Chapter 79: Renowned Reputation

 Chapter 79: Renowned Reputation

Smack! The emperor slammed his palm heavily onto the imperial desk, his face filled with fury.

"Quack physicians ruin lives!" the emperor shouted, feeling that the Crown Prince had been far too careless in allowing the Crown Grandson to take common folk medicine.

"Send my decree! Tell the Imperial Guard to seal off Jishi Hall and arrest those quack physicians…"

He paused mid-sentence, suddenly recalling something. Jishi Hall seemed familiar. He murmured to himself, "Jishi Hall... Jishi Hall..."

Nie Gonggong, skilled in reading the emperor’s thoughts, quickly reminded him, "Your Majesty, on the 23rd of last month, Marquis Yongding submitted a memorial accusing Fourth Young Master Yun..."

At the reminder, the emperor immediately recalled the events.

In late April, Yun Zhan had destroyed the plaque of the Marquis Yongding's residence, and Marquis Yongding had petitioned against him. In his memorial, he had mentioned Jishi Hall, which seemed to be protected by Gu Jue.

The emperor’s lips pressed into a tight line, his face darkening with an ominous cloud of anger.

Gu Jue had always been arrogant and defiant, and if he issued a decree to arrest people from Jishi Hall, Gu Jue would undoubtedly retaliate, making the emperor lose face.

The emperor slowly turned the jade ring on his thumb, hesitating.

It wasn’t that he was afraid of Gu Jue, but rather that he had to consider the bigger picture.

However, Jishi Hall was a place of hollow reputation, and their quack physicians had harmed the Crown Grandson. As emperor, if he let them off lightly, others would think he was afraid of Gu Jue.

The emperor’s eyes grew deep and calculating, as if a storm was brewing.

After a moment, the emperor spoke again, issuing his command: "Go to the East Palace and tell the Crown Prince..."

He gave his instructions, and Nie Gonggong quickly acknowledged them. Soon, he exited the imperial study and headed toward the East Palace.

Outside, the sun shone brightly, but a shadow hung over the entire imperial palace due to the Crown Grandson’s illness. Even the most favored concubines in the harem stayed hidden in their palaces, fearing the worst news about the Crown Grandson.

An incense stick later, a group of more than ten people left the palace. The emperor and Crown Prince Gu Nanjin, both in disguise, accompanied the unconscious Crown Grandson, followed by two imperial physicians. They were escorted by Imperial Guard guards disguised as ordinary soldiers, heading toward Hua Hong Street.

When two grand carriages and the large, imposing group of guards stopped in front of Jishi Hall, it inevitably attracted the curiosity of passersby, who all stopped and stared at the scene.

Gu Nanjin was the first to step out of the second carriage and turned to glance at the first carriage.

The emperor’s face peeked out of the first carriage window, signaling Gu Nanjin with a glance.

Gu Nanjin swiftly walked toward Jishi Hall and loudly asked, "Where is the divine Physician?"

Physician Liu, the young physician, happened to be in the front hall and came forward. He cupped his hands in greeting. "Sir, the divine physician is not here."

Physician Liu sized up Gu Nanjin, noticing his attire of an indigo robe with hidden patterns of the Eight Immortals, his waist adorned with a pouch and a small chicken blood stone seal. The young man appeared noble and restrained, with an aura of wealth and status. Moreover, the many guards accompanying him suggested his importance.

Gu Nanjin held out a bottle of Zixue Dan, raising his voice slightly as he asked, "Is this Zixue Dan made by the divine physician?"

A servant named Yu, recognizing the eunuch Du beside Gu Nanjin, whispered to Physician Liu about the earlier purchase of two bottles of Zixue Dan.

Physician Liu took the bottle from Gu Nanjin, examining it and smelling it before nodding affirmatively. "This is indeed Zixue Dan from Jishi Hall. Every pill is personally made by the divine physician."

"My son has contracted Jingfeng Syndrome and just took your Zixue Dan," Gu Nanjin said, his tone cold but composed. "However, after taking the medicine, his condition has worsened instead of improving."

Physician Liu furrowed his brows, quickly asking, "Sir, what illness does your son have?"

Jingfeng Syndrome could be divided into acute and chronic types. For acute cases, the treatment was to clear heat and toxins, extinguish wind, and stop spasms, while chronic cases were treated with supplements to restore the balance. Jishi Hall typically recommended that patients come to the clinic for a proper diagnosis before prescribing medicine.

