Chapter 57 The Emperor's Recovery An inexplicable desire for knowledge filled Pei Yixue's heart...
The next day, dawn medicine hall.
"…We have not found out why Du Heng suddenly asked the emperor for permission to marry, but according to the information we have received, Du Heng went to the Prince of Jin's mansion the night before he asked for permission."
Listening to the manager's report, Pei Yixue lowered his head and carefully picked out the densely packed text.
All this information was bought at a high price on the black market, costing a total of 200,000 taels of silver.
However, so far, the only clue he felt was of some value was that "Du Heng had been to Prince Jin's Mansion."
Earlier, he had made preparations to guard against the person behind the Seven Heroes Cliff and spent a lot of money to collect information about the person behind the scenes.
The direction finally determined was also King Jin.
With the previous incident at the Seven Heroes Cliff, the fact that this arranged marriage happened to fall on Du Ruo and Xie Yushu seemed too much of a coincidence.
Especially when that old fellow Du Heng said that Du Ruo was in love with Xie Yushu, the fact was that the two had never met each other.
"…There is also news about Miss Du. She is not favored in the Shangshu Mansion…" the steward continued, with a hint of caution in his voice.
Pei Yixue glanced sideways and motioned for him to continue.
"The person who sold the news also revealed that Miss Du had a relationship with the King of Qi when she was young, saying that the King of Qi loved Miss Du, but was afraid that he would die young, so he could only hide this love deep in his heart."
"The King of Qi loves Du Ruo?" Pei Yixue frowned slightly. Judging from the last pulse, the King of Qi was clearly pregnant, so how could he love a woman?
"Yes. But the person who sold the news also said that the news is not true." The manager quickly added.
"Got it." Pei Yixue nodded slightly, thinking, tapping the paper on the table with his fingertips, muttering: "King of Jin, King of Qi..."
"By the way, Boss, the black market also recommended news about Mr. Xie. I thought you might be interested, so I took the initiative and spent 20,000 taels of silver to buy it back." The steward said as he observed Pei Yixue's expression, then respectfully handed over another stack of news.
Pei Yixue took it and before he could read the words on it carefully, he heard the steward continue: "According to the news from the black market, after the imperial decree of marriage came down, someone spent 100,000 silver coins to buy Mr. Xie's life."
"What did you say?" Pei Yixue's heart skipped a beat. He stood up instantly, staring at the steward with a sharp gaze.
"Boss, don't worry. I have sent more than 20 people to the places where Mr. Xie must pass every day to ensure his safety." The steward said hurriedly, trying to calm Pei Yixue's emotions.
"Who did this?" Pei Yixue felt angry.
“It is still unknown who it is.”
"What do the black market say? If it's about money, just give it to them, no matter how much."
The manager said in embarrassment: "They haven't found any clues yet. The man who hired the killer revealed that he was from Prince Qi's Mansion. Apart from that, there are no other clues. It is possible that someone else framed him."
"Whether it's true or not, we'll know if we try." Pei Yixue sneered. He and King Qi had just cured the emperor, and King Jin designed a marriage between Du Ruo and Xie Yushu. From this, it seems that the news that King Qi loves Du Ruo is probably true.
The reason why Prince Jin arranged for Du Ruo to marry Xie Yushu was probably to pit Prince Qi against Xie Yushu. This would not only avenge the murder of Qixia Cliff, but also alienate the relationship between Prince Qi and Xu Yi. Therefore, Prince Jin would never go to such lengths to hire someone to kill Xie Yushu.
Based on his understanding of the King of Qi, the frame-up could only have been directed and acted by the King of Qi himself.
He didn't want to guess the reason. As an ordinary citizen, he couldn't question the King of Qi in person, right? It would be better to let the King of Qi come to him and tell him in person.
Pei Yixue threw down the letter in her hand and said to the steward, "Follow me to the pharmacy."
The two went down to the second floor. Pei Yixue pushed open the door of the pharmacy, walked straight to the cabinet, and started to pick up the medicine skillfully.
He took out more than a dozen medicinal herbs one by one, ground them carefully into powder, then put them into a white porcelain bottle and handed it to the steward.
Pei Yixue said: "Within two days, I want to hear the news that Du Ruo is critically ill."
The steward's pupils trembled, and he took the medicine in a daze, "The boss wants to kill Miss Du?"
"I won't take her life." Pei Yixue put his hands behind his back, "But you can ask someone to go to the Liming Pharmacy for help."
Thanks to the information from the black market, the manager of the pharmacy knew a lot about Du Ruo and the people around him. The next day, the manager brought the poison to Du Ruo through a maid in the Du Mansion.
Du Ruo was not favored in the Du family. Due to the imperial decree granting the marriage, the Du family found several doctors to treat her, but they were all unable to do anything. In the end, they simply ignored her.
Du Ruo's maid was extremely anxious and went to Liming Pharmacy for help, but the pharmacy staff gave her all kinds of excuses.
Pei Yixue stood quietly in front of the window. The moonlight was like frost, sprinkling on the streets of the capital, making everything look pale.
He is waiting.
