Chapter 1129: Secret Volume Fragment and Officialdom Intrigues

Inside, there was also a straw figure made of rush.

Physician Chen picked it up and, upon seeing it, trembled with rage: Two long needles were stuck into the straw figure's chest, securing a small strip of white cloth with Physician Chen’s name written on it!

Witchcraft! Someone was cursing him and had sent him this box!

“Vicious, utterly vicious!” Physician Chen pulled the long needles out of the straw figure. As a physician himself, he recognized at a glance that the needles were hollow and used for medical cautery. “Liu Qi! It must be that jealous scoundrel Liu Qi cursing me!” He angrily threw the needles back into the box. “Let him gloat for one night; I’ll deal with him as soon as I enter the Imperial Medical Bureau tomorrow!”

After telling the gatekeeper to throw the box away, Physician Chen returned to his room to rest. He thought he would be too angry to sleep, but after tossing and turning twice on his bed, the effects of the alcohol kicked in. Perhaps it was due to the ominous items in the box, but he had a nightmare.

In the dream, the Second Prince’s condition suddenly relapsed. His frenzied state was exactly as it had been before. The King, exceptionally furious, summoned him to diagnose the Prince.

Physician Chen saw that the Second Prince’s bedside was empty and asked, both surprised and suspicious, “Where is the Heart Lamp? It should be suspended above the patient’s glabella, never to be removed!” King Bo sat beside his second son, his back to the light, so Physician Chen could not clearly see his face, but he could feel his gloom and irritability: “It’s not working. My son babbles incoherently whenever he sees this lamp, so I had it removed!”

Physician Chen was greatly alarmed: “Your Majesty, you mustn’t! It must be hung back immediately! The Second Prince needs the Heart Lamp’s protection.” “Is it that the shape you made is wrong, or the light color you adjusted is incorrect?”

“Neither the shape nor the light color matters. We chose the most common gourd shape precisely for that reason. The key to refining the Heart Lamp is having all the materials, especially the Bright Lamp Flask, which is indispensable.”

“Is that so?” King Bo gestured, and a palace attendant behind him slowly approached, holding a gourd-shaped lamp. Physician Chen instinctively uttered, “Oh? Why is it so big?”

“Look again.” The attendant walked closer. Physician Chen saw that it was actually half the size of a regular palace lantern, covered in red paper. He felt something was wrong but couldn’t quite put his finger on it in his hazy state.

The “Heart Lamp” was hung before the Second Prince’s bed, its light shining on the patient, but it did not have the same effect as before. How strange, what was going on? Why had the condition relapsed?

King Bo slammed the table in a furious rage: “Is your method working or not? We’ve spent so much effort, why is the Heart Lamp no longer effective?” Physician Chen was drenched in cold sweat: “It is effective, it is effective! The condition occasionally relapses, but if we persist…”

King Bo interrupted him: “Explain clearly to me, where did you find this method?” “Your humble servant…” Physician Chen swallowed. “Your humble servant found the refining method for the Heart Lamp in a remnant page of an ancient secret scroll. After much deliberation, it proved effective for the Second Prince.”

“And did that remnant page also record the maturation time and location of the Bright Lamp Flask?” “Yes, yes,” Physician Chen said eagerly, “By heaven’s grace, the Bright Lamp Herb only grows on the Snow Peak of the Carefree Sect within a thousand li, and it matured recently.”

“And where did you acquire this remnant secret scroll?” “I unexpectedly stumbled upon it at an old bookstore on the east side of the city. It only cost two qian of silver. Your humble servant often goes to bookstores to search for old books…”

“Really?” King Bo stared at him. “You dare to deceive even Us? Take him down and give him twenty strokes of the plank first!” Physician Chen was greatly alarmed and cried out from the ground, “Injustice! Your humble servant would not dare to deceive you!”

“Injustice? Are you saying I am wrong?” King Bo chuckled, each word making Physician Chen’s heart pound. “Thirty strokes of the plank.” Two burly guards approached, ready to drag him away for punishment like a piglet.

Physician Chen trembled with fear. He knew very well the trickery involved in palace beatings; thirty strokes might only injure the skin, but ten could also claim a life, and he wanted no part of either. Moreover, with King Bo’s temper, if he didn’t get the answers he wanted, thirty strokes might only be an appetizer.

“I’ll tell you, I’ll tell you!” Physician Chen immediately caved. “But the truth is even more preposterous, and Your Majesty will find it harder to believe, so your humble servant… your humble servant… only then fabricated an origin for the secret scroll.”

“Any more nonsense, and you’ll get ten strokes first.” Physician Chen’s speech immediately became fluent: “The secret method for refining the Heart Lamp was not found in a bookstore. It… it appeared directly on my desk.”

