Datang: Just been appointed as the crown prince, the counterattack system is here

Chapter 391 You're forcing me to kill my brothers! [Seeking monthly votes]

"How dare you! Open your dog eyes and see clearly, this is His Highness the Crown Prince!"

Laifu couldn't help but spur his horse forward and roar, "Open the city gates at once!"

"Ok?"

The surrounding soldiers were slightly startled, and then they all looked at Li Chengqian.

Although Li Chengqian was not wearing the formal crown prince's robes or any clothing that signified his status as crown prince, anyone who had spent some time in Chang'an would not mistake his face.

After all, Li Chengqian's appearances in Chang'an were quite frequent.

First came the city-wide rain-praying ceremony, followed by the city-wide military exercise that shocked the entire city.

Every time, it leaves a deep impression.

Therefore, it was impossible for the soldiers guarding the gates of Chang'an not to recognize Li Chengqian.

Then a soldier said in a low voice to the leading soldier, "It really does seem to be His Highness the Crown Prince! What should we do? Should we let him through?"

"this."

The leading soldier glanced at Li Chengqian with suspicion, then frowned: "Letting them pass is easy, but the key is how to explain it to the Prince of Liang?"

“Yes! A few days ago, two men claiming to be from the Hundred Cavalry Division tried to enter the city. They had no problem with their fish-shaped tally, but after being allowed into the city, they were killed that same day. Even the person who let them into the city was imprisoned for violating epidemic prevention regulations!” another soldier whispered in agreement.

"But this person is indeed His Highness the Crown Prince. I can't be mistaken."

"That won't do either. Right now, the defense of the entire Chang'an city is under the control of the Prince of Liang. Even the court officials, the empress, and the concubines in the palace have to obey the Prince of Shu's orders."

"That's right, we can't take that risk and violate the epidemic prevention regulations."

"Hey! You lot! What are you dawdling about? Open the city gates now!"

Seeing that the city guards were slow to open the city gates, Pei Xingjian couldn't help but shout sternly, "If you delay His Highness the Crown Prince's important business, you'll be in big trouble!"

"Uh, this."

The soldiers guarding the city exchanged glances, and then the leading soldier stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "Your Highness, it's not that we don't want to open the city gates, but the epidemic prevention regulations stipulate that we cannot let anyone into the city without authorization!"

Although his tone was much gentler than last time, he still had no intention of letting Li Chengqian and his group into the city. Instead, he offered a compromise: "How about this, I'll send someone to inform His Highness Prince Liang to come and welcome you?"

"Bastard thing!"

Pei Xingjian was furious and prepared to draw his embroidered spring knife, intending to force his way in.

But the next moment, Li Chengqian suddenly stopped him: "Old Pei! Forget it! Let him go and inform Li Yin. I also want to see him!"

"But His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."

"Alright, that's it!"

Seeing that Pei Xingjian wanted to say something more, Li Chengqian interrupted him without any room for argument.

Soon, a city guard was sent into the city.

Li Chengqian, meanwhile, inquired about the situation of the people outside the city.

It turned out that the situation was worse than he had imagined, which even made his face look gloomy.

Upon hearing about the so-called epidemic prevention regulations, Li Chengqian's murderous intent surged.

It has to be said that Li Ke and Li Yin, these two brothers, really did court death.

What did they value human life? They treated the people of Chang'an like dirt!
"Fine! Fine! This is forcing me to kill my own brothers!"

Li Chengqian was so angry that he laughed instead.

On the other side, at the medical school.

The former cleanliness and order have vanished.

The air was filled with a pungent herbal smell and an indescribable fishy odor.

The physicians of the Shu Prince's Palace were busy at work, and the tools and methods they used seemed bizarre and barbaric to Sun Simiao and others.

Some selected patients were brought in and received the so-called treatment.

Their faces were filled with ecstasy and anticipation.

Sun Simiao and his students were forced to stand aside and assist.

The main task was to clean the utensils that emitted strange smells and grind some colorful and even fishy-smelling medicinal herbs that they had never seen before.

Every action was filled with humiliation.

A young student watched as a black, viscous ointment was applied to the patients' festering wounds and couldn't help but whisper to his teacher, "Dean Sun, what...what are they using? Can that stuff really cure smallpox?"

Sun Simiao silently ground the foul-smelling herbs in his hands, not raising his head, his voice so low it was almost a whisper: "This is not medicine, but evil magic. Using poison to fight poison may temporarily suppress the symptoms, but its toxicity penetrates deep into the internal organs, and the consequences may be endless."

