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

Before long, the three of them changed into an inconspicuous blue-curtained carriage, and the guards were reduced to only six people, all of whom changed into civilian clothes and followed at a distance.

The carriage continued south along the official road. After passing Qixia Gate and traveling a while longer, it could hear faint voices coming from ahead.

"We've arrived," Li Chengqian said in a low voice.

Li Lizhi gently lifted a corner of the carriage curtain and looked outside.

The long queue was still there, even longer than when she arrived yesterday.

At the end of the line, a simple wooden table held a young man who was busy at work.

Empress Zhangsun followed her gaze and looked at that person, her eyes lingering on him for a long time.

"Is it him?" she asked.

"It's him," Li Chengqian replied, "Shen Chang'an, Doctor Shen."

Empress Zhangsun remained silent, simply watching quietly.

She saw the young doctor taking the pulse of an elderly man with white hair, his movements unhurried and his expression focused and gentle.

After examining the patient, he wrote a prescription, then took out a small porcelain bottle and handed it to the old man. After saying a few words, the old man stood up shakily and bowed deeply to him.

He quickly stood up to return the greeting, a smile on his face as pure as a mountain spring.

Empress Zhangsun observed for a moment, and her first impression of the young man was surprisingly good.

"Cuizhu, go ahead and ask around, find out what the people think of this Doctor Shen," Li Lizhi whispered, pretending it was her first time here.

Cuizhu responded, got off the carriage, and mingled into the group.

Before long, she returned, her face filled with amazement: "Your Majesty, Your Highness the Crown Prince, Your Highness the Princess, I have asked several people, and they all say that Doctor Shen is a living bodhisattva reincarnated, with superb medical skills and a kind heart."

"He doesn't charge the poor who can't afford medical treatment; even if the wealthy offer more for consultations, he refuses to accept more, saying, 'The illness isn't serious, the medicine isn't expensive, it's too much.'"

After listening, Empress Zhangsun's eyes showed a hint of approval.

"A doctor's heart is full of compassion," she said softly.

The carriage stopped in the distance for a while, and Empress Zhangsun observed the young doctor's every move through the carriage curtain.

She saw him treating a woman holding a crying child. He took out a candied fruit from his medicine box and handed it to the child, who immediately quieted down. The woman's face was full of gratitude.

She saw him administer acupuncture to a lame veteran. The silver needles had been inserted for only a moment when the veteran was able to slowly stand up and walk a few steps in the open space. He burst into tears on the spot, knelt on the ground and kowtowed. She quickly helped him up and gently instructed him on the precautions.

she sees—

Empress Zhangsun's gaze suddenly froze.

The doctor, Dr. Shen, was administering acupuncture to an elderly man who was using a cane.

After inserting the silver needles into several acupoints around the knee, he gently twisted them. The old man first frowned, but after a moment, his brows relaxed, and an incredulous expression appeared on his face.

"Old man, try to stand up." Shen Chang'an's voice came from afar, not loud, but clear.

The old man, supporting himself on the table, slowly stood up.

"Take a walk and see."

The old man tentatively took one step, then another, still holding his cane in his hand, but not touching the ground with it.

"I...I can walk now?"

The old man's voice trembled, filled with unbelievable surprise.

Empress Zhangsun's pupils dilated slightly.

She saw with her own eyes that the old man had been helped there, walking with a limp and relying entirely on a cane for support.

After Shen Chang'an's acupuncture treatment, the old man was able to walk on his own in less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.

Although his steps are still a bit unsteady, it's a world of difference compared to before.

"this……"

Empress Zhangsun couldn't help but exclaim in a low voice, "What kind of acupuncture technique is this?"

Li Chengqian replied from the side, "Mother, I also experienced his acupuncture technique yesterday, and it is indeed miraculous. He said it is called 'meridian-clearing acupuncture,' which can unblock meridians and promote blood circulation."

Empress Zhangsun did not speak again, but her gaze never left that young figure.

She began to believe that her son's improvement might not have been a coincidence.

After a while, Cuizhu and several other guards returned one after another and reported the news they had learned from the people.

"Your Majesty, I asked an old woman who sells vegetables. She said her son had been sick for half a year and had sought medical help everywhere without success. Doctor Shen cured him with just three doses of medicine and only charged her twenty coins."

"Your Majesty, I asked a hunter, and he said that Doctor Shen has only been here for half a month, but he has already cured over a hundred people. He never charges for consultations, only letting patients give whatever they feel they can afford. If they really don't have any money, they can simply say thank you."

"Your Majesty, I have also inquired around and everyone says that Doctor Shen is a good person with excellent medical skills and good character. He never loses his temper with patients and doesn't mind how dirty or smelly the wound is."

After listening, Empress Zhangsun slowly nodded.

"It seems that this Doctor Shen is indeed a person of real talent and learning." She turned to look at Li Chengqian and Li Lizhi. "You two have found me an extraordinary person."

Li Lizhi was delighted, but she didn't show it on her face. She only said softly, "Your Majesty flatters me. I just happened to meet you."

"happen?"

Empress Zhangsun glanced at her, her eyes filled with understanding, but she didn't point it out. "If it's a coincidence, then it must be fate."

The atmosphere inside the carriage became more relaxed.

Li Chengqian glanced at the sky, then at the queue still outside, and felt somewhat uneasy.

"Mother," he began, "there are too many people here with Doctor Shen, and we don't know how long we'll have to wait. Perhaps I should go and tell him to go first and give it to you..."

"No."

Empress Zhangsun interrupted him, her tone gentle yet firm.

"Mother?"

"These people have waited so long, how can I possibly compete with them for profit?"

Empress Zhangsun looked at the long queue outside the window, a hint of emotion in her eyes. "I am the Empress of the Tang Dynasty, the mother of the nation. If I don't even have this much patience, how can I be a model mother to the world?"

Li Chengqian felt a chill run down his spine, realizing that his suggestion had been somewhat rash.

"Your Majesty, I have misspoke. Please forgive me."

Empress Zhangsun shook her head, not blaming him, but saying, "I'm not in a hurry, waiting is fine. As for you, since that Doctor Shen can cure your illness, you should cooperate properly and not let his efforts go to waste."

"Your subject will remember Your Majesty's teachings."

Li Chengqian respectfully replied, and then added, "However, Mother, after the free clinic ends, Doctor Shen will still have to go to the city to make house calls."

"What I mean is that once his free clinic is over, I will invite him over to examine the Empress Dowager first, and then he can go to the city to make house calls."

"This way, it won't affect people's access to medical care, nor will it delay Dr. Shen's work."

Empress Zhangsun thought for a moment and nodded: "That would be feasible. Go and tell him not to rush him, so that he can finish seeing these patients in peace."

"Yes, Your Majesty, I will go immediately."

Li Chengqian alighted from the carriage, straightened his clothes, and walked toward Shen Chang'an's consultation table.

Shen Chang'an was writing a prescription for a patient when he caught a glimpse of someone approaching out of the corner of his eye. Looking up, he recognized him as the "Young Master Li" he had met at Zuixianlou yesterday.