Gou was a member of the imperial family in the late Ming Dynasty

Chapter 400: Folk Remedies
If Huang Taiji did not have Nurhaci's ambition, peace talks between the two sides would not be impossible. The Ming Dynasty also needed to take a breather. The Ming Dynasty could not afford to support the Liaodong war for a long time. As long as Huang Taiji agreed to some conditions of the Ming Dynasty, gave up the so-called emperor title, and stayed in Liaodong, it would not be impossible for the Ming Dynasty to let Jiannu go.

This was also one of the reasons why Emperor Tianqi acquiesced to the peace talks, but what Wei Zhongxian said today suddenly made Emperor Tianqi alert.

If Wei Zhongxian told Emperor Tianqi that Huang Taiji was just a reckless man who only knew how to fight and kill, Emperor Tianqi might not have worried. However, Wei Zhongxian said that Huang Taiji adjusted Liaodong's policy towards the Liao people and adopted a strategy of appeasement, which could not help but make Emperor Tianqi think more.

A robber who only knows how to kill people, and another robber who knows how to use people's hearts and tactics. Which one is more threatening to you? The answer is obvious.

It seems that Huang Taiji is not an ordinary person. He has great ambitions in doing this. Once he gathers those Liao people together and makes them truly useful to him, the strength of the Jiannu in Liaodong will definitely increase greatly, which will make them more difficult to deal with than the old slaves before.

"What is Yuan Chonghuan doing now? Is he just keen on peace talks?"

"Your Majesty, I have inquired and found that Yuan Chonghuan is currently doing two things. One is naturally the peace talks, and the other is to strengthen the defenses of Ningyuan and Jinzhou."

Hearing this answer, Emperor Tianqi's expression eased and he nodded slightly, saying, "Yuan Chonghuan still has some brains. At least he didn't miss the important task."

"This is all because of the emperor's ability to know how to use people. Without the emperor, Yuan Chonghuan would not be where he is today." Wei Zhongxian immediately flattered the Emperor Tianqi.

Emperor Tianqi smiled and said nothing. He thought for a moment and said to Wei Zhongxian, "Military supplies from Liaodong must be shipped as soon as possible. Although we are negotiating, we must not be careless. The Jiannu are not gentlemen. They will not trust you. They will always go back on their words. We must negotiate, but we must also be on guard. Please tell Yuan Chonghuan this for me."

"The servant understands."

"Also, tell Mao Wenlong to keep a close eye on the Jiannu's movements in Pi Island and not to be careless!"

"The slaves obey the order."

"Okay, go down. I'm a little sleepy and need to rest." After Emperor Tianqi said this, he waved at Wei Zhongxian, not knowing whether it was because of the effects of the medicine or if he was really tired. Wei Zhongxian responded and quietly retreated.

After leaving the side hall, Wei Zhongxian subconsciously turned his head to look in the direction of Emperor Tianqi, and couldn't help but sigh in his heart. Emperor Tianqi's illness really worried Wei Zhongxian, and he didn't know when the disease could be cured. When he met Emperor Tianqi today, Emperor Tianqi once again asked for a famous folk doctor, which made Wei Zhongxian really in a dilemma.

Wei Zhongxian had no idea how to deal with this matter. He subconsciously planned to go back and find his godsons to discuss it and listen to their opinions. But suddenly Wei Zhongxian thought that the emperor's illness was a big deal. Even if his godsons discussed such a matter, it would be easy to be criticized once it got out. After thinking about it, Wei Zhongxian suddenly came up with an idea, which was to consult Keshi first. Keshi was the person he trusted most in the palace, and Keshi had no connection with the court. Wouldn't it be better to let her be his advisor?

At this point, Wei Zhongxian went to Keshi's residence without hesitation, and arrived at Keshi's place a moment later. When he met Keshi, Wei Zhongxian did not hide anything and told her about the recurrence of Emperor Tianqi's illness and that Emperor Tianqi asked him to find a famous folk doctor. After listening to Wei Zhongxian's story, Keshi, a woman, had no good solution. She frowned and thought for a long time, and finally a light bulb suddenly flashed in her mind and she made a suggestion.

Keshi’s suggestion was that since the level of the imperial physicians in the Imperial Medical Bureau was not good and it was difficult to find famous folk doctors outside, it would be better to try some folk remedies for the emperor?
Isn’t there an old saying among the people? The so-called folk remedies for curing serious diseases, grass roots and tree barks have miraculous effects!

Many ordinary people who cannot afford medical treatment can also rely on folk remedies to cure their illnesses, and the results are very good. Keshi was originally a common woman with a low level of education, and the same is true for Wei Zhongxian. Although their current status is different from the past, people's thinking patterns will not change. Folk remedies are effective and have been passed down since ancient times. In addition, people of this era are superstitious, so they naturally believe in them.

Keshi's words suddenly enlightened Wei Zhongxian. The more he thought about it, the more he felt it made sense. He immediately slapped his thigh and said that this was a good idea. Then, Wei Zhongxian did not even stay with Keshi any longer. He hurried out of the palace to find someone to find a folk remedy. If he could find a suitable folk remedy to cure the emperor's illness, it would be a great achievement!

The next day, at a house in the capital.

It was still the bearded man and the slightly plump man, sitting opposite each other and talking in low voices as before.