At this point, he suddenly recalled the sallow face of the plague doctor, and a sense of foreboding welled up inside him: "Those so-called healers...maybe they're not really cured..."

"Ah? This"

The young student couldn't help but immediately cover his mouth, trying not to make a sound.

But the shock in my heart was indescribable.

At that moment, the new dean's 'assistant' who was in charge of taking over the medical school, also known as the plague doctor's assistant, walked over.

His face lacked the sallow complexion of a plague doctor, but instead revealed an eerie pallor. His eyes were devoid of any emotion as he scanned Sun Simiao and the others like a zombie, as if they were a pile of wood.

He casually tossed a piece of paper covered with strange symbols and the names of medicinal herbs in front of Sun Simiao.

"Dean Sun!"

He deliberately emphasized the sarcastic title, but his speaking speed didn't slow down at all.

But then he quickly said, "The Plague Doctor has ordered that the formula for 'Plague-Clearing Powder' has been modified, and the quantity this time is larger than before. Tomorrow, not only will those infected with the plague in the city need treatment, but even those who are not infected with the plague must be protected against it."

Although he spoke very quickly, his tone left no room for doubt.

Sun Simiao picked up the paper, glanced at it, and his pupils suddenly contracted.

The main ingredients listed above have strong and conflicting properties, and one of them is even highly poisonous!
This so-called modified version of 'Qingwen San' is not a preventative medicine at all, but a slow-acting poison that can induce organ failure and create greater panic and death.

Grief and indignation surged within him like magma.

He abruptly looked up at the pale-faced plague doctor's assistant, his eyes flashing with undisguised anger and accusation for the first time: "This prescription...this prescription is simply..."

"Ok?"

The Plague Doctor's assistant's eyes flashed with a sharp light, like a venomous snake eyeing its prey, and a chilling aura instantly enveloped Sun Simiao: "Dean Sun, you only need to do as you're told. The orders of His Highness the Prince of Shu and the Plague Doctor are the law of Chang'an! Or do you want to taste the bitterness of disobeying military orders?"

His hand, intentionally or unintentionally, rested on the short knife at his waist.

Threat, naked threat!
Sun Simiao gripped the prescription, which felt like a death warrant, his knuckles turning white.

On one side is the conscience of a doctor and the responsibility to the lives of countless people; on the other side is the cold-blooded executioner's knife and the imminent threat.

Looking at the terrified and desperate eyes of the students around him, and at the patients in the laboratory who were being misled and were about to suffer even greater pain, a tremendous sense of powerlessness almost overwhelmed him.

"Your Highness! Please come back soon!"

He shouted in his heart.

At this moment, Li Chengqian became his only source of spiritual support.

He must live!

We must wait for Li Chengqian to return to Chang'an!
We must pass on this last glimmer of hope!
He slowly, with immense difficulty, lowered his head, his voice seemingly squeezed out from between his teeth, carrying endless humiliation and heaviness: "This old Taoist obeys."

The plague doctor's assistant gave a satisfied snort and turned to leave.

Sun Simiao lowered his head and continued grinding the foul-smelling medicinal herbs. His turbid tears dripped silently into the stone mortar, mixing with the strange powder.

At the same time, Taiji Palace, Taiji Hall.

Li Ke is presiding over a cabinet meeting.

According to the rules for establishing a cabinet, Li Ke was not entitled to participate in cabinet meetings, let alone preside over them.

But the situation is stronger than the people.

No matter how unwilling Fang Xuanling and Li Jing were to let Li Ke interfere in cabinet affairs, as Li Yin took over the defense of Chang'an and the epidemic in Chang'an gradually stabilized under Li Ke's air defense, things changed.

No matter what they do, they can't avoid mentioning the Li brothers.

Otherwise, their orders to govern the country on behalf of the emperor, issued by the cabinet, would not even leave Chang'an.

But Li Ke said calmly and indifferently, "Ministers, do you have any further comments on today's topic? If not, then the meeting is adjourned!"

"this."

The cabinet ministers exchanged glances, then looked at Fang Xuanling and Li Jing, the two Ministers of the Imperial Secretariat.

Fang Xuanling hesitated slightly, then smiled and said, "The smallpox epidemic has appeared in Chang'an, but it has not spread to the surrounding areas, which is a great thing. We must attribute this achievement to His Highness the Prince of Shu's effective prevention and control."

