Chapter 68: Maybe we don’t have to wait until the morning court to enter the country. Now is the time...
"What I ask for is not small, but not big either." Just as everyone was holding their breath, thinking that he was going to make some earth-shattering request, Pei Yixue said calmly, "I just want Shuang'er, who is an official in the court, to be able to marry freely."
The hall fell into a dead silence. The emperor frowned and said in a deep voice: "Which of my beloved ministers has the divine doctor taken a fancy to?"
Before he finished speaking, the Grand Secretary of Zhongji Palace hurriedly shifted his gaze away from Pei Yixue and became secretly alert.
With Pei Yixue's current power and prestige, if he really set his eyes on an official in the court, it would be easy for him to seize him by force.
Although he is a Shuang'er and is about the same age as Pei Yixue, both over 60 years old, he has already married and had children, and even his grandchildren are of marriageable age. He has no interest in men.
Pei Yixue was silent for a moment, and said, "I just think that this law is very unfair. Why can't Shuang'er be an official after getting married? If you say that a pregnant belly is unsightly..." He paused, and his tone was a little stern, "But who didn't crawl out of a pregnant belly?"
The Grand Secretary of Zhongji Hall was full of suspicion: "Just for this?"
"More than that." Pei Yixue put his hands behind his back, "This old man... probably has more selfish motives."
"It's because he has his eyes on a certain minister in the court!" - This sentence was clearly engraved on the face of everyone in the hall.
He did not want fame, wealth or power, and even handed over a blank imperial edict to the King of Qi for treason. It seemed as if the officials had only truly gotten to know this legendary doctor today.
I don’t know which minister in the court could have such charm that could induce people to rebel.
For a while, the gossip overshadowed the tense atmosphere of rebellion.
The King of Qi spoke at the right time to break the silence: "My dear ministers, do you have any objections to my succession to the throne?"
The ministers' eyes wandered around the palace - passing by the strict imperial guards, the firmly seated Prince Qi, the mysterious Pei Yixue, and the sullen-faced emperor.
Three of them immediately changed their words, knelt down and shouted: "Your Majesty, long live Your Majesty!"
The Grand Secretary of Zhongji Hall raised his head and exchanged glances with the emperor, then he also knelt down and swore his loyalty. When he knelt, the last hesitant minister also knelt down.
The whole process went more smoothly than expected, and the King of Qi frowned.
Under such circumstances, he dared not let go of the Grand Secretary of Zhongji Palace, who was obviously close to the old emperor, and placed him under house arrest in Funing Palace together with the old emperor.
Once the contents of the forged imperial edict of abdication were made public, the court was in an uproar.
However, there was Pei Yixue, a miracle doctor who single-handedly saved the people, ministers, and the country from danger, and his reputation was rising;
The new emperor, the Prince of Qi, acted filially by cutting open his chest and lungs to save the emperor, which was very touching.
Behind them are the vicious Imperial Guards, watching covetously. The commander of the Imperial Guards, Dai Jiang, is a close confidant of the retired emperor who was promoted personally not long ago!
The ministers felt overwhelmed and found it difficult to sort out this complicated situation.
In the end, the most widely circulated statement privately was that the old emperor was moved by the King of Qi's filial piety, and because of the difficult state affairs, he had no choice but to break the law and convention and abdicate to the King of Qi.
Pei Yixue finally breathed a sigh of relief after the situation was settled. Rebellion and seizing power were much more difficult and stressful than curing illnesses and saving lives.
Inside the Hall of Mental Cultivation.
After Pei Yixue finished examining the King of Qi, the King of Qi suddenly asked, "Does the genius doctor think that Dai Jiang can be used?"
Pei Yixue was slightly startled. Dai Jiang had colluded with the King of Jin. He didn't know how many people knew about this, but the King of Qi was obviously aware of it. Pei Yixue knew about this because the King of Qi told him.
The leader of the Royal Guards has betrayed his former master repeatedly, and no one can trust him completely.