Compared to the gloomy look on their faces a few months ago, they now look much better. Because Emperor Tianqi fell ill after falling into the water, Wei Zhongxian's suppression of the Donglin Party was not as fierce as before. In addition, Emperor Tianqi's physical condition had not been good since he fell ill, and he relaxed his pressure on the Donglin Party due to lack of energy, which gave them a rare opportunity to breathe.

Although some Donglin Party officials have been dismissed in the past few months, and the eunuch party in the court is also very arrogant, it is at least much stronger than it was last year. It seems that the step he took at the beginning was the right one, but the problem is that they have not yet reached the required level. As long as Emperor Tianqi is still there and Wei Zhongxian continues to control the court, they are still not out of danger. Maybe one day Wei Zhongxian will chop off his head with a knife, and at that time, all the glory and wealth will become a passing cloud.

They all understand the principle of getting twice the result with half the effort. Moreover, since the previous things have been done, it is impossible to regret now. If you are going to do it, you have to do it thoroughly. If you give up halfway, you will be the one who suffers in the end.

"What's going on at the Imperial Hospital? Why haven't they taken any action yet?" The bearded man asked the slightly plump man with an unhappy look on his face, looking somewhat anxious.

"It's not that simple. Although the Imperial Hospital has made arrangements, it's impossible to let them use the medicine directly. Brother, don't forget that the prescriptions and medicines written by the imperial doctors are all recorded. Once something goes wrong, it's easy to trace it back to you and me. Besides, there are so many imperial doctors in the Imperial Hospital, and we have only bribed one or two of them. It's pretty good to be able to do this."

"It's been so long, and you can say that this is good?" the bearded man asked bluntly.

The slightly fat man comforted her, "There's nothing we can do about it. A minor illness will turn into a major one if it's delayed, and a major one into a serious one. A serious one..." At this point, the slightly fat man subconsciously looked around and lowered his voice, "After all, there can be no mistakes in medication. The wrong medicine or insufficient dosage is one thing, but using the wrong medicine is no small matter. It can get you killed. No one has the guts to bet their entire fortune on this. Right now, this is the safest thing to do."

The long-bearded man looked gloomy, and after a long time he sighed. He also understood the truth in the slightly fat man's words. Although they had the cooperation of the Imperial Hospital, this cooperation was also limited. The Imperial Hospital had strict rules, and there were not just one or two imperial doctors in the Imperial Hospital, but dozens of them.

Treating the emperor was no small matter. The prescriptions needed to be discussed by everyone, and the medications had to be kept in record. It was difficult to tamper with the medicine, and it was impossible to add something to the normal medication. It was already very difficult for the imperial doctors they bribed to help to this extent.

Because of this, although Emperor Tianqi had been taking medicine, the medicine never worked. Although sometimes he felt a little better, it seemed that the medicine was working, but not long after, the disease got worse again. This was the magic of the imperial physician's use of medicine.

From the prescription and medication, there is absolutely no problem, and it can withstand investigation. The difference is nothing more than the slight difference in the prescription and medication during diagnosis and treatment. In addition, with some professional means, even if it is found, it can be used because it is too cautious to treat the emperor. Anyway, most of the prescriptions of the Imperial Hospital are like this, not seeking merit but avoiding mistakes.

"I heard before that Your Majesty asked Wei Zhongxian to seek medical treatment among the people. Why not go with the flow?" the bearded man asked again.

The slightly fat man shook his head and said, "How can it be so easy? Let's not talk about whether the Imperial Hospital agrees to this. If a civilian doctor really comes and cures His Majesty with bold medicine, wouldn't all the previous efforts be wasted? It is because of this that I have been asking the Imperial Hospital to oppose this matter and delay it until now."

The bearded man frowned again. This matter had not been resolved and it was a worry for him. When the bearded man could not think of a better solution, the fat man suddenly said something that aroused his interest.

"What? A folk remedy?"

"That's right!" The slightly fat man nodded and said softly, "I heard today that Wei Zhongxian is looking for a folk remedy to cure the disease, intending to present it to Your Majesty."

The bearded man instantly showed joy. As a scholar, he had always scoffed at the idea of ​​folk remedies. However, Wei Zhongxian believed that this was a very good opportunity. If he could make some plans based on this folk remedy, maybe he could get things done.

The long-bearded man immediately asked the slightly plump man if he could think of a solution to this problem. The slightly plump man told the long-bearded man that he could think of a solution but it would be extremely difficult because of party disputes. Wei Zhongxian would definitely not believe in the Donglin Party members. Once the Donglin Party members wanted to offer the emperor a secret recipe or something, he would definitely refuse.

In addition, they must not be implicated in this matter, let alone the Donglin Party. Because if something goes wrong, they will not be able to escape the consequences, and it will backfire.

"Brother, this is what I think. We can plan this, but we can't take the lead directly. It's best to offer a secret recipe through the eunuch party. Whether this succeeds or not, it has nothing to do with you and me. What do you think?"

The bearded man nodded repeatedly, thinking that what the slightly plump man said was right. This was indeed an opportunity, but how to make use of this opportunity and how to accomplish this through the eunuch party was not easy. The two of them immediately discussed it carefully, one sentence after another, and they were still discussing heatedly until late at night.

(End of this chapter)