"Yeah yeah!"

"His Highness the Prince of Shu has rendered a great service!" The cabinet ministers echoed, but what they were really thinking remained a mystery.

Li Ke, however, remained unconcerned and calmly said, "It is indeed a great thing to have brought the plague in Chang'an under control before the Crown Prince returns. But the plague in Chang'an is still very serious, and we cannot let our guard down."

"Therefore, martial law must still be enforced."

"It's natural!"

Liu Ji immediately chimed in, "It was precisely because of the martial law in Chang'an that smallpox did not spread to the surrounding areas!"

“But Chang’an is the capital after all. We can’t keep under martial law like this forever, can we?” Chu Suiliang said with some concern. “Besides, we haven’t heard from His Majesty for a long time. What if His Majesty has some urgent matter and needs to contact us?”

"Yeah yeah!"

"We cannot let His Majesty be unaware of our situation!"

The cabinet ministers echoed this sentiment once again, and this time their agreement was clearly more genuine.

Because their tone didn't have that perfunctory feel.

But Li Ke coldly replied, "I will inform His Majesty. Besides, have you forgotten? I am the Grand Steward of Grain and Provisions appointed by His Majesty, responsible for transporting the nation's grain reserves. As the saying goes, 'An army marches on its stomach.'"

"If His Majesty wants to wage war or return to the capital, he should contact me first, not you. Therefore, you need not worry about His Majesty's affairs. The most urgent task is to control the epidemic in Chang'an and completely eradicate the smallpox plague."

At this point, as if suddenly remembering something, he added, "To be honest, my physicians, after many days of research and considering the patients' symptoms, have developed a modified version of 'Qingwen Powder'! This 'Qingwen Powder' can not only treat smallpox, but also prevent it!"

"Once this modified version of 'Qingwen San' is developed, no one will have to fear smallpox anymore, nor will they have to worry about being infected with smallpox!"

"What!?"

The cabinet ministers were taken aback upon hearing this.

Even Li Jing and Wei Zheng, who had been silent all along, looked at Li Ke with disbelief.

But then Gao Shilian, the Minister of Personnel, spoke first: "Your Highness, Prince of Shu! Is what you're saying true?! Have the physicians in your household really developed a miraculous medicine to prevent and treat smallpox?!"

“Yes, Your Highness! This is no laughing matter!” Cabinet Minister Yu Zhining couldn’t help but chime in.

"hehe."

Li Ke finally revealed a smile, then looked around at the assembled officials and said, "You ministers may not believe in me, Li Ke, but you cannot disbelieve in the physicians of my Shu Prince's Palace! Their skill in treating smallpox is unmatched even by the Crown Prince's Medical Academy!"

"If you don't believe me, you can go to any commoner in Chang'an and ask them who cured their illness!"

"this."

Upon hearing this, the ministers exchanged bewildered glances.

The skill of the physicians in the Shu Prince's Palace was evident to all.

But then Wei Zheng said thoughtfully, "Does Dean Sun know about the modified version of 'Qingwen Powder' that His Highness the Prince of Shu mentioned?"

"It's natural!"

Li Ke smiled faintly, then said firmly, "Dean Sun not only knew about this modified version of 'Qingwen Powder,' but also personally assisted the physicians of my Shu Prince's Mansion in its development!"

"If the Crown Prince's tutor doesn't believe it, he can go to the medical school to verify whether it is true!"

Upon hearing this, Wei Zheng was speechless.

Li Jing, standing to the side, said somewhat impatiently, "Then how long will it take to develop this modified 'Qingwen Powder'? It can't be six months or a year, can it?"

"General Li, rest assured! The physicians in my palace are all renowned doctors. It certainly won't take long. With the assistance of Dean Sun and the physicians from the medical school, it will be developed in ten days to half a month at most!"

"At that time, after everyone takes this modified version of 'Qingwen San', the gates of Chang'an will be opened and the epidemic prevention measures will be lifted."

Upon hearing this, the cabinet ministers breathed a sigh of relief, their faces showing a hint of expectant excitement.

"In that case, I'll have to trouble Your Highness, the King of Shu!"

In conclusion, Fang Xuanling bowed to Li Ke.

The other cabinet ministers also bowed to him, saying, "Your Highness the Prince of Shu has made great contributions and is the heart of the people!"

"hehe."

Li Ke smiled noncommittally, then waved his hand and said, "Meeting adjourned!"

