Chapter 94 Medicine
A spring rain brought an end to the farce in Beijing.
Fu Chongyang admitted to forging documents and instigating Yun to falsely accuse He Zheng, claiming that no one was behind it.
The Minister of the Court of Judicial Review was furious. He had been investigating the case for several days, only to find that the investigation had ultimately led to his own subordinate, which made him feel like he had been played for a fool.
In the courtroom, the Chief Justice of the Court of Judicial Review slammed his scepter on the table and said sternly, "Fu Chongyang, you say that this was your doing alone, with no one instigating it. But I want to ask you, you and He Zheng are more than twenty years apart in age and rarely interact. What deep hatred do you have for him?"
Fu Chongyang stood calmly below the hall, tightening his cuffs, and said, "He Zheng acts recklessly, and because of his status as a relative of the emperor, he thinks too highly of himself and looks down on everyone. I, Fu, cannot stand him."
"Incomprehensible!" the Chief Justice of the Court of Judicial Review cursed. "Fu Chongyang, Chief Justice Fu, do I look like a three-year-old child? If you're going to take the blame for someone else, at least come up with a plausible excuse!"
Fu Chongyang had no intention of rewriting his story. He closed his eyes and said quietly, "Whether this confession can be accepted depends not on whether the Minister believes it or not, but on whether His Majesty is willing to believe it."
The Minister of the Court of Judicial Review was speechless, then turned and exchanged a glance with the Prefect of the Capital.
The Prefect of Jingzhao lowered his voice and said, "Make a note of it first, and we will discuss it further after reporting to His Majesty."
That afternoon, the memorial recording Fu Chongyang's confession was brought into the Taiji Hall.
The emperor glanced at the document casually and said, "Since Fu Chongyang has confessed, then we should deal with him according to the law, quell the rumors as soon as possible, and restore peace to Chang'an."
At the bottom of the steps, the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review and the Prefect of the Capital exchanged glances.
The emperor initially appointed the two men to handle the case, showing a determination to investigate thoroughly. However, now that word has reached the Prince of Qin, he no longer intends to pursue the matter further.
Imagine if this wasn't just a rumor, and it really was He Zheng's doing, would His Majesty protect this young marquis from the Empress's clan?
The two reluctantly accepted the order and left with heavy hearts.
…
With February approaching, the new year's imperial examinations are just around the corner. The Ministry of Rites is busy planning the examination venues. The Crown Prince has served as the chief examiner for three consecutive years and is already very familiar with the process.
After personally inspecting the examination hall and cells, Liang Yuanjun discussed the examination details with the Minister of Rites, and then boarded the carriage to return home, accompanied by Yu Mingshu and Yang Leyi.
Yang Leyi boarded the carriage last, closed the curtain tightly, and said: "Many officials in the Ministry of Rites complain that the court holds the imperial examinations every year, but there are not enough vacant official positions in the court. The successful candidates have the title but no real position. They enjoy the privilege of tax exemption but do not contribute to the court. It is really a waste of labor and money."
Liang Yuanjun took out her waist fan and waved it twice. Hearing her words, she frowned slightly and turned to look at Yu Mingshu on the other side. "Minister Yu, what do you think?"
Holding the imperial examinations every year was indeed frequent in feudal times; otherwise, the imperial examination system in history would not have been gradually changed to an examination every three years.
The problem was that Yu Mingshu had already proposed some reform plans, and with the support of the Crown Prince, the imperial examinations of the Great Liang Dynasty would no longer follow the historical path of using Confucian classics as the sole examination syllabus.
The number of corresponding positions for these newly added subjects, and how many new talents are needed for these positions each year, remains to be determined.
Yu Mingshu replied after careful consideration, "That makes some sense, but the specific details still need to be discussed further."
Liang Yuanjun seemed to be deep in thought, holding a fan in her hand and continuing to gently wave it.
Yu Mingshu couldn't help but glance at the Crown Prince's attire today and said with concern, "It's only February, the season when spring is still chilly. Why is Your Highness dressed so lightly and even using a fan?"
Yang Leyi said, "Your Highness used to be cold-sensitive. Recently, after being treated by Physician Zhong, your aversion to cold has been cured, but you have developed a fear of heat."
