Chapter 92 Miracle Medicine
Mengxi didn't know that the sworn brother she met by chance at Luding Mountain was the current crown prince - Shangguan Honghui.
At this time, Shangguan Honghui was sitting in the study, frowning, playing with the Lengxiang Pill in his hand. He looked up and saw Xiao Zongzi coming in and greeting him, and asked casually:
“Have you sent someone to investigate?”
"Replying to the prince, as soon as I returned to the palace, I sent someone to investigate the background of Yichuntang. The person who went out has not returned yet. I think it will take some time. I have sent the pills that the prince bought to the Imperial Hospital. When the Imperial Doctor Li saw it, he was amazed and said that there are people in the world who can make pills without refining methods. He said that he would study it carefully with everyone in the Imperial Hospital and then write back to the prince."
As he was speaking, a young eunuch came in and reported:
"Doctor Li and counselor Li Zan are waiting outside the door to see the prince."
"Please come in"
After a while, Li Zan and the excited Doctor Li walked in one after the other. They greeted the Crown Prince, and the Crown Prince ordered someone to give him a seat. As soon as Doctor Li sat down, he bowed to the Crown Prince and said:
"Your Highness sent someone to deliver the medicine to the Imperial Hospital this morning. I thought such cheap medicine might be adulterated, so I carefully identified it with the people from the Imperial Hospital. It is indeed a genuine and good medicine. Any one of them is worth a fortune in Da Qi. I don't know why Yichuntang sells it so cheaply. Your Highness may be acquainted with the person who makes the medicine at Yichuntang. Please introduce him to me. It would be a pity if I missed such a rare person."
"The man who made this medicine is the owner of Yichun Hall. This king has only met this man once. It is said that this man is always wandering around. He left Pingyang early this morning . Doctor Li, do you think this medicine is really rare in Da Qi?"
"Your Highness, I think this medicine is indeed a rare and precious medicine in Da Qi. I wonder if the Crown Prince still remembers that the Empress Dowager wanted to refine a beauty pill two years ago. She ordered the gathering of famous people from all over the world to gather at the Imperial Hospital. They consumed countless rare and precious herbs and spent a year. In the end, they only refined a dozen pills. At that time, it caused a sensation in the harem and the court. Each pill of the beauty pill was priced at a sky-high price. Only the Empress Dowager and the Queen could use it. It was difficult for ordinary people to even see it, let alone use it. I think the pills prepared by this person are similar to the pills refined by the Imperial Hospital at that time, but they are more magical, and there are many types and the price is cheap. Crown Prince, if we can get this person and the secret recipe, or cooperate with this person, it will be no less than digging up a treasure pot."
After Doctor Li finished speaking, he looked at the prince eagerly, but seeing that the prince was silent, he did not want to urge him. At this time, Li Zan on the side spoke up:
"Your Highness, I have seen that the Prince of Yan has the support of the Queen Mother, and most of the officials of the three provinces and six ministries have formed a party with him. At present, the Ouyang family has been under the jurisdiction of the Prince of Yan. I have also heard that the Li family has been very close to the Prince of Yan recently, and their relationship is ambiguous. It is said that the Prince of Yan intends to take the Li family's daughter as a concubine, and has the intention of tying the knot. Seeing that the Prince of Yan has evil intentions and his power is growing, he has the tendency to compete with Your Highness. Although the second master of the Xiao family has sworn to protect Your Highness, the attitude of the first master of the Xiao family is still unclear. I have asked the second master Xiao to meet several times, but the second master Xiao refused to meet on the grounds that he was not well. I am worried that once the Prince of Yan gains power, the Xiao family is likely to sacrifice the pawns to save the chariot. If so, the second master will be a useless son. Without the financial support of the Xiao family, Your Highness will inevitably be more alone. At present, the Great Qi The economic lifeline of the country is in the hands of the four great families. Even if Your Highness is of noble status, it will be difficult to get a share of the pie without their support. Now this person who makes medicine has a secret recipe that is hard to find in a hundred generations. This secret is the source of wealth. If Your Highness can recruit this person to your side, with your power, the secret recipe of making medicine in your hands will be a shortcut to accumulate wealth and lay a solid material foundation for Your Highness to ascend the throne in the future. With the secret recipe in hand, we don’t have to curry favor with the aristocratic families. What’s more, this person’s miraculous medicine can relieve the suffering of the people of the world, and we can buy the hearts of the people. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I am worried that if the King of Yan learns about this, he will do whatever it takes to recruit this person. It was God who sent this person to the Crown Prince before the King of Yan. Your Highness should make plans early and strike first.”
