Da Ming: Father, step aside, I'll be the prime minister!

Chapter 277 A Miraculous Cure! Please Call the Emperor's Father-in-Law Empress Dowager!
Two days later.

Consort Wang Gong has already settled down in a courtyard of the medical clinic.

Her itinerary was kept secret from the entire time, and only a few senior staff members of Renmin Medical Clinic and the female doctors who took care of her in the courtyard knew about it.

Princess Yongning, Zhu Yaoying, was accompanied by more than a dozen trusted princess eunuchs. The courtyard was under high security, with the Imperial Guards guarding the outside, and all comings and goings were strictly managed.

"Dr. Zhang, is it really true that we can't drink this calming and soothing drink anymore?"

On the bed, Consort Wang spoke weakly, her words carrying a hint of pleading.

"I had thought that calming and tranquilizing pills would be good, but Yongning said they would be bad for my child. Now, I finally have another medicine that can relieve my worries, but I can't use it."

As the most outstanding female doctor in the clinic, Zhang Lanying naturally took on the responsibility of caring for Consort Gong. Upon hearing this, her expression immediately stiffened, and she handed over a bowl of medicine while smiling.

"Your Majesty, what are you saying? How can you not drink this calming and soothing drink? The doctor said that Your Majesty can only have one bowl a day, and more than that is not good."

The "master" she mentioned was naturally Zhang Yunxiu. Zhang Lanying knew in her heart that Consort Gong would not believe what others said, but she would never listen to what Zhang Yunxiu said.

Most importantly, the emperor trusted Zhang Yunxiu.

Consort Wang looked somewhat distressed: "But this calming and soothing drink seems different from usual. I feel unwell after drinking it. Doctor Zhang, do you think I prescribed the wrong medicine?"

"Absolutely not."

Remembering Zhang Yunxiu's instructions, Zhang Lanying quickly offered some words of comfort, and after thinking for a moment, she reminded him.

"Perhaps Her Majesty is feeling a little uneasy since leaving the palace, and Her Highness the Princess is not accompanying her, so she feels a bit lonely."

"That's a very convincing reason," Consort Wang nodded and said.

"You are right. Perhaps I am feeling a little unhappy since I left the palace."

She looked distressed and sighed.

"It's also my fault for not being careful enough. I don't pay attention to my health in my daily life. His Majesty sent me here, but it was for the sake of the imperial heir."

Zhang Lanying smiled and reminded her, "Your Majesty need not worry. It seems that Your Majesty has recovered well after these two days of treatment. Both Your Majesty and the Imperial Heir will be safe and sound."

"Zhang Tongzhi is truly a miracle doctor."

When this matter was mentioned, Consort Wang smiled.

"After taking that medicine, I did feel much better, and my body felt warm. As long as the imperial heir can be preserved, I will do anything."

For the women in the imperial harem, nothing was more important than the imperial heir.

It was late afternoon.

The number of people at the clinic had decreased significantly, and the emperor's entourage secretly arrived at Renmin Clinic.

When Emperor Wanli saw Zhang Yunxiu and Li Shizhen, his expression was rather unpleasant. He headed towards the courtyard where Consort Gong was staying and complained to Zhang Yunxiu repeatedly.

"Shiyuan~ The Empress Dowager scolded me again, saying that I was being ridiculous."

The Wanli Emperor looked quite unconvinced.

"I am doing this for the sake of the country and its people. No matter what I do, she thinks I'm just fooling around!"

He even seemed a little aggrieved when he said this.

Zhang Yunxiu couldn't help but chuckle; the Wanli Emperor looked like a troubled boy who had been misunderstood by his parents.

He knew this must be about Consort Gong leaving the palace, so he couldn't help but offer words of comfort.

"Your Majesty, please forgive me. The Empress Dowager has her own considerations, and her thinking is different from ours. All of this is for the sake of Consort Gong and our Great Ming Dynasty. It is natural that there will be some misunderstandings at this time."

"Once Consort Gong recovers and gives birth to a prince or princess, the Empress Dowager will surely forgive her."

The Wanli Emperor nodded and said, "Let the facts speak for themselves. If you help me take good care of Consort Gong, I will certainly reward you handsomely."

Upon entering the courtyard, Emperor Wanli saw layers of guards and, seeing the clean and tidy rooms, couldn't help but feel somewhat at ease.

Zhang Yunxiu's competence is widely recognized.

The emperor was visiting in secret, so he naturally didn't bother with any formalities. But as soon as Consort Wang saw Emperor Wanli, she burst into tears.

