Chapter 489, Epilogue (5)
Lu Qingqing was startled by Mo Lang's urgent letter of 100,000 words.
When they arrived at the palace, Ji Ruyan had already been given acupuncture and calming medicine, and there was nothing wrong with her at all.
Physician Wei couldn't find anything wrong, concluding that it was due to overuse of the brain.
Lu Qingqing knew it was probably a sequela of her beast taming. It was already a miracle that she hadn't suffered a ruptured blood vessel in her brain back then; now she had to take good care of herself.
But he was an emperor, so mental exertion was unavoidable.
She reconstituted the medicine and stayed in the palace longer this time.
He was handling government affairs, and she was assisting him. As he processed the memorials more quickly, his sleep quality improved.
During this period, the emperor's complexion was rosy and he was well-nourished, like a plump peach, but this was limited to the Funing Palace.
In the imperial court, the emperor remained as strict as ever towards his officials.
The heart of an emperor is not to be fathomed.
Whether Lu Qingqing left or stayed, he never asked her.
I neither want to let go nor hold on to them, nor do I wish to call them back.
It's entirely up to her to decide.
She returned, and he gave her everything.
She left, and he waited patiently for their next meeting.
We've been separated for long periods, our time together has been sporadic, and another three years have passed.
Over the course of three years, Lu Qingqing returned to Beijing approximately every three months, staying for ten to fifteen days before leaving again.
Ji Ruyan left the capital twice, both times to celebrate Lu Qingqing's birthday.
In the eighth year of Emperor Yuan Ning's reign, the name of the divine physician Lu Qingqing had spread throughout the north and south of the country.
Unlike the original Holy Physician Sect, this tradition was not only passed down among the powerful and wealthy, but also among ordinary people, women, children, and peddlers.
She is not a clay statue squatting high in a Buddhist hall.
Rather, they are living bodhisattvas who walk among the people, relieving their suffering and distress.
Doctors from Datong Medical College have come one after another, traveling all over the country and truly embodying the medical college's mission: to be benevolent and virtuous, and to practice medicine throughout the world.
The chief disciple, Lu Sixi, the second disciple, Pang Wen, and the female disciple, Lu Qiaoxiu, all possess superb medical skills, capable of bringing the dead back to life. They have fully inherited all the medical skills of the divine physician Lu Qingqing and are known as the Three Wonders of the Medical Family.
His mother, Shan Yueming, possessed exceptional medical skills, forming her own unique school of thought. Due to health issues, she devoted herself to compiling medical books in her later years and was respectfully known by the people as "Mother of a Thousand Prescriptions".
There are also Feng Shuang, Dong Xiaofeng, Li Sisi, and many more, all of whom are very famous.
In July of the same year, floods in the Huizhou area triggered an epidemic.
The imperial court dispatched General Mu with seven imperial physicians to provide support and stabilize public sentiment.
Lu Qingqing, along with her eldest disciple Lu Sixi and second disciple Pang Wen, went to provide reinforcements.
With everyone working together, the source of the disease was found in just seven days.
The epidemic was brought under control, and the people were deeply grateful.
The emperor was overjoyed and wrote down a list of those who had rendered meritorious service and would be rewarded in the palace. However, he hesitated and asked Mo Lang, "This time, under the guise of bestowing rewards, it should be acceptable to summon the empress back to the capital, right?"
Mo Lang: "Absolutely."
"Then it's settled."
This is the only time I've used official business for personal matters, so Qingqing shouldn't be angry. Besides, she should be back by now; it's been seventy-three days.
Writing and stamping were done in one go.
Just as someone was about to announce the decree, the secret envoy rushed into the palace gates at breakneck speed.
"Your Majesty, something has happened to the Empress—"
After the floods in Huizhou, an epidemic broke out, followed by a once-in-a-century earthquake.
Fortunately, Lu Qingqing quickly made an accurate judgment from the strange phenomenon and promptly ordered officials to evacuate the people.