Speaking of the medicine prescribed by Physician Zhong, Liang Yuanjun put down her fan, took out a medicine box from a drawer, opened the lid and looked at it for a moment, and said to Yang Leyi, "This medicine is almost used up again. Ask Physician Zhong to send another box tomorrow."
Upon glancing at the medicine in the box—brown pills—Yu Mingshu suddenly became alert.
Elixirs have not had a very good reputation throughout history.
Her gaze settled on the medicine box in Liang Yuanjun's hand, and she asked tactfully, "Now that Your Highness's aversion to cold has been cured, why do you still need to continue taking the medicine?"
Liang Yuanjun said, "This medicine has the effect of refreshing the mind and invigorating the spirit. I will have Physician Zhong keep it on hand and send it over whenever needed."
Thanks to the education she received from a young age, hearing about the energizing effect after consuming it sent alarm bells ringing in Yu Mingshu's mind.
Her brows furrowed, and she hesitated whether or not to offer advice.
This medicine was prescribed by Imperial Physician Zhong, who was the Crown Prince's most trusted physician.
Zhou Fuling had said long ago that the Crown Prince's illness was only treated by Imperial Physician Zhong, and other physicians could not even see the Crown Prince's pulse records.
She was not yet aware of the pill's ingredients or whether it was harmful. If she rashly reminded the Crown Prince to be wary of his trusted imperial physician, he might choose to believe Physician Zhong rather than her.
Perhaps she should ask Zhou Fuling for information.
Liang Yuanjun and Yang Leyi assumed she was just asking out of curiosity, and neither of them continued the topic, leaving the car in silence.
The carriage rumbled past the outskirts of the Prince of Qin's residence, and the streets gradually became crowded. Fortunately, the prince's carriage was accompanied by guards, and pedestrians and vehicles on the road would consciously give way, quickly clearing a path.
Yang Leyi lifted a corner of the curtain and looked outside, and saw that the Qin Prince's mansion was bustling with activity, with officials and scholars in brocade robes coming and going.
"Fu Chongyang was demoted three ranks, but the Qin Prince's mansion became even more lively."
Liang Yuanjun had been resting with her eyes closed, but upon hearing this, she opened her eyes and her gaze darkened. "Your Majesty favors the Prince of Qin, so it's inevitable that your subjects will have wandering thoughts."
…
Back at the East Palace, it was already getting dark. Yu Mingshu immediately sent someone to the medical office to ask Zhou Fuling to come home for a chat after her shift.
The messenger was in a hurry, which surprised Zhou Fuling slightly.
Although she was fortunate enough to enter the Eastern Palace with the help of Yu Mingshu, in the past four years, Yu Mingshu has hardly ever taken the initiative to contact her, and she is not even sure that she is a close friend of Sister Yu.
Yu Mingshu's sudden urge to find her must mean something big has happened.
Zhou Fuling dared not delay, hurriedly retrieved the herbs drying in the courtyard, switched shifts with her colleagues, and rushed towards Jingfeng Gate.
The two happened to meet at the city gate, and Zhou Fuling called out, "Sister Yu!"
Yu Mingshu looked in the direction of the voice and was surprised that she had arrived so quickly. "This is not the place to talk. Let's go back and talk."
"Okay." Zhou Fuling looked around, then asked nervously, "Didn't Marquis Pingyan wait for you to leave together today?"
Under the secret orders of the Crown Prince, He Zheng has been busy training troops recently.
This matter cannot be spread. Yu Mingshu hesitated for a moment before saying, "He's been very busy lately and has to work night shifts."
Zhou Fuling had no doubts and thought to herself that Young Master He was truly dedicated to his duty by personally taking night duty.
Back home, Yu Mingshu closed the doors and windows tightly and poured himself and Zhou Fuling a cup of hot tea.
Seeing this, Zhou Fuling became even more worried and sat up straight, asking her, "What happened? Why are you so nervous, sister?"
“Since you work at the Imperial Medical Bureau, have you heard that His Highness the Crown Prince has recently been taking a medicine to treat cold-related ailments and to boost his energy? It’s a brown pill, about… this big.” Yu Mingshu gestured with his fingers to indicate the size of the pill.
