She held a piece of silk paper filled with writing in her hand, and while reading it, she issued instructions in an orderly manner:

"Get the medicine according to this prescription and boil it."

"Amber, go get the catgut and the knives ready. Wash the knives repeatedly with strong liquor."

"And there is also stewed mustard greens..."

“…”

Obviously, Chu Qianchen knew everything written on the list and all the steps very well, but she still couldn't help but read it again carefully.

She had been preparing for this day for so long:

Gu Jue's treatment plan was something she had been thinking about in her previous life;

In this life, she spent more than half a year treating Gu Jue. She revised this prescription over and over again over the course of several months.

She made the knife after several improvements based on Gu Jue's suggestions; she also tested the catgut on Chu Lingxiao and Wuhejialou. Chu Lingxiao used the first version of the catgut, which still had many defects and some adverse reactions occurred during the wound healing process. Later, the wound on Chu Lingxiao's forehead healed very slowly and it festered and left a scar. But when she used the second version of the catgut on Wuhejialou, there was a significant improvement and there were no discomfort symptoms after the sutured wound.

Chu Qianchen's eyes moved down the silk paper, word by word, line by line, as if he wanted to grind each word over and over again.

Her mind told her that she was well prepared.

But--

A doctor does not treat himself.

This sentence not only means that it is difficult for doctors to diagnose their own illnesses, but also the same for those close to them. They will hesitate, feel panic, and not be decisive enough in their treatment. If something goes wrong, the condition will be delayed.

Chu Qianchen raised his eyes and looked leisurely at the blue sky outside the window, as if he had seen his past life through the vast time.

She has been waiting for this opportunity for two lifetimes.

However, now that it happened, she panicked.

She hadn't taken action yet, not only because of bad timing, but also because of a more important reason -

She didn't dare.

Even though Chu Qianchen had just told Queen Mother Yin so confidently in Yi'an Hall to trust her and not to worry, she knew in her heart that she was afraid and she was not completely sure.

So, over the past few months, she has been repeatedly anticipating and speculating on possible situations in her mind, and has been repeatedly pondering each step.

She can't stand any failure.

Chu Qianchen withdrew her gaze and looked down at the piece of silk paper in her hand. Her eyelashes trembled suddenly and she felt a source of heat sticking to her back.

His body temperature was so warm, and his breath was so familiar and clean, enveloping her whole body.

Even if she didn't look back, Chu Qianchen knew who was behind her.

"Didn't you brew Lihuabai? When spring comes, we will drink Lihuabai together and enjoy the pear blossoms on the trees." His voice was as warm as his body temperature, sketching out a warm and beautiful picture.

Of course Chu Qianchen could tell that he was telling her in a tactful way that he believed in her.

Yes, he always believed in her.

He has always been such a pure person. He trusts people he employs and does not employ people he does not trust.

Although he seems to be a carefree wanderer, he actually has his country and family at heart.

Gu, nine, and Xia.

These three words have always been the source of her strength.

"Okay." Chu Qianchen responded in a soft voice, "In addition to pear blossom white, I also brewed peach blossom wine. Let's drink and enjoy the flowers together."

Because of his injury, he couldn't drink alcohol.

When he gets better, they can drink together and do many things they haven't had time to do yet.

Chu Qianchen's heart was at peace.

She had waited for two lifetimes, and God gave her a new life just to save the prince.

Now the time is right, the place is right, and the time has come.

Gu Jue locked her slender waist tightly with his long arms and stared at her palm-sized face, which had delicate features and a serene expression.

When she half-closed her eyes like she did now, her long and thick eyelashes were curled and curled, like a small comb.

Gu Jue felt a burning sensation in his heart and he clasped his arms tighter.

He had a lot of things he wanted to say to her, but every time his reason told him that it was not the right time.

Yeah, it's not the time yet.

His little girl is still young, and it is not suitable for him now.

He will get better! Outside the house, several plum trees swayed and danced, swaying with a sense of peace and tranquility.

"Meow! Meow!"

Until the sudden sound of a cat broke the quiet atmosphere, time, which seemed to have stopped for a moment, began to flow again.

The two smiled at each other, and their mood suddenly became relaxed, as if the warm sunshine had blown away the last trace of haze in their hearts, and they felt suddenly enlightened.

Chu Qianchen led Gu Jue to the room next to the pharmacy, which was specially prepared for this day.

The room is not big and is very clean. In the middle there is a wooden couch, a few round stools and a few square tables for placing things. The windows on the three walls are all transparent and flawless glazed windows. The windows are bright and clean without a speck of dust.