The reason why the King of Qi asked him was because Pei Yixue was the one who connected the King of Qi with Dai Jiang. Now, asking Pei Yixue in advance about how to deal with this person was a kind of respect.
Thinking of Dai Jiang, Pei Yixue found him interesting and replied, "As long as Your Majesty does not let his wife suffer any injustice, this man will be useful."
"Oh? Is this true?" The King of Qi was quite surprised.
"Dai Jiang originally conspired with the King of Jin to rebel because the King of Jin promised to make him the leader of the Imperial Guards after the rebellion was accomplished. The reason was that at the Xiaohan Party, the wife of the former leader had led the public in mocking Mrs. Dai's vulgar poems. And the former leader was deeply trusted by the Emperor Taishang and was appointed by him."
Pei Yixue explained, "As for why Dai Jiang later turned against Prince Jin, it was because of the epidemic created by Prince Jin, which caused Madam Dai to be infected, and Prince Jin was helpless and unable to treat her."
The corner of King Qi's mouth curled up into a smile: "A rage for a beauty... I think that he and you, the genius doctor, have somewhat similarities." In his opinion, people with weaknesses are easiest to control.
After a day and a night of hard work, the matter was finally settled and Pei Yixue drove back to the pharmacy.
As soon as he entered the door, the steward reported: "Boss, Mr. Xie has been waiting for you here since early morning."
"Where are the people?"
"In room seven."
"Got it." Pei Yixue asked casually, "Did Mr. Xie go to Room 6 today?"
The steward replied, "Go back to the master's house. I have never been there."
Pei Yixue: “???” It’s already the 4th hour, and he hasn’t been there once?
Considering Xie Yushu's recent performance, Pei Yixue almost suspected that Xie Yushu had already known that the "Pei Yixue" in Room 6 was a fake.
After all, whenever he changed back into the identity of "Pei Yixue", Xie Yushu's attitude towards him was obviously much warmer than towards the fake Pei Yixue.
But did Xie Yushu really know? If so, how and when did he know it?
Pei Yixue subconsciously touched the human skin mask on his face. Xie Yushu's abnormality seemed to have started after he fainted in Yancheng.
He walked upstairs, came to room number seven, and knocked on the door. The door opened from the inside, and when Xie Yushu saw him, a hint of surprise flashed across his eyes.
"I heard about the changes in the palace. Has the miracle doctor been affected?"
"Thank you for your concern, I am doing fine."
"That's good." Xie Yushu hesitated for a moment, and finally asked: "I wonder if the divine doctor knows... why His Majesty suddenly abdicated to His Royal Highness the Prince of Qi?"
Pei Yixue said: "Perhaps he was touched by the filial piety of His Royal Highness Prince Qi, or perhaps it was God's will. But Lord Xie, please rest assured that the Emperor and His Majesty are both safe and sound."
"Okay." Xie Yushu replied.
"Master Xie, do you have anything else to say?" Seeing the other party shaking his head, Pei Yixue said, "Then I will go back to my room first. Master Xie should also rest early."
After another five days of fighting, the epidemic caused by King Jin finally subsided gradually in various places.
This battle pushed the reputation of Dawn Pharmacy and Jishi Inn to an unprecedented peak.
Everyone in Daqing State knew about the miraculous doctor Xu Yi. Whenever he was mentioned, the people were all excited and admired him from the bottom of their hearts.
The goal of Liming Pharmacy and Jishiyi Station to take root across the country was also achieved in one fell swoop with this opportunity.
The medical mutual aid contract promoted by Liming Pharmacy benefits the country and the people; the transportation network of Jishiyi Station is convenient for the people and beneficial to businesses, and has significantly promoted local economic development.
Wherever they settle, there is an additional layer of security.
Before the outbreak of the epidemic, Liming Pharmacy and Jishi Post had already taken root in eleven provinces including Lingyi, Baiyue, Chengping, etc.