"Your Majesty~ Your Majesty~ I am guilty~"

She tried to get up, but Emperor Wanli gently pressed her back down on the bed and said softly.

"My dear consort, there's no need to blame yourself too much. Taking good care of your health is the most important thing."

After saying this, he turned to look at Li Shizhen and said...

"Mr. Dongbi, please examine it again carefully."

The news of Consort Wang's improved health had already reached Emperor Wanli, but no matter how much news one heard, it was not as good as seeing it with one's own eyes.

Upon hearing that Consort Wang's condition was improving, he couldn't wait to come and check on her.

"Please make way, Your Majesty."

Li Shizhen's respectful demeanor showed no sign that he had contradicted the emperor a few days earlier.

Although Emperor Wanli was a bit petty, he was still quite tolerant of someone as prestigious as Li Shizhen and didn't hold it against him, nodding and saying...

"Please investigate further, Mr. Dongbi."

There were a few checks to be done, so Zhang Yunxiu couldn't stay in the room. He followed Emperor Wanli and the other man out of the room.

Before half an incense stick's time had passed, Li Shizhen and Zhang Lanying came out of the room again. He looked quite excited and knelt down to report to the Wanli Emperor.

"Congratulations, Your Majesty. Consort Gong's health has improved. The threatened miscarriage is gradually subsiding, and she no longer experiences any lower abdominal distension."

He gave a long explanation, but Emperor Wanli didn't understand. Instead, he seized on a key point and asked a question.

How is the pulse?

A slight smile appeared on Li Shizhen's face, as if he had been relieved.

"The pulse has stabilized, Your Majesty, please rest assured. The imperial heir is safe. He will recuperate at Renmin Medical Hall from now on, and there shouldn't be any problems, as long as he avoids consuming any more aconite."

Emperor Wanli was initially pleased, but upon hearing the word "Wu Xiang," his face immediately turned solemn.

He looked at Zhang Yunxiu and said.

"The Imperial Guards are cooperating with the palace in the investigation and are striving to bring the mastermind behind this to justice!"

Zhang Yunxiu knew that the "palace" the emperor was referring to was Princess Yongning, Zhu Yaoying. Since that day, Zhu Yaoying had not come to Renmin Medical Hall with him, but had stayed in Jingyang Palace to investigate the "black fragrance" matter.

Clearly, judging from the tone of Emperor Wanli, it was already determined that the cause was "Wu Xiang".

However, it seems that the dosage was not very large, otherwise Consort Wang would really have been at risk of miscarriage.

Zhang Yunxiu cupped his hands and said, "Please rest assured, Your Majesty."

Now that he is in charge of the Southern Garrison Command, he has some power.

Feeling much more at ease, Emperor Wanli took the opportunity of leaving the palace to briefly visit the Renmin Medical Center, where he was truly amazed by its facilities.

The clinic is no longer as rudimentary as it was a few months ago; it now has everything from urology and ENT to gynecology and andrology.

Emperor Wanli lingered a little longer in the urology department. After glancing at the surgical site where circumcision was being performed, he shuddered and walked out with lingering fear.

When the emperor wanted to see the surgery, Zhang Yunxiu naturally wouldn't refuse. As the supreme commander of the Ming Dynasty, Emperor Wanli naturally had the right to understand the most cutting-edge technology of the Ming Dynasty.

But Emperor Wanli's face was covered in beads of sweat as he pulled Zhang Yunxiu aside and said...

"Shiyuan, do you have methods for castrating people in your clinic?"

Zhang Yunxiu said helplessly, "Your Majesty is mistaken. This is a circumcision procedure, mainly used to treat male infertility caused by phimosis. It is not castration at all, but rather promotes fertility."

Emperor Wanli's eyes lit up: "According to you, this circumcision surgery will not only not cause men to lose their virility, but will actually have benefits."

Zhang Yunxiu nodded: "That's natural. Circumcision is entirely beneficial and has no drawbacks. Our clinic has already cured many men who are unable to have children."

"This is a truly meritorious deed," Emperor Wanli couldn't help but praise, his eyes constantly glancing towards the operating room.

Zhang Yunxiu narrowed his eyes: "Could it be Your Majesty?"

"Stop talking nonsense!" Emperor Wanli said firmly, somewhat annoyed. "I was born with the aura of a dragon; why would I need to borrow such external forces?"

But after he finished speaking, he awkwardly touched his nose.