Just now, the maids and old women cleaned the place again.

Amber stood at the door of the room and nodded at Chu Qianchen, meaning that everything was ready.

Chu Qianchen personally brought over two bowls of freshly boiled medicine and told Gu Jue which bowl to drink first and then the other.

Gu Jue was a man who acted decisively. He picked up the first bowl of medicine without hesitation, raised his head and drank it all in one gulp. He did the same with the second bowl, and then lay down on the couch.

Chu Qianchen sat on the stool beside the couch and reached out to feel his pulse.

Gu Jue opened his eyes and stared at her quietly for a while. After a moment, he closed his eyes and fell asleep.

Chu Qianchen's fingers did not move away from his pulse. He kept them there for a moment before withdrawing his hand.

At the same time, her eyes changed, becoming clear and calm, like a sharp sword drawn from its sheath.

"Needle."

As soon as Chu Qianchen raised her hand, Amber moved the opened needle bag and candlestick to her side so that she could use them easily.

Chu Qianchen took out a golden needle from the needle bag and his eyes fell on Gu Jue's chest with his shirt open.

He had broad shoulders and a long neck. Below his shoulders were a pair of beautifully shaped clavicles. His chest was slightly thin, with an inch-long old scar on it that had long since healed.

Except for a few confidants, no one knew that there was a fragment of an arrow hidden under the scar.

Chu Qianchen began to insert the needle, one stitch after another, with decisive movements.

These golden needles are used to stop bleeding and also have an anesthetic effect. Although one of the bowls of medicine that Gu Jue took just now was Ma Fei San, Chu Qianchen was still worried, so he gave him three extra injections.

The next step was that Amber consciously moved away the treasure bag and moved over another table with knives on it. On this table were knives specially made by Chu Qianchen, as well as scissors, tweezers, scrapers, etc. All were brand new and glowed with a cold light.

There were only three of them in the room, and Jiang Yuan was standing by the door on standby.

No one is allowed to enter without Chu Qianchen's order.

Chu Qianchen picked up the first knife and pointed the blade at Gu Jue's chest...

At this moment, Amber next to him couldn't bear to watch.

It was not the first time that she saw Chu Qianchen pointing a knife at someone, but it was the first time that she felt this way. She felt a heavy pressure on her heart and could hardly breathe.

Amber turned her head slightly to look at Chu Qianchen, but saw that her eyes were so firm and focused. It was obvious that at this moment she had completely abandoned all unnecessary distractions.

Her hand holding the knife was so steady, as if she was lifting a heavy object with ease.

The sharp blade pressed against his skin, causing it to sink slightly. The blade cut open his skin, and the bright red blood immediately flowed out of the wound...

At this moment, the entire courtyard seemed particularly quiet. There were no footsteps, no talking, no wind... It was so quiet that it seemed as if time had stopped.

Outside, Queen Mother Yin had already arrived at the main courtyard, but she did not send anyone to report. She just waited quietly in the main hall.

She held the string of Buddhist beads in one hand, slowly twisting the red sandalwood beads, silently reciting Buddhist scriptures, gracefully and solemnly. At the same time, she secretly prayed to the gods and Buddhas in heaven, praying that the spirit of the late emperor in heaven would bless their son to survive this disaster.

As long as Gu Jue is safe and sound, she is willing to sacrifice ten years of her life! Queen Mother Yin just sat there, motionless except for the fingers twisting the Buddhist beads.

The palace seemed calm, but in fact it was under martial law. Servants were not allowed to go out or walk around the palace at will, and the number of patrolling guards had doubled.

Xue Fengyan, Mo Chen, Tang Yuchu and others still stayed in Shaohua Hall, all with mixed feelings.

There are emotions such as nervousness, panic, irritability, anxiety, etc.

Some people were still sitting there, looking out the window as if in a daze; some were drinking cup of tea one after another; some were walking back and forth in the hall anxiously.

The only thing they could be thankful for was that the princess had chosen a good time. This year was the second day of the Chinese New Year, and they, all alone, could naturally stay in the palace and not go out.

The only two people who are not here are Yun Zhan, who led the Xuanjia Army out for actual combat training years ago, and the other is Su Mubai.

The Five Cities Army took turns to rest during the New Year period, and most people had to be on duty during the New Year period, so Su Mubai left after leaving Shaohua Hall.

