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

Chapter 403 Good brother, so I was your nemesis all along! [Seeking monthly votes]

Sun Simiao's cry of "You're all doomed!" struck like a thunderbolt from the heavens, hitting every troublemaking citizen of Chang'an hard on the head.

At that moment, time seemed to stand still.

Those who had been furious and clamoring to hand over the "divine physician" from the Shu King's mansion were now as if they had been choked, their faces pale and trembling uncontrollably.

"No! You're lying. You're absolutely lying!"

"That's right, that person's internal organs are fake. We weren't poisoned. Don't try to fool us!"

"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"

Even with the evidence laid bare, some people still refuse to believe it.

Li Chengqian and Sun Simiao exchanged a glance, preparing to deliver a fatal blow.

But then Li Chengqian said calmly, "Pei Xingjian, go and arrest all those people who were shouting in the crowd just now, and dissect them one by one for them to see!"

"Yes!"

Pei Xingjian responded and waved his hand without saying a word. In just a moment, the secret agents of the Embroidered Uniform Guard hidden in the crowd accurately located the person who had just caused trouble.

"No, no, no! I believe you! I believe in His Highness the Crown Prince! Don't kill me! No!"

"Ah! The Crown Prince is about to indiscriminately kill innocent people!"

"No!!!"

Hearing these desperate cries, the surrounding people were both shocked and frightened, yet their faces were filled with hope.

However, the greater the expectation, the greater the disappointment.

As Sun Simiao dissected the ringleaders one by one in public, the color of their internal organs was even blacker than that of the plague doctor's assistant.

What does this mean? It means they are already deeply poisoned.

But then Li Chengqian said, "Do you see clearly? They've long since run out of options! That's why they incited you to cause trouble at the Crown Prince's residence, and you're still acting like fools, cooperating with them!"

"Little did they know, they were trying to drag you down with them!"

Boom!

These words struck the entire audience like a thunderbolt!

A feeling of despair, far more intense than the plague, surged through my brain in an instant.

Almost all the Chang'an residents who participated in the riot were completely dumbfounded.

But Li Chengqian's voice clearly pierced through the crowd, calm and indifferent: "Now you know fear? You stormed the Crown Prince's residence, insulted me and Physician Sun, and had the courage to fight to the death? How does the 'Qingwen Powder,' which you all regard as a divine medicine, taste?"

"Pfft!"

Thump! Thump!
In just a moment, the Chang'an people who were just moments before indignant and wishing they could tear down the Crown Prince's residence collapsed in large numbers.

Some people were deathly pale and trembling like leaves.

Someone was desperately digging into the black lines on their arm, letting out a wild, animalistic howl.

Some people were so frightened that they lost control of their bladder and collapsed in the filth, their eyes glazed over.

"How could this happen? How could this happen?!" A gaunt man murmured in despair, trying to deny the cruel truth before him.

"Black lines... I really have black lines on my arm! They're so long! I... I'm going to die? I haven't lived enough yet!" A woman holding her child let out a heart-wrenching wail.

"King of Shu! Li Ke! You damned beast! May you die a horrible death—!!!" An old man, his eyes bloodshot, used all his strength to utter a blood-curdling curse towards the direction of the King of Shu's residence. Then, he lost his breath and fell straight backward.

Despair spread like wildfire among the people.

More deadly than smallpox.

The people who had just regarded Li Chengqian as their mortal enemy now looked at him with endless regret, fear, and a last glimmer of hopeful pleading.

"Your Highness! Physician Sun! We were wrong! We were blinded by greed!"

"Please! Save us! Save our child! We don't want to die!"

"Your Highness, have mercy! Spare us! It's all that scoundrel Li Ke's fault! We were deceived by him!"

Cries, pleas, and the sound of kowtowing rose and fell, creating a sea of ​​despair. They kowtowed desperately, their foreheads striking the cold stone pavement with dull thuds, their faces smeared with blood and tears.

At this moment, no 'miracle drug' or the King of Shu could compare to the desire to live.

Li Chengqian stood on the high steps of the Crown Prince's residence, coldly looking down at the scene of despair below, which resembled a living hell.

His face showed no emotion, only a calm that seemed to understand everything.

"I have said it before!" Li Chengqian's voice was like cold iron, each word striking the hearts of everyone present: "My blade does not kill the ignorant masses! It only kills the treacherous and wicked!"

He raised his hand and pointed to the dark entrails in Sun Simiao's hand, then to the dissected corpses of the rioters on the ground: "It wasn't me who harmed you! It was Li Ke! It was those so-called 'miracle doctors' of the Shu Prince's mansion! It was that 'Qingwen Powder' that was supposed to save lives but was actually killing them! It was they who turned you into these inhuman, ghostly figures! It was they who made you kill each other in despair!"