Suddenly, a knock on the door broke the silence, and the steward's voice came softly, "Master, the King of Qi is here to visit."
Pei Yixue's eyes darkened, "Please come over."
While waiting for someone to come over, Pei Yixue slowly took out a small round medicine jar from his sleeve, placed it in front of him, and examined it carefully.
The poison he put on Du Ruo had a special property. Anyone who had seen Du Ruo and approached Kong Qinglei would cause Kong Qinglei to fluoresce.
Not long after, the King of Qi walked into the room with slightly hurried steps and sat down.
"Your Highness the Prince of Qi is visiting you late at night. Is there anything urgent?" Pei Yixue opened the medicine jar with two fingers. In her peripheral vision, the ordinary blue liquid began to glow after the Prince of Qi came in.
Pei Yixue's eyes darkened. Before King Qi came, he had already met Du Ruo in private.
This also made him more certain that the King of Qi was the one who hired the murderer.
In the case of Xie Yushu's trial at his mansion, "Xu Yi" once asked King Qi for help. It is impossible for King Qi not to know that Xie Yushu and "Xu Yi" have a close relationship. Now he is hiring someone to kill someone, which is really ruthless.
"To be honest with you, doctor, I have something to ask of you, and it's urgent." The King of Qi looked hurried and anxious.
Pei Yixue covered the medicine jar and said with a smile, "Your Highness, please speak."
"I beg the doctor to condescend to go to the Du Mansion and heal one person for me."
"Miss Du Du Ruo." Pei Yixue looked calmly at King Qi.
"Exactly."
Pei Yixue neither agreed nor refused, but changed the subject and asked, "Your Highness, what do you think of the marriage between Miss Du and Xie Shaoyin?"
"This is a marriage granted by my father, and I must obey the imperial order." The King of Qi looked solemn and answered decisively.
"As far as I know, Xie Shaoyin is not satisfied with this arranged marriage." Pei Yixue stared at King Qi, trying to find out something from his expression.
The pupils of the King of Qi suddenly shrank, and then he said, "The genius doctor shouldn't just sit there and watch Du Ruo's illness, right?"
What the King of Qi said was not without reason. After all, Du Ruo was dead, so Xie Yushu naturally didn't have to get married.
Pei Yixue said: "Your Highness should also be dissatisfied with this marriage, right?"
The King of Qi was silent. Pei Yixue saw this and asked again, "Your Highness, can you tell me the truth?"
"This marriage is not what Aruo wants. She is innocent."
"Is Xie Shaoyin innocent?" Pei Yixue had a smile on his face, but there was no warmth in his eyes.
"Xie Shaoyin is innocent." King Qi said firmly.
In the eyes of King Qi, Pei Yixue did not seem to have any guilty conscience.
After thinking for a moment, Pei Yixue asked, "Does Your Highness have any solution to this marriage?"
What he wanted was to let the King of Qi come to ask for Du Ruo. Xie Yushu could not disobey the order, but it might be possible for the emperor's beloved son to disobey the order.
It all depends on whether the King of Qi is willing to disobey the emperor's order for Du Ruo and ruin his well-behaved image in front of the emperor.
After a moment's silence, the King of Qi spoke and gave him a completely unexpected answer.
"The situation in the court is uncertain, and I have reasons to hide my incompetence. If Xie Shaoyin is willing, on the day of the wedding, I can secretly send his sweetheart to the bridal sedan, and Du Ruo will marry me."
Pei Yixue narrowed her eyes slightly, "Does your Highness the Prince of Qi know who Xie Shaoyin's sweetheart is?"
"I know a little bit." The King of Qi looked calm. "To be honest with the doctor, I also need to borrow Master Pei to avoid the limelight. Wei Wang Zhao Hongzhang, Yan Wang Zhao Yanqing, Jin Wang Zhao Shaoyong, Qin Wang Zhao Huaijin are all extraordinary people. My mother's family is weak and has no intention of getting involved. Marrying a man can cut off the suspicion of my brothers. This is why I have been pretending to be sick until now, and why I can't marry Aruo."
The King of Qi spoke very logically and it seemed to be true.
However, Pei Yixue believed that the King of Qi wanted to avoid the limelight temporarily, but he did not believe that the King of Qi "had no intention of getting involved."
The King of Qi just wanted to reap the benefits.
Pei Yixue said: "This action may help Your Highness conceal his influence, but it is of no benefit to Xie Shaoyin."
"No, I can guess a little bit about Xie Shaoyin's feelings for Mr. Pei, and so can others. In the dispute between political enemies, someone in the court will definitely impeach Xie Shaoyin for this. Therefore, Xie Shaoyin also needs to have the identity of marrying a wife."
Pei Yixue's eyes narrowed. Political enemy? Impeachment?
He felt unhappy and said, "I dare not take the responsibility of deceiving the emperor."
"I know what the miracle doctor wants." The King of Qi said earnestly and firmly, "If the miracle doctor is willing to lend a helping hand this time, and if I can reach the top as I wish in the future, I will abolish the restriction that Shuang'er cannot become an official after getting married, and I will do my best to help Liming Pharmacy and Jishi Inn reach the top."