"Yes!"

Soon, Li Ke watched as the cabinet ministers left the Taiji Hall.

Only when he was the only one left in the Taiji Hall did he suppress his smile and slowly turn to look at the emperor's throne that was so close to him.

There was a time when he dreamed of getting closer to that throne, but reality told him that it was almost impossible.

It wasn't until recently that he suddenly realized that the throne that had once seemed so far away was actually so close to him.

It felt as if I could just plop down whenever I wanted to.

Fortunately, Li Ke did not lose his mind. He only took a deep look at the extremely tempting throne before turning around and leaving the Taiji Hall.

Those who achieve great things must be patient!

Li Ke kept reassuring himself until he returned to the Prince of Shu's residence.

"Brother! The plague doctor is here!"

The moment Li Ke stepped into the Shu Prince's residence, Li Yin hurriedly came to greet him.

"What's all the rush about?!"

Li Ke snapped at Li Yin impatiently, then asked in a deep voice, "Has something serious happened?"

"I don't know either! I just saw the plague doctor barge in with his men, saying he wanted to see you. I asked him what happened, but he wouldn't say!"

Li Yin said with a worried look, "I was just about to go to the palace to visit my mother!"

"What's wrong with Mother?"

"It's nothing much, they just heard that many princes and princesses in the palace have contracted smallpox, and they're a little worried. They want us to send doctors into the palace to treat them!"

"Hmph! Mind your own business!"

Li Ke snorted coldly in annoyance and then entered the Shu Prince's Mansion without paying any attention.

Soon, the plague doctor told him the purpose of his visit.

"General, are you saying that those cured patients are starting to relapse?"

Li Ke's voice carried a hint of barely perceptible tension.

'Popular support' is his greatest asset at this moment; if the miracle fails, the consequences will be unimaginable.

The plague doctor sat in the shadows, his face even more sallow than usual, with a strange bluish tinge.

He slowly wiped his fingers with a silk handkerchief, as if they were covered in some unseen filth.

"Your Highness, there is no need to worry."

His voice was hoarse, carrying an inhuman coldness: "The cure is only temporary. My method is to stimulate the remaining vitality in their bodies and forcibly suppress the smallpox virus. The price is that they will overdraw their lifespan and are very susceptible to relapse caused by other external factors. This is not a bad thing."

He raised his unfathomable eyes and looked at Li Ke and Li Yin: "A relapse means that panic will spread again, and even more intensely. When those who were once cured fall again, or even die in a more gruesome way, the people will be utterly desperate and will cling even more frantically to Your Highness as their only lifeline!"

"The loyalty they are willing to show at that time will exceed your imagination!"

Li Ke and Li Yin exchanged a glance, both seeing coldness in each other's eyes, but also a deeper greed.

The words of the plague doctor are like the whispers of the devil, treating human lives as fuel to ignite the torch of their power.

"Then the modified version of 'Qingwen Powder'?" Li Ke pressed.

"Distribute on time."

The Plague Doctor's lips curled into a cruel smile: "That's not just poison, it's also a catalyst. It will hasten the death of those who are physically weak, or those who are not 'devout' enough to His Highness."

"At the same time, it will also neutralize some of the traces I leave behind during my treatment that are easily detected by skilled physicians. With this two-pronged approach, the plague in Chang'an will only intensify, and Your Highness's prestige will soar to new heights!"

"Very well! We shall follow General Lang's plan!"

Li Ke took a deep breath, suppressing a slight discomfort in his heart. His eyes were filled with cold determination. He then turned to Li Yin and said, "Brother Yin, speed up the development of the modified 'Qingwen Powder,' and give special attention to those who still have illusions about the Medical School, or rather, about the Crown Prince!"

"Furthermore, let our own people spread the word that those who relapsed did so because they were not sincere enough and were secretly practicing the evil practice of smallpox, thus angering the plague god!"

"yes, Sir!"

Li Yin accepted the order, his eyes gleaming with a mixture of excitement and cruelty.

However, just then, a report suddenly came from outside the door: "Your Highness, the Crown Prince has returned to Chang'an and is currently being stopped by the guards at the city gate. Please give your instructions!"

"What!?"

The Li brothers were greatly surprised when they heard this.

The plague doctor also narrowed his eyes instantly.

Did Li Chengqian return to Chang'an at this time because he already knew that they would tamper with the 'Qingwen Powder'? Or did he come prepared?
(End of this chapter)