Second-hand time travel: Liu Bei, the big-eared bandit

Chapter 233 Poison Severing the Imperial Court
The court meeting was in chaos, with Liu Yu, Liu Yan, and Liu Biao taking turns to argue their points and debate with the officials.

All three were outstanding members of the imperial clan, with exceptional eloquence, and none of them had any flaws in their private conduct. The officials simply could not find any grounds to attack them.

We can't exactly accuse the royal family of forming factions, can we?
Even if they formed a clique, it would still be a harmonious and friendly relationship between distant relatives...

Although the imperial clan was small in number, they had the emperor's support. Although the emperor did not speak in court, the imperial clan seemed to have the upper hand in the debate between the two sides.

"...If the Agricultural Commandant's plan is implemented, wouldn't that be seizing farmland and competing with the people for profit? Everything in the world should be done according to its proper way. The military should be doing military affairs, how can it be used for farming and land reclamation?!"

This is the opposition's argument.

"During the reign of Emperor Xiaowu, military colonels were established in places like Luntai and Quli in the Western Regions. This is not without precedent! And who says that soldiers cannot oversee agriculture? An army marches on its stomach, and which general who knows military affairs doesn't set up military farms?!"

Liu Biao refuted him without hesitation.

"To conscript thousands of people to farm the land for the army is tantamount to a massive military campaign! This is the policy of the tyrannical Qin! Our great Han Dynasty governs with benevolence and filial piety; how can we emulate the tyrannical Qin?!"

The opposition has come up with a new argument.

"What's wrong with letting commoners rent government land? Does it have to be left completely barren to be considered benevolent governance?! If you don't give the people a way to survive, how will you quell the riots? Otherwise, how about His Majesty appoints you as the governor of Bazhou and you go to quell the Bantun barbarians?"

Liu Yan sprayed the spittle all over Liu Yan's face.

"If we were to manage farmland through military settlements, then the current military system, tax system, canal transport, official system, and state and county affairs would all have to be changed. It would affect everything, and the entire Han Dynasty would be in turmoil. How could we change it so easily? Besides... when the Duke of Bo'an proposed placing the military settlement commanders under the jurisdiction of the Grand Master of Ceremonies, was he not entirely without ulterior motives?!"

This is because opposition heavyweight Yuan Ji personally intervened, and that really hit the nail on the head.

A large-scale adjustment to the military-agricultural system in prefectures and counties would involve many aspects, requiring changes to the procedures of every department, making it indeed very difficult to implement.

The key to stopping this matter is to stir up the emperor's fear of difficulty.

Moreover, Liu Yu certainly had some selfish motives as well.

However, Liu Yu's personal interests lay not in military power, nor in money, grain, or land.

After all, Liu Yu knew very well that if this matter succeeded, the emperor would definitely separate the military colonels of each prefecture and place them under the emperor's direct command, just like the Western Garden Army, and would not allow them to fall under the jurisdiction of the Grand Master of Ceremonies.

What Liu Yu wanted was to get something done.

Unlike most officials in the imperial court, he had seen countless starving people in Ganling and personally resettled tens of thousands of refugees.

Liu Yu had previously sought a reputation for integrity, but that empty reputation never earned him the genuine support of the people.

But ever since he settled the refugees in Ganling with Liu Bei and received the wild fruits and game that the refugees sincerely offered him, Liu Yu had no interest in money, grain, wealth, or any kind of empty fame.

What Liu Yu wanted was a reputation for benevolence in the true sense of the word.

He longed to see the light in the eyes of the common people again, and to receive their heartfelt gifts once more—the wild fruits of Ganling were actually sour and astringent, but they were the most delicious things Liu Yu had ever eaten.

Both seek fame and a good reputation after death, but they are different.

People grow, change, and seek the path they will pursue throughout their lives.

Especially for men in their thirties and forties, if they cannot find their own path, they will not have peace of mind even if they have no worries about food and clothing. The so-called midlife crisis is not about the difficulty of supporting a family, but about the confusion and bewilderment of being lost and having no ambition to fulfill.

It's not that one has unfulfilled ambitions, but rather that one has no ambitions to fulfill, because one hasn't found one's own path.

But once you find your own path, you will no longer feel lost or confused. Even in poverty and hardship, you will always be able to remain calm and at peace.

This is what it means to be free from confusion at forty.

What Liu Yu wanted was peace of mind and tranquility.

Doing good deeds can actually be addictive.

It was precisely for this reason that Liu Yu consistently supported Liu Bei.

"Your Majesty, I request to resign from my position as Grand Master of Ceremonies... I propose this plan without any selfish motives. I beg Your Majesty to grant me the position of Agricultural Commandant and to entrust me with the task of establishing military farms in the border prefectures, so that I may observe its effectiveness. All military, political, financial, and tax matters may also be gradually improved and amended based on my performance. This is a plan to strengthen the army and revitalize the people, and it must not be abandoned because of difficulties!"

Liu Yu did not respond to Yuan Ji, but instead requested a transfer, intending to serve as the Agricultural Commandant himself as a model so that the court could adjust specific affairs based on his example.