Every word he uttered was like a heavy hammer blow to the hearts of the people, shattering their last shred of illusions about the 'miracle doctor' of the Shu King's mansion.

Hatred burned wildly in despair, like a wildfire.

"Li Ke—!"

"Kill him! Kill that scoundrel!"

"And those damned 'miracle doctors' of the Shu Prince's mansion! Cut them into a thousand pieces—!"

Overwhelming hatred instantly replaced despair.

Countless blood-red eyes were fixed on the direction of the prison where Li Ke and the others were imprisoned.

The angry crowd, like a flood bursting its banks, was about to rush in that direction.

"quiet--!"

Pei Xingjian roared, his voice booming like thunder.

The Imperial Guards drew their gleaming Embroidered Spring Blades with a 'whoosh,' and the chilling blades instantly pushed back the surging crowd.

Li Chengqian raised his hand to stop Pei Xingjian.

His gaze swept over the faces below, contorted with hatred, and a cold, all-encompassing smile curled at the corner of his lips: "Revenge must be avenged! But lives must be saved even more!"

His voice suddenly rose, booming like a great bell, resounding throughout the entire hall: "Dr. Sun! Tell them! Is there an antidote for the poison in this 'Qingwen Powder'?!"

All eyes instantly focused on Sun Simiao, filled with a final, humble hope.

Sun Simiao took a deep breath, suppressing the complex emotions in his heart, and said loudly, "This poison is insidious, penetrating deep into the internal organs, and ordinary medicines are ineffective! But—"

He paused deliberately, whetting everyone's appetite, before declaring decisively under the watchful eyes of countless eager eyes: "His Highness the Crown Prince's 'cowpox vaccine' is the supreme and righteous method to combat the smallpox plague!"

"The pure yang energy contained in this vaccine can counteract the yin toxins of 'Qingwen San' and delay the failure of internal organs!"

"Although it cannot completely cure the serious illness, with the detoxifying and strengthening medicine I have prepared, and with diligent recuperation, there is still a glimmer of hope!"

"If those who are not infected with the virus receive the vaccine, they will be immune to smallpox for life!"

As Sun Simiao finished speaking, the words "smallpox vaccine," "a glimmer of hope," and "immunity to all diseases" ignited a spark in the eyes of all those on the verge of death, like torches in the darkness.

"The smallpox vaccine! We're saved!"

"Your Highness! It was Your Highness who saved us!"

"Dr. Sun! Quickly inoculate us with smallpox! Please save us!"

The crowd erupted in cheers again, but this time it was filled with ecstatic joy and gratitude at having escaped a desperate situation.

The way they looked at Li Chengqian and Sun Simiao was filled with unprecedented awe and fervor.

The previous insults and curses have now turned into the most devout worship and repentance.

"Your Highness is benevolent! You have relieved us from suffering!"

"Dr. Sun is a living god!"

"We are ignorant commoners, deserving of death! We thank Your Highness the Crown Prince and Physician Sun for saving our lives!"

The overwhelming wave of gratitude completely drowned out the previous despair and curses.

Looking at the dramatic turn of events below, Li Chengqian's eyes showed no trace of triumph, only a chilling indifference.

He slightly raised his hand, and the roaring waves instantly fell silent.

"Yang Nannan!"

"Your subject is here!" Yang Nannan responded crisply and stepped forward quickly.

"From this moment forward, you will be in full charge of coordinating with Physician Sun, the Medical College, and all the medical officers and apprentices of the Imperial Hospital to establish 'vaccination sites' in various wards of Chang'an."

"I want you to inoculate every single person in Chang'an who is still breathing with smallpox on their arm in the shortest possible time!"

Li Chengqian's voice brooked no argument: "Pei Xingjian, Xi Junmai, Wang Haibin, and everyone in the Crown Prince's Palace will fully cooperate in providing the necessary medicinal materials, manpower, and facilities! Anyone who dares to obstruct or sabotage this effort, whether military or civilian, will be killed without exception!"

"Your Majesty, we obey!" Yang Nannan, Pei Xingjian, Xi Junmai, and Wang Haibin solemnly accepted the order, their eyes filled with a sense of mission. Li Chengqian's gaze once again fell upon the dark mass of people below, his voice like the clash of swords: "First, effective immediately, the curfew in Chang'an City is lifted, but military control will be implemented! Xi Junmai's city defense troops and the Embroidered Uniform Guard will take over the city's defenses! Anyone who takes this opportunity to cause trouble or incite riots will be executed on the spot!"