"If there are any nourishing methods, they can still be used, after all, the imperial harem is not producing many offspring these days, and the Empress Dowager was just nagging about it a few days ago."

If the concubines in the harem were to be fertile, why would Emperor Wanli have been so anxious and upset about Consort Gong's situation?

Zhang Yunxiu smiled and shook his head, saying, "Your Majesty, this method of replenishing essence and qi has been a mystery since ancient times. If you really want to improve, you can simply strengthen your exercise and nourish your body, and your kidney qi will naturally be replenished as well."

Whether now or in the future, apart from methods like Viagra that provide immediate results, there are really no drugs that have been definitively proven by research to be particularly effective in tonifying the kidneys.

Emperor Wanli touched his growing belly, which was even larger than that of Consort Wang, and muttered something.

"I understand, I understand~"

As he was about to leave the clinic, Emperor Wanli raised one last question.

"Speaking of which, Shiyuan, where did you learn your medical skills? How come you can solve problems that the Imperial Medical Academy and Master Dongbi couldn't?"

Clearly, Zhang Yunxiu's talent was simply too dazzling.

Zhang Yunxiu glanced at the Wanli Emperor, smiled, and said.

"Your Majesty, this is scientific. Consort Gong is weak and has insufficient luteal function. According to traditional medicine, this means that the fetus is not stable and there is insufficient qi and blood. Because bleeding is often confused with miscarriage."

In fact, treatment with medications to prevent miscarriage and hormone supplementation is sufficient to treat the condition.

Emperor Wanli: "."

His round head clearly couldn't process this kind of information very well.

The next day.

Zhang Yunxiu slept until the sun was high in the sky, but then received a message from the Wanli Emperor summoning him to the palace.

He was still sleepy when the Imperial Guards pulled him out of bed, dressed him properly, and then rushed to the palace without stopping.

Inside the Qianqing Palace, Zhang Yunxiu once again encountered the Wanli Emperor, whose face was as cold as frost.

The emperor held a crumpled piece of paper in his hand, his fat face trembling.

"Your Majesty~"

Zhang Yunxiu abandoned his frivolous attitude and became very formal and serious, bowing to the Wanli Emperor.

Like Lu Bing during the Jiajing era, he knew when to show affection and when to abide by the proper relationship between ruler and subject.

Emperor Wanli did not notice Zhang Yunxiu's change, but instead slammed his fist on the table, venting his anger.

"Where have I slighted them?"

"Since I ascended the throne, I have always treated the palace officials with great favor! Their daily rewards have never been lacking!"

"My lord told me to live frugally, and I often secretly gave them some rewards!" "But how did they treat me! They even plotted to harm my child!"

After Emperor Wanli vented his anger, Zhang Yunxiu roughly understood the cause of everything.

It must be that the case of "Wu Xiang" in the harem has made progress.

In fact, having learned from the lesson of their grandfather, the Jiajing Emperor, being assassinated by a palace maid during the Renyin Palace Incident, both the Longqing and Wanli Emperors treated eunuchs relatively well.

At least the situation of being punished to death by beatings during the Jiajing era would not occur.

Despite such preferential treatment, this still happened.

Zhang Yunxiu waited until Emperor Wanli calmed down before speaking.

"Your Majesty, these palace maids and eunuchs are indeed extremely despicable, but without someone backing them up, they would never dare to commit such a treasonous act!"

Poisoning concubines with the intention of harming the royal family is a crime punishable by death by a thousand cuts. How could an ordinary eunuch dare to do such a thing?

With his hands behind his back and a complicated expression, Emperor Wanli handed the crumpled piece of paper to Zhang Yunxiu and said...

"Shiyuan, you should take a look too."

Zhang Yunxiu took the note, unfolded it, and saw the delicate handwriting. He immediately recognized it as the handwriting of Princess Yongning, Zhu Yaoying. Zhang Yunxiu had seen far too many of the questions and notes that Liu Wan'er sent him on a daily basis.

The above content is very brief, mainly describing Zhu Yaoying's investigation at Jingyang Palace.

Jingyang Palace was not large. Zhu Yaoying learned from the management experience of Renmin Medical Hall and reorganized the eunuchs and palace maids into groups with their respective responsibilities, making it quite easy to conduct investigations.

Especially after the problem was discovered that day, Zhu Yaoying immediately sent people to control the pharmacy, kitchen and other places, preventing anyone from getting close.

However, an accident still occurred.