He even gave up his position as Grand Master of Ceremonies, so his so-called selfishness naturally crumbled on its own.

Liu Yu's involvement left Yuan Ji speechless.

The opposition was indeed at a loss for words to refute for the time being.

The emperor was overjoyed and was about to agree with Liu Yu's words to finalize the matter, but at this moment, an unexpected change occurred.

A palace eunuch entered the hall and reported: "Your Majesty... A report has come from Yongle Palace that the Empress Dowager has fainted!"

The Han Dynasty governed the country with filial piety in mind. When the Empress Dowager suddenly fell ill and went into a coma, the Emperor naturally had to go to her immediately.

The court debate, which was on the verge of reaching a conclusion, was thus interrupted.

... Yongle Palace.

Empress Dowager Dong has indeed fallen ill.

But the onset of this illness was strange.

The palace servants said that shortly after lunch, the Empress Dowager collapsed suddenly while taking a walk in the back garden without any warning. She had always been in good health and had no illnesses before.

The imperial physician was already examining the patient. After making the diagnosis, the physician looked uneasy but hesitated for a long time before revealing the result, only saying that the disease was difficult to treat.

Liu Hong was furious, called the doctor a quack, expelled the imperial physician, and ordered Zhang Feng, the chief physician, to select more renowned doctors to treat him.

Zhang Feng gathered a dozen or so famous doctors from Luoyang to bring to the palace, but all the doctors were the same—after taking the pulse and examining the tongue, they stammered and said that the disease was not found in medical books, and the doctors were powerless to help, and could only hope that the Empress Dowager could heal herself.

Why do people say this disease is incurable? Is there some hidden reason?

Liu Hong found it strange and instead of punishing the doctors, he had Zhang Feng select the most renowned doctor to be questioned privately.

When questioned, Liu Hong held a sword in his hand.

"...This is not a disease..."

The doctor uttered four words with trepidation.

Liu Hong's face turned deathly pale. He realized, "Poisoning? What kind of poison?"

"It must have been aconite and arsenic mixed in with the food..."

The doctors in Luoyang were actually very skilled and had long ago identified the problem, but none of them dared to say it.

After all, someone who could poison Empress Dowager Dong could also easily kill the entire family of a physician.

Is it possible to save him/her?

Liu Hong's face was already as ugly as a ghost, and when his face flushed with anger, his face and neck even faintly shimmered with iridescent colors in the afternoon sunlight.

Not only the doctor saw it, but Zhang Feng also saw it; the iridescent skin was clearly abnormal.

But Zhang Feng didn't say anything.

The doctor glanced at Zhang Feng with fear and unease, but remained silent.

"Can't I?!"

Liu Hong was unaware of his condition. Seeing that the doctor remained silent, he stepped forward with his sword drawn, his eyes flashing with a fierce light.

Zhang Feng quickly stepped forward to stop Liu Hong: "Your Majesty, Your Majesty need not do this... It is certain that he can be saved."

After saying that, he turned around and kicked the doctor: "Hurry up and treat the Empress Dowager. If you can't cure her, you will die today!"

The doctor nodded, knowing that Zhang Feng was trying to save him, and quickly got to work.

This is the bedroom in Yongle Palace, and there is a bronze mirror on the dressing table.

After stopping Liu Hong, Zhang Feng took a few steps back and quietly stood in front of the dressing table, using his body to block the bronze mirror.

The doctor's skills were decent. After inducing vomiting, rinsing the stomach, acupuncture, and medication, Empress Dowager Dong's pulse finally became much more regular, and Liu Hong breathed a sigh of relief.

As night fell, the Emperor saw that the Empress Dowager's condition had improved, so he abandoned his murderous intent and ordered Zhang Feng to take the physicians to rest outside the palace, and to have them examine her again the next day.

When Zhang Fengxing reached a secluded spot, he turned to the physician and asked, "What ailment does His Majesty suffer from? Why does his body have a metallic sheen?"

The doctor replied in a low voice, "This is erysipelas. This condition often occurs after taking pills containing cinnabar, lead, and mercury. This poison has been accumulating for a long time and has now spread to the surface of the body. I'm afraid..."

But I dare not say it again.

Zhang Feng understood, so he changed his question: "How much time does Your Majesty have left?"

"Perhaps a year, perhaps a few months... If one falls ill and is bedridden, there will be no cure..."

Doctors are clearly very familiar with this situation. In those days, many high-ranking officials and nobles believed in alchemists and often took elixirs. Hallucinogenic drugs such as Five-Stone Powder and Aconite were also popular. Not a few people died from erysipelas.

The elixir that the emperor regularly took was the Yin-Yang Elixir.

The Yin-Yang Pill was indeed very effective in enhancing male virility and aphrodisiac properties. Empress He's Changqiu Palace always kept this item on hand to enhance her pleasure, which is why the Emperor always favored Empress He.

Moreover, Empress He and Empress Dowager Dong had always been at odds... Empress Dowager Dong was domineering, and Empress He was arrogant, so their relationship was always very tense.

Thinking of this, Zhang Feng turned pale and quickly went to find Zhang Rang.

(End of this chapter)