"Your Highness, what does this mean?"
The King of Qi looked at him and said, "Aruo is in a difficult situation in the Du Mansion, and the King of Jin already knows how important she is to me. If the marriage is not granted this time, it will probably only get worse in the future."
"What does Your Highness mean?" Pei Yixue thought to himself.
"I want to use this marriage as an opportunity to take Aruo out of the Du Mansion."
Pei Yixue remained silent. He didn't want to drag Xie Yushu into this risk.
Moreover, the emperor will issue a blank imperial edict in two days. If it really comes to a last resort, he can use it to ask the emperor to change his mind about the marriage. Although it will make things awkward for the emperor, it will also solve Xie Yushu's marriage problem.
There's no need to take risks.
Seeing that he did not answer, the King of Qi continued: "Please be at ease, doctor. I never do anything without confidence."
The King of Qi paused, then smiled, "If it is really so unfortunate, and something goes wrong, I will take all the blame and ensure that Xie Shaoyin is safe. If that happens, I can only say that it is God's will, and I am destined to have no chance of that position."
Is this for Du Ruo, giving up even the throne? Pei Yixue looked at the King of Qi carefully, and suddenly felt a little uncomfortable.
Then think about it, Xie Yushu had rejected him countless times in order to become an official. Even if he agreed to marry him now, he told him that he would have to wait until he was in his seventies or eighties.
For a moment, an inexplicable desire for knowledge ignited in Pei Yixue's heart.
He wanted to know, when faced with the choice between being an official and him, what would Xie Yushu choose in the end?
He agreed to the marriage exchange, and from then on he and the King of Qi were completely tied to the same rope.
For now, the issue of granted marriage can be resolved and the risk of falling out with the emperor can be avoided. At the same time, it also encourages him to find another way to solve the restriction that Shuang'er cannot serve as an official once and for all.
After weighing the pros and cons, Pei Yixue said, "I will convey the marriage exchange to Master Pei. I believe that Master Pei will have his own considerations at that time. But before that, Master Pei wants to know the person behind the murder of Xie Shaoyin."
The King of Qi was silent for a while, and then said, "The King of Jin set up this plan, so I had no choice but to get involved. I am in the wrong in this matter. If the Divine Doctor is angry, I am willing to take the responsibility. I hope the Divine Doctor will not vent his anger on A Ruo."
Pei Yixue looked at King Qi and said slowly: "I'm afraid it's too late."
"Miracle doctor!" King Qi said anxiously. He was about to say something but was interrupted by Pei Yixue.
"But I will do my best to treat Miss Du's illness."
King Qi stared with eyes wide open, saying in disbelief: "Du Ruo's illness was cured by a miracle doctor..."
Pei Yixue smiled without comment. No matter who it was, they had to understand that if they touched his things or his people, they would have to pay the price.
He won't take the initiative to cause trouble, but he is not afraid of trouble either.
Because he had to go to the palace to treat the emperor the next morning, Pei Yixue had to rush to the Du Mansion overnight.
It is said that Miss Gu is plain-looking and always covers her face, so Pei Yixue couldn't see her face clearly. But this lady's figure is really majestic, and after taking her pulse, it is clear that she is a man dressed as a woman.
Pei Yixue also solved the mystery as to why the King of Qi was fond of Du Ruo but had a pregnancy mole.
The five-day deadline came in a flash, and just as Pei Yixue had said before, the emperor's illness was actually cured. At the same time, the crucial blank imperial edict in the original book was also delivered to Pei Yixue as scheduled.
As the sun rises, its golden light shines on the plaque of the Liming Pharmacy, adding a bit of auspiciousness to this place filled with the fragrance of medicine.
Inside the pharmacy, the steward was reporting recent achievements to Pei Yixue with excitement.
"Boss, now almost every citizen in Lingyi Province has been included in our medical mutual aid contract, and Baiyue, Bolai, Chengping, Mengze and other provinces are also following closely. At the same time, the benefits of Baicao Pavilions in various places are very impressive. In just half a month, the total amount of silver allocated to the mutual aid contract has reached nearly three million taels of silver."
When talking about the number "three million", the steward deliberately emphasized his tone, his eyes full of pride.
Pei Yixue glanced at the manager. Five hundred and sixty-one pharmacies, three million taels in half a month, especially the Baicao Pavilion which focused on the high-end route. It could only be said to be average.
Before Pei Yixue could say anything in praise, the steward continued to report: "The revenue of the pharmacy has far exceeded expectations recently. The store is crowded every day, and sometimes there is no place to stand. At present, the stewards, doctors, and waiters we have recruited are enough to staff 35 stores. Do you think we should start to set up branches?"
Pei Yixue nodded: "Well, let's distribute the people."
In just a few days, Dawn Pharmacies sprang up like mushrooms after a rain, spreading rapidly from the capital to the surrounding cities.
At the same time, the story of Xu Yi turning the tide when the emperor was dying and all the doctors were helpless spread throughout the country.
For a time, Liming Pharmacy became a household name and the most authoritative pharmacy in Daqing State, gaining the trust and admiration of countless people.
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