"Inspired by the stories of Judge Dee of the Tang Dynasty, my sister realized that the medicine took a long time to be delivered from the clinic to the palace, so it must be heated again in a medicine stove."

The female official who regularly heats up the medicinal soup is my sister's confidante, and after extensive investigation, she has not been found to be a suspect.

That leaves only one problem: the medicine furnace.

Upon seeing this, Zhang Yunxiu couldn't help but chuckle.

Princess Yongning naturally couldn't openly mention her own reminder.

Princess Yongning must have been a devoted reader of vernacular novels, as she wrote her advice in a manner reminiscent of Di Renjie analyzing a case in a vernacular novel.

Zhang Yunxiu quickly scanned the above content, finally fixing his gaze on one sentence.

"My sister, without alerting the enemy, kept the news under wraps. As expected, the female official Jiang Ying, who had relaxed her guard, fell into the trap and, together with two eunuchs, sneaked into the pharmacy with the intention of burning down the medicine furnace."

Emperor Wanli couldn't help but explain from the side: "Jiang Yingren and the others refused to be arrested and committed suicide with three eunuchs by slitting their throats with their own daggers. After investigation, the medicine furnace was found to be double-layered, with some black incense powder hidden in the interlayer."

Jingyang Palace always uses this medicine stove when heating medicinal soup, which naturally imparts a black fragrance to the soup!

He gritted his teeth.

"These despicable scoundrels are so cunning! They used the medicine stove as a cover, and the palace maids who were heating the medicine, unaware of the details, presented the medicine tainted with black incense to Consort Gong!"

Zhang Yunxiu squinted and said, "Through this stove, the dosage of black incense is not too high, and ordinary doctors would hardly be able to detect it. However, Consort Gong became addicted to it. At first, she was fine, but over time her body would be hollowed out by the black incense. In addition, Consort Gong's body was weak, so a miscarriage was inevitable."

He thought of how some unscrupulous merchants in later generations would add poppy shells to their dishes in order to boost sales, which was essentially the same principle.

This "black fragrance" is also opium, which is, of course, an extract from poppies.

Therefore, it is not difficult to understand Emperor Wanli's anger.

Jiang Yingren and the others grew up in the palace from a young age, and it can be said that both the emperor and the princess treated them well.

But it was precisely this group of people who started playing such petty tricks.

"I no longer care what my ministers say."

A ruthless glint appeared in the eyes of the Wanli Emperor.

"These three people's suicides are too lenient for them. They should be whipped three hundred times and not allowed to have a complete corpse after death. If any of their family members are still alive, the men should be exiled to the army and the women should be sent to brothels and entertainment districts!"

Emperor Wanli was generally kind-hearted, but in this matter, he clearly had no room for tolerance.

Zhang Yunxiu then reminded him, "Your Majesty, we must not let this person behind the scenes get away with it."

Emperor Wanli said angrily, "I also wish I could eat their flesh raw, but unfortunately even the medicine stove was switched by the female official Jiang Ying. The clues have been cut off since the three of them died."

He turned his gaze to Zhang Yunxiu, clearly hoping to get answers and inspiration from him.

Zhang Yunxiu pondered for a moment, then reminded the emperor.

"Your Majesty, it has become increasingly difficult to obtain this black spice lately."

Following the White Lotus Rebellion, and under Zhang Yunxiu's influence, opium became something strictly controlled by the imperial court.

Whether in the imperial palace or the homes of princes and ministers, it was strictly forbidden to appear there.

It is not even allowed in ordinary pharmacies.

Where did the black sesame come from?

Investigating the relatives and friends of this palace maid and two eunuchs is naturally easy, but at least a direction is needed, and the source of the black incense is a very important clue.

Zhang Yunxiu said meaningfully, "Judging from this description, these three people were carrying daggers, which clearly indicates that they had planned this in advance. Most of the people in the inner palace are timid and fearful, and they have been obedient since childhood. Not only did the three of them refuse to beg for mercy, but they also committed suicide with unusual decisiveness."

The person behind this is clearly no ordinary individual.

"Wu Xiang."

Emperor Wanli hesitated for a moment, gritting his teeth as he thought of the audacious Zhang Siwei and Xu Xuemo, and then of the Qingliu faction.

Suddenly, Emperor Wanli opened his small eyes and said in disbelief.

"This black agarwood cannot be found in the Ming Dynasty; it can only be obtained from overseas. The main maritime trade of the Ming Dynasty is through Yuegang, and we no longer trade black agarwood there. So, the only other option is..."

When it comes to maritime trade, there is one place that cannot be ignored.