Du glanced at Gu Nanjin's solemn face and instructed a servant dressed as a eunuch, "Go and have the wet nurse bring… the young master."

Soon, the wet nurse arrived holding the unconscious Guo Yuanjia, followed by Imperial Physician Lian, who looked deeply worried.

Guo Yuanjia remained unconscious, burning with a high fever, his body growing hotter by the minute. He muttered deliriously, and the wet nurse was near tears, her eyes filled with worry.

Liu the elder physician's heart sank. He had them place the child on a couch and personally checked his pulse. After a moment, he nodded slightly to his grandson, confirming, "It is indeed acute Jingfeng Syndrome."

Physician Liu felt a rising panic. They had sold Zixue Dan for several days, and it had successfully cured many patients with the right conditions. Logically, a child with this illness should have improved after taking Zixue Dan, not gotten worse.

Eunuch Du shouted angrily, "Our young master took your Zixue Dan, and his fever only got worse! What so-called divine physician? This is clearly a quack physician selling fake medicine to harm people!"

The crowd outside gathered in a flurry of whispers.

"Did the divine physician's medicine kill someone?"

"Hey, can you speak properly? This person is still alive, isn't he?!"

"I just saw him, that child's face was as pale as a wall, he was almost out of breath."

"I don't think it's a good sign. The so-called divine physician is highly skilled, how could they have caused harm? Maybe the child has some hidden illness..."

"......"

The onlookers outside expressed their doubts and shared their opinions.

These words also reached the carriage outside the medical hall. The emperor, sitting inside, lifted the curtain and looked at the front hall where Gu Nanjin and the young physician Physician Liu were. His lips were tightly pressed together.

A quack physician causing harm!

If it weren’t for Gu Jue’s blindness, hyping up this so-called divine physician with a fraudulent reputation, the Jishi Hall wouldn’t have such a great reputation. How could the Crown Prince have someone come to buy their Zixuedan, and harm the crown prince’s grandson?

The emperor’s eyes darkened, filled with both anger and pain. He thought: If this divine physician can’t cure the crown prince’s grandson today, then she is nothing more than a quack.

With so many witnesses, if he decreed the closure of the medical hall and imprisoned the divine physician and her staff, it would be seen as a service to the people.

Then, the whole world would know that Gu Jue was blind and had protected such a fraudulent, heartless medical hall.

Physician Liu stepped forward and said seriously, "Impossible. The Zixue dan made by the divine physician cannot have any problems. How many pills did you give the child, and when did you give them?"

"Three pills, half an hour ago," Gu Nanjin replied, then asked, "Where is the divine physician? Where is the divine physician from your hall?"

Gu Nanjin’s gaze was deep, with a turbulent undercurrent.

Unlike the emperor, who was certain that the quack physician had caused harm, Gu Nanjin saw the divine physician as the last hope.

After the Yongding Marquis had criticized Yun Zhan, Gu Nanjin had investigated Yun Zhan’s case and confirmed that Yun Zhan was indeed seriously injured. The scar on his neck was proof of everything.

The divine physician from Jishi Hall must be a true medical expert. Since even the imperial physicians were helpless against the crown prince's grandson's illness, this divine physician was their only hope.

Gu Nanjin stared intently at Physician Liu.

Physician Liu shook his head, "Young sir, you’re too late. This morning, when your steward came to buy medicine, the divine physician happened to have come by. The divine physician is always unpredictable, and her maid usually only comes to the hall every three to four days. They came today, so logically, they shouldn't come back."

"We don’t even know where the divine physician lives."

Physician Liu spoke thoughtfully, considering that if the child had only taken three pills, the dosage should be correct. Zixue dan could only be taken twice a day, and no more should be added for the time being.

"You don’t know where the divine physician is?!" Eunuch Du raised his voice in disbelief.

Physician Liu nodded helplessly.

Gu Nanjin’s expression grew serious, his heart sinking slightly, and he immediately ordered, "Someone, go report to the Jingzhao Prefecture!"

The captain of the Imperial Guard, disguised as a guard, immediately took action, riding with a subordinate to Jingzhao Prefecture in haste.

The crowd outside the medical hall erupted again.

Clearly, this matter was escalating to the Jingzhao Prefecture. Jishi Hall was likely to face a criminal case involving a death!

