. They were two men in black with their faces and heads covered by cloth. They were both quite young, but they were very skilled and not ordinary bandits.
This clear avoidance of the Yong Prince's camp indicates that they are definitely not part of the Yong Prince's faction.
But who else could he possibly offend? His current identity is very well hidden, and his network of connections is quite limited...
Dr. Rong's mind raced as he scanned his surroundings, trying to leave a trace or escape, while pondering the origins of this group.
While he was secretly plotting, two men in black had already carried him down a hillside. At the bottom of the hill, they prepared horses, mounted them, and galloped for a while until they reached an abandoned post station. They then stopped and dragged him into the post station.
Lights came on inside the post station. Doctor Rong caught a glimpse of them and his heart tightened. He knew that the person behind his kidnapping was about to make his appearance.
Sure enough, upon entering the post station, Doctor Rong immediately noticed a magnificent screen standing in the main hall, quite different from the dilapidated post station itself. There were no lights behind the screen, and nothing could be seen clearly, except for the faint outline of one or two dark shadows moving about.
Kneel down!
Dr. Rong was kicked hard in the back of his knee and fell to his knees with a thud.
He gritted his teeth, enduring the excruciating pain. His gaze swept over the blade pressed against his shoulder and neck, then fell upon the dimly lit screen. Terrified, he stammered, "May I ask who you are, sir, and why you have captured this old man? I have spent my life practicing medicine and saving lives, and I have no grudges against anyone. I truly do not know..."
"No grudges against you whatsoever?" A cold sneer came from behind the screen; it was the voice of an unfamiliar young man.
Doctor Rong's expression remained trembling, but his gaze subtly darkened, locking onto the direction of the voice.
“You are a doctor, and the act of healing and saving lives is itself a matter of gratitude and resentment,” the young man said. “How can you not say that you have no grudges or resentments?”
Dr. Rong understood some of what was going on, but maintained a cautious expression and tentatively asked, "Practicing medicine and saving lives... are you saying that I saved someone I shouldn't have saved?"
“Hahahaha,” the young man laughed, “I knew this Dr. Rong was a smart man.”
“That’s not bad.” Another voice rang out, also young, but not entirely unfamiliar.
Dr. Rong stared in astonishment and disbelief, his mouth agape, but his heart trembled for a moment before settling down.
He knows what happened!
The next moment, the shadows behind the screen swayed, and two people emerged: a handsome scholar in blue robes, smiling, and a young man in brocade robes, his hair ribbons fluttering.
Doctor Rong did not recognize the former, but had a vague guess. As for the latter, Doctor Rong had seen him before. He was none other than Ye Zangxing, the sixth prince, who lived in the same villa as Prince Yong and was born of the same mother.
Are you that surprised to know it was me?
The young man looked down at him, a smile playing on his lips, but his eyes and brows seemed to be covered in frost and snow, extremely cold. "Actually, I've wanted to talk to you for a long time, but since you moved into the villa, you've kept to yourself and it's been difficult to make a move. This time, I've finally found an opportunity."
"Sixth Prince? You...you..." Doctor Rong said in disbelief.
“I know what you want to ask,” Ye Zangxing said, “but isn’t that how things are in the imperial family? How many asses can fit on one dragon throne? My father was a prince who came to the capital, and he killed two of his brothers along the way. Although I am not like that, how could my hands be stained with a single drop of blood?”
Upon hearing this, Dr. Rong almost burst into laughter. Ye Yuncheng, Ye Yuncheng! The imperial family is heartless; even your own son has killed you. This is your retribution!
But on the surface, he only stared wide-eyed at Ye Zangxing, his beard trembling, as if he were terrified.
Ye Cangxing chuckled again. "How about it? After hearing what I've said, you should know you have no other way out, right? Then let's cut to the chase. Although I have people helping to hold off the camp, I can't keep you here for too long. Before you're discovered missing, Doctor Rong, you only have two fates. One, you've already been released; two, you'll simply be beheaded."
"As for whether it's one or two, that's up to Dr. Rong to decide."
As soon as he finished speaking, the blade of the knife that was pressing on Dr. Rong's shoulder suddenly moved closer, grazing his neck with an icy touch.
This demonstrates that the Sixth Prince was absolutely telling the truth.
Doctor Rong shuddered, sweat pouring down his face. He swallowed hard before managing to utter, "Sixth...Sixth Prince means..."
Ye Zangxing didn't answer the question; it was the scholar in blue robes beside him who spoke.
The scholar squatted down in front of him, his voice clear and approachable, "Dr. Rong, you are a master at treating headaches. In all your years of medical practice, besides those you have cured, there must have been some cases that you could not cure no matter what you did, and even some cases where patients suddenly went mad or became mentally impaired during the treatment process, right?"
Dr. Rong was taken aback and looked up.
