Tang Dynasty: Saving Lives and Helping Others, Li Lizhi Falls for Him

The sixth year of the Zhenguan era of the Tang Dynasty (632 AD)

As dawn broke and the city gates of Chang'an opened, an inconspicuous blue-curtained carriage slowly drove out, blending into the crowd of merchants.

Inside the carriage, a woman dressed in a moon-white ruqun lifted a corner of the curtain, watched the city gate gradually disappear into the distance, and let out a long sigh of relief.

The girl was about fifteen or sixteen years old and was extremely beautiful.

Her eyebrows were like distant mountains shrouded in mist, her eyes like autumn waters rippling across the surface, her skin like smooth, delicate cream, her lips naturally red, and her eyebrows naturally green.

Her jet-black hair was styled into a simple bun, adorned only with a plain silver hairpin. Despite her minimalist approach, it couldn't conceal her innate nobility and elegance.

She was none other than Princess Chang Le, the eldest legitimate princess of the Tang Dynasty, Li Lizhi.

"Princess, are we really not going to tell His Majesty?" the maid Cuizhu asked in a low voice, her face full of trepidation.

Li Lizhi lowered the carriage curtain, a bitter smile appearing on her delicate face: "Tell Father? Then will I still be able to get out?"

She leaned against the carriage wall, her fingertips unconsciously stroking the marriage decree hidden in her sleeve.

The betrothed in the marriage certificate was none other than her uncle Changsun Wuji's son, Changsun Chong.

Changsun Wuji was not only her mother's elder brother, but also the prime minister of the court, who made great contributions to the establishment of the Tang Dynasty.

But that's all what other people said.

Who cares about her thoughts?

As a princess, she could not escape the fate of political marriage. She had no choice but to accept her fate.

"Princess, please don't be too sad..." Cuizhu said cautiously.

"I'm not sad." Li Lizhi shook her head, her voice very soft. "I just wanted to get some fresh air. After I go back, I'll have to prepare my wedding dress."

Cuizhu dared not persuade him any further, and only instructed the driver to head south of the city.

That was Princess Chang Le's favorite place when she accompanied her mother out of the palace. The local people were simple and honest, and the scenery was beautiful.

The carriage passed through Zhuque Avenue, turned into narrow alleys, and finally stopped in an open area in the south of the city.

Unlike the hustle and bustle of the city, this place, though noisy and bustling with people, is orderly.

Hearing the noise, Li Lizhi lifted the carriage curtain again, and the scene before her made her slightly stunned.

On the open ground beside the official road, a long line of people, men, women, and children, were densely packed together.

There were ragged beggars, herbalists carrying medicine baskets, and even a few merchants dressed in silk.

They stood in line quietly, occasionally exchanging a few words, showing no impatience whatsoever, their eyes all fixed on the front of the line.

There was a simple wooden table, and a young man was sitting behind it, taking the pulse of an elderly man with white hair.

"Cuizhu, go and ask what they're doing?" Li Lizhi felt a surge of curiosity.

Cuizhu alighted from the carriage and went to inquire among the group. She returned shortly, her face full of surprise: "Princess, that's a doctor! I heard he only arrived here a few days ago. He opens his clinic at dawn and closes at noon. The consultation fee is entirely up to the patient; they just let them know what they want to pay. He's cured so many people, that's why he's so successful!"

"Payment fees are flexible? What kind of rule is this?" Li Lizhi was somewhat surprised.

These days, which doctor with superb medical skills doesn't charge exorbitant consultation fees? The famous doctors in Chang'an City charge at least ten strings of cash just to have them make a house call.

"Yes, everyone says that this Dr. Shen is a living bodhisattva reincarnated."

Cuizhu pointed to a man carrying a hoe in the group, "That man said his mother had been sick for three years, and they had spent all their savings without getting her cured. But Dr. Shen's three doses of medicine worked, and in less than ten days, she was able to go back to work in the fields!"

Upon hearing this, Li Lizhi's heart stirred, and she whispered, "Let's go take a look."

After hearing what Cuizhu said, she already had an idea in her mind.

Her mother and younger sister (Princess Jinyang, Xiao Sizi) had always been in poor health and were plagued by illness for many years.

If the person in front of her is truly a miracle doctor who cured her mother and sister's illnesses, could she use this achievement to change her father and mother's opinion?

Although she didn't have much hope, after all, the imperial physicians in the Imperial Medical Bureau were helpless, and she didn't believe that this young man in front of her could cure her mother.

But she had no other choice but to try anything, even if it seemed hopeless.

After this trip out, who knows when I'll be able to leave the palace again?

Thinking of this, Li Lizhi asked Cuizhu to put a veil on her, and the two of them quietly walked to the side of the procession and began to observe carefully.

By this time, the young doctor had finished examining the old man.

"Grandpa, you have been suffering from cold and dampness for many years, it's not a serious illness."

His voice was gentle and clear, carrying a reassuring power, "I'll prescribe a formula for you: three qian of mugwort, two qian of cinnamon twigs..."