Meanwhile, Gu Nanjin also signaled to the head of the Eastern Palace’s guards to send a message to the Prince of Chen’s residence.

Although Jishi Hall didn’t know the divine physician’s identity, the Prince of Chen, Gu Jue, would definitely know. How could Gu Jue, for an unknown person, let Yun Zhan ruin the Yongding Marquis’ residence?

An incense stick’s time later, the captain of the Imperial Guard knocked on the grievance drum in front of Jingzhao Prefecture.

In the capital, where the emperor’s authority reigned, apart from a few idle young masters occasionally making trouble, serious matters rarely reached the Jingzhao Prefecture. The grievance drum in front of the prefecture was struck rarely throughout the year.

Today’s incident was only the second time this year, naturally attracting a lot of attention.

With the emperor deliberately building momentum, the Imperial Guard had spies throughout the capital, in all the various residences and communities. Once they acted, the effect was immediate. The news that someone had gone to Jingzhao Prefecture to file a grievance against Jishi Hall spread rapidly throughout the capital.

Most of the residences, even if they heard about it, simply laughed it off. After all, they didn’t know it was Gu Nanjin causing the trouble. They might just send someone to watch the spectacle, since Jishi Hall had been quite the topic in the capital over the past few months.

The divine physician from Jishi Hall had saved Ming Xiyang and Yun Zhan, and Yun Zhan had later caused the downfall of the Yongding Marquis’ residence for Jishi Hall. These events could practically be made into a play.

The news also reached the Yongding Marquis’ residence.

When Shen Shi heard the news, she immediately summoned Chu Qianchen to the main courtyard, sending the servants away and instructing Old Madam Chen to guard the door.

Inside the room, only the two of them remained.

"Chen’er," Shen Shi asked seriously, "Is the Zixue dan from Jishi Hall your creation?"

"Yes," Chu Qianchen answered directly and openly.

She responded quickly, but inwardly felt a bit puzzled: Before this, she and her mother had always had an unspoken understanding regarding the divine physician’s matter. Shen Shi had never directly mentioned it. Why bring it up now? Was it related to the Zixuedan?

Shen Shi then recounted the situation where a child had fallen more ill after taking Zixuedan, leading to a public outcry and trouble at Jishi Hall. Her voice was tense, and her expression complex.

Chu Qianchen, who wasn’t as sharp as Shen Shi at the marquis’ residence, hadn’t received any news and was only slightly surprised. She raised an eyebrow, maintaining her calm.

Shen Shi took a deep breath, her expression serious as she looked at Chu Qianchen, then said, "Chen’er, the child who became more ill after taking the Zixue dan is the crown prince’s grandson, and now, the Crown Prince is at Jishi Hall."

Now, most people in the capital only know that the ones causing trouble at Jishi Hall are nobles or officials' children. However, Shen Shi was cautious because this matter concerned Jishi Hall, so she had Chen Mama personally check Hua Hong Street next door. Chen Mama recognized the Crown Prince.

Chu Qianchen: "..."

Chu Qianchen immediately thought of the palace servant who came to buy medicine at Jishi Hall earlier. Could he be from the Eastern Palace?

Shen Shi's brow furrowed deeper.

This matter not only involved the divine physician but also...

"The Emperor sent the Crown Prince to Jishi Hall, likely to suppress Prince Chen's power."

The Emperor aimed to slap down Prince Chen, trying to weaken his influence.

This was no longer about whether the Zixue Dans worked. Chu Qianchen realized this too and thought, "The Emperor still doesn't know that the Prince has left the capital."

Chu Qianchen made a quick decision, saying, "Mother, I must go to Jishi Hall."

She was not asking, but insisting.

Since the Emperor was targeting the Prince, she had to protect him and keep the secret of his departure from the capital.

Shen Shi: "..."

Shen Shi didn't understand what Chu Qianchen was thinking and was conflicted.

She had told her about this matter, hoping that Chu Qianchen would avoid getting involved.

Forget whether Chu Qianchen could save the Crown Prince, but involving herself in the struggle between the Emperor and Prince Chen would be unwise.

Moreover, with the Emperor and the Crown Prince already involved, Chu Qianchen's identity could be exposed.

Though she disapproved, Shen Shi didn't stop Chu Qianchen.

The room fell silent as Chu Qianchen hurriedly took her leave.

Chu Qianchen returned to Wanyan Courtyard, changed into a light blue dress, raised her heels slightly, applied some powder to alter the exposed skin tone, and wore a veil. She then left the residence with Hu Po quietly.