Almost all the civilians had been evacuated to safety, but she and a few others were caught in a landslide during their evacuation...
The world spun around him, and the emperor, overcome with grief, fell into a coma. Upon waking, he urgently summoned Prince Qing'an to arrange everything in the court, and hastily left the palace with only his personal bodyguards.
Qi County, Huizhou.
The mountain path was blocked, and amidst the rubble and ruins, a group of soldiers were desperately clearing away debris.
"Da da da—"
With its hooves like drums and muscles bulging, the horse let out a long, impassioned neigh, then collapsed to the ground like a mountain crumbling.
A person tumbled down, his crown shattered, his black hair scattered, looking disheveled, but he immediately got up and ran towards this side.
"Qingqing—" she sobbed, her voice hoarse as if tearing silk.
The soldiers all stopped moving.
The magistrate of Qi County looked over in surprise, wondering who this person was.
But then General Mu, who hadn't slept for days, cried out in alarm and pain, "Your Majesty!"
He rushed over and helped the person up.
Immediately, all the soldiers knelt down and shouted, "Long live the Emperor!"
Where are they? Where are they?
"Your Majesty, don't worry, Physician Lu is alright." Mu Daye quickly took off his cloak and draped it over Ji Ruyan, then took out some medicine to apply to his wounds.
The emperor, who was usually as steady as Mount Tai, was just as frightened as a child.
He seemed to have been running all the way from the capital. His eyes were bloodshot, his face was pale, his hands were bleeding from being rubbed by the reins, and he had just fallen, leaving his cheek bruised.
Ji Ruyan almost collapsed, "It's nothing...it's nothing..."
He needs to see her, he needs to see her right now!
At this moment, Lu Qingqing has not yet been dug out, but her location is known and voices can be heard.
It survived because two large trees broke and crossed, creating a space.
When the magistrate of Qi County learned the identity of the person in front of him, he was trembling with fear and desperately led his men to move the stones.
When Lu Qingqing was pulled out, Ji Ruyan hugged her tightly, and the mouthful of blood that had been pressing against his mouth was also spit out.
"Old Pang is dead..."
"Chuanbai is dead."
"The Imperial Physician Liu is dead."
"Imperial Physician Meng is dead."
"Secret Guard Xiao Wu, Xiao Liu is dead."
Old Pang shielded Sixi and Jincai beneath his body, and the tree trunk crushed his spine.
Chuan Bai stood in front of her, and the stone smashed his head.
The imperial physicians and bodyguards all surrounded her in the center.
Lu Qingqing had finished crying and was now left with only a numb statement.
"A grand burial, a generous funeral, to bless future generations..." Ji Ruyan said.
He's out of control; nobody can control him anymore.
As long as she's still here...
Chuan Bai, Physician Liu, Physician Meng, and the secret guards Xiao Wu and Xiao Liu placed the body in a coffin and escorted it back to the capital by a hundred soldiers.
The people of Huizhou knelt down to see them off.
Si Xi and Jin Cai silently escorted Lao Pang's coffin back to Ming'an County.
Before his death, Old Pang said with a smile, "I've lived a full life."
Although he had no wife or children, he apprenticed under a powerful master, learned remarkable skills, and was respected by the entire city. He then taught ten apprentices, ensuring the continuation of his medical skills.
I'd give my last life for you two young and vibrant boys, it was worth it!
Senior Brother, don't cry... I'm going to be reincarnated and start practicing medicine again with a new life..."
The emperor bestowed a plaque inscribed with "Benevolent Heart and Divine Hands," which was included in the county annals. Next to the Yellow Emperor Temple, an imperial edict was issued to establish a shrine there, where officials and the people offered sacrifices.
On the day of the funeral, Sixi carried the funeral banner, Jincai smashed the basin, ten disciples carried the coffin, and the county magistrate and the people of the whole city saw them off.
----------------------------------------
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com