"I hope to hear good news from Doctor Rong before we arrive in Huai'an. Otherwise, once we get to the villa, with its layers of guards, it won't be so easy to make a move," the scholar said with a smile. "Oh, by the way, let me remind you that we are less than two days away from Huai'an Prefecture. Doctor Rong, you should hurry."
Two days, that's quite a rush!
Doctor Rong scoffed inwardly, but said aloud, "I...I...Your Highness, it's not that I can't do it, it's that it's truly impossible!"
He had already decided to agree and get away first. However, if he agreed directly, the two men would definitely become suspicious, so he would have to deal with them a bit more.
Little did he know, Yu Shiqing was waiting for this very maneuver.
"Can't do it? What's impossible?" Yu Shiqing sneered. "You harmed the young master and the princess even though they live in such a large courtyard. Now that you're on a military campaign, it's even more convenient. What can't you harm?"
A sudden sense of unease flashed through Doctor Rong's mind, but his expression immediately turned astonished as he stared blankly at the man: "The young master and the princess? This, this gentleman, I absolutely did not harm the young master and the princess! As you yourself said, there's such a large courtyard between us, with so many people watching, I can't even get a glimpse of the two young masters, how could I possibly harm them!"
Yu Shiqing seemed to be just casually teasing him, not really wanting to know anything. Hearing this, he just scoffed lightly: "Alright, His Highness is not going to punish you, so why are you crying injustice? Although I don't know why you poisoned the Crown Prince and the Princess, His Highness is too lazy to care about those two brats. If they're gone, they're gone."
"Of course, His Highness doesn't concern himself with this matter, but if you don't want to serve His Highness wholeheartedly and instead want to side with Prince Yong, then that's a different story. However, you should think carefully: you have harmed two of Prince Yong's own children. Even if he doesn't know for the time being and forgives you, can you sleep peacefully day and night?"
"not to mention."
He revealed a warm smile, like a refined and elegant young gentleman, but the words that came out when his lips touched were bloodthirsty: "In this world, if you don't want others to know, then don't do it in the first place. How can there be anything truly seamless? We have been watching you from the shadows all along, and we already know some things."
"Doctor Rong, think it through. You have no other choice but to rely on my prince."
Every step leaves a trace... They must have done this because of me. Could it be that they really know something?
Under the cover of his fearful gaze, Dr. Rong observed Yu Shiqing's expression and saw that his calm and composed demeanor was not feigned, which made Dr. Rong's heart pound with apprehension.
At this moment, Ye Zangxing spoke again: "Rong Xiuqing, do you really think I don't know who you are?"
Dr. Rong's given name is Rong Zhen, not Rong Xiuqing.
Rong Xiuqing is him, the current Doctor Rong, but not the real Doctor Rong.
At this point, Dr. Rong's expression finally changed.
“Liang Dang has already told me your identity,” Ye Zangxing said calmly.
Doctor Rong paused, his face twitching, his eyes fixed on Ye Zangxing: "My identity?"
“You are also a member of the Liang faction. You killed your own brother, took his identity, and only got to where you are today because the Liang faction covered for you, didn’t you?” Ye Zangxing said.
Doctor Rong stared intently at Ye Zangxing for a moment, then suddenly smiled. "That bastard surnamed Liang almost tricked me again," his eyes lit up, as if he had finally met his true master. "Since entering the villa, to maintain secrecy, I haven't communicated with them for a long time, and they haven't contacted me either. I had no idea about their defection to His Highness! This is truly a case of the flood washing away the Dragon King's temple..."
"Your Highness, what do you think of this matter... Why go to all this trouble today, even risking your life to kidnap me? Just say the word, and I'll personally bring you the head of Prince Yong without any problem!"
Ye Zangxing also smiled.
“That’s true,” he said, “but sometimes I really don’t understand what you rebels are thinking.”
He held up a longsword inlaid with precious gems: "You say you want to claim credit for the success of the new emperor and rightfully establish yourselves in the Great Qi again. I believe you. I don't care that you initially wanted to pledge allegiance to my fourth brother instead of me. You genuinely want to meet your Mr. Liang and have a proper talk."
"And then what happened?"
He turned his head: "That Mr. Liang won't see me, and you're clinging to my fourth brother's side, giving him acupuncture and making pills every day, acting like you're determined to cure him. Tell me, how can I trust you again? I'm an honest person; I only look at what people do, not what they say. I don't believe a single word of your sweet talk."
"Since you've chosen to bet on me, then obediently wager your entire fortune. I hate fickle opportunists the most."
With a clang, the longsword was drawn, its cold light as white as snow.
Ye Zangxing's eyes were lowered, colder than swords and snow.
Upon hearing this, Dr. Rong, who had been pondering and guessing, finally realized that the problem lay here!
The sixth prince was unhappy that the Liang faction was dragging him along and was still having ambiguous dealings with Prince Yong about this matter!
But he couldn't let the sixth prince know the secret behind this, so he had no choice but to play along and cry out in anguish, "Your Highness, please see the truth!"