Since her first appearance as the divine physician at Jishi Hall, she had intentionally dressed this way.

As soon as she exited the corner gate, she saw Xue Fengyan holding a horse under a tree in the alley. Even without asking, she knew he was waiting for her.

Sure enough—

Xue Fengyan bowed to Chu Qianchen, "Miss Chu, you're heading to Jishi Hall?"

Although Xue Fengyan had always followed Chu Qianchen, on the surface, they had only met once last month at Yuanqing Temple.

However, from Chu Qianchen's perspective, they had known each other for two lifetimes.

Chu Qianchen answered calmly, "Indeed."

Her voice was slightly different from her usual one at the residence—clearer, colder, like a gentle breeze after rain.

She wasn't particularly skilled in voice modulation, but she could switch between three or four tones.

With the change in her voice, skin tone, height, and the veil covering her face, Chu Qianchen believed that unless someone extremely familiar with her was present, it would be hard to recognize her.

Xue Fengyan looked at her with complex expressions—surprise, scrutiny, contemplation, and seriousness—all mixed together.

To be honest, he hadn't expected Chu Qianchen to choose to go to Jishi Hall.

Jishi Hall was just next door on Hua Hong Street, only a street away, so they walked there.

When Chu Qianchen arrived at Jishi Hall, the entrance was even more crowded, with people surrounding it in layers, all curious to see if the rumored "living corpse" divine physician really caused someone's death.

"The divine physician is here!"

Among the crowd were shopkeepers, clerks, and regulars from nearby stores. It was unclear who shouted first.

Chu Qianchen always wore a light blue or misty blue dress when visiting Jishi Hall, and her face was either covered with a veil or a hood. If she walked on other streets in the capital, she would blend in. But when she appeared outside Jishi Hall, this feature became very distinct, making it easy for people to recognize her.

Immediately, all eyes turned to her.

The crowd erupted in a noisy wave, their gazes intense.

Before she arrived, some people had doubted that the divine physician would show up, especially since the matter had already escalated to the Jingzhao Prefecture and even brought in the officers.

However, the divine physician had still arrived, which made the onlookers hopeful, wondering if the situation would turn around.

Chu Qianchen walked slowly into Jishi Hall, with Xue Fengyan following closely behind her.

"Little divine physician," Physician Liu stood up to greet her as soon as he saw her.

Gu Nanjin looked at Chu Qianchen with slight surprise. Although he had heard that the divine physician at Jishi Hall was young, he didn't expect her to be this young, not even of marriageable age.

His gaze then shifted to Xue Fengyan behind her. He recognized Xue Fengyan and couldn't help but wonder if it was him who had brought the divine physician here, or perhaps, had Gu Jue sent him to support her?

The Emperor, inside the carriage, was also watching Chu Qianchen. He moved his lips slightly, feeling a bit regretful. After waiting for so long at Jishi Hall, it was a pity that Gu Jue hadn't shown up.

Gu Jue was still so reckless, elevating a little girl to such heights. Didn’t he fear that the higher she climbed, the harder she would fall?

The Emperor's hand moved lazily, and the carriage window quickly fell shut.

Under the various gazes of the crowd, Chu Qianchen remained calm and asked, "Physician Liu, where is the patient?"

Physician Liu led her to the side of the couch where Gu Yuanjia was lying.

"Little divine physician, both my grandfather and I have taken the young master's pulse. He has a high fever that won't subside, irregular pulse, and purple-stained fingertips... It looks like he has a condition of fright wind."

A child’s vital energy is still weak, and they often become agitated due to loud noises or great fright, causing confusion and phlegm, which leads to liver wind and convulsions—this is known as fright wind syndrome.

Physician Liu then explained when Gu Yuanjia had taken the Zixue Dans and how much he had taken. Meanwhile, Chu Qianchen checked Gu Yuanjia’s complexion, lip color, tongue coating, and the color of his nails and fingerprints, and finally took his pulse.

The pulse confirmed her suspicions immediately.

"It’s not the Zixue Dan," Chu Qianchen said, withdrawing her hand and speaking firmly.

Eunuch Du furrowed his brows at this, thinking she was talking nonsense. The Crown Prince had clearly taken her Zixue Dan. However, Chu Qianchen’s next words shocked him: "It’s a pill."