He mobilized a large army with people from the Five Cities Military Department to deliberately cause trouble, and drove away all the disguised Jinyiwei who were lurking around the palace. The two sides even had a fight, and almost everyone on the street came to watch.

The Jinyiwei were not the kind of people who would dare to suffer in silence, and the commotion on Zhuque Street lasted for a full hour before it died down.

The setting sun fell into the western horizon and the sky gradually darkened.

This night was much quieter than the previous two nights, with fewer firecrackers.

The dark night was filled with stars. Tonight, the silver moon was like a crescent, and the sky was dotted with stars, like a dark blue brocade. The streets of the capital were empty, with only the lights of thousands of houses and the stars in the sky shining against each other.

The palace was brightly lit, much brighter than other places in the capital, especially the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

The emperor and a Taoist priest were in the meditation room, both sitting cross-legged on a cushion.

Eunuch Ni took the half-drunk teacup from the emperor and handed it to a young eunuch, then carefully wiped the sweat from the emperor's forehead.

The emperor's face flushed, his eyes sparkled, he waved his hand, signaling Eunuch Ni to step aside, and said indifferently: "The Taoist priest's interpretation of the Tao Te Ching is unique, and I have also gained some insights from listening to it."

After listening to Xuan Jing's sermon, the emperor took another pill. At this moment, his whole body felt warm and he felt indescribably comfortable.

It was a cold winter day, and there was only a charcoal basin in the meditation room, but the emperor was sweating all over. It is said that young people have good temper and are not afraid of cold. The emperor thought about himself when he was young, and he might not have such a physique.

Taoist Xuan Jing, who had originally closed his eyes, opened them, with an unfathomable light flashing in his eyes. He flicked the silver-white whisk in his hand and said in a neither humble nor arrogant manner, "This is because the emperor has a destiny with Taoism, and with this poor Taoist."

The emperor did not comment. With the help of Eunuch Ni, he stood up from the cushion and walked towards a row of transparent glass windows in front of him. He said, "Master, I have already explained most of the Tao Te Ching. How about you explain the Nanhua Sutra to me tonight?"

It was only the first watch of the night, and the emperor was in good spirits. After taking the elixir, he was even a little excited and had no desire to sleep at all.

The so-called "Nanhua Zhenjing" refers to "Zhuangzi".

6◇9◇Book◇Bar

Xuan Jing didn't show it on the surface, but he was actually a little troubled. Zhuangzi believed in "non-action" and believed that the monarch should "follow the natural course of things without allowing for selfishness", emphasizing that the monarch should not mix in personal selfishness and prejudice.

You can't tell the emperor these things. If you tell him, you're courting death. But the emperor wants to hear the Nanhua Sutra, so I have to tell him the Nanhua Sutra.

Xuan Jing thought about it and decided to talk about something he could say, so he started talking about the "Xiao Yao You" in the "Inner Chapters": "In the North Sea there is a fish, its name is Kun. Kun is so big that no one knows how many thousands of miles it is. It turns into a bird, its name is Peng..."

The emperor looked up at the starry night sky, stood with his hands behind his back, and said nothing. No one knew whether he was really listening to the sutra or thinking about something else.

Suddenly, there was a strong wind outside. The trees in the courtyard looked a little hideous at night, and even the stars in the night sky seemed to have changed because of the evil wind.

Xuan Jing closed his eyes and when he looked again, he found that a star in the night sky was bright, but the Purple Star, which symbolized the Emperor Star, had dimmed.

Xuan Jing: “!!!”

Xuan Jing's heart skipped a beat and he immediately forgot the words. The room fell silent.

Eunuch Ni stared at Xuan Jing and thought: This Taoist priest is too bold. The emperor asked him to preach, which is a great favor. How dare he be so indecisive? !

The emperor was actually absent-minded at first, but when Xuan Jing suddenly fell silent, the emperor realized it, retracted his gaze, frowned and asked, "Master?"

The two words are neither light nor heavy, and they are intimidating without even being angry.

Xuan Jing's scalp tingled. Moving around in front of the emperor meant both opportunities and dangers. On the one hand, he could gain the supreme status, but on the other hand, if he said something wrong, he might even lose his head.

He is not a civil or military official in the court, and no one in the court will plead for him. The mere evaluation of "evil" is enough to kill him without a burial place.

More importantly, Xuan Jing knew in his heart that the emperor was already very dissatisfied with him. If it weren't for the elixir that was trying to lure the emperor, the emperor would have distanced himself from him long ago.