Zhang Yunxiu succinctly stated, "Jiangnan."

"Dog thief!"

Emperor Wanli clenched his round fists, his eyes practically spitting fire.

Ever since he learned about the income from opening the sea, he has harbored a deep hatred for the gentry of Jiangnan. Otherwise, he would not have risked public condemnation and pressure from Empress Dowager Li to fully support Zhang Yunxiu's arrangements in Jiangnan.

"In my opinion, we should take a troop of elite soldiers and go straight to Jiangnan to wipe out these people in one fell swoop, and then Jiangnan will be peaceful and prosperous."

Zhang Yunxiu couldn't help but pour cold water on the idea, saying, "Your Majesty, the power of the Jiangnan gentry is deeply entrenched and cannot be easily destroyed."

Aside from a few ringleaders, do we know which families or clans of the Jiangnan gentry were responsible for the rebellion?

The Wanli Emperor roared in anger: "Take them all down!"

“If we arrest everyone indiscriminately, good and bad alike, Jiangnan will be thrown into chaos, and the court will inevitably become disloyal.” Zhang Yunxiu said, narrowing his eyes.

Emperor Wanli was well aware of these principles, but he harbored a deep resentment and didn't know where to vent it.

He sighed deeply and said, "Then what do you say, Shiyuan?"

"In my opinion," Zhang Yunxiu said with a smile, narrowing his eyes, "the troops will definitely be dispatched, but not in a grand manner, nor heading towards Jiangnan, but rather towards the east."

"East?"

The Wanli Emperor frowned deeply.

Inside Jingyang Palace, Zhu Yaoying received news of the emperor's punishment of a group of palace maids.

She breathed a deep sigh of relief. Fortunately, Emperor Wanli did not harm the other palace staff. Those involved were punished for dereliction of duty, and most of the blame fell on the three people and their relatives and friends.

She knew that the mastermind behind this was beyond her ability to investigate; as a princess, she had already overstepped her bounds.

Zhu Yaoying read the note Zhang Yunxiu had given her again and carefully put it away.

Liu Wan'er rushed over in a hurry.

"Your Highness, Consort Gong is urging you again, saying she wants you to accompany her. I imagine she's feeling a bit uneasy at Renmin Medical Clinic."

Zhu Yaoying nodded and said, "I understand. Go and prepare your luggage. We'll move to the clinic this afternoon."

To be honest, she was somewhat looking forward to life at the clinic.

After arriving at the clinic, she would naturally be able to learn medical skills and might even see Zhang Yunxiu frequently.

Of course, the former is the most important.

Zhu Yaoying thought to herself.

After leaving Jingyang Palace, Zhu Yaoying headed towards Cining Palace.

She also played a role in Consort Gong's departure from the palace. Now that she has received the Emperor's decree, it is impossible for her not to go to Cining Palace.

However, when she arrived at the entrance of Cining Palace, she was stopped by the eunuchs guarding the gate, which would never have happened before.

"Why are you stopping me?" Zhu Yaoying frowned, looking quite displeased.

The eunuch guarding the gate was somewhat frightened, but he still bowed his head and spoke.

"Your Highness, the Empress Dowager has issued an imperial decree that she is currently receiving guests and no one is allowed to enter."

Zhu Yaoying paused for a moment, then sighed and said.

"Then you may take me to the side hall to wait."

She was about to step inside when she was stopped by the eunuch.

"This servant dares to ask," the eunuch said, looking quite troubled. "Her Majesty the Empress Dowager said that if His Highness comes, he can wait outside; there's no need to go to the side hall."

Zhu Yaoying froze on the spot, her hair standing on end, and after a long while she finally spoke in a low voice.

"Then so be it, Mother."

In a study in the Cining Palace, Empress Dowager Li Caifeng glared at the middle-aged man in front of her and spoke.

"Who gave you permission to do this! How could you commit such a heinous act?"

She tried to suppress her voice, but it was still almost a roar, clearly showing she was genuinely angry.

Sitting in the armchair in the study, Li Wei looked very sad and sighed as he spoke.

"Feng'er, this is not my wish. I was forced into this situation! How could I have imagined they would be so ruthless?"

Who these "they" are is obviously only known to Empress Dowager Li and Emperor's father-in-law Li Wei.

But Empress Dowager Li didn't say anything about it. Instead, she frowned deeply, exuding an air of authority, and glared at Li Wei.

"Please address the Emperor's father-in-law as Empress Dowager!"

(End of this chapter)