After the epidemic, before the Liming Pharmacy and Jishi Post Station took the initiative to expand to other provinces, officials from various places personally visited them, offered their shops, and begged them to settle in their jurisdiction.
Not only that, the heroic act of Liming Pharmacy, which spent all its wealth to save the people and fight the epidemic, also established its unshakable position in the hearts of doctors all over the world. Doctors from all over the country are proud to be able to join Liming Pharmacy.
Many other pharmacies were impressed by the courage of Liming Pharmacy and actively requested to become its affiliated pharmacies, abide by the pharmacy rules, and jointly participate in promoting the medical mutual aid contract.
In early summer, the sun is scorching outside and the air is already a bit hot.
After a month, the epidemic finally disappeared in Daqing Kingdom.
In the Dawn Pharmacy, Pei Yixue slowly drank a cooling dessert while listening to the steward report on the recent battle results.
"Boss, in addition to the eleven provinces that were covered before the epidemic, the remaining twenty-five provinces in the country, involving a total of 1,657 counties, have all been settled by the Dawn Pharmacy. In a few remote places, even if there is no pharmacy directly settled in, our affiliated pharmacies are already popularizing contracts.
At the same time, the progress of the medical mutual aid contract has also been quite smooth. Currently, the number of registered people has reached more than 90 million, accounting for more than half of the total population of Daqing. "
"It's not enough," Pei Yixue put down the glass bowl in her hand and raised her eyes and said, "What Liming Medicine Hall wants is that no one is left behind. The total population of Daqing is about 150 million, and the current contract covers less than 80% of the people."
"The boss is right." The steward bowed, "I will write to various pharmacies later, ordering them to speed up the implementation of the contract."
Seeing that the steward had not yet left, Pei Yixue asked, "Anything else?"
"There is indeed something related to Lord Xie Yushu." After the steward finished speaking, he carefully glanced at Pei Yixue's expression.
Pei Yixue's lips curled slightly: "Just say it."
"Just now, the palace sent an imperial edict to Jingzhao Prefecture, promoting Master Xie to the position of Minister of the Ministry of Revenue and concurrently the Grand Secretary of the Zhongji Palace—"
"Cough cough cough..." Pei Yixue choked and coughed when he heard that Xie Yushu had been promoted four levels in a row.
The steward was immediately panicked, not knowing what to do: "Boss, are you okay?"
"No problem." Pei Yixue took a deep breath, "Go on, tell me, under what name did you get promoted?"
"Your Majesty has entrusted Mr. Xie with an important task based on his merits in providing disaster relief in Qingzhou and... the 'fate' of marrying by mistake. He has also been ordered to be in charge of the emergency selection of officials appointed by the court to fill the vacancies of officials who died of the epidemic. By the way, Your Majesty has specifically stated that this selection is not limited to gender, regardless of whether the couple is a man or a woman, married or not."
For a moment, Pei Yixue could almost foresee what a chaotic scene the civil and military officials would have at the court tomorrow morning.
Perhaps there is no need to wait until the morning court session. At this moment, a minister should rush into the palace and cry out in front of the hall, threatening to die to express his determination!
He really couldn't figure out what the new emperor was planning. Cutting meat with a blunt knife could still be done step by step, but now, he was throwing three bombs directly into the deep water of the court, and each one was more powerful than the last!
The key point is that this directly dragged Xie Yushu into the center of the storm!
Pei Yixue immediately ordered: "Prepare the car and go to the palace!" He wanted to see what the new emperor was going to do!
In the Yangxin Palace, as soon as Pei Yixue stepped into the palace, he met Xie Yushu who was about to leave.
The new emperor Zhao Jingyan seemed to have predicted his arrival, and with a smile on his face, he said to Xie Yushu, "Thank you, my dear, please go back first."
"I'll take my leave." Xie Yushu bowed and as he left, his eyes swept over Pei Yixue.