"Second, shut down all pharmacies, workshops, and warehouses related to 'Qingwen San'! All those involved, regardless of their status, shall be imprisoned! Their property shall be confiscated and used for relief and epidemic prevention at the medical school!"

"Third, the Prince of Shu, Li Ke, the Prince of Liang, Li Yin, and their cronies Chai Zhewei, Cheng Chuliang, Yuchi Huan, Li Zong, and others shall be handed over to the Three Departments for trial. After the investigation is completed, they shall be dealt with according to the law and a report shall be submitted to His Majesty!"

"Fourth, a city-wide announcement: Shouzhulang is the root of all chaos, and his sorcerer and plague doctor are still at large! Anyone who reports his whereabouts or hideout will be rewarded with a thousand gold pieces and a noble title! Anyone who harbors or protects him will be punished as an accomplice and their entire family will be executed!"

Four consecutive decrees, like five thunderclaps, resounded over the Crown Prince's residence.

"Follow the order!"

Pei Xingjian and the others agreed again, their eyes burning with a fierce and resolute light.

The anger that had been suppressed for so long could finally be unleashed.

"in addition--"

Li Chengqian abruptly changed the subject, his voice carrying an invisible pressure as he surveyed the assembled citizens of Chang'an: "Now! You! Immediately! Get back here! Clean yourselves up! Line up for smallpox vaccination! Those who want to live, don't gather here and get in the way! My patience is limited! If you dare to cause trouble again, don't blame my blade for being merciless!"

The last sentence was chillingly menacing.

Like a bucket of cold water poured over their heads, it instantly calmed the ecstatic crowd down.

"Yes, yes, yes! Thank you, Your Highness! We'll go right away! We'll go right away!"

The people, as if waking from a dream, dared not linger any longer. They scrambled to their feet, helping each other along, and, filled with the relief of surviving a disaster and a last glimmer of hope for the future, dispersed as quickly as the tide receded.

They have only one thought in mind: to get to the nearest vaccination site and survive!
Seeing the street quickly become empty, Li Chengqian turned to Sun Simiao and said:
"Old Master Sun, I'll leave the rest to you. The hearts of the people in Chang'an were won back, but also earned through fighting."

Sun Simiao looked at Li Chengqian's young yet unfathomable profile, then at the mass of dark entrails in his hand, sighed deeply, and said with a complex expression:

"I will do my best! I will certainly live up to Your Highness's expectations and let this smallpox vaccine, like a seed of hope, spread throughout Chang'an!"

Li Chengqian nodded, his gaze sweeping over the Jinyiwei headquarters, seemingly penetrating the thick walls of the Jinyiwei prison, a subtle, almost imperceptible smile curving his lips.

On the other side, at the Embroidered Uniform Guard headquarters.

The siblings Bai Tong and Bai He, disguised as Li Chengqian and Yang Nannan, are brazenly leading their men toward the Jinyiwei prison.

"Greetings, Your Highness! Greetings, Commander Yang!"

The two Imperial Guards responsible for guarding the gate immediately saluted the two men.

"Yes, I'm going to see my two younger brothers. Lead the way!" Bai Tong said calmly, his tone and timbre almost identical to Li Chengqian's.

"Yes!"

The two Imperial Guards exchanged a glance. They naturally couldn't detect any flaws in Bai Tong and his sister's deception, so they immediately bowed and accepted the order, leading them towards the prison.

Soon, they arrived at the depths of the prison.

"Release me! Li Chengqian! You traitor! You framed a prince! Father will not let you get away with this!"

Before they even reached the Li brothers' cell, a hysterical roar erupted from the corridor.

Upon hearing the shout, the two Imperial Guards' expressions changed drastically, and they immediately looked at Li Chengqian: "Your Highness, this..."

"It's alright, it's just a death throes!"

Bai Tong mimicked Li Chengqian's tone, speaking calmly and indifferently.

The two Imperial Guards breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that His Highness the Crown Prince was indeed as approachable as the legends said. However, why would His Highness come to see Brother Li Ke? Commander Pei hadn't explained it either!
Despite a slight doubt in their hearts, they felt they couldn't possibly mistake Li Chengqian's appearance, build, and voice. So they exchanged a glance and continued to bow: "Your Highness, this way please. The prison of Prince Li Ke of Shu is just ahead!"

"Ok!"

Bai Tong nodded lightly, and then followed the two Imperial Guards in a proper manner toward Li Ke's prison.

Compared to Li Yin's shouting and yelling, Li Ke appeared unusually calm.

He was sitting cross-legged on a straw mat in the cell, staring at the dark and damp cell walls, seemingly lost in thought, his eyes calm and unwavering, as if nothing had happened.