As he spoke, he wrote on the paper, his handwriting neat and elegant.

"This medicine isn't expensive; you can get it at any ordinary pharmacy. Take it home, use old ginger as a guide, and take one dose daily for half a month."

He handed over the prescription and took out a small porcelain bottle from his medicine box. "This contains a medicinal ointment I prepared. Take it home and apply it to your knees every night before bed. Rub it in your palms to warm it up. It will warm your bones and improve circulation."

Upon hearing this, the old man's hands trembled, and tears welled up in his cloudy eyes: "Doctor, miracle doctor, how much... how much will this cost? This old man..."

"Grandpa, do whatever you like."

The young doctor smiled, a smile as pure as a mountain spring, nourishing silently.

Upon hearing this, the old man's lips trembled slightly, and he said in bewilderment, "This... how can this be?"

The young doctor looked at the old man and added gently, "Sir, please give whatever you think is appropriate. A single coin is fine, or any other item is acceptable. If you really have nothing, simply saying thank you is also appreciated."

"Thank you, miracle doctor!"

The old man breathed a sigh of relief, shakily took out two copper coins from his pocket, placed them on the table, and bowed deeply.

The young doctor rose to return the greeting, watched the old man leave, then sat down and waved to the next patient.

Li Lizhi stood in the crowd, completely absorbed in watching.

It wasn't because of the young doctor's medical skills—after all, she hadn't verified them yet.

She was looking at the young doctor.

It was a gaze she had never seen before, neither the fear and trepidation of imperial physicians facing the royal family, nor the cunning and calculating nature of street doctors.

When he looked at the ragged patients, his eyes were peaceful, conveying a sense of equality.

It was a kind of pity that was neither condescending nor feigned compassion.

It's like looking at an ordinary person.

This realization stirred a strange bittersweet feeling in Li Lizhi's heart.

In the palace, she saw too many people. Some saw her as a princess, some saw her as a bargaining chip for a political marriage, and some saw her as Li Shimin's daughter.

No one else treated her as a woman named Li Lizhi.

"This doctor is interesting," Cuizhu muttered to herself. "He's just too young, looks like he's only in his early twenties. How skilled can he be? Maybe he's just trying to fool people."

Li Lizhi didn't reply, she just watched quietly.

After observing three more people, she gradually began to understand the situation.

This Dr. Shen is extremely quick at treating patients, but he is by no means perfunctory.

He asked each person questions carefully, examined their pulse meticulously, and occasionally even had them stick out their tongues for him to see.

When faced with difficult or complicated cases, he would furrow his brow slightly, ponder for a moment, and then write down a prescription without hesitation.

A woman holding a child left after her doctor's visit, expressing her deepest gratitude.

A lame veteran was helped to sit down by his comrade. Doctor Shen pressed on his injured leg and said, "It's an old injury, it can be treated." The veteran burst into tears on the spot.

A wealthy merchant offered ten taels of silver, but Doctor Shen only accepted one tael, saying, "The illness is not serious, the medicine is not expensive, this is too much."

Li Lizhi's gaze became increasingly focused.

She thought of her mother.

I recall the imperial physicians' hesitation after each pulse diagnosis, the Emperor's ever-deepening brows, and the Empress Dowager's increasingly gaunt face.

The imperial physician said that the Empress was weak after childbirth, and in addition to her pre-existing qi deficiency, she was also deficient in both qi and blood, and needed to recuperate slowly.

This recuperation lasted for several years.

He took countless medications, but his condition never improved.

"Green Bamboo." Li Lizhi's voice was soft, yet it carried a certain determination.

"Princess?"

"What do you think would happen if we asked him to treat Mother?"

Cuizhu was startled: "Princess! How can this be! Even the Imperial Physician can't cure him, and this country doctor..."

"The imperial physician has been seeing patients for three years, but he still hasn't cured them," Li Lizhi interrupted her, "and..."

She paused, her gaze returning to the young man who was diligently taking the patient's pulse.

"Moreover, his methods of treating patients are different from those of the imperial physicians."

Cuizhu didn't quite understand what was different, but she knew her princess's personality—she looked gentle and kind, but once she made up her mind, no one could persuade her otherwise.

"But Princess, how do we invite her? We can't just bring her into the palace in a grand manner, can we? We won't be able to get past His Majesty."

Li Lizhi was silent for a moment, then whispered, "So, we can't tell Father Emperor."

"what?"

"My mother has been unwell lately, and my father has sent her to the Tangquan Palace outside the city to recuperate." Li Lizhi lowered her voice, a glint of light flashing in her eyes. "If only we could get my mother to come here for a consultation quietly..."

As she spoke, she glanced again at the busy young figure.

He continued to take the patient's pulse, his movements unhurried and deliberate, as if the outside world had nothing to do with him.

"Cuizhu," Li Lizhi withdrew her gaze, her voice carrying a hint of expectation that she herself was unaware of, "After you go back, go to Tangquan Palace."

"Tell Mother... that your daughter has found a doctor."

"A very different kind of doctor."