The emperor's mind is unpredictable, and he is the most ruthless when it comes to turning his face.

If he doesn't show his worth a little more, his good days will be over.

Xuan Jing swallowed, his Adam's apple moved up and down twice, and he made a decision in his heart.

The emperor saw that Xuan Jing had an intentional look on his face, and his expression instantly became three times colder: "Speak!"

Xuan Jing sighed quietly and said, "Your Majesty also knows that I am a little knowledgeable about astrology. I found that the North Star is dimming, and the Seven Killing Stars are rising, with the momentum to replace it."

Xuan Jing carefully considered his words, fearing that he might anger the emperor.

The art of astrology is extremely complex, so the imperial court established the Imperial Astronomical Observatory. The emperor did not know much about astrology, but he knew that the North Star was Ziwei Star, also known as the "Emperor Star".

The Emperor's Star is dim, which is a bad sign.

The emperor's expression became even colder, and he pressed the question, "What does the Seven Killing Stars represent?"

The emperor actually already had a guess in his mind, but he still asked, hoping to get a clear and affirmative answer.

Xuan Jing was sweating profusely, but he still had to speak frankly: "Your Majesty, the Seventh Star is a general star, and when it meets the emperor, it is power."

Among the fourteen main stars, the Seven Killing Stars symbolizes "power and courage" and is transformed into the "General Star" which represents "killing severity".

People with Qi Sha as their destiny star can be used by the emperor in times of chaos to become good generals and give full play to their strengths; however, in times of peace and prosperity, these generals may clash with the existing system, which is simply a rebellion.

“……”The emperor’s face seemed to be covered with a layer of ice, as cold as the top of a snowy mountain.

Xuan Jing had told him more than once in the past that the "star of the general is dim" and that the prince would not live long, but today, Xuan Jing actually changed his words! ! The emperor stared at Xuan Jing fiercely, murderous intent suddenly rose up, and he was angry and annoyed.

If there were guards around him, he might have drawn his sword and stabbed Xuan Jing.

As the emperor became furious, his breathing became rapid, his vision went dark, and even his body staggered.

"Your Majesty!" Eunuch Ni quickly supported the emperor's arm, took out a bottle of smelling salts and placed it under the emperor's nose for him to smell. At the same time, he stroked his back to help him breathe, and advised the emperor to "take care of his health".

The smell of the smelling salts was like a cool breeze rushing into the body, relieving the heat in the emperor's body.

After his fit of rage, the emperor became a little calmer and his breathing became even, but his already flushed face became even redder and his eyes were bloodshot.

The emperor was still angry, but before his anger was directed at Xuan Jing, but now it had turned to Gu Jue who was not here at the moment.

Gu Jue, ah, Gu Jue, he is indeed ambitious and has been coveting the throne for a long time. Gu Jue clearly wants to seize his throne and replace me!

He did not wrongly accuse Gu Jue, the traitor! !

At this time, the eunuchs cleverly brought a rosewood armchair, and the emperor sat down by the window. Someone hurried to light calming incense and make tea, and people came and went.

Eunuch Ni asked cautiously, "Your Majesty, please invite the imperial physician..."

The emperor raised his hand to interrupt Eunuch Ni, and looked at the night sky outside the window again. One hand tightly grasped the armrest of the armchair, almost crushing it.

Xuan Jing has always been good at observing words and expressions, and he immediately understood the emperor's intention. He secretly breathed a sigh of relief, but his feet still felt a little weak.

The emperor suddenly asked, "Xuan Jing, what else does the astrology say?"

Xuan Jing had already guessed that the emperor would ask this, so he looked much calmer. Instead of answering, he asked, "Your Majesty, do you still remember that His Royal Highness Prince Chen was seriously ill last year?"

Of course the emperor remembered. It was because Gu Jue was seriously ill and he went straight to Prince Chen's Mansion but didn't see anyone, that he followed Xuan Jing's suggestion and issued an imperial decree to grant Gu Jue a marriage, in the name of bringing good luck. It would be best if the concubine's daughter from the Yongding Marquis' Mansion could kill Gu Jue.

The emperor originally thought that after the wedding, he just had to wait for Gu Jue to die, but Gu Jue refused to die. In fact, his spirit was getting better and better, and he even had the energy to participate in the winter hunt last winter.

For this reason, the emperor was no longer as fond of Xuan Jing, and recently he had been summoning Taoist priests from Wuwei Temple on a frequent basis.

Xuan Jing naturally knew these things. Although Nao Wuwei Temple took advantage of the situation, he could only hold his anger.

