18 Countdown to Entering the Palace
◎Liu Che: When you say that, I really love it.◎
The news of Xiucheng Zizhong's death turned the situation into a complete mess.
Xiu Chengjun could hardly suppress the pain.
"Slave girl, how could my son die with the imperial physician here!" She asked shrilly, like a madman, "It's you, it's you who's talking nonsense."
Queen Mother Wang and Princess Pingyang were unable to stop her, so they had to let her rush down and kick the little maid. "I told you not to talk nonsense! Bitch, bitch."
The little maidservant dared not move even after being kicked by her. She could only cry weakly and whispered, "I don't have any."
The Queen Mother had no choice but to have the two of them pulled apart.
"Don't hurt Xiucheng-jun."
she shouted from above.
Upon hearing this, the servants on both sides did not dare to use too much force. Xiu Chengjun immediately shook off their restraints and slapped the little maid twice.
The slap made a crisp sound, and her long nails, like those of a noble woman, left two bloody marks on the maid's cheeks. Coupled with the great strength she exerted in doing farm work for many years, the maid's face swelled up instantly.
Wei Qing clenched his fists, and Liu Che's face looked unhappy too.
The Queen Mother did not dare to approach herself and still let the maids around her pass.
Changle Palace was in commotion again.
Liu Che's face was gloomy. He stepped forward and pulled Xiu Chengjun away. "Even if you don't look at your own status, you should also look at the status of others."
Xiuchengjun wanted to struggle, but when he saw it was him, he dared not move.
Liu Che was so angry that he laughed. He frowned and looked around. He picked two more maids and pointed at Xiu Chengjun, saying, "Stop talking and get out of here."
He was so angry that even the Queen Mother didn't dare to say a word and could only let Xiuchengjun be dragged away.
"You have done a great service this time, and I will reward you with ten gold coins. Go and find the imperial physician to treat your injuries."
After Liu Che dealt with the young maid, he said to Queen Mother Wang, "Since Xiucheng Zizhong is dead, I will use gold to compensate for my arm. Let Xiucheng Jun prepare the gold and hand it over to me in time."
Without waiting for the Queen Mother's reply, he left with a flick of his sleeves, and Wei Qing followed him with his head lowered.
After leaving Changle Palace, Wei Qing finally spoke out what he had been holding back, "Xiu Chengzi is dead. Your Majesty, there is no need to offend the Queen Mother over this trivial matter of mine."
"If Mother blames me for this, then I'm not able to distinguish right from wrong." Liu Che snorted twice, clearly dissatisfied with Xiu Chengjun. "She has money, so she can only pay for her death. Consider it compensation for Ah Yan and Qu Bing. Just keep it."
Wei Qing stopped talking decisively, and smiled a rare smile, which was rare today. He bowed deeply and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty."
Liu Che nodded his head and said, "Wei Qing, don't you think Xiu Chengzi's sudden death is strange?"
Wei Qing shook his head. He was very honest, even his almond-shaped eyes were so clear that you could see the bottom of them.
"After doing so many bad things, isn't it natural for him to die suddenly?"
Liu Che was choked by him, and finally he indulged, "If you say so, then so be it."
Wei Qing's face was still elegant and gentle.
Liu Che glanced at him and smiled, "When they recover from their injuries, I will be able to see them again, my Imperial Guards."
Wei Qing smiled and said, "Your Majesty, I dare not refuse your wish."
"You, you know the truth, yet you pretend not to know." Liu Che sighed and said, "Well, even the most upright and wise cannot be the head of the family."
Wei Qing said nothing but smiled.
Huo Yan and Huo Qubing had no idea that their uncle had earned thousands of gold for them, nor did they know that they had been targeted by Emperor Liu Che.
They were looking through the medical records left by Chunyu Tiying's father Chunyu Yi①.
To be more precise, it was Huo Qubing who turned Huo Yan over. Not only did he turn him over, he also fed him pieces of dried meat from time to time. Huo Yan adapted very well, and the hair on his head that had been tilted by sleeping was swaying back and forth, which showed his owner's happiness.
"Ah Yan." Huo Qubing fed him and asked, "Are you short of money?"
