Practicing Medicine in the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 63 The Last Lesson

In the prison room, there was only one lamp that was on and off giving off a dim light. Occasionally, a drop of candle tears would suddenly fall, attracting tiny white moths flapping their wings and bumping into the flames, and soon vanished into a curl of blue smoke.

Zhang Qiren's peaceful eyes passed through the dim light and fell on Wu Yi's hesitant face, as if he had traveled through a long time and saw that familiar young face again.

After a brief silence, Wu Yi walked slowly in front of Zhang Qiren, saluted him respectfully, and then knelt down in front of him.

It was the first time for him to sit in front of this respected old doctor as an equal, looking at his calm face with embarrassed eyes, like a student who hoped that the teacher missed a question, but didn't know whether he could get the answer this time.

Seeing his hesitation, Zhang Qiren just smiled slightly, the smile was calm as usual: "Do you want to ask the old man, why did you murder the prince? Dr. Shen should have already answered you this question."

“Dr. I understand, I can just ask you."

Hearing this, Zhang Qiren's smile deepened: "You are very similar to your grandfather, both of you are eloquent."

He stared for a moment, recalling the memories of several years ago: "You should have heard that the prince studied "Chunqiu Zuoshi Biography" when he was a child, and when he read the story of Chu Shizi Mi Shangchen killing the king, he couldn't help covering his face and crying. After Dr. Guo Yu learned about this, he changed to teach him the book "Book of Rites" instead of teaching him any stories of injustice."

This is something that was often mentioned by people in Li Hong's short childhood, and was often mentioned in a praising tone, but Zhang Qiren obviously did not agree with this matter.

Dim candles flickered in his eyes: "A person can be a good person if he can see good but not evil; but if a monarch can't tolerate any evil in his eyes, then he will Lost many good ministers and became a helpless monarch."

Wu Yi listened quietly to Zhang Qiren's words. This was the teacher's last class, and it was also his last and only explanation for his crime.

"It is said that when the water is clear, there will be no fish, and when people come to investigate, there will be no disciples. Take the mausoleum of the governor of Meizhou as an example. Although he is corrupt, he is neat and talented, and he has made great contributions to the party in Meizhou. But The crown prince didn't promote him, nor reward him, because he couldn't tolerate such a corrupt official in his heart."

Zhang Qiren paused for a moment, as if the jagged teeth were being pulled in his parched throat, every word he uttered spurted out a drop of blood.

"Over time, capable people like Wang Ling will be buried, and more Wang Ling will stay in place forever and cannot be reused. Talented people will not be reused, and the prince pursues the most pure people. How many are there? Even the 24 heroes have their own shortcomings, is it because they are not upright officials that we should abandon their talents?"

Wu Yi never expected Zhang Qiren's question.

He also couldn't answer this question. There are too many talented and corrupt people in history. Not to mention, in the next few hundred years, almost all the famous officials and good generals of the Ming Dynasty were corrupt officials. Prevent their names from going down in history.

Zhang Qiren is right, Li Hong is a perfect person, but he may not be able to become a monarch who takes care of the world, because he is too clean, like a piece of flawless jade, and how can the world become as spotless as him.

"Although the empress acts viciously, her talents are obvious to all. Her second son, His Royal Highness Pei Wang, is not inferior to the crown prince in ability, but also has a tougher heart than him. I believe he will become an excellent prince in the future. If it is for the world Man, what is this old man’s lingering life worth?”

After Zhang Qiren finished the last call, he quietly looked at the remains of the moths in the candle tears, as if looking at his own life that was about to burn out.

Wu Yi almost wanted to tell him that the massacre started by him would not end because Li Xian became the crown prince, but would intensify in the growing ambition of Empress Wu. .

But he really couldn't bear to blame this imperial physician who had rewritten Li Tang's future. Without him, there would be others. Empress Wu deployed so early, how could there be a few hidden arrows missing.

He, Zhang Qiren, was just a willing pawn, a sinner who voluntarily died to thank the world.Moreover, in the old man's stubborn eyes, Wu Yi saw two very heavy words.

faith.

A half-sound of silent time passed by a drop of candle tears, and the two speechless looked at each other, and they had explained all their explanations in this long stare at each other.

"The old man will go to the Underworld to greet your grandfather, and tell him that he has a good grandson who will be successful." Zhang Qiren finally said slowly, "I will also wait for the prince there, and personally plead guilty to him."

-

Walking out of the cell step by step, it felt like a heavy weight was tied to his feet, and each step weighed heavily on Wu Yi's heart.