"King Li Ke of Shu, His Highness the Crown Prince has arrived! Hurry up and pay your respects!"

Hearing the cold rebuke from one of the Imperial Guards, Li Ke snapped out of his daze and frowned as he looked towards the prison door.

"Is the Crown Prince here to kill me?" Li Ke asked directly.

"Be bold!"

The two Imperial Guards put on quite a show, immediately rebuking Li Ke in unison.

But Li Ke didn't even glance at them, and spoke again: "Aren't you afraid of bearing the infamy of killing your brothers?"

"I don't need to explain anything I do to anyone!"

Bai Tong finally spoke, still in Li Chengqian's tone.

It must be said that he imitated Li Chengqian quite well, it seems he has secretly studied him quite a bit.

"Ah!"

Li Ke laughed: "You don't need to explain to anyone, but let's see how you get past Father Emperor!"

"You don't need to worry about these things. Come with me!"

After saying this, Bai Tong waved his hand and said, "Open the cell door and bring him out!"

"what?"

The two Imperial Guards were stunned, wondering what was going on. Commander Pei hadn't said that Li Ke and the others could leave the prison!
"What, didn't you hear my order?" Bai Tong swept a cold glance over them.

The two Imperial Guards trembled instantly.

One of the Imperial Guards immediately bowed and said, "Your Highness, please forgive my intrusion, but where do you intend to take Prince Li Ke of Shu? Our Commander Pei instructed us to keep a close eye on him."

Although the words were phrased somewhat euphemistically, the meaning was very clear.

You took Li Ke away; we're in a difficult position to explain this to you!
However, Bai Tong seemed to have been prepared. With a sharp crack, he raised his hand and slapped her across the face: "Insolence—!"

"Do I need you to teach me how to do things?! Should I send Pei Xingjian over so I can see what kind of ignorant fools are under him?!"

"Ah? This"

Another member of the Imperial Guard was startled and hurriedly said in a trembling voice, "Your Highness, please calm down! Your Highness, please calm down! I will open the prison cell right away!"

After saying this, he quickly opened the cell door and urged Li Ke inside, "Prince Li Ke of Shu! Come out now! Don't keep His Highness the Crown Prince waiting!"

Li Ke frowned slightly and couldn't help but scrutinize Li Chengqian closely. He felt that something was wrong, but the next moment, his body began to move uncontrollably.

Swish!
In an instant, his pupils contracted sharply!
It's Shouchuro!

It's Shouzhulang manipulating the mother-child Gu to control me!
Li Ke was terrified. He wanted to shout and struggle, but his body was completely out of his control. He couldn't even make a sound. He just dragged himself out of the cell like a walking corpse.

The guards behind Bai Tong, who were actually Jinyiwei (Imperial Guards), immediately stepped forward and detained him.

"take away!"

Bai Tong didn't even glance at him, and immediately ordered him to be taken away.

When they reached Li Yin's cell door, Li Yin rushed over like a madman, grabbing at the cell and roaring angrily, "Li Chengqian! Where are you taking my elder brother! You traitor! You slander my elder brother and frame me! You!"

"Noisy!"

Before Li Yin could finish speaking, Bai Tong interrupted him with a sharp shout, then turned to the two Imperial Guards behind him and said, "Open Li Yin's cell door as well! I want to bring those brothers to justice!"

"What!?"

Upon hearing this, Li Yin was struck dumb, as if by lightning, and was instantly speechless with fright.

The two Imperial Guards exchanged a glance and then silently opened the cell door.

"No! No! I don't want to go out! Li Chengqian! You dare kill me! Father will never forgive you! Crown Prince, please spare me! I was wrong, I don't want to die!"

Li Yin was so frightened that he scrambled to his feet and stammered incoherently, but the men Bai Tong brought quickly subdued him.

Before long, they were led out of the Embroidered Uniform Guard prison by Bai Tong and others.

Meanwhile, a large group of Chang'an citizens, who had not yet received news from the Crown Prince's residence, were rushing towards this place in a fit of rage.

"Ah, Your Highness, do you still remember Li Chengqian's calamity?"

Bai Tong looked at the approaching angry mob, a slight smile playing on his lips, and said in a voice barely audible, "You are his calamity!"

"We, the garrison commanders, must solidify the charges against Li Chengqian for murdering his brothers and plotting rebellion, ruining his reputation and turning father and son into bitter enemies."

"Once General Hou's army arrives to quell the rebellion, everything will be over!"

"What!?"

Li Ke had not reacted at all, and Li Yin was completely stunned.

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(End of this chapter)