Huo Yan paused. He chewed the barbecue in his mouth, swallowed it, and then said, "It's not really in short supply. What did you find?"
Huo Qubing chewed and chewed, hooking his finger and boasting, "Madam Chunyu sells five different kinds of sachets that can be collected. My aunt has one, my uncle has one, and the other uncles have one each. My mother has two, my grandmother has two, and my uncle has four. But I have every flavor. Madam Chunyu said it was your idea."
Huo Yan opened his mouth indifferently, motioning Huo Qubing to have another piece.
"I need some capital, I think. I'm planning to open a few shops and start a small business. Although His Majesty often bestows gifts, no family survives solely on His Majesty's favor. Besides, a cunning rabbit has three burrows. I'd like to build up some property now so that when His Majesty's favor is gone, I'll always have money in my hands and I won't be worried." Huo Yan continued to chew after receiving the food. "I can also open a clinic so that I can come here to treat patients and improve my medical skills."
Huo Qubing nodded to indicate that he understood.
Huo Yan didn't know what he was asking, but he didn't ask anything.
Anyway, he did a lot of things like this, and he was not on guard against Huo Qubing.
Huo Qubing scratched his palm, his almond eyes bright, "If Ah Yan likes making money, I will give you all my money in the future."
Huo Yan's face flushed. "I'm not that outrageous. I just feel uneasy without money."
This is just a lingering feeling from those days when I was living on the streets, a knot in my heart that's never been healed. Don't take it seriously, brother.
Huo Qubing hummed and ruffled his hair, his words full of cunning.
"From now on, I will have to rely on Ah Yan for my money."
"Then invest." Huo Yan faced Huo Qubing's curious gaze, coughed lightly, and spoke with great energy, "How about being an initial shareholder? If we make money in the future, I'll give you dividends."
He began to tell Huo Qubing how he planned to build a business blueprint in an attempt to convince his angel investor, Mr. Huo, to invest in him.
[This is the area that your brother Yan is familiar with.]
[Two more PPT pages left.]
[Ayan: Human relationships are too complicated. Making a living with your skills is the real deal.]
[Ayan's expression is as if he is lying down and counting money.]
Bingbing was stunned. He probably just knew Yan liked money and wanted to appease his younger brother. He had no idea his younger brother was planning to do something big.
[Yan Bao really is like taking stimulants when he talks about making money.]
Half a year ago, Chunyu Boss sometimes made Dragon Boat Festival sachets to help the young women and wives who worked as needlework to supplement their income. Ah Yan, feeling it wasn't profitable, took over the business himself. He came up with the idea of exchanging stamps for large sachets, and also ran a special promotion, adding jokes about longevity and clearing the mind. He sold ten a day, exclusively as gifts to the nobility. They sold well among the nobility, and now they're available year-round. The embroiderers' livelihoods have improved considerably thanks to this.
[He really did. I was so sad. He even slowed down his voice, fearing that his brother wouldn't understand.]
[I finally get it. Ah Yan is a hidden brother complex!]
[No, you just came upstairs, right? He's still invisible, he's so eager to nail a "Wei Ai Ge Ge" (Brother Wei Ai) tattoo on himself.]
[He's talking about Chun. That stingy little guy is able to get Bingbing involved in his business. The money Bingbing earns is not even one-fiftieth of what he earns from Chunyu Big Boss.]
He just loves money. Even when Aunt Chunyu asked for a three-point interest rate, he greedily asked for five points. Fortunately, Aunt Chunyu doesn't care about money.
[Ayan is greedy for money, but he doesn't hide it.]
[So, Bingbing, you've really hooked up with a rich woman this time. She's saved up a lot of money and is planning to open a small shop. Otherwise, how do you think you could have made your scooter so quickly?]
[This guy has bewitched the carpenter in the mansion and stockpiled a batch of goods without spending a penny. He also has other good things ready for you.]
If you give him two more confidants, I can’t imagine what he can do.
[Of course, he even picked out the best herbal bags from the pharmacy for you.]
He insisted on grinding the powder for you at night, mixing it himself. Even though it was clearly an expensive item, he always claimed it was worthless.
[You have all kinds of things there for meditation, health care, and spiritual peace. That's his love.]
[He is a man who only does things and never talks about them. If we hadn’t followed him, we wouldn’t have known what he did.]