Zhou Xing chatted with him curiously: "What did he say?"

Wu Yi looked back at him, his gaze was cold in the night sky, "He said, he died without regrets."

Zhou Xing thought to himself that the two had a relationship between mentors and apprentices, so naturally he refused to tell him the truth to this newcomer who had just surrendered. Wu Yi was sent out of the cell.

The next day was the day when Zhang Qiren asked to be beheaded. He heard that several people who had been favored by him signed a blood letter together, begging him to commit suicide and leave the whole body.

When Empress Wu read the book, she couldn't bear it, so she sent someone to sew his body back to its original shape and bury it in the coffin.

This may be the only thing she can do for this old courtier who is willing to sacrifice, but it is tantamount to another arrow shot in the back of Li Hong's heart, reminding him all the time that the person standing behind Zhang Qiren , is his biological mother.

-

In the spring and March of the third year of Xianheng, Empress Wu ordered Shen Hanshan, who was good at epidemics, to take care of Li Hong's condition, while Dr. Sun Qili took care of Taiping temporarily. Everyone knew that this was only a temporary thing, and even Taiping did not protest.

Not long after, she made Pei Judao's daughter Pei Shi the crown princess, lifted Li Hong from the sick bed, and reported a joyous and lively wedding.

Everyone could see that under the grand care, the two new chess pieces were set by Empress Wu, and they were placed firmly by Li Hong's hand and on the couch.

But the Donggong party has long since fallen and scattered, and most of them are attached to Pei Wang Li Xian, who is very likely to succeed the prince. Only Zhang Wenguan and other veterans are still guarding the Donggong, but they have no power to compete with Empress Wu.

But Li Hong didn't, and didn't have the strength to reject Shen Hanshan anymore. He was already dying, so Shen Hanshan naturally wouldn't do superfluous things.But Wu Yi was not at ease all the time. He always carefully checked the medicine sent by the Feng Medical Bureau, and only after confirming that it was correct did he dare to take it in and give it to Li Hong.

This time it was all right, but it was too late.

Whenever he bowed his waist and handed over the warm medicine bowl in his hand, he never dared to look up at Li Hong's clear eyes. There was neither sorrow nor resentment in those two quiet eyes, they were still as gentle as a piece of warmth from tentacles. nephrite jade.

Wu Yi felt ashamed, but Li Hongchang smiled lightly: "I'm too sick, let's find someone else."

He still remembered the incident when Wu Yi suffered from hyperemia, so he naturally understood that he was just a pawn being used by others, and he never put any resentment on him.

Wu Yi also refused to let go and leave this matter to others. Apart from memorizing and studying scriptures in the Taixue every day, he personally supervised Li Hong's medicines in front of the stove in the Feng Medical Bureau. Although he knew it was too late, but I can't bear to suffer another torture for this already exhausted person.

When Li Hong was seriously ill, he couldn't stand the hustle and bustle of the court, so he quickly moved to the palace in Luoyang, the eastern capital, to take care of his health. He also brought Shen Hanshan and other people there, leaving Zhang Wenguan, Dai Zhide and other important officials to stay in Chang'an , unable to move.

Empress Wu not only wanted to nail arrow feathers around him, but also pulled out the last few wings that sheltered him from the wind and rain. The Donggong Party collapsed completely in this way, and even Dai Zhide, who once held great power, was powerless.

And Li Hong took off the heavy responsibility of supervising the prince, as if he really became a patient who could rest at ease. When he was free, he asked Wu Yi to read "Zuo Zhuan" and other books to him through a curtain, as if to make up for his childhood. lack of knowledge.

"Mr. Zhuang Wusheng frightened the Jiang family, so it was called "Wusheng", so he hated it..." When Wu Yi read Zheng Boke's section on Yu Yan, his heart skipped a beat, and he hurriedly turned several pages, wanting to turn over over this one.

Unexpectedly, Li Hong's weak voice came from the curtain: "This is a good article, but unfortunately I didn't read it much before, why did I turn it over?"

Wu Yi couldn't help being dumbfounded, and after a while, he managed to make up an excuse: "I didn't go to school when I was young, so I don't know many words. The words in this chapter are weird. I... really can't read it."

The two of them were talking through a curtain when they heard a crisp and exquisite voice.

Li Hong's first wife, Pei Judao's daughter, Pei Shi, stood at the door for a moment, her light blue skirt fluttering in the breeze, like the youngest bud in spring.

She nodded slightly towards Wu Yi, and smiled slightly: "Since you don't know how, then I'll read it for you."