Doctor Rong said, "It is true that we are traitors and rebels, but all we have ever sought in our lives is to see the light of day again and to live in peace. How could we dare to have any other thoughts? You are the master chosen by Mr. Liang. We would never do anything like switching sides. The only reason I am staying by Prince Yong's side now is to help the Sixth Prince and coordinate from the inside out!"
Ye Zangxing looked at him and said, "Then you should treat Prince Yong..."
"I know nothing about treating headaches," said Doctor Rong. "I just do whatever I feel like, adding more sedatives to prolong the symptoms!"
"So," Ye Zangxing hesitated, "that poisoning Afu and Awang was also helping me?"
Doctor Rong said, "Your Highness, the two young masters are truly not me..."
No sooner had he spoken than the scholar in blue robes beside him suddenly kicked him and shouted coldly, "You just said you wanted to show your loyalty, yet you dare to deceive His Highness!"
Dr. Rong let out a muffled groan as he was kicked, a metallic taste rising in his throat. He quickly glanced at Yu Shiqing, making a deep grudge against him, vowing to tear him to pieces once the deed was done!
Then he lowered his head, his thoughts swirling around, and finally spoke: "Yes, it was for Your Highness. Mr. Liang said that if you don't cut the weeds at the root, they will grow back in the spring breeze. If you want to kill Prince Yong and seize power, how can you leave an heir? But I saw that Your Highness seemed to have a very close relationship with these two children. I was afraid that Your Highness would stop me, so I dared not tell the truth. It was my own decision. Please punish me, Your Highness!"
They were so certain they knew, so there was no harm in admitting it, since Prince Yong wasn't around and no one here dared to tell him...
Above Dr. Rong's head, Yu Shiqing turned his head and quickly exchanged a cold glance with Ye Cangxing.
"What's the big deal if we had just admitted it? It wasn't a big deal to begin with," Yu Shiqing said coldly and indifferently. "Isn't it just that we took advantage of the wind direction to dry the medicine and blow some of the powder into the little princess's courtyard, first inducing a nightmare so that the imperial physician would administer a calming soup, and then using the new powder in combination with the calming soup to create the appearance of a serious cold?"
"The young princess is the only child in that courtyard. It shouldn't be difficult for you, a self-taught doctor, to prepare medicines that are only for children, right? The young prince must have just happened to wander in by chance or accidentally spilled some mixed medicines, which is why he has different symptoms."
"It's a simple matter, but they insist on making it all seem so mystical..."
Doctor Rong still had a sliver of pride and wishful thinking, assuming that Ye Zangxing and the others knew but didn't really understand the details. However, he didn't expect that this person, who was suspected to be the future prime minister, was still so young, yet he had already pinpointed the key point.
Ye Cangxing and his men are truly not to be underestimated. Doctor Rong, though secretly wary, smiled and replied, "Mr. Yu is indeed exceptionally intelligent and perceptive; he is no ordinary person!"
Yu Shiqing smiled, his eyes darkening: "I wouldn't say he's exceptionally intelligent or insightful; it's just that he deduced the method from the murderer's perspective. Using drugs to harm people has existed since ancient times; it's nothing more than that."
Ye Zangxing asked, "Has the poison powder been completely disposed of?"
Seeing that the two men seemed to be on his side, Doctor Rong felt a little relieved and said, "There's no need to treat them. They're just common herbs. Only one of them, the Nine-Blue Flower, needs to be cleaned thoroughly. I buried it before I left. If you don't know what the Nine-Blue Flower is, even the imperial physicians in the palace would just think it's a common cold and wouldn't even consider the possibility of poisoning."
"Your Highness, I have eliminated two major threats for you this time. First, I have cut off the lineage of Prince Yong, and second, I have caused Prince Yong great mental turmoil, worsening his headaches. It is truly killing two birds with one stone. I ask for no reward, I only hope that when you ascend the throne in the future, you will remember my hard work..."
"I remember, of course I remember."
Ye Cangxing laughed, "But why do I feel that your killing of two young masters has little to do with me?"
Doctor Rong was impatient, cursing inwardly at this man for being so difficult to deal with, but on the surface he appeared even more aggrieved: "How could that be! If it weren't for Your Highness, why would I have taken this risk..."
Yu Shiqing interrupted him: "Isn't it for your person who can foresee the future?"
"What?" Doctor Rong was caught off guard and his expression changed upon hearing this.
Seeing the expressions on Yu Shiqing's and Ye Cangxing's faces, he immediately knew something was wrong. He clenched his teeth and was about to commit suicide, but Ye Cangxing was faster than him. With a slap of his sword sheath, he skillfully and neatly dislocated his jaw.
Almost simultaneously, a flash of light appeared behind the screen, revealing another figure hidden within. Only then did the figure finally break free and rush out.
Enraged, the man kicked Dr. Rong in the chest, causing him to spit out a mouthful of blood.
Prince Yong?
Doctor Rong's pupils dilated in shock. How could Prince Yong be here!
Author's Note:
Big fat chapter!
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