[I don’t know. But I know how to see, and I never let you down.]
[Ah, I love sickness!]
…
Huo Qubing was confused by what he heard, but Huo Yan spoke with great energy and a cheerful look on his face. He shone in the field he was good at.
Huo Qubing didn't understand much, but he held his chin and looked at Huo Yan gently.
Under his gaze, Huo Yan gradually shut up. He felt a little uncomfortable and subconsciously raised his left hand to touch his neck, but his left hand was wrapped up and it hurt when he moved. In the end, he had to cover his face with his right hand.
"Sorry, brother, I seem to have talked a little too much."
"I don't understand, but I think Ah Yan is amazing for understanding these things, and he's also very cute when he says these things." Huo Qubing shook his head and chuckled, "Ah Yan, can you continue to talk? I love listening."
Huo Yan's eyes were red.
"I'm not showing off."
Huo Qubing arched his brows, "Ayan and I are the best. What's wrong with showing off? I just have to say it."
Huo Yan put down his hand, slowly curled up, and put his head next to Huo Qubing's legs, smiling as frivolously as before, "Then you wait!"
Huo Qubing was also very proud, "Of course, I am waiting for Ah Yan to make a tortoise shell bed for me."
Huo Yan spoke out loudly and wrote a blank check, "Okay!"
The two of them were happy, but Wei Qing was not so happy after hearing the report from the imperial physician.
Because he knew very well that Xiuchengzi's death was closely related to Huo Qubing and Huo Yan.
No one knows better than him the fighting ability of his two nephews.
Ah Yan often went to the clinic. Qu Bing was well versed in horseback riding and archery, and was also very strong. Those half-paralyzed crutches were enough to explain the problem.
Fortunately, these kidnappers were executed immediately and some of the noise was suppressed by His Majesty, so no one could find out.
But the imperial physician clearly said that Xiucheng Zizhong was poisoned, and there was no stranger among the people he had met before, except Ayan.
If it wasn't Ayan who did it, it would be impossible for Ayan and Qubing to be so quiet and well-behaved given their personalities.
His expression shifted from one color to another before settling into a steady expression.
Liu Che smiled and said to the imperial physician, "Xiucheng Zizhong died of madness. What does it have to do with poison?"
The imperial physician has been able to stay in this palace for so long, which shows that he has some sense.
He quickly agreed, "Xiu Chengzi died of insanity."
After the imperial physician left, Liu Che said, "Sir, your two little nephews are truly a refreshing sight to me."
Wei Qing twitched his lips, "Ayan might be able to make you deaf and blind."
Liu Che laughed out loud without caring about his manners.
"Why don't you pretend anymore?"
Wei Qing was very calm, "Because I sent them to Your Majesty, I had to indicate in advance how dangerous they were."
Liu Che laughed again.
"Are you afraid that I will be stabbed to death too?"
"They wouldn't hurt anyone for no reason." Wei Qing didn't nod or shake his head, then added, "It's just that Ah Yan has never really liked you. Qu Bing is the same, and I guess he won't pay any attention to you."
Liu Che was puzzled, "Why? I've been very good to them."
Wei Qing talked about the last time he was injured, and he felt a little embarrassed.
Liu Che was silent for a moment, then suddenly laughed.
"Isn't this a good thing? They're even more interesting now."
【Author’s words】
Chunyu Yi (circa 215 BC – circa 140 BC) was a renowned ancient physician. A native of Linzi (northeast of present-day Zibo, Shandong) during the Western Han Dynasty, his surname was Chunyu and his given name was Yi. He served as the magistrate of Taicang in the Qi Dynasty. He excelled in medical practice, excelling in diagnosis and pulse diagnosis, and achieved remarkable success in his treatments. He studied medicine under Gongsun Guang and learned pulse diagnosis from Huangdi and Bian Que from Gongcheng Yangqing. Later, he was convicted and sentenced to death. His daughter, Tiying, petitioned Emperor Wen, offering to take her own life, which secured his release. Twenty-five of his medical records, known as "diagnosis records," are recorded in the "Records of the Grand Historian," and constitute the earliest extant medical records in China.
Liu Che's curiosity was completely satisfied.
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