When Xie Yushu disappeared outside the palace, the new emperor looked at him with a cunning look in his eyes: "Did the divine doctor come here for the matter of Lord Xie?"
"Your Majesty, what is the deeper meaning of this action?" Pei Yixue asked bluntly.
"There are many vacancies in the court, and talented people are urgently needed to fill them. I have been on the throne for less than a month, and I need a confidant in the court who I can trust. Thank you, my dear minister, for being this unique candidate."
"Trust me with your back?" Pei Yixue almost sneered out loud. This was clearly putting Xie Yushu on the fire!
Being promoted four levels in a row was bound to attract criticism. Add to that the fact that she was married to a man, had the lucrative job of recruiting officials, and had to implement a gender-equal official selection system that broke the law...all the criticism was focused on Xie Yushu.
Pei Yixue took a breath and said in a deep voice: "Your Majesty, this matter...is difficult to handle."
The smile on the new emperor's lips grew even wider: "Although it is difficult, perhaps...the miracle doctor can break this situation?"
Pei Yixue twitched the corners of his mouth, almost laughing out of anger, "What do you mean, Your Majesty?"
"I didn't think it through, don't be angry, Divine Doctor." The new emperor consoled him, but his tone was a little bit teasing, "I thought... the Divine Doctor also wanted to stand side by side with his beloved. Besides, the Divine Doctor's true identity will be revealed to Lord Xie one day. Now the Divine Doctor's reputation is at its peak, and he is very important even in the court."
Pei Yixue asked: "So what does your majesty mean?"
The new emperor said calmly, "Now that Xie Aiqing married that 'Master Pei', many people in the court criticized her. But what if everyone knew that 'the peerless doctor in Liming Pharmacy' was Xie Aiqing's husband, Master Pei? What do you think the situation would be like then?"
"What do you think, Your Majesty?" Pei Yixue's face darkened. Still need to guess? In the storybook, Xiao Jingming cheated on Shen Qingya, but he chased his wife for a full sixty chapters! That was a bloody lesson from the past!
Although he had a vague feeling that Xie Yushu might have guessed some of the truth, he was still unwilling to gamble on that possibility - he was not yet ready for the long "Sixty Chapters of Chasing His Wife"!
"Don't be upset, Divine Doctor." The new emperor's smile was filled with a hint of gloating. "Then the Divine Doctor will talk it over with Lord Xie. Lord Xie is so reasonable that he will definitely not blame the Divine Doctor."
Pei Yixue remained silent.
The new emperor cleared his throat, sat upright, and restrained his joking expression. "I'm sorry for this matter, the divine doctor. I owe you one more time. Daqing has a lot of work to do, and I really don't want to waste my precious time on trivial matters such as whether the official should be a man, a woman, or Shuang'er."
The new emperor's voice became a little lighter. "This is the only way to quickly break the impasse. If the person whom Lord Xie married was the divine doctor like you, with your unparalleled reputation in the Great Qing Kingdom, the voices against Lord Xie would surely gradually subside."
Zhao Jingyan's words echoed in Pei Yixue's ears. Back at Liming Pharmacy, he sat quietly on the armchair for a long time, and finally gritted his teeth and clapped his hands to make a decision!
It's okay to take a risky move. But Pei Yixue has never been a person who can suffer in silence! If he has to take the huge risk of chasing his wife, Zhao Jingyan can't stay out of it!
Pei Yixue summoned the steward and gave an order in a deep voice: "Spread the news that Pei Yixue is the miracle doctor Xu Yi immediately. This news must spread to every corner of Daqing country overnight!"
The manager was so shocked that his eyes almost popped out of his head. For a moment he even forgot how to start speaking and could only nod in agreement.
"Also," Pei Yixue's eyes flashed with a gleam, "go to the black market to collect some news about our new emperor. Remember, as long as it's juicy and secret news, the more explosive the better, no matter the price!" He gave the steward a meaningful look that said "you know".
He just didn't believe that Zhao Jingyan had never had any romantic affairs since he was a child!
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