"Think about it, the old lady Xiao only has two sons. The male members of the Xiao family are rare. Is she really willing to give up the whole family of the second master Xiao?"
"Your Highness, you don't know. I heard that although the old lady Xiao is a woman, her methods and knowledge are no less than those of men. In order to protect the Xiao family's foundation, it is inevitable that the old lady will use extraordinary methods in extraordinary times. What's more, the second master Xiao is a concubine's son, not the old lady's legitimate son. We have to be on guard. Our Pingyang Fourth Master is usually the best friend, but since I protected you, the second master Xiao has been distant from me and is no longer as close as before. Recently, he knew that his second uncle protected you, but he still avoided me. This is a glimpse of his kindness."
"Brother Li is right. It's just that the emperor is most opposed to court officials forming cliques for personal gain. Although the power of Prince Yan is great, he has also violated the emperor's taboo. We should not show off too much. Prince Yan is eager to accomplish things, so he will reveal his flaws. We just need to be cautious. The best strategy is to remain unchanged in the face of ever-changing circumstances."
"Your Highness is right, but the Crown Prince should know that the situation is stronger than the person. Although the current emperor is averse to the Prince of Yan forming a clique, once the Prince of Yan becomes powerful, coupled with the power of the Queen Mother's relatives, even if the emperor's will is clear, it will be impossible to turn the tide. Although it is the best strategy to remain unchanged in the face of ever-changing situations, the Crown Prince should also make preparations in secret. Now that the owner of Yichun Hall has suddenly appeared in the world, while the world does not know about this person, we must take the initiative. This is a rare opportunity, the Crown Prince must not miss it."
"This is what I was thinking. When I met him at Luding Mountain yesterday, I was shocked by his conversation. I wanted to test him and persuade him to serve as an official, but he wrote a poem for me, "Smiling Proudly in the World of the Jianghu", implying that he has no intention of pursuing a career in politics and only wants to indulge in the mountains and rivers. I don't think he is someone who would submit to others."
"Your Highness, since ancient times, all extraordinary people have some special qualities, but such people often value friendship the most. Your Highness must not use power to suppress such people. It is best for Your Highness to be polite and treat them with sincerity."
Ever since Doctor Li saw the medicines sent by the prince, he had long admired the owner of Yichun Hall and felt a great sense of mutual respect for him. Now seeing Li Zan persuading the prince to take this man under his command, he was afraid that the prince would use force. What if this man refused to submit and humiliated him? If such a person was intimidated by the prince's power and disappeared from the world, that would be a loss for the medical community and for Da Qi. It would be better to be gentle with him for now. Thinking of this, he hurriedly advised.
"What Doctor Li said is absolutely right. Before I found the pills from Yichun Hall, I had intended to make friends with this person. However, he is a wanderer and has no intention of pursuing a career in politics. We just met yesterday. I went to Yichun Hall to look for him early this morning, but he had already left Pingyang. I wonder if he has noticed my identity and is hiding. It's not easy to find him, right?"
Li Zan was unwilling to accept what the prince said, and said:
"The prince's power is all over the world. He is just a weak boy. As long as he is still in the territory of Da Qi, I don't believe he can hide in heaven. I will arrange people to investigate everywhere."