No matter what he thought in his heart, on the surface, Xuan Jing still looked like an immortal, and said, "Your Majesty, the fortune I gave to the prince last year was correct. The prince must have had a great disaster in his destiny, but this destiny is not immutable."

"Mediocre people can only go with the flow and be at the mercy of fate, but His Royal Highness Prince Chen is not an ordinary person. I can conclude that His Royal Highness Prince Chen must have met a master who changed his fate."

"The stars are the evidence right now."

"If there hadn't been a master's intervention, how could the constellations have suddenly changed? The Seven Killing Stars, which had been dim and about to go out at any time, suddenly became bright!"

Xuan Jing spoke incessantly and eloquently.

"..." The emperor was in no mood to drink tea, and his expression became even worse.

What Xuan Jing said made sense. A person's destiny would indeed change with certain encounters. Looking back now, perhaps the arranged marriage was a wrong move. Perhaps his intervention actually prolonged Gu Jue's life. Perhaps he was just watching from the sidelines at the time, and Gu Jue would have been killed by the "miracle doctor" of Jishidiang who had a false reputation.

The emperor let go of the armrest and began to slowly turn the jade ring on his thumb.

Xuan Jing could see that the emperor was thinking, so he stopped talking. If the emperor was listening, one sentence was enough; if the emperor was not listening, no matter how much he said, it would be useless.

There was silence in the meditation room.

After a moment, the emperor raised his eyelids and gave a concise order: "Call the Imperial Observatory!"

With just this one sentence, Eunuch Ni and Xuan Jing knew what was going on. The emperor didn't trust Xuan Jing that much after all, so he summoned the Imperial Observatory to question him.

After Eunuch Ni sent someone to Xuanqin Observatory, he came back and saw the emperor sitting and Xuan Jing standing.

Xuan Jing closed his eyes, holding a whisk in one hand, without moving at all. His simple cotton Taoist robe fell down, revealing his snow-white socks and cloth shoes, which added a bit of transcendence to his appearance.

Xuan Jing seemed to be meditating with his eyes closed. Even when Song, the deputy supervisor of the Imperial Observatory, arrived, he did not open his eyes. He looked as calm as a mountain.

Deputy Supervisor Song arrived very quickly. He had not slept tonight in order to observe the celestial phenomena, so he rushed over as soon as the emperor summoned him.

Deputy Supervisor Song bowed to the emperor first, and then heard the emperor's voice from above his head: "What do you think of the stars tonight?"

As expected! Deputy Supervisor Song sighed inwardly, his heart was so nervous that it was in his throat, and his heartbeat was pounding. He actually guessed why the emperor summoned him, and he also saw the changes in the stars.

Now that the emperor asked, Deputy Supervisor Song could only bite the bullet and say, "Tonight, the sixth star of the Southern Dipper, the Seven Killings Star, is bright, and the North Star is dark."

Deputy Supervisor Song only talked about the stars, not people, and his words were more euphemistic than Xuan Jing's. How could they, the Imperial Astronomical Bureau, not know that the Seven Killings Star was a star of generals? Since ancient times, there have been many famous generals with the Seven Killings Star in their fate, such as the God of Killing Bai Qi, Guan Yu, Lian Po, and so on.

But is it interesting to say this?

The famous general with the Seven Killings as his zodiac sign, whom the emperor feared, had been a thorn in his heart for twenty years.

Deputy Supervisor Song lowered his head again and did not look at the emperor's expression.

The emperor felt a burning fire in his heart, making him even more irritated.

He looked at Xuan Jing who had his eyes closed, then raised his head to look at the dim Purple Star in the night sky outside. The fire was burning brighter and brighter.

He didn't understand how such a dramatic change could happen in just half a year. How could the world change? The emperor thought of Gu Jue, Chu Qianchen, and Queen Mother Yin at one moment.

No, he didn't believe that a mere woman like Chu Qianchen could change Gu Jue's fate. Could it be true, as Xuan Jing said, that Gu Jue had asked some master to change his fate?

So, in the past few months, Gu Jue's health has recovered.

When Gu Jue is prosperous, he will decline.

When the Qi Sha star is strong, the Zi Wei star will be weak.

The emperor's lips moved slightly, silently reciting Xuan Jing's words: "...The Seven Killing Stars are rising, and they have the momentum to replace them."

I searched for a long time but couldn't find out what the surgery in traditional Chinese medicine is called, so let's just call it surgery.

(End of this chapter)