Zhou Fuling's expression changed drastically, and she paused for a moment before hurriedly saying, "On New Year's Eve, His Highness the Crown Prince caught a cold and summoned the imperial physician. At that time, Physician Zhong prepared this elixir for her, which was taken with her decoction."
After saying that, she anxiously gripped the teacup, "That day I reminded the ladies of Zhaohua Palace that this elixir should not be taken for a long time. Is His Highness still taking it?"
"I saw with my own eyes today that His Highness the Crown Prince had a whole box of empty pills, and he even asked Secretary Yang to continue to find Physician Zhong to make more."
Yu Mingshu's tone became even more serious, "Then what exactly is this medicine? You know it can't be taken long-term, so you should also know its specific ingredients and properties, right?"
Zhou Fuling bit her lower lip, remained silent for a moment, and then asked timidly, "Sister Yu, have you ever heard of Five-Stone Powder?"
Yu Mingshu's heart skipped a beat. "Is it the infamous Five-Stone Powder?"
The Five-Stone Powder that poisoned many famous scholars of the Wei, Jin and Southern and Northern Dynasties.
“I have secretly observed Physician Zhong preparing medicines and have also secretly tested the ingredients of the pills. They are indeed pills made from mineral powders such as Five-Stone Powder and other medicines.”
Zhou Fuling's expression was solemn as she said, "In fact, Wushi Powder was originally used for typhoid fever, but long-term use or overdose can lead to the accumulation of toxins, which can impair mental function and damage the heart..."
Yu Mingshu frowned deeply. "It's impossible that Imperial Physician Zhong didn't know that the Five-Stone Powder is toxic, yet she concealed it and allowed His Highness to use the medicine for a long time. What exactly is her intention?"
Zhou Fuling dared not think too much about it, and grasped Yu Mingshu's hand, saying, "Sister, you must persuade His Highness that he should not take this medicine anymore!"
“But His Highness the Crown Prince has complete faith in Physician Zhong. I have never studied medicine or pharmacology. Will he listen to what I say?” Yu Mingshu was troubled and had a headache.
Zhou Fuling hesitated for a moment, then quickly looked up into her eyes and said, "Secretary Yang is also His Highness the Crown Prince's confidant. Sister, why don't we inform Secretary Yang first?"
Yes, of all the people in the Eastern Palace, Yang Leyi cared the most about the Crown Prince. When it came to the Crown Prince's safety, she couldn't tolerate any dissent.
Regardless of whether the medicine is toxic or not, or whether Physician Zhong did it intentionally, Yang Leyi will definitely investigate carefully.
The next morning, while the Crown Prince was attending court in the Taiji Hall, Yu Mingshu and Zhou Fuling took Yang Leyi to the office of the Chamberlain.
After listening to the two of them explain the situation, Yang Leyi's expression turned serious.
"Is what you're saying true?"
Zhou Fuling said, "It's absolutely true. Although I'm not as experienced as Physician Zhong, I can still recognize the formula for this Five-Stone Powder!"
Yu Mingshu also said, "It's only been a few months, yet His Highness has already begun to fear the summer heat and eat cold food. Secretary Yang, you are also well-versed in the classics and history, can't you see that His Highness's symptoms are the same as those of scholars who took the powder recorded in historical books?"
Yang Leyi's brows furrowed, and she paced back and forth in front of the table with her hands behind her back. "I didn't think of this before. According to what you're saying, this medicine is indeed suspicious... But, but Imperial Physician Zhong has served His Highness for twenty years. She has watched His Highness grow up. How could she betray His Highness?"
Yu Mingshu knew nothing about this Physician Zhong, had never even met him, and could not make a judgment. He could only sigh, "Human hearts are unpredictable."
“I will definitely persuade His Highness to stop taking the medicine.” Yang Leyi suddenly stopped, her eyes firm, and took a waist token from her waist and handed it to Zhou Fuling.
"Keep a close eye on Physician Zhong's movements these next few days, and see who she's been in contact with in private. If you find anything unusual, come to Zhaohua Palace to find me immediately!"
Zhou Fuling was startled, and accepted the gift with a flattered expression, solemnly saying, "Yes."
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