"..." Eunuch Du widened his eyes, recalling the Pill given by the Emperor.

Since the imperial physicians had all claimed the problem was with the Zixue Dans, he hadn’t considered the Golden Pill.

If he were an imperial physician, he wouldn’t dare mention the Golden Pill, as that would directly imply that the Emperor had harmed the Crown grandson!

Gu Nanjin remained relatively composed, though a wave of surprise stirred inside him. A voice inside told him that if anyone could save his son, it was probably this little divine physician.

"Pill?" Physician Liu muttered, still not fully understanding.

Chu Qianchen softly nodded, her gaze on Gu Yuanjia calm and serene like still water.

She vaguely remembered that in her past life, the Crown Prince's son had passed away early.

Though the child’s condition was severe, had he taken her Zixue Dan, he would have recovered within three days. But now, he was suffering from internal heat, liver and gallbladder damp-heat, which had led to the formation of fire toxins, compounding his illness. Clearly, he had consumed something else.

The Emperor had a habit of taking pills, and Chu Qianchen remembered that the Emperor often distributed pills to his close ministers as a sign of favor. If the Emperor had also given a pill to the Crown Prince, everything would make sense.

Chu Qianchen was so confident in her diagnosis because she combined her knowledge of the Emperor from her past life.

However, Imperial Physician Lian did not know this. Seeing Chu Qianchen easily deduce the true cause of the illness after her examination, he was deeply impressed.

He had heard the imperial physician Wang criticize this little divine physician, but now it seemed that Wang had been unjustly scolded by Ming Xiyang.

Gu Nanjin took a step forward and spoke to Chu Qianchen for the first time, "Little divine physician, do you have a way to save my son?"

He didn’t deny the pill issue, which was essentially an admission.

Xue Fengyan sneered and glanced at one of the carriages parked outside Jishi Hall.

He had clearly seen Nie Gonggong earlier, and it seemed that the Emperor was most likely arriving in person.

Chu Qianchen looked steadily at the Crown Prince, only four or five steps away. Her phoenix eyes revealed a hint of unabashed arrogance.

"I can save him," she said succinctly.

Gu Nanjin's face brightened, his eyes burning with intensity. As long as Chu Qianchen could save Gu Yuanjia, he would reward her with wealth and rare treasures—what did it matter?

Chu Qianchen easily understood the meaning in Gu Nanjin’s gaze. She remained calm, her expression unchanged, and said, "I have one condition: if I cure him, you must make Jishi Hall the National Medical Hall. Can Your Highness agree to this?"

Chu Qianchen subtly revealed Gu Nanjin’s identity.

Physician Liu’s jaw nearly dropped. Only the Emperor had the authority to establish the National Medical Hall.

When the little divine physician said "Your Highness," it could only mean that the young man in front of her was a prince, no, the Crown Prince!

There was only one royal grandson, and he was the Crown Prince’s son.

Physician Liu couldn’t help but pinch himself to see if he was dreaming.

It hurt!

He pinched hard enough that his face twisted slightly, confirming that everything before him was real. After generals, princes, and marquises had visited Jishi Hall, now even the Crown Prince and the Emperor’s grandson had come.

Gu Nanjin raised his brows in surprise, then glanced at Xue Fengyan, thinking that perhaps it was Xue Fengyan who had revealed his identity to Chu Qianchen.

Chu Qianchen didn’t bother to explain. As long as the Crown Prince agreed to her terms, that was enough.

The reason she made this request was also to resolve matters once and for all. Because of her, Jishi Hall’s reputation had grown, and such fame attracted trouble. Even if Prince Chen spoke in defense of Jishi Hall, it still couldn’t avoid some complications.

Once Jishi Hall had the title of National Medical Hall, no one would dare to cause trouble for it anymore.

Even if the Emperor was reluctant to grant it, once the decree was made, no one outside would know if he was willing or not. If anyone dared to cause trouble at Jishi Hall, they would be slapping the Emperor’s face!

Gu Nanjin glanced at the carriage, hesitated whether he should consult the Emperor or just make the decision himself. At that moment, Nie Gonggong stepped out of the first carriage and walked over, whispering something to Gu Nanjin.

Gu Nanjin sighed in relief and nodded to Chu Qianchen. "Okay, I agree. As long as you can save my son!"

At that moment, Gu Yuanjia began to mumble in his sleep, his limbs twitching slightly.

(End of this chapter)