“Appeared directly on your desk?” King Bo chuckled at that. “Are you saying that you didn’t search for the secret method, but rather the secret method found you?” “It sounds incredible, but that is… that is the truth,” Physician Chen swallowed. “Your humble servant remembers staying up until midnight studying medical texts that night. The next day, I woke up late and rushed to the palace for duty, only returning home after dark. Upon arriving home, I found half a booklet pressed under the paperweight in my study. It was… it was the secret method describing the Bright Lamp Herb and the Heart Lamp.”

“After that, I consulted many other sources and concluded that the Heart Lamp was very likely effective for the Second Prince!” Physician Chen bowed, speaking urgently, “Your Majesty, your humble servant would not dare to utter a single false word!”

King Bo’s anger subsided slightly, and he seemed to be contemplating. “When did this happen?” “Half a year… half a year ago!”

“Half a year ago? Why didn’t you say so earlier?” Physician Chen quickly explained: “The remnant scroll appeared too suddenly, and your humble servant also needed to consult materials and diligently verify its contents before daring to use it on the Second Prince. Furthermore, at that time, the Bright Lamp Flask was still… still far from maturing.”

“Is that truly the case?” King Bo asked coldly. “There’s no other reason?” “N-no, there isn’t.” Although Physician Chen kept his head down, he could feel King Bo’s sharp gaze, as if it could burn two holes into his forehead.

He was sweating profusely. “And then?” King Bo asked him again. “My son’s condition has relapsed; how can it be resolved?”

Physician Chen had never used the Heart Lamp to treat mental derangement before. He composed himself before saying: “The Second Prince’s soul and spirit are fully present and have not been lost, unlike other cases of mental disorders where one soul or two spirits are missing, which even a Bright Lamp cannot cure.” “The Heart Lamp, refined from the Bright Lamp Flask, can even dispel the inner demons of immortals. Treating the Second Prince’s condition should only be a matter of time.” He pointed to the small lamp beside the bed, wanting to say that it was like using an ox cleaver to kill a chicken. “Further careful observation is needed here. I humbly request Your Majesty’s patience!”

King Bo grunted. “Who do you think would send you a secret scroll?” “That… your humble servant does not know,” Physician Chen kowtowed. “Perhaps it was heaven’s blessing upon the Second Prince.”

King Bo smiled. “Did you offer sacrifices to the gods?” Deities occasionally respond to humans when they deem it necessary.

Physician Chen was startled again and repeatedly shook his head: “Your humble servant usually offers reverence at temples, but unfortunately, I have never received divine favor.” “Can this Heart Lamp be reverted back into a Bright Lamp Flask?”

“Uh, that… it should not be possible. Once this treasure is refined into a magical artifact, it’s like a boat that has already been built from wood; it cannot turn back into a tree.” “How have you been using the rewards We bestowed upon you?” King Bo said slowly, “I heard that you’ve become quite popular in the capital recently, welcomed wherever you go.”

“This is all due to… due to Your Majesty’s grace!” Physician Chen hastily said, “The rewards are all still there; I wouldn’t dare to misuse them or flaunt them.”

When Physician Chen awoke, he saw the first hint of dawn in the east. It was all a dream. He touched his forehead; it was covered in cold sweat. His bedding was damp too. Thank goodness, it was just a dream. It’s all that Liu fellow’s fault! I’ll definitely deal with him thoroughly when I return to the Bureau today!

He Lingchuan also got up, stretched his neck, and yawned. The Soul-Sensing Mirror immediately asked him, “Did you gain anything?” Among all the people and objects around He Lingchuan, it was the true insider, even aware of the existence of the Coiling Dragon World and the nightmare realm.

“Yes. Last night, the nightmare entity infiltrated Physician Chen’s dream, extracting a lot of information. Most importantly, he admitted to using the Heart Lamp to treat the Second Prince and had previously introduced the Bright Lamp Herb to King Bo.” He Lingchuan had only tried it as an experiment, unexpectedly succeeding immediately. This showed that Bo’s primal energy was even weaker than Yuan’s, unable to even shield the court physicians from evil influences.

Primal energy is both a reflection of national strength and a sign of public sentiment. Half a year ago, Physician Chen inexplicably acquired a remnant of a secret scroll and spent several months verifying it before daring to use it on the Second Prince. That booklet didn’t have legs; it couldn’t run by itself. So, who was looking out for him in such a way?

The Soul-Sensing Mirror also asked, “Who was this person, and why did they give the remnant scroll to Physician Chen specifically, and not someone else?” “Good question,” He Lingchuan chuckled. “Physician Chen himself doesn’t know, so we’ll have to find the answer for him.”

If they could uncover the reason the person behind the scenes chose Physician Chen, they might be able to discern their motives. Once the motive was understood, finding the person might be easier.

The Soul-Sensing Mirror asked curiously, “He doesn’t even know himself; can you find it?” “Those involved are often blind to the full picture; sometimes the answer isn’t always in one’s own hands,” He Lingchuan mused. “I already have some clues here.”

Over the next two days, he wandered leisurely through Xun City, observing local life and customs. That evening, just after the rain stopped, Dong Rui returned.

The fellow was beaming, and as soon as he entered, he demanded water: “I have findings, great findings!” He Lingchuan poured him a cup of hot water: “Who did you find?”

“I first went to Drunken Moon Tower and spent money, drinking and chatting about romantic affairs with the top courtesan there. She told me that there was indeed an Imperial Physician named Liu Qi in the Imperial Medical Bureau, skilled in detoxification, and renowned there for many years.” “So, you needed an antidote for a hidden poison?” He Lingchuan asked. “Did you really have to consult the top courtesan to gather information in such a place? Were you discussing romance or a venereal disease?”

“How could it be me? Clearly, I have a friend!” Dong Rui declared righteously. Since he was spending He Lingchuan’s money anyway, his friend was—

“I’m just a small merchant from out of town; how could I possibly invite Imperial Physician Liu Qi? Fortunately, Imperial Physician Liu has many disciples throughout Southern Bo, and several direct ones are in Xun City. The most successful among them is named Yang, a frequent patron of Drunken Moon Tower, often entertaining there. He runs three medical clinics in Xun City, and because of his respected master’s reputation, combined with his own skills, patients flock to him. This Director Yang’s consultation fee is not cheap.”

He Lingchuan chuckled, “So you visited this Director Yang?” Given that Director Yang could establish himself so well in Xun City and practice medicine under the title of Imperial Physician Liu’s direct disciple, his relationship with Imperial Physician Liu must be quite close. This kind of bond between master and disciple—involving teaching, support, and shared interests—can sometimes be more reliable than a father-son relationship.

“Of course,” Dong Rui chuckled. “I spent a good deal of money just to meet Director Yang. When I met him, I told him I had a large quantity of precious medicinal herbs and was looking for a long-term buyer. He initially wanted to dismiss me, but as soon as he saw the four or five herbs I produced, he immediately changed his mind.”

Dong Rui himself was skilled in pharmacology and never lacked valuable materials. Lingguang looked at him with a mournful expression; the five-hundred-year-old ginseng Dong Rui had shown the director was taken from it.

“Even if he didn’t sell the good herbs I provided to patients, they would be excellent for honoring his master or presenting to the palace. So, we went to Drunken Moon Tower, got a private room, and discussed business over drinks.” Dong Rui sighed. “You know I don’t enjoy dealing with people; this time, I really had to force myself.”

Being smooth-tongued and adaptable, or fabricating stories, were usually He Lingchuan’s or Lu Qiuwei’s strengths. Dong Rui had observed them for so long, but had only picked up a tiny bit of it.

Lingguang couldn't help but ask, “You used the Soul-Intoxicating Powder I gave you, right?” “Yes, yes, I put it in his wine,” Dong Rui gave it a thumbs-up. “I only administered it towards the end of the banquet to avoid suspicion. He became disoriented after half a cup and answered every question.”

“He won’t remember what he said when he wakes up,” Lingguang said. “This stuff has no side effects.” “What did you find out?”

“Imperial Physician Liu has been in a bad mood these past two days. The Imperial Medical Chief gratuitously made things difficult for him in front of all their subordinates and gave him a severe dressing-down.”

Lingguang immediately commented, “This Imperial Medical Chief certainly has a temper.” How unlucky to have such a superior. Fortunately, its master was especially kind.

He Lingchuan smiled without speaking. The brocade box was his doing, and the chicken head and rat head were Dong Rui’s contribution. He wanted to figure out who Physician Chen’s rival was in the Imperial Medical Bureau. The person who knew Physician Chen best would undoubtedly be his adversary. Perhaps his rival would have answers to things Physician Chen himself didn’t understand?

“What exactly is the conflict between Physician Chen and Imperial Physician Liu?” As soon as Physician Chen saw the needles and the straw figure, he blurted out curses against Liu Qi. Clearly, the rift between these two was the deepest.

“A few months ago, Physician Chen was still only an attendant physician. At that time, the Imperial Medical Chief was Imperial Physician Wang Chuanyi, and Imperial Physician Liu was his deputy,” Dong Rui relayed Director Yang’s original words. “Because the Second Prince’s condition showed no improvement, King Bo was very displeased with the physicians. He often summoned Wang Chuanyi for reprimands and even had other imperial physicians flogged. Later, Wang Chuanyi changed the Second Prince’s prescription, which stabilized the patient and reduced the frequency of his seizures. However, a side effect was that he would frequently fall into a deep sleep and was even difficult to wake up.”

“King Bo was not satisfied with this outcome; he hoped his second son could recover fully, so that Bo would have a crown prince. Soon after, King Bo suddenly concluded that the medicine Wang Chuanyi was using was problematic, claiming it made the Second Prince drowsy all day and caused his condition to worsen. In a fit of rage, he had him beheaded.”

He Lingchuan realized, “So, Wang Chuanyi was the Imperial Medical Chief who was beheaded?” Dong Rui added, “Mr. Yang didn’t know which specific medicine Wang Chuanyi used that caused the offense, but I suspect…”

“Sedatives!” Lingguang suddenly interjected. “If the Second Prince had fewer seizures, they would face less blame. In a situation where a complete cure was impossible, this was a conservative but effective treatment plan.” From the perspective of Imperial Physician Wang and others, since the Second Prince was unlikely to recover fully anyway, using sedatives to reduce his seizures would also be an acceptable explanation to King Bo.

“After Wang Chuanyi was beheaded, Imperial Physician Liu suspected that there was an informant behind the incident: Physician Chen,” Dong Rui continued. “By rights, an attendant physician had no authority to examine the Imperial Medical Chief’s prescriptions, but Imperial Physician Liu caught Physician Chen secretly looking at them and even punished him on the spot.”

“After this incident, Imperial Physician Liu and others grew to detest Physician Chen. When Wang Chuanyi died, the position of Imperial Medical Chief became vacant. King Bo asked them to recommend a highly skilled physician to succeed him, and everyone nominated Physician Chen.”

“That fellow really isn’t likable.” After Wang Chuanyi’s death, all the imperial physicians understood that the position of Imperial Medical Chief was a hot potato; whoever sat in it might die. So, they unanimously nominated Physician Chen, the murderer in the eyes of the other imperial physicians.

Lingguang expressed confusion: “I don’t understand, was Wang Chuanyi very popular in the Imperial Medical Bureau? Why did all the imperial physicians come to hate Physician Chen?” He Lingchuan patted its head: “You are too naive; you haven’t worked in a bureaucracy. What prescription Imperial Physician Wang gave to the Second Prince, most of the other imperial physicians were undoubtedly well aware of.”

“The number of imperial physicians authorized to view this prescription should have been limited.” Lingguang understood: “So they were all in on it together?”

“It was either flogging or beheading; the imperial physicians were also pushed to their limit by King Bo. As the saying goes, ‘when the top has policies, the bottom has countermeasures.’ To overturn Imperial Physician Wang’s treatment plan, you’d have to present a better alternative. Besides, Wang Chuanyi had been the Imperial Medical Chief for a long time and had already built up his own network,” He Lingchuan analyzed. “I believe if he had a second option, he wouldn’t have tampered with the prescription; that was too risky. You see, there will always be someone like Physician Chen who comes along to disrupt things.”

“But they didn’t anticipate that Physician Chen would actually be able to cure the Second Prince’s illness, securing his position and future,” Dong Rui said, counting on his fingers. “That doesn’t seem right. Physician Chen obtained the remnant secret scroll half a year ago, so why didn’t he present it immediately?”

“At that time, he was merely an attendant physician, his status too low. Logically, any submitted prescription couldn’t be directly given to the palace; it had to first be presented to the Imperial Medical Chief for review.” He Lingchuan had not been involved in Bo’s court, but the rules of officialdom were similar everywhere. “If the Imperial Medical Chief deemed it viable, he would then present it to King Bo himself. How much credit do you think Physician Chen would have received from that?”

Physician Chen’s secret method, once it reached the Imperial Medical Chief, would become the Chief’s accomplishment. How much credit Physician Chen would ultimately receive would depend on the Imperial Medical Chief’s conscience. Lingguang asked curiously, “Couldn’t he have bypassed the hierarchy and presented it directly to King Bo?”

“If presented to King Bo, King Bo wouldn’t understand it. Professional matters must be handled by professionals, so the prescription would still end up in the Imperial Medical Chief’s hands. If the Imperial Medical Chief said it wasn’t viable, King Bo wouldn’t use it,” He Lingchuan chuckled. “You see, in the end, Physician Chen wouldn’t receive any credit, and would also needlessly offend his direct superior. If you were Physician Chen, holding such a certainly viable treatment plan, what would you do?”

Isn’t that a dead end, with no credit to be gained either way? Lingguang scratched its head for a long time before remembering that Physician Chen had actually broken the deadlock through his actions: “He got rid